8 Things That Are a Total Waste of Money
If you want a traditional nonfiction book deal, the fastest way to delay it may be spending thousands of dollars on the wrong kind of publishing help.
Before you pay for a PR agency, a writing retreat, a book coach, a podcast tour, or a writers conference, pause. Many experts, entrepreneurs, and creators invest in these services hoping they will move them closer to a book deal, only to realize later that their time and money would have been better spent building their business and audience.
Hosted by Meghan Stevenson, a traditional publishing expert, former editor at Simon & Schuster and Penguin, and founder of Meghan Stevenson Books, this episode explains the eight investments her clients who have landed traditional book deals often wish they had skipped.
What should you spend money on before pursuing a traditional book deal?
The central answer is simple: prioritize building your business, visibility, engaged audience, and author platform.
For a how-to nonfiction book, publishers and literary agents need more than a polished manuscript or a compelling idea. They need confidence that there is an identifiable audience for the book and that you, as the author, have a credible way to reach and sell to those readers.
That does not mean you should never hire support, attend an event, or invest in your development. It means you should be wary of spending money on services that focus on information, appearances, or writing polish while ignoring the larger question: Can this author help bring readers to the book?
Here are eight things to think carefully about before spending money on them.
1. Books about book proposals or publishing
A book that promises to teach you how to write a book proposal or navigate traditional publishing may feel like a low-cost first step. But publishing information can become outdated quickly, and reading general guidance is not always the most effective use of your time.
If you need help making decisions about your own book, platform, or publishing strategy, individualized support may be more useful than trying to apply broad advice to your particular situation.
More importantly, do not let research become a substitute for action. Your most limited resource is time. If you spend months trying to DIY every part of traditional publishing, you may lose time you could have spent strengthening the business and audience that will make your proposal more competitive.
2. A PR agency without a conversion strategy
Media coverage can create credibility and social proof. A few meaningful features or mentions may be useful, particularly when they reach the right people.
But PR agencies are expensive, and publicity alone does not necessarily build a following, grow a business, or help you land a book deal. The crucial question is what happens after people see the coverage.
Do you have a strategy to turn media impressions, views, and reads into email subscribers, followers, customers, or an engaged community? If not, PR may create attention without creating meaningful momentum.
For authors pursuing a traditional deal, organic audience growth and genuine engagement can be more valuable than a long list of media mentions that do not translate into a stronger platform.
3. A podcast agency or a podcast tour
Podcasts can be a useful way to increase awareness. They can introduce you to new audiences, help establish your expertise, and create valuable content.
However, paying an agency to book dozens of podcast appearances is not necessarily an effective way to secure a book deal — especially if the shows have small, unknown, or difficult-to-measure audiences. Podcast data can be unclear, and download numbers do not always reveal who is listening or whether the appearances are helping your platform grow.
A podcast tour can be a stronger strategy after you have a book deal and a published book to promote. Before then, a handful of thoughtful appearances may be enough. The bigger priority is still building a direct, engaged relationship with your own audience.
4. Writing retreats
A writing retreat may sound productive: time away, fewer distractions, and a chance to focus entirely on your book idea, proposal, or draft.
But for many entrepreneurs, experts, and creators seeking a traditional nonfiction deal, the bigger need is not more time in isolation. It is more visibility.
A writing retreat can become an expensive “hidey hole” — a place to work privately when your author platform needs public-facing attention. Before you have a book deal, consider whether your time would be better spent creating content, building your business, connecting with future readers, and expanding your reach.
Save the retreat for later, when you have a deal, a deadline, and a clear book project to write.
5. Book coaches and freelance editors focused only on writing
Writing matters. If you love writing, write often. Developing your voice and becoming more confident on the page can be deeply valuable.
But be cautious about paying a book coach or freelance editor who focuses exclusively on the beauty of the prose while overlooking whether a publisher, agent, or reader will care about the book. Traditional publishers have copyeditors who can address many technical writing issues later in the process.
For aspiring traditionally published nonfiction authors, the larger concern is marketability. A beautiful manuscript does not solve the problem of an undeveloped author platform. Nor does it guarantee that an agent or publisher will see a path to selling the book.
Look for help that understands both the book itself and the business case for the book: your audience, positioning, expertise, and ability to promote it.
6. Memberships, courses, or communities that promise a book deal
Be skeptical of programs that promise an outcome such as getting published, landing a traditional deal, or creating a proposal that publishers “cannot resist.”
No membership, course, contest, or community can guarantee a book deal. Strong writing and a solid idea are important, but they are only part of what traditional publishing evaluates. You also need a credible plan for selling books — often through your author platform.
Some programs package broadly available information as exclusive access while implying that enrollment will lead directly to publication. Before purchasing, ask what you are actually paying for:
Is it personalized strategy or general information?
Does it address your author platform and audience?
Does it make promises no one can realistically guarantee?
Could you find the same foundational guidance for free?
The best investment may be one that helps you take action on your platform rather than simply giving you more publishing information to consume.
7. Courses, events, or summits led by authors
An author can share useful personal experience, but one author’s path to publication is not necessarily a universal publishing strategy.
Events and summits may feature successful authors, publishing professionals, or motivational content. Yet much of the guidance offered may be basic information that is already available for free, and the authors leading the event may not be true experts in the broader traditional publishing industry.
Some people who succeed after attending an event may have succeeded anyway because they already had the audience, expertise, timing, or relationships needed to move forward.
If you want to invest in your future as an author, consider putting that money and energy toward the elements that can compound over time: your business, audience, content, visibility, and relationships with the people you serve.
8. Writers conferences
Traditional writers conferences are often designed around fiction, memoir, and children’s books — not how-to nonfiction written by entrepreneurs, experts, and creators.
You may meet an agent or editor at a conference, but the publishing professionals in attendance may be early in their careers or may not specialize in the kind of commercial nonfiction you want to write. The community may also not be aligned with your professional goals.
If you are looking for support, seek a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, experts, and creators instead. A mastermind, peer group, or circle of colleagues who understand business building and audience growth may be more useful than a conventional writers conference.
The right support system can help you pressure-test ideas, stay grounded on difficult days, and continue building the platform that supports your book goals.
Questions answered in this episode
What should I avoid spending money on before pursuing a traditional nonfiction book deal?
Should I buy books about writing a book proposal or traditional publishing?
Is hiring a PR agency worth it for aspiring authors?
Do media mentions help you get a traditional book deal?
Should I hire a podcast agency or go on a podcast tour before I have a book deal?
Are writing retreats worth the money for nonfiction authors?
Do I need a book coach or freelance editor before seeking a publisher?
Why is an author platform more important than perfect writing?
Can a membership, course, community, or contest help guarantee publication?
Are author-led publishing events and summits worth attending?
Should entrepreneurs and experts attend writers conferences?
What kind of community should an aspiring nonfiction author look for?
What should experts, entrepreneurs, and creators invest in instead of publishing services?
