One of the biggest changes in my journey as an author has been realizing just how much you learn from one book to the next.

When that first publishing agreement arrives, there is an overwhelming sense of excitement: someone wants to publish your book. That moment deserves to be celebrated.

But experience changes the way you approach the next opportunity.

After navigating the publication process, marketing, distribution, royalties, rights, awards, publicity, and everything else that happens after a manuscript becomes a book, I now approach publishing agreements with a much deeper understanding of both the creative and business sides of being an author.

That includes something I think emerging authors need to hear more often:

You can negotiate.

A publishing agreement is a business proposal. Authors can ask questions, request clarification, propose changes, identify their priorities, and counter terms that don't align with their goals.

That doesn't mean every request will be accepted—and it doesn't mean every publisher will have significant flexibility. Negotiation is simply the process of determining whether both sides can reach terms that make sense.

As my own publishing career continues to develop, I'm learning to evaluate opportunities differently. I'm thinking not only about getting the next book published, but also about rights, marketing, long-term positioning, career development, and whether a particular agreement makes sense for the manuscript I'm placing into someone else's hands.

There are several exciting things developing behind the scenes right now, and while I can't share everything yet, I can say this:

I'm asking better questions than I did when I started. I'm advocating more confidently for my work. And I'm becoming much more intentional about what I want the next chapter of my publishing career to look like.

Every book teaches you something.

I'm certainly learning from mine.