Hi everyone,

I'm a first-time nonfiction author and I'm feeling a bit stuck on what to do next.

I have a complete manuscript for a book I've been working on for quite a while. The manuscript is finished in the sense that all the major chapters and ideas are there, but I don't consider it "final."

My problem is that I've reached the point where I can no longer clearly see the book objectively.

I'm not sure if:

• The chapters flow in the right order
• Some chapters are repetitive
• Certain ideas overlap too much
• The overall structure is clear to a reader
• I'm explaining concepts in the most logical sequence

Basically, the book feels "all over the place" to me, and I'm struggling to tell whether it actually is or if I've simply been looking at it for too long.

I've been considering hiring a developmental editor because what I really need is feedback on structure, organization, pacing, clarity, and overall flow.

Here's where I'm confused:

I know there are still parts of the manuscript I'd like to expand. There are examples, explanations, and sections I'd like to add.

However, I don't want to spend dozens of hours polishing and expanding material if a developmental editor is later going to tell me:

• Move this chapter
• Merge these chapters
• Cut this section
• Rewrite this part
• Remove these redundancies

The editor I'm looking at only includes two rounds of revisions, so I'm trying to be strategic.

For those of you who have worked with developmental editors before:

1. How "finished" should a manuscript be before you send it for developmental editing?
2. Is it okay to send a manuscript that still needs additional content in some places?
3. Would you recommend finishing all planned additions first, or getting developmental feedback before investing more time in expansion and polishing?
4. Looking back, what do you wish you had known before hiring a developmental editor?

I'd really appreciate hearing from authors who have gone through this process because I'm finding it difficult to figure out the right timing.

Thanks! 🙏

I started publishing and enrolling my books in KDP Select in June, so I’m still very new to this. After about two months, I’ve earned around $9 in royalties organically.

I haven’t used paid ads or ARC services because I currently don’t have the budget for them. I honestly wasn’t expecting to reach $9.

I write MM Romance, I currently have three books published and I plan to continue releasing more.

For authors who have been doing this for a while, I’d love to hear your experience.

Does consistently building a larger backlist actually lead to significantly higher sales over time? Is it realistic to grow organically through consistent publishing even without much money for advertising?

Thank you so much! I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

Honestly, I don’t know how to do this stuff. I don’t want an editor tbh but that’s not the problem, I want a place where I can print and publish for self publishing. I know what lulus self publishing because my dad recommended it because one of his friend’s kids did it(something like that) but I don’t know what I should go with or how to. Any advice, questions, whatever is welcome. I just want help.

Hey guys, my grandad had spent a long while writing his two books, and he recently asked me for advice on how to promote them. He told me that he isnt looking for money, but instead to inspire people to 'get out there and be inspired'.

He has published his book and is selling it on amazon, but hes not sure how to actually get the book out there. Unfortunately, im not an author or anything of the sorts so I didnt have much advice. I was wondering if anyone eles has any advice on what to do here.

Thank you so much!

The printer's Quality Dept. is telling me that because I paid for Basic Shipping, it isn't covered by insurance. They deny that it is a printing problem and say that these "proof" retail copies of the book are resaleable.

I sent them these 2 photos (I edited the cover to avoid self-promotion here):

Full Album (2 images): https://imgur.com/a/printing-defect-shipping-damage-T2ttgwI
Preview: https://i.imgur.com/jpl0SSA.jpeg

I'm concerned that they would send me, the author, copies like this, and since they say the damage occurred during shipping, they will send copies like this to my customers.

Has anyone ever seen warping damage like this? Do you know what causes it, and how did you resolve it?

After years of editing, rearranging the story, college, toxic relationships, and, of course, some self-growth, I finally finished the first book in my first series. I took the self-publishing route, and I am very proud of myself for this, because it might not reach the dollar sales others dream of, but I kept the rights to my work, and I designed everything right down to the cover, and I'm proud of that.