Galley Brag #22 Author and critic Kristen Martin on the Publishers Marketplace deal flow, the fallacy of "most anticipated" lists, and the dearth of book criticism as a fascism indicator.

@ezrakupor.bsky.social’s Galley Brag is among the best Substacks on book publishing, and I had such a great time talking with him about book deals, criticism, publicity, and our broken industry!

open.substack.com/pub/galleybr...

we'll chat :)

awwww Maris thank you!!!

Galley Brag #19 (Part 1!) Martha of Martha's Monthly on translated fiction as a re-introduction to the world, the growing chasm between reader and critic, and the joy of reading "challenging" books.

What a great interview about works in translation and learning which colophons to trust when looking for books to love. open.substack.com/pub/galleybr...

“Two cars full of supplies and people for a weekend of living more with less. Not for camping, but for monkhood.”

Simon Wu on a meditation retreat in New Jersey. buff.ly/2NSU4tl

Our latest podcast episode features @ezrakupor.bsky.social discussing all things GALLEY BRAG, publishing paths, and editing debut books.

Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1nWR...

not complying in advance but also what if you didn't comply after the fact

a friend of mine transitioned in the last year or so and hand to god for years i never saw her smile the way she smiles now. like night and day

hope everyone is done Just Asking Questions now

u want to send me commercial romcoms….and thrillers…that are subtly subversive…and lowkey thought provoking…

👼

...& would love to read takes by those willing to expose those inequities + imagine a more justice-fueled future <3

happy (?) new year! would love NF subs by scientists, historians/researchers, tech/legal experts & philosophers on radical world building & future thinking. the gap btwn sci-fi & reality is becoming increasingly tighter w/ technological advances continuing to favor the few...

omg yes love this ty

who are the best music journalists to follow these days?? asking for a friend 💋

Readers and booksellers share their favorite LGBTQ titles of 2024 Casey McQuiston’s “The Pairing,” Julia Armfield’s “Private Rites” and Billy-Ray Belcourt’s “Coexistence” were among the favorite queer titles of booksellers and bibliophiles.

ahhhh tysm to Charlie of Montana Book Co my absolute king!!! love to see @emnorth.bsky.social on this list with a bunch of other faves :)

😭😭😭

In Favor of Reading Less Or, if you read a book and don’t post it on Goodreads, did it even count?

Wrote about feeling bad about reading feat. @maris.bsky.social + @katpburke.bsky.social + everyone else who DM’d me about also feeling bad about reading ❤️

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#3 :)

Donate to Pre-Trump Trans Federal Document Project!, organized by Shadi Petosky As you know! Trans folks have a lot of anxiety about getting all of their Fede… Shadi Petosky needs your support for Pre-Trump Trans Federal Document Project!

heya!
saw my pal @shadipetosky.bsky.social is doing some amazing work helping trans folks with document changes in all 50 states!

also check out the instagram @transdocproject for more info, videos and donation links if you'd prefer to send money directly.

Six Handbags - The Paris Review “I lean close to the bag  and inhale. I remember that the leather is baby-cow skin. I smell the earth, animal mortality, and the moment of my financial trauma.”

why did this essay about bags have to go so fucking hard
www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/12...

Corporate media, a play in 3 acts

i get very excited every time this substack hits my inbox reading about this part of the ~book community~ is fascinating to me as a bookseller who DOES galley brag all over my instagram story at least once a week

Galley Brag #2 Tembe Denton-Hurst on book criticism as an endangered species, Toni Morrison, and the best of BookTube <3

new galley brag just dropped : )

Gonna swap all the scissors in our apartment with these giant ceremonial ribbon cutting scissors and see how long it takes my boyfriend to notice

Haley noooo I’m so sorry :/

absolutely fuck this shit now & forever &--like so many people more brilliant than me are pointing out--puberty blockers will still be allowed for "precocious puberty," which means if a child on blockers later comes out as trans, they will no longer be able to access this life-saving medicine.

the thing is... puberty blockers aren't what trans kids want. they're the compromise we settled on so that the kids can delay puberty until they are able to consent to getting the hormones they want.