I remember sitting in a windowless editorial office in 2004, surrounded by the smell of stale coffee and the hum of a photocopier that never quite worked, listening to a senior editor explain that a mid-list debut was “an investment in prestige.” It was a lovely sentiment, but prestige doesn’t pay the rent, and it certainly doesn’t cover the cost of a decent lunch. Most people think they’re entering a glamorous partnership with art, but when you peel back the glossy jacket, you realize that understanding how traditional publishing works is less about finding your soulmate and more about navigating…