The hottest Publishing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

A Paperback Launch on Your Wedding Anniversary

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jun 21
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. Celebrating events like book launches and weddings can help us reflect on our life's journey. These moments remind us of our achievements and the people who support us.
  2. It's important to focus on daily joys instead of viewing life as a series of milestones. Finding happiness in everyday experiences can lead to deeper satisfaction.
  3. Adjusting our expectations can help us find contentment, especially when plans change unexpectedly. Emphasizing the process of writing or personal growth can make both successes and challenges more meaningful.

Short Story Workshop Tomorrow!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 03 May 21
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. There's a short story workshop happening soon with author Peter Kispert. It's a great chance to learn about writing fiction and submitting to literary journals.
  2. The workshop is useful for both new writers and those with experience, offering key advice on improving short stories and story collections.
  3. The host has recently developed a passion for short stories and encourages others who feel the same to join the workshop for guidance.

Writing session this weekend!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 20 Aug 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. There is a weekend writing session happening Saturday at 2pm ET / 11am PT for anyone who wants to write with others. It's a great way to stay motivated and focused.
  2. Participants can do different types of work, like proofreading or typing, and then share what they accomplished at the end. This helps build a sense of community among writers.
  3. There is also a reading event happening on September 10, and people are encouraged to register early so they won't forget to attend.

Ask My Agent Anything + Events!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 22 Jun 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. There will be a workshop about finding the right literary agent, making it easier for writers to navigate publishing.
  2. The writer community is going on a short break from workshops to plan for the fall, but they will continue to connect through Facebook and Slack.
  3. Free copies of the book _Fairest_ are being offered to QTPOC people who can't afford it, promoting inclusivity in literature.

Just a few reminders...

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jun 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. There's a Zoom workshop called 'How to Pitch as a Minority' happening tonight. It's a good chance for people from marginalized groups to learn about pitching ideas.
  2. Next week, there will be a discussion on finding the right literary agent. It's important for writers to choose an agent that fits their needs.
  3. Support Black authors by buying their books. It's a great way to show appreciation for diverse voices in literature.
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Things That Matter

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 15 Jun 20
🎭️ Culture Publishing
  1. Writing workshops can help writers, especially those from marginalized groups, improve their skills and find support.
  2. Helping others matters; sharing resources like books can make a big difference for those in need, especially during tough times.
  3. It's crucial to remember and support Black trans lives, acknowledging the struggles and injustices they face in society.

It's Pub Day, Pub Day!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 26 May 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. It's a big day for the author as their book is published, and they're excited to share it with everyone. They hope people will support their work by buying or sharing it.
  2. The author reflects on their journey as a writer and finds joy in the pure love for reading and writing that inspired them in the first place.
  3. They emphasize the importance of promotion and press in a writer's life to help sustain their career, while also expressing a love for helping other writers succeed.

Just in case you're checking email...

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 24 May 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. A plan for writer workshops is in place, aiming to address community needs and offer support. Feedback is being gathered through a survey to make sure everyone benefits.
  2. Freelancers can improve their writing careers by changing their mindset about editing and deadlines. It's helpful to view editors as collaborators and to negotiate rates when necessary.
  3. Sharing success stories, like a writer coming out of retirement, shows the positive impact of workshops on individuals. It encourages others to pursue their writing dreams despite challenges.

The Wonder of Writer Friends

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 19 May 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. Making friends with other writers is really important. They can help you grow and stay motivated in your writing journey.
  2. It's easy to feel competitive with fellow writers, but it's better to see them as a supportive community. Letting go of jealousy allows for stronger friendships.
  3. Having a group of writer friends can provide emotional support during tough times. They help remind you of your worth, no matter your achievements.

Why Writing a Book Is Like Falling in Love

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 04 May 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. Loving the writing process is more important than just wanting a book published. When you focus on writing for yourself, it makes your work better.
  2. Using personal experiences in your writing can help clarify complex feelings. It’s about expressing your truth rather than trying to fit into someone else's expectations.
  3. If you truly care about your book and enjoy the writing, chances are others will appreciate it too. Writing from the heart helps connect with readers.

I'm Back, This Time With Writing Tips!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 20 Apr 20
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. It's important for writers to build their confidence when pitching to editors. A casual yet professional tone can go a long way in making a good impression.
  2. Writers should clearly separate the topic of their piece from their argument. This clarity helps editors understand the main point and its broader implications.
  3. Pre-reporting can help establish trust with editors, showing you can find sources and provide specific details. It’s a key step in making your pitch strong.

Can AI Edit As Well as a Traditional Publisher?

72 Degrees North • 0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. AI struggles to match the detailed editing and personal attention that a traditional publisher provides. While it can help with grammar, it often misses the deeper nuances that a skilled human editor would catch.
  2. Using AI for writing can result in bland and subpar text. It can be useful for some editing tasks but should not be relied upon for creating quality literature.
  3. Finding reliable human editors is challenging, especially for self-publishing authors. Many editors are overworked, and having trusted beta readers can sometimes be more effective than hiring a freelance editor.

The reading apocalypse, protocol fiction, etc.

Data People Etc. • 0 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. Many kids today are missing out on classic books, which is worrying. Reading habits are changing, and it's important to encourage children to engage with literature.
  2. Protocol fiction can explore themes of technology and creativity, like in the story about an artist and her AI assistant. It raises questions about how technology influences our work and connections.
  3. Balancing personal life, work, and friendships is tough. It’s often a choice between two out of three, and it's good to be okay with that limitation.

Out Now - Bodies Bodies: True Dreams of Wichita

The Author Is Dumb • 0 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
📚 Literature Publishing
  1. The first book in the 'Bodies Bodies' series is now available, and it might lead to more stories or novellas.
  2. This novella mixes styles like found documents and narratives to explore deep themes and characters facing an uncertain future.
  3. It's only available in paperback, and readers are encouraged to support local bookstores when purchasing.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: Cognition & "Active Reading"

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 0 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
🚌 Education Publishing
  1. Active reading is a hands-on way of reading where you annotate, flip pages, and mentally converse with authors to really understand ideas. Only a small slice of people have trained their brains to do this well.
  2. Large language models can act like ‘author bots’ that let readers have interactive dialogues with texts, summarise arguments, and answer questions, providing a shortcut to the benefits of active reading. They can serve as tutors so people don’t need years of training to think like hyperliterate readers.
  3. The practical path is many domain-specific, lean AI assistants that summarise material, use RAG, and act as bespoke tutors offering competing voices. This approach is likely more useful and economically viable than just building ever-larger general-purpose models.

Happy New Year! Plus my plans for 2026

Strange Stories by Shantnu • 0 implied HN points • 27 Dec 25
⚔ Fiction Publishing
  1. Writing has restarted after a long break, with a plan to write shorter linked novellas called The Ghost Casefiles to avoid burning out on long novels.
  2. Two casefiles are already published on a blog and two more finished novellas will be released weekly across the first four months of 2026, while future plans after that are still undecided.
  3. Readers are invited to say if they want the two finished novellas as a PDF or epub by replying or commenting, and the message closes with friendly New Year wishes.

Helping Out The Dish For 2026

The Weekly Dish • 0 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
💼 Business Publishing
  1. Subscribe by January 1 to lock in the current $5/month or $50/year rate; new subscribers will pay $6/month or $60/year after that, and current subscribers won’t be affected.
  2. Longtime readers are asked to consider raising their subscription or upgrading to a Founding Member to help offset inflation and support the ad-free, independent publication.
  3. The Dish is celebrating its fifth anniversary and the team will prioritize the newsletter through 2028 while delaying other projects, with thanks to readers for their support.

I've been substacking all wrong

visa's voltaic verses ⚡️ • 0 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
💼 Business Publishing
  1. Admit when your approach isn’t working and look for multiple layers of problems instead of blaming a single cause.
  2. The method being used was too small, too hard, and too slow.
  3. Thinking in tweets — favoring short, bite-sized ideas — makes it hard to produce the longer, deeper work that’s needed.

The accidental ad tech founder: Eric Hochberger’s 20-Year bet on the open web

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
💼 Business Publishing
  1. A small SEO side hustle turned into a major ad-tech player after building its own header-bidding system, which sharply increased ad revenue and shifted the business from publisher to platform.
  2. The company now powers thousands of independent publishers and prioritizes serving creators over legacy media, operating at scale with a mid-sized team.
  3. The programmatic ad ecosystem is fragile and rapidly changing, with ‘made-for-advertising’ sites and Google’s AI-driven features able to shift traffic and wipe out publisher income quickly.