When description doesn’t come easily: The Mosaic Technique

The Mosaic Technique, or Collage Technique, is an interesting way to elevate your storytelling. As artists combine various elements to create a masterpiece, writers can borrow details from real life to enrich their fictional worlds.

Understanding the Mosaic Technique

This technique involves gathering fragments from reality — people, places, events — and weaving them seamlessly into your narrative. By doing so, you infuse authenticity and depth into your fictional creations.

Nothing is more vivid and authentic than our actual experience, so you can start by borrowing real places. Imagine your cousin’s cozy house—the creaky wooden floors, the quirky wallpaper that resembles oversized red cabbages. Use these vivid details to construct your protagonist’s home. The familiarity will resonate with readers.

The same applies to your characters, especially the main one. It can’t be a blank slate. Mix and match traits from real people you know. Perhaps she has your next-door neighbor’s expressive eyes, the voice of a stranger you once overheard, and the emotional struggles of your best friend. These layers create a relatable and authentic persona for your readers to care about.

Visualization, adaptation, flexibility

When you borrow real-world details, you gain clarity. Picture your cousin’s front hall—the wallpaper, the lighting, the scent. Translate this vivid mental image into words. Your readers will appreciate the specificity.

However, remember that you’re not bound by reality. If a detail doesn’t quite fit, tweak it. Change the color of the wallpaper, alter the eye shape, or blend characteristics. The Mosaic Technique allows creative freedom while maintaining a foundation in reality. You have a solid base to lay on and create anything you want from that safe space.

Collect Material

Collecting material for writing is an essential part of the creative process. Whether you’re working on a novel, short story, or any other form of writing, gathering ideas and details enriches your work.

• Journaling and Observation – Pay attention to the world around you. Observe people, places, and events. These observations can inspire characters, settings, and plot points. Keeping a journal allows you to record those observations, as well as daily experiences and thoughts. Jot down interesting moments, conversations, or sensory details you encounter.
• Visual Inspiration – The web is your friend! Use online resources like Google Image Search and Flickr to find pictures that spark your imagination. For character development, browse images of faces to create unique and vivid characters.
• Engage the Five Senses – Beyond visual descriptions, consider other senses: sound, smell, taste, and touch. Describe how things sound, the scent in the air, the taste of food, and the texture of objects. This adds depth to your writing.

Use Reality to Create Stronger Fiction

The Mosaic Technique bridges the gap between imagination and reality. As you assemble fragments from your experiences, you breathe life into your fictional universe. So, next time you write, channel your inner artist and create a literary collage that captivates readers.

6 tips to write a good anti-hero

The anti-hero is a character that has gained more and more importance in literature and audio-visual. Most people start getting tired of the very good boy or girl who does everything right. The anti-hero brings a new depth to the characters.

Hero vs. Anti-hero vs. Villain

An anti-hero is neither a hero nor a villain. He is on the “good” side, but he lacks the qualities or moral rightness of the hero. Yet, even when his actions are morally ambiguous, the audience hopes for him to win. He acts for the right reasons, and that gets him away from the villain label. He is not the bad guy, but the means or the results can be questionable, which doesn’t happen with the traditional hero.

6 tips for a good anti-hero

1. They are complex

The appeal of anti-heroes is that they are complex and full of shades of gray. A hero always does what’s right, and a villain doesn’t care about anything else than their goal. Anti-heroes struggle. They have issues and doubts, and ethically speaking, they take actions that are quite unexpected.

Make your anti-heroes mysterious and give them some moral weaknesses.

2. They have an internal conflict

Your anti-hero’s internal conflict drives their actions. Before start writing, you must find something in your character’s past that led them to where they are now. What’s the source of their internal conflict?

Even if you do not tell the reader right away, you need to be very aware of it. Make the character’s actions always consistent with it.

Ideally, you reveal this backstory slowly to keep your readers interested.

3. They are not the bad guys

Sure, they do questionable things but have a greater good in mind. They can be very manipulative or even violent if they need to. The end justifies their means, but they aren’t ultimately evil.

They act for a noble cause, and the reader can always justify their actions with the result or the emotional pressure the character could have been in. The characters themselves can feel conscious about their acts. Yet, they always have the excuse that they really need to do it or have no choice.

They have a moral compass they follow (even if it’s a questionable one), and their endgame is to leave the world a better place.

4. They have someone to trust

When creating an anti-hero, you should also create a support character. It helps to show your anti-hero’s vulnerability. This character acts as a lawyer to show the audience the other side of a bad deed your anti-hero decided to do.

This character’s role is primarily to bring to light the redeeming qualities of your anti-hero, to humanize them.

This character (or these characters, your choice) can also challenge the anti-hero, making your story even more enjoyable.

5. They act unexpectedly

Either in a violent way or not, the anti-hero surprises the enemy. They use shock and awe to get what they want, which should show in your writing. Sometimes, your anti-heroes can also turn on their allies if they have a powerful reason. These add surprising, even shocking, moments that grab the reader’s attention.

Other characters may agree with them or give them what they want because their actions were so unexpected that they didn’t know what else to do. Yet, a good anti-hero is logical. Their actions may be unforeseen but never erratic. They know why they act the way they do. The insanity and lack of logic are typical of some villains, not anti-heroes.

6. They grow

The best anti-heroes have a moment of growth where they actually deserve the title of hero. It doesn’t need to be a redemption but a moment of clarity, where they learn and overcome one of their worst traits to do the right thing.

This is a great way to make your readers even more compelled to love them because it is highly relatable.

Anti-heroes are a good thing in literature

Developing an anti-hero character is a significant and pleasant challenge for any writer. They are good for your story, make it more interesting, and run from cliches. They even have a social impact since they can be an excellent way to start difficult conversations.

We need heroes to look up to but also a good anti-hero to relate to. A good anti-hero helps the audience connect with the story on a deeper level and favors them to keep reading.

Crucial Choices: Types of Titles and How to Decide

The book title is the first thing your readers will see. Sure, a great cover helps, but if the title isn’t appealing, they will probably not pick it up to try and find out what your book is about.

A good title makes your reader curious, but it also sets the tone of your book. It is the first step to grab the attention of a potential reader.

Title types

A novel has infinite possible titles; it all depends on your imagination. Yet, you can group them all into some categories – types.

Each type has strengths and weaknesses, and organizing your ideas into these categories helps you to choose according to your goals.

1. Simple and objective

This title is very clear. It is often one-word and straight to the point. It uses a character’s name, a location, or something very significant for the story. It is a good choice because it is easy to remember but can feel a bit reductive. The main issue with these titles is that they can be a little too vague, making it hard to make them stand out.

They are, however, great choices for biographies, children’s books, and stories that overtake a significant setting or period. They are important when it is obvious what the book is about – and that’s interesting enough.

However, nowadays, you have an extra challenge: search engines. Most of your readers will look for your book on the Internet. Search engines are not very friendly for one-word titles, and dozens of other things will appear in a search. Consider this when choosing your title, and consider a three-word title, at least, to avoid this kind of issue.

2. Descriptive

A descriptive title is very specific and conveys more meaning than a one-word title. It clearly tells the reader what they’re going to find inside the book, yet it can also have some issues.

When you’re being descriptive, you tend to use too many words. A wordy title with a lot of details leaves no space for imagination. Besides, it can be hard to remember.

As an author, you don’t want to reveal too much information about the plot, but you need to provide enough information to catch the reader’s attention. It can get a little tricky.

This kind of title works with fantasy, horror, thrillers, action, drama, and even adventure – just make sure to keep it short.

3. Abstract or Symbolic

This kind of title appeals to the reader’s curiosity. It makes them ask questions and find a deeper meaning for it. Once they understand it, it is hard to forget, so it can create a great impact. The problem? It is very hard to find the most suitable one for the story and to ignite curiosity without scaring the casual readers away.

It requires a deep understanding of the story, and of course, as with an abstract painting, there is no guarantee that it will resonate with the reader. The true meaning may get lost, so you want to be cautious. They are often used in drama, romance, sci-fi, or historical pieces.

4. The original similarity

Did this sub-title get you confused? I was trying to let you feel a bit of what your readers may feel if you choose the above while presenting a new type of title.

So, what are we talking about here? This title is similar to something that’s already quite popular, but it’s original enough to create its own identity. Its goal is to create a similarity, at the same time to stands the difference from the original product. The underlying message would be, “This is like that thing you like, but different, and by different, we mean better.”

This kind of title has some advantages, such as it can be applied to all genres, it is difficult to imitate, and, when done well, it gives your story a pretty unique feeling. Yet, it is very tricky to apply.

First, you face a severe risk of being sued for plagiarism by the owners of the other title if it is too close to it. Some readers also frown upon something they think is a copy of someone else’s work. Depending on your choice, it can also be interpreted as an aggressive attack on popular content.

This kind of title can be a huge success or a dramatic fall, so I recommend being very cautious with your choice.

The perfect title is hard to get

Choosing a good title is one of the biggest challenges of any writer, and there are some issues that you need to address.

First, you can’t define a title without extensive research to ensure another story doesn’t already use it. Readers don’t forgive the lack of originality.

The genre you’re writing is equally important; you should research which titles are more appropriate. Your target reader needs to recognize the genre, or they could not even open your book. The same goes for any reference that may link with a controversial topic – avoid them, or the reader may simply ignore your book, not even knowing what it is all about.

Your perfect title should not be too long and must be attention-grabbing. His primary function is to make the potential reader pick up your book and go for the synopsis or first page. Nowadays, it has to be “searchable”, meaning that search engines need to find it easily and give an idea of what the book is about.

The first look

The title doesn’t guarantee your book’s success, but it is the first foot in the door. When people look at your book, it’s the first thing they see. Sure, there is the cover art, but even if that was what grabbed their attention… they go straight for the title next.

You must give them something that makes them want to read your story. Study further about the title types and the best ones for each genre, and take your time to pick the perfect one for your story.

How do you create the right pacing? Practical tips

What is the right pacing in a story? How should you keep it? You shouldn’t. The right pacing is to have different pacing speeds combined to create a dynamic story that will take your readers’ breath away.

You may want a fast pace to make action scenes more vivid and thrilling and slow them down to create suspense. You may want to show some hurry on the character or stop to describe something important. These ups and downs are what make the readers keep reading. Use them in your favor.

Practical tips to get the pacing right

Getting the right pacing is a matter of changing it through the story. Those changes are what prevent your reader from feeling bored by your story. But how do you do it? Here are some tips to help you change the pacing when you need it to be faster or slower.

Slowing your pacing

• Let them breathe – Your character doesn’t need always to be doing something. It may have introspective moments, little breaks that help your reader recover from emotional scenes, for example. Use these moments to share thoughts and memories or describe details of the set while your character is simply drinking a beer. It gives time for the reader to reorganize their thoughts and calm down.

• Introduce descriptions – Your story is not a race where you try to tell what happened as quickly as possible. You can stop the narrative to describe an object, a landscape, a house, etc.… If it has an important role in the story – like having a tremendous emotional value for your character – it is worth to be described.

• Subplots – Secondary storylines are very effective ways to slow down the pace of the main story while keeping your reader interested. Write a subplot that makes you want to write more and more about it. This way, you know it’s a good one.

• Flashbacks and backstory – Introducing some background story and flashbacks is an excellent way to slow down if needed. Yet, it can be tricky. Do not fall for the temptation to use it just for a change in pacing. It needs to make sense and provide important information for the reader. Otherwise, it can backfire and ruin your narrative.

• Introspection – Life isn’t just about actions and quick decisions. There is an internal process we can go through before making an important decision – or a ‘not that important one’ if you tend to overthink. Your character can do it, too, especially if you need to slow the pacing.

It’s time to get faster

• Change the order of the events – This is a good technique for a grand opening. Just start with quick action and fill in the details later. It’s good to create some questions in your readers and keep them interested.
• Put some movement into dialogues – If your characters are having a conversation, introduce some distractions around them to keep up the pace and not become too monotonous.
• Use dialogue – Fast dialogue, where characters confront each other, increases the pacing of your story, and you can use it for many things, including quickly telling some backstory.

Do not forget

The trick is in changing your pacing throughout the story. Vary your sentence length, break descriptions with dialogues, and long conversations with descriptions. Do not overuse any of the above.

Be also selective about the information you reveal. A bit of suspense can be created in any story simply by holding some info and delivering it at the right time. Don’t tell all scenes the same way. Scenes with dialogue deliver a fast pacing, while a narrator describing what happened slows it down.

Diversity for the win

The perfect pacing in a book is not a thing; it’s a million of them. Diversity is the most critical asset to great story pacing.

To know when it is time for a change, take some time to read your work out loud. That will help you understand how the rhythm of your story is going and decide if it is time to slow down or increase the pacing.

How writing more than one story at a time can be helpful?

Each writer has its own way and method, and that’s the most important. Yet, you’ve probably heard before that having too many projects at the same time will make writing hard for you.

While that statement makes total sense, this isn’t always a problem. In fact, there are a few advantages that you should be aware of.

Inspiration and creativity

When working on different stories, you work with different environments, characters, and sometimes even different timelines. This can be very inspirational and helps your creativity flow in a way that wouldn’t happen if you were focusing on one single story.

Inspiration and creativity are also states of mind, and the more ideas you have, the more new ideas you will come up with. None of them will be considered unusable because there are many stories. You’ll have more opportunities to develop every single idea you have.

Avoid getting too tired of your story

You start writing a new story, and you’re full of energy and joy, but eventually, you’ll start to get tired. There are many reasons for that, and it is absolutely normal. So, how about to feel that initial excitement all the way?

Writing more than one story helps to create momentum and excitement. You can write the one you feel like writing instead of forcing yourself to write something when you’re stuck or tired of it. It is the break you need so you can later go back to the first story with fresh eyes and a new motivation.

It is possible to develop different stories at the same time

Is writing more than one story at the same time more efficient? Not really. You’d be faster if you focused on one at a time. Yet, it has its advantages.

It is an excellent way to challenge your creativity and focus and train your writing skills.

4 questions to ask yourself to know if your story works

You wrote your story, and everything came directly from your soul. Now, it is time to give it a review and see what’s missing and what’s not necessary.

This is hard work, and many authors can feel overwhelmed by it. After much research, I summarized the four most important points to focus on. Go through all of them, and you’ll make sure your story works.

1. Is the plot and story’s main points good enough?

Before going for details, make sure the big stuff is right. So, ask yourself questions about the significant points of your story. Here are examples of the most important points to focus on:

Outline

• Does your story have a central conflict? Is it obvious?
  • Did you choose the right narrator and point of view? Is it consistent?
  • Does your story have a precise time and place?
  • Are significant happenings in your plot in the best dramatic order?
  • Is the beginning slow?
  • Does your end solve the conflict?

Scenes

• Does every scene have a purpose?
  • Is there any scene that seems “randomly” put there?
  • Do you give sensory details to help your readers visualize the scenes?

Characters

• Does your main character have a clear goal?
  • Does your main character change throughout your story?
  • Does the villain have a clear goal?
  • Does each character have a clear voice?

2. Is there anything I can cut?

I know you wrote everything from your heart, and it’s painful to think about cutting things. Yet, it is needed.

Look for any unnecessary scenes, paragraphs, sentences, or even words. Cut down any repetition and anything that doesn’t contribute to the story at any level. Is it a passage you truly like? No problem, save it. Perhaps you can use it later in another story.

At this point, you need to put the story first.

3. Is it absolutely clear to another person?

Now, it is time to take a deep breath and handle your precious work to someone else. I don’t care if it is your publisher, manager, or best friend. Just ensure the person is trustworthy and will speak freely about their opinions.

You know the story on such a profound level that, for you, everything is clear. It might not be the case for someone reading it for the first time, and you must know it before the last step. Address every question the person may have without judgment.

4. How do my sentences sound like?

Written communication is different from verbal one. Yet, you must be up to the times. Nowadays, the reader is expecting more naturalism and less flourishing.

Good vocabulary and beautiful sentences are important, but it is also important to sound natural and be accessible. So at this stage, you should read your novel or story out loud. You can even record and listen to yourself later.

Make sure everything sounds good to the ear, and polish your sentences.

The final steps into the writing journey

Now, your story is ready to publish. Congratulations!

A big part of the ending steps is leaving the story spotless, and every detail matters. Sometimes, you can even ask yourself what will your future readers say about it. Even better, what do you want them to say? Make that your goal when making the final arrangements, and good luck!

Help! I have an idea!

If you’re a writer, or any other kind of artist in fact, you may have an idea at any moment – even in the most unexpected ones. It just pops up in your mind. Regardless of the quality of the idea, you can’t forget it. Even the strangest one can eventually be trimmed into something extraordinary.

So, what to do now?

I can’t forget it!

The way you organize your ideas is very personal and depends on many factors, but you need to have them accessible for you when you need them. Believe me, no matter how good your memory is, you can’t rely on it.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have pen and paper with me (well, almost never), so I need to turn on the resources I have – my cell phone.

When I have some idea, I tend to record it with the recording app on the phone. Of course, there is always the chance to write it down on the Notepad app, but it takes a while, and I hate to write on the phone. Yet, if I’m in a place with a lot of noise, I’ll do it.

You can always try to have a notebook and a pencil in your pocket. That would be great. You can write, make graphs, or even draw. Imagine you had an idea of your character’s appearance – draw it. It doesn’t matter if your draws look like a 3-year-old made them. As long as you can understand what’s there, it’s okay. You can put some subtitles in it too.

I don’t know if it is a good idea.

Well, I don’t care – take notes! You’ll not regret it.

You should not ‘edit’ your idea at all at this point. Just take notes exactly as it came to your mind. Later, with some distance, you’ll evaluate whether it’s good or bad and how you can make it great.

It is okay to realize that the idea was terrible. Most of them are… especially the ones that come to our mind in the middle of the night during insomnia. I don’t know about you, but I have many of those. It doesn’t matter; someday, you’ll have a great idea and can’t miss it.

Don’t fear being the “misunderstood genius”

One of the biggest problems when discussing creative work is how we censor our ideas. The first thought will, most likely, not be exactly a genius work. Just find a way to keep it – take notes, draw, talk to a voice recorder… – it doesn’t matter, as long as you can access them later.

No matter the way you do it. It can be simple or complex – you can be very creative in it – just take note of your ideas. They change, evolve, and mix… what you can’t have, is lose an idea because you forgot about it.

6 quick tips for better dialogue

Good dialogue brings your characters to life. With the right tone, the right set of words defines their personality and can make the reader love, hate, sympathize, or even loathe them.

Dialogue makes all the difference in your story, so here you have some tips on how to write it right.

1. One character, one voice

Each person has a distinct way of talking, and so does your character. Try to listen to them in your head before you start writing.

To help you define their voice, ask, “How old are they?”, “Where are they from?”, “What’s their cultural inheritance?”, “What level of education do they have?”

You need to also think about the person they are talking to. You don’t speak to your friends and boss the same way, do you? These details make your dialogue more realistic and relatable for your readers.

2. Not everything must be said

A written story is not a movie script. Sometimes, there is information that doesn’t need to be a dialogue. Summarize it instead by saying what they talked about and for how long. Don’t bore your readers with technical explanations and repetitive arguments in a discussion.

Often, you can start the conversation with dialogue to inform your readers and make them more engaged. Then, summarize the rest of the conversation if it is boring or irrelevant to the evolution of the story.

3. Keep it real

Would you say that out loud? Would you say it that way? Sure, your character is not you, but it makes sense for them to say it?

Sometimes, there are topics that you avoid. Your character can have those too. Be careful to be consistent. If your character avoids a topic but suddenly talks about it with someone, your reader should understand why this change happened.

4. Shhhh

The silence is part of the music. It is also part of a dialogue.

Unless you’re writing a script, dozens of dialogue lines can become monotone. You need variety to make your story interesting, so use silence in your favor. How? Make pauses to describe body language. Introduce some action like “He exhaled and sat on the couch.”. You can also describe what is happening around them while they have that conversation. These “subtleties” help your readers to connect.

5. Be subtle

In real life, not everything is said directly. Usually, you don’t approach a person and say something like “I think you’re hot.” out of the blue. Conversations need to make sense with your character’s personality type.

Besides, dialogue has two levels that you shouldn’t ignore. One is what your character says, and the other is what they mean. How many times in your life have you said something, trying to imply a completely different thing? These details make your dialogue and your characters real to the readers.

6. Who said what?

Your readers need to know who said what. This being said, avoid too many dialogue tags like “she said” or “he asked”. It makes the writing boring. Every time it is evident, just don’t put any. Other times, mix it a little and use different ways to tell your reader who is saying what.

If your character has a distinctive tone, it will significantly help.

Dialogue: what does it tell about your characters?

Writing good dialogue is essential for bringing characters to life in a story. To help you write effective dialogue, consider the tips above. By implementing them, you can create compelling dialogue that informs and reveals essential insights into the characters.

Unlock the Power of Your Expertise to write captivating Fiction

Fiction writing is often seen as a realm of pure imagination, free from the constraints of reality. However, even in the wildest of fictional worlds, there is still a need for specific facts and details. They will make the story more believable and credible to readers.

Facts provide a foundation that helps create the sense of immersion your readers need, and research is an excellent method to achieve it. Yet, I’m here to ask you: what do you know best?

What’s your field of expertise? What’s the topic you know a lot about?

Academic knowledge is not the only valuable knowledge

If you have a degree in a certain field, you are more than qualified to write about it, but that’s not all. When I’m talking about expertise and knowledge, I’m not talking about technical books. I’m talking about stories.

Integrating something you know a lot in your stories makes them richer and more believable. I’m not even talking about academic knowledge. You can be genuinely interested in a topic and know everything about it simply because you care.

So, use that knowledge and put it into a story. Make it interesting to your readers.

You’re probably thinking right now that some fields are more interesting than others. At first sight, you’re right, but that’s when your imagination and endless creativity come into it. So what can you do with that knowledge in your story?

I advise you to consider what made you read about it, study it, or follow it academically. If nothing else, your story will touch people like you.

My personal experience

I’ve been thinking a lot about it because one of these days, I was watching some show on TV where they were reproducing a therapy session. There was this moment when I thought, “What? This would be the worst therapist ever! You can’t say that!”

Then, it stroked me, “Wait, I know exactly what a true therapist should do, should say, how should they behave. So why not use it in my writing?”

I sat on my computer and started writing a therapy session. Mostly the patient speaking. It felt good, and right now, I have seven sessions that could be the therapy session of any average 30-year-old woman.

It is very raw and very in the beginning, and I have no idea what I will do with it… but it has been a pleasure to work on this project. It gives me a lot of creative freedom and confidence that I know what I’m doing, so no matter your field, give it a try!

Improve by the truth

Incorporating facts and details can make your story more vivid, realistic, and plausible. So look into your knowledge, interests, and hobbies and find ways to incorporate them into a story or start a new one using them. You may be surprised by the results.

Ultimately, the writer’s imagination and creativity can turn any topic into a captivating story.

Are publishers the enemy?

More than ever, you can say that publishing a book is easy. You need to write it and find a publisher that makes a proposal. The problem is… the said proposal.

As a writer, you would expect them to work with you as a team. However, the reality may be slightly different, and often publishers seem like the enemy.

Do publishers respect you and your work?

What writers sometimes fail to understand is that publishers are not artists and are not doing their job for the sake of art and beauty. Instead, a publisher is a business whose goal is to make money.

I know you don’t truly like it, but you must keep this in mind when negotiating with a publisher. Unfortunately, sometimes you are so desperate to put your work out there that you miss the red flags. So let’s go through them.

When to take a step back

If it is true that all publishers had the ultimate goal of making money, it is also true that they aren’t all the same. Some are more committed to their writers, while others are really your enemy.

I’ve been there. I had terrible experiences with publishers, so I’m writing down some red flags that you should be paying attention to.

They take money from you to publish

They don’t invest in anything except, perhaps, their time negotiating with the printing company. You pay for everything, and you don’t even realize it. This is the most common mistake. You are paying, and they still want you to buy a considerable amount of your own books. Run for your life.

This kind of publisher will not do anything for you or your book. It will be gaining dust somewhere because they already had their profit.

You should always avoid publishers that ask you for money to publish. This is especially valid if they grant you fast and easy success.

20 years contract

Take a step back if the publisher offers a contract where you are stuck with them for many years. Unless you’re already a successful writer, this is unlikely to be good.

You can end up tied to them for years, and they simply ignore you and your work. You must be sure they are really on your side and working with you and for you before such a big commitment.

They have a star author, and it’s not you.

Of course, you’ll not be the star when you start working. And, of course, they’ll have a star author, that, and let’s speak frankly, is who makes most of their money. This is natural and expected. The problem begins when they ignore other authors and don’t make a single effort to sell their books.

They already have their share of money and don’t bet too high on your book. So it will probably end up on some shelf, and if you want to do anything at all, you must do it at your responsibility and… at your own expense.

When was the last time you heard about them?

This was a huge mistake I made with my first book. I was so eager to publish and to have an opportunity that I accepted the first yes. As you imagine, it was from a tiny publisher I knew nothing about.

They had a website, a single bookstore on the opposite side of the country, and they wouldn’t provide anything except (they said) publicity on their website. Oh, and let’s not forget that they were specialized in poetry (I learned this way too late.), and I wrote a novel… Are you predicting the result yet?

Yes, it was terrible. Everything was treated by mail. I paid a lot. The books had hard covers but very low quality. I had to find a place for the launch and take care of everything myself. It was a disaster, and I don’t think I sold any book to anyone except family and friends. But hey! We learn from experience, right?

So, learn from mine, and investigate the publisher and their market (or its absence) before you say yes.

They are silent about the commercial opportunities they intend to explore

Will they launch an e-book? What kind of marketing plan do they have? Do they have any? If they don’t give you this information, it is a red flag, and you should advance cautiously. Yet, please, do a favor to yourself and ask!

They are evaluating you, just like you are evaluating them. They are expecting you to show interest, so ask. You may want to rethink your options if there is no answer or if it is too vague.

Make sure they are constantly evolving and adapting to the market. Some publishers are not ignoring you and your work. They simply don’t do enough to make a difference. You deserve (and need) more than that.

It is NOT all bad

While many publishers are bad news for your book, they aren’t always your enemy. Here are some signs they are indeed invested in helping you:

• they provide you with an advance;
• they invest in quality marketers, designers, and editors for your book;
• they work with a good PR, or at least have a plan to try to get you a Book Tour, appearance in shows, or any other activity that can give it a push;
• they have more than one successful book or author (if they only have one, they will invest in that person, not you);
• they are open to discussing impactful things such as the cover or title (and yes, your readers will judge the book by its cover, so it better be good).

Publishers: the writer’s stress at work

Publishers and editors can be a source of distress and anguish. Yet, unless you feel brave enough to do all the publishing procedures yourself, you need them.

The best course of action is to acknowledge the red flags. Be aware of the best practices and never sign a contract without discussing it exhaustively. A good publisher is the dream. You need to learn how to differentiate them.