The baby is sleeping through the night and comfortably staying her crib, at last. I might get to open to queries again? Yes I own my literary agency, but this ten month old is my boss.

“Surely this isn’t what Mary Oliver wanted for you, to spend your one wild and precious life yelling at an anonymous poster with a One Piece avatar.” A little rant about taking publishing advice on social media, and to make sure you research the people dishing it. open.substack.com/pub/ericsmit...

I have multiple friends actively buying physical media lately as a result of all the nonsense.

Publishing frustrates me to no end, sure, but goodness, the video game industry is wild.

Reminder: Check those email addresses if you hear from an agent or editor out of nowhere. A friend of mine nearly hired an “editor” that an “agent” referred them to. It was close. You might be tired of hearing book people talk about these scams but scammers wouldn’t keep at it if they didn’t work.

So in August my agency is hosting an industry AMA during the Philly Bookstore Crawl at @indyhall.org, featuring some agent and editor buddies, and breakfast brought to you by @mlrio.bsky.social! Space is limited, and of course, it’s free. luma.com/book-crawl-ama

We're partnering with Grass Roots Books for the Summer Coven preorder campaign! Get a signed copy AND some super cute Rumble stickers by preordering from them before August 25th! grassrootsbookstore.com/item/BQmk5nU...

Hey parents, when do kids outgrow the “I’m home and will now inhale all the food in the house like Kirby in Super Smash Bros. only the battlefield is the kitchen” stage.

❤️

Hey, bookmark this link if you want to have a 1-hour AMA with me on Zoom about Star Wars, Star Trek, writing, publishing, my dog Jake, or anything else: www.32auctions.com/organization... Bidding starts on July 1!

Lots of people saying that the hate against A.I. has to stop, but honestly, I think we could be doing more. Hating more. Hating on a deeper level.

A sci-fi thriller only it’s me trying to escape having to use OneDrive.

Giving this a little bump! Raised enough to pay an artist we love, and had some surprise colleagues reach out to help sponsor some events! 🥰

My wife got me Train’s greatest hits on vinyl for Father’s Day, and I regret to inform you, that as a dad in my 40’s, I am very excited about this. I’m so sorry.

OMG.

People are always like “go outside” or “touch some grass” but I find being mean to people online who are using A.I. just as satisfying. My well, refilled. My joy, restored. Your work, slop.

While giving a client “The Call” today, my baby made direct eye contact while pooping, just staring at me like 😐 while I delivered dream fulfilling news. Tis a glamorous life.

Oh my heart, week three of the USA Today bestseller list for Field Guide. Endlessly proud of @mkengland.bsky.social. 🥹

In the backyard of the vacation house we’re renting, there’s a split tree with a crumbling old treehouse on the ground, and my kid won’t stop tip toeing around the fence bordering it. “Do you WANT to end up in a Middle Grade portal novel? Cause that’s how you end up in a Middle Grade portal novel.”

So my agency’s latest industry event is live, and in July! Tired of hearing “poetry doesn’t sell” from folks? Me too! Join us for a free convo on traditionally publishing poetry, at Head and the Hand here in Philly. As always, it’s free. www.theheadandthehand.com/events/pitch...

NEW BOOK NEW COVER NEW BOOK NEW COVER!!! Coming January 2027! (this is the selkie book)

Scammers keep on coming. Just a reminder that in no world would an editor at Penguin Random House have an email address that looks like this:

And it was today, on the last day of school, that I finally talked to that cool dad who always exchanges a quick nod with me while we wait at drop off.

Oh my heart, two weeks on the USA Today bestseller list for beloved client @mkengland.bsky.social. We’ve worked together for years and watching things take off like this is the result of so much hard work. Writer friends, don’t give up. Keep going. I hope lists are in your future too.

The LAOC’s 2026 Literary Auction for Change is officially live! Go check out all the amazing items and put your bids in before 6/12! www.32auctions.com/LAOC

I know I’m a publishing professional of a certain age because every time I read contracts and they mention “CD-i” under electronic media my mind immediately goes to these:

So to help make this year’s Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl a success, we’re doing a little fundraising! If you’ve enjoyed our big event and can help out, we could use a hand paying for some things! www.phillybookstorecrawl.com/updates/join...

I am thrilled to announce that my debut novel will be published in spring 2028! It's been a whirlwind journey and I'm so thankful for everyone's support. Extra special thanks to my amazing agent @giannamarie.bsky.social for believing in me and championing disabled stories by disabled authors! 🥰💜♿✈️

Well, apparently someone is also cold calling people pretending to be me. Someone forwarded me the email and phone number and… I kinda want to call them.

Playing the new Resident Evil and it’s a blast, but man, can you imagine being an architect hired to build these facilities for the bad guys? “So wait… only a sun, moon, or star pendant can open these doors?” “Yesssssss.” “Sir isn’t this a hospital?”

When your laptop slows down and the fan starts whirring loudly because you’ve got THAT many track changed edits, it’s like salt in the wound.

“You had a book hit the bestseller list today? So wait, how does a bestseller happen?” Me:

Since they don’t really use BlueSky, I’ll shout about it here. @mkengland.bsky.social is an instant USA TODAY bestseller. 🥹

Life with a baby is so wild. One minute I’m like: “Go to sleep, why do you hate father, you are breaking me.” And the next I’m like: “That strawberry you’re holding takes up your entire hand. That’s like an adult holding an apple. For you a strawberry is the size of an apple. I will die for you.”

my main thought on Pride month, as someone who should basically be neither seen nor heard from on it, is that I have seen many times firsthand the raw deal that trans people get in media and publishing, and it needs to be everyone's job to fix that. It's real, material, and unacceptable

More than a little emotional seeing @mkengland.bsky.social on the B&N homepage like that. A June pick. My goodness. Go Oaklin, go. ❤️

Could not be more excited for this. Any new outlets covering arts should be celebrated. ❤️

Today in new publishing scams, someone isn’t just impersonating me… they’re using fake email accounts to pose as editors and referring writers to “me”. That’s a whole new level of layers. Friends please double check email addresses when you got unsolicited outreach? Lots of bad actors out there.

Just finished WHO I WAS WITH HER by @nitatyndall.com. This is now one of my favorite books ever! Love the characters, the writing, the emotion, EVERYTHING. Thanks for the recommendation @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social #kidlit #lgbtq #queerbooks #ya #bookreview

A little ramble about writing for kids, summer fashion, and treating your inner child. Whatever your shorts are, I hope you’ll wear them. ❤️ open.substack.com/pub/ericsmit...

Oh hey, some more exciting news for @jessplummerwrites.bsky.social! ❤️

You ever get sad because you see a book title and realize you’ll never have a title that good?

The more I garden, the more I realize it’s a lot like writing a book. When it isn’t working, it’s because I don’t know what I’m doing. But when it IS working, oh boy, I still don’t know what I’m doing.

The latest from @mkengland.bsky.social is here today, and goodness, I hope you’ll pick this one up. It’s never too late to figure out who you want to be. ❤️ www.sourcebooks.com/978146427535...

PSA that authors never get tired of hearing nice things, especially for new releases!

Every few months @runwithskizzers.bsky.social and/or @swapnakrishna.com find another show I’ve never seen and get me started on it. Today? Once Upon a Time. Initial observation? Was not prepared for hot Rumpelstiltskin.

Welcome to Shrimp City! Teach your friends about a variety of crustaceans with this helpful visual aid - and set the record straight... bugs is shrimp. Shrimp is not bugs These shirts are designed by @the666cat.bsky.social & printed in Philly! Get one at SquidFacts.net (pls RT!)

When babies start eating solid foods it’s like watching Denethor with the tomatoes in Lord of the Rings but every single day, several times a day.

Oh hey, this is that thing! Maybe tune into PBS on the 26th to catch someone (me!) talking about authors from Pennsylvania, alongside some folks you might recognize!

To honor her memory, I’d invite you to read one of her books. I suggest this one, where she blends contemporary supernatural romance with Thai mythology. www.goodreads.com/book/show/63...