Mark Posey

Why We Don’t Chase Trends at Stories Rule Press

/ Mark Posey

Trends come and go. One month it’s a trope, a cover style, or a subgenre everyone is chasing; six months later, the industry has already sprinted off after the next shiny object like a Labrador with three tennis balls and no self-control. At Stories Rule Press, we’ve made a different choice. We pay attention to the market, but we don’t build our catalogue around trends. We start with the story—and whether it’s the kind of world a reader can disappear into and want to return to years later.

The Comfortable Manuscript Problem

/ Author Services, Editing, Mark Posey

There’s a point in many manuscripts where the story quietly pulls back. The conflict softens, the dialogue becomes safer, and characters make the reasonable choice instead of the revealing one. The result is a manuscript that is technically good—but often forgettable. The moments readers remember are rarely the comfortable ones.

What We’ve Been Watching Lately (And Why I Can’t Stop Thinking About It)

/ Espionage, Mark Posey, Thrillers

Lately, Tracy and I have been watching The Americans, and it has completely hooked us. Not because of the spy story—although that’s excellent—but because everything about it feels real. The relationships are messy, the choices are complicated, and the 1980s setting feels lived in instead of staged. It’s the kind of show that doesn’t just entertain you for an hour. It lingers afterward and leaves you wondering what you would have done in the same situation.

Meanwhile, Back at Stories Rule Press…

/ Cameron Cooper, Fantasy, Mark Posey, Non-Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Taylen Carver, Tracy Cooper-Posey

The first quarter of the year has disappeared in a blur of drafts, edits, releases and looming deadlines—business as usual at Stories Rule Press. Mark is deep into the next Thomas Billings thriller, Tracy is preparing new fiction and nonfiction releases, Taylen is starting an all-new fantasy series, and Cameron has another big-concept science fiction novel on the horizon. Different genres, different voices, same mission: story comes first. Always.

The #1 Problem I See in Manuscripts Right Now

/ Mark Posey

The most common problem I see in manuscripts right now isn’t bad prose or weak dialogue. It’s stories where the protagonist could simply walk away—and nothing meaningful would happen. If your character can shrug and go home, they probably should. So why don’t they?

Five Movies That Prove Story Always Wins

/ Mark Posey

Some movies adapt a book. A rare few understand it. From Stand By Me to The Bourne Identity, these are five films that prove story always matters more than spectacle, budget, or special effects.

It’s Not About the Authors. It’s About the Stories.

/ Mark Posey

What if the best story you’ll read next isn’t by the author you already know?

That’s the thinking behind a new direction at Stories Rule Press. Instead of focusing only on individual authors, we’re starting to build collections around something bigger: the kinds of stories readers love to fall into.

If you love thrillers, romance, fantasy, suspense—or any story that keeps you reading long past your bedtime—you may be missing books you’d love simply because you haven’t met the other writers behind them yet.

That’s about to change.

Why Stand By Me Still Works (When So Many Stories Don’t)

/ Mark Posey

Why does Stand By Me still hit forty years later when so many stories vanish almost as soon as the credits roll? Because it isn’t built on spectacle or plot twists. It’s built on emotional truth. Four boys, one long walk, and a story that trusts us to care about the people more than the destination. That’s a rare thing. And maybe that’s why it still works.

Your Editor Isn’t Waiting—And That’s a Good Thing

/ Author Services, Editing, Mark Posey

If you’re waiting until your manuscript is finished before thinking about editing, you’re already behind. Editors don’t work on demand—they book weeks or months in advance to give every project the attention it deserves. The writers who stay on track? They treat editing as part of their production pipeline, not the final step.

Shopping Basket
Scroll to Top