We are the LARGEST union in trade publishing history, and we want better for our workers in order to make a sea change for creatives everywhere. Let's take a stand together against the existential threats to the arts, whether stagnating wages, the AI slop machine, and destructive layoffs.

Finally, some good news: workers at Hachette are unionizing, and you can sign an open letter of support. This is the way! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We are *checks calendar* 118 days into 2026, and we're already getting Best Books of the Year lists.

Happy Indie Bookstore Day to one and all! Go out and buy a book from your local independent this weekend!

Acknowledging the Easter holiday in Northern Virginia 😂 (I drove by this randomly.)

I saw I have some preorders already for the paperback of THE BELLES (out in August) and whoever you folks are, you rock!

You should buy this book! It's fabulous! The Belles by Lacey N. Dunham @bookbent.bsky.social

Great weekend. Had a fantastic time at the Virginia Festival of the Book, moderating a panel with John Gilstrap and @christinakovac.bsky.social and speaking on a panel with Jennifer van der Kleut and Marisa Kashino and hanging with @bookbent.bsky.social. Finished The Belles today: magnificent.

Now that I’ve turned in my second book to my editor (!!!!) I guess I can go back to worrying about the future and doomscrolling social media.

This but make it vegan

The weather is spectacular in DC right now. Sunny, warm, short sleeve blue sky gem kind of weather. And, of course, I’m a book deadline. ☠️🌞

See you at AWP in Baltimore! Catch me at a Friday offsite reading or at my panel on debuting from different paths.

See you at AWP in Baltimore! Catch me at a Friday offsite reading or at my panel on debuting from different paths.

Breaking in is hard, but then what? Join Lacey N. Dunham (#TheBelles), Marisa Kashino (#BestOfferWins), Samuel Ashworth (#TheDeathAndLifeOfAugustSweeney), and Hannah Grieco (#FirstKickingThenNot) for a real look at the reality of that first launch year. #WashingtonWritersConference

I hope to see your beautiful face at one of my spring events!

Wow.

I hope to see your beautiful face at one of my spring events!

Writers, help me out: Anyone have access to — or know where I can find — Philip Gerard's essay, “An Architecture of Light: Structuring the Novel & Story Collection”?

Only tiptoeing back onto socials to say that @necessaryfiction.com is still open to subs for our summer flash fiction series! Details, etc. etc. 👇🏼

This is important, re self-awareness about limitations of scope and reach. Even re book reviews. I know if I post about the WaPo review I was supposed to turn in I'll get well-meaning offers but the goal will be to place it somewhere with a similar audience. Working on reach is really important.

granular, practical, well organized info here: www.wired.com/story/how-to...

Submissions to our annual summer flash fiction series are now open!

I’m writing my second book. My brain is a jumble of information and details and I don’t need the distraction of this place. I’m taking a Bluesky break until 2026. See you all in the new year.

What sacrificial offerings do I need to make to the writing gods for second novels?

There never seems to be a good time for anything online lately so I'm just going to throw this out here now: I am looking for more work! I don't mean writing (though that too, sure!), but in the vein of the work I do for the Le Guin Foundation: organizational, practical, assistant-y, bookish work.

A lot of success in writing is getting okay with receiving feedback, knowing which notes you have to take, and figuring out ways to be diplomatic about the ones you don't. Revision is one part writing skill, one part interpersonal shit.

Our editors share some of the books that captured our attention this year. necessaryfiction.com/reviews/reco...

Celebrating 3 months of THE BELLES officially being in the world!! 🎉🎉

Only 4 spots left for this class! I likely won't be able to offer this again until next fall, so jump on this one while you can.

I’m thrilled my southern gothic murder mystery THE BELLES is a Best Books of 2025 at Library Journal!! 🥳📚💖 @libraryjournal.bsky.social

I’m thrilled my southern gothic murder mystery THE BELLES is a Best Books of 2025 at Library Journal!! 🥳📚💖 @libraryjournal.bsky.social

One of my favorite classes to teach, one of my most popular classes with students. I’ll stuff your brain so full of info, you’ll feel like you ate a million brain burritos. writer.org/event/book-p...

Reminder! "Best Of" lists are tied to publicity and marketing budgets, who is able to hire publicists, what books made it to the top of a TBR stack *thousands* of arcs tall, and the shrinking # of outlets still doing book coverage. Talk about your favorite books! They likely weren't read. ❤️📚

I’m gonna start a newspaper and/or magazine just so I can make a “best books of 2025” list and put my own damn book on there

Need a gift for someone who's read everything? Check out LitHub's roundup of 100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025! I'm glad to have contributed a handful of reviews of books I loved this year. Thanks @miriamgershow.bsky.social for putting it together. lithub.com/100-notable-...

The 100 Notable Small Press Books 2025 list is live! In 2026, I’ll be taking over the project from the amazing @miriamgershow.bsky.social Want to be a reviewer? Fill out the form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Tell me your debut novel came out this year without telling me your debut novel came out this year.

When a reader and fellow author loves your book enough to name it in their top 3 reads of 2025 😍😍😍 Thanks @dianejosefowicz.bsky.social!

I’m writing so many early-90s Easter eggs into my next novel (which is set in 1994) and damn, is it fun. Raise your hand if you remember when Dr. Carly Manning was buried alive 🙋🏼‍♀️

Remember to shop your indie bookstore and small businesses today! (And really every day that you possibly can.) I personally popped into my local indie bookstore yesterday and signed copies for a friend, plus a few extra. ☺️🎁

Lol jesus, Liselotte, chill out

I finally bought a home printer and used it for my first print job: a rough draft of my next book.

I met an author recently whose recent book was a #1 NYT and USA Today bestseller, and another author whose NYT bestseller was also a major celebrity book club pick, and BOTH still have full-time day jobs. Even for the megahits, this industry is impossible. Be real with yourself before you dive in.

Miami Book Fair was a ton fun!

Every author who published a book this year rn: 380+ great 2025 reads and they couldn’t pick mine?!?!? 😭😭😭

Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols. Instead, the military service will classify them as “potentially divisive” under its new guidelines, which take effect next month. https://wapo.st/4p2HnKY

You gotta be pretty damn evil not to get an invite to Dick Cheney's funeral

How am I supposed to focus on writing my next book when it gets dark at 4:30pm and all I want to do is sleep?

Author rite of passage: I was tagged in a review of my book that said “There are better books out there!” 🙃🙃🙃