Jane Friedman

Writers are storytellers, and they can’t always be trusted to tell the truth of their own success. Witnessing truly great storytelling is akin to watching a virtuoso playing a concert, or an athlete winning a gold medal. We see only the final product, not the falls and the failures.

“What is the use of possessing numberless books and libraries, whose titles their owner can hardly read through in a lifetime?” —Seneca Author Andrew Welsh-Huggins reflects.

Historical fiction requires a balancing act between reality and imagination. Does research inform inspiration, or does inspiration inform research? Both.  Author Constance Hays Matsumoto describes her research process.

Dividing writers into plotters and pantsers redirects our focus from the process to a single detail, so that we end up either wondering what camp we fit in or worse, arguing which one is better. Writer Karmen Špiljak discusses.

In his memoir, Stallone shares that as a young man, he was obsessed with storytelling. He worked as an usher in a movie theater where he watched the same films over and over. He spent hundreds of hours analyzing the structure of the movies.  Author @rebeccamorrison.bsky.social discusses.

Slowing down your story doesn’t mean adding more events. It means giving the reader more of the one moment that matters most. Here's how, from @lisacooperellison.bsky.social

For novelists, writing flash fiction provides the creative space to add depth to your story, particularly character development. Insight from Miranda Keskes.

Terrific news.

If a memoir manuscript sounds like an itinerary, the writer has work yet to do. What did you most need or want at that time of your life that made you walk out your ordinary door? Insight from Esther Harder.

If your agent is suddenly fired from their agency, what happens next will depend on your agent contract. Learn what steps to take and which resources, including the AALA and Authors Guild, can help. Author K.T. Carlisle describes her experience and how she handled it.

You could say merely that a character loves dogs … or you can show that she breeds pointers; or that she rescues hard-to-place injured strays; or that she trains problem animals that shelters give up on. That’s the power of specific context.  Insight from @tiffanyyatesmartin.bsky.social

If you intend to get serious about writing powerful essays, you should familiarize yourself with three structural components that you’ll tie together to make a cohesive whole: 1. Form 2. Voice 3. Outcome Insight from @amylbernstein.bsky.social

There’s nothing wrong with imitation when learning an art form. It's an effective way to master your craft. But in the age of AI, the threat has shifted—AI’s ubiquitous use is flattening voices so that you sound like everyone else. @lisacooperellison.bsky.social discusses how to avoid this fate.

A business book author spent $3,100 on book proposal help: — $500 on a freelance editor (not all that useful) — $2,500 on a literary agent who also offers paid services (some usefulness but not for that money) — $100 on a class with me (the author's proposal was an example I chose to analyze)

It’s becoming ever more predictable: Q&A times at writing conferences are filling with AI-specific questions, especially when conference programming doesn’t officially address AI. Is your event prepared?

This Friday: I'm discussing the most notable publishing industry developments of 2026, what they mean for writers and publishers, and what to watch for in 2027. Recorded if you can't make it live, but join live if you want to ask questions.

The biggest questions I get about AI: How do I protect myself from an agent or publisher (or other publishing professional) using AI on my work? How do I protect myself from a false accusation of AI use? Unfortunately, these questions don’t have straightforward answers, but here I try my best.

This is a terrific and straightforward explanation for partnering with a bookstore, and it's similar to the process I followed. It's most likely to work if you have a traditional publisher but I've seen it work for indie authors, too. From M. Stevenson.

"The best, little-understood argument for writing these stories is that they aid in your development as a writer," says @maggielangrick.bsky.social

I would like to report on the literary agents who are claiming a percentage of their clients' Anthropic settlement. But I need some authors willing to share info about who these agents are (privately - no need to go on the record). Reach out: hello@janefriedman.com

Hi! Anthropic Q&A re:rights reversion and publisher claims. This is not legal advice; I can't give you legal advice. What I can do is tell you what I would do under certain circumstances.

I know I already posted about this...but to reiterate: Anthropic copyright settlement authors, PLEASE contact me (Writer Beware) if your publisher is making a claim on a book whose rights have reverted, or claiming anything other than a 50/50 split on an in-contract book. beware@sfwa.org

In a nonfiction book, an effective case study supports the overall argument and provides insights that readers can apply in their own lives. Typically case studies are exploratory or explanatory. Book coach Amy Isaman explains.

Being told to “pick a lane” for your story and revise to fit a genre? Maybe the manuscript doesn’t need to change, but your language for selling it does. @anngarvin.bsky.social shares her personal story of selling a book she was told by agents wouldn't work.

If you haven’t heard back from an agent and you’re starting to wonder if you ever will, you might consider sending the agent a nudge. Insight from @alyssamatesic.bsky.social & Patrick McDonald of QueryTracker.

Longtime editor & former agent Mary Kole has written a highly informative post about how she handles clients who use AI to generate substantive portions of their manuscript. She generously offers sample contract language other freelancers can adapt for their own purposes.

In queries & book marketing copy, authors often introduce their protagonist with a list of facts: “Mark is a retired FBI agent with PTSD from New York City.” While this offers information, it lacks emotional punch. Instead, try leading with desire, fear, contradiction, or an unusual circumstance.

Lessons learned by the author: — Begin earlier. Six months of pre-launch marketing was valuable, but a year would have been better. — Spend more time building relationships with indie bookstores and historical fiction communities before launch. Learn more from @ashlioc.bsky.social.

For indie authors, the narrator you cast for your audiobook and the terms you agree will follow your book for its life. Get the narrator right to avoid diminishing returns later. Insight from professional audiobook narrator Hannibal Hills.

Sometimes an author gets so excited by his premise that instead of turning it into a plot, he simply takes the reader on a guided tour as the premise plays out. This tends to be a mistake. Insight from editor Peter Gelfan.

Authors too often overlook local marketing. But the best way to secure national reach is to start in your own backyard. Insight from longtime marketer and publicist Penny Sansevieri.

The professional association of literary agents (AALA) has modified its Canon of Ethics to allow agents to earn money in additional ways while still retaining membership. For those seeking an agent, it is more important than ever to critically evaluate the people you're submitting to.

I would call this the agent issue if it weren't for the continual drip-drip of AI dramas that require commentary. (Sending today at noon EDT as usual, free & paid editions: janefriedman.com/subscribe-pa...)

"I ask readers what resonated with them and who they think would enjoy GUARDED. Their answers have become my best marketing research. They continue to surprise me." First-time author Debbie Friedman discusses what's worked.

It’s not uncommon for writers to unconsciously align their main character’s perspective with their own. When this happens, protagonists react and make choices not because of the experiences they’ve had, but because that is how the writer would react. Insight from Erin Radniecki.

Your memoir may focus on a significant relationship in your life. But if this person looms so large (for good or not-so-good reasons), the book could end up centering them instead of you. Jennifer Landau explains how to avoid that.

If you're editing or publishing an anthology, here's how to make it as easy as possible for contributors to market and promote. You can reduce the friction between their desire to help and their ability to actually help. Insight from @patricegopo.bsky.social.

A New York Times bestselling author who writes books about popular TV shows offers guidance on how to sell these books in an increasingly challenging market. Here’s Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.

“He got dressed, brushed his teeth, grabbed his keys, and drove to work.” Meanwhile, the reader grew bored with such tedious, empty details, put the book down, and chose another off their shelves. @tiffanyyatesmartin.bsky.social helps you avoid clunky and meaningless transitions.

Ironically, fiction has to be more credible than real life. Anecdotes tend to say, “You’re not going to believe this one,” and we’re not entirely sure we do. We believe stories b/c they go deeper and don’t end neatly. Insight from @lesleykrueger.bsky.social on turning real life into fiction.

Is it OK to have a prologue? How many points of view are too many? Is my work literary, suspense, horror? Is it allowed to be more than one thing? Am I allowed to tell this story the way it wants to be told? Alexandra Burt discusses the problems with permission seeking.

I address the biggest question I get from writers these days.

Should authors pitch themselves for podcasts? Self-pitching often works best when the author already has a relationship with the host. Otherwise, the risk is that the author pitches the book rather than the topic or conversation inside the book, which is what podcast hosts typically care about.

When you tell a story from a distance, it’s much harder to convey the full emotional impact of it. But when you become an expert observer of emotions and can stay with them long enough to capture them in words, there’s no story you can’t write, says April Davila.

This interview with Yahdon is required reading for publishing people: lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2026/06/ask-...