We spoke to the brilliant Caro Clarke of @portyliterary.bsky.social about all things publishing: from the role agents play in supporting writers and what they look for in a book, to ways writers can build a career in an industry in flux. Read more at our Substack With Bite!

Nottingham you were wonderful last night, sold out event celebrating disability rights activism full of rage, solidarity and disabled joy. Bloody love that I get to do this for my job! @hurstpublishers.bsky.social @portyliterary.bsky.social @lozzagilbert.bsky.social @fiveleavesbooks.bsky.social

Also another great piece about toxic ableist tropes in books and the Salt Path fiasco here from @bookwormvaught.bsky.social Just realised it was in 2018 I was being told by people in PRH that my book about nature and illness was unsaleable if it didn't have a redemptive cure arc. 🫠

We have graphics, which must mean it's real! Thanks to @eandtbooks.bsky.social and @portyliterary.bsky.social for conspiring with me to bring this book out into the world and letting me have the ridiculous pleasure of making this #NatureWriting longlist two years in a row. #TheCompanyOfOwls

My Audible Original novel The Shape of Monsters, read by the brilliant Omari Douglas (It's a Sin, Black Doves) will be out on July 3rd!

Happy publication day (yesterday!) to Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan for Kitchen Table, the gorgeous debut cookbook from beloved Scottish bakery Twelve Triangles Simple things made well.

Happy belated paperback publication day to @louisekenward.bsky.social and all the contributors of Moving Mountains!! A first-of-its-kind anthology of nature writing by authors living with chronic illness and physical disability, with a foreword by @samlwalton.bsky.social

So @waterstones.bsky.social is running a preorders campaign this weekend where you can get 25% off “selected” upcoming books. However I’ve just tried the code with mine and a few of my friends (who are all debut or small authors) books and they’re not included

If you haven’t yet found @portyliterary.bsky.social excellent course on writing a book proposal, session 2 has now arrived! Delighted to have been invited to contribute my own experience of wrestling a project into a book…read my guest post below: #naturewriting 💙📚🌿🦋✍️ substack.com/home/post/p-...

"In those final years, the prevailing emotion was one of exuberance and energy. We let the monster swallow us, and we were happy as we were digested." Published June 10th.

A NEW SEMESTER BEGINS 📚 🖋️ We're thrilled to reveal the gorgeous cover of THESE DREAMING SPIRES, edited by @marieoregan.bsky.social & @paulkane.bsky.social! Featuring 12 new dark academia short stories from masters of the genre. We'll see you on the first day of term, September 2nd, 2025.

Lovely clients book post this week: A proof of @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social debut horror novel Awakened (June ‘25) and a finished copy of the Kitchen Table cookbook by Twelve Triangles bakers extraordinaire Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan (out March)! Can’t wait for you all to discover them!

Hi new followers! I'm Elspeth, a Scottish writer who loves animals, (vegan) baking and reading across genres. My dark academia debut novel, These Mortal Bodies, comes out this July! My lovely agent is offering a six month free sub to their Substack for anyone who preorders from an indie bookstore x

What to look forward to in 2025 from our authors and our Substack: portobelloliterary.substack.com/p/portobello...

Moving Mountains is coming out in paperback in March, and look at some of the other beauties coming from @portyliterary.bsky.social this year! Caro is offering some brilliant rewards for all preorders, take a look: substack.com/home/post/p-...

What to look forward to in 2025 from our authors and our Substack: portobelloliterary.substack.com/p/portobello...

The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin #bookreview #owls @pollyrowena.bsky.social @portyliterary.bsky.social #NatureWriting open.substack.com/pub/louiseke...

🌟2025🌟 Delighted to share that I’m now represented by Caro Clarke @portyliterary.bsky.social joining their brilliant stable of authors 📕🌟 l know that my words & my journey as a writer could not be in better, kinder, more dedicated hands. I look forward to the adventures 💕

Excellent Substack post by Literary agent Caro Clarke, aka @portyliterary.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/portobel...

Now available to preorder 👀 Look at this beautiful cover! Congratulations @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social @portyliterary.bsky.social & @tinywriterlaura.bsky.social #BookSky 💙📚 #Writingcommunity #Disability 🦅 angryrobotbooks.com/2024/11/reve...

Dreich day made infinitely better by spending my birthday book vouchers at Portobello Bookshop 🥰📚💫

I was eating spaghetti.

Writers, your ALCS statements for 2022-2023 are now online. (If you don't know what those are, it's the money you're owed from your books being taken out of the library, photocopied etc -- you need to sign up to receive it) #writingcommunity #writerscommunity

Gorgeous sky in Portobello this morning.

Spending the day reading about these two and I am in love (again) 🥰 📚💫

🌟"Daniel’s aching and poignant narration, which seamlessly alternates between addressing the reader and speaking directly to Sam, is chock-full of wisdom. This is dazzling"🌟 Publishers Weekly Starred Review for How We Named The Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica www.publishersweekly.com/9781959030331

If I had to pick one song to sum up The Shape of Monsters and its sequels (UNPOSSIBLE WHUT) it would probably be this one, because I am nothing if not made of cheese: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYY...

Last stretch before finishing the Frankfurt Book Fair rights guide for Portobello Literary… but my assistants managed to squeeze in a wee nap.

This book *chef’s kiss* 🥰

I also may have started making character art of said weird little book. Have Avery and Lud, one of whom may be a non-binary muse, and one of whom may be a werewolf.