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 was only a month or two into my new job as managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine when my boss asked me to sit in on a conference call with a self-publishing services company. I’ve since forgotten the news development associated with the call, but I’ll never forget how I felt: in awe. My boss asked questions that...
23 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 Earlier this year, I read The Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant, which was immensely engaging but incredibly short, leaving me wanting more. Online, I started eyeing the Durants’ 11-volume series, The Story of Civilization, which was written and published over four decades. The first volume alone is 1,000 pages....
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 I was in college before I discovered it was uncool to like Billy Joel. By happenstance, I stumbled on a message board for Joel fans and found it was consistently infiltrated by trolls who belittled Joel and anyone who celebrated him. I don’t consider myself a music aficionado, nor had I been exposed to much music in my...
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 I rarely enjoy talking on the phone and my feelings about it align with Gen Z, the infamous avoiders of phone conversations. A psychologist explained the aversion to the BBC recently: “Phone calls are more exposing and require a higher level of intimacy whereas messaging is detached and allows you to connect without...
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 What’s the worst that could happen? This is a common reassurance offered to people who risk rejection and it’s well intentioned. Don’t let fear get in the way, what do you have to lose by trying, that sort of thing. But the question has become a rhetorical one instead of a question meant to be answered. And this can...
3 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 Recently I had a meeting with an author (I’ll call her Kay) who published a business memoir and wants better visibility and book sales. She brought a file folder thick with notes and printouts, and pulled out a reader email she’d saved. It was the type of email most authors love to receive: someone had carefully read...
3 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 “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” —William James Since the last issue, I’ve received an avalanche of favorite quotes in response to the reader question. The William James quote above is one of my favorites, and I was reminded of it this month when visiting Dingle, Ireland, once home to Fungie 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 Do you ever receive compliments that make you realize something has gone wrong? Sometimes people compliment me on how quickly I respond to emails, but if that compliment comes through too often, it’s a sign I don’t have my priorities straight. I don’t want to die with people praising me for email responsiveness. For...
4 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 Strong businesses don’t happen by accident. So when I encounter one I admire, I’m always digging underneath. Whose vision is driving it? My favorite restaurant in Cincinnati is Mid-City. From the moment I first walked in, I felt like a friend. The food and drinks are excellent, but now I go just as much for the vibes....
4 months ago • 6 min read