February 10, 2025

Independent & University Press Contests for Fiction Writers That Offer Book Publication as the Prize

February 10, 2025/ Sangeeta Mehta

Not all publishers are open only to agented submissions. In fact, several independent and university presses welcome submissions directly from authors, whether through open reading periods or through contests. Here is a list of publishers that don’t just accept unsolicited submissions; they also offer what I think is the best prize of all: publication of your work in book form.

January 25, 2025

Fractured Publicity: Navigating Book Promotion in the Influencer Age

January 25, 2025/ Sangeeta Mehta

Questions have perhaps always existed about the value of hiring an outside publicist. Novelists in particular—including those who have signed with major publishers—may wonder what this financial investment can tangibly and realistically deliver, especially since book review outlets have disappeared, and the remaining professional reviews have declined in importance.

November 25, 2024

Ten Podcasts Hosted by Book Publishing Insiders and Enthusiasts

November 25, 2024/ Sangeeta Mehta

Here are the podcasts that currently make up my phone’s library. Some offer exclusive content or perks through Patreon, and others are completely free. Some are updated weekly, and others, less often. Many of the podcasts include show notes and automatically generated transcripts, so you can read (rather than listen to) the episodes.

August 27, 2024

The Who, What, and Why of Sensitivity Reads

August 27, 2024/ Sangeeta Mehta

Writers and publishers hire sensitivity readers (also called authenticity readers) for a variety of reasons: to review a character whose identity the writer doesn’t share, a scene set in a country they have researched but never visited, or a dialect they’ve studied but never spoken, among other scenarios.

June 28, 2024

Making Her Own Good Fortune: How Marie Carter's Love of Writing & NYC Brought Her Book Publishing Success

June 28, 2024/ Sangeeta Mehta

For my latest author Q&A, I'm delighted to feature Marie Carter, a good friend whose publishing journey I've followed for over fifteen years. Marie's publications include a memoir with a small press, a self-published novel, and most recently, a nonfiction book. Learn about Marie's different publishing experiences and how her "very targeted approach" to querying quickly landed her an agent for her book Mortimer and the Witches, which released in March from Fordham University Press.

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