An author recently asked me:

If I have a marketing budget for my book, what would you recommend investing in? What wouldn’t you recommend?

This is one of those questions where my answer could very quickly become, “Well, it depends.”

A $500 marketing budget is different from a $5,000 marketing budget. Marketing a romance series is different from marketing a standalone memoir. An author with 5,000 newsletter subscribers is in a very different position from someone publishing their first book to an audience of twelve people, five of whom share their last name.

That’s not particularly helpful, so let’s make this question more specific.

Your book is finished. It’s professionally edited and formatted. The cover is gorgeous, and the description is compelling. Your Amazon Author Page is ready, and you have some kind of author platform or newsletter in place.

And you have $1,000 specifically earmarked for marketing.

What would I do with it?

First, I would not spend $1,000. I’d probably spend roughly half of it, see what happens, and keep the rest until I have some actual information about what’s working.

Here’s where I’d start.

$75–$150: Put the book in the hands of potential reviewers

Reviews are one of the first places I’d put some money, particularly for an author who doesn’t already have an established ARC team.

One option is BookSirens. As of August 2026, its Promote plan costs $10 per ARC plus $2 for every reader BookSirens finds who downloads the book.

That means:

25 readers = $60

50 readers = $110

75 readers = $160

You can also cap the number of readers, so you’re not handing over your credit card and hoping for the best.

Here’s the part I want to make very clear: You are not buying reviews.

You’re paying BookSirens to put your book in front of readers who may be interested in reading and reviewing it. BookSirens says that, across its platform, approximately 75% of readers who download a book ultimately post a review, but it explicitly does not guarantee that rate for an individual book.

It also doesn’t guarantee that those reviews will be positive. Good. That’s exactly how it should work. Not everyone will like your book, and that’s okay.

BookSirens reports an average reader rating of 4.1 out of 5 as of January 2026, but authors can receive lukewarm and negative reviews too.

I’d much rather pay a service to help me find legitimate readers than pay some questionable “marketing company” promising 50 five-star Amazon reviews.

There’s also an interesting opportunity here if you already have an audience. BookSirens doesn’t charge the $2 fee for readers you bring to the platform yourself. So if you have a newsletter, Substack, social following, or existing group of readers, you can recruit from there while also using BookSirens to find additional readers.

That’s a pretty reasonable use of $100.

Why do launch reviews matter? Learn more here:

$119: Test a Goodreads Giveaway

Next, I’d seriously consider a Goodreads Giveaway. The regular price for a Standard Goodreads Giveaway is currently $119. Premium is $599, but I wouldn’t start there. The Standard package already does several things I care about.

When someone enters the giveaway, they’re required to add the book to their Want-to-Read shelf. Giveaway activity can appear in friends’ Goodreads feeds. Goodreads also notifies an author’s followers and readers who have already marked the book Want to Read, and winners receive a reminder to review the book afterward.

Nearly 2000 people added my debut novel to their Want-to-Read shelf during my two Goodreads Giveaways in May and August.

The Premium package gives you additional visibility and lets you send a personalized email to people who entered but didn’t win.

Is that worth an extra $480? For most indie authors with a limited marketing budget, I wouldn’t make that my first experiment. I’d take the $119 Standard option, and I’d go into it understanding what I’m actually buying.

I’m paying to put my book in an environment full of people who, by definition, like books enough to have Goodreads accounts and enter book giveaways. That’s much more interesting to me than paying to put an Instagram ad in front of 30,000 vaguely defined people who once clicked on something involving books.

One timely note: Goodreads is currently running a 2026 Giveaways Month promotion, bringing Standard down from $119 to $99 and Premium from $599 to $399 for qualifying giveaways ending in September.

Promotions change, but my larger point doesn’t. For around $100, I’d test Standard before I’d spend $600 on Premium.

$200–$300: Experiment with Amazon ads

This is probably the paid advertising experiment I’d be most interested in. Someone browsing Amazon is already much closer to the buying decision than someone scrolling Facebook while waiting for their chiropractor appointment.

Amazon Sponsored Products operate on a cost-per-click model, so you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You also control your bids and your daily budget.

Amazon’s own example is useful: if you set an average daily budget of $10 for 30 days, your monthly spending will not exceed $300.

That’s exactly the kind of test I’d be interested in. Allocate $200–$300 and start learning. Which keywords get clicks? Which comparable authors work? Which comparable books work? Does “historical fiction” bring readers while a more specific term doesn’t? Does targeting books similar to mine outperform broad genre targeting?

Amazon allows both automatic and manual targeting. With manual targeting, authors can target specific keywords as well as specific books and genres. That means you’re paying for both visibility and you’re testing who responds to the book. That’s information you can use.

Here’s where authors get themselves into trouble:

A click isn’t a sale.

If I spend $100 and get plenty of clicks but almost no purchases, I’m not going to immediately give Amazon another $500. I’m going to ask why people are clicking but not buying.

Is the price wrong? Does the cover promise something the description doesn’t? Are my ads reaching the wrong readers? Are my comparable titles actually comparable? Is the Amazon description doing its job?

Advertising doesn’t fix a book page that doesn’t convert. It just lets you pay to send more people to it. That’s why I would test Amazon ads rather than “invest in Amazon ads.”

If marketing feels overwhelming, this post offers beginner-friendly tips:

$150–$250: Test a targeted reader promotion

This is another area where I’d rather go narrow than broad. There are newsletters and book-discovery services specifically built around readers looking for books.

BookBub is the obvious giant in this category, but this is where the numbers get interesting. Pricing for BookBub Featured Deal varies dramatically based on genre and the promotional price of the ebook.

At current pricing, for example, a U.S. Featured Deal for a free fantasy ebook is $467. At $0.99, it’s $586.

Historical fiction is $897 for free, and $1,109 for copies priced at $0.99.

Contemporary romance is currently $620 free or $765 at $0.99.

Crime fiction is $758 free and $947 at $0.99.

Those prices climb substantially if you’re promoting the ebook at a higher price.

So no, I wouldn’t automatically tell an author with a $1,000 marketing budget to go and buy a BookBub Featured Deal.

For one thing, you can’t simply buy one. Featured Deals are curated, and BookBub says its editors choose from hundreds of submissions. The reach explains why authors want them.

BookBub currently lists more than 1.1 million eligible Fantasy subscribers, 1.7 million Historical Fiction subscribers, and 2.2 million Crime Fiction subscribers, for example.

BookBub reports that partners typically see click-to-purchase conversion rates of roughly 20–30% on Featured Deals, although it very clearly says results vary and aren’t guaranteed.

This is something I’d consider later, particularly when I had a reason to run a discount, wanted to revive a backlist book, or had the first book in a series that could lead readers into several more books.

For my hypothetical $1,000 launch budget, I’d probably investigate smaller targeted reader newsletters first and reserve around $150–$250 for testing.

$0: Use the audience you already have

I can’t emphasize this enough: You already have an email list thanks to your Substack subscribers. Use it.

I don’t mean send one post that says: My book is out! Buy it here! Then go back to regularly scheduled programming. Your existing readers can be part of the entire campaign.

Recruit ARC readers. Talk about the story behind the book. Share an excerpt. Talk about something you learned while writing it. Share early reviews. Announce the release. Remind people a week later. Ask readers who finished it to leave an honest review. Thank them when they do.

Don’t forget about Notes. Substack’s built-in discovery network includes Notes, recommendations, restacks, category leaderboards, Explore, referral programs, and search. In other words, your Substack isn’t simply an email list anymore. There are mechanisms built into the platform that can put your work in front of people who aren’t already subscribers.

That costs you $0 in advertising spend. It does require time, obviously, but if I already had a group of people who had voluntarily said, Yes, I’d like to hear from you again, I’d work pretty hard to activate that audience before spending thousands of dollars trying to find a completely new one.

Here’s my hypothetical $1,000 budget

So, where are we?

BookSirens/ARC acquisition: $75–$150

Goodreads Standard Giveaway: $119

Amazon ads test: $200–$300

Targeted reader promotions: $150–$250

Substack/email audience: $0

At the low end, I’ve spent about $544, which means I still have $456 sitting in my bank account. Excellent. I want it there because now I get to see what happens.

Maybe my Amazon ads are converting surprisingly well. Great. I’ll put another $200 there.

Maybe the Goodreads giveaway gets a ton of Want-to-Read activity but doesn’t translate into anything meaningful afterward. Interesting. I probably won’t immediately run another one.

Maybe BookSirens delivers 40 readers and I’m steadily accumulating legitimate reviews. Awesome. Now I have information.

What I Wouldn’t Spend My $1,000 On

There are plenty of people willing to take an author’s marketing budget, but that doesn’t mean they’re selling something useful.

I’d be very cautious about spending heavily on:

Generic social media ads. Not never. But “people who like reading” is an enormous and mostly useless audience. I’d want much more precise targeting and a clear reason for running the campaign.

Expensive book trailers. They’re cool. That doesn’t necessarily mean they sell books.

Large PR packages, especially the ones promising press releases distributed to hundreds of media outlets. Distribution isn’t the same thing as coverage, and coverage isn’t necessarily the same thing as book sales.

Follower packages. I don’t care if you have 20,000 Instagram followers if 19,700 of them don’t care about your book.

Influencer packages with no meaningful audience data. Show me who follows them. Show me engagement. Show me whether their audience actually reads my genre.

Anything promising guaranteed positive reviews. No.

“Exposure.” This may be my least favorite marketing word. Exposure to whom? Where? Why? What do those people do after they’re exposed to me?

Ten thousand impressions can sound much more impressive than 50 book sales. I’ll take the sales.

For a deep-dive into this topic, check out this post:

What’s the best money you’ve spent marketing your book, and what’s one thing you’d never pay for again? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

There are approximately one million ways to spend money when you publish a book. Editing. Covers. Formatting. Ads. Websites. Writing courses. Promotional services. Book trailers. Swag. Launch boxes. Software subscriptions. ISBNs. Giveaways.

Once people find out you’re publishing a book, the offers start coming.

I’ll market your book.

I’ll get it in front of thousands of readers.

I’ll help you become a bestseller.

It’s very easy to spend a lot of money before you’ve sold a single copy. I’ve been on both sides of this. I’ve worked with authors for more than fifteen years, and I’ve also published my own novel.

There are things worth paying for. There are things that might be worth paying for depending on your goals. Most importantly, there are things I wouldn’t spend my money on.

Here are a few of them.

1. Anyone Who Guarantees Book Sales

This is an immediate no for me. No one can guarantee that your book will sell. They can guarantee a service. They can design your cover, edit your manuscript, run your ads, create graphics, pitch your book, or put it in front of an audience. They cannot guarantee what that audience will do.

This distinction matters because there is an entire industry built around selling hope to authors. If someone promises to make your book a bestseller, guarantee a certain number of sales, or has supposedly discovered the secret formula that other authors don’t know, be skeptical.

Publishing is too unpredictable for those promises. I will happily pay someone for expertise. I will not pay them for a fantasy.

2. A Huge Pile of Book Swag

I love bookish things as much as anyone. Bookmarks? Cute. Cozy reading hoodies in the fall? Love them. A gorgeous launch box filled with custom items inspired by your novel? These are so fun to unbox.

But will any of those things sell enough books to justify what you spent on them? That’s the question.

It’s very easy to spend $300 on merchandise because it feels like you’re marketing your book. You have boxes arriving at your house. You’re designing things. You’re preparing for launch. Things are HAPPENING.

However, activity and results are not the same thing. If you already have an engaged audience, swag can be a wonderful way to reward readers or create excitement around a launch. If you have twelve followers and your mother has already promised to buy three copies, I wouldn’t order 500 bookmarks.

Start small. You can always order more.

3. Publishing Packages Filled With Things You Don’t Need

This is one I really want new authors to watch for. You will find companies offering packages that bundle everything you supposedly need to become a published author.

Editing! Formatting! Cover design! Marketing! Distribution! Press releases! Social media graphics! Author websites!

For one convenient price of several thousand dollars. Maybe every one of those services is excellent, but do you actually need all of them? More importantly, do you know who’s doing the work?

If I’m paying for an editor, I want to know who my editor is (yes, even editors need editors!). I want to know their experience. I want to see what type of editing they’re providing. Same with a cover designer. Same with marketing.

Bundling services can make it difficult to understand what you’re actually paying for and whether each individual service is worth the price. I’d rather build my publishing team intentionally.

4. An Expensive Author Website Before You Need One

Having a place online that you actually own is smart, but your first author website does not need to cost thousands of dollars.

If you’re preparing to publish your first book, you need somewhere readers can learn who you are, find your book, join your email list, and figure out where to buy it. You can accomplish all of that with a relatively simple website.

In fact, if your budget and time are limited, I'd put more energy into building an email list than building an elaborate website. A platform like Substack gives you a place to publish, connect directly with readers, and grow a mailing list at the same time. Your website gives people somewhere to find you. Your email list gives you a way to reach them again.

Want more tips about discoverability? This post is for you:

You probably don’t need custom website development, ten beautifully designed pages, complicated integrations, or an expensive branding package before you’ve built an audience.

This is another area where it’s easy to spend money because having a gorgeous website makes everything feel very official. You’re an author now! Look at your website!

But how are people are actually going to find it?A $5,000 website with twenty visitors a month is still a website with twenty visitors a month.

Start with what you need. Build the audience. Learn what readers actually use when they visit your site. You can always invest more later.

I’d much rather see a new author put that extra money toward making the book better or getting it in front of readers than spend thousands creating an elaborate online home nobody knows exists yet.

5. Ads Before Your Book Is Ready for Them

I don’t think ads are a waste of money. I think badly timed ads are a waste of money. There’s an important difference. Before I pay to send hundreds or thousands of people to my book, I want to know what they’re going to see when they get there.

Does the cover look professional? Does it fit the genre? Is the book description compelling? Are there reviews? Does the sample make someone want to keep reading? Is the price reasonable?

If those pieces aren’t working, paying for more visibility doesn’t solve the problem. You’re just paying to show the problem to more people.

Sometimes authors assume low sales mean they need more marketing. Sometimes they do. Other times, they need better positioning. Figure out which problem you have before you start feeding money into ads.

Need some beginner-friendly marketing tips? This post is for you:

6. Another Course Promising to Tell You “The Secret”

I like learning from people who know more than I do. I’ve paid for education in my career, and I’ll do it again. What I’m much less interested in is paying someone to reveal the magical thing successful authors supposedly know that I don’t.

The secret to Amazon. The secret to BookTok. The secret to six-figure book sales. The secret launch strategy. The secret algorithm hack.

Politely, shush.

After working in this industry for fifteen-plus years and publishing my own book, here’s the disappointing news: there is no secret.

There are strategies, and there are skills you can learn. There are mistakes you can avoid. There are people with valuable experience who can shorten your learning curve. But nobody has discovered a hidden button that makes strangers buy books. If they had, every publisher in the world would be pushing that button.

So What Should You Pay For?

Anything that meaningfully improves the book or gives it a better chance of reaching the right readers gets my attention.

Professional editing can be worth it. A strong cover can absolutely be worth it. Good formatting can be worth it. Advertising can be worth it. Education can be worth it. Marketing help can be worth it.

Self-publishing puts an enormous number of decisions in the author’s hands. That’s one of the things I love about it. It’s also one of the easiest ways to blow through a budget.

Someone can sell you their time, knowledge, skill, experience, or access to an audience. What they can’t sell you is certainty.

What does it realistically cost to publish book? Check out the post below for details.

What's one thing you've spent money on as an author that you wouldn't pay for again? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

Getting beta reader feedback is the easy part. Figuring out what to do with all of it is where things get messy.

One reader loves a character another reader can’t stand. Three people mention the pacing, but they point to different chapters. Someone catches a plot issue you hadn’t noticed. Someone else suggests changing something you absolutely don’t want to change.

Before long, you have comments in emails, Word documents, Google Docs, text messages, and notes you’ve scribbled somewhere because you were definitely going to remember what they meant later.

This is exactly why I recommend organizing beta reader feedback before you start revising. You don’t want to respond to every comment individually. Instead, step back and look for patterns.

Which concerns came up more than once? Where did readers have similar reactions, even if they described the problem differently? Which suggestions are worth considering, and which ones don’t fit the story you’re trying to tell?

Most importantly: What actually needs to change?

I created a simple two-page Beta Reader Feedback Organizer to help you sort through all of that before you touch your manuscript.

It gives you one place to collect feedback, identify recurring concerns, prioritize potential revisions, and separate the comments you want to act on from the ones you’re intentionally leaving alone.

Receiving feedback is only one part of the beta reading process. Knowing what to do with it is the part that makes your book better.

Paid Subscriber Download

As a thank-you for supporting Allison Ink, I’m sharing the complete two-page Beta Reader Feedback Organizer PDF with paid subscribers below.

Download it, print it, save it for your next round of beta readers, and give yourself a system before the feedback starts piling up.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

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Read more

Ask Your Editor is a monthly space where I respond to reader questions about writing, revision, and the creative process. Each month, I select a handful of questions and walk through them, explaining how I’d approach the issue as an editor and reader, based on over 15 years of experience working with manuscripts at different stages.

Behind the Scenes: I purposefully record these in one take with no editing because I want you to hear how I think about the questions and concepts in real-time with no script.

This month’s topics:

• Do Beta Readers Need to Sign Anything? When confidentiality agreements make sense and why choosing the right readers matters more than legal paperwork.

• What’s One Thing I’d Never Spend Money on as a Self-Published Author? The publishing promises I’d avoid and where I’d invest instead.

Ask Your Editor is available to paid subscribers. If you’d like to listen to January’s edition to see how this works and if this is valuable for you, check it out for free below.

Upgrade to gain access to this monthly recording.

Ready? Let’s do it.

Read more

When I published my first novel, I understood that reviews were important, and my co-author and I prioritized getting reviews immediately after launch. Reviews influence many of my reading choices, and I knew potential readers of my novel would likely have a similar mindset.

Readers Trust Reviews

Reviews are one of the ways readers decide whether to trust your book. Imagine you’re browsing online for your next read. Two books catch your eye. The covers are equally compelling, and the descriptions sound interesting.

One has twenty thoughtful reviews, while the other has none. Which one are you more likely to click?

Most readers will choose the first one because someone else has already taken the chance. Reviews reduce uncertainty. They tell readers, “You’re probably going to enjoy this if you’re looking for this kind of book.” That’s incredibly powerful.

None of us want to waste our time, and many of us are frustrated or annoyed when we DNF a book (Did Not Finish).

Reviews also help online retailers understand who your book is for. While no one outside these companies knows exactly how their recommendation systems work, customer engagement, including reviews, gives platforms more information about your book and the readers who connect with it. The more signals your book receives, the better chance it has of reaching people who are looking for something similar.

Just as importantly, reviews give future readers information that your book description can’t. As authors, we naturally focus on what we intended to write. Readers tell everyone else what they actually experienced.

Maybe they loved the found family, the emotional ending, the twist that made them gasp, or the unexpected humor. Those details often resonate more than anything we could write in our own marketing copy because they’re coming from another reader, not the author.

Honest Reviews Matter

One review mentioning exactly what a potential reader is looking for can be more persuasive than an advertisement. This is also why honest reviews are so valuable. Not every review will be glowing, and that’s okay.

If someone says your novel is slow-paced but beautifully written, you’ve probably just helped another reader who enjoys slower, character-driven stories.

Worried about negative reviews? Don’t be. Learn why in this post:

How Do You Get More Reviews?

The simplest answer is to ask.

At the end of your book, include a short note thanking readers for their time and inviting them to leave an honest review if they enjoyed the story. Mention it in your newsletter. Share a reminder on social media after launch. If you’ve worked with ARC readers, encourage them to post their reviews around publication day.

You can also think beyond your launch week. One strategy many authors overlook is giving away free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review. That might sound counterintuitive at first. After spending months—or years—writing your book, why would you give it away?

Because reviews are a long-term investment.

Imagine you give away thirty copies of your novel. Maybe you miss out on a handful of sales today. But if ten of those readers leave thoughtful reviews, you’ve created something that can influence buying decisions for months or even years.

Every future reader who lands on your book page now has more information. They can see what other readers enjoyed, whether the pacing fits their tastes, who the book is for, and whether it’s worth taking a chance on.

Those reviews continue working for you every day your book is available. That’s why many successful indie authors prioritize building a foundation of reviews early rather than maximizing every possible sale during their launch.

This doesn’t mean giving your book away indefinitely. It means recognizing that, especially for a new author, visibility and trust are often more valuable than the royalties from a small number of early sales.

My co-author and I gave away free copies of our book, and it definitely helped boost our reviews.

The key is to ask for an honest review, never a positive one. Some readers won’t enjoy your book, and that’s okay. Honest reviews build credibility. A review section made up entirely of five-star praise can actually make readers skeptical. Authentic feedback helps the right audience find your work, and that’s ultimately the goal.

Epilogue

Your first reviews are some of the hardest to earn, but they’re also some of the most valuable. They create momentum, establish trust, and give future readers the confidence to click “Buy.”

Sometimes the smartest marketing decision is investing in the social proof that helps your book keep selling long after launch day.

If you’re interested in learning more about why ARC readers are valuable, check out this post:

If marketing feels overwhelming, this post offers beginner-friendly tips:

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

My debut novel is now available! Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

How expensive is it to publish a book? What can reasonably be done “for free,” and what should you spend your hard-earned money on?

Yes, publishing a book can be expensive. It can also be surprisingly affordable, depending on your goals, skills, and willingness to learn.

After recently self-publishing my debut novel, Harvested: Fall of Nature, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. My co-author and I made certain investments and skipped others. Some paid off. Some taught us lessons.

If you’re considering self-publishing, here are the major costs you’ll likely encounter.

Editing

I’m biased on this one because I’m an editor. Editing is the place where I recommend spending money if your budget allows. A beautiful cover can get a reader to click, but good editing gets them to finish the book.

That doesn’t mean every manuscript needs multiple rounds of editing from multiple editors, but in my experience, professional feedback is often worth the investment. Developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading all serve different purposes and vary significantly in price.

If you need a refresher on the difference, check out this post:

Many authors reduce costs by doing more self-editing before hiring an editor. That’s one of the reasons I created my self-editing guide. The stronger your manuscript is before professional editing, the more value you’ll get from it.

So, what’s the industry average for an editor? The most credible source is the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), which updates rates based on member surveys. Their 2026 chart, based on 2025 data, shows median ranges roughly around:

Developmental Editing
Typical rate: 3.0–3.5¢/word
80,000-word novel: $2,400–$2,800

Line Editing
Typical rate: 2.7–3.5¢/word
80,000-word novel: $2,160–$2,800

Copy Editing
Typical rate: 2.0–2.7¢/word
80,000-word novel: $1,600–$2,160

Proofreading
Typical rate: 1.2–2.0¢/word
80,000-word novel: $960–$1,600

Reedsy’s 2025 marketplace data found developmental editing averaging about 3.6¢/word and copy editing around 2.7¢/word.

Cover Design

Readers absolutely judge books by their covers. In my opinion, a professional cover is one of the strongest marketing tools you can buy.

Your cover communicates genre, tone, quality, and audience within seconds. A weak cover can make a great book look amateur. A strong cover can dramatically improve click-through rates and reader interest. This is another area where I generally advise authors not to cut corners.

Cover design has one of the widest pricing ranges. Reedsy analyzed more than 9,600 cover design projects in 2025 and found:

• Average professional cover: $880

• Most projects: $625–$1,250

Other publishing industry sources place custom covers anywhere from $400–$3,000+, depending on the designer and genre. Fantasy, sci-fi, and romance tend to cost more because reader expectations are higher.

For a practical author-facing estimate, most indie authors should budget roughly $500–$1,200 for a professional custom cover.

Formatting

Formatting is often overlooked until the last minute, then suddenly you’re dealing with margins, chapter headings, page breaks, ebook conversions, and strange spacing issues at 11:58 p.m.

The good news is that formatting is one of the easier costs to control. Some authors hire it out. Others learn to do it themselves using tools like Vellum, Atticus, or Kindle Create. Formatting is not technically cumbersome. It simply takes time to learn.

Luckily, formatting is often cheaper than authors expect. Recent industry estimates suggest:

• Ebook only: $100–$200

• Print + ebook: $150–$400

• Complex books (images, tables, workbooks): $400–$1,000+

For a standard novel, most authors spend $150–$400 on professional formatting.

ARC Readers

ARC readers are often one of the least expensive and most valuable parts of a launch. In many cases, the primary cost is simply providing free copies of your book. The real value comes from momentum.

ARC readers help generate early reviews, identify lingering issues, and create awareness before launch day. They give your book a better chance of entering the world with activity already happening around it.

If you’ve been following my recent posts, you already know I’m a huge fan of ARC teams. If this term is unfamiliar, learn more about their value in this post:

This is where costs vary dramatically.

• Personal ARC team: often $0–$100

• Booksprout: roughly $10–$25/month

• BookSirens: setup plus per-review fees

• NetGalley: several hundred dollars depending on package

For most indie authors, ARC readers are usually one of the least expensive launch investments and often provide one of the highest returns.

Advertising

This is where many authors get nervous. Advertising can become a bottomless pit if you’re not careful.

Amazon Ads. Facebook Ads. BookBub promotions. Newsletter swaps. Paid promotions. Some authors spend hundreds of dollars. Others spend thousands.

My advice is simple: don’t assume you can buy your way to success. Marketing works best when it’s supported by a strong product, a clear audience, reviews, and consistent visibility. Advertising can amplify what’s already working. It rarely fixes what isn’t.

Need some beginner-friendly marketing tips? This post is for you:

Advertising costs are very difficult to average. Most debut indie authors I see fall into one of three buckets:

• $0 (organic only)

• $100–$500 (testing ads)

• $500–$2,000+ (aggressive launch)

The important point is that ad spend isn’t automatically correlated with success.

There’s One More Big Cost…

Time.

This is the biggest expense of all. Writing the book. Revising the book. Finding ARC readers. Learning publishing platforms. Building an audience. Creating marketing content. Responding to readers. Writing the next book.

Most authors dramatically underestimate the time investment involved in publishing. The financial costs are easier to calculate because they show up on invoices and credit card statements. The time investment is harder to see because it happens slowly, one decision at a time.

Where I Think Authors Should Spend Their Money

If your budget is limited, here’s my general order of priority:

1. Editing

2. Cover design

3. ARC readers and launch preparation

4. Formatting

5. Advertising

A great book with strong editing and a professional cover can overcome a lot. A poorly edited book with an expensive ad budget usually cannot.

For a professionally produced self-published novel, authors typically spend anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000+, depending on the level of editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing support they choose to invest in. Editing is usually the largest expense, followed by cover design, while formatting and ARC reader programs are often more affordable.

That number tends to surprise writers because some expect self-publishing to be nearly free, while others assume it costs $10,000+. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle.

Epilogue

Self-publishing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Focus on spending your resources where they’ll create the greatest impact. Every book, author, and publishing journey is different. What matters most is understanding the trade-offs and making intentional decisions.

Publishing is full of choices. Spend wisely, learn constantly, and remember that every author starts somewhere.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

Most writers are terrified of bad reviews, and I understand why. I’ve felt this with my debut novel. One- and two-star reviews are public. They sting. They sit there for everyone to see. We imagine strangers tearing apart the story we spent years creating, pointing out flaws we can no longer unsee.

Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t even make it far enough into the book to understand what they’re criticizing.

After more than fifteen years as an editor, I’ve come to believe there’s something far worse than a bad review: obscurity.

What if readers never find your book?

Don’t Be Fooled

Many writers are so focused on finishing their book that they forget that a completed manuscript is only one part of the journey.

It’s an easy mistake to make. We want to picture the final chapter. We may even romanticize the completed manuscript, the moment we type “The End” and finally feel the weight lift from our shoulders.

Finishing a book is an incredible accomplishment. Most people who say they want to write a book never finish one, or perhaps never start. However, the moment you finish writing is the moment a completely different job begins.

Writing creates the book, and publishing helps readers find it. Those are two different skills, and one does not automatically lead to the other.

Marketing Matters More Than You Think

I’ve edited manuscripts that deserved thousands of readers. These were beautiful stories, thoughtful stories, books that stayed with me long after I finished reading them (cheers to the book hangover!). Yet some of them sold very little.

I’ve also seen books with obvious flaws find a large audience because the author understood how to connect with readers.

We like to believe quality rises to the top. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. Readers can’t love a book they never discover.

For many writers, marketing feels uncomfortable. The word even sounds stuffy and corporate, like a dirty transaction handled in the back room.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know my stance on this.

When I recommend a novel to a friend, I don’t think of it as a transaction. I view it as sharing something meaningful. Authors have to learn to see their work the same way.

Discoverability Is Part of Publishing

The publishing landscape has changed, and it continues to evolve faster than most writers realize. Thousands of books are released every day. Readers have more options than ever before. That means discoverability is no longer optional.

Luckily, you don’t have to spend all day on social media. You don’t have to dance on TikTok, and you don’t have to turn yourself into an influencer. But you do need a way for readers to find you. Perhaps that’s Substack and your newsletter, a blog or a podcast, word of mouth, author events, or even Pinterest.

There is no single right path. There is only the reality that books rarely sell themselves.

If marketing feels overwhelming, check out this post for beginner-friendly tips and strategies.

Don’t fall prey to the belief that publishing automatically creates visibility. A book can exist and still be invisible. It can be available everywhere and discovered nowhere.

The internet is filled with books, and many of them are well written and compelling. (Some of them, candidly, are not.) Many of them are waiting for readers who have no idea they exist.

Push Through the Discomfort

Working as an editor has given me a front-row seat to understanding how authors find success. The writers who accomplish their goals aren’t always the most talented or the most polished. The people who are willing to keep showing up, talking about their work, and letting themselves be seen are usually the ones who find success.

I tell my clients to adopt an almost delusional mindset that they will succeed. There is simply no reality in which they do not reach their goals.

That can be uncomfortable, especially for writers. Many of us would rather spend another hundred hours revising a chapter than ten minutes talking about our book. However, hiding your work only makes it harder for readers to find it.

If self-promotion gives you the “ick,” check out this post for a perspective shift.

Yes, a bad review hurts. A rejection hurts. Launching a book and hearing crickets hurts. But none of those things are the real cost.

The real cost is spending years writing something meaningful and never giving it a chance to reach the people it was written for.

I truly believe that the right books find the right readers at the right time.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

Ask Your Editor is a monthly space where I respond to reader questions about writing, revision, and the creative process. Each month, I select a handful of questions and walk through them, explaining how I’d approach the issue as an editor and reader, based on over 15 years of experience working with manuscripts at different stages.

Behind the Scenes: I purposefully record these in one take with no editing because I want you to hear how I think about the questions and concepts in real-time with no script.

This month’s topics:

• Should I Wait Until My Audience Is Bigger Before I Publish? Why waiting for the “perfect” platform often delays your success and what to focus on instead.

• Should I Enroll My Book in Kindle Unlimited? The biggest pros and cons of KU, who it’s best for, and how to decide whether exclusivity aligns with your publishing goals.

Ask Your Editor is available to paid subscribers. If you’d like to listen to January’s edition to see how this works and if this is valuable for you, check it out for free below.

Upgrade to gain access to this monthly recording.

Ready? Let’s do it.

Read more

Writing your book is one challenge. Learning to feel comfortable talking about it and promoting it is an entirely different hill to climb.

Almost every author I’ve worked with has said some version of: “I don’t want to annoy people” or “I hate promoting myself.”

I understand the feeling. Putting your work into the world is vulnerable. Every post and announcement can feel like you’re asking for attention (or worse, begging for it).

Here’s the mindset shift I want you to focus on. The people who subscribe to your newsletter, follow your work, or read your posts chose to be there. They aren’t random strangers you interrupted on the sidewalk or in the grocery store. They follow you because they’re interested in what you’re creating.

If you never tell them your book is available, you’re withholding information they signed up to receive.

Promotion doesn’t have to give you the ick. It can look like sharing your excitement or inviting readers behind the scenes. It’s like saying, “I made something I’m proud of, and I thought you might enjoy it.” This is why people follow writers in the first place.

Candidly, most people won’t see every post you publish anyway. Algorithms, inboxes, and busy lives get in the way.

If you mention your book more than once, you’re not being annoying. You’re increasing the chance that the people who genuinely want to support you actually see it.

If talking about your work feels uncomfortable, remember that every successful author has done this. Books sell because marketing matters. Without wanting to sound too flippant or dismissive, sometimes we just need to move through what makes us uncomfortable.

Being active on Substack is a great place to start. You can organically grow an audience here, and don’t forget to regularly export your subscriber list. You own it. Use it to your advantage.

What’s your hot take on this topic? Does self-promotion make you cringe? How are you working through that? Drop a comment below.

If marketing feels intimidating or insurmountable, check out this post for step-by-step guidance and insider tips to use before, during, and after launch.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

It has been a while since I’ve written a poem, but this one was waiting for the right time to be shared. Do you ever feel nostalgic for a time or place you’ve never lived in or visited? I often wonder where this sensation comes from. Perhaps it’s our collective memory seeping into our current timeline.

****

Deep within me,

sometimes gentle

and sometimes raging,

is a longing

for a time I never breathed in,

for centuries buried

and long forgotten,

for soil that never touched

the soles of my feet.

When evening descended

like riders on horseback,

hooves sticking sparks on stone,

steam and magic rising,

and stars were the only maps.

I miss the candlelight

flickering across the pages of my book,

smoke whispering across the edges,

on nights when time stood still,

when shadows kissed cold stone,

and his kiss brushed my lips.

I long for muddy roads after rain,

the cattle’s breath fogging the morning air,

for letters traveling months to say,

I love you,

I miss you,

please don’t forget me.

Sometimes the wind feels ancient,

as if it passed through a thousand forgotten years

before brushing my face,

though I cannot name what I’ve lost,

and still confirms what I know to be true.

And I stand here in a hurried century

that has forgotten how to wait,

bloated with overuse, disease, and hate,

homesick for a time beyond memory,

for a dawn that rose over castles

long before I was ever imagined.

Subscribe now

If you enjoy what I share here—writing guidance, personal musings, or both—or simply want to support my writing, here’s my coffee jar, or you can donate $5/month as a paid sub.

Regardless, I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you for being here. 🖤

One of the things I love most about being an editor (besides reading all day, of course!) is that no two manuscripts are ever the same. One week I’m helping a fantasy author untangle a complicated plot or build a magical system. The next, I’m partnering with a memoir writer who is working through their past and trying to decide which parts of their story belong on the page. Then I might jump into a literary fiction manuscript and help an author strengthen the emotional arc and sharpen the themes running beneath the surface.

The work is always different, but my approach stays the same.

I don’t believe editing is about tearing manuscripts (or the writer) apart, and I don’t believe it’s about imposing my voice onto your work. I’m not going to send back a document covered in red markups, leaving you to figure out what it all means.

My job is to help you create the strongest version of your book. That means identifying what’s working just as often as what isn’t. It means building trust, asking questions, explaining the reasoning behind my feedback, and helping you understand not only what needs attention but why.

Most of the writers I work with are looking for a trusted second set of eyes. They want someone who can help them see what they’ve become too close to see on their own.

That’s where editors are most valuable. Whether it’s developmental editing, line editing, manuscript critiques, or coaching, I approach every project as a collaboration based on trust and respect. Your voice matters. Your goals matter. Your vision for the book matters.

If you’ve been thinking about hiring an editor and aren’t sure whether you’re ready, I’m always happy to have a conversation.

UPDATE August 2026: I currently have a few openings remaining for Q4 projects.

If you’d like to learn more about working together, leave a comment, send me a DM, or reach out through my website. Tell me a little about your manuscript, where you are in the process, and what kind of support you’re looking for.

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

For many authors, self-editing is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process. Where do I even start? What do I cut or expand? Am I making this worse instead of better? When do I stop?

Editors don’t revise endlessly, waiting for the magic moment of, “This is it! It’s perfect!” We rely on a framework that has clear priorities and boundaries. That’s what most authors are missing.

Why I Wrote This Guide

Learn to Self-Edit Like a Pro is for writers who are working without formal training or support, want to improve their manuscripts without over-editing, or are afraid of either stopping too early or never stopping at all.

This is the same editorial framework I use with my clients, based on 15 years of experience, adapted so you can apply it to your own manuscript.

What You’ll Learn

Inside this 40-page guide, you’ll get a step-by-step editing framework you can reuse for every manuscript you write.

You’ll:

• Explore why self-editing feels so overwhelming and how to approach it productively

• Learn a step-by-step framework for moving through revision in the right order (story → scenes → prose)

• Use practical decision tools and checklists to figure out what to fix, what to cut, and what to leave alone

• Understand what to address before beta readers and what to leave alone

• Know exactly when your manuscript is ready for an editor

• Stop over-editing and learn what “finished” actually looks like in practice

Get the Guide

Paid subscribers can access it instantly here.

Not a subscriber yet? You can upgrade for immediate access or purchase a copy on Gumroad for $15.

Subscribe now

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

A common question authors ask me is “How much self-editing do I need to do before I send you my manuscript?” The answer depends on which editing service you’re looking for.

Today, we’re chatting about developmental editing. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that editing order is important: story—>scenes—>prose.

During a developmental edit, we’re focused on the story, the big picture, the foundation. Grammar and line-level finesse are not factors at this stage.

Let’s talk about what I’m looking for when I complete a developmental edit.

1. Is the story accomplishing what it set out to do?

My first question is always, What is this book trying to accomplish? High fantasy should create a very different experience than a psychological thriller. A memoir has different goals than a business leadership book. Is the story character-driven or plot-driven? Is it the first in a series, or is it a standalone?

Before I can evaluate a manuscript, I need to understand its purpose. Once I understand the author’s goal, I can assess whether the manuscript is successfully delivering on that promise.

2. Does the structure make sense?

This is the high-level assessment: My focus areas include:

• Story arc

• Chapter order

• Information flow

• Major turning points

• Scene placement

• Overall pacing

Sometimes a manuscript has all the right pieces, but they’re arranged in the wrong order. I’ve seen books improve dramatically simply by moving chapters, combining scenes, reducing redundancy, or restructuring information.

Writers often assume their writing is poor when they actually have a structural problem.

Pretty words will not cover a cracked foundation. This is also why it’s important to focus on the high-level perspective before line editing.

Another common issue I see is writers beginning the story too early. Several chapters pass before the inciting incident. I’m not advocating for shock value on page three, but the first chapters need momentum.

If you’re curious about how this applies to your manuscript, check out this post:

3. Are there missing pieces?

This is one of the biggest issues I find. The author knows the story so well that their brain fills in the gaps. Editors don’t have that advantage, and that’s why an outside perspective (e.g., editors, beta readers, ARC readers) is so valuable.

As I read, I’m constantly asking:

• What information does the reader need here?

• What assumptions am I being asked to make?

• Is there enough context to understand what’s happening?

Sometimes a manuscript needs additional scenes or stronger transitions. Sometimes it needs an entire character arc to be explored. Commonly, authors over-explain because they don’t trust the reader to put the pieces together.

Want to learn some strategies to help you see your manuscript from a new perspective? This post has you covered:

4. Is anything unnecessary?

This is the flip side of #3.

Many manuscripts have too much information. This can take the form of extra scenes, repeated explanations, conversations that don’t move the story forward, or multiple examples where one would suffice.

I spend a lot of time identifying places where the manuscript is doing extra work. Last week, a client told me, “You know where to swing the ax. Even though it’s hard for me, your suggestions always improve the story.” That’s what I love to hear!

Every chapter should have a purpose, and every scene should drive the narrative arc forward.

5. Are the stakes clear?

If readers don’t understand why something matters, it’s difficult for them to stay invested. This applies to every genre—yes, even yours.

I want to know:

• What does the protagonist want?

• What are their false beliefs?

• What’s standing in their way?

• What happens if they fail?

Those answers don’t need to be written in neon lights, but they do need to exist. A surprising number of pacing problems are actually stakes problems.

For more guidance on stakes and how this topic relates to endings (for both standalones and series), check out this post:

6. Are the characters changing?

For fiction writers, this is huge. Characters don’t need to become completely different people, but something should shift, such as their beliefs, understanding, relationships, worldview, confidence, or priorities.

I pay close attention to whether the character at the end of the book feels meaningfully different from the character at the beginning.

If you need in-depth guidance on character development, this post is for you:

7. Is the pacing serving the story?

Pacing is about emphasis, not speed. Where does the story linger? Where does it move quickly? What moments deserve more space? What moments need compression?

I look for places where the manuscript is spending too much time on low-impact moments and rushing through important ones. This is especially common in first drafts.

8. What is the reader supposed to feel?

If you’ve been here for a while, you knew this question was coming. It’s one of my favorites.

When a scene isn’t working, I often ask what the reader is supposed to be feeling now. Tension? Curiosity? Joy? Grief? Dread? Hope? Shame? Once we know the emotional goal, it becomes much easier to evaluate whether the scene is accomplishing its job.

Pacing plays a role here, too. Give the characters and your readers a moment to breathe after emotionally intense scenes. Let them linger. Don’t rush the best parts.

Epilogue

During a developmental edit, I am not obsessing over typos, commas, grammar, or word choice. These things are not the priority in this phase.

Developmental editing happens first because fixing structural issues later is incredibly frustrating. There’s no point polishing a chapter that ultimately gets deleted.

The best developmental edits find opportunities to elevate your story even further. That’s what I’m here for. :)

Keep writing, my loves. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

(Grabbing a copy via this link helps support my writing as an Amazon Associate earning from qualifying purchases!)

Reader Reviews

Most indie authors spend months obsessing over line editing, cover design, formatting, and launch graphics while completely neglecting the one thing that can make or break a launch: getting real readers involved before publication.

One of the smartest things you can do before your book launch is assemble an ARC team.

For those unfamiliar with the term, ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. These are readers who receive your book before publication in exchange for honest feedback and, hopefully, a review.

Many writers skip this step because they don’t know about or fully understand ARC readers. I want you to avoid this mistake. ARC readers provide value far beyond collecting reviews on launch day.

My debut novel sold 200 copies in its first few weeks. We didn’t wake up to hundreds of reviews, but one of the reasons our launch gained traction was because readers were already talking about the book before it released.

They help you catch problems before the public does.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, no matter how many times you read your manuscript, you’ll eventually develop blind spots. You know the story too well, and your brain fills in missing information. Mistakes are almost impossible to avoid.

ARC readers don’t have that advantage because they’re experiencing the story for the first time. If several readers stop reading at the same point or are confused in the same chapter, that’s useful information.

Trust me, you want to discover those issues before launch, not after readers start leaving reviews.

Pro tip: ARC readers are not beta readers. These roles often get confused.

Beta readers help shape the manuscript before it’s finalized. ARC readers receive a nearly finished version and focus on the reading experience. By the time your ARC team sees the book, major developmental issues should already be resolved.

For more info on beta readers, check out these posts:

They create momentum before launch.

Many writers don’t realize how important it is to create momentum and engagement before their book is released. Platforms like Amazon pay close attention to sales velocity, or the rate at which books are selling.

In addition to marketing efforts, ARC readers become early champions of your work. Many will post about your book online and help spread the word on launch day. That early momentum is critical, especially for new authors.

This leads to my next point…

They help generate reviews.

Reviews are social proof. You already know this, but perhaps you aren’t considering the importance of reviews as it relates to your sales goals.

A strong ARC team helps you avoid the dreaded “launch day with zero reviews or excitement” problem. Even a handful of honest reviews gives potential readers more confidence than an empty review page.

The jump from zero reviews to 10-15 reviews is especially important. Many readers hesitate to purchase books that have no reviews at all, while even a small collection of authentic reviews can dramatically increase credibility and trust.

You’ve likely read reviews before your most recent book purchases. This is no different.

Where do you find ARC readers?

Luckily, you don’t need hundreds of ARC readers. Start with your existing network:

• Newsletter subscribers

• Social media followers

• Writing groups

• Beta readers who enjoyed your book

• Friends and family who regularly read your genre

After that, consider dedicated ARC platforms such as:

• BookSirens

• Booksprout

• Hidden Gems (for certain genres)

• NetGalley (typically more expensive, but widely used)

• StoryOrigin

Each platform works a little differently, so spend time researching costs, review expectations, and genre fit before committing.

Focus on finding readers who genuinely enjoy your genre and regularly leave reviews. Before adding someone to your ARC team, ask:

• What genres do you regularly read?

• How often do you leave reviews?

• Which platforms do you review on?

• Can you finish the book before launch?

A short application helps you find genuine readers instead of people collecting free books. Many authors never think to screen ARC readers.

To ensure the process flows smoothly, tell your readers:

• When they’ll receive the book

• When reviews should be posted

• Where reviews should be posted

• How they can send feedback

• What type of communication to expect from you

Make the journey simple and be kind. Kindness and gratitude go a long way. The easier you make participation, the more likely readers are to follow through.

Epilogue

Momentum before and immediately after launch day can have a significant impact on your visibility and sales. Don’t underestimate ARC readers.

Interested in additional marketing tips and guidance? Don’t miss this post:

Have questions? Reach out or drop a note in the comments. Let’s chat!

Keep writing, my friends. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

Reader Reviews

Thyme,

My sweet, sassy girl.

You have fire in your veins and wildness in your eyes.

You came into my life with answers to questions I didn’t even know how to ask.

You’ve shown me that trust is earned through patience,

that forcing or rushing is useless,

that growth is never linear,

that relinquishing control grants you freedom.

You’ve taught me that true connection is silent and magical,

shared through presence that doesn’t command or overpower,

and that human problems really aren’t that big of a deal.

When you look me in the eyes and drop your nose to my shoulder,

huffing those little breaths of warm air,

your bottom lip quivering the way it does when you’re content,

my heart feels true peace and serenity.

Time ceases to exist when we’re together

because you honor my full attention,

and you’re spirited enough to demand my energy if I mentally wander.

Riding through the mountains,

just you and me,

the thud of your hooves and the wind through the trees,

hours that feel like minutes,

minutes that feel endless,

will forever hold a place in my heart.

Every day I am grateful

for the soul contract that brought you into my life.

****

During my childhood, my family had Clydesdales. We even sold some to Anheuser-Busch. The barn was my happy place. Then I grew up and moved to Chicago, where I lived for too many years. Last spring, my husband and I moved to Colorado, and I found my soul animal. My gorgeous horse has shown me how life is meant to be lived and what truly matters. I honor every moment in her presence.

Subscribe now

If you enjoy what I share here—writing guidance, personal musings, or both—or simply want to support my writing, here’s my coffee jar, or you can donate $5/month as a paid sub.

Regardless, I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you for being here. 🖤

Deciding when your manuscript is ready for an editor can feel like a mysterious milestone. You’ve drafted, revised, rewritten, loved, hated, probably cried (but we won’t tell anyone), and lived inside your book. But how do you know when it’s truly ready for professional eyes? And how do you know which type of editing you need?

Just so you know who’s guiding you through this, I’ve spent the past fifteen years writing and editing, working closely with authors at every stage of their book journey. Many have successfully self-published, grown dedicated readerships, and secured literary agents.

1. You’ve revised at least once on your own.

Editors can do magic, but we can’t replace your creative process. A round of self-revision (or even two or three) is preferred. I don’t expect you to send me a perfect draft. Otherwise, why would you need help? But self-editing makes the best use of our time (and your money!).

Early drafts are where you figure out what your story is meant to be, what your characters are trying to say, and which themes are taking center stage. When you revise before hiring an editor, you give yourself a chance to solve the problems you’re capable of solving.

That means when I step in, we can focus on structural holes, emotional inconsistencies, pacing issues, and narrative opportunities that are much harder to identify from the inside.

If you want to explore self-editing in-depth, check out my 40-page guide:

2. You’re stuck and need guidance.

If you feel overwhelmed or unsure what your book needs next, that’s a clear sign you’re ready for support. Editors help you move from “I know something’s off” to “Here’s exactly what needs to happen.”

It can feel impossible to diagnose your own work from the inside. You might know a chapter feels flat but not know whether the issue is pacing, emotional stakes, unclear motivation, weak scene structure, or something else entirely.

Sometimes writers spend months rewriting the wrong thing simply because they’re treating the symptom instead of the cause.

This is where a good editor saves you enormous amounts of energy. We’re trained to spot patterns. Sometimes what feels like “my whole manuscript is broken and terrible” is actually one fixable issue creating a ripple effect across everything else.

3. You’re ready to collaborate.

When you reach the point where you want real partnership, not just someone to mark up what’s “wrong,” you’re ready for an editor. Great editing is a two-way relationship. If you’re willing to stay curious, ask questions, consider possibilities, and work through solutions together, the experience becomes far more powerful.

4. You’re utterly sick of looking at your manuscript.

At some point, you’ll reach the “I cannot read this sentence again” stage of writing. It’s universal. I hear this from nearly every author I work with. Creative burnout at the end of a draft is often your mind’s way of telling you you’ve done enough heavy lifting, and it’s time to let an editor step in.

After weeks and months (perhaps years!) of looking at your manuscript, your brain has simply adapted to the material. You’ve read it so many times that you can no longer see what’s actually on the page. You’re reading from memory instead of perception. You start skimming, and your mind fills in missing logic.

This is one of the biggest reasons outside perspective matters. An editor meets your story as a real reader would. I bring a fresh perspective that is unburdened by the hundreds of assumptions you’ve accumulated while writing it.

Get My Self-Edit Guide!

Which Editing Service Do You Need?

If you’re new to the process, the different types of editing can feel confusing. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Developmental Editing

Best for: early-stage to mid-stage drafts
Focuses on: structure, pacing, character arcs, clarity, flow, big-picture issues
You’ll get: an editorial letter + margin notes + clear next steps
Feels like: guidance, direction, “Ohhh, now I see it.”

Choose this if your story needs strengthening or deeper alignment with your vision.

Line Editing

Best for: later drafts when the structure feels solid
Focuses on: sentence-level issues, including tone, rhythm, voice, imagery, and flow
You’ll get: refined, intentional prose
Feels like: your writing leveling up without losing your voice

Choose this if you want your voice to shine and pack an emotional punch.

Copy Editing

Best for: manuscripts that are nearly final
Focuses on: grammar, consistency, correctness
Feels like: tightening, smoothing, and preparing for final polish

Choose this if your sentences feel right and you just need a second set of eyes.

Proofreading

Best for: final passes before formatting or publishing
Focuses on: typos, spacing, formatting errors
Feels like: a last, careful sweep

Choose this when everything else is done.

How to Choose the Right Editor

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that editing is a relationship. Yes, you want someone skilled. Yes, you want someone who understands your genre and your goals. But most importantly, you want someone you actually click with.

Great editing requires trust and collaboration. When you vibe with your editor, everything gets easier:

1. You feel safe being candid about your weaknesses.

Instead of hiding what you’re unsure about, you share openly, and that’s what allows your editor to truly help. Writing can be really vulnerable, and that’s okay. I want to create a space where you feel secure sharing your inner world.

2. You trust the feedback, even the tough notes.

When the relationship is supportive, you can hear critique without spiraling or shutting down. I recently had an author tell me, “I hate getting your feedback because my initial reaction is to say it’s all wrong… and then I swallow my ego and realize it’s so accurate!” And I LOVED hearing that. That’s how I know we’ve built a solid dynamic.

3. Your story becomes the best version of itself.

A skilled editor helps amplify your intentions, not overwrite them. This is YOUR story, and it should be told in your voice. I’ll make recommendations to elevate the narrative, but ultimately, I want the final draft to feel like it’s your heart and soul.

4. You stay motivated, excited, and engaged.

This doesn’t mean everything will be roses and sunshine during the process. It’s challenging to dissect your work. But my goal is to keep you inspired, grounded, moving forward, and growing in confidence. The lessons you learn during the editing process should flow into your next project.

Want support with your manuscript?

If you’re not sure which service fits your draft, let’s chat. I’m always happy to read a few pages and point you in the right direction.

Interested in self-editing challenges other writers are working through? Check out this post.

Need help assessing your opening pages? This diagnostic is designed to help.

Are your characters working for or against your story? Let’s explore that.

Keep writing, my friends. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

Reader Reviews

A few weeks ago, my debut novel launched. We sold nearly 200 copies in the first 15 days. I’ve been sharing this journey here on Substack, and several people have asked why I chose to self-publish instead of pursuing traditional publishing.

I know there might be an assumption underneath that question. But Allison, you’re an editor. Wouldn’t you want the “real” publishing route?

Nope. And I mean that with love and respect for traditional publishing. It’s just not the path I wanted for this project.

Here’s why.

1. I wanted control.

This is the big one. I’ve spent years helping writers draft manuscripts, navigate revisions, tackle design and formatting options, and make publishing decisions. I’ve seen both sides of the decision, and that helped me understand which path is the best fit for me and my goals.

Traditional publishing is full of trade-offs. If you missed my post about self-publishing versus traditional, check it out.

Traditional publishing offers some incredible opportunities, but it also means giving up a lot of control. That works beautifully for some writers, but it doesn’t work for me.

I wanted to make the calls. I wanted control over our release date, cover design, marketing strategy, and distribution channels. I wanted the freedom to shape this book exactly how my co-author and I envisioned it without depending on external approval and timelines.

2. I wanted speed.

As most of you know, traditional publishing moves painfully slowly. Querying agents can take months, sometimes years. Then submissions. Then waiting.

Then more waiting. Throw some (many) rejections into the mix.

Then more… well, you get the idea.

If you secure that “yes,” and all goes well, your publication date may still be a year or two away.

I’m not interested in that.

We wrote a book, and we’re proud of it. We wanted to put it into the world. We wanted our readers—you!!—to enjoy the experience we created as soon as possible.

I didn’t want to spend the next two years refreshing my inbox and wondering if some random agent on the East Coast loves our prologue enough to request the full manuscript. I have my own editing business to run and my own life to live.

Respectfully… hard pass.

3. I’m an editor, and I have a co-author.

This is a huge advantage, and I know that. One of the biggest reasons many writers benefit from traditional publishing is built-in editorial support.

But I’m an editor, and I’m co-writing this series with someone I trust and respect. We challenge each other, and we aren’t afraid to call out weak spots. We push each other. He leads the science and military aspects, and I handle the ethics and philosophy.

Our dynamic has a built-in “second set of eyes,” and that gives us a lot of freedom.

4. I don’t care about traditional publishing street cred.

This is probably the part people least expect me to admit. I’m just not attached to the status side of this.

This is a hobby and something I genuinely love spending my time on. I’m not trying to prove anything, and I’m not trying to collect external gold stars that tell me I’m a “real” author.

This book is a passion project, and I love the feeling of creating something that previously existed only in our minds. That’s enough for me.

That may not be enough for others, and that’s totally okay. Each author’s path will be different. Follow what feels right for you and trust your instincts.

5. I want firsthand experience so I can better coach writers through it.

This is my practical reason. I coach writers through publishing decisions all the time, and I take that responsibility seriously.

I never want to coach from theory alone. Having real-world experience matters to me because it ultimately helps you.

I want to experience the exact questions, frustrations, and learning curves my clients face so I can guide them with lived insight instead of fluffy advice from people who may or may not have traveled this journey.

Real-world experience and credibility matter to me.

Epilogue

There is no morally superior publishing path. Traditional publishing is not “better,” and self-publishing is not “less than.” They are just different routes with different trade-offs.

The best path is the one that aligns with your goals.

Self-publishing gives us control, speed, hands-on experience, and the freedom to create this series exactly the way we want. That makes it the right choice for me.

If you have questions about self-publishing or if you’re deciding between self-publishing and traditional, reach out or drop a note in the comments. Let’s chat!

Keep writing, my friends. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

And if you’re interested, check out my book!

Reader Reviews

Self-editing is where a lot of writers struggle. Without another set of eyes, it’s easy to spiral inside your own standards and voice.

I asked where you struggle most with self-editing, and more than 60 of you replied! Some of the same themes showed up over and over again. Most fell into one of ten categories. (Some comments were overlapping, so I combined them where possible.)

Let’s walk through them in a way that actually helps you do something different next time you sit down to edit.

1. “I don’t know what I don’t know.”

This one is REAL. I hear you loud and clear. When you’re both the writer and the editor, your brain fills in gaps automatically. You read what you meant, not always what’s actually there.

Here’s how to work around that:

• Change the format. Read your piece out loud or read it on a different device or app. Even changing the font or color helps break familiarity.

• Edit in passes that have different goals. One pass for high-level clarity and coherence. One for flow. One for style. One for nitty-gritty details.

• Use “reader questions” instead of rules. If you have questions for future beta readers, use those. Examples: Can I picture this? Does it flow? Is anything confusing?

If you’ve been here a while, you shouldn’t be surprised by one of my favorite editing questions: What is the reader supposed to feel in this scene?

Once you know that, it becomes easier to decide whether the paragraph needs more detail, less detail, or a completely different focus.

Regarding more general writing and editing “rules,” take advantage of the free resources here on Substack and learn as much as you can. Connect with other writers, read a lot, and participate in writers’ circles (if that’s your jam).

Most importantly, if you’re working on your first book, cut yourself some slack. Expecting perfection will take the joy out of the work. Don’t put so much pressure on your debut book, especially if you don’t have formal training.

2. “Knowing when to self-edit as I go versus just getting the draft out.”

Don’t get sucked into this editing loopy trap, causing you to edit Chapter 1 one twelve times and never reaching Chapter 2… or 3… or 15.

Drafting and editing use different parts of the brain.

Drafting is about energy and finding your flow state. Editing is pattern recognition and patience (a lot of it!) Trying to do both at once usually breaks your brain.

I tell my clients to split the process. When you’re drafting, only stop for:

• Factual corrections you’ll forget later

• Obvious continuity problems

• Notes to yourself in brackets like [fix this scene later] or [better transition needed]

Editing is where you polish and focus on the details.

I highly recommend you do not edit and draft at the same time. You will likely do both jobs poorly and/or feel frustrated and confused.

3. “I keep rereading the same sentence without actually seeing it.”

This is what happens when your brain memorizes the text, and it’s related to the first topic we covered.

Let’s break that loop!

• Read it backwards, one sentence at a time. (This will feel weird at first, but it works.)

• Use a pointer, such as a finger or cursor, or highlight line-by-line.

• Read it out loud slowly. Narrating really helps some authors.

• Print it if possible. Your brain catches different things on paper.

The goal is to make the writing unfamiliar enough that your brain stops skipping ahead and sees the material as new stimuli.

Once your draft is finished, I also recommend taking some time away from your manuscript—weeks, in most cases. When you return to it, you’ll see it with fresh eyes and mind. This helps more than most authors realize.

4. “I don’t know what to speed up or slow down.”

Pacing is hard because everything feels important when you write it. Every line feels necessary, and this makes editing challenging.

Typically, dense paragraphs slow readers down. They tell the reader, “Process this. Stay in this moment.”

Short paragraphs speed them up. The eye moves faster. The page turns faster. We feel the urgency and momentum.

Neither is right or wrong. They simply serve different purposes.

Examine your story and ask: where should the reader linger? Where should they move quickly?

Emotional moments usually need space. Let the characters and scene breathe after a big event. The reader needs to absorb the pain, tension, joy, grief, or surprise. Rushing through these moments will cheat the reader out of the emotional payoff.

Speed up when you’re transitioning between emotional scenes, information is necessary but not emotionally rich, or the reader already understands what’s happening.

For example, you don’t need three paragraphs of a character walking to the car unless something meaningful happens on that walk.

Worldbuilding is an entirely different beast as it relates to this question. If you’re stuck there, check out this post:

5. “My editing process feels messy. What order should I even go in?”

Please excuse me while I stand on my soapbox. I have strong feelings about this one.

Order matters much more than most writers realize.

If you line edit too early, you end up polishing scenes you later delete, and it SUCKS to delete lines you really love. Don’t torture yourself. Follow the order:

• Pass 1: Developmental edit: structure, pacing, missing pieces, cuts

• Pass 2: Line edit: clarity, flow, rhythm, tone

• Pass 3: Copy edit: grammar, consistency, small technical fixes

• Pass 4: Proofread on the formatted version: typos, spacing, formatting weirdness

Line and copy edits absolutely blur together in real life. Most writers naturally catch both at once.

Want a deeper dive on this topic? Check out Section 3 of my self-editing guide:

6. “I hit publish… and then see everything I want to change.”

Congrats, you’re finally seeing your work as a reader instead of a writer.

When you’re drafting and editing, your brain is still focused on your intent. Like we chatted about above, it fills in the blanks because you know what you’re trying to say.

When you read the published version, your brain starts receiving the content, rather than projecting it outward. This is incredibly annoying, but it’s also useful.

Use it to your advantage and track your post-publish edits.

Are you always cutting unnecessary prose? Tweaking dialogue? Fixing pesky typos? Keep track of these patterns and use this list before you hit that publish button on your next piece.

7. “I don’t know when to stop.”

This is a BIG ONE. This one can kill creativity and cause author burnout quicker than many other parts of the process.

You tell yourself, “Just one more pass.” “This sentence could be cleaner.” “Maybe I should rewrite this section again.”

NOPE.

If you’ve already solved the major issues, this type of circular chaos does nothing except tone down the unique slant that makes your writing yours.

At a certain point, self-editing is nothing more than second guessing choices and polishing your MS until it’s technically flawless but totally flat and soulless. Don’t create another generic piece.

Try setting limits before you edit, such as the number of passes, amount of time, or specific goals for each round.

Define “done” clearly. Maybe that means it’s readable and coherent. Maybe that means it flows and still sounds like you. Maybe that means there are no major problems distracting from the core message.

Done does not mean perfect and flawless or the best piece of writing ever. Done means you can move on and keep creating.

8. “What do I keep? What do I add?”

Zoom out before zooming in. Then get the zoomies. (Just kidding… maybe.)

Before leaping right into line editing, ask what each section is doing. Advancing the plot, deepening emotion, explaining an idea, building tension?

If the answer isn’t obvious, the section probably needs some work. And if you’ve rewritten the same sentence five times, pick the strongest version and move on. Revisit later only if the section still isn’t working. Stop torturing yourself.

Endless tweaking can also be a form of procrastination. If you’re usually a procrastinator, be extra aware here.

Beta readers can be a huge asset during this phase of the writing process. They can give you a fresh perspective on your manuscript and tell you whether the story actually works for a real reader. Read the post below for more info on beta readers.

9. “Knowing what to cut, especially the parts I love.”

I know, I know, I know. This one hurts. It’s totally natural to feel so attached to your creation. Remember, our goal is to create the most compelling, immersive, clear story for your readers. Keep that in mind as you work through this one.

Focus on one chapter at a time.

• Give every section within that chapter a job.

• Remove it temporarily.

• Read the chapter straight through.

If the scene becomes clearer or tighter without it, you already know the answer.

If you’re worried you have fluffy chapters that perhaps don’t belong, you can repeat this process by Act, rather than chapter.

10. “Crutch words show up when I’m stuck.”

I see crutch words show up when a writer is dancing around something intense or heavy, or when they aren’t sure what a scene is actually about.

Start by searching for your most repeated filler words and replace vague emphasis with concrete detail.

Here’s an overly simple example:

• “The forest was really quiet.”

• “Even the birds had gone silent, and her boots sounded too loud against the frozen leaves.”

The first sentence simply tells us what to feel. The second one lets us experience it. That’s usually what your crutch words are doing—acting as placeholders for something you’re not quite centered on.

Think about what the character would actually notice in a scene. That is usually enough to pull you out of the crutch-word loop.

Epilogue

Self-editing can be a doozy of a time. I hope this post helped you better understand some of the common pitfalls and challenges.

As always, I’m here to help! Reach out with questions or drop a note in the comments. Thanks for being here!

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade for $5/month to access even more resources and support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

Reader Reviews

I had several conversations last week with authors who are trying to define their genre and comps. At first glance, this seems like it should be one of the easier parts of the I’m-writing-a-book journey, but it’s rarely a piece of cake.

You know your book from the inside out. You know what inspired you, what your book stands for, and what it’s trying to say. But from a market perspective, intention is not as important as positioning.

This is where first-time authors often make mistakes that cause headaches down the road.

The Genre Game

Many authors think genre is self-defined. That if you write a literary thriller with speculative elements, it can sit in all those categories at once. That a book about grief, family, and memory can be placed somewhere based on vibes.

I once asked an author why they placed their book in a certain genre. Answer: “This felt right.” That doesn’t mean they were wrong, but in practice, genre placement looks a bit different.

Editors and agents start with where the manuscript fits and how it will be sold.

Here are some questions to ponder:

• Which shelf does your book belong on in a bookstore?

• Which existing readership already buys books like yours?

• Which editor at which imprint acquires books like yours?

• How would sales describe your MS in a catalog meeting?

While the author’s intent is considered, market category is often the deciding factor.

A book usually gets one primary category. You can have crossover elements, and you can stretch a genre, but regarding pitching, shelving, metadata, and marketing, you’ll need to pick a lane.

Genre Confusion Makes a Mess

Genre confusion is one of the most common reasons strong, compelling writing doesn’t make moves in acquisitions. Hybrid work isn’t necessarily unwelcome, but unclear positioning creates uncertainty in multiple departments at once.

An editor may genuinely love a manuscript but still pass if they cannot answer a few basic questions quickly:

• Can I describe this book in one sentence without ambiguity?

• Who exactly is this for?

• How do we sell this internally?

• What comparable books prove demand?

Behind the scenes, uncertainty means sales doesn’t know which accounts to pitch, marketing can’t define the audience cleanly, and publicity struggles to place it in media conversations.

Publishing is selective because every acquisition has to justify its place in a larger commercial system that has limited resources.

Don’t Be “For Everyone”

This next one touches on something I chatted about in this post:

To avoid alienating any potential readers, writers sometimes describe their audience broadly: this is for anyone who loves a good love story, or this will appeal to readers of all genres.

In editorial terms, that is the opposite of what you want to convey. A defined audience is strategic. Use it to your advantage!

Let’s look at some examples:

• “Readers of psychological suspense with unreliable narrators”

• “Fans of literary science fiction exploring ethics and identity”

• “Readers of character-driven dystopian fiction like X and Y”

These declarative statements allow an agent to imagine placement, marketing, and sales positioning.

When a book is described as “for everyone,” it becomes harder to identify its first audience. In publishing, the first audience is everything.

Don’t focus so hard on appealing to everyone that you blend into the background and become forgettable.

Make Your Comps Work For You

Comparative titles (comps) are not a formality or something to quickly include simply because the rules said so. They are one of the primary tools used in acquisitions meetings.

While similarity in theme or tone is valuable info, comps are proof of market behavior.

Editors and agents use comps to answer:

• What kind of reader already buys this type of book?

• How recent is that audience demand?

• Did those books sell well enough to justify a similar risk?

• Does this feel commercially current or already saturated?

A strong comp demonstrates there is an active readership for this specific kind of narrative. Weak comps create hesitation because they do not anchor the book in a known buying pattern. Given the volume of query letters agents see, weak comps will likely be a quick “no.”

The biggest mistake I see is authors choosing comps based on what they like versus what actually maps their book to the market.

A strong comp does at least two of these three things:

• Matches genre and audience

• Reflects tone or reading experience

• Shows recent commercial viability (last 3-5 years)

Epilogue

First-time authors tend to mis-genre and inappropriately comp their own books, and that’s totally normal. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Use the guidance in this post as a starting point to be more selective and intentional.

Confused about where to start or wondering if your current placement is appropriate? Reach out and let’s chat, or drop a note in the comments. I’m here to help.

Keep writing, my friends. The world needs your words.

In ink,

Allison

allisonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now

Did you know my debut novel is now available? Check it out!

Reader Reviews

You all know me as your friendly neighborhood editor who shares thoughts on writing and publishing, cheeky Notes to make you smile, or photos of my horse.

But there’s something I haven’t told you…

I’m usually not a big fan of surprises, and I can’t keep a secret to save my life, but I somehow managed to not spill the beans until the timing was right.

Drumroll please….

I wrote a book!

Harvested: Fall of Nature is the first book in a science fiction series, imagined by my insanely talented co-author, . Mike approached me with the first draft, and we quickly realized we vibed in a unique way. When he offered to bring me onboard as a co-author, I knew this was the beginning of something truly incredible.

Harvested blends ethics, genetic engineering, and societal manipulation and control with the high-stakes energy of science fiction.

Set in a future where children can be designed and traits can be selected, beauty, strength, and perfection come at a steep price.

Through the eyes of three characters fighting to reclaim what was taken from them, Harvested explores themes of consent, parenthood, grief, identity, and the dangerous idea that a person’s value can be measured by how flawless or useful they are.

I have a master’s degree in Ethics, and writing a book that focuses on themes of personhood, bodily rights, and the role of science in human evolution felt like the right journey at the right time.

Rights and autonomy are being stripped away on a global scale, but each global event affects individuals—real people with real lives. Harvested challenges readers to consider the long-term effects of these decisions.

As the saying goes: “Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.”

Ready to dive deep and think critically about these questions? Order your copy here. It will also be available on Kindle Unlimited for a limited time.

Reader Reviews

Happy reading!

In ink,

Allison

allsonink.com

With over 15 years of experience helping writers navigate drafting, revision, and publishing, I share insights, tools, and editor-tested strategies straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid for $5/month to gain access to even more resources and to support my work.

Subscribe now