Don’t Write Alone: Shop Talk

Should I Self-Publish My Romance Novel?

For our Romance Week series, Bryn Donovan breaks down the pros and cons of self publishing as a romance writer.

Feb 14, 2023
What Is Book Production?

A roundtable discussion with the production department of Catapult books.

Jan 30, 2023
Interning In the Publishing Industry

A roundtable discussion with Catapult’s current and past interns.

Jan 26, 2023
How to Get Your Book on TikTok

The algorithmic behemoth can cause any book at any time to have a viral moment, selling out and back-ordering titles in mere days.

Dec 15, 2022
How to Build Your Author Newsletter

If you’re an author trying to promote your work, an email newsletter one of the most effective tools in your arsenal. Here’s a guide to get you started.

Oct 13, 2022
How Do You Publicize a Book?

A roundtable discussion with Catapult’s publicity team.

Oct 12, 2022
How Do You Publish a Book In Translation?

A roundtable discussion with Brenda Lozano, Kendall Storey, and Heather Cleary on why translation is essential to the literary landscape.

Oct 05, 2022
How Not to Lose Money as a Published Author

Writers are under increasing pressure to spend their own money while promoting their books, even if their book is published by a Big Four publishing house.

Writing a Cover Letter for a Job in the Publishing Industry

For Application Week, Catapult staffers share some of their old cover letters in hopes of providing insight into applying for positions in the writing world.

Aug 19, 2022
A Person of Color’s Guide to Navigating Writing Residencies

For our Application Week series, Hannah Bae writes about applying to and attending writing residencies as a person of color—along with tips from about ten other writers who identify as BIPOC.

Aug 17, 2022
How to Apply for Grants and Residencies

As part of our Application Week series, Jasmine Dreame Wagner writes about putting together your strongest proposal to get funding for your work-in-progress.

How Do Algorithms Help (and Hinder) Book Sales?

As a marketing professional, I mastered the art of writing for algorithms. As a novelist trying to sell my books, it’s more complicated.

Jul 28, 2022
How Libraries Can Help You Earn Out Your Book Advance

While the systems and processes for how libraries acquire books differ from library to library, writers should know and should care about how public libraries purchase books.

The Beautiful Ego Death of Having My Book Fact-Checked

Every nonfiction book should go through this vetting, and every author should have this experience.

Jul 06, 2022
In a Digital Age, Why Still Read Print Magazines?

How do we as readers benefit from having a team with different creative specialties—writing, designing, editing, photographing, illustrating—work together to bring the story to life?

Jun 28, 2022
Writing for Yourself Versus Writing for an Audience

Was I being selfish and foolish by spending seven years composing the book I wanted to read, without considering why someone other than me might care?

Jun 01, 2022
How Do You Design a Book Cover?

A roundtable discussion with the design department of Catapult books.

May 25, 2022
How Working with Libraries Can Help Sell Your Books

A librarian shares a step-by-step guide on how writers can grow their audience and promote their books by pitching a talk to their local library—and beyond.

May 04, 2022
These Essays That Started Out as Tweets Will Inspire You to Write—or Tweet, I Guess

“This article ended up being one of my favorite assignments ever—and all from a little bit of shameless public thirsting on Twitter.”

Apr 29, 2022
Promoting Your Book When the World Is On Fire

Promotion—especially self-promotion—doesn’t always feel easy. So how do we do it? For Social Media Week, literary agent Mina Hamedi helps us make room for celebration.

Apr 28, 2022