Morning all! If any of you are in the Edinburgh area and in need of a last-minute gift for the young 'uns in your life, I highly recommend a trip to Toppings bookstore where they have two big stacks of newly SIGNED copies of my books. Run run run!

Hello! If you're looking for a last minute Christmas book for your young, old, or cake orientated bookish friends, then may I suggest these? They feature best friends forever, afternoon tea, found family, delightful chaos, footnotes, covert ninja skills, and more... ❤️ #booksky #books #childrensbooks

Saying No - new post up now on my Publishing Peptalk substack...

When a 'bad' book does well - coping with ugly feelings Up now on my Publishing Peptalk substack open.substack.com/pub/abielong...

This Guardian article on how even well-known writers have benefited from the wonderful RLF shows the value of backing artists. Many, many writers need TIME to develop. And time costs. I'm watching the UBI for artists programme in Ireland. Will be so interesting to see what comes of it.

I could really relate to this article by @abielongstaff.bsky.social. abielongstaff.substack.com/p/what-do-yo... Have a read, @womenwritersnet.bsky.social community! #writerslife #writinglife #writing

Up now on my Publishing Peptalk substack including, What to put in your sessions, How to get work, How to control the kids (featuring a VERY funny story from the brilliant @sarahcrossan.bsky.social who does amazing school visits) open.substack.com/pub/abielong...

How many people look at your work before you submit it? New post up now on my Publishing Peptalk substack.

It's the last day of the 99p Kindle ebook deal for The Green Man's War. Don't miss out - especially if you want to catch up with Dan's adventures before embarking on The Green Man's Holiday which keen readers are already enjoying. You could get both for under six quid, just saying 😁

For the past three years, I’ve been a member of the CWIG committee of the Society of Authors - we’re the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group - and we’ve been working on a campaign to come up with guidelines for publishers, agents, etc, for ghostwriters.

#SerendipityLit author Dr. @csmaccath.com will be moderating the "Shapeshifting Stories" panel at the World Fantasy Convention next Saturday! Featured panelists: @abielongstaff.bsky.social @silvanhistorian.bsky.social @toribovalino.bsky.social A membership is required: worldfantasy2025.co.uk

I'm really excited about the Children's Booker prize but I want to learn more. I can't find the rules & regs yet. I want to know what 'aimed at children of 8-12' means. 'Aimed at' by whom? The author, the publisher, the bookshop? If the author says a chapter book is right for age 8, is that enough?

societyofauthors.org/2025/10/24/g... Our CWIG @societyofauthors.bsky.social guidelines for publishers and agents #GhostsAreReal

Thank you @thebookseller.com for covering our CWIG @societyofauthors.bsky.social campaign to celebrate the unsung heroes of many celebrity children's books - the ghostwriters. Please support our #GhostsAreReal campaign. Let's applaud the CRAFT of writing. www.thebookseller.com/news/soa-cal...

New on my Publishing Peptalk substack. 'When you think of your writing life at its best, what do you want it to bring you - practically, emotionally, creatively?' I asked 50 author/illustrators, and this is what they said. open.substack.com/pub/abielong...

In Conversation with… Lydia Monks 3:00pm-4:00pm, Saturday 29th November, Grimm&Co Tickets: £10 / 5 free bursary places available Please follow the link in our bio for full information on this fantastic event, limited tickets available 📚 @grimmandco.bsky.social @lydiamonks.bsky.social

In other news: Angry Robot Books has acquired Juliet E. McKenna’s The Riven Kingdom, described as a “fresh and gripping fantasy” that “blends politics, religion, and a battle for a dead king’s throne, perfect for fans of the Realm of the Elderlings series.” britishfantasysociety.org/book-news-an...

What a wonderful day on Saturday at our Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group Conference. A full day of speakers, panel discussions and networking with our fabulous CWIG members. And a quiz!

Good news! The Green Man's War is a Kindle ebook deal for October. You can get fully caught up with Dan Mackmain's adventures before The Green Man's Holiday is published on 30th October. www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Mans-W...

The Astrosaurs and I were on BBC Look East last night! A sweet report on the Milton Keynes Literary Festival.

If you missed my 'Publishing Peptalk' Substack, here are some links to posts: The Fumes of Hope tinyurl.com/2haj25a7 How much promo do I have to doooooo? tinyurl.com/mr3vy3m7 Ouch this Edit hurts tinyurl.com/9c3bcxmu No, you’re not being annoying tinyurl.com/4yyw9dte

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy: www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

New book! Out today, Little Bad Wolf is the first in my brand-new Before the Fairy Tale series, looking at the backstories of your favourite fairytale characters. Illustrated by Leire Martin

A delicious #fairytale prequel #LittleBadWolf @abielongstaff.bsky.social & Leire Martin @quartokids.bsky.social #HappyYak is #RedReadingHub’s #picturebook of the day reviewed on the blog wp.me/p11DI5-dpv

Little Bad Wolf Little Bad WolfAbie Longstaff and Leire MartinHappy Yak This is not so much a fractured fairytale more a fairytale prequel.We first meet the wolf - Baby Wolf - as a cute looking creature but with the habit of gobbling up anything that makes him cross. This distresses his mother and…

How to survive a harsh edit... New post up now on my Publishing Peptalk substack

My interview for the Words and Pictures Substack open.substack.com/pub/naomiand...

The latest post on my Publishing Peptalk substack...

There are still a few tickets left to this fabulous and Free event on Sat 13 Sept. Bestselling children's authors @abielongstaff.bsky.social and @redbreastedbird.bsky.social will be speaking and signing books. Please register: www.iacf-uk.org/festival-202... @librariesunlimited.bsky.social

When I asked my 4yo if he'd liked his first day at school he said 'Yes! I've finished school now.' He was v miffed to hear he'd have to go back again. If you need a starting-school gift, Little Bad Wolf is on pre-order @booknookhove.bsky.social I'll sign & personalise it. It comes out on 11th Sept

Such a brilliant book. And the second one in the series 'Torchfire' is excellent too 👏👏

I was happy to see @thebookseller.com feature a podcast that @grainneobrien.bsky.social & I are launching in Sept to highlight great Children’s and YA books! The idea is very simple - each episode is 10 minutes long and will discuss the book - we’ll also have author chats and giveaways!

Really Useful Links: Plotting Plotting: Really Useful Links from author Sam Blake To plot or not to plot, this is the question - I think that might be a horrible misquote, but the way you choose to write your book doesn't have to be a choice between one thing or the other. As we've mentioned…

So honoured to have one of my books on her Imagination Library list. She's a brilliant example of the good you can do with money.

'I build stories the 'wrong way' New post on my Publishing Peptalk substack

I'm hearing more reports of this kind of author spam where an AI (I assume) pretends to be a fellow author and emails wanting to ‘connect’. It's often full of info about your book - see screenshot of the one I got today. I know Emily Childs IS a real author but I doubt she is actually emailing me.

Julian Clary talking about celebrity books on the Scott Mills Show (at 2.19 in) “I write all my books myself. If you say ‘I've written a book’ and it's ghost-written, I don't know how you sleep at night” & other gossip here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Very particular question, I know but.. fellow speed-readers: do any of you wear varifocals?? Are they OK for speed-reading? Am worried about the blurred edges. Will I have enough peripheral vision? Thank you.

In partnership with @librariesunlimited.bsky.social our first Christie for Kids Day is on Sat 13th Sept at Paignton Library. With bestselling children’s authors Robin Stevens & Abie Longstaff @redbreastedbird.bsky.social @abielongstaff.bsky.social Free but pls book www.iacf-uk.org/festival-202...

Little Bad Wolf is in the @waterstones.bsky.social 25% off sale! 🌟This is the start of my new Before the Fairy Tale series. 🐺 Backstories of your favourite fairytale characters. From @quartokids publishers of Little People Big Dreams. Pre-order now & the book will arrive in September. #WPreorder

For those saying no, AI content must be labelled instead. In an ideal world, yes. In reality, the people generating the slop would have to do that, directly threatening their own hopes of quick, easy profits. So that's never going to happen short of legal compulsion which is vanishingly unlikely.

Please note that UK and EU law on fair use is different from US law. Also the UK government has proposed a copyright exception for tech companies but this has not yet been enacted as they consider replies to the consultation on this. Replies by all accounts are overwhelmingly opposed to the idea.

👇 Yes and this is a problem for consumers as well as artists. It will make it harder to find high quality, authentic work.

In partnership with @librariesunlimited.bsky.social our 1st Christie for Kids Day is on Sat 13th Sept at Paignton Library. With bestselling children’s authors Robin Stevens & Abie Longstaff @redbreastedbird.bsky.social @abielongstaff.bsky.social Free but pls register www.iacf-uk.org/festival-202...

Stop being snarky about my book, Adobe AI. I meant it to be that long, ok?

Yes, I really do wish my process wasn't 'write most of the book to figure out what the story is about and what the character wants/needs' but here we go again 🤷

Oh great. Thanks Google AI. All clear now🙄🙄🙄

I'm so annoyed by the ruling in the US Federal Claude copyright AI case (Bartz v. Anthropic). The US judge found there was no breach of copyright under the US Copyright Act (I still maintain it would be a breach under the UK one). But it's THIS statement that is particularly irritating... 👇

I've started a Substack. It's called Publishing Peptalk and it's a space to share complaints, industry knowledge, gossip - and to buoy ourselves up. It looks like this.. and it's here abielongstaff.substack.com

PSA that This Song Is About Us is currently on a limited time deal over at the Big Site. On Glastonbury weekend! Didn't get tickets? Get the next best thing. A book where the characters go there. Live vicariously, it's drier. www.amazon.co.uk/This-Song-Ab...