Posted on February 5, 2026 at 1:51 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
The publishing experts we follow have plenty of craft and mindset advice to offer.
Here are the ones that we thought were can't-miss for our authors:
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Finding the right tone for your memoir: Editor and book coach Stephanie Mitchell provides some real-life examples of how a tone that doesn't seem aligned with the content of your memoir can actually work better (Jane Friedman).
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So random: Donald Maass wants you to imagine yourself as a dealer in a poker game who actually knows everyone's cards ... but doesn't intervene when the players — here, your characters — make wrong decisions based on incomplete information (Writer Unboxed).
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The greengrocer writes a fantasy novel: Kelsey Allagood invites her fellow writers to consider moving away from the well-worn setting of a monarchy and provides insight on how to do it without borrowing from others' cultural histories (Writer Unboxed).
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The glimmers you find while chasing the whale: Sheila Myers has had her share of disappointment during her writing career, but she shares the validating moments — which she dubs glimmers — that she turns to, as a reminder of why she persists, and encourages you to do the same (Jane Friedman).
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Five things I'd tell "new writer me": The advice that Jenny Hansen would give her younger self mixes craft with mental and spiritual tips (Writers Helping Writers).
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