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Publishing craft, without the fluff
Specific, mechanical advice on the parts of publishing that quietly decide how a book performs. Search or filter by manuscript, cover and publishing.
Featured reading
Cover · Covers
KDP cover template: how to build a cover file Amazon accepts the first time
A KDP cover template is not decoration — it is a spec. Here is how to generate one, what every zone means, and the mistakes that trigger a rejection.
July 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Publishing · Metadata
Amazon KDP keywords: how to fill all seven slots without wasting one
A repeatable method for researching, testing and refreshing the seven keyword fields that decide whether your book is findable.
July 18, 2026 · 7 min read
Manuscript · Formatting
Seven formatting mistakes that make a self-published book look self-published
Readers cannot always name what feels amateur about a book, but they feel it on page one. Here is what actually causes it.
June 18, 2026 · 7 min read
Showing 6 of 15 matching articles
Manuscript · Formatting
Seven formatting mistakes that make a self-published book look self-published
Readers cannot always name what feels amateur about a book, but they feel it on page one. Here is what actually causes it.
June 18, 2026 · 7 min read
Publishing · Metadata
How to choose keywords that actually sell books
Most authors fill in their seven keyword slots in the last five minutes before publishing. That decision quietly caps your discoverability.
May 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Manuscript · Risk
Copyright and trademark basics every author should know before publishing
You do not need a law degree, but you do need to know which four situations warrant a second look.
May 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Manuscript · Craft
Readability scores explained, and why yours is probably fine
Grade-level metrics are useful diagnostics and terrible targets. Here is how to read them without ruining your prose.
April 11, 2026 · 5 min read
Publishing · Process
The pre-publication checklist we run on every manuscript
Thirty-one checks, grouped into five passes. Steal it.
March 20, 2026 · 9 min read
Cover · Covers
KDP cover template: how to build a cover file Amazon accepts the first time
A KDP cover template is not decoration — it is a spec. Here is how to generate one, what every zone means, and the mistakes that trigger a rejection.
July 2, 2026 · 8 min read