Catapult | Don't Write Alone

Cover Photo: An image of three people at a table with computers

How I Found a Writing Cohort Without an MFA

This is a benefit of finding your cohort outside of an MFA: It’s much more flexible.

Oct 28, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: An animated illustration of a person typing on a laptop, seen from outside their window. Outside the window, against a blue background, large gold coins drop from the sky and accumulate in a small stack.

Why Full-Time Freelancing Isn’t For Me

In the face of dire job prospects, freelancing felt like it might be a solution; a way to be a writer on my own terms.

Gabrielle Drolet

Oct 12, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This illustrated gif peeks into someone's window, where we see them typing furiously. On the right side of the image, coins are falling from the top of the image and stacking up. Pens and paper scatter the far right edge of the illustration.

A Freelancer Talks Money and Writing

It’s not what you write that’s meaningful, but the time you spend writing.

Oct 12, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: Photograph by Steve Johnson/Unsplash

The Secret to Finding Writing Gigs That Actually Pay the Bills

As part of our Money Week series, Jessica Goodman explains why it's time to shed the stigma around side hustles.

Jessica Goodman

Sep 16, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a person with silver nail polish looking a tax documents spread out on white floorboards.

Financial Advice for the Freelancer

For our Money Week series, Nicole Dieker answers commonly-asked questions from freelance writers

Sep 15, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: A screencap from the 1989 film 'Say Anything,' in which the actor John Cusack, wearing a trench coat, lifts a boom box over his head.

“It’s downright wild out there”: A Q&A on Book Sales with Alyson Forbes

As part of our Money Week series, Alyson Forbes shares the ins and outs of book sales and explains how indie presses “care about your book the way John Cusack cares about Ione Skye in ‘Say Anything’.”

Sep 14, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph looks down at the floor of a bookshop filled with customers browsing the shelves. Several people have been captured in motion, so their outlines are blurry, and there is a feeling of liveliness in the photo.

Be Yourself and Sell More Books

As a part of our Money Week series, Laura Stanfill argues that you should work with your publisher to do what feels organic, genuine, and true to you as a human being.

Sep 13, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: An image of a computer screen with people on the screen and a coffee cup beside it

Are Virtual Book Events Here to Stay?

Book tours and author events are a fixture of bookselling.

Aug 26, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: Photograph by Thomas Franke/Unsplash

Nobody Cares What You Have to Say—That’s a Good Thing

Trying to get your work published often feels like calling out into the void, which can be disheartening, but also incredibly freeing.

Aug 03, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a river of books spread open on the ground, moving across dead leaves on the ground from left to right.

Five Questions to Ask Before Signing with a Small Press

Before you sign a contract, it’s worth opening up a dialogue to understand how the press handles the publishing process.

Jun 07, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph has a pale blue background. A white hand hold a white envelope, extending from the left side of the photo into the center

Decoding Rejections from Literary Agents

Agents get rejected by editors, writers get rejected by agents, and we’re all trying to figure out “when they said [x], what did they really mean?”

Sep 15, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: A smiling man with reddish hair sits in a coffee shop with a laptop open in front of him. The picture looks warm and friendly.

Managing Your Own Author Brand Online

This article discusses legal issues you may encounter while building up your author brand and creating an author website.

Jul 23, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a green typewriter sitting on a white table. The paper scrolling out of the typewriter reads "copyright claim"

Avoiding Copyright Infringement

Make sure you won’t get in trouble for using others’ work in your writing.

Jun 24, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph shows someone wearing a gray sweater standing in front of a gray wall. With one hand, they are holding a blank white book open directly in front of their face.

The Nuts & Bolts of Self-Publishing

This article outlines the main contractual differences between traditional and self-publishing.

May 21, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph of the Hollywood sign is taken far down the hill and we're peering through dry grasses up at the brown hillside and bright blue sky

Writing About Real People

If you’re writing about real people and plan to publish your work, here are some things to keep in mind to stay out of legal trouble.

Apr 22, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a black man signing contracts on a table. He is wearing business casual clothes and a fancy leather bag sits on the table next to him.

The Nuts & Bolts of Contracting with an Agent

Agency contracts are not the same as publishing contracts and it’s important not to confuse the two.

Mar 18, 2020

Don’t Write Alone | Shop Talk