Thoughts on Publishing in 2022

by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell

So here we are on a toboggan hurtling down the snowy mountain called 2022. Seems like a good time to take a look at the current state of book publishing, the better to avoid the rocks, tree stumps, and cliffs scattered all over the slope.

What do we see?

The Forbidden City

Looming large, as always, is traditional publishing by the Big 5. Prophecies of their demise, which were legion in the early days of the indie boom, have not come to pass. Not even a global pandemic could take the trad biz out. Yes, there have been mergers and acquisitions, the paring down of staffs, and other moves that market-wide disruption demands. But as explained by Jane Friedman in The Hot Sheet (subscription required; quoted with permission):

In 2020, traditional publishing celebrated its best sales in a decade, and 2021 will come in at even higher levels, with 8 percent growth projected by NPD BookScan. HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray claimed the book “pie” has grown by about 15 percent, and thus the company has been aggressive in their acquisitions and release schedule. HarperCollins profits were up 42 percent by mid-year, while Penguin Random House saw its best profits in 19 years, up by a whopping 55 percent during the first half.

Undeniably it has been an extraordinary and historic period of sales in the industry, with no particular books responsible; publishers are seeing strong performance across their entire lists. (Keep in mind that, for traditional publishers, the print-to-digital sales mix remains about 75-25.) The latest report from the Association of American Publishers shows that consumer (trade) publisher revenues are up 14.1 percent through October 2021 versus last year.

Publishers Lunch, which has tracked dealmaking trends for more than 20 years, saw a surge in dealmaking in 2021. Volume for the first half of the year was about 20 percent higher than in 2020—remarkably in line with the increase in US print unit sales, which were up 18.4 percent during the first half of the year, according to BookScan. Major deals and six-figure deals remain strong.

Who would have predicted this? Perhaps your humble scribe, who opined back in 2013 that traditional publishing was like a boxer who just won’t go down.

Now let us consider this from the writer’s perspective. For while the industry is still humming, the tune may be less than melodious for fledgling fiction authors. Yes, deals are still being made, but with fewer “slots” for new writers the competition is fierce. Unless one is a celebrity (who is paired with a ghost or co-author), or has written what a pub board considers a “can’t miss” debut (they’re only right about this maybe 50% of the time) advances are not hefty. In many cases they aren’t even, strictly speaking, advances. As agent Kristin Nelson explains:

In the early 2000s, every contract I negotiated specified advance payments in halves: half on signing and half on delivery and acceptance of the manuscript. An agent earns the commission at the same time a client is paid. Publishers are now citing “corporate mandates” that payments must be structured in four or five installments—and some of those payments aren’t coming in until after publication…which makes it no longer an “advance” … Not only does this structure impact an author’s financial well-being, it impacts an agent’s ability to earn a living. Imagine negotiating a contract today and knowing that a portion of your commission won’t be paid for two years.

As far as acquisitions, there is a “blockbuster mentality” in big publishing. Nice if your book is one of them and hits. If it doesn’t, your prospects for another contract with the same publisher, or another of the Bigs, dim considerably.

Over the course of the last thirty years I’ve seen a strikingly similar scenario happen over and over again. It goes like this:

  1. Big advance from a big publisher. A two-book contract! Huzzah! Everyone is celebrating, popping champagne, hosting the author at conference pub parties.
  2. Book #1 fails to live up to sales projections. Author starts getting night sweats. There is no further marketing push from the publisher.
  3. Book #1 is deemed a “failure.”
  4. Book #2, per the contract, comes out, but without robust support from the publisher or large orders from the bookstores. If the book is hardback, publisher may decide not to do a paperback print run. Instead, it “remainders” the hardcovers in the warehouse by selling them cheaply to wholesalers (and for which the author gets no royalty).
  5. Author is not offered another contract from the big publisher, nor from any of the other Bigs.

(A first-hand account of such a scenario can be found here.)

I must add that I do know some writers who have managed to keep long-term relations with a big publisher without being in the “mega” category. Such writers used to be called “midlist.” But that designation is rapidly disappearing. It’s more “feast or famine” now, and if you aren’t feasting in the Forbidden City, you will likely be shown the drawbridge.

Cast into the dark forest again, what is an author to do? Fortunately, there are two roads diverging in that wood—independent/small publishing and indie publishing.

Independent and Small Publishing

Many independent and small publishing concerns are doing a fine business, and more have been added over the last several years. (I note, however, that business failures happen regularly in this sector and can really mess up the author getting monies owed.) They fall into roughly two categories: those with a traditional model and those that are hybrid.

One of the biggest independents is Kensington, home of our own John Gilstrap. It operates traditionally and pays advances. Elaine Viets is with Severn House. Reavis writes for Poisoned Pen Press.

When you get down into smaller sizes, it’s most likely there is no advance, and contract terms vary wildly. Which means doing your due diligence—you can start by reading this article. You’ll likely be your own agent, so learn all you can about publishing contracts and get help before you sign anything. The Authors Guild has a contract review benefit. You can also fork over dough to a lawyer to review the contract, but make sure said lawyer knows the ins and outs of book publishing contracts and specializes in Intellectual Property Law. The general practitioner in the strip mall at the corner is not the one to consult.

I won’t say much about “vanity” publishing, which usually requires big fees along with faux guarantees like “Your book will be published everywhere on the internet! And it will be available to all bookstores, too!” (Yeah… available… thank you so much). Some even say they will make you a “bestselling author” which means playing algorithm footsie on Amazon so your ebook, selling thirty copies, makes it to the top of some obscure category. And if you want their ultra-terrific marketing package, all you have to do is pony up more dough…four figures, sometimes five.

Yeesh.

I will say, however, there is an exception to the fee-up-front model that may be right for an author of a particular sort. I counseled just such a one. He was referred to me by a family member. He is a recently retired lawyer who had written a novel and wanted advice on how to get it published.

We went back and forth with emails. I laid out the two paths—traditional and indie—and explained the formidable barriers to the former. But that’s what he wanted to go for. So I told him what to do to get his novel shipshape (beta readers, freelance editor) and showed him how to put together a proposal and begin the search for an agent.

After about eight months he wrote back saying he was ready to go indie. I told him what that entailed, the various tasks he’d have to perform. I also said he needed to think of it as a business. But he was not interested in running a business, he just wanted to get his novel published and made available.

So for such a person (i.e., one not interested in writing as a career, vocation, or serious hobby), there are companies that will take care of things like cover design, formatting and all the rest, for a reasonable fee. One of these is BookBaby. After due diligence, that’s what he chose.

Indie Publishing

As we all know, an ever-growing number of authors—several of whom you’ll find right here at TKZ—are successfully publishing on their own. Some have gone indie from the jump, while a multitude of former trad writers have transitioned over, attracted by benefits that include full creative control, generous royalty rates, and seeing their book published as soon as it’s finished instead of a year or 18 months down the line.

But to do this successfully you have to think like a business (a simple business plan is presented in my book How to Make a Living as a Writer), consistently produce quality work, and be patient. One decision you’ll need to make early is whether to “go wide” or “go exclusive.” The nice thing is your choice is not irrevocable. Being indie means you can try new things, experiment, and make better decisions as you grow.

So where are we, O writer? Recognizing that there are exceptions to every publishing generality, let me offer a few words of advice.

  • If you are an author who desires acclaim from established venues of literary acceptance and a chance to break out into the rarified air of mega A-List writers, traditional is your shot. Just know that the odds are steep—98% of books published traditionally sell fewer than 5,000 printed copies. It’s a gamble and it may take you years to get a chance at the table. Yet people still play 22 in roulette, and you are certainly free to try. Once your chips are gone, however, you will probably find it impossible to get staked again for another turn inside the Forbidden City.
  • A good, independent publisher is an alternative—so long as your monetary goals are modest. The key word is good. Do your research.
  • Big or small, fight for a fair reversion clause in your contract. By fair I mean tied to a minimum number of dollars (not “copies available”) in a royalty period. Shoot for a high three figures.
  • Also get a fair non-compete clause.
  • If you decide to go indie because you think it is a fast road to riches, think again. It will take several years to get a good income flow, and even then it may not be a raging river of green. Still, you own all rights to your hard work and you can’t be fired. If you love to write (and you should if you want to make a go of this) then even a modest side income is frosting on the cake.
  • Whatever your choice, make it your goal to get better every time you sit at the keyboard. Study the craft, write, get feedback, write, study, try things, get more feedback, write.
  • Find your productive sweet spot. Figure out how many words you can produce comfortably in a week. Whatever that number is, up it by 10% and make that your goal, breaking it down into daily production, six days a week. Take one day off each week for rest and recharging.
  • Have a regular creativity time. Be like a movie studio and have several projects “in development.”

That’s how I see the publishing biz in 2022. Let’s open up a conversation on all this. How do you see things? What decisions are you contemplating? What lessons have you learned over the past few years?

46 thoughts on “Thoughts on Publishing in 2022

  1. Thank you, Jim, and Happy New Year. One could do another entire post on the proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House, which will (probably) occur in 2022, opposition by the U.S. Justice Department notwithstanding. There are some who say that this move will shrink the dollar amount of advances even further. It remains to be seen.

    That said, my advice to everyone is to keep writing. Streaming services that produce original programming are looking for original works to adapt at an astounding rate. Even one of my own humble stories has been so optioned. Who knows what the future may bring?

    • Always solid advice, Joe—”keep writing.” As Gretzky once said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

      Keep us apprised of the progress of that new streaming hit, Hartlaub County USA.

  2. Thank you for this enlightening post. I’m not good with change, so I’m going to keep producing books for the indie market. I’m comfortable with two books a year, and while the ‘Golden Years’ of Indie Publishing, which I was fortunate enough to be a part of, might be gone, it’s the writing I enjoy. I’m in the final stages of getting my next book, In the Crosshairs, ready to meet the public, and until I have the final bits and pieces in place, my aging brain can’t handle working on a second, although I agree JSB’s suggestion of juggling 3 projects is a good one. I’ve mapped out some ideas for the next book, and assuming I can find the safe place I put that legal tablet, I’ll be starting Blackthorne 11 soon.

    • Isn’t that wild, Terry? Book 11! And you know exactly where it’s going and when.

      Perhaps you meant the “gold rush” days of indie, back in 2008-2011 when early adopters were selling wildly at 99¢ and making a bundle. I think we are in the “golden age” of indie right now—a much more mature and business-savvy time when best practices are being learned and followed successfully. If, of course, you can write!

  3. Thanks for the update and your words of wisdom, Jim. I’m committed to continue writing, no matter what. And I’m committed to staying indie.

    What I’ve learned over the last several years is that it’s becoming harder and harder to get noticed as an indie. I read somewhere that the percentage increase in number of books published last year was greater than the percentage increase in number of books sold.

    What I’m contemplating (and have actually started) is adding marketing to craft (in a 50/50 ratio) in my study of writing. For an indie starting out, we really need to learn best practices for website design, newsletters, use of social media, use of promotions, etc. There’s a wealth of information out there, but we have to go on a quest to find it.

    Thanks for the great State of Publishing summary!

    • What I’ve learned over the last several years is that it’s becoming harder and harder to get noticed as an indie.

      Steve, I think that’s true in the “old school” sense of trying to get noticed “wide.” The way forward is “niche noticing”—finding readers in smaller but identifiable slices of the pie…and then (most important) retaining and nurturing them forever (new content, email communication, etc.)

      Good idea to add marketing to the learning mix. But keep your ratio biased toward writing. After all, the most effective marketing is still (and always will be) word of mouth.

  4. As it happens, I’ve been working on my business plan for 2022 in between WIPs. Just downloaded your book. Thank you!

    I’ll add one thing to your outstanding post. Rather than trying to be everywhere online, find one or two social media sites that warrant your time. Ditch the rest. Time is your most valuable asset. Spend most of it on writing the next book.

  5. Excellent post, Jim, with a huge amount of research and thought involved (and thereby surprised by the paucity of comments attached, unless they pop up after I post this, which sometimes happens here).

    I see the publishing biz the same way as you. I started in magazines eons ago, went into marketing, and brought out my big NonFic book about digital printing in the early ‘00s with a traditional publisher ($5k advance). It killed, and the publisher begged me to do more, until I was series-editing OTHER people’s books for them. But that got old and I had another dream: Fiction.

    When Fiction time rolled around, I saw my future in Indie Self-Pub and bypassed the Forbidden City completely, building my own little treehouse in the woods. And it’s been a good 4-5 years. Not Hugh Howie or Joanna Penn level at all, but enough to keep me happy and—most importantly—in total control of just about everything. I recently released the final book of a time travel fantasy series and played around with different packaging and price-discounting schemes. Why? Because I could. Because I’m the boss of my acreage in the publishing woods. I’ll lower the rope ladder if you want to visit.

    • Thanks for the good word, Harald. I worked on this a long time and did a lot of research and rewriting. I’m open to additions and corrections because this subject is so important.

      Because I’m the boss of my acreage in the publishing woods.

      That needs to be a T-shirt, Harald. Open a merch shop!

      And I’ll connect these dots: being in “total control of just about everything” is a chief factor in “keeping happy.” When you can’t control what’s happening in the Forbidden City, and things get sour, happiness is nigh unto impossible.

      See you in the forest.

      • That needs to be a T-shirt, Harald. Open a merch shop!
        HaHa. I used to do a lot of T-shirt merchandising when I lived in L.A. Had a favorite shop in Venice that did a bang-up job. Wonder if they’re still there…

  6. Great, great post, Jim. The more I see (and presently experience) the trad publishing wilderness, the more homesick I become for indie publishing, which was how I published my first three books. My two MSs still languishing with an agent might birth as indies before too much longer . . .

    I love to write. It’s the only endeavor in the whole of my life that wakes me up in the middle of the night, and kick-starts my day (along with a cuppa joe). I don’t plan to quit anytime soon. 2022 has already begun with me running flat-out, paying for a conference, and a mentoring group of great writers. And, of course, TKZ.

    Love this quote from Jane Friedman: To achieve writing success—especially commercial success—requires an inner drive that pushes you forward no matter what feedback you receive.

    I’m pasting that to my wall today. Thanks again for the post . . . great info.

    • Thanks, Deb. Not quitting is the key, right? Unlike the miners who dug and dug, then finally gave up one foot from the rich vein. And if we love to dig (write) why quit ever?

      Carpe Typem!

  7. Fantastic information, Jim.

    My first novel was published several years ago by a small traditional house. We developed a great working relationship, and it was a good move for me since I knew virtually nothing about publishing,

    When my second novel was nearing completion, the publisher sent me their newly-updated contract which wasn’t nearly as friendly as the old one. In the interim, I had read your book “How to Make a Living as a Writer.” My husband and I negotiated a few changes in the contract, but the reversion clause was a sticking point so we decided to go Indie.

    I wasn’t sure at the time if it was the right decision, but now I’m delighted. I love the control I have over every aspect of my books. I’m working with the publisher now to get the rights of book #1 back so I can rebrand it and take control of all of my work.

    I still have a lot to learn about the business of writing and publishing, but I’m loving it. “How to Make a Living as a Writer” should be required reading for all new authors.

    • Well, thanks so much for the kind words about my book, Kay. I’m glad to hear that you decided to “walk away” from a deal with an unfair reversion clause. In your situation, it seems exactly the right way to go.

      If, however, the author is negotiating with a Big publisher, the leverage situation is altered. Then one has to make the decision whether “going for it” is worth the more restrictive contract. For some it has worked out; for others not so much.

      Hoping you get those rights back, Kay.

  8. Good morning Jim, and Happy New Year! This is a terrific look at publishing in 2022. While I started out traditional with short story sales to various online magazines, I’m a dedicated indie author with my novels. I see things similarly to you. I have other author friends who go trad, usually aiming at the Big-5, but I think independent and small press is a safer bet, given the extreme odds of even getting into the Forbidden City, let alone having a success.

    As for self-publishing, it’s definitely matured from the “gold rush” days. Kindle Unlimited and Wide are different enough paths in readership and marketing tactics that I see them as almost separate publishing ecosystems. KU is very much it’s own world, with new sub-sub genres (especially in SF/Fantasy) popping up all the time, and voracious “whale” readers (especially in romance) that devour many books on month whereas Wide is slower, with avid readers who are always reading something, but perhaps not as quickly as KU readers. Wide is more in direct competition with trad published books, having the advantage of control of pricing and marketing tactics. Newsletters (aka email reader group for individual authors) are key to both indie paths.

    I made the decision to follow my passion into mystery writing back in 2020, and decided to stay wide with mystery as well. Ironically, I have a strong idea for a science fictional mystery series.

    That’s simmering on a back burner at the moment, since one of the lessons I’ve learned in the five years since self-publishing my first novel in January 31, 2017 is to build one series first before branching out. I had decent success out the gate, but then diverted into an unrelated Kindle World space opera novel, which published to little fanfare. I also think I cut my series short–the story arc could have encompassed more novels, but it works in the five books I told it (IMHO of course 🙂

    The second lesson is to publish regularly. Twice a year is a good minimum pace for an indie in *my* experience (as always YMMV). Three is better if you can pull it off. (Friends in KU publish far faster, but each person is different). I managed four novels my first year because two had been written the year before, and one was that KW space opera (written at a frantic pace in February-March 2017). After that, I produced a novel a year (while still working at the library). Moving to mystery has meant learning how to write one that works, and I think I’m finally there. My developmental editor will let me know shortly, followed by a rewrite and beta readers.

    The third and final lesson is one you’ve already mentioned, the best marketing is to write the next book. I have an outline for the next book in my series, and ideas and titles for several more after that.

    I continue to love being self-published and having the control and freedom to publish my own work. It truly is a great time to be a writer. Thanks for another great post! Have a wonderful Sunday!

    • Wow, Dale. That’s a ton of great commentary. I really have nothing to add. You’ve thought this through and developed actionable and practical plans. That’s what this gig is all about. Happy ’22!

  9. Pure gold, Jim–but then that’s no surprise!

    You linked to Therese Walsh’s post on Writer Unboxed (“first-hand account of such a scenario”). Wow, was that a powerful piece for every writer who’s ever suffered a crisis of confidence. It really spoke to me.

    Authors Guild’s legal review is worth the dues alone. They’ve reviewed three contract offers for me. Their opinions ultimately led to my decision to go indie in 2019.

    Several writer friends who went trad about the same time got stuck in the 2020 mire. As a result, they now have one, maybe two books out. B/c I had control as an indie, I have six books published with a seventh close to release.

    In this crazy world, it’s reassuring to have control over my writing.

    • Thanks for the added info, Debbie. One of the themes that is pervasive in these comments is the issue of control. It’s so hard to watch a project withering and not be able to do anything about it. With control, there’s always something else you can try.

  10. Happy New Year, Jim (and everyone)!

    I discussed this very topic with a big-name literary agent last week, when I asked for a market prediction for 2022. Here’s what he told me:

    The good news: Sales for established authors have never been better. One can watch only so much Netflix, and books continue to be a source of comfort and escape for book lovers.

    The bad news: Lockdowns are killing bookstores, indie and big-box alike. The effect of this is to depress the likelihood of success for new or less recognized writers. Handselling by the salespeople at independent bookstores has always been the key to success in launching writers’ careers.

    Conclusion: Pandemic book sales have rocketed beyond anyone’s reasonable anticipation, even as traditional retail outlets are being killed by forced closures. Unless things change, Big Tech and Mega Publishers will be all that’s left.

    • John, that sounds right to me vis-a-vis the traditional publishing world. Thus, “the likelihood of success for new or less recognized writers” is increasingly going to be via indie.

      In a post-apocalyptic publishing world, Big Tech and Mega Publishing will be there, but so too will savvy indie writers, just like the insects in The Hellstrom Chronicle.

  11. Ten years ago, indie publishing meant mom-and-pop small press which specialized in e-publishing with POD or small-run printings for trade paperbacks. That was my publishing home for over 20 years. In the last five years, almost all these publishers have died from falling profits or the death/health issues of those who run it. They also aren’t as lean and mean as self-published authors so they can’t switch direction or change their marketing tactics instantly which has hurt them. I don’t keep up with this market anymore, but of my six publishers only one has survived, Wings E-Press, which is pretty dang stunning since they’ve made some massive mistakes along the way, but they’ve righted themselves in the last few years. Belle Books is doing pretty well although its business model is traditional small press.

    And totally off the subject except it’s about publishing, I came across an interesting article, courtesy of Nathan Bransford’s publishing news blog (https://nathanbransford.com/blog). Someone has been tricking publishers, editors, agents, and everyone else in publishing into sending them early copies of important manuscripts in recent years, but he’s finally been caught. One of the publishing people trying to solve this mystery, but didn’t, the FBI solved it, has a long article on the whole clusterf*ck of carelessness and paranoia on publishing’s part in this mess.
    https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/stealing-books-before-release-mystery.html

    • Yes, Marilynn, about those small presses. The landscape is littered with failures, as to be expected with new business startups. That’s why a writer has to be so careful about contract terms….but even then, if things go south, is the courtroom the only option? Yeesh!

      That’s one weird tale about the trickster…

  12. Great informative post to begin the new year, Jim. Plus les choses changent, plus elles restent les mêmes! (Forgive me, just finished my Babbel lesson…)

    I’ve been with Kensington (really good experience; I owe my start to them and probably should have stayed there), a Big Five multi-book contract, a small press, Thomas & Mercer (also great experience) and self-pubbing. And I had a similar experience with a juicy advance. Big enough advance to make ripples in Publishers Market Place, where they rate your advances as “nice” “significant” “major” and such. Always wished they’d rate truthfully with things like “Money For Cat Food” or “Nothing to Write Home About” or “First Book Overpay To Hell” or “This Hack Got Six Figures?”

    Anywho, the big advance led to the Barnes & Noble death spiral but as Shirley MacLaine sang, I’m still here.

    Happy new year all!

    • Always wished they’d rate truthfully with things like “Money For Cat Food” or “Nothing to Write Home About” or “First Book Overpay To Hell” or “This Hack Got Six Figures?”

      That is gold, Kris! Love it.

      Great Sondheim song from Follies, “I’m Still Here.” I saw a revival on B’Way…Polly Bergen sang it and was magnificent.

  13. Happy New Year, Jim. I enjoy writing for Severn House, which does pay advances and royalties, and markets my books with care. SH has excellent editors, which makes a writer’s life much easier.

  14. Publishing is an industry in which the major companies, without exception, tacitly admit that their ability to sell books is not much greater than yours. If you don’t think that’s true, try to get them to even look at a self-published book that hasn’t already sold 25,000 copies.

  15. Very informative, JSB! I’m traditionally published and working on my 4th series with Revell/Baker Books. They have been awesome and actually spend money on marketing. Hopefully, readers and Revell will continue to like what I write.

    I’ve Indie published with three anthologies but did little of the planning, etc. That went to others who knew what they were doing. I just did what I was told. But at least if I ever go Indie, I’ll have someone to ask questions of. 🙂 Thanks for a great post!

  16. Thank you for putting this all together. Incredibly informative and love all the links. I’ll be following rabbit trails for days. I’ve seen a few of my writer friends start out independently, then be picked up by small press or the big five. It seemed like a matter of they’d proven themselves capable, writing wise and financially, so would be a better bet than an unknown. Appreciate everyone’s comments on their journey’s so far. It will be interesting to see how the state of publishing compares in a year or so, when I’m ready to pursue.

  17. I’m a bit late for dinner tonight, Jim. I read this around breakfast time and gave it the day to digest – trying to think of something nourishing to add to today’s TKZ conversation. I can’t. You’ve addressed the state of the publishing union so well, and I thank you.

  18. I finished my novel after taking courses through the Christian Writer’s Guild. You were one of the mentors at the time. Everyone who reads my novel, whether friend or acquaintance, urges me to have it published. However, I don’t know where to begin. I’ll go through your very informative email and see if I can find a starting point. I have the second series to the novel begun with a crude outline for the third and final book. I know it is a timely topic and I just need to find that one publisher who sees it the way it is written. I have imagined it as a young adult novel as well as a musical.

    • Judith, there are several good Christian agencies out there. Books & Such and Steve Laube come to mind. Go to their websites and follow their guidelines exactly.

  19. Your posts and books are always so informative! I’m new to the industry; I made a lateral shift in my priorities following a nasty injury in 2016. Since then I’ve written a trilogy, and I hope/plan to self-publish the first novel within the next six months. Since graphic design is my day job, I’ve put together a cover… but when it comes to marketing and PR, I’m lost. The internet is my FRIEND in that regard, but wow, is there a lot of info out there!

    I’m kind of in Judith’s situation, except that my book does contain some profanity, taking it right out of contention for your average Christian publisher. Hence my decision to self-publish! I’m thinking of going with an organization like “Your First 10,000 Readers” to help jump-start my marketing, but not sure if that’s an improvement over, say, BookBaby. I’ll just keep digging and doing research, and hope for the best! Thanks for all your insight!

  20. This was enlightening Jim, thank you. In 2020 your Audible course “How to write best-selling fiction” inspired me to pick up a pen and outline my first novel. Several months later I realised you made it sound really easy! I’m still working on the novel, and loving it, and indie will be the way to go for me. One day, I hope I can send you a copy of the novel and tell you that you helped me discover the premise! Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2022.

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