Catapult | Dont Write Alone

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 | Toolkit

Cover Photo: This photograph looks down at a pile of clocks. Most of them have old wood around their faces and white faces with roman numerals and fancy hands. The pile feels a little unwieldy and overwhelming.

The Mathematics of Writing a Novel

Writing a novel is a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. A bucket-list item. And like so many other bucket-list items, you have to find a way to make it happen.

May 13, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Toolkit

Cover Photo: In this photograph, we see a dense pine forest from above. A road curves through the center of the photograph and the left side of the photograph is darker than the other, as if closer to a mountain.

Five Exercises to Clarify What You’re Writing About

If you’re having trouble seeing the forest through the trees, these exercises will help you pinpoint what kind of story you’re trying to tell—and who your audience might be.

May 03, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Toolkit

Cover Photo: This image includes a blue background with a drawing of a stack of papers. On the top piece of paper are scribbles that look like writing being edited with a red pen.

Editing and Publishing Lingo You Should Know

If it’s your first time taking a workshop or working with an editor, here are some terms you might come across.

Apr 05, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit

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 | Toolkit