There’s a slight change-up in the formatting of things this week. There was a lot of news and interesting reads, so you’ll find the usual headline roundup in the first section, with craft tips, marketing tips, and this week’s MSWL updates in the second.

Is there a way this newsletter could be even better? Please feel free to reach out with your suggestions.

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.

Hungarian ‘Master of the Apocalypse’ takes home Nobel Prize in Literature. Writer Laszlo Krasznahoraki was awarded “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.” Additionally, the Swedish Academy believes Kraszahoraki is “a great epic writer in the Central European tradition that extends through Kafka to Thomas Berhard, and is characterized by absurdism and the grotesque excess.” (Reuters)

Baker & Taylor to close up by year’s end. Just 10 days after a deal to be bought by Readerlink fell through, the biggest library wholesaler decided to end business at the end of the year. The majority of the company’s employees — around 500 out of 800 or so — were let go on Monday during a Zoom call, with no severance and immediate termination of medical benefits, a former employee told Shelf Awareness. B&T had been the main supplier of books, movies, software, and more to public and academic libraries since 1828. (Shelf Awareness)

This year’s Banned Books Week was scaled back. In Hawai’i, the use of the words “banned books week,” “censorship,” and “banned” is prohibited from use in official library displays or events. Banned Books Week events were “scaled back” in Kansas, where some are worried about the way the community has reacted to previous events. Meanwhile, others are concerned that access to library books can lead to violence. (Book Riot)

Maybe you don’t want that six-figure deal after all. With big deals come big expectations. If you don’t deliver above and beyond your initial advance, your chances of getting another deal, let alone a big deal, are slim. (Pitch Your Novel)

Does the MFA model still work? Yahdon Israel, editor at Simon & Schuster, shares insights from the other side of the desk on writers, professionalism, and the money of it all with Alia Hanna Habib. (Delivery & Acceptance)

The current state of traditional publishing. While self-publishing a book used to guarantee a pass if you tried to query it to an agent (since it is now considered published!), “success in self-publishing” and other phrases like “bigger platforms” have become more common on editor wish lists. For publishers, publishing books like these isn’t a major gamble. (Kelly’s Substack)

How to survive as a freelancer. Noah Berlatsky, creator of Everything is Horrible and a long-time freelancer, sat down with Jane Friedman to share his secrets of surviving in today’s seemingly shrinking freelance work pool. TL; DR: Having a partner with a stable income and healthcare, plus constantly pitching, goes a long way. (Jane Friedman Blog)

Mentorship is dead. Long live community building. Earning a living wage as a writer is becoming more and more of a fantasy. Yet, writers are still being encouraged to pursue an MFA and attend conferences and retreats — paying money — to establish contacts, network, and potentially find a mentor. But do relationships in the writing world have to be so transactional? (To Tell a Story)

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Bad writing is an essential part of the process. Think of it as trying to piece together a puzzle: the first thing you have to do is empty all the pieces and start finding anything that’ll match together. In writing, what starts as scribbled notes, quotes, and placeholders will suddenly, and without warning, turn into a clear picture, the more you physically get down the mess of a story you have happening in your head. (LitHub)

Putting your writing first is okay. I promise. After spending a month at a writing fellowship in Paris, Lilly Dancyger learned what it felt like to fit her other work around her writing, instead of the other way around. Holding onto that muscle memory of knowing it’s possible, though, is another challenge entirely. (The Word Cave)

How to write memorable stories: approach them like a thesis paper. Whether you’re writing a novel or a travel essay, your story needs to have a thesis you prove, evidence or proof that your thesis is right, a strong counterargument from an antagonist, and no tangents. (Pitch Your Novel)

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

Renne Runge, associate literary agent at Spencerhill Associates, is looking for YA and MG horror and thrillers, especially projects that will “make a child go ‘that book traumatized me as a kid’ 10 years from now.” She’s also interested in “supernatural creatures of all shapes and colors,” especially “new take on vampires…werewolves, aliens, or something else fresh and funky.” Also, “all the unreliable narrators, repressed trauma, memory fog, pathological liars,” and “absolutely unpredictable endings” in the vein of We Were Liars — something “where the twist slaps you in the face and you go SO mad and rate it a 3* on Goodreads and then go back a month later to rate it 5* because you’re STILL thinking about it.” Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

Beth Phelan, literary agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, will reopen to unsolicited queries the first week of every month, beginning in November. Right now, she’s only looking for YA and MG, especially debut voices writing “high-stakes plots about liars, scams, etc.”, “fresh grounded dystopian with personal stakes,” and “ugly underbellies.” She’s also interested in “smart, cutting social commentary,” “meta shit and big twist,” and “anything with a unique/risky approach or voice.” Please submit queries through QueryTracker.

Kaitlyn Katsoupis, literary agent at Belcastro Agency, is open to queries from October 13 - 17, from “marginalized, Indigenous, and POC” writers only for YA and Adult horror, fantasy, suspense/thriller/mystery, plus women’s fiction. For horror, she’s particularly interested in anything with "Mike Flanagan, A24 films, Annabelle, Oculus, Get Out, Hide & Seek, The Ritual, and Talk to Me” vibes. She’s also interested in “slice of life, ‘one day’ stories, impactful LGBTQ+ stories,” and “gritty” thriller, mystery, or suspense with “dual timelines, cold cases, spec elements, or cult vibes (think Midnight Mass).” 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.

Deadline approaching: Erin Vivid Riley, editor at Light & Seed, is commissioning an essay on “how recreating [in] National Forests and/or Grasslands changed your relationship to the outdoors, challenged your views, or fostered personal growth.” Ideally, stories take place outside the Southwest or West Coast (they’re full up on coverage) and “exhibit a narrative arc and strong scenes.” Rates: $1,000 for 1000 words. Email pitches to [email protected]. Deadline: October 14.

Nonprofit Quarterly is looking for pitches of first-person stories from workers, builders, activists, and organizers “who want to share their experiences building a democratic economy and fairer world, so that others can learn from their efforts.” Rate: $300 for 500 words. Email pitches to [email protected] with subject “We Stood Up Submission.”

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].

Eating Disorders in Midlife: This Is Not Your Mother’s Eating Disorder is seeking personal essays for an anthology on midlife women’s experiences with eating disorders. Pay: $250 for 1,000 - 3,000 words. Deadline: October 31. Please submit through this pitch form.

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.

Literary nonfiction: Cutleaf is accepting submissions for literary nonfiction on a variety of topics (travel, music, literature, art, film, etc.) that reveal “the larger and smaller truths about being human.” Rate: $100 - $400. Please follow submission guidelines. Deadline: October 15.

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].

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.

Apartment Therapy is hiring a Remote Part-Time Senior Editor to join Cubby’s dynamic team. You will be responsible for collaborating with the Editor-in-Chief to develop brand voice and editorial strategy, support Cubby’s traffic and post goals, develop and oversee Cubby’s short-lead post strategy, plus represent Cubby in-person and online at studio shoots and external events, as needed. Rate: $50/hr for 20 hours/week.

Gizmodo is hiring freelance news writers for its Tech News vertical to cover technology, science, tech policy, and tech culture news. Ideal candidates write clean copy, have a keen news sense, have a punchy writing voice, and are familiar with the major players and trends in the tech world. Rate: $100/short news article. Apply: Send resume and 3 - 5 relevant clips to [email protected].

Newsweek is currently hiring for multiple remote roles, including a Life and Trends Reporter to write “multiple stories per day on high-interest topics around personal dilemmas, health, wellness, and trending digital themes,” pitch stories and headlines that will resonate with the audience using analytical data, and “increase prowess using LLMs to aid in the speed, depth and breadth of reporting and look for opportunities to further develop AI tools.” Ideal candidates have “proven experience in creating engaging content in a newsroom or digital publication.” Rate: $60,000 - $65,000.

Newsweek is also hiring an “experienced” full-time Weekend News Editor to “lead coverage during critical weekend shifts.” Other responsibilities include: collaborating closely with other Newsweek editors in the U.S. and U.K., setting “engaging headlines and lead images to drive readership,” and fostering “a proactive newsroom culture using planning and pre-writing systems for breaking news.” Ideal candidates have 5 years of “journalism experience, with editorial leadership or team management responsibilities.” Rate: $95,000 - $105,000.

RVO Health is adding more Freelance Writers to their Beezy team, a free platform for people with chronic conditions, with “experience and/or expertise in the chronic condition space or a strong background in general health writing for a consumer audience.”Rate: $150/article. Please apply through this application form.

The Arena Group is hiring a freelance investigative journalist to work with TheStreet on a “multi-part written and video series” that “will shine a light on corruption, abuse of influence, and institutional failures across the country’s most powerful arenas — from government agencies and media to corporate empires and political networks.” Rate: $1,500 - $2,250 per story.

With podcasts becoming so prevalent in many of our lives, I’m intrigued by examples of how fiction incorporates this into its stories. In All the Dangerous Things, Stacy Willingham brings readers into the POV of Isabelle Drake, whose toddler was stolen out of his crib one year ago while she and her husband were asleep in the next room.

After the case goes cold, Isabelle agrees to speak with a true-crime podcaster in the hopes of bringing new witnesses forward. But between the questions and her worsening insomnia, Isabelle starts to question her own memories, of her own childhood — and the night Mason was kidnapped.

I was also hooked from the opening sentence of The Wolf Tree by Lauren McCluskey, an atmospheric mystery with strong Tana French vibes. Think, Dublin Murder Squad meets True Detective Night Country in the Northern Hebrides.

We follow Georginia “George” Lenox, a 28-year-old detective inspector who is relieved to be back from leave following a tragic accident. When a young man is found dead at the base of a lighthouse on Eilean Eadar, an island known for the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1919, George and another detective inspector are sent from Glasgow to investigate.

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.