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

For 15+ years, I’ve had a quote appended to the top of my website’s about page: “It takes guts to be gentle and kind.” It’s a song lyric from The Smiths.

When I first started using it, I didn’t have the first idea who The Smiths were because I associated the song with Jeff Buckley, who covered it. If you had asked me if I liked Morrissey, the Smiths’ frontman and lyricist, I would’ve asked who that was.

But in fact no one has ever asked me why I use this lyric, even though I’ve been showing this bio and talking about the importance of bios for years … until this past weekend at the Stockholm Writers Festival.

There, someone who actually knows something about music asked why it was there, as it appeared inconsistent with the rest of my online persona, given the current reputation of Morrissey.

My answer was honest: I use it as a talisman to ward off angry messages from people who might read my bio before emailing me, in the hopes it might inform their tone and approach.

I still don’t know much about Morrissey, except for stray anecdotes shared by my music-obsessed husband, and he’s never told me I should remove the lyric. (Good enough for me, although he’s not the type to tell me what to do.)

As it happens, only by coincidence, I removed the line from my about page a few weeks ago, realizing I’m no longer the sort of person who wants to start my about page with a song lyric.

However, I am actively watching for how many more angry emails I receive.

Jane

P.S. Most popular post this month: ​I Wouldn’t Blame Libraries for Declining Author Income​

​Bob Eckstein​

ISSUE SPONSOR

Jane’s Electric Speed List

I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.

Google’s Pinpoint is now open to everyone

Years ago (prior to the advent of AI), I applied for and received access to Google Pinpoint, a powerful and free tool to analyze large collections of documents. Recently, Google opened up the tool to everyone. Take a look.​

Identifying differences between documents

In the last issue, I mentioned Diffchecker, a tool that can help you identify differences between two documents. Reader Pete Millspaugh wrote in, “I love seeing adoption of diff tools outside of software engineering, where diffs are indispensable. Difftext is another good one—simpler than Diffchecker, but no ads/pricing model.”

Delphi Tools: small, low-stakes tools (free!)

Continuing with the sharp Pete Millspaugh, he also told me about Delphi Tools, a collection of small, low-stakes tools. Some of its most popular: QR code generator, palette generator, and background remover. They are all free to use and don’t require an account or login.

How people spend their time (1920–2026)

I wasn’t able to take my eyes off this four-minute video when it first appeared in my feed. It’s worth watching a few times, especially to track the fortunes of reading versus other activities. Caveat: it’s showing only US adults, ages 25 to 35, and excludes sleep, work, and other activities with minimal variation.

Next online class: What It Takes to Sell Your Memoir (or Hybrid Memoir)

• Taught by: Jane Friedman
• Ideal for: Writers who have never before traditionally published and want an agent or traditional publisher
• Jane says: This is the first time I’m specifically teaching on the market for memoir and how to assess your memoir’s commercial potential given current trends and publishing deals.
• When: Thursday, June 25, 1:00–2:30 p.m. EDT, or wait for the recording delivered later that week
• Important: If you’re enrolled for Lisa Cooper Ellison’s year-long memoir series, this material will be covered by Jane in December.

Your turn: comfy conference shoes

In the last issue, a reader asked what shoes you find comfortable when attending events, for walking the convention floor and/or speaking. Here’s a selection of what you said.

• OrthoFeet! Such a variety of styles, and since I have/had plantar fasciitis, Achilles heel syndrome, and Morton’s neuroma, they are all comfortable and just a dream to walk on without feeling like you are going to tip over, like Skechers do. —Antoinette Arsic
• I am an attorney by day and writer by night and I bought Rothy’s flats to go to court. Now I wear them for everything because they are so comfortable, professional looking, and you can throw them in the wash! —Abby Russo
• I’m just back from a conference so this is a timely question. I like the Dansko Larisa flats. They have a little bit of footbed structure, the leather is soft, and they look professional. In the winter, my go-to boot is also Dansko, the Becka. I haven’t tried these at a conference yet, but I routinely walk a mile to work & then wear them all day with ease. —Caitlin Palo
• Having spent time in the shoe business in my far away past, shoes are always on my mind. In balancing style with comfort (so I don’t look like a dowdy pensioner), Adidas animal prints are a great solution. —Diana M. Wilson
• If I can get away with a shoe as informal as FitFlops that’s what I’d wear. I have a wardrobe of five colors of a flip-flop style sandal. They are the only thing I could wear all day standing. They have a deep supportive sole with a terrific arch support. —Rhonda Wiley-Jones
• On Memorial Day I worked for a 5K run/ruck/walk, walked one mile, and did teardown. That was two-plus hours standing on concrete before my walk and another hour and a half carrying gear back to vehicles. My feet never hurt, my gimpy knees didn’t twinge at all, and my lower back felt strong and secure. I wore Hike Footwear Lorana Sneakers. But I could have worn any one of my half dozen Hike Footwear styles and been comfortable all day because they place your foot in its natural position. And with your feet having closer contact to the ground, these shoes also help stabilize your balance. —Suzanne Gochenouer
• Aerosoles. I used to work retail for a major department store. I was on my feet eight hours a day for five days a week. Aerosoles saved my feet! They’re on the pricey side but worth it. Also, Keen shoes, again pricey but worth every penny and they last forever! —Amy Denton
• I attend my fair share of conferences and trade shows, and always reach for the same two pairs of (stylish) flats: Madewell Remy Mary Janes and Rothy’s slingbacks. I’ve clocked miles walking up and down convention center floors in these puppies. Both come in a ton of different colors so you can add a little flair to your outfit, and—perhaps most importantly—both pack down in my carry-on to almost nothing. —Emily Lane

💙 This was a popular question! Browse the full list of recommendations.​

Next question: What’s the best lamp or task lighting you’ve found for an evening writing or reading space? Bonus points if you can turn the light on and off (and/or change intensity) by touch. Hit reply and let me know.

Do you have a tools or resources question you would like me to ask all readers? Offer up your suggestion, and I might feature it.

Free resources featuring Jane

Do you need an editor? Join Jane and editor Katie Bannon to discuss when an editor is most helpful, how to choose the right one, and what it may cost. Live on Friday, June 26, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Marketing and promotion for established authors of practical nonfiction. In this Business Clinic, Jane talks with an established nonfiction author whose first book has sold more than 100,000 copies, but her second book has sold only about 1,200. What now? Live on Friday, July 24, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Upcoming online classes

• ​Moving Beyond Three-Act Structure with Steven James, July 1
• ​Write a Query That Gets Manuscript Requests with Jane Friedman, July 1
• ​Building a Strong Author-Publisher Relationship with Anne Trubek, July 8
• ​Today’s Key Book Publishing Paths with Jane Friedman, July 9
• ​Pitch, Publish and Get Paid with Allison K Williams, July 15
• ​Mastering Narrative Flow with Tiffany Yates Martin, July 22
• ​Writing From Your Why with Leslye Penelope, July 29
• ​Writer’s Survival Guide to Contracts, Legal Issues & Other Business Basics with Jane Friedman, Aug. 6
• ​Improve Your Author Website with Jane Friedman, Sept. 24

Meet Jane at an event

• ​Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, IN), July 16–18, 2026
• ​SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference (online), July 30–Aug. 2, 2026
• ​Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR), July 31–Aug. 2, 2026
• ​Romance Writers of Australia (Darwin, Australia), Aug. 21–23, 2026
• ​Queensland Writers Centre (Brisbane, Australia), Aug. 24–25, 2026
• ​AALA People of Publishing (NYC), Sept. 30, 2026, reporting only
• ​Author Nation (Las Vegas), Nov. 10–13, 2026, reporting only
• ​AWP Conference & Bookfair (Chicago), March 17–20, 2027, exhibitor

“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan

Created by Jane Friedman I report on the publishing industry and help authors understand the business of writing. My newsletter that helps pay the bills is The Bottom Line, where I recently reported on optimizing book discoverability for AI instead of search.

​​​​

109 Dorsey St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Unsubscribe · Update your preferences​