<description>Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s about making a difference for readers who need your story.

In this Manuscript Academy episode, we’re happy to join nonfiction book coach and marketer Allison Lane to:

– Break down exactly how to shift your mindset from fear to confidence and why it’s so important for your career:

– Self-Doubt and Fear of Visibility: Let’s be real—none of us love self-promotion. But we’ll show you how to do it in a way that feels authentic and actually helps your book gain the attention it deserves.

– Know Your Brand: Do you know what people really think of you? Let’s figure that out. We’ll walk you through how to audit your personal brand so you know where to focus your energy and where you might be wasting time.

– The Power of Comps: Comps (aka comparable books) aren’t just for publishers—they help you, too. Knowing your comps is a powerful tool for understanding where your book fits in the market and how to position it for success.

– Launch Strategies that Work: Events, launches, bookstore signings—they’re not just for fun. There’s a strategy behind them that most authors miss. Let’s break down how to make these events work for you, not against you.

This episode will help you shift your mindset, market your book with confidence, and understand what really moves the needle. It’s time to stop playing small. Ready? Hit play now.


* * *
Get your FREE ticket for our event, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch, October 10 at 8:30pm ET, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/allison.</description>

Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s…

Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s about making a difference for readers who need your story.

In this Manuscript Academy episode, we’re happy to join nonfiction book coach and marketer Allison Lane to:

– Break down exactly how to shift your mindset from fear to confidence and why it’s so important for your career:

– Self-Doubt and Fear of Visibility: Let’s be real—none of us love self-promotion. But we’ll show you how to do it in a way that feels authentic and actually helps your book gain the attention it deserves.

– Know Your Brand: Do you know what people really think of you? Let’s figure that out. We’ll walk you through how to audit your personal brand so you know where to focus your energy and where you might be wasting time.

– The Power of Comps: Comps (aka comparable books) aren’t just for publishers—they help you, too. Knowing your comps is a powerful tool for understanding where your book fits in the market and how to position it for success.

– Launch Strategies that Work: Events, launches, bookstore signings—they’re not just for fun. There’s a strategy behind them that most authors miss. Let’s break down how to make these events work for you, not against you.

This episode will help you shift your mindset, market your book with confidence, and understand what really moves the needle. It’s time to stop playing small. Ready? Hit play now.


* * *
Get your FREE ticket for our event, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch, October 10 at 8:30pm ET, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/allison.

How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch

<description>Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! 

In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. 

Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions.

Want to apply for next Mystery Agent/Editor Consutlation? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/submissions

Learn more about membership here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membership

Want to meet with Christina? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/christina-lopez</description>

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscri…

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! 

In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. 

Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions.

Want to apply for next Mystery Agent/Editor Consutlation? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/submissions

Learn more about membership here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membership

Want to meet with Christina? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/christina-lopez

Live Recorded: Mystery Editor Consultation with Macmillan Editor Christina Lopez

<description>Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for everyone"? 

We get it! It sounds like the perfect way to convince an agent your book is a slam dunk bestseller--right? 

Wrong. Realistically, no book is for everyone--and this is a great thing. 

We're happy to join Emma Peters, editor at W.W. Norton, to discuss: 

*Why you need to define your audience--and pitch an agent on this reader
*How specificity in your book description is your friend
*What is a “build a book” and why do agents work on them?
*Balancing professionalism, enthusiasm &amp; marketing
*How to use your friends as a focus group

Emma is available for query consultations. Meet with her at: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/emma-peters</description>

Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for…

Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for everyone"? 

We get it! It sounds like the perfect way to convince an agent your book is a slam dunk bestseller--right? 

Wrong. Realistically, no book is for everyone--and this is a great thing. 

We're happy to join Emma Peters, editor at W.W. Norton, to discuss: 

*Why you need to define your audience--and pitch an agent on this reader
*How specificity in your book description is your friend
*What is a “build a book” and why do agents work on them?
*Balancing professionalism, enthusiasm & marketing
*How to use your friends as a focus group

Emma is available for query consultations. Meet with her at: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/emma-peters

Your Book Is Not For Everyone (Thank Goodness!): Author Positioning with Norton Editor Emma Peters

<description>We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orlin to the podcast!

Ben Orlin is a math teacher who can't draw. His book Math with Bad Drawings (2018) has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, and has since been followed by Change is the Only Constant (2019), Math Games with Bad Drawings (2022), and most recently, Math for English Majors (Sept 2024). His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Popular Science, Slate, Vox, and The Los Angeles Times; he himself has appeared in the lines to ice cream stores everywhere. BBC star and leading mathematician Hannah Fry once described him as "terribly bad at drawing" before kindly adding “he’s also fantastically clever and charming.”

We discuss: 
* How to position your proposal as an expert in your subject, for an audience who is not as well-versed
* Using metaphor to connect and create new meaning
* The ways agents seek out nonfiction clients
* How to incorporate math in your querying and editing process

Learn more about Ben and his new book here: https://mathwithbaddrawings.com</description>

We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orl…

We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orlin to the podcast!

Ben Orlin is a math teacher who can't draw. His book Math with Bad Drawings (2018) has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, and has since been followed by Change is the Only Constant (2019), Math Games with Bad Drawings (2022), and most recently, Math for English Majors (Sept 2024). His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Popular Science, Slate, Vox, and The Los Angeles Times; he himself has appeared in the lines to ice cream stores everywhere. BBC star and leading mathematician Hannah Fry once described him as "terribly bad at drawing" before kindly adding “he’s also fantastically clever and charming.”

We discuss: 
* How to position your proposal as an expert in your subject, for an audience who is not as well-versed
* Using metaphor to connect and create new meaning
* The ways agents seek out nonfiction clients
* How to incorporate math in your querying and editing process

Learn more about Ben and his new book here: https://mathwithbaddrawings.com

Metaphor, Math, Editing, & How You Can Get Your Message to Your Reader Effectively

<description>We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at P.S. Literary, to the podcast! 

We discuss: 

*How agents should advocate for clients from signing to offers to contracts to publication and beyond 

*Why messy characters and their interiority are often the one thing missing from your work 

*Why we should experience empathy for your villain

*Opportunities to build tension, pulling the reader (or agent!) into your story

Meet with Nour here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/nour-sallam

See a clip of this episode here: https://youtu.be/xBbNAb0d5sM?si=8NLlvwhX3X04p5vB

Transcript and timestamps here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-nour-sallam

Nour Sallam is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then got her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she loves books of any genre that amplify joy and connection, or feature complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or underrepresented narratives.

Nour is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction titles as well as select literary fiction, edgy psychological thrillers, mysteries, and light horror. In fiction, she gravitates towards voicey characters that are haunted by something: a secret, a past, a fear— or an actual haunting! She’s actively seeking character-driven stories featuring women in power, unhinged women, and stories of female rage. She also has a soft spot for unreliable narrators, family sagas with dysfunctional families, protagonists in their 20s-30s navigating adulthood, protagonists on the cusp of major life changes, and stories that focus on friendship dynamics. She is also drawn to stories that explore the diverse experiences of underrepresented groups and challenge our understanding of diasporic experiences and/or cultures. Bonus points if these stories are also fun and celebrate joy.

For nonfiction, Nour welcomes fresh and accessible perspectives on big ideas or industry deep dives as well as personal narratives on pop culture, art, and nature. She appreciates books that offer incisive commentary on culture, socio-economic structures, corporate underbellies, health and wellness, and lifestyle. Her taste in non-fiction gravitates towards books that generally challenge what we know or explain what we might not know.</description>

We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at …

We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at P.S. Literary, to the podcast! 

We discuss: 

*How agents should advocate for clients from signing to offers to contracts to publication and beyond 

*Why messy characters and their interiority are often the one thing missing from your work 

*Why we should experience empathy for your villain

*Opportunities to build tension, pulling the reader (or agent!) into your story

Meet with Nour here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/nour-sallam

See a clip of this episode here: https://youtu.be/xBbNAb0d5sM?si=8NLlvwhX3X04p5vB

Transcript and timestamps here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-nour-sallam

Nour Sallam is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then got her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she loves books of any genre that amplify joy and connection, or feature complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or underrepresented narratives.

Nour is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction titles as well as select literary fiction, edgy psychological thrillers, mysteries, and light horror. In fiction, she gravitates towards voicey characters that are haunted by something: a secret, a past, a fear— or an actual haunting! She’s actively seeking character-driven stories featuring women in power, unhinged women, and stories of female rage. She also has a soft spot for unreliable narrators, family sagas with dysfunctional families, protagonists in their 20s-30s navigating adulthood, protagonists on the cusp of major life changes, and stories that focus on friendship dynamics. She is also drawn to stories that explore the diverse experiences of underrepresented groups and challenge our understanding of diasporic experiences and/or cultures. Bonus points if these stories are also fun and celebrate joy.

For nonfiction, Nour welcomes fresh and accessible perspectives on big ideas or industry deep dives as well as personal narratives on pop culture, art, and nature. She appreciates books that offer incisive commentary on culture, socio-economic structures, corporate underbellies, health and wellness, and lifestyle. Her taste in non-fiction gravitates towards books that generally challenge what we know or explain what we might not know.

Messy Characters, Building Tension & How Agents Should Advocate For Your Work with Agent Nour Sallam

The Manuscript Academy brings you conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey.

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