The Margin
Notes from the selling desk
What we work through with authors on the back half of each session, written down so it outlives the call. Nothing here costs money to act on.
September 10, 2026
7 min
Metadata before marketing
Keywords, categories and comp titles decide whether a reader ever sees your cover. Most authors start spending money one step too late.
September 3, 2026
8 min
The twelve-week runway
Launch week is the wrong place to start. Here is what the three months before publication look like when they are working.
August 27, 2026
6 min
Your first hundred subscribers
Email is the one audience you own. Getting to a hundred is a different problem from getting to a thousand, and most advice only addresses the second.
August 20, 2026
5 min
In progress
Why a book club beats an ad for a debut
Draft. Clubs are full of heavy readers who talk, and a conversation converts in a way an impression never does.
August 13, 2026
5 min
In progress
How to be a good guest
Draft. What to prepare before a spotlight session so the ninety minutes turns into something that outlasts the call.
August 6, 2026
6 min
In progress
The bonus-material playbook
Draft. Character profiles, deleted scenes and club kits — the cheapest thing an author can make and the most requested.