Letters From Libby James
I help writers strengthen their writing and creative practice, navigate the publishing world, and turn their art into an act of rebellion.
A New Chapter for Our Creative Community
Some business news: Udemy has officially merged with Coursera, which means my courses now have the opportunity to reach an even larger audience of learners from around the world and connect YOU with those writers. For current students, nothing but that changes. The courses, lessons, and community are still there, and as of right now, everything looks the same. What it does mean is that new students may begin discovering the courses, bringing fresh perspectives, questions, and experiences into...
How to decide when and how to talk about yourself
When I write letters that focus more on my own creative practice or where things are for me personally (some of ya'll love when I reference shit about my divorce), I never receive so many personal responses back… and I also never have so many unfollows. I talk to other creatives all the time about that delicate balance of sharing about yourself vs. about some other thing—whether it be your books, your offerings, or some content you create (educational, humor, whathaveyou). And I do think it...
Where did the summer go?
Alright, so I am living in Arizona now and seasons are very different than they are in Minnesota. The only real signs that summer is winding down is the kids here are back in school. You can’t really count on the weather and leaves to tell you winter is inching closer. It’s still regularly in the 90s here and in the 100s down in the valley. But Halloween stuff is everywhere and I have even seen some Christmas merch up in the stores here. I can just tell that time is passing and in some ways I...
Shame and Fame
A lot of quality memoirs, at least what I consider to be great memoirs, are those where the author is brutally honest. Often, the look is not good the entire time, but honesty can be a good look for an author's career. Vulnerability sells, and then you get that all off your chest. It is therapeutic and humbling. It is also relatable, and often readers are looking for that and only that: to feel a little less alone in their own shame. So maybe you admit in your art to drug use like Cheryl...
The MFA Myth (and What the Bestseller List Tells Me)
There are writers, especially those new to the publishing world, who believe they need to go out and get an MFA in creative writing to become a published author. It’s an understandable assumption, especially because the MFA has become such a visible credential in literary fiction circles. But when you actually look at what is happening on the New York Times bestseller list at any given time, that assumption starts to fall apart pretty quickly. If you take a current look of the top 10 books...
Print Runs and What They Measure
When you self-publish and use only print-on-demand, there is no “print run” so you don’t have to think about this, but if you are trad publishing this is going to come up whether your publisher outright talks with you about it or not. Publishers set print runs for a book based on a mix of sales projections, account commitments, and distribution ability. Sales teams present the book to retailers months in advance. Orders come in with varying levels of confidence. Some accounts order...
New Kids On The Block
Someone recently sent me the description of Emma Straub’s new book American Fantasy and said, "This reminded me of you." The book is about a newly divorced woman who goes on a cruise with a 90s boy band. The reason for this recommendation was that I had recently confessed to buying tickets to see the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere. I was perfectly content to go by myself, as I am no longer making choices out of fear or waiting around for someone to do things with me, but my friend Becky agreed...