I report on the publishing industry through my paid newsletter, The Bottom Line, and educate writers on the business of authorship in THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press).
Jane Friedman
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The lack of story resolution doesn't have to be a bug—it can be a feature. An open ending can lead readers to engage with the story’s main theme, question or dilemma.
Insight from Karmen Spiljak.
Character likeability and story relatability are two entirely different things. Important insights here especially for children's and YA authors from Christina Wyman.
If you spend enough time talking to publishing service providers, you will hear the same phrase repeated again and again: “We have distribution.” Sometimes that statement is misleading or inaccurate.
Learn what meaningful distribution is about from Tanya Hall, CEO at Greeneleaf.
For nonfiction authors: not only must you validate the reader’s problem and offer solutions, you must also share the promise you’re making.
The promise: what the reader will be able to do and how they will feel different.
Insight from Marisa Solis and Elizabeth Dougherty.
How to recover an optimistic disposition toward writing and publishing: the simple idea of play.
Insight from Alexander Lewis.
It will likely take a month (or more) to fully understand what’s working best for your book, and what you need to improve on for sales and marketing.
Insight from novelist @susannecraignyt.bsky.social.
Sartre didn’t write BEING AND NOTHINGNESS as a craft guide for novelists, but it turns out his insights are valuable for writers.
If you’ve written a book, you already have everything you need to build a game—no coding or technical experience required.
Insight from Heather Rose Walters.
If you’re struggling to step away from your own experience to fictionalize your characters, here’s how to imagine the impossible, from Courtney Maum.
If you’ve been working on book for years, it may be hard to work it into a focus sentence. But if you can do it, it’s like walking down a forest trail that beautifully unfolds.
Insight from @joshuadolezal.bsky.social.
With other essential elements in place, short story writers can consider leaving an ending ambiguous, with room for the reader to ruminate.
janefriedman.com
Discomfort with “unlikeable” female characters may reflect readers’ own biases and have little or nothing to do with the quality of the writing.
