Latest

Tell Me Your Story and I'll Tell You Mine

Hi Friends, I haven't fully figured out Threads yet, but there is a robust community of writers there, and a lot of conversations about books, writing, publishing, and more. That means a lot of ~~~~discourse~~~~ of varying degrees of helpfulness and harm. From whatever version of Threads I

Q&A Friday: Comps, Titles, and Comp Titles

Hi friends, I'm traveling this week, hence the Thursday issue on Friday. But let's get to our questions! 🙋Are you a paid subscriber and want to ask a question for a future Q&A Thursday? Fill out this handy form! Not a paid subscriber? You

How To Be An Author: Practice Edition

Hello friends, It seems, from the metrics I can see on the backend here, that y'all like this How To Be An Author series, and I'm so glad. I have so much to say about it and I'm energized to share it with you.

Q&A Thursday: To Series or Not to Series

Hello friends! It's Thursday and time for some Q&A! 😎If you'd like to ask a question for a future Q&A Thursday, you can fill out this handy form . Open to paid subscribers only. Upgrade here! Val asks: I want to query US-based

How All Your Questions About Writing are answered by the reader

First: News! 🎉Happy pub day to Alix E. Harrow's THE EVERLASTING, which has THREE starred reviews, is an Indie Next Pick and is in the Library Reads Hall of Fame. It's also GORGEOUS and you have to read it. Lady Knights! Devoted lovers! Time Loops! ✈️Attention

Bonus Q&A

Hey friends, Last week was busy and I missed sending you a Q&A Thursday. I hate it when newsletters are all sorry I haven't posted in a while!!!! because tbh we're all kinda ok with not getting 100 email newsletters a week. BUT this

What's the Next Level and Who Can Take You There?

Hi friends, I frequently see, in my query inbox and questions posted around the internet, authors looking for someone to take them to "the next level." Often, it's a self-published author who didn't find the success they wanted and now seek someone to help

Q&A Thursday: Community Edition

Hello friends, I'm having a productive week. Huzzah! I'm also making a concerted effort to take it easy in other areas of my life so that the high of productivity doesn't bleed over into everything else and I end up burnt out. Balance! We

How To Be An Author: Book or Books?

Hi Y'all, A prompt went around Bluesky this weekend, started by Rachel Feder, and it promptly broke containment. Of course I had to chime in. (Chiming in is my favorite.) Throw away the first book you write. — Kate McKean (@katemckean.bsky.social) 2025-10-13T20:57:30.737Z I knew

Q&A Thursday: Back to the Well Edition

Hello friends, Let's answer some questions! As always, Q&A Thursdays are open to paid Agents & Books subscribers and you can send me your questions via this handy form! Click to Ask a Question! Not a paid subscriber yet? I have another button for you right

How To Be An Author

Hi all, You're here for how-tos. That's what I set out to do when I started this newsletter way back in 2019 (!!!)–put things you needed to know about writing, publishing, and literary agents all in one place. This many years on, there's not

Scratch 'n Sniff Publishing

Hey y'all, Did you hear about the garlic-infused book? Or, I should say, the garlic mayo scented ink book? New York Times best selling author Jennifer L. Armentrout's new book, The Primal of Blood and Bone will be available as a limited edition hardcover co-branded by

How to Misread a Deal Announcement

Hi friends, I have been a longtime reader of Publishers Marketplace, and in fact, it's deep in my lore that the Publishers Lunch newsletter is why I became an agent. I strongly recommend regularly reading their work. (Did you know they have an Author's Lunch newsletter?

Answers I Don't Want to Give to Questions I'm Often Asked

Hi friends! This week I did two very fun, very different events and some questions asked there sparked an idea. Today I'm going to answer hypothetical questions that I bet a lot of you want to ask, or have almost asked, or wish you could ask, but you&