Letters From Libby James

Back when I wrote The Rebel Newsletter, I used to interview cool creatives about interesting aspects of their practice, books, or business. I wanted to return to this and introduce you to some writers and artists I learn from. These interviews will appear occasionally over the year, and I will be interested to hear what you take away from them. If you gained an insight or thought they were just rad, I hope you will not just tell me so I know you would like more from them or more on their...

I have become less of an idealist as I have gotten older. I think in the last few days, hours even, it is hard to believe things can change drastically for the better. Like really change. But deep down, at my core, I know that writing can change people. And people change the world. Anger is one of the most reliable entry points into political writing, and before you outline a political essay, you need to locate the specific question your anger points toward. Not the conclusion you want to...

Nonfiction done well changes a reader’s thinking and shows them your big, original brain. If you want to sell this kind of work to a publisher, you don’t even need a finished manuscript, but you do need a smart proposal. A good one shows the editor what kind of thinker you are, not just what the book is “about.” You lay out the shape of the project, the argument, what’s new or urgent about it, and who’s going to read it. You have to understand who actually needs this book and why they’re...

Winter isn’t messing around in the Northwoods this year. It is beautiful and magical and cold and horrible. I try to embrace my hygge-ness but I long for the desert or the ocean, or just anywhere I can wear my flip-flops. I feel like I am the only person who did not watch Stranger Things as the final season episodes came out. I cannot handle the loss right now and preferred just to wait until it was all over, and y’all have confirmed every detail about it – who lived and died – and I can...

A writers group I am a part of have talked a lot about whether, as authors, we should publicly leave negative book reviews on places such as Goodreads or Storygraph, or even criticize a book on TikTok. If those negative reviews might come back to kick us in the a**, perhaps harm a potential relationship with a future collaborator. Obviously you never wanna do what this author did. But is it OK for authors to go on Goodreads and give another author’s book two stars and say they didn't like it?...

I once knew an author who sold his manuscript to a major publisher. From the moment he signed the deal to the day his book hit the shelves, three years passed. Granted, this was over a decade ago, but even today, many writers can expect at least a year-long wait, sometimes longer. Occasionally, their release dates get pushed back because a bigger name comes in and is ready to release. Even though their book has been in the pipeline for a while, the press just doesn’t have the time and budget...

There’s a difference between writing as a practice and building a career as an author. If you want both—creative growth and professional longevity—you’ll need more than ambition and output. You’ll need deliberate systems, sustainable habits, and the discipline to keep learning when it would be easier to coast. These 10 points will help you build a stronger foundation for your career. 1. Newsletter A strong newsletter doesn’t chase engagement metrics but builds a relationship with readers. You...