Doug Seibold
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dougseibold.bsky.social
Doug Seibold
@dougseibold.bsky.social
founder and president, Agate Publishing
Tonight I'm interviewing *live* the amazing Denise Nicholas about her new book FINDING HOME--here's a link, open to all, 4 PST/6 CST/7 EST. We'll be talking for about 45 minutes to an hour, I think.

www.eventbrite.com/e/denise-nic...
Denise Nicholas actress and author in conversation with Doug Seibold
Join us for a lively chat with Denise Nicholas and Doug Seibold, where they'll dive into the world of writing!
www.eventbrite.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:55 PM
More on perils of tanking from Hollinger: "The post-Mitchell-Gobert rebuild was a smart piece of business in the abstract that yielded major draft capital, but results appear as far away as ever. Consider that Utah coach Will Hardy is in Year 4 and still has never coached a game that mattered."
Predicting how the bottom of the NBA’s Western Conference will play out in 2025-26
If many of these teams were in the East, their trajectories would be different. But the West is a competitive conference every night.
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
This is why tanking isn't the only correct way to rebuild a team: "The grim reality of life as a rebuilding team: It doesn’t really end until you’ve found a player worth building the team around....Through two draft cycles...there isn’t one player you’d call a surefire long-term starter yet."
Predicting how the bottom of the NBA’s Eastern Conference will play out in 2025-26
With numerous teams focusing on player development and a couple facing gap years, the conference's lower end could be unsightly.
www.nytimes.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Thank you.
Let’s talk about ‘whoa.’

First of all, ‘woah’ is not yet considered an established spelling variant of ‘whoa.’

While ‘woah’ has grown in prevalence since the late 20th century, ‘whoa’ is still about 5 times as common as ‘woah.’
October 6, 2025 at 7:58 PM
A couple of high-profile Western Conference contenders really need help at point--can't one of them make a deal to take Dosunmu or Jevon Carter from Bulls in exchange for PF depth? Tari Eason the kind of high upside young vet AKME likes.
October 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Most national writers like @talkhoops.bsky.social are broken records re Bulls. This team did a gut rebuild as recently as 2017. And in past year's "retool" they've moved 4 of 5 key players assembled in 2021 reset. Our lottery and injury luck over this time: bad.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
The Bounce: WNBA Finals start tonight! Plus: Previewing the Trail Blazers and Bulls
www.nytimes.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Just starting to dig into this here, but it looks like Agate has more than 50 books on this list, and we are preparing how to pursue this whole process with our authors.
Let's play "how many books do you have in the Anthropic settlement"? I have 4. I bet some of you have many many more than that secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Really proud of this one. I think these lists are especially worthwhile because they show a book's impact over time. CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT is having that kind of impact.
The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Century
There’s been a revolution in children’s storytelling—and it’s not just that the stories are more diverse.
slate.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I hope people found this useful--it was fun to unpack. Look for Jane to post the recording on YouTube next week, after which I'll be cross-posting it at What Publishing Is.
August 8, 2025 at 9:34 PM
What Writers Need, over on the Dougstack. #booksky
substack.com/home/post/p-...
What Writers Need
What Writers Need
substack.com
July 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM
"San Antonio landed the No. 1 (Victor Wembanyama), No. 4 (Stephon Castle) and No. 2 (Harper) selections in three consecutive drafts." Now that's the kind of lottery luck that makes tear-down rebuilds really work. Too many people forget Bulls did tear-down back in 17--but got 3 consecutive #7 picks.
July 23, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Doug Seibold
A Nazi owns Twitter, right wing billionaires own the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times, and CBS is run by a right wing nepo baby who just fired one of the network’s biggest stars for criticizing Donald Trump. Here’s why America has a left-wing media bias problem.
July 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I think it's a great pickup if Bucks do get Anthony. He's been a key contributor to a good squad (one noted for team D) for a while now. Impressed with how the Bucks have regrouped this off-season. #nbasky
July 13, 2025 at 5:35 PM
We are now open to proposals at submissions@agatepublishing.com!
Medill is collaborating with @agatepublishing.bsky.social to publish nonfiction books written by journalists, creating an outlet for journalists to produce ambitious long form work in a media climate where it’s challenging to find opportunities to do so: http://spr.ly/633294xBFV
July 10, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The great Juneteenth novel is FREEMAN by Leonard Pitts, Jr., which I'm proud to say is also the best-selling work of fiction Agate's ever published. bookshop.org/p/books/free...
Freeman
Check out Freeman - <b><i>Freeman</i>, the new novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. </b> <p/>U...
bookshop.org
June 19, 2025 at 12:39 PM
This is a terrific piece. Way too much NBA commentary offers one-dimensional takes on team-building--especially the Hinkie-philes. Multiple paths can work--teams just need a lot of good judgment, and even more good luck.
June 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Doug Seibold
yes, it is ethical to buy used. yes, it is ethical to use the library. why are we talking about this. go away
You guys wanna see a dead body? It's our culture the dead body is our culture
Is It Ethical to Buy Used Books and Music?
www.nytimes.com
May 15, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Terrific article that I read as fundamentally about the experience of loving your work. Really resonated with this particular (basketball-loving) business founder.
Why is it so hard for Gregg Popovich to walk away? For some NBA coaches, it isn’t just a passion. “It’s addictive,” says Steve Kerr. “It’s exhilarating, it’s incredible, the highs and the lows. … You can’t match it.”

New from me, at the Ringer:
www.theringer.com/2025/05/07/n...
For Some Coaches, the NBA Isn’t a Passion—It’s an Addiction
Why is it so hard for Gregg Popovich to walk away from coaching? Just ask one of his peers. “It’s addictive,” says Steve Kerr. “It’s exhilarating, it’s incredible, the highs and the lows. … You can’t ...
www.theringer.com
May 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Royalty time again. Paying royalties means Agate is succeeding. We're small--I've never written a six-figure advance check. But I have written six-figure royalty checks.
April 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
For my Chicago friends and colleagues, I am on a panel this Thursday, should you wish to check it out: events.uchicago.edu/event/245132...
Calendar of Events | The University of Chicago
events.uchicago.edu
April 1, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I just really like Sheila Heti.
March 27, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Hmmm.
Which small presses are publishing super short nonfiction books? Like maybe in nonfiction chapbook territory, or a single long essay in book form 👀
March 12, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Doug Seibold
i feel like it's important to remind everyone of something folks living in red states have known for a long time: Even if the decent and good thing is no longer mandated, you can still do it. We can be better than our elected officials.
January 23, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by Doug Seibold
Both Trump’s theory of power and his popular appeal are grounded in a model of performatively domineering masculinity. Outrage and fear only feed this. What will erode it is mockery, contempt, belittling, and various symbolic and literal attacks on his virility.
January 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM