Nathan Bransford
@nathanbransford.com
Author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series. Blogging holdout. Reach out to me for help with your book!
www.nathanbransford.com
www.nathanbransford.com
VAR is a disaster. This was called offside.
February 10, 2026 at 8:33 PM
VAR is a disaster. This was called offside.
Very Italian opening ceremony, I loved it!
February 7, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Very Italian opening ceremony, I loved it!
Reposted by Nathan Bransford
New #WriterBeware blog post: the return of two "bewares" that I thought had been resolved: a short story contest conducted by Harper's Bazaar magazine with author-unfriendly guidelines, and a notorious scam name risen from the dead (though with different intent) writerbeware.blog/2026/02/06/u...
Unhappy Returns: Harper's Bazaar Short Story Contest, America Star Books - Writer Beware
I always try to keep track of the stories I write, and to update my posts when new information comes to light. Sometimes, though, it’s worth re-visiting the stories themselves–as in the two cases belo...
writerbeware.blog
February 6, 2026 at 6:54 PM
New #WriterBeware blog post: the return of two "bewares" that I thought had been resolved: a short story contest conducted by Harper's Bazaar magazine with author-unfriendly guidelines, and a notorious scam name risen from the dead (though with different intent) writerbeware.blog/2026/02/06/u...
I appreciate this Stella Donnelly song because it demonstrates how the "o" in the Australian pronunciation of "don't" is composed of like 5,000 different sounds.
Stella Donnelly - Lungs (Official Video)
YouTube video by StellaDonnellyVEVO
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 12:41 AM
I appreciate this Stella Donnelly song because it demonstrates how the "o" in the Australian pronunciation of "don't" is composed of like 5,000 different sounds.
Reposted by Nathan Bransford
After 20 years, I've been laid off at The Washington Post.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
I’ve Been Laid Off. I’m Not Done.
After 20 years at The Washington Post, I’m suddenly on my own — and still writing about books.
substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:17 PM
After 20 years, I've been laid off at The Washington Post.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
So exciting that Bookshop.org is going to start offering self-published e-books via Draft2Digital. Ditch the Kindle store ASAP!!
Bookshop.org Teams with Draft2Digital
The online bookselling platform has partnered with the self-publishing company to allow self-published authors to sell e-books on its site.
www.publishersweekly.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:48 PM
So exciting that Bookshop.org is going to start offering self-published e-books via Draft2Digital. Ditch the Kindle store ASAP!!
Time to subscribe to @roncharles.bsky.social’s new Substack:
I’ve Been Laid Off. I’m Not Done.
After 20 years at The Washington Post, I’m suddenly on my own — and still writing about books.
roncharles.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Time to subscribe to @roncharles.bsky.social’s new Substack:
Reposted by Nathan Bransford
I've never been a conspiracy theory guy, but you're never gonna convince me that there hasn't been a specific cabal of ultra-rich dullards trying to buy, strangle, and bring to heel all of the most important reality-shaping machines since the uptick in power labor had during COVID
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments, not just the newsroom, is being laid off.
February 4, 2026 at 3:17 PM
I've never been a conspiracy theory guy, but you're never gonna convince me that there hasn't been a specific cabal of ultra-rich dullards trying to buy, strangle, and bring to heel all of the most important reality-shaping machines since the uptick in power labor had during COVID
Reposted by Nathan Bransford
Please don't report this as a straightforward business story; it's a story about coercive social transformation being imposed by people so rich they've ceased to see the rest of us as legitimate stakeholders in our own lives
February 4, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Please don't report this as a straightforward business story; it's a story about coercive social transformation being imposed by people so rich they've ceased to see the rest of us as legitimate stakeholders in our own lives
Today’s a great day to cancel your Amazon Prime, if you haven’t already.
there isn’t a better Books desk in the country than the one at the Washington Post. I’m not really sure there’s anything else to say
February 4, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Today’s a great day to cancel your Amazon Prime, if you haven’t already.
Reposted by Nathan Bransford
Thank you to @nathanbransford.com for sharing his forebear's words and actions of honorable convictions 💙 nathanbransford.com/blog/2026/02...
Words pull us through to the future
“Words are events, they do things, change things. They transform both speaker and hearer; they feed energy back and forth and amplify it. They feed understanding or emotion back and forth and amplify ...
nathanbransford.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Thank you to @nathanbransford.com for sharing his forebear's words and actions of honorable convictions 💙 nathanbransford.com/blog/2026/02...
I've been thinking a lot about what this moment demands of us and, as always, find inspiration in my many-greats grandfather Albert, who fought in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War and left being stirring letters:
Words pull us through to the future
“Words are events, they do things, change things. They transform both speaker and hearer; they feed energy back and forth and amplify it. They feed understanding or emotion back and forth and amplify ...
nathanbransford.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:23 PM
I've been thinking a lot about what this moment demands of us and, as always, find inspiration in my many-greats grandfather Albert, who fought in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War and left being stirring letters:
Two new scams to watch out for, ALA awards, the latest on BookTok, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
Two new publishing scams (This week in books)
This week! Books! A day late because Abolish ICE!! Congrats to the ALA award winners! Among the honorees: The Margaret A. Edwards lifetime achievement and Children’s Literature Legacy awards went to C...
nathanbransford.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Two new scams to watch out for, ALA awards, the latest on BookTok, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
In solidarity with today's general strike against ICE, here are some organizations to support, including a great auction supporting Minnesota full of writing services and books! "This Week in Books" will run tomorrow.
General Strike
There will be no Friday roundup today in solidarity with today’s general strike against ICE, which is being observed by many businesses in Minnesota, here in the Los Angeles area, and across the count...
nathanbransford.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:39 PM
In solidarity with today's general strike against ICE, here are some organizations to support, including a great auction supporting Minnesota full of writing services and books! "This Week in Books" will run tomorrow.
Unbanned Book Network launched by @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social, TikTok US now controlled by Trump allies, @katemckean.bsky.social on what to do when your category/genre/topic is out of fashion, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
We Need Diverse Books launches Unbanned Book Network (This week in books)
We Need Diverse Books launches Unbanned Book Network, the TikTok US deal, AI in publishing, and the 2026 Edgar Award nominations.
nathanbransford.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Unbanned Book Network launched by @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social, TikTok US now controlled by Trump allies, @katemckean.bsky.social on what to do when your category/genre/topic is out of fashion, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
January in L.A. is crazy because it's basically Fall and Spring at the same time. Some trees are finally losing their leaves and some trees are already starting to bloom.
January 19, 2026 at 7:26 PM
January in L.A. is crazy because it's basically Fall and Spring at the same time. Some trees are finally losing their leaves and some trees are already starting to bloom.
The book banning chill over the publishing industry, bookstores serve as community hubs amid ICE raids, Wiley names an "A.I. Chief" executive, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
The chill over the publishing world (This week in books)
The impact of book bans on the industry, new AI leadership at Wiley, and more of the week's top publishing stories.
nathanbransford.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:00 PM
The book banning chill over the publishing industry, bookstores serve as community hubs amid ICE raids, Wiley names an "A.I. Chief" executive, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
Things in publishing are taking longer than ever, and I updated my post on when to follow up with agents accordingly. But you should still follow up, unless otherwise specified:
How often to follow up with a literary agent
Most literary agents appreciate a timely and extremely polite nudge. But when do you follow up with a literary agent and how often? In this post I'll give you some guidelines on when and when not to f...
nathanbransford.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Things in publishing are taking longer than ever, and I updated my post on when to follow up with agents accordingly. But you should still follow up, unless otherwise specified:
What if readers actually like A.I. writing (or can't tell the difference), holiday sales were strong but distribution was nightmarish, two new guides to publishing, tips for fixing the middle of a novel, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
What if readers like A.I. fiction? (This week in books)
Can A.I. write compelling fiction? Plus, 2025 book sales trends, publishing guides from industry veterans, and this week's bestsellers.
nathanbransford.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:36 PM
What if readers actually like A.I. writing (or can't tell the difference), holiday sales were strong but distribution was nightmarish, two new guides to publishing, tips for fixing the middle of a novel, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
Aside from cost increases, my personal theory for this is that pizza has gotten so unbelievably salty (particularly pepperoni salt bombs) it satisfies an immediate craving, but starts feeling repulsive to eat more than once in a great while.
America Is Falling Out of Love With Pizza
Restaurant chains are exploring strategy changes as sales slow for the food-delivery mainstay.
www.wsj.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Aside from cost increases, my personal theory for this is that pizza has gotten so unbelievably salty (particularly pepperoni salt bombs) it satisfies an immediate craving, but starts feeling repulsive to eat more than once in a great while.
Ready to get your creative projects on track in 2026? Here's a roundup on some tips to spark (or even reinvent) your creative life:
Tips for getting your creativity on track
At the start of 2025, I posted some un-producivity tips on slowing down and embracing fallow periods that may be crucial for your creativity. Joke was on me! Little did I know 2025 would be one of the...
nathanbransford.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Ready to get your creative projects on track in 2026? Here's a roundup on some tips to spark (or even reinvent) your creative life:
Slop is an apt word of the year, but I'm still inspired by the (human) writers out there. My year in review:
This year in books (2025)
This year! Books! The word ninjas over at Merriam-Webster really nailed the word of the year for 2025: slop. Slop is on my mind so much lately. Not just for the uncannily creepy images and videos that...
nathanbransford.com
December 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Slop is an apt word of the year, but I'm still inspired by the (human) writers out there. My year in review:
As we wind down the year, here are some of my favorites from 2025:
The best of 2025!
As I did in past years, I thought I’d make my last Monday post of the year (!) a roundup of some highlights from 2025. Hope you find a new discovery or two! The best of the blog 2025 Most viewed posts...
nathanbransford.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:10 PM
As we wind down the year, here are some of my favorites from 2025:
Check out my workshop on all things first pages! First pages that worked, dos and don'ts, openings to avoid, and more.
All about first pages (December '25 Office Hours)
Expert writing advice on crafting the perfect first page. Learn what readers look for in a novel opening, plus do's and don'ts.
nathanbransford.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Check out my workshop on all things first pages! First pages that worked, dos and don'ts, openings to avoid, and more.
OpenAI has to hand over emails about pirated books, why does AI write like that, best of 2025 lists, the writing craft lessons of Survivor, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!
OpenAI does not want you to know why it deleted its pirated books database (This week in books)
This week! Books! First up, in case you missed it: Really sad news arrived this week as longtime publishing industry man about town Porter Anderson passed away. I’m sure many of you will remember Port...
nathanbransford.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:12 PM
OpenAI has to hand over emails about pirated books, why does AI write like that, best of 2025 lists, the writing craft lessons of Survivor, and more of the best writing and books links from the past week!