Notes
Longform writing in the imprint's voice.
The team writes in three categories. Voice and craft. Category insight on the kinds of books the imprint publishes. The launch playbook the team runs. These notes also serve as the voice sample applicants reference before they apply.
- Voice and craft
Why the voice rules are not negotiable.
Active voice, no em-dashes, no bullet prose in body, no bold inside sentences. A short explanation of what each rule costs you, and what it buys back.
Read the note - The team playbook
What the team actually runs in launch week.
The launch operator's calendar from day one to day thirty. ARC reads, podcast slots, store optimization, the daily reviews loop. The author's job is the podcasts.
Read the note - Category insight
The shape of a Crazy Simple book.
Five sections to every chapter. A named framework with three to five pillars. At least thirty stories in the Story Bank. One AI prompt per chapter that the reader can paste before they close the book.
Read the note - Voice and craft
The voice test we run before we accept a manuscript
Before Crazy Simple Press accepts any author, the editorial team runs a specific voice test. Here is what it measures and why it matters.
Read the note - Category insight
Why we cap the cohort instead of taking every author who can pay
Crazy Simple Press limits the number of authors per cohort by design. This post explains the reasoning and what it means for the authors inside.
Read the note - The team playbook
What a Crazy Simple application actually looks at
The Crazy Simple Press application is short. This post explains what the editorial team reads, what it weighs, and what makes a submission easy to say yes to.
Read the note - Category insight
The named framework rule, and why every Crazy Simple book has one
Every book published by Crazy Simple Press carries a named framework. This post explains what that means, what it does for a reader, and why we will not waive it.
Read the note - The team playbook
The Story Bank rule, and how we collect thirty stories before chapter one
Crazy Simple Press requires every author to build a Story Bank of thirty or more tagged entries before drafting begins. This is why and how it works.
Read the note - The team playbook
How we use AI in the draft, and where we refuse to
Crazy Simple Press uses AI tools in specific, documented places. This post names where those places are and where the line is drawn.
Read the note - Voice and craft
Who this imprint is not for
Crazy Simple Press says no more than it says yes. This post names the author profiles the imprint will decline, and the reasons behind each one.
Read the note - The team playbook
The eleven-step plan, in plain English
Crazy Simple Press moves every author through eleven steps from idea to launch. This post names each one and tells you exactly what you do and what the team does.
Read the note - The team playbook
What launch week looks like when the goal is clients, not copies
Crazy Simple Press does not chase bestseller rankings. This post explains what the launch team chases instead, and what that means for how launch week is built.
Read the note - Terms and expectations
Rights, royalties, and what stays with the author
Crazy Simple Press is an imprint, not a traditional publisher. This post explains what authors keep, what the imprint holds, and how the royalty structure works.
Read the note - Category insight
The five-section chapter spine, and why every chapter holds the same shape
Every book published by Crazy Simple Press follows a five-section chapter structure. This post explains each section and the reader experience the structure is built to produce.
Read the note - The team playbook
What we do when an author goes quiet for three weeks
Life interrupts every long project. This post explains how Crazy Simple Press handles an author who goes quiet, and what the production system does before the situation becomes a crisis.
Read the note - Terms and expectations
Why we do not publish prices on the website
Crazy Simple Press does not list prices on the marketing site. This post explains the reasoning, what you will learn on the discovery call, and how to prepare for that conversation.
Read the note - Category insight
What a finished Crazy Simple book is supposed to do for a business
A Crazy Simple Press book is designed as a business asset, not a publishing credential. This post names the specific outcomes the imprint builds toward and how each one compounds.
Read the note - The team playbook
How we choose which experts to put into a cohort together
Crazy Simple Press does not fill cohorts. It composes them. This post explains the selection criteria and what the cohort structure means for the authors inside it.
Read the note
The book inside you has waited long enough.
Submit the application. The editorial team reviews every entry. If your project is a fit, the discovery call goes on the calendar inside seven business days.