Playing chess with pigeons 

We had a nice exercise on Feedback Friday last week – all about finding the romance between him and her, when one of the two…

Harry 21 June 2024

2 Comments

The First 500

The opening chunk of your book can do a LOT. I once sold a non-fiction book off the back of no more than 10,000 words.…

Harry 21 July 2023

1 Comment

Welcome to Townhouse!

Welcome Townhouse Members – old and new! We’ve had a little makeover. So, to help you get to grips with it all, here is a…

Polly 28 September 2022

23 Comments

How to Sell A Book, if you have the right mindset

We’ve spent seven weeks thinking about how to sell books. In my last seven emails to you, we have reviewed:  If you are confident you…

Harry 22 November 2024

0 Comments

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE – Saskia Leach from Kate Nash Literary Agency

Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to our Spotlight On interview series, where we uncover the day-to-day work of agents, what they’re looking for in submission…

Anna 19 November 2024

0 Comments

How to Sell A Book, if you can sail faster than the wind

It’s a fact:  A racing catamaran can sail faster than the wind – over twice as fast, indeed, under perfect conditions. (Don’t believe me? And…

Harry 15 November 2024

0 Comments

How to Sell A Book, if you are made out of GOLD

Last week, we dealt with the cheap and unglamorous world of book promo sites. This week, we go to Madison Avenue, or at least to…

Harry 8 November 2024

1 Comment

How to Sell A Book, if you’re Billy No-Mates

Last week, I explained that the trick of selling on Amazon is to achieve steadily growing traffic and sales over 4-7 days. In effect, you’re…

Harry 1 November 2024

0 Comments

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE – Philippa Sitters from Philippa Sitters Associates

Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to our Spotlight On interview series, where we uncover the day-to-day work of agents, what they’re looking for in submission…

Anna 29 October 2024

0 Comments

How to Sell A Book, if you’re a robot

Over the last couple of weeks, we thought about how to sell books the traditional way – print books sold through physical bookstores. The short…

Harry 25 October 2024

1 Comment

How to Sell A Book, if you’re a portly gentleman running for a door

Last week, I talked about how print-led publishing is essentially dominated by the battle to secure retail space.  If your book gets a really good…

Harry 18 October 2024

0 Comments

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE – Sheyla Knigge from High Line Literary Collective

Good morning, everyone, and welcome back to Spotlight On! We’re back with a brand-new series of interviews with literary agents. Stay tuned to learn more…

Anna 15 October 2024

0 Comments

How to Sell A Book, if you smoke a pipe and wear tweed 

Last week, I talked about how selling print books is a very different proposition from selling ebooks. Print books can’t change their covers, can’t radically…

Harry 11 October 2024

3 Comments