“Take away our ability to speak, and we can still think, reason, form beliefs, fall in love, and move about the world; our range of what we can experience and think about remains vast. But take away language from a large language model, and you are left with literally nothing at all.”

“Even though I would not yet be able to apply it to my own practice, I learned that students produced their strongest work while working within constraints.”

This year’s FISH List is live. Unlike traditional rankings, the FISH List champions independent publications. It’s a nifty resource for authors and readers alike 📝

The New York Times condenses 250 years of Jane Austen into 25 things:

Today we celebrate Jane Austen, who was born 250 years ago on this day. Some things live forever—including her good and correct opinions on reading 📚

🚨🚨 DECEMBER SUBMISSION CALLS 🚨🚨 Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, and get these and more delivered right to your mailbox by signing up for our newsletter!

Give the gift of stories this season. Your support helps the Authors Guild Foundation protect authors’ voices and the stories that inspire, challenge, and connect readers everywhere.

“As prices for streaming subscriptions continue to soar and finding movies to watch, new and old, is becoming harder as the number of streaming services continues to grow, people are turning to the unexpected last stronghold of physical media: the public library.”

Authors, make sure to bookmark this because even if it’s not relevant to you today, it will be one day!

Authors eligible to participate in the Anthropic settlement should be receiving email or paper notices in the coming weeks from the settlement administrator. The @authorsguild.org offers instructions on what to do next authorsguild.org/news/anthrop...

We’re excited to announce the return of our long-running series, “From Manuscript to Marketplace,” featuring debut novelist Eshani Surya, agent Dana Murphy and editor Roxane Gay!

It’s the final chapter for Baker & Taylor, the nation’s largest distributor of books to public and academic libraries. Here’s what this means for authors—and their readers.

This webinar is this afternoon, and if you’ve published even one book you’re not going to want to miss it Register here:

The Anthropic class action notices have started going out. Here’s everything you need to know: authorsguild.org/news/anthrop...

“At stake: Billions of dollars and, potentially, OpenAI’s defense in the case.“

We've got one weird trick to giving your book a second life... and we're sharing it for free! Join our webinar tomorrow for news you can actually use from the Authors Guild legal team.

If you’re confused about the Anthropic lawsuit, we’ve got an FAQ that might help: authorsguild.org/advocacy/art...

Happy December, authors! This month, we’re having a in-depth conversation about George Orwell’s 1984 as part of our Banned Book Club. With books like this under attack around the nation, there’s never been a better time to join this urgent discussion on Fable.

“The evolution of the algorithms for recommended content on social media means that all artists are more likely than ever to be confronted with unsolicited criticisms of their work. What matters now is how an artist can manage it”

Want to avoid AI writing? Turns out Wikipedia has the answer

Debut author Rona Wang landed an agent with one manuscript but ended up publishing a different one entirely. From Writer’s Digest, one author’s unconventional journey to publication: www.writersdigest.com/querying-wit...

Anti-book ban/right to read legislation is coming up in at least three states this year: Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Book Riot has a great explainer on what they are, why they matter, and how you can get involved in their passage.

🚨🚨 NOVEMBER SUBMISSION CALLS 🚨🚨 Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, and get these and more delivered right to your mailbox by signing up for our newsletter!

Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation—an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.

Romantasy improving the sex lives of readers is the best possible argument for library funding.

🚨🚨 In recent weeks, a third-party law firm, ClaimsHero, has launched an aggressive online campaign urging authors to opt out of the Anthropic settlement. But as the federal judge overseeing the settlement made clear last week, ClaimsHero’s campaign is not just misleading—it may be unlawful.

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Book tours more brutal than political campaigns, says man who survived both. Sounds like there’s nothing more terrifying than a voter who reads.

Join Judy Allen Dodson and me for a virtual Friday program centering banned and challenged picture books. RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... It's in support of the national Fall of Freedom initiative & hosted by the Raleigh-Durham chapter of @authorsguild.org. Please tune in and share.

The scariest story of all — what happens when your debut fails to launch 🫣📚

From Book Riot, a handy primer to the latest “parental rights” websites leading the charge to ban books from school libraries. Knowledge is power!

🚨🚨 NOVEMBER SUBMISSION CALLS 🚨🚨 Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, and get these and more delivered right to your mailbox by signing up for our newsletter!

“At first glance, a retelling seems easier than creating an original story. After all, the plot structure is already there, and the characters are familiar. But anyone who has tried to write one knows that retellings come with their own unique set of challenges.”

How to finish writing your novel? One word at a time… plus some other tips and tricks

A great list of things authors should know about anthology offers—from payment to prestige, and everything in between

Ever wonder what factors bookstores consider when deciding which books to stock? Here’s a great interview with Fisher the Bookseller on the details that matter—and yes, sometimes they do judge a book by its cover 📚

Here’s how one author with 450 Instagram followers and no agent landed a Big Five book deal

“The way I get through feeling uninspired is being patient with myself and forgiving myself. You are going to experience moments where you quite literally just can’t. You have to find small ways to mentally get closer to your goals whether on a macro or micro level.”

If you already know how to register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office, the importance of retaining copyright ownership, how to get your rights back when a book is out of print, and what constitutes fair use… this webinar is NOT for you!! But for everyone else please join us Thursday!

“Walking into one of these bookstores became an experience rather than a shopping trip”

“The successful reinstatement of eight books originally banned from the competition isn’t about how the news spread beyond Georgia and led to the change of heart. It’s a story of how several high school students worked to raise awareness” bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...

Did you know yesterday was National STEM Day!? It turns out many of our favorite authors are secret STEM nerds.

🚨🚨 NOVEMBER SUBMISSION CALLS 🚨🚨 Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, and get these and more delivered right to your mailbox by signing up for our newsletter!

THEY KEPT A LIST. VOTERS KEPT RECEIPTS.

"The way that we stand out from other booksellers and indie bookstores is by offering these special, unique titles that are not available or in distribution elsewhere in this country," she said. Los Amigos has not imported any books into the U.S. since April.

🗣️ Don’t forget to sign up for our Banned Books Club on Fable! Up this month is George M. Johnson’s deeply personal essay collection, “All Boys Aren’t Blue”—or get started on next month’s book, George Orwell’s “1984.” Hope to see you there! Register for free:

From our friends over at @404media.co, a look at the closure of Baker & Taylor and the ripple effect it’s been having on libraries:

News you can actually use: our friends over at Chill Subs ran the numbers on lit mag response times. What do you think the average wait time is?

"The librarian is a seeker and keeper of truth, and that makes her a dangerous figure in the eyes of those who fear the fullest, most comprehensive, and most uncomfortable truths emerging."

When Banned Books Week itself is banned, does it even make a sound? A round-up of all the censorship, self-censorship and more around the country: bookriot.com/banning-bann...