| | Introduction | p. 1 |
| | Setting Up Shop | |
| | Writing the Right Idea | p. 19 |
| | To Write or Not to Write | p. 19 |
| | What Should You Write? | p. 22 |
| | Assembling Ideas | p. 24 |
| | Writers in Search of Ideas | p. 35 |
| | The Perfect Package | p. 37 |
| | Selecting Your Dream Team | p. 37 |
| | Models for Success | p. 43 |
| | Perfecting Your Pitch | p. 45 |
| | Getting Titular: Titles and Subtitles | p. 47 |
| | The Facts About Fiction | p. 48 |
| | The Nonfiction Proposal | p. 49 |
| | The Value of Good Readers | p. 74 |
| | Prepare Your Package for Liftoff | p. 75 |
| | Locating, Luring and Landing the Right Agent | p. 76 |
| | Do You Really Have to Have an Agent? | p. 77 |
| | Locating an Agent | p. 79 |
| | Luring the Agent | p. 86 |
| | Landing the Big Kahuna | p. 95 |
| | John Hancocking: Signing an Agency Contract | p. 99 |
| | Demystifying Submission | p. 103 |
| | Agent Relations: Snarling Snafus and Scary Silences | p. 103 |
| | Sending Your Brave Little Book Out into the World | p. 110 |
| | The Agony and Ecstasy of "Interest" | p. 113 |
| | Sending Your Book Directly to Publishers | p. 120 |
| | Rejection Section | p. 131 |
| | Rejection Rules | p. 132 |
| | To Learn or Not to Learn | p. 134 |
| | Taking Action | p. 140 |
| | Taking Care of Business | |
| | Let's Make a Deal! | p. 143 |
| | The Selling of Your Book | p. 143 |
| | Sifting Wheat from Chaff: The Right Publisher for You | p. 146 |
| | Finding a Cowriter or Dumping the One You Have | p. 152 |
| | Negotiating Nuggets for Agentless Authors | p. 152 |
| | Get It in Writing: The Deal Memo | p. 154 |
| | Contract Facts | p. 156 |
| | An Askance Glance at Your Advance | p. 156 |
| | The Reality of the Royalty | p. 160 |
| | Delivery: The First Step Toward Acceptance | p. 163 |
| | Copyright or Copywrong? | p. 167 |
| | The Many Faces of Subsidiary Rights | p. 167 |
| | Warranties and Indemnities | p. 171 |
| | Author Copies: "You Mean I Have to Buy My Own Books?" | p. 172 |
| | Covering Your Cover | p. 173 |
| | Options for Your Option | p. 173 |
| | The Rules of Accounting | p. 174 |
| | Sign Here, Please | p. 174 |
| | Write Away! | p. 176 |
| | Same-Paging: Getting Simpatico with Your Editor | p. 176 |
| | Getting Your Ducks in a Row So You Can Start Quacking | p. 178 |
| | Getting Started | p. 190 |
| | More Readers | p. 195 |
| | More on Outside Help | p. 198 |
| | Don't Let Running Out of Time Drive You Out of Your Mind | p. 199 |
| | Postpartum Depression | p. 200 |
| | One Last Thing Before You Turn It In | p. 201 |
| | Working with Your Publisher | p. 202 |
| | Editor 101 | p. 203 |
| | The Mother of All Meetings: The Launching of Your Book | p. 217 |
| | Preparing Your Book for Cataloging | p. 222 |
| | Six Months to Go! | p. 233 |
| | The Sales Conference | p. 236 |
| | Making a Stink: When to Get Mad and When to Shut Up | p. 238 |
| | Enjoying the Ride | p. 240 |
| | Prepub Publicity and Marketing | p. 241 |
| | Selling Yourself | p. 241 |
| | Working with Your Publicist | p. 249 |
| | The Beauty and Power of Networks | p. 264 |
| | To Tour or Not to Tour | p. 271 |
| | Preparing for Your First Interview | p. 284 |
| | Building Buzz:nbsp;287 | |
| | Getting the Word Out | |
| | Launching Your Book and Keeping It Alive | p. 293 |
| | Local Love | p. 294 |
| | Bookstore Love | p. 295 |
| | Making an Eventful Event | p. 300 |
| | A Tour of Your Book Tour | p. 312 |
| | The Skinny on Local and National Media | p. 316 |
| | Giving Away Books: Yes, That's Right, Giving Them Away | p. 326 |
| | E-Marketing Redux | p. 327 |
| | Book Club Heaven | p. 328 |
| | Awards as Buzz | p. 329 |
| | Keeping Your Book Ball Rolling | p. 329 |
| | The Fine Art of Selling | p. 334 |
| | "How Many Copies Did You Say?" | p. 334 |
| | Back to the Bookstore | p. 336 |
| | Selling Books in Unexpected Places | p. 342 |
| | The World Wide Web | p. 344 |
| | Lovely, Luscious Libraries | p. 346 |
| | Back to School | p. 346 |
| | Rotten Returns | p. 347 |
| | The Last Word on Royalties | p. 348 |
| | Keep the Sales Train Rolling | p. 35 |