What No One Tells You About Publishing Your First Book

This episode of You Should Totally Write That dives headfirst into the part of publishing most writers dread: the numbers, systems, and terminology that sit behind the scenes of getting a book into the world.We walk through what authors actually need to understand about copyright, ISBNs, BISAC codes, metadata, and publishing platforms — not in theory, but in practice. We talk honestly about when these things matter, when they don’t, and how much of this is dependent on your genre, your goals, and where you plan to sell your work.Along the way, we unpack common points of confusion:* Do you really need to register copyright?* When should you buy your own ISBNs—and when is it fine not to?* Why publishing on multiple platforms can accidentally create chaos* How bookstores, libraries, and retailers actually find booksWe also share hard-earned lessons from our own mistakes. Yes, we’ve made mistakes! Duplicate listings, split reviews, rushing platforms, and learning the importance of slowing down before you hit publish. The big takeaway? You don’t need to know everything at once, but you do need to be intentional.This is not a checklist episode or a one-size-fits-all rulebook. It’s a realistic, grounded conversation about treating your writing career like a business without losing your mind or your creative momentum.Grab a notebook. Take it slow. And remember: not knowing this stuff yet doesn’t mean you’re behind.Thanks for reading YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE THAT! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.SHOW NOTESThe providers listed are not affiliates; we only talked about the particular services we used. Most offer more services than we have tried.Bowker (ISBNs in the U.S.)BISG / BISAC codes siteDraft2DigitalIngramSparkBOOKSShirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the CastleElin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham, The AcademyFind Tara’s books on AmazonLL’s website has links to all the platforms for her Queenpin Chronicles trilogy and memoirs This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com