Real Talk for Writers

with Isabel Sterling

Author & Master Certified Coach
Do You Need an LLC? (Managing Your Author Income.) author finances llc taxes Jun 30, 2025

Before I dive into today's Real Talk for Writers, just a quick note: I am not a financial advisor, accountant, or tax pro. Everything I'm sharing today is simply advice I wish had followed earlier in my career. Please check with your own tax/financial pros to see what makes the best sense for your...

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When, Why, & How to Leave Your Agent agent email templates Jun 23, 2025

Something must be in the air, because over the past few weeks alone, I've supported half-a-dozen authors through the process of breaking up with their agents.

Since I've had so many of these conversations recently -- including "is this really bad enough to be worth leaving" and "how exactly do I do...

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Advances, Royalties, & All-Time Earnings advance author finances royalties spreadsheets taxes Jun 16, 2025

As an industry, publishing tends to be shrouded in mystery. Especially when it comes to numbers. 

It’s rare for authors to talk publicly about how much money they make or how many copies of their books they sell.

There’s lots of euphemisms: “Oh, it was a fairly small advance” or “the book did okay...

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