So you write poetry, or plays, or short stories, and now you’re wondering how to go about getting your work into the world. Publishing short-form content is more about finding your people than a scatter shot across the industry. The right fit depends on your subject matter, medium, and goals. If you want to publish one piece at a time and build up your following, literary magazines, personal websites, and social media are all versatile, accessible ways to get your foot in the door. If you are ready to publish a complete book of short-form content, small presses can help with the heavy lifting of production and marketing.

As an author, at some point in the publishing process, you will find yourself faced with the task of writing an author bio. An author bio will appear in the back pages of your book, and a shorter version of this bio, consisting of one to three sentences and featuring only the most important of this information, is often included on the cover. It will be used as marketing material online (such as on Amazon) and can be a very useful tool for selling your book to potential readers, especially if done well. But how do you write about yourself in this way? And what should you include

Can Someone Sue Me for Publishing My Book?

Unfortunately, publishing your book can expose you to legal risk, especially if your book reprints or otherwise incorporates other parties’ protected intellectual property, or if your book discloses sensitive, confidential, or unflattering material about real people or real organizations. This article briefly discusses some of the major areas of risk associated with book publication, as well as some measures that authors can take before publication to eliminate or reduce potential liability.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only, and that its contents should not be construed as legal advice. Greenleaf Book Group, LLC, does not provide legal services to anyone. Authors concerned about potential liability should always retain their own qualified legal specialists to determine whether their manuscripts pose any risks.

As you are gathering the front and end matter for your manuscript, you may find yourself wondering what the differences are between a foreword, a preface, and an introduction. These are three separate and very important elements that appear in the front pages of books, and they each have their own specific functions. The roles of these pieces are often confused.

Are you someone with an interesting personal story to tell? Do your experiences offer others a new or unusual perspective? Have you collected anecdotes from work and life that you feel could be of particular value or provide insight to people? If so, you might have a memoir to write.

When you first decided you wanted to write a book, you probably pictured it flowing freely from you, the muse speaking through you about your particular topic of expertise. In a perfect world, this would be the case. Unfortunately, and more realistically, this “muse approach” rarely works. Writing a book is difficult—even for the most experienced of authors. A strong outline can be one of the most useful tools you can use to get you through the writing process. Unlike the muse, who can be a tad fickle, your outline will always be there.

You did it! You’re a published author. It was a long road, full of twists and turns and the unexpected, but you came out the other side and can now find your book among the other titles you’ve admired for years. There are things you probably wish you’d known at the beginning of this process that you know now. Some advice from your future, published self to your past, unpublished self might include the following:

1. Your book will not be what you envisioned; it will be better.
2. The publishing process will take longer than you think.
3. There are more moving parts to the process than you imagine.

If you’ve found a publisher for your book (or think you may soon have one), you may be wondering what your responsibilities will look like once your manuscript is with your editor. After all, now that the book is in the hands of experts, the author's work is done, right? In truth, this is where the real fun begins.