"This story doesn't need a sandworm" This is almost always wrong. Arguably, EVERY story benefits from adding a huge subterranean worm with quasi-mystical or semi-supernatural powers, or equivalent (similar to Moby Dick). Obviously the bigger the worm, the more literary quality it adds.

I write a good amount of historical fiction about BIPOC and queer people. I go to *a lot* of trouble to avoid putting slurs on the page, even if they were considered socially acceptable at the time by the people making them. It's possible.

Trying to decide which of my authors’ new manuscripts to dive into next feels like a surfeit of riches.

This is possibly the most brutal review I've ever read. I'm not one for negativity, but there is a point at which negativity becomes so incandescent for such good reason that it manages to uplift rather than depress. "Wow," you say, dazzled at the human capacity for righteous verbal violence.

If I see the “r” word used in a manuscript, especially as an insult or a joke, it’s an automatic rejection from me. I don’t care if it’s supposed to be historical fiction or whatever reason people use to justify its use, I don’t need to see it, and neither do kids.

Someone is very cranky that I am trying to sit on my office chair after he claimed it for his own. RUDE.

Such a beautiful journey through time and art that this cat went on. Absolutely amazing.

Self-consciousness about your art feels unpleasant, but it means your tastes are growing. Your personal taste as it guides your work is kind of an essential part of being an artist. Practice builds your skills and your point of view! You want to develop the Artist’s Hand *and* the Eye, so to speak.

WE’RE FINALLY GETTING AN ADAPTATION OF THREE BAGS FULL BY LEONIE SWAN?!? I AM SO EXCITE. Which, by the way, is one of the most brilliant detective novels ever written and you should totally read it before the movie comes out.

The Republican-controlled Utah state legislature put a moratorium on health care for trans kids, and ordered an exhaustive review of the evidence. Two and a half years later, the 1000-page report said, in short, care for trans kids is safe and effective. www.sltrib.com/news/politic...

Clay letters from ancient Mesopotamia are alive with idiom, sayings, and everyday language that I love. Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.

A Twin Peaks rewatch seemed like a good thing to start tonight. We’ve lost too many incredible creative individuals this year.

I love my authors dearly, but I swear they're plotting together because a bunch of them submitted revisions or new manuscripts within a few weeks of each other at the end of Nov / beginning of Dec and now I'm swimming in projects to review. Good thing it's slower right now so I can focus on reading.

Treat people with kindness. If that doesn't work, grab them with your talons, devour them with your toothy maw, and digest them slowly over the next thousand years, and see if that helps.

These are absolutely the kinds of stories I love to discover in the slush.

It's mid-afternoon where I'm located. Time to ask yourself, have you: –Drunk some water? –Had lunch or a mid-afternoon snack? –Recently touched grass (or snow)? –Looked out the window? –At very minimum, glanced away for more than 10 seconds from whatever screen you're currently glued to?

I swear to you, reading contracts is better at making me drowsy than any sedative. Also, this is probably why caffeine was invented.

Hi all! We're hiring at DC for a sales manager in the book market! This role would be working very closely with me, so I'm happy to answer any questions. Let me know if you know anyone! careers.wbd.com/global/en/jo...

I decided to try muting the word “billionaire” to see if my feed improves when I had the sudden realization that actually muting billionaires in reality (or even better, not allowing anyone to become that rich) would improve life on earth for everyone immediately.

The kitty says the news is terrible right now and if you need to step away from the internet for a bit, he supports you and offers purrs with cuddles until you feel better. Take care of yourselves.

FYI, I am caught up on requested manuscripts through the end of August, and I'm totally caught up on responding to queries. If you submitted something before then but never heard back from me, check QueryTracker as the email may not have reached you.

Today I’m looking through my Bluesky feed and temporarily unfollowing accounts that mostly post politics or current events. I’ve realized part of why I haven’t been on here much lately is too much negativity in my feed. So I’m adjusting my filters to only allow silliness and cuteness for now, tyvm.

This may be blasphemous, but last year I discovered a boxed mix for latkes and thought I’d try it because I’d always been curious. They were super tasty, especially when I topped them with maple butter for that perfect mix of sweet and savory. Now I’m craving them again…

Bluesky needs to get back to being a site where people mostly post photos of cute animals. Or maybe I just need to readjust all my filters so I only see photos of cute animals. Too much reality is slipping through.

I am work so desperately hard this week(end) to get caught up on reading manuscripts for both clients and requested submissions. My wonderful intern (who I should be introducing you to soon) has been helping in this endeavor. Wish me luck—and especially extra focus.

I’m amazed by all the creators still out there doing their thing, despite the world burning all around us. Bravo to all of you.

I had to run errands and do dr appointments all morning, so it was a delight to listen to the Code Name Verity audiobook while out and about. One of my fave reads (I always use the first pages as an example of How To Write The Perfect Opening) and the narrator does an incredible job.

"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—" Reviews. Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.) Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!

If I’m ever quiet on social media for a few days, there’s a good chance I’m just taking a break from the constant bombardment of negativity that regularly cycles through because of *points at everything*. And honestly, I highly recommend it.

NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month. This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory! Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...

Last week it felt like time slowed down for the holiday, but this the week is when time speeds up again and goes extra fast to get us back to the present, resulting in whiplash. Good thing we get to redo this process again in a few weeks. *stocks up on painkillers for the inevitable headache*

For people who think book banning isn't a big deal because even if they're not available in libraries and schools, you can still buy them--this is an elitist argument. Most kids ONLY have access to books from their library. Libraries ensure info access for all. Libraries are vital in democracies.

Would watch.

SEND HELP. A monster is holding me hostage for cuddles.

Psst! Registration ends in a few days!

Because U.S. copyright laws are so convoluted, especially with different changes over the years, it’s tricky to know when certain works enter public domain, but here’s a list of some well-known titles that will lose copyright protection as of Jan 1.

Whenever I’m lying on the floor doing exercises for my back, my cat thinks, “That human must be lonely and in want of a cat to lay on her. I shall help her out, like the selfless creature I am. And I will be sure to use my claws while doing so. I am a good cat.”

Remember when people on the board of OpenAI staged a coup to oust Altman because they said he couldn’t be trusted with this technology? Maybe, just maybe, everyone should have listened to them.

Well, Thanksgiving dinner this year went swimmingly. The turkey looked perfectly cooked and read 180F on the meat thermometer (a bit overdone but not bad). But then as we started carving we realized the rest of the bird was still bloody. So back in the oven it went for a few more rounds.

People keep posting this graphic and commenting on the textual aberrations, but I’m more concerned about the mother whose legs were amputated so she could sit with her child. The AI did place the feet below the random floating board, but it won’t help much as they’re no longer attached to her body.

If you want a fairly easy recipe to really wow guests for your family celebration, this Stuffed Mushroom recipe is a winner: www.delish.com/cooking/reci...

The fun thing about publishing is that you can have several very exciting things happening and not be able to publicly talk about any of them.

Oh goodness. I thought to check a very old gmail account I haven't used for queries in more than 10 years and wow it's full. Thankfully the auto-responder still works, so people weren't sitting waiting for a response, but this is why you should always check an agent's current submission guidelines.

Me looking out the window at the dreary winter sky:

All of the authors I’ve worked with, past and present, make the work I do worthwhile. They’re all amazing in vastly different ways. #kidlitchat

95% of authors are not making a living through book publishing. The public needs to understand this.

To anyone who has experience working with fonts and typefaces, I sincerely apologize for the monstrosity I’m about to show you.

I feel like the current time period we’re in is developing the personality of a troll, so maybe?

Children 🤝 Pets Commitment to never letting anyone use the bathroom alone.

They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)