As always, thanks for signing up and scrolling through. I hope your pitches and/or queries land and the words flow this week.

Without further ado.

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What we mean when we talk about voice. You know a fresh voice when you read it, but finding your own can feel daunting. Author Tiffany Yates Martin dissects what makes a compelling narrative voice and the best ways to find your own. (Jane Friedman Blog)

Stop cutting your book’s tension. Many authors unknowingly build great tension just to then kill it off in one sentence. Parker Peeveyhouse breaks down the why’s and how’s of building tension. (The Writer’s Attic)

Newsletters can be less math, more magic. You don’t need to subscribe to the “more is better” mentality when it comes to growing your subscriber list or sending our newsletters. Instead, stay focused on what works for you and doesn’t feel completely forced. Writers do have to build an audience, but not at the cost of their sanity. (Writers in the Storm)

No, marketing your work is not unpaid labor. The days when publishing houses handled marketing are long gone, and while the work is hard and time-consuming, the compensation comes in the form of sales. (Agents + Books)

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Being a good literary citizen means showing up. Buying books isn’t the only way to be a good literary citizen, says Maris Kreizman. You can show up, share your knowledge with other writers, and read widely — especially from libraries. (LitHub)

Outside Magazine fired Wes Siler over his politics. A 10-year veteran of the outdoor lifestyle magazine, Siler was dismissed after announcing a campaign to run for the Montana State Senate. While Siler was unable to find any evidence of the editorial policy the magazine cites as cause for his termination, he did have examples of the magazine censoring content and ideas to appease advertisers and the magazine’s CEO. (Web Siler’s Newsletter)

Beloved NYC bookstore Bluestockings is closing its doors. The radical feminist bookstore and cafe announced on social media that, after over 26 years, they would be closing their doors for good at the end of the year. The details around the decision to close are vague, but the store cites rising costs and an inability to handle daily operations. (LitHub)

Celebrity book clubs are no longer taste makers. At one time, Oprah, Reese, Jenna, and other celebrity book clubs shone the spotlight on new voices and stories unlike anything else on the market. However, as book publishing professional Kathleen Schmidt points out, recent book club picks do more to keep attention focused on big, well-known quantities. (Publishing Confidential)

The book review is dead. Long live book discourse. While one-off book reviews don’t get much engagement, there are thoughtful, critical ways publications can cover books that actually get attention beyond book lists that spin marketing copy. (Attention Economy)

New Scam Alert: Be careful to research any “book club” or book review offer that comes into your inbox because, unfortunately, there are new scams targeting authors, often impersonating real book clubs or supplying fake reviews from real people. (Writer Beware)

Rage Bait: Business Insider is allowing journalists to use AI to write first drafts, no AI disclosure needed. Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, is encouraging its employees to incorporate AI into their work, per documents obtained by Status, a media industry newsletter. For BI, they want journalists to use ChatGPT for research and drafting processes, but final products must be their “own work.” (The Verge)

Reminder:
I have openings + quick turnarounds on query letter edits.

Natascha Morris, Senior Literary Agent at The Tobias Agency, is looking for either rush books or stories with period-based magic. Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

Julie Gourinchas, literary agent at BLM Agency, is looking for Greek Myth retellings with Hadestown vibes, especially if it’s set during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

GiannaMarie Dobson, an associate literary agent at Neighborhood Literary, wants to see more SFF that focuses on political disability. This includes disability history, politics, culture, and art. Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

Keir Alekseii, associate literary agent at Azantian Literary Agency, opens on the 1st of every month (and closes once she reaches 100). In addition to the MSWL listed on the agency website, she’s hoping for friendship or sibling stories “that make [her] cry.” Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

Lauren Spieller, literary agent at Folio Literary, is looking for horror romance. Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

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If you appreciate these weekly roundups, feel free to leave a tip or buy me a coffee. 

Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.

Internet Culture: Mike Rungnetta, founder of Never Post, is always looking for 20-minute podcast segments on “what’s happening with, to, and on the internet.” These should have “a clear thesis, or a question that you are trying to answer.” Rate: $650 per finished segment. Please submit pitches through their pitch form.

Newsrooms: Jen Ramos-Eisen, copy editor for The Objective, is always looking for media critiques/criticisms, especially “examining systems of power and inequity in journalism: how newsrooms treat their employees, how journalists interact with their community, and what new forms of journalism can look like.” Rate: $.50/word. Please submit pitches through their Airtable form.

Revolutionary Crafters: For their upcoming Summer 2026 issue, American Craft Council is accepting pitches on the theme “Revolution.” This includes stories on “craft revolutionaries, from historical figures to contemporary makers reviving craft traditions.” They are especially interested in stories of the “revolutionary spirit of the artists and makers who live there.” Rate: $.50 - $1.00/word, 400 - 2,000 words max. Please submit pitches through this form. Deadline: November 10.

Tiny Living: Paige DiFiore, editor at Business Insider, is looking for pitches about tiny living — microapartments (under 350 sqft) and tiny homes set up in the past 2(ish) years — for a new content series. Note: You must be comfortable sharing photos of your space. Rate: $250 for around 600 words. Please submit pitches through this pitch form. Deadline: September 30.

Vinyls: I Have That On Vinyl wants pitches for essays about vinyl. Specifically, “about the records you love,” your collection, a favorite album, etc.” Passion means more to them than talent. Rate: $20 for 800 - 1,200 words. To pitch: [email protected] with “IHTOV PITCH” in the subject. Deadline: October 31.

Many literary magazines pay to publish your creative work, whether it’s short stories, essays, poems, or other mediums. ChillSubs offers an amazing (and free!) database to help you find the right opportunities.

Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.

Bereavment + Grief Support: TalkDeath is always looking for pitches of articles, fiction, and creative non-fiction on “bereavement, grief support, the funeral industry, death positivity, and anything related to death. They are especially interested in hearing from writers who can “speak to death practices and traditions from equity deserving groups, the Global South, and Indigenous writers.” Rate” $.20 for 800 - 1,000 words. Send pitches to [email protected].

Emerging Writers: Roxane Gay is accepting nonfiction essays from emerging writers for her newsletter, The Audacity. Emerging writers have “fewer than three article/essay/short story publications and no published books or book contracts.” Essays should be between 1500 and 3000 words. Rate: $1500. Submit through Submittable.

Horror: Interstellar Flight Magazine is looking for “reprospectives, anything in our focus on underrepresented voices, and just anything weird and spooky” in the form of accessible but substantive essays, cultural criticism, and personal reflections. Rate: $30 for 800 - 1,500 words. Please submit through this form.

Longform Nonfiction: Seyward Darby, editor in chief at Atavist Magazine, is looking for pitches of "longform nonfiction stories. “Atavist stories can be historical or current; they can be about crime or science, adventure or romance; they can be rooted in investigative reporting or in first-person experiences. What unites them is their narrative approach.” Rate: $6,000 per story, “plus royalties based on traffic.” E-mail pitches to [email protected] and/or [email protected].

Nonfiction, Fiction, + Poetry: The Yale Review is now considering nonfiction (criticisms and essays) up to 3,000 words for online publication, up to 6,000 words for their quarterly print issue, in addition to fiction (up to 6,000 words) and poetry submissions with no more than five poems totalling ten pages. Rate: $500 - $1,500 for print (3,000 - 5,000 words), $200 - $500 for digital publication (1,000 - 3,000 words), and $150 per poem. Please submit through Submittable.

These job listings were active when this newsletter was scheduled for publication, but they may have expired since then. If you appreciate these weekly roundups, feel free to buy me a coffee.

Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.

Newsweek is hiring a Deputy News Editor to “work with the Breaking News Editors in the UK and US, and other senior editors, to deliver fast, smart, accurate, and fair coverage of any story that matters to a Newsweek audience” on East Coast hours. Ideal candidates have at least three years of editing experience, experience in a digital newsroom, and a degree in journalism. Rate: $70,000 - $80,000.

People, Inc. is hiring a freelance Commerce Partnerships Writer to “cover timely travel, fashion, and lifestyle-related shopping content on celebrities, trends, reviews, and more for Travel + Leisure and InStyle.” Ideal candidates have 2+ years of experience in commerce writing and are familiar with best SEO practices. Rate: $32/hour for 6 months, with potential for extension.”

SmartBrief is hiring a Technology and Telecom Newsletter Editor to “contribute to and manage curation, writing, editing, and publishing partner relationships for technology and telecom industry readers.” Ideal candidates have three years of B2B publishing experience covering tech and telecom news, and can “edit quickly on deadline, starting at 7 a.m. ET, Monday through Friday.” Rate: $50,000 - $60,000

I’m reading a few different books at the moment, so I’ll have book reviews and recommendations next week.

One of the best ways I learn is to research and read. Before, during, and after my MFA, I’ve read books on book writing, marketing, magazine writing, travel writing, and more. Here are the books that I still re-read after all of these years.

this literary life is reader-supported. when you buy through links in my newsletter, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org.

As always, here are the podcasts I listen — and re-listen — to.