Haunted by My Almost-Book: The Afterlife of a Canceled Contract
A poet who canceled the contract for her debut collection describes the difficult years-long process of scrubbing the internet of erroneous information about her book.
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Article Archive: The Practical Writer
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Beyond Our Borders: Understanding Foreign Rights in Publishing
An agent with twenty years of experience selling foreign rights on both sides of the Atlantic unpacks what can appear to be a complicated and unfamiliar aspect of book publishing.
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Constancy and Surprise: What Editing Magazines Taught Me About Writing Fiction
A former magazine editor shares how his experience satisfying and subverting audience assumptions during his tenure at GQ helped him better consider reader expectations throughout the novel-writing process.
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The Sad Tale of the Soft Sale: How Book Returns Work and Why You Should Care
The publishing industry is unique in letting retailers return unsold stock—a practice with enormous costs for indie presses. The editor of Orison Books breaks down the logistics of fulfillment and suggests ways to reimagine book returns.
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Do Your Research: Using the Tools of Journalism to Write More Vivid Fiction
When you venture to inhabit identities and communities beyond your experience, seek people and places to ground your work. A journalist and novelist explains how research skills help fortify one’s imagined realities.
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Writers With Day Jobs: Earning a Living Outside of Literature
Freelancing doesn’t always guarantee freedom—making a living outside of the literary world empowers many artists with health insurance, energy to write, and relief from the worry of wondering about your next check.
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Building Together: How to Give—and Effectively Receive—Constructive Feedback
Workshop isn’t about fixing, but building together—instead of giving prescriptive suggestions on a piece, a widely published poet recommends offering specific notes as an invitation to explore further possibilities.
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Tax Tips for Writers: Save Money While Playing by the Rules
Tax season is coming up, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. The author explains how writers can follow the rules to their advantage to protect their earnings.
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Game Changers: Literary Magazines as the Gateway to Your Career
A novelist explores how submitting to and publishing in literary journals can serve as an excellent education for writers while offering a sturdy platform upon which to build a promising career.
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Don’t Forget Joy: Working With an Independent Publicist as a Small Press Author
A poet and author offers tips for how to find and collaborate with a growing group of independent publicists who work specifically with poets and small press authors and whose help is available for far less than high-profile publicists.
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The Savvy Self-Publisher: Nita Wiggins
Nita Wiggins describes writing and self-publishing Civil Rights Baby: My Story of Race, Sports, and Breaking Barriers in American Journalism, and an agent and a publicist add their perspectives and offer self-publishing advice.
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Reviewers & Critics: The Complete Series
The full archive of interviews with the professional writers, readers, and thinkers whose job is to start conversations about contemporary literature.
Reviewers & Critics: Kate Tuttle of the Boston Globe
The books editor of the Boston Globe on the shrinking of books coverage, social media and the role of the editor, and the need for higher pay for book critics.
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The Savvy Self-Publisher: The Complete Series
This collection of case studies in self-publishing offers independent authors advice, warnings, encouragement, and inspiration.
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On Writing About Books: Ten Pro Tips for the Freelance Reviewer
A poet and critic who has written dozens of reviews for newspapers, literary journals, magazines, and websites offers practical advice for reviewers who want to show their readers what a book looks like through their eyes.
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Agent Advice: Howard Yoon of the Ross Yoon Agency
The agent answers questions about mentioning positive feedback in a query letter, how much plot to include in a query, and agents for teen writers.
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A Workshop With Stakes: Sharing Your Memoir With Your Family
The author chose to share her memoir draft with family and friends and face their varied reactions to her recollection of the past—reactions which ultimately made the book richer.
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Agent Advice: The Complete Series
Twenty-six of the industry’s best and brightest agents responded directly to readers’ questions in this column that ran from 2010 to 2022.
The Fully Fact-Checked Memoir: Backing Up Facts, Standing Behind Truth
While editing her memoir about the history and methodology of mental health diagnoses, the author gains a new respect for fact-checking and more confidence in her book.
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Agent Advice: Monica Odom of Odom Media Management
The agent answers questions about attracting agents using self-published books and whether to use a summary or a writing sample to pitch a memoir.
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Agent Advice: Larissa Melo Pienkowski of Jill Grinberg Literary Management
The agent who represents writers TJ Alexander and K. Tempest Bradford, among others, answers questions about being ghosted by agents and how to query for nonfiction books.
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Agent Advice: Jade Wong-Baxter of Frances Goldin Literary Agency
The agent representing Chris Belcher, Kate Broad, Delia Cai, Duy Doan, and others offers advice about working with a coauthor, changing a memoir to fiction, why agents don’t consider previously published work, and how to become an agent.
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Reviewers & Critics: Walton Muyumba
The critic on the importance of respecting the artist’s labor, reviewing books published by independent houses, and more.
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The Savvy Self-Publisher: Nikki Peoples
Nikki Peoples describes how she self-published her sci-fi novel, The Station. An editor and a publicist give their advice on reaching more readers, leveraging the power of social media, and finding the right team of publishing professionals.
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Agent Advice: Amy Elizabeth Bishop of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
The literary agent answers questions about how to seek representation as a self-published author, break into the agenting business, and more.
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