Social•Mar 9, 2026
The Perfect Book Beats Advice and Money
Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone isn’t advice or money but the right book at the right time.
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Rediscover Fairy Tales When You’re Old Enough
CS Lewis with one of my favorite dedications ever written, “But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” https://t.co/tC3Ytu8L2Z
By Nathan Baugh
Social•Mar 9, 2026
The Past Wasn't Golden: Preindustrial Life Was Brutal
The Grim Truth About the “Good Old Days” by Chelsea Follett @chellivia (one of the best essays debunking pristine antiquity). "A popular saying holds that “the past is a foreign country,” and based on recorded accounts, it is not one...
By Steven Pinker, PhD
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Anna’s Archive Accused of Supplying Pirated Content to AI Firms
"Anna’s Archive is actively advertising that it will provide high speed access to—and indeed has already supplied stolen works of authorship to—developers of large language model AI systems and data brokers." Uuuuuuuugh https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/99880-publishers-charge-anna-s-archive-with-copyright-infringement.html
By Maris Kreizman
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Finalists Celebrate Community at Asbury Book Co‑Op
Had a lot of fun with the other finalists at the Asbury Book Co-Op event Saturday night. Read from my essay “Lobsternacht.” https://t.co/dcgHZCRQ9u
By Dr. Philip Skiba
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Inside the True Process of Honoring Fallen Soldiers
Apropos of nothing, if you want an accurate portrayal of a US military dignified transfer and understand what actually happens in processing and honoring the country's fallen warriors (plus find out what happens when a dead soldier wakes up in...
By Joel Shulkin, MD
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Write What Fascinates You, Not Just About Writing
From @bpoppenheimer: In 1959, a seventh-grader named Thomasine was wrestling with how to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. At her teacher’s suggestion, she wrote a letter to her favorite writer, C.S. Lewis, asking for his advice. “Dear Thomasine,” Lewis...
By Michael Covel
Social•Mar 9, 2026
Timeless Book Recommendation Still Ranks in My Top Five
19 years ago, a Metro magazine reporter in Washington DC was interviewing bar patrons about the best book they'd read recently. This was my answer, and 19 years later I'd still put it in my top 5. https://t.co/oy9uUMfbee
By Nat Bullard
Social•Mar 8, 2026
George Saunders: 3 Antidotes to Suffering Through Kindness
How to be an instrument of kindness in a harsh world – George Saunders on unthinking the mind, unstorying the self, and the 3 antidotes to your suffering https://t.co/DUCgC3JHbu
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 8, 2026
Poetic Meditations on Time, Love, and Wonder
This week oasis of small sanities, in one place – Pablo Neruda on how to hold time; the figments of love and the hallucinations of reason; the aurora borealis and the polar expedition saved by wonder: https://t.co/lvthiGXFPS https://t.co/SGPhzPIJb2
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 8, 2026
Real HR: A Survival Guide for Tough Layoffs
I wrote a book for people in HR who’ve ever been asked to "just get it over with" during a layoff. The folks who have gotten blamed for things they didn’t approve. The ones who ever had a day when...
By Robin Schooling
Social•Mar 8, 2026
Adopt Tim Ferriss' Routine to Boost Writing Focus
Tim Ferriss is one of the most popular writers of the 21st century. His books have sold over 3,000,000 copies. So, I studied his daily writing routine. Give this a try to free up your mental bandwidth to focus on your writing: https://t.co/ort25dJkSj
By Dickie Bush
Social•Mar 8, 2026
Power Corrupts: Dark Satire of Ghetto Authority
WHAT THE HELL... "This 1979 classic tells the darkly humorous story of I.C. Trumpelman, a man whose fancy determines the fate of others. Chosen as the head of a Judenrat, Trumpelman thrives on the power granted him and creates an authoritarian...
By Lauren (Visual Heart)
Social•Mar 7, 2026
Reality vs Perception: From Zeno to Borges
Superb read on the endless tug-of-war between human nature and the nature of reality, from Zeno's paradox to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to Borges's mirror https://t.co/jNaaCY1w60
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Love Transforms Perception, Revealing a Golden Light
Letting in the golden light – Oliver Sacks on how love changes what we see https://t.co/VRmelozj2f
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Finish Draft, Then Revise—Don’t Submit Immediately
One of the biggest mistakes I see writers making is submitting their projects too soon. Typing THE END feels so good. Finishing the first draft of a book is an accomplishment – and worth celebrating But it’s not time to dash...
By Rachelle Gardner
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Turning Passionate Book Talk Into Click‑Worthy Content
What if I learned how to write about books I love in a way people actually liked? 🤪 40k+ views and 2 likes is actually so embarrassing. ☠️
By Jana | Bookstagram
Social•Mar 6, 2026
From Dropout to Nobel: Lessing's Timeless Reading Wisdom
Doris Lessing was 14 when she dropped out of school and 88 when she won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her abiding wisdom on how to read a book and how to read the world https://t.co/LlU7CVEqUQ
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Found Rare Out‑of‑Print Novel
Your girl got her hands on a used library copy of the out of print novel (co-authored by my @lafilmcritics colleague/ friend Stephen Farber) on the John Landis’ Twilight Zone Movie deaths, Outrageous Conduct.
By Courtney Howard
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Congress Targets School Book Bans on Gender Identity
A new bill in Congress would punish schools for letting students read about gender identity — and “lascivious dancing.” Book bans aren’t fading. They’re evolving. Today’s newsletter: https://roncharles.substack.com/p/now-congress-is-coming-for-the-books
By Ron Charles
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Buying Books ≠ Reading Them: Separate Hobbies
Friendly reminder: Buying books and reading books are two different hobbies. (visual by my friend @ash_lmb) https://t.co/h9Z2zH8iYk
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Social•Mar 6, 2026
24 Books That Shaped Gabriel García Márquez’s Visionary Mind
“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.” Gabriel García Márquez would have been 99 today. His formative reading list of 24 books that shaped his visionary mind: https://t.co/V3XOJsbWvG
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 6, 2026
Fans Demand Spoilers yet Blame Authors for Avoiding Them
Y’all get mad about spoilers and then also get mad at an author for not answering your questions THAT MIGHT BE SPOILERS.
By Jana | Bookstagram
Social•Mar 5, 2026
Escape Algorithmic Tyranny with Marginalian’s Human‑Centred Newsletter
For an act of resistance to the tyranny of algorithms, try the Marginalian newsletter—undistracted notes on the search for meaning, free, ad-free, AI-free, fully human since 2006: https://t.co/8ApDA5YPF6
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 5, 2026
AI Novel Apps Are Gimmicky, Not Creative Boosts
Every week, someone asks me to promote their “AI for novelists” app. I decline them all, and if the main function is to generate the text/story, I die a little. But I’m genuinely curious: is anyone finding these apps helpful? Not...
By Alyssa Matesic
Social•Mar 5, 2026
Show Characters' Inner Worlds: Practical Steps for Interiority
Some readers asked me how to practically add interiority to fiction. So, I wrote a post on it that is probably writing 101 for many but hopefully of interest to others: https://countercraft.substack.com/p/the-view-from-inside-on-adding-interiority
By Lincoln Michel
Social•Mar 5, 2026
Reading Goals: Diversity Over Competition
Last year was STACKED 📚 Grateful to be featured in @guardian chatting all things reading goals, particularly the importance of reading diversely and only competing with yourself Photos by misskatiepeters Words by @emmalofty Clothes by cathcartlondon
By Jack Edwards
Social•Mar 5, 2026
First National Book Ban Targets Trans Youth, Act Now
I wrote about the first national book banning bill, which effectively seeks to erase trans people. At the end I include a link to let your reps know that you oppose this bill and all it stands for. https://lithub.com/why-we-must-fight-to-stop-hr-7661-before-it-destroys-the-lives-of-american-children/
By Maris Kreizman
Social•Mar 5, 2026
Use Principles Over Formulas to Structure Your Story
Try searching for “how to structure a story” and you'll get a panoply of instructions: Hero’s Journey Three-act structure Save the Cat Snowflake method Freytag’s Pyramid Fichtean Curve What do you do with them? Tiffany Yates Martin advises: https://janefriedman.com/base-your-story-structure-on-principles-not-systems/
By Jane Friedman
Social•Mar 5, 2026
Kundera Explores Life’s Ambivalence and Love’s Uncertainty
How do we know what we want – Milan Kundera on the central ambivalences of life and love https://t.co/YiTk12J73j
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 4, 2026
Weasel Wisdom: Annie Dillard's Guide to Living
What a weasel knows that we forget – Annie Dillard on how to live https://t.co/bZ2czI9bc3
By Maria Popova
Social•Mar 4, 2026
Greek Tragedy Meets Australian Outback in Stedman's Novel
M.L. Stedman’s new novel feels like a Greek tragedy transplanted to the Australian outback. My review of “A Far-Flung Life”: https://roncharles.substack.com/p/ml-stedman-is-back-with-another-impossible
By Ron Charles
Social•Mar 4, 2026
Book Publicist Scams Exposed: $1800, Zero ROI
This case study in hiring a book publicity firm is both laugh-out-loud funny and highly informative. As author Kirsten Bell points out, few people share these poor experiences due to shame and embarrassment. So I couldn't be more grateful to her...
By Jane Friedman
Social•Mar 4, 2026
AI Ends My Participation in Book Clubs Forever
I get asked to show up to book clubs, online and offline. Here is why from now on the answer is always "no." If you think this might have something to do with "AI" ruining yet another thing for everyone,...
By John Scalzi
Social•Mar 3, 2026
From Zero to $10K: Readers Choose Next Steps
My Commercial Fiction Club newsletter, where I'm documenting the journey from $0 as a new fiction author, is about to hit $10,000/year. This isn't bad, but I'm still figuring out what readers want most from me. Drop a comment—what do you want...
By Nicolas Cole
Social•Mar 3, 2026
Intentional Breaks Beat Creative Blocks, Not Phone Scrolling
If you're experiencing a creative block, I know a guaranteed way to overcome it: Take a break. But not just any kind of break. (No scrolling on your phone for two hours.) Here are 3 tips for taking an intentional, creatively restorative break....
By Alyssa Matesic
Social•Mar 3, 2026
Journalistic Editing Skills Transform Book Publishing Success
Making the leap from journalism to book-length work brought one writer into contact with a new challenge: being truly edited. Lessons from @julietizon: https://janefriedman.com/how-editing-like-a-journalist-will-make-your-publishing-journey-easier/
By Jane Friedman
Social•Mar 3, 2026
Paperback Release of “The Staircase in the Woods” Celebrated
Today is the paperback release of THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS and I talk about that and the book a little bit at the blog. Remember those? Blogs? Good times.
By Chuck Wendig
Social•Mar 3, 2026
Seeking Fresh Book Deals, Not Zelda Frustrations
Alright blood moon, let’s manifest some good book news. Agent signings, deals, bestseller lists, and not like, all the ways you keep f*cking with Link in the Zelda games. We need a break.
By Eric Smith
Social•Mar 2, 2026
Enter Giveaway, Support Noir Novel & New Paperback
I'm here for fun BUT I also need to pay my bills. So 1) there's a giveaway for review copies of my novel The Intrigue, a 1940s noir about a romance scam artist. If you're a Goodreads user and you...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Social•Mar 2, 2026
Did the Film Crew Actually Read Wuthering Heights?
hey so did the the people involved in the Wuthering Heights film actually read Wuthering Heights
By Taylor (Reads and Reviews)
Social•Mar 2, 2026
Master Time Manipulation to Craft Your Bestseller
What's behind the blockbuster success of novels like People We Meet on Vacation and The Housemaid? It’s not just the prose, the characters, or the plot. It’s how the authors manipulate time to keep readers hooked. In today's video, I reveal how...
By Alyssa Matesic
Social•Mar 2, 2026
More Books, Fewer Readers: A Growing Reading Crisis
We are in a reading crisis. People have access to more books than any point in history, but are reading less than ever. Here are 10 concerning charts about the state of reading:
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Social•Mar 2, 2026
Publishers' Dues Belong to Unions, Not Individuals
I wrote all about how I once believed in the power of paying one’s dues. And now I believe that the only dues publishing workers should be paying is for a union. https://lithub.com/a-series-of-unfortunate-salaries-maris-kreizman-on-fighting-the-publishing-industrys-elitism/
By Maris Kreizman
Social•Mar 1, 2026
Author Shares Real-Time Reader Notes From Novel Rewrite
One thing I did during rewrites of my upcoming novel (the 8th book in my Polyamorous Passions series) was to review the novel through the lens of a reader: I jotted down all the thoughts that came to mind *in the...
By Sagan Morrow
Social•Mar 1, 2026
Publishers Stagger Writer Signings and Panels at Conventions
If you squint some publishers do a version of this when they send 3-4 of their writers to Comic Con or another major trade event (I've done this with Del Rey) and they're signing at the booth at different times...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Social•Feb 28, 2026
Remember When Books Came with Rip‑Out Order Forms?
I realized just now that I'm so old I remember when books would have a section called "you would also like" and/or have order forms you could rip out. The market was different back then and certain books (like SFF)...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Social•Feb 28, 2026
24% Off All Editing Services This Week
My mom told me never to post my age on the internet, but I’m having a 24% off sale starting tomorrow and goes until the 7th! All of my services qualify, I specialize in developmental and line editing and rapid...
By Page to a Chapter (Editor)
Social•Feb 28, 2026
Americans Choose Phones Over Books, Reading Plummets
A few worrying reading stats: -57% of Americans read 0 books a year -Reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% -Proportion of people who never read a book in a given year has 3x’d -Average American spends 5.4 hours a day on their phones...
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Social•Feb 27, 2026
The Rumpus to Host Party at AWP 2026
Here is what The Rumpus will be up to at AWP this year https://therumpus.net/2026/02/27/the-rumpus-at-awp-2026/ and we are having a party. Hope to see you there.
By Roxane Gay