In today's Substack post I'm answering all the big questions... How to know when to quit your job, and finding success as an author. bit.ly/3N7jAc2 Any shares or restacks gratefully received.

I wrote something about status - what losing it has meant to me, and why. It's on Substack for free. bit.ly/40MdR14

I wrote a piece about what I found in the year after leaving corporate publishing. Spoiler: good stuff happened.

Things women in literature have died from.
Going outside at night in Italy and general bummers are my personal favorites.

I'm hearing great things about this fast-growing indie children's publisher in Leicester, and they have tons of amazing jobs going! sweetcherrypublishing.com/contact/career…

Sometimes instinct means listening to your gut. Sometimes it means recognising when someone else's gut is right.

Try replacing Meghan’s name in that Clarkson bilge and see how it reads. Kate, Camilla, Sophie, Charlotte, Elizabeth, your own name maybe. See how it reads then. What should flow from it? I’d call the police if it were my name.

Thank you, Lauren, for these words. One major difference now I work freelance is I get paid to read manuscripts. Whereas in-house assistants on the lowest pay are expected to read, sometimes every day, for free. Publishers should at least pay overtime, not incentivise over-work.

Such an amazing guest talk yesterday for our Publishing at Derby students by Katy Loftus - about her career path in publishing, all things editorial, working with Richard Osman, and so much more!

simply unforgivable that elon is forcing me to either get hot (instagram), get annoying (substack), learn what a server is (mastodon), or become an actual psychopath (linkedin)

What I’ve learned this week: editors, like authors - like everyone - need real life in order to create. Whether that’s being on mountain top, or bustle of street. Working all the time shuts life out, and so can be the antithesis of creation. Let’s give real life space.

This is a wee snippet of what I’ve been up to the past week. I am not earning much right now so I’ve been working for my bed and board in an arboretum. Met some amazing people and learned about trees. One of the best holidays ever. instagram.com/reel/CkbTpG8MC…

I’m off to work (the manual labour kind, not editing) in a Scottish arboretum this week, so I’ll see you the other side!

I’m doing this talk at Futurebook on 18th Nov with these amazing women, all about publishing what you don’t know - as I did with Lizzie’s Yinka, Where is your Huzband? Come listen, it would be lovely to see you!

Loved this book. Marie is a game-changing character, and my role model forever more. Lauren Groff is a gifted storyteller, there was so much beauty and truth in the pages.
Also, from a publishing perspective, a masterclass in blurb writing.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I lost out on acquiring this novel, and am still gutted - it is absolutely brilliant. Searingly clever and full of the kind of well-observed drama that makes you turn the pages frantically and think about it long after. Nikki May is a big new talent. Great cover Doubleday Books !