We are glad to be sponsoring the Freelancer of the Year Award at the Bookseller Futurebook Conference in November. This award celebrates the many independent workers who help make publishing great, and is open to freelancers working in any area of the industry, from design to editing, translation to consultancy. Thirty nine companies, projects, and individuals have been shortlisted for the #FutureBook Awards.

In a world where bookstores are overflowing with new titles and publishers guard their gates tightly, it might feel like there's no room left for aspiring writers. But with the rise of self-publishing platforms, print-on-demand services, and freelance support, that’s no longer the case.

In five years of running whitefox, here are some of the key things we’ve concluded that seem to matter most to both publishers and freelancers.

Being a writer is tough. Endless drafts, endless edits, endless procrastination. If you’re struggling to write today, there are other writers out there who know exactly how you feel - and you can find them all on Twitter.