When we accepted the premise that humanities and arts degrees are just a vessel for teaching generic transferable skills, we lost a battle that means we now can’t fight against AI. Because if students don’t actually have to learn anything why shouldn’t they use the plagiarism machine. Who cares.

I can't stress this enough. Being a great writer requires you being an enthusiastic reader. Read in your genre and out of it. (Yeah, even those kinds of books you swear aren't for you occassionally. You might be surprised.) Devour as much as you can.

A few things worth mentioning for those who haven't worked in publishing: * authors don't get benefits or health insurance * we are contracted, not employees, and are paid according to a contractual schedule, not regularly * most of us pay our agent 15% off the top * then we pay about 30% to taxes

My colleague pointed out that someone should investigate all the released detainees' possessions that ICE does not return to them - in this story, for example, a refugee who was detained and released did not receive her gold necklace back @haleaziz.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...

I’m opening to queries on January 30th (around 8am CST) and closing on January 31st (around 8pm CST). What I'm looking for:

It's here...Your 2025 Merriam-Webster Wrapped! ⬇️

Northern lights timeline cleanse

Recently I taught a class that discussed hybrid publishing, and it made me realize that some writers believe paying a hybrid will relieve them of marketing and promoting their book. Unhappy wake-up call: it doesn't matter how you publish. You still have to market and promote if you want sales.

Have we forgotten that the MSWL hashtag is for agents, not writers and authors? Agents use it to post what they want to see in their inbox, not shop for projects. For the love of all that is wholly, please use AMQUERYING instead. It keeps MSWL clean. #writingcommunity #authorsky #amquerying

Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s best novel. Not sure if that opinion quite counts as unhinged, but I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who agrees. I hasten to add that I love all the others to pieces. But Mansfield Park is best.

#DVPit was such a blast yesterday! I got five agent likes and I’m absolutely floored by the response.

A cryptographer must time travel to reverse her ruined reputation and get her fiancé back—but when she meets a handsome disabled spy, she wonders if finding love in the past is worth the risk. 🏡 Setting of PRIDE & PREJUDICE 🕰️ time travel of TENET 💌 romance of DIVINE RIVALS #DVpit #YA #F #DIS #CI

Writers & #AmQuerying Folks, While Bsky's search function is broken, you can use this feed to find DVPit posts to support by quote reposting or replying. NB: this is a 'likes are only for agents and reposts are only for editors' party.

Psst! I am opening up to unagented children's book submissions *just for the month of October*! This is an exciting experiment. The email to send submissions to is [email protected]. You can find out about what I'm looking for at www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/me...

PRIDE & PREJUDICE x TENET x DIVINE RIVALS The Genesis Clock: 🕰️ time travel 🕰️ feminist social commentary 🕰️ love letters 🕰️ Regency England 🕰️ codes, ciphers, spies 🕰️ disability/mobility aid rep #DVpit #YA #F #CI #DIS #MH

Pride & Prejudice x Tenet = THE GENESIS CLOCK A cryptographer must time travel to reverse her ruined reputation and get her fiancé back—but when she meets a handsome disabled spy, she wonders if finding love in the past is worth risking the dangerous corridors of time. #DVPit #YA #F #CI #DIS #MH

This doesn't happen every day. Free speech isn't and shouldn't be a matter of left v. right. It's among the most fundamental of American values.

I love the history of these legal terms!

A bright spot in bookish news today: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

The icon, the artist, the art ✨

🐈‍⬛🤍

Can’t wait for #PitchDis! There’s a wonderful lineup of agents and editors.

I will be open to queries from September 1–5, and then will be closing for the rest of the year to catch up on reading submissions, as I am abysmally behind on responding to requested material. querytracker.net/query/michel...

I would sincerely love it if other agents joined in on #kidlitchat. There used to be a bunch participating in ye olden days on Twitter. I don't want anyone to think my perspective is gospel when it comes to publishing, but often I'm the only agent participating so mine is often the only one seen.

🚨IMPORTANT DVPIT ALERT!🚨 Unfortunately, the DVpit url has been claimed by an unknown party claiming to be us with services that we do not endorse. All the official information for DVpit only comes from this account, our discord, or dvpit.carrd.co We implore you to be safe & protect your information

CIRCE x LADY MACBETH 🏔️Roman mythology 🙏 Cult vibes 💀 Betrayals & vengeance, guilt & grief 🔥 Headstrong female MCs ❤️‍🩹 What are the limits of a mother's love? Ancient Rome's founding myth, & the myth of the Sabine women. Unabashedly feminist. 🐺 #PosterPit #Q #F #HF

PRIDE & PREJUDICE x TENET A cryptographer must time travel to reverse her ruined reputation and get her fiancé back—but when she meets a handsome disabled spy, she wonders if finding love in the past is worth the risk. #PosterPit #Q #YA #F #HF #DIS

SELF/ISH: They say everyone has a doppelganger. When an online craze offers millions to whoever finds their “twin stranger," a high school cryptid hunter named Hannah learns winning comes with a price, as her double tries to take her life. #PosterPitQ #YA #C #CL #PosterPit #Q #T

LADYBIRD x LAURA DEAN KEEPS BREAKING UP WITH ME Cleopatra’s eldest daughter, Selene, navigates growing up in a patriarchy while haunted by her mother’s spirit, who is not impressed when Selene’s new romantic interest, the young poet Ovid, starts spitting verses #YA #HF #GN #PosterPit #Q

IRON WIDOW x SHADOW OF THE FOX 17yo warrior-nun mech-pilot Ryuko will stop at nothing to avenge her sister's murder at the hands of Nobunaga Oda #PosterPit #Q #F #YA 🌞Grumpy (her) x Sunshine 🗾Japanese-Inspired Setting 🦊Nerdy Kitsune Love Interest 🐺Former Feral Child, Not Royalty/Chosen One

POWERLESS X THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US X FABLE Caught in a maelstrom of morals, a ship captain must decide what she desires most—to resurrect her sister, or kill the boy she’s grown to care for and let her wicked heart feel again. #PosterPit #Q #YA #F

A young pianist travels through purgatory-in-the-clouds alongside the God of Time’s brooding Apprentice to save her sick sister’s life 🧡 YA fantasy standalone 🌌 dual-POV ⏳ forced proximity 🌠 sister-story 💫 whimsical island 📖 gods based on human psyche 🕰️ emotional-core #posterpit #Q #F #YA

THE NATURE OF WITCHES X EMILY WILDE 🍄 A cottagecore coming-of-age story 🌿 Plant magic + elixirs + poisons 🍀 Irish bloodline 🎂 Magical baking 🌲 An enchanted forest 🚪 Portal to another realm ⏰ A time-traveling uncle 🧚‍♂️ An aunt who speaks with Wild Folk #PosterPitQ #PosterPit #ya #amquerying #q

Outlander x The Stricken x House of Beating Wings The Palindrome can give you everything-magic, power, a bond like no other, but once you peak, there is nowhere else to go but down. #YA #NA #F #PosterPit #Q #Agentsguide

HAMILTON meets LION KING 18yo Ovid is an emerging poet who, tempted by fame and women, loses himself and his muse: 15yo Selene, daughter of Cleopatra, who is haunted by her mother and her destiny to be queen. #YA #HF #GN with modern, free-verse retelling of Ovid's poetry #PosterPit #Q

#PosterPitQ #YA #F #BIPOC Between newfound magic skills, saving her Indian ancestor, juggling her studies, and dealing with her mother's disapproval, Sonali can not decipher Rav's mixed messages. Is her talking crow the only true friend? Time will tell...

✨Best Submission Award SCBWI MayFest✨ Simone is a seer Who is haunted and hexed If she touches Jadriel it burns But if he kisses her—Death will come for him *Unless her murdered cousin's spirit ends him before the curse can 🖤Feminist Horror with Romance & Revenge🖤 #YA #H #R #PosterPit #Q soon!

#Q ACE OF SPADES xGLEE xDO REVENGE 🕵️ Dual POV ❤️ Complex friendships 🌪️ Twistiest twists When 16yo Adelina’s bestie Jo vanishes after stalker texts, she teams up with 17yo Adam to investigate—only to discover Jo never existed Just who are they trying to save? #PosterPit #YA #C #M #T #POC #ND #OWN

Electric energy raced down her spine, pulsed below every metallic drabscale plaque on her skin,& then faded to nothing. Avery hesitated—& her mind resumed its bickering. Yes, FINE. Vaulting a sewage ditch while an impending paralytic attack wrenched her body wasn’t her BEST idea. #YA #Posterpitq #F

PRIDE & PREJUDICE x TENET A cryptographer must time travel to reverse her ruined reputation and get her fiancé back—but when she meets a handsome disabled spy, she wonders if finding love in the past is worth the risk. #PosterPit #Q #YA #F #HF #DIS

Really important piece on ME/CFS. Currently fighting my doctors for a diagnosis because the stigma around this condition is awful.

Hi #agents and acquiring #editors! Registration for #PitchDis 2025 is still open, but it will be closing in less than a month. We'd love to have you join us! To register, just fill out the form below. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #WritingCommunity

This looks like a great presentation! Rights and subrights discussions have always fascinated me, so I’m going to nerd out over this talk. 🍿

Final post for #questpit ✨ Thank you everyone! Here’s a streamlined look at THE LAST WORD for agents and readers who want a quick glance.🧡 Emotion is outlawed. Memory is rewritten. Soft rebellion, found family, slow-burn epic romance—and hope in the dark. #W #A #S #SF

For #literaryagents seeking: 🔥 a slow-burn that smolders 💔 trauma that scars but doesn’t define ✨️ the radical power of women healing each other in a world that told them not to survive. …and a girl who stops running from her nightmares, and becomes one instead. 🖤 #questpit #Q #DF #RF #YA #A

A DEADLY EDUCATION X HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE 🪄 Second-world fantasy 🪄 Unique magic system 🪄 Magic university 🪄 Touch of romance 🪄 Magic tournament 🪄 Master/apprentice 🪄 A non-hero’s journey 🪄 Mental health narrative #QuestPit #F #NA #Q

THE GENESIS CLOCK is a #YA historical fantasy featuring: ✒️a female socialite-turned-cryptographer ♿a handsome disabled spy ⏳time travel espionage like Tenet 💌romance like Pride & Prejudice and Divine Rivals 🌊thrilling sea battles ♀️feminist themes 🕰️all the Regency vibes #QuestPit #Q #F #DIS