How to Glow in the Dark

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My thoughts on that "No One Buys Books" piece
::cracks knuckles:: OK, we're doing this.
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
20
That's not how this works! That's not how any of this works!
Forget "Younger:" the REAL misinformation about book publishing gets perpetuated by legit real-world media people who ought to know better.
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
6
An Unhinged History of American Publishing, Episode 5–Macmillan, or: where our mountains came from
Please open your Presbyterian hymnals to page 1843.
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
3

March 2024

The one element of style even good writers can't handle
To write well in the passive voice, one must understand the nuances of power and oppression as they move through you...*and* decline their call to…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
8
You want it darker, or: what you should know about the international publishing market and your place in it right now
Kent and I just got back from the London Book Fair, where we met with co-agents, scouts, and editors from all over the world...and boy, did they clue us…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
11
Recent small or smallish consumer purchases that have surprisingly and dramatically benefitted my creative career and might do the same for…
In which I rip off the podcast "Gee, Thanks, Just Bought It" for writers, agents, editors, artists, and other creative types.
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
12

February 2024

"HELP: my book got a bad review in a legit media outlet"
Has this happened to you? Are you afraid of it happening to you? ::pats bench:: Come sit by me. I've got a little emotional first aid kit for you here…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
5
Dear authors: other people writing on "your" topic are under no obligation to read, use, or cite your work just because it exists
I know how hard it is to make a name for oneself as an author, let alone a living. Yes, and: territorialism hurts your prospects *and* other authors…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
4
The one easily-identifiable thing that separates one-in-a-million literary talents from "good writers"
Humor. It's humor. The difference between a genius writer and one that's just OK is nothing more than the depth of their humor, even (especially!) when…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
2

January 2024

15 Random Things That Will Probably Help Your Publishing Career Much More Than an MFA Ever Could (or Writers’ Conferences, or AWP)
There are lots of compelling reasons to go to AWP or get an MFA, but "improved likelihood of commercial publishing success" is not one. Here are some…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
12
What we publishing people can learn from that Cloudflare layoff TikTok brouhaha
Book publishing isn’t Silicon Valley, thank God. Still: there are some useful, painful lessons for all of us in Brittany Pietsch's TikTok video.
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
3
What people like me mean when we tell you that sad book you're working on "needs to be more uplifting"
This is one of the most common notes authors get from agents and editors. It sounds like toxic positivity--barf--but it's not; it's an imprecise way of…
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Anna Sproul-Latimer
5
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