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.
Healing one meme at a time
The best gift I received in the last year was learning to fully appreciate how truly wonderful my friends are. To know how damn lucky I really am in this department. On the first day of my separation, my friend, a man I have known since I was 17, someone who knows me very well, asked if I wanted to talk to his partner’s sister, who was also going through a divorce. I had met her a few times over the last 15 years so this wasn’t weird. She got on the call with me right away when I said yes....
Writing Nonfiction That Gets People Talking
If you’re writing self-helpish nonfiction, you are making a promise: this will matter beyond the page. Not just because you said so, but because you’ve done the work. You’ve lived it, researched it, paid attention. You’re not just reporting facts or offering tips. You’re building trust. Sentence by sentence. If you want readers to talk about your book before they’ve even finished it, it has to sound like something they can’t keep to themselves. Atomic Habits, The Life-Changing Magic of...
Reading in Public Without Sounding Like You're Apologizing
I’ve done a lot of public readings. Open mics, workshops, theatres, places with folding chairs and weird lighting. People have told me I’m decent at it. That it sounds natural, strong, alive. And I sometimes even believe that is true. But I didn’t start that way. It started when I began reading my pieces into the air a million times until it stopped feeling awkward. Until I didn’t stumble or shrink halfway through. So, if you’ve got a reading coming up—maybe your book’s out, maybe you’re...
Fascists, Fiverr, and Sh*t I Hate in Fiction
In March, the Trump administration issued an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the sole federal agency supporting U.S. libraries and museums. This move jeopardized over $160 million in annual grants that fund essential services such as early literacy programs, high-speed internet access, and telehealth spaces, particularly impacting rural communities. The publishing and library sectors have condemned this action. The American Library Association...
Don’t just take my word for it
I love recommending books, but maybe you haven’t always thought my selections were dope. For those with other tastes, I have put together a list of books big name authors have publicly endorsed. These aren’t just books their publishers encouraged them to review, but ones they have given a special shoutout to in an interview, article, or speech. "It wasn't until I started reading and found books they wouldn't let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good...
Congratulations on the Good Art
The creative world just lost a good one. Susan DeFreitas crossed over to what’s next after a short, fierce battle with cancer. Susan and I circled each other for years. We attended the same college a couple of years apart and had mutual friends. Somehow, we became acquaintances through social media, engaging with each other’s content over time. I had always hoped we’d find a way to collaborate on a bigger scale. She was a brilliant editor and a beautiful writer. You can support her young...
Same Old Story, Your New Twist
It’s all been done before–so what? You know those stories where the premise feels like it’s been done a million times? The "trapped in a room" kind of thing? It’s easy to think there’s nothing new to say with them. But there’s something about these familiar scenarios that works, and it’s not the premise that’s tired, it’s how we tell the story. You can take the same basic plot and give it a totally different life. The thing that makes these stories stand out, even when the framework is the...
Fanfiction in the Gray Area: Writing, Selling, and Staying Legal
Fanfiction is older than the internet, older than television, older than the idea of intellectual property itself. Storytelling has always been a cycle of inspiration, reinterpretation, and reinvention. Virgil remixed Homer. Shakespeare lifted from history and folk tales. Cervantes was so incensed by an unauthorized sequel to Don Quixote that he wrote his own. People have always taken stories they love and reshaped them. But in the modern era, copyright law complicates this age-old practice....
The Makings of a Perfect Book Boyfriend
Do you remember your first book boyfriend? I remember being a girl and being so mad at Jo. How could she pick Friedrich over Laurie in Little Women?!?! I thought, what is she thinking?!? Now that I am an adult, I realize she made the right choice for her and as an adult I rather have Friedrich over stupid Laurie. You’ll find my other first book boyfriend in the pages of Anne of Green Gables. “We are going to be the best of friends. We were born to be good friends, Anne. You’ve thwarted...
The Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing
So, you’re thinking about publishing your book and wondering which route is the best one for you, huh? There’s a lot of noise out there when it comes to publishing options, and I’m here to break it down for you without the fluff. Whether you’re considering traditional publishing, self-publishing, or something in-between, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of each so you can make the right choice for your book – stick with me until the end for a special treat. If you don't want/need...
I help writers strengthen their writing and creative practice, navigate the publishing world, and turn their art into an act of rebellion.