Every author’s work is unique. And yet, early in the publishing process, authors are often asked by agents or publishers to provide comparison (“comp”) titles. We asked Penguin Random House editorial, sales, and analytics teams why comp titles are important, what makes for a meaningful comp, and how to find them if you are asked.
Some books require an extra step in the publishing process: the legal vet or legal read. For many authors, news that their manuscript has been sent to the legal department can be intimidating, so we sat down with Executive Vice President and General Counsel Katherine Trager to find out more about the process and what it really means. Keep reading to learn what kind of manuscripts go to the legal department, and what issues the team looks for.
Last month, Brandi Larsen, digital publishing director for the Berkley, New American Library, and Celebra imprints, hosted a webinar to help Penguin Random House authors understand how to evaluate and improve their websites. We talked to Brandi about what authors can learn from great author websites.