Amy L. Bernstein

Amy L. Bernstein has worked with three traditional publishers who believed in her unagented work. Her latest nonfiction book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, is due out in September from Bancroft Press. Learn more here.

The Case for Pursuing a Traditional Publishing Deal Without an Agent
Image: a hiker wearing a backpack climbs over the locked gate of a fence in a rural area.
Kicking off your publishing career with a small press is a great way to get to know the industry, build ...
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/ Getting Published, Guest Post
Writing a Really Short Book Description Is Harder Than It Looks
Image: A roughly-fashioned cardboard sign on which is written in black magic-marker "All you need is less".
A well-crafted book blurb gives us just enough to care, to empathize with the protagonist’s plight, and leaves us wanting ...
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/ Guest Post, Queries & Synopses
The Other Pitch Packages Authors Should Prepare
Image: a hand holding a die-cut sticker of the word "Hello!" in handwritten script with a graphic of a smiley face beneath.
When soliciting blurbs or appearances on podcasts, its important to convey—in just a few lines—what you and your writing are ...
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/ Author Platform, Guest Post
The Peril and Promise of Writing in First-Person POV
Image: a point-of-view photo of a man's hand pushing its way through tall green grasses, beyond which a body of water is barely visible.
Writing a compelling first-person novel requires creative ingenuity, extraordinary empathy, and a boatload of courage ...
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/ Guest Post, Novel Craft
A Framework for Moving Beyond Your First Draft
Alone on a deserted road, a woman leans against the front of her car while examining a road map.
Finished a first draft and unsure where to go next? Here’s a 5-point checklist of what the second draft revision ...
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/ Guest Post, Improve Your Writing