Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane I had lunch this week with a writing colleague in San Francisco who has worked with startups for more than 15 years. On the side, she also coaches people in the tech industry who want to write and publish. Discussion inevitably turned to AI and I mentioned how it’s an emotionally charged issue among novelists and...
22 days ago • 6 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane I’m busy planning my first trip to Australia and New Zealand (I’m speaking in Darwin in August), and was evaluating Airbnbs when I ran across a host who breaks all the rules of posting property photos. The first two photos don’t even show the property; instead they offer a general ocean view from two angles, neither...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane A common fear of writers—a fear that runs across all professions—is that they’re too old to succeed. So I was grateful to see this study that shows we reach our most productive years in midlife. Not only that, but writers and philosophers in particular can maintain a steady output through to retirement. (I find that’s...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane In 2006, I sat alone at an AWP Bookfair table and waited for people to come buy Writer’s Digest titles and Writer’s Market, where I was editorial director. I met and knew hardly anyone but remained convinced we should have a presence. Fortunately, I sold nearly every book at the table, which helped ensure we had the...
2 months ago • 6 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane Mark and I have been watching—savoring, really—the TV series All Creatures Great and Small, the 2020 version, based on books by veterinarian James Herriot. If you’ve ever heard people say they read for the “vibes” rather than the conflict, that very much applies to watching this show. The conflicts are slight and easily...
3 months ago • 8 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane Recently I was buying a new office chair online, and several hours after I placed the order, I returned to the website to look up additional information about the chair. It was then I realized belatedly that chair size selection (tall or short?) wasn’t about personal preference but rather one’s specific height, and I...
3 months ago • 7 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane When I’m feeling bold, I tell people straight: I don’t have a problem earning money at this stage of my career. I know how to earn more, but I have no interest in what it takes. I’m happy as I am. Writers often come to me wondering how they can earn more money overall or more money per hour spent. Some need a gentle...
4 months ago • 7 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane I once saw a doctor who exuded confidence that he understood my situation entirely and would “fix” me. I welcomed this. After a long period of struggle where nothing seemed to help, I felt buoyed by his tone and attitude. After some months, I was not fixed—quite the opposite. But there wasn’t curiosity from the...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Electric Speed is a free newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. | View in browser | Sign up here A note from Jane When you query agents and publishers, should your book title be in all caps? What about comparable titles? What’s the best timing for the query? Exactly how long should you wait to nudge an agent or publisher after submitting the manuscript? What if you use AOL for email—will you earn a demerit? These are but a handful...
4 months ago • 6 min read