Maybe you use Scrivener, with all its extra tools to facilitate book writing. Maybe you use OpenOffice or LibreOffice or WordPerfect. Or maybe you’re like most of the authors in this situation, and you use Google Docs so that you can keep working from any device.

Whatever the case, if you did finally submit your manuscript only to be told, “No, not unless you move your entire four-hundred-page manuscript over to a completely different app and probably redo all of the formatting, too,” you’re probably not happy! You’re probably wondering, “Hey, what the hell?”

1. It’s easier to get published.
   
   This is just the truth—and given the pretty merciless and overwhelming ordeal of getting published traditionally, this is one of small press publishing’s biggest selling points.
   
   Getting published by one of the Big Five is hard, due to sheer numbers, gatekeeping, systemic barriers, sales expectations, and did I mention sheer numbers? In fact, it’s so difficult that my policy is to recommend to authors that they not pursue with traditional publishing unless they truly, actively, and specifically want to.
   
   When you go to a small press, though, you get to be the big fish in a small pond. You might be competing against 60 manuscripts sent in that month instead of 6,000.

Every writer out there is familiar with one of the worst parts of the job: when a blank page comes to taunt you. Either the words just won’t come, or you hate every single one of them. That’s right: the dreaded writer’s block.

You’ve probably heard all the most common tips before, and if you’re reading this article, it’s probably because they haven’t been enough.

So, here are a few more unconventional techniques.

These are the biggest ways I tackle writer’s block in my own work. And true to my self-help and psychology specialties, they all rely on hacking the brain’s wiring in one way or another.

After all, your brain’s got a lot of work to do just coming up with all of the stuff you’re about to write—why not take advantage of some of the quirks of its wiring to give yourself a leg up?

What is a comp title, anyway?

The phrase “comp title” is actually short for two different things, but they’re pretty much used interchangeably, so you don’t have to worry about that too much.

Specifically, “comp title” is short for both comparative title and competitive title.

Or, to put it another way: books that are like yours and books that yours would be competing against (and therefore still books like yours!).

I’m sure it’s no surprise to you to hear that some self-help books contain dubious material—especially older books, when publishing standards tended to be lower and we knew less about how humans and their brains actually work.

But there are a number of myths that have seeped into our culture, thanks to pop psychology, movies, motivational posters, and more. This deluge, unfortunately, can lead many of us to internalize bad advice without ever realizing.

So, whether you’re writing a self-help book, working on your own self-care journey, or just like knowing things, here’s some quick tips. Presenting: the top ten pieces of advice not to give in your self-help book.

The self-care industry has been booming for years, and tech-based solutions have been booming too. There are hundreds of helpful (and also “helpful”) apps out there to help you meditate, manage your time, reroute negative thoughts, track your habits, and so much more.

But it can be hard to find an app that you can and do use consistently—especially if you’re on a budget, since most of the good ones cost money, sometimes charging you every month. It’s easy to make an excited commitment and then let things lapse in less than two weeks.

Sometimes you need something simpler. Sometimes you need something that’s just set-it-and-forget-it.

And sometimes you need a way to actually cut down on your social media time, because I don’t know about you, but I’ve never successfully used a social media timer/blocker in my life.

A professional self-help book editor’s top tips for authors (at any stage of writing).