Ashante Thomas's Blog

The internet is packed with publishing “rules” passed down like gospel. But if you’re an aspiring author, it’s time to start interrogating the advice on your feed. A lot of it lacks crucial nuance or is flat-out wrong.

Take a LinkedIn post I saw recently claiming authors must “fight for a cover design they love.” Sure, your editor wants you to like it, but their primary job is to make the book sell. They have to balance your taste against what major retailers will actually put on shelves and what readers will actually buy.

I also saw someone claim that real editors never reach out via email. Also false. While some huge houses only review agented proposals, plenty of solid, reputable mid-list presses (like the ones I work with) do this all the time. Editors routinely prospect talent whose work complements their specific mission. You’d be better served by doing your homework:

• Search them up: Run a quick online search of the editor or agent’s name to verify their track record.
• Check connections: Look at their LinkedIn or social accounts. Do you have mutuals?

Publishing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Keep your wits about you and verify the source. Good luck!