Daley Downing's Blog
April 26, 2026
Has BookTube Completely Lost the Plot?
I…think I’m going to run away to Nepal to herd goats.
Yes, I know I said recently I was going to stay away from BookTube. And I was. But then…I got sick.
It was the worst cold I’d had in years. Even as I type away now, I’m still struggling with the remnants of congestion and body aches. Reading was out of the question for a week straight. So…I did go down a bit of a rabbit hole.
Here’s what I learned:
The average age of an armchair expert on books is 28.
Apparently there’s a huge literary crisis, that no one wants to do anything about except complain.
Romantsy is king, and if you disagree, screw you.
If you do hate romantsy, then you must join in the fight against the patriarchy.
See? Nepal. Goats. This is the way.
A lot of these channels are sneaky, too. Remember I discovered a channel called Plant Based Bride, and a few videos in, I was feeling really confident about it? Eeew, no, run, run far, far away. I was just watching a monthly reading wrap-up, and out of nowhere she started saying how she doesn’t find value in a narrative where religion plays an important part, as she’s an atheist and considers spiritual concerns “silly as a writing device.” What? Number one, how incredibly tone deaf and insensitive as hell. Religion is a huge part of many cultures across the world, and since humans have always used it as a framing for morals and social behavior and, of course, questions about life and death, it’s more likely than not that you’ll find something along these lines in plenty of novels, memoirs, and poetry. She can’t just dismiss a massive part of many people’s stories purely because she doesn’t jive with it. Not only is that tremendously pretentious, it’s also pretty damn hypocritical; since later on, she was visibly fighting back tears when reviewing a book about the native tribes being forced to give up their ancestral lands and stop practicing their traditions. How can she have sympathy for a people’s entire belief system being at risk when she just stated all faith in any kind of divinity is “silly” and “adds no value to the narration”? Holy self-righteous bitch alert, Batman.
This is a pretty accurate, and pretty horrifying, example of the gatekeeping echo chamber that’s taken over lots of online communities, absolutely including book reviewers. I know I only hit the tip of the iceberg, too, which is just as frightening.
I have no idea how we fight this, either. I mean, yes, we can (and should) unsubscribe from content creators who only post ragebait to perpetuate the divisions. But…will it actually induce real, positive change? If we stop buying the hype-train romantsy books these channels feature, will these titles no longer be sold? If we refuse to use Amazon and Goodreads anymore, will the hold these megaliths have on the publishing industry truly be reduced?
The only BookTuber I’ve found who does seem capable of balanced rhetoric without virtue signaling and deliberately sewing discord is Elliot Brooks, whose new video is an excellent discussion on genre snobbery. I personally enjoyed it, I find a lot of value in it for a wide range of readers, and I want lots and lots of people to watch it —and for more of them to understand that this in-fighting is bad, and we need to stop it.
I know I’ve opined a ton about this topic lately, but I have a vested interest in being able to maintain my ability to self-publish. Gatekeeping is a BIG PROBLEM in the literary world. Self-publishing becoming a legitimate path to having your work exist on websites and even in stores, being shared among readers possibly across the globe, has been SUCH a game changer as far as giving the general public much more CHOICE in the kind of media they experience. As a writer, a reader, a parent, this is important to me, and I know I’m not alone.
And any discussion on BookTube cannot forever avoid the elephant in the room: The overwhelming majority of content creators on this platform do not review indie titles. If it’s small press or an individual author, a very, very large number of BookTubers will not go near it. We remain tiny fish in a presently enormous pond (due to the over-saturation of the market I’ve whinged about before), and the fact partnerships between content creators and companies like Audible and Net Galley are further throttling our reach is so, so discouraging.
Again, I’m not sure I have the answer to any of this. Maybe we do simply start unplugging and touching grass more and seeing if there is a ripple effect. I want to take advantage of the tools technology has provided me to reach an audience I worried might never develop. But I am also one person fighting an uphill battle, and sometimes I have to step aside and let the boulder roll down the slope.
This is one of those times.
April 19, 2026
Time for Some Uncomfortable Truths about the AI Drama
By now, I’m pretty sure we all know I hate rage-baiting, and try to avoid getting sucked into bookish online drama. But recently something happened that caught my attention, with good reason — and it’s a topic we all should mull over a bit.
In case you have a rock of peace and sanctuary you like to crawl under when nastiness erupts in social media, I’ll summarize the incident: There was a forthcoming book release, entitled “Shy Girl,” a trad pub reworking of an originally self-pubbed manuscript, by an author called Mia Ballard. The release has since been cancelled, the author’s contract gone, and possibly the careers — of more than a few people — are in question. The cause: Somebody at Hachette Group (the publishing house that had acquired Ballard’s work) determined significant portions of the manuscript was created through generative AI. Because Hachette is one of the few big trad pub companies left giving the impression they really don’t like AI, the release was axed, and so were business dealings with Ballard. On the surface, this could seem like a win for actual human authors.
But. The twist: Ballard claimed the changes made to her book were at the hands of an editor, and that individual was who ran the text through an AI program. The editorial staff of course deny this, and my guess is the court cases for this upheaval are only just beginning.
Here’s why we need to pay attention to the counter-claim: The fact is, many editing teams do use GenAI. In the days right after this matter became headline news, a lot of former and current publishing staff admitted they either were instructed to do so, or they chose to, because it makes their job easier and faster.
Now, before you leap all over the editors, keep in mind: Working for tradpub these days sucks. Pay is bad; hours are long; morale is low. A lot of contracted authors are, in fact, stuck-up jerks who believe their opinions are superior to others’ thoughts, and are a pain in the ass to the person just trying to correct their typos. Teams of ghostwriters are regularly employed for all manner of genres and series, to keep up with the demand for “new and trendy” reading BookTok has created, so there’s a huge amount of work being given to a very few in-house editors. Release schedules, and therefore deadlines, are intense. Editors are tired, and in the last few years, many have either gone to small presses, or left the industry completely (my guess is to herd goats in Nepal, and I can’t really blame them).
I could say a dozen things here that’s been repeated for the past several months, by reviewers and vloggers and just people who like to read; but what it comes down to is this: Money has become the god of publishing, and it’s at the loss of quality. We’re officially in an age where now no one is hiding what drives the actions, and our worst fears about what it means for the integrity of an entire field have been realized.
AI isn’t going to produce books soon; it has been, probably since the start of the pandemic. Supposedly, the internet was going to kill long-form reading; but then we were all told to stay home and avoid going out in public for three to six months; and online book clubs exploded. Books could be delivered to your house in a box; you could read them by yourself but then go on TikTok or Instagram or Goodreads to share your thoughts; it was a good model for the circumstances.
However, the flip side of that was: Many publishing employees were let go, due to several pandemic reasons. Many people passed away, and therefore wouldn’t be returning to the work force. Some found a calling in a new occupation. And a lot of new readers, once travel restrictions were lifted and they had much more choice in how they were spending their free time, actually stopped purchasing books.
Who was still around? The new influencers on social media, who liked that they could spend 20 minutes filming a vlog about the latest Sarah J. Maas novel and get a bunch of views and shares. (But, how many of those views and shares come from bots? That’s another can of very slimy worms.) Anyway, because influencing (across so many industries, let’s not pick on publishing here) has now become an established business in its own right, we are presently stuck with the GenAI machine churning out mega-tons of slop to keep the 1% of “readers” sated.
It’s been coming to this point. What changed with the “Shy Girl” case, though, is that now, many human readers are aware of the truth. Of just how entrenched AI is in publishing. Of how fake a lot of books are anymore. Of the fact a lot of “authors” are groups of ghostwriters assigned a singular pen name by a PR management firm.
And that this has all been happening right under our noses.
AI bots programmed to produce something that passes for a book have been allowed to upload “new releases” to Amazon for years now. Formula-driven genres — murder mysteries and rom-coms, for example — are stupidly easy to copy and paste and slap a slightly adjusted cover on (“Tangerine was the biggest background shade last year, so let’s do cerulean this season”). It’s no coincidence you feel like you’ve read the same story in 10 “different” books in the past 18 months — it’s because you have.
Even self-publishing isn’t free from this plague; there are numerous (and I mean numerous) “indie authors” who don’t in fact create their own worlds and characters; they edit old Wattpad and Tumblr fanfiction and change names and job titles of characters invented by somebody else, and then claim to have “been inspired” by these established series, and cash in for their 15 minutes of fame and, well, cash. So many of the titles people base their fanfiction on aren’t even in the public domain; so this is flat-out plagiarism.
But this shit is also insanely popular right now, so it can be found in digital stores and often getting picked up and re-released by a trad imprint, and retired authors who have already made their millions apparently don’t care, so there are never consequences, and the whole damn, twisted cycle keeps going.
Are there publishers and editors that refuse to use AI? Absolutely. Will they be the last standing bastion against the erosion of standards and preservation of art in the industry?
We don’t know yet. It’s true, and a little scary.
I have a big feeling the rest of this story is totally yet to come. I truly believe “Shy Girl” was just the tip of the iceberg.
April 9, 2026
I Am Going to Find the Bright Side
In case you haven’t noticed, everything’s a bit of a mess these days. Including stuff we used to turn to for comfort, like books. It seems no matter where you turn, there’s yelling about books being pirated, AI ruining publishing, authors turning on each other, readers turning on authors, readers and authors being at one another’s throats, all new books being bad, people stealing content, libraries in decline, readership in decline, and (of course!) the evil of prologues. Those of us just wanting to find a fun new title feel bombarded on all sides (by mobs with torches and pitchforks, no less). You can’t simply scroll social media anymore, because you’ll be overwhelmed within minutes by “hot takes,” “unpopular opinions,” and sponsored not-reviews-rather-paid-endorsements for the same 5 flavors of the month. It isn’t just frustrating — it’s soul-consuming levels of toxic negativity.
And I have decided I am DONE with it.
And I am not going to opine all the complaints I have about all the other complaints that apparently the rest of the entire world has regarding books. At this moment, that would be utterly defeating my purpose.
I need something POSITIVE.
I need to remember what I love about reading, about writing. What sparks that fizz of delight in my chest as I open a book I know I’m going to love. I want to get out my notes for my next project without constantly second-guessing and doubting myself and my skills and craft. I need those plot bunnies stirring to life in my heart, nudging their furry paws into the edges of my soul, whispering, “What if these two ended up together?” and “What if she doesn’t take that job?”
And I am going to FIND it.
Step One: Adjust my YouTube algorithm.
As anybody who uses YouTube is aware, you watch one video in a certain category, your recommendations list gets slammed with similar channels and creators. Most of my feed is gaming videos or movie reviews, which is my preference. But I made the mistake recently, of searching up a book not-review (unknown to me at the time) podcast, and quickly discovered that too many of the current reading vlogs are 90% the toxic crap I mentioned above.
I was about to start throwing things when, miraculously, a channel called Plant Based Bride crossed my feed. This is the most well-balanced book reviewer I have ever seen. She doesn’t talk like a squirrel on crack, or drone on in a total monotone. She blanks out stronger swear words, and covers adult content in a professional manner. She personally chooses all her reading selections, and has concrete, logical reasons for why she does or doesn’t like something. I have no idea how this woman feels about prologues! I only heard her mention a sponsor once, and it was a company that has nothing to do with publishing, so I believe her 5-star choices are genuine.
This is the only literary-related media I need to be consuming right now.
Step Two: Stop using the library for a while.
Before you come at me: There are astoundingly good reasons for this decision.
My local library is under new management. The catalog is not what it once was. The buying parameters are rather different from when I worked there. The titles/genres I am interested in are, presently, mostly only available at other system libraries. And, yes, I can search the online catalog and place requests; but I’ve been doing that for a while now, and honestly, I’m worn out. The book sounds great, I put a hold on it, it arrives, I go down to the building, cart the arrivals back to my house, start reading, get distracted, don’t finish titles before the due dates, rush to return them all to the drop box at dusk on a Sunday… Rinse, repeat… You get the idea.
This method is not working for me right now. I’m not enjoying what I read, or even absorbing enough of it to really feel engaged. It is much healthier to spend 20 minutes browsing in the new local bookstore, examining the cover up close, flipping through a few pages, innately feeling “nah” or “ooh, yay!”. It resembles treasure hunting, much more than crossing a task off the to-do list.
Hence, I have started making a small collection of system discards and Little Free Library offerings, and even a few new releases, and I will get to them when I get to them.
Step Three: Stay in my comfort zone.
There are absolute benefits to trying new things. I do highly recommend it. But there are also definitely moments to just relish where you’ve landed. I feel like this is one of those times for me. I know what I like. “Branching out” doesn’t have to happen right now. It’s all right if I don’t attempt at least one title from every single subgenre of every single category I enjoy. I can skip authors I’m unsure about. I’m old now, I don’t have to be jumping on all the hype wagons.
This is another reason I’m taking a hiatus from library use. It’s too easy to swipe that card and get a crap-ton of books and bask in the glow of it being free. I just check out all kinds of shiny covers — and inevitably get let down by many of them. Taking a bit to do my research on the tropes and themes and even possible spoilers will actually bring me closer to personal fulfillment. Imagining a boundary or physical obstacle between my comfort zone and that physical shelf display — and inwardly weighing the factors before walking out of a space with objects in hand — will make me feel more satisfied.
Quality over quantity.
Step Four: Accept the things I cannot change.
This is, realistically, going to be the hardest. Since I started blogging and attempting to launch my author career a mere 8 years ago, SOOO much has changed in the sphere of reviews and reading and writing. It hurts, no lie, how disrespectful many people are now in social media and among the communities that should be lifting up, for example, indie authors. I owe 95% of my sales, my marketing, my very existence as a self-publisher to the friends I made through these forums and platforms. Watching all the various groups tear each other down and gatekeep and shut out writers who have done nothing wrong except disagree with them (the dreaded prologue!) is just heartbreaking.
It means I’ve lost touch with a lot of people who I knew were in my corner, but, for their own health, had to step away from being online. I understand their decision, and I support it, since they were kind to me and I only wish them well. But it’s also tricky for me as an individual, who now feels more alone in an increasingly hostile space. I’m having to learn which newcomers to the scene to trust, who to keep my distance from, and how to determine the difference. And do all of this without seeming too standoffish or someone not worth interacting with. None of it is easy! Navigating whether accounts are bots, what’s engagement bait and what’s important to respond to, being able to stand up for your principles (sometimes against a lot of outright hate), can take an emotional toll.
I do miss certain acquaintances, and some of the losses still sting. But, I’ve been here for 8 years, and a lot of these whippersnappers (uh-oh, “old” alert!) sprang on the TikTok and Instagram trend trains about 3 hype cycles ago. So, here’s to outlasting them, and being around (as the seasoned mentor) when the Reading As A Business bubble bursts and normalcy returns.
(It’ll happen. I’m calling it now.)
March 22, 2026
Why I Can’t Read Epic Fantasy Anymore
For the last several years, I’ve really been struggling with the resurgence in epic fantasy. It was never my favorite subgenre, but some authors/titles I’ve honestly enjoyed, and I won’t automatically pass on an epic fantasy. But now I can’t take it anymore. I’m done with these works for the foreseeable future. And here’s why:
In March of 2026 A.D., if I can open an epic fantasy novel printed less than 12 months ago, and, on page 2, be reading about a setting where the female main character has to walk behind her male relatives, not make eye contact with male authorities, not speak to anyone else unless they speak to her first…then I don’t want to read it, full stop.
WHY, in the year 2026, do WOMEN authors choose to write about stifling patriarchies that inflict injustice and suffering on the common people? WHY, in a world that supposedly has been put together via imagination, would the preference be to establish sexism, racism, classism, and ableism as thriving practices??? WHY wouldn’t you just, oh, I don’t know, NOT HAVE ANY OF THAT BULLSHIT IN THE WORLD YOU MADE UP?!
I am SO TIRED of seeing our present day problems regurgitated in settings that, according to the guidelines of the genre, don’t have to resemble the world we live in now. I read for escape, for enjoyment, and for hope; I literally don’t give a damn what political ax an author has to grind. If it’s important to you to have a certain message in your story, there are valid creative writing ways to do that without stomping around on a soapbox.
I tried to make this point on social media, and immediately got shot down by someone claiming I “didn’t understand the need for these obstacles so that it can show character growth.” Er, excuse me?? Reading comprehension, much? Why in the hell would we “need” a female character to be oppressed for her to experience growth? That right there is one of the most sexist remarks I could’ve imagined getting on the topic — and EXACTLY what I’m talking about (oh, and it came from someone who does not identify as male, by the way).
I went on to explain that I find it extremely frustrating for the story to be set in a world where this is the system, that I don’t think it’s necessary to keep beating the dead horse of Epic-Fantasy-Must-Be-Like-1500s-Europe. Why can’t we have new publications in the genre ruled by matriarchies, with nobody caring if you get married or who to, and make the religious and governing institutes kind and helpful? The sad truth is that these things aren’t quite reality in the present, so why not have that be the case in a fiction that may also embrace the existence of magic and mythical creatures? There are still lots of ways to create conflict for the characters to tackle and overcome.
And for the perfect example, we need look no further than the archetype itself, The Lord of the Rings.
Yes, this saga is set against the backdrop of a Very Big War waged by a Very Evil Dude — but already Tolkien is swiping his brush broadly. We have no idea who Sauron voted for in the last election; we know he’s bad because he’s randomly killing people who never did anything to him and destroying lands that don’t belong to him and deciding he’s going to be in charge of places that were doing just fine on their own. Tolkien said he hated allegory, that he never had specific individuals in mind when he created characters; it’s pretty clear Sauron is your generic Bad Guy Doing Bad Things. This is precisely how the reader can A) agree the villain is the villain, and B) put that to one side so they can focus on the Fellowship and get closer to them, as they are the heart of the story.
And, yes, the Fellowship are soldiers in this Very Big War, but they are also Just People Wanting Normal Things. Legolas and Gimli are there to provide support for their own kind and for what they fear is a vanishing way of life. The hobbits are truly there to hold up their bro. Frodo does not want to be the chosen one. Gandalf, the sage mentor, is scared. Boromir and Faramir have daddy issues up the ying-yang. Aragorn is nowhere near as worried about maybe becoming King of Middle-Earth as he is of probably losing the love of his life.
And, since it’s what started this whole rant, yeah, let’s talk about the women in LOTR. Across the Shire, into Rohan and then Gondor, yeah, we get the idea most of the women are living domestic lives. But this is just accepted as how Middle-Earth goes; there’s never any indication that females are treated as inferior because of their roles. Even then, there are absolute exceptions — and how those exceptions are portrayed makes all the difference. Galadriel is totally high-ranking among the elves; she’s been to battle, she’s kicked ass; yes, she has a husband, but she’s definitely in charge at Lothlorien. Arwen is more than fine letting Aragorn go be a Ranger and go into war and do King things, not because her place is behind him, but because she knows he is The Hero and that he’s got this.
And we cannot forget the biggest sister of them all, the Shield Maiden of Rohan, Eowyn.
Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden, and he wants her to be Queen of Rohan if he doesn’t survive the war. She wants to ride with the Rohirrim to Godor for the Final Battle; Theoden instructs her to stay behind, not one bit for misogynistic reasons. He knows she’ll be a great queen, and he’s desperately hoping his army can secure this future for his people; he tells her to stay away from the battlefield to stay safe, so that she’ll still exist to take over his reign. The irony is that, when Eowyn disguises herself as a soldier and sneaks into the battle, she ends up slaying the Witch King, the formidable leader of the Nazgul — and her greatest weapon is the fact she’s a woman.
We all know the movie scene I’m talking about:
The Witch King:”You fool, no man can kill me!”
Eowyn (pulls off helmet): “I am no man!”
(She skewers the bastard on her sword and he literally implodes.)
HELL, YEAH.
Tolkien never stands on a single soapbox to reach this moment. Eowyn is just A Person, struggling with the fact her country is under attack. Her goal is not to become a heroine; rather her biggest hope is simply for survival, and for the return of peace. We celebrate Eowyn’s triumph because we’re connected to her as a character — not what she might stand for politically.
This brings us back to my original point: Writers can make pretty big statements without turning their fiction into a list of the topics to avoid at Thanksgiving.
And, again, why would you WANT to drown in all of that devastating hell, anyway?? Isn’t creating a story supposed to be fun?? Wouldn’t you rather revel in the idea that you can come up with a world that’s cool and characters that give your readers joy and hope??
We don’t NEED more trauma porn of Every Single Terrible Thing Happening To The Main Character, the subtext yelling, “All men are bad! All religion is bad! All governments are evil!”, wrapped in a pretty cover (that was probably designed by generative AI — not sorry!).
We CAN and DO dream of a better future for humanity. Why don’t we start by putting it on the page? Where are the kind and noble queens (who don’t shit on the female citizens that feel most confident decorating their cottages and teaching their children to sew)?Where are the male dwarves who just want to chill in their woodshop (after showing their daughters how to forge a sword)? Where are my gender-swapped clergy — priests and monks going to care for the sick, and warrior nuns taking out the orc horde?
Why can’t the conflict be not the world’s system itself, but a good old-fashioned dragon invasion, or a zombie outbreak, or a massive earthquake releasing a ton of sandworms? Again, isn’t it fantasy??
Isn’t anything possible?
February 21, 2026
Why All the Drama?
Is anybody else just a little…confused about why book communities are so overloaded on drama about the small things lately?
Oh, no, I’m not talking about the likes of Team Edward versus Team Jacob (you know which hill you chose, admit it!). I mean, how long should books in each genre be, whether first person or third person POV is “better,” and…prologues.
Yup, that’s right: The reading and writing social media forums are currently losing their minds about…if a novel has a prologue.
Somehow I missed the original discussion, but a few weeks ago, I became aware of an ongoing debate, the subject of which is, basically, that prologues should not be allowed to exist.
Now, as an author who (*prepares to dash across the moat into the castle and pull up the drawbridge*) includes a prologue in 95% of her books, I was honestly made a little nervous by the level of absolute hatred some people have for this literary technique.
I don’t think I’ve seen folks so upset about a cultural preference since customers were fighting over if Furbies are adorable or cursed. (Furbies are 110% cursed, by the way.)
I mean, it’s just a prologue. Usually 5 or 10 pages at the beginning of the novel, passing on some backstory or exposition to the reader in a method the author found fun to write, and necessary for the story. I’ve seen some pretty intense comments on the matter, including people declaring, “THIS IS WHY THE START IS CALLED CHAPTER 1!”, and a fair amount of readers proudly announcing they skip the prologue, or that they won’t even purchase a title that has a prologue. (Yikes!)
Then of course you have the other side, plenty of folks running to the defense of the prologue and authors who use them. Yes, I was glad to see lots of readers that don’t mind or even like prologues, and were shocked at the idea of skipping them, or even worse, outlawing them.
But my takeaway from this whole encounter was that…it’s a bit, well, silly to get that enraged over something so…not worth all the energy.
I mean, the last time I flipped out that much over a book, it was because the ending just seemed completely nonsensical and ruined the character arcs and made me feel I’d wasted my time getting attached to the tale. Certainly my hackles were never raised by the fact there was storytelling prior to Chapter 1.
This community is no stranger to some sort of drama. (I was around for the finales of Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter; I know how intense it can get.) But, when did we go from “She should have ended up with Jacob!”, to “I don’t give a crap what your characters’ traits are or what your plot is even about, because you’re doing it WRONG by including a prologue.”
Just, what the bananas is that?
I don’t even know where this kind of thinking is coming from. Is it another thing we can blame BookTok for? Are trendy readers so expectant of a particular formula that anything going even slightly away from “the way it’s done” totally shatters their sense of order and balance in the universe?
Yeah, that remark might seem a little absurd. Though, I have to say…how these people are acting is pretty absurd.
Seriously, are they five years old? Why are they so incapable of accepting that there are many various ways to write fiction, and that’s ALL RIGHT? Not every method will vibe with every person, and THIS IS OKAY, TOO. Just because you don’t like something, it is NOT cool to demand nobody ever participate in it, ever. That’s simply immature, selfish, and ridiculous — especially when we’re talking about genre fiction.
So, just…get over yourselves, folks.
And leave the prologues alone, okay?
I’ll be here in my dragon-defended castle, writing seventeen zillion of them.
December 21, 2025
Long Overdue Reviews!
Happy holidays! Or…if you’re not feeling it (neither am I!), happy NFL-playoff-qualifying-games weekend!
I realized I probably won’t post again before we get deep into festive and seasonal real life stuff, and that this year I haven’t really done a lot of, er, actual reviews (gasp! isn’t this primarily a reviewer’s blog?!), so, time to remedy that!
Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews
Sooo…errr…yeah, I finished this over a year ago. Ahem. And I am personally acquainted with the author. A-hem. My profound apologies in that regard! This title took the YA horror/dark academia scene by storm, and has been a big hit for this feral child (yes, I can refer to the author this way and {probably} not get in trouble). Drews was a long-time fixture on the blogging scene (back when blogging was big), and in 2019 their YA contemporary novel The Boy Who Steals Houses stole the hearts of readers. In 2024, their new release, Don’t Let the Forest In, sprouted evil vines that dug into our souls and made us terrified to go near a boarding school, or a tree, again.
This is the tale of Andrew, a very introverted, socially awkward student at a prep school in suburban Virginia, and his roommate, Thomas…whose parents are brutally murdered right before the start of the new school year. (Yup, no punches pulled, and we’re into the thick of it right away.) Thomas and Andrew had previously been collaborating on a sort of dark fairytale, Andrew writing and Thomas illustrating (some of these illustrations are included in the special edition of the book I got, and they are appropriately creepy and fascinating). It turns out that Thomas’ drawings appear to be coming to life, and lurching out of the forest behind the school, and attacking people — possibly including Thomas’ parents, and then teachers and students. As the mystery deepens and the terror builds, Andrew begins to realize whatever dark force is at work in the woods may be out of their control and unable to be defeated by the increasingly worried (and targeted) boys.
This story is not for the faint of heart; in fact, as much as I am blown away by Drews’ masterful atmosphere and weaving of immersive prose, I wouldn’t just recommend it to anybody. If you enjoy unreliable narrators, merciless plot twists, and can survive a tremendously messy ending, then you’ve found your book. XD But otherwise, be forewarned…
(Seriously, though, Don’t Let the Forest In is a great horror novel.)
Stephen King’s On Writing
Yes, last year (yupppp, I knowwww) I finally read what’s considered one of the premiere modern guides for authors, after hearing about it for quite a while. This combination memoir-trade/craft advice was initially published early in the 21st century, and has since been reprinted in a couple of newer, updated editions; I read the most recent update, released in 2021, I believe.
While I am, of course, familiar with Mr. King (I mean, I don’t live under a rock), I wouldn’t call myself a fan; I appreciate his ability to connect so deeply with his readers, across several decades, no less, and I have enjoyed a few of his works. But, I saw no reason to spend time on his advice for writers; I mean, yeah, seeing as he’s such a seasoned professional in the industry, I certainly wasn’t knocking On Writing existing; just, what would be its significance for me?
Then, last summer, when I was using a gift card to acquire some (bookish) items, and needed just a little more to secure free shipping, I saw a more recent King publication come up in the sidebar, and remembered the many praises sung of On Writing. Hence, I read it, after all. Spoiler: I liked it.
The poignant and heartwarming tone as King reminisces how he met his wife and their early years, when their kids were young and he was struggling to sell anything; the professor-y (but in a good way) feel as he delivers his advice (from textbooks and from trade life) on honing a craft that, hopefully, will become an art; the inclusion in the latest edition of an interview with one of his sons (who’s also an author), showing some insight into how the kids perceive his methods and having a dad who, to others, is A Famous Writer; it’s all wonderful and interesting and informative and hope-building. I’m not a trad pub, but I didn’t feel put off or marginalized as an indie; so much of what King suggests we do, or relates has worked for him, can totally apply to all sorts of creatives. It does deserve the hype.
Deathless by Stephen Todd and Anthony LaFauci
Next up is an indie comic series (they’re up to issue 3 now) by my boys at the We Have Issues podcast. I was lucky enough to get in on the Kickstarter pack that included all 3 and the chance for special requests (mine was, if possible, a signature from Todd’s pet husky; it wasn’t very possible, unfortunately, XD, as the doggo in question objected to using ink — there’s one half of a paw print on the back of one comic, though).
Anyway, Deathless is the story of Douglas, a very ordinary guy who has a very boring job, and is just plodding along in his mundane life, when some of his friends awaken an ancient evil being and absorb its supernatural powers. The spirit of the hero who in the past fought this evil is also awakened, and lands in Douglas, who is completely unprepared for this, and struggles to keep up as he’s thrust into medieval knight mode.
In typical Todd-LaFauci fashion, Deathless mixes danger and action with humor and those moments that really make you sit and blink at the wall for a bit. On the surface, yes, it’s a tale of an ancient evil and a misplaced knight and an unwilling chosen one; but it’s also, at its core, about friendship, adulting, navigating change, and finding yourself and what’s worth fighting for.
The Adventure Zone by the McElroy family
This is a series of graphic novels based on a podcast by a bunch of siblings and one of their parents, in which they ran a D&D style campaign with original characters. Catching up on the GN has been one of my favorite things this year. I’d never heard of the podcast, but I know enough about TTRPG that I hoped the subject matter would prove engaging, and it certainly does. Following the adventures of Magnus (human warrior), Taako (elf wizard), and Merle (dwarf cleric) as they explore their skills and level up, taking on increasingly more dangerous and complex missions, is just what this moth needed right now.
KPop Demon Hunters
This movie was an outstanding surprise. I had low expectations (it’s a Netflix original, after all, and we all know how that can go), and initially turned it on just to see how bad it might be (ha!). Within 20 minutes, I was glued to the screen and totally invested in the outcome. You don’t have to be into K pop (believe me, I am not) or know much about anime tropes. The graphics and effects are amazingly beautiful, the songs true pop anthems, the premise feels so authentic being played out by an all Korean-American voice cast, and I WANT THE CAT AND THE BIRD. Ahem. THAT ENDING…the message of how the bonds we forge can be more powerful than we ever imagined, feels so right in a time of audiences being worn down by insta-love wins and The Hero Must Go It Alone. Despite the embarrassment it doubtlessly has heaped on our kids, I am proud to be among the moms and dads singing our lungs out when Golden comes on the radio.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
Definitely not a cheesy monster flick, this version of Mary Shelley’s classic is pretty authentic to the original text, and at points pretty gross (consider what the creature was actually made of, folks). If you prefer the cheese of lightning strikes, neck bolts, and Mr. Big Shoe Grunts While Shuffling, you may want to avoid Del Toro’s newest. This director’s work is traditionally hit or miss for me (I do not do most horror, especially not intense gore and the more bizarre, which he is occasionally known for), but I love his Hellboy films and the wonderful animation The Book of Life. And this Frankenstein…is a masterpiece. It so captures the intended discussion on whether Victor Frankenstein is playing God, what moral responsibilities and dilemmas could arise, and how, or if, redemption might occur, and what that — as well as justice for those sinned against — looks like. Del Toro insisted on as little CG as possible, had 90% of the sets and props constructed, and the difference matters — everything looks so cinematically satisfying, and I greatly appreciate his commitment to art over profit.
Wednesday (Season 2)
I…have problems with this. I like the way the main actors seem to have settled into their roles; I honestly love Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, and having Billie Piper as a season regular and Lady Gaga in her own scene was enjoyable. However. There are lots of things about this season that…simply don’t work. YouTuber Alex Meyers hit the nail on the head about the less-than-impressive scripts and plot holes, but what wore me down was the repetitive feel to every episode. All the things from season 1 that engaged viewers — Wednesday has visions, there’s a Hyde, Enid isn’t a typical werewolf, there are sirens, here’s some teen angst but supernatural, Wednesday hates everybody, nothing is what it seems… it all feels…recycled. Morticia and Gomez are keeping secrets from their kids. Uncle Fester’s appearance is like an afterthought. Enid’s twist, and Thing’s, were not necessary, in my opinion. Again, where be Lurch? Why don’t we learn anything new about the various creature groups, or dig deeper into the lore of Morticia’s family? Like, hello, show runners, you got Lady Gaga to portray an ancestor of Wednesday’s maternal lineage, and…just let it fade away?! And after the season finale, the impression is left that any further episodes will be the same rinse and repeat formula that we’ve already seen. That I am not in the mood for.
Only Murders in the Building
Thanks to Muffin wanting to watch a few things on Disney Plus, I occasionally pay for a month of the Disney/Hulu bundle. This also meant that I was able to watch Only Murders in the Building, which had been (for budget-conscious me) a sort of mythical Hulu original that lots of people gushed about, but was not available for my household. Even having to sit through the ads (to get the cheapest option) was well worth it to indulge in this absolutely charming mystery. The chemistry between the three leads is undeniable; the dynamic of the parental-adult child feel between Charles and Oliver and Mabel is so heartwarming. Some of the guest stars haven’t been my favorites (Meryl Streep is always hit or mess for me), but some of them have (Tina Fey and Jane Lynch were delightful). I like that each season focuses on a different mystery, that there are plenty of red herrings to keep us guessing along with the characters, and that there’s growth for each of the leads. This is a show unafraid of messing with the typical (tired) formula for amateur detectives, and it’s refreshing. Yes, there are certain things we want to see every season; but there are always new things, too, so we’ll be comfortable but not get bored. Thank God.
All right, there we are! Cheers to making it to the end of my ramblings! Have a great holiday season, everyone!
December 18, 2025
The Importance of Using Your Head
I may be about to get in a lot of trouble. Well, never really stopped me before, has it? And since some things need to be said, well…here we go.
I feel like people don’t know how to use their heads anymore.
Now’s the time to pull a Dave Barry moment, and follow up this comment with, “What I’m saying is: People are getting stupider. Just kidding! I didn’t mean that!”, when, in fact, that is exactly what he meant.
I’m not talking about lack of available information, nor the absence of resources to access it. (The internet has — seriously — become an excellent tool in that regard.) I’m referring to the apparent inability of a great amount of the human population to apply active thinking skills.
Example A: Why are so many people shitty drivers these days? They seem so focused on just following the rules they were taught in high school, so that they don’t get a ticket, that they actually cause accidents by not being able to switch gears in a sudden, unanticipated, or emergency situation that requires them temporarily suspending that mindset. The other day, I had to stop in my tracks while trying to park (and get out of the way of other traffic) because a driver had just halted their vehicle in the middle of the lot, preventing many other folks from backing out or pulling around them. No rhyme or reason to it that I could see. After I (almost frantically) yanked my steering wheel to position my car over to the edge of the lot, the other driver drove past me like nothing was wrong. Just…WHAT?!?!
The only thing I could think of was that this person was about to leave the lot when they saw me entering, and…instead of being able to think, “Oh, okay, they’re coming in from that lane, so I should go this way”…they literally just stopped. Again, actually creating the very sort of scenario that could have led to unnecessary problems.
Example B: Everybody knows I’m no fan of current BookTok trends ruining the publishing market. But there are other problems tied to the rise of books becoming a highly profitable (above all else) industry. One is that reading comprehension is at an astounding low (at least in this country). I directly blame the advertisers throwing insane amounts of cash at 20-something bimbos (yup, and you can’t change my mind) to go on camera and gush, “Omg, you guys, this book was sooo good!” The actual readers — who genuinely enjoy this hobby, and will often slam this marketing tactic, even to the point of boycotting titles mentioned in this way — are starting to be very vocal about how obvious it is influencers either don’t read those books, or did not understand them.
I’m going to pick on Haley Pham here. I really enjoy Ryan Trahan’s (her husband’s) YouTube videos, so I tried watching her book reviews. I made it through about a dozen of them before I realized…this girl has the reading comprehension ability of a squirrel. She’d often say there were plot points or character motivations she couldn’t follow in certain books (generally, anything more complex than a contemporary rom-com), but she could never explain why these nuances escaped her. When you read or watch negative reviews that concretely state, “The character seemed to change their mind halfway through, without the author giving a reason for them doing it,” or, “The plot dragged until page 200, then there were impossible twists thrown in just to make it feel exciting,” that gives confidence the reader knows how to analyze what’s on the surface of the text.
(In this instance, Haley Pham is an excellent exhibit of why she’s a bad pick to be a book influencer: It turns out she’s a high school dropout, whose aim became making it big in social media, and she never really read much for enjoyment before marrying someone with millions of subscribers and having the opportunity to build her own channel on status alone. Ahem. A-hem. The ethical issues aside, it’s pretty clear no one who truly values reading as enrichment should take any recommendations from this woman.)
Anyway, here’s why reading comprehension is so important: Whether you ever pick up a single novel in your lifetime, you will need to understand what you read in legal documents, job-related paperwork, buying a car, a house, getting an extended warranty on your toaster, EVERYTHING that you might be accountable for throughout your life that is communicated to you through writing. My child’s co-parent struggles with this skill, and it very nearly got them into very hot water at work recently, because they signed a form that should not have been signed without first obtaining legal advice. Thank God I do have knowledge in such things, and I know how to help as this situation proceeds. But, bloody hell, what a near disaster.
Example C: In November I had to have surgery. (I’m fine, by the way.) The nurse at check-in was so intent on following procedure that she weighed me with my coat, boots, and bag, still on, which meant the number on my chart was easily 10 pounds higher than my actual weight — and that meant I was probably given too much anesthesia. It took me four days to fully come out from under the effects of sedation given to last an hour in the operating room. Either wait for me to get into a hospital gown before putting me on the scale, or do some quick math to allow for the fact fabric holds weight, too.
But too many people — even professional, well-trained people — only do what the textbook says. They’re too afraid of getting in trouble to risk doing the right thing for their customer/client/patient. I felt so blessed that the first available surgeon seemed very free-thinking from the first consultation; she reminded me of the teachers that used to say, “The only ‘dumb’ question is the one you don’t ask.” I was well-informed on how the operation would be performed, what side effects were considered normal, and what would be deemed an emergency, and what I should do about that. Someone with an MD after their name needs to be thinking on their feet.
That showed itself again when the anesthesiologist came into my pre-op space; he could tell that my anxiety and my small-boned body structure was possibly going to constrict my airways, so he did away with the (usual) idea of intubation (something that was definitely concerning me, because the last time I had surgery it tore my throat up and was very painful). I simply went through this operation with someone monitoring the oxygen mask secured over my nose and mouth. Much better.
You might be thinking, well, yes, that shows someone who’s really good and practiced at their job; but does that directly tie in with intelligence?
Yes, it does. It’s because this doctor was smart enough not just in training and experience but also in terms of empathy (which is, studies strongly indicate, a learned skill, not an innate one) to figure out what I needed without me having to ask for it. That, as a patient, was invaluable.
So, if people’s IQ is affecting their EQ…what does that mean for the future of society?
And…is there any way to regain the strides in IQ, and EQ, that civilization has made in recent decades?
I can’t help thinking that technology isn’t the problem here; AI becoming the default for processing our bill payments and ordering takeout isn’t making us less compassionate.
Somehow, in the 21st century, we’ve reverted to teaching people it’s perfectly acceptable to not care about each other, to treat those you disagree with like trash, to put your plans and objectives only into making money and being seen as successful (instead of, you know, finding a cure for all those shitty diseases out there, or something).
And, I’ll stand by it, my guess is that if people were using their heads more, they’d probably end up using their hearts more, too.
December 4, 2025
Everything’s Changing, and I Don’t Like It: Part 2
Given the state of, well *gestures vaguely at everything* presently, I’m sure everyone will grasp this sentiment. And I’m not just engaging in a huge session of whine; there’s enough of that out there right now. My goal with this post is to, in spite of all the natural grumblyness, to find the sense of comradery.
One of the biggest problems we’re facing as a community — specifically the bookish community, in this instance — is division and in-fighting over small, subjective matters (that never used to be a big deal!). How we’ve come this far — from being a bunch of nerds who collected pretty notebooks and checked the same titles out of the library 5 times, to people with our own websites and YouTube channels and thousands of followers on Instagram — was not by tearing each other apart over prologues. We bonded together about a shared love of the written word and storytelling, and introduced new friends to genres and formats and tropes we’d adored for years, and sometimes we had to agree to disagree, but the joint passion was still there.
That’s what we need to rediscover, and reapply.
Several years ago, when I first started in the blogisphere, there was…well, for one, there was such a thing as the blogisphere. A community of hundreds of hobbyist writers — and some of us with dreams to go bigger — that enjoyed discussing why we chose to read something and what we liked about it. The comments were so engaged, with the same, and different, opinions, and many of us learned about authors that would become our next favorite. Again, the sense of we’re all in this together.
Bit by bit, though, these blogs dropped off; some people told everyone they were quitting the pursuit, for a variety of reasons; but most just vanished, their websites either eventually being absorbed into the void, or still existing on a server’s archives somewhere, like a WordPress or Blogspot ghost. Even before the massive transition to video platforms for book reviews and writing thoughts, group numbers were diminishing; community splits occurred, and members either formed new factions, or went someplace offline. And in the years since that, we’ve entered this kind of bizarre, toxic new phase where You’re Evil If You Include Prologues In Your Book, Listening Doesn’t Count, and You Aren’t A Real Author If…
Apart from the fact I’m exhausted and a bit nauseated from it all, I’m stunned at the absolute audacity. Most of these people giving “industry writing advice” are half my age! I’ve spent nearly 30 years honing my craft and querying and submitting to magazines and contests and self-publishing, and then presenting seminars and workshops and joining a small press. Through it all, I’ve witnessed and participated in old-school, new-school, trends-for-now, hot-this-year, throwback-method-that. I’ve literally been around the block a few times and kind of know more than these arrogant whippersnappers. Ahem. Before I sound a little too grumpy old woman (uphill! both ways! in a foot of snow!), I do want to say: The point stands.
And I did not get where I am by tromping all over those in the community that were my early ARC reviewers, have interviewed me for their podcasts, have shared my social media posts, and supported my work — even if they prefer a different genre, only listen to audiobooks, or wouldn’t write a prologue themselves.
In what feels like a rather short amount of time (remember, I’m old, I get to say 8 years is the blink of an eye!), we’ve gone from, “I will defend till my last breath your right to self-publish your dragon-rider-witch’s-bakery mashup” to “I will END you because you dared to suggest my favorite trope is overdone.”
And…isn’t that…just a little much?
Not all that long ago at all, those of us who had struggled in the query trenches (for, yes, a substantial block of time) and decided there had to be a better way to get our stories into the world, wanted to even the playing field by creating more small presses and more safe spaces for indie authors. Our intention was to greatly reduce the gatekeeping, so that more writers, and readers, could win.
Now the gatekeeping is worse. There’s a very strong indication among the BookTok crowd that wisdom is not valued, that how and what and why you read itself has intrinsically changed, and “these dumb old people” (anyone over 35, apparently) “need to stop telling us to x, y, z.” The exact same folks that, were it not for us, the OGs — pushing for posting fanfic on Wattpad at 1 a.m. counting as practicing writing, and for audiobooks to be legit — may not have the authors/genres/titles that were produced by this shift in the publishing climate, that are the darlings of this new generation of readers and vloggers.
So, what are they so upset about?
I don’t often wallow in nostalgia, but in this aspect, I definitely feel we’ve lost something — I truly hope not permanently — that was very special and made a difference in a lot of lives. Since it directly impacts me, I’m going to keep doing my part to cultivate an environment where readers and writers — in general — feel welcomed and valued.
I can’t yet think about the possibility of the space for such a place just…not existing.
November 16, 2025
The New Outsiders
So, in the past several months, two new bookstores have opened in my real life vicinity. On the one hand, you could assume that I, a seasoned bookdragon, would be absolutely thrilled about this. And I truly wish I could be. Because, on the other, I have discovered that neither of these places makes me feel welcome.
What?! How!? I hear you cry. After all, yes, I’ve been at this authoring thing for almost 8 years, I’ve been reading and honing my love and appreciation of literature for much longer than that, and no, I’m not well-known, but my books exist on Barnes & Noble’s online catalog, and that is nothing to sniff at. So, why wouldn’t I feel included at a bookstore?
Well, let’s start with Store A. (I’m not in the business of public shaming, so everything here remains anonymous; the point is the behavior and the mindset.) Back when Store A first opened, they launched a website, newsletter, and social media page, insisting they wanted to reach out to the community and draw in readers, writers, and publishers. I signed up for the newsletter, filled out the contact form, and began following the social media feed. In about a six-week span, I had been unsubscribed from the emails (yeah, I know…), no one ever responded to my contact details, and their posts stopped showing up on my timeline.
At first, I was gobsmacked. I had literally never done anything to this place, never spoken to the owners, never even set foot on the premises. (I think I’d brought up the store in conversation with someone at a library program once, and it was neutral.) Whereas seeing those posts about upcoming events and author Q&A and publishing workshops at Store A initially gave me sparks of joy and excitement, now felt like huge doors slammed in my face, cold, stark, and baseless rejections that stung terribly.
But after a bit, I drew in many deep breaths, adopted a, “Okay, screw you, then” attitude, and moved on. Store B — whose opening had been delayed more than once — had finally started accepting customers; and, to their credit, they did get back to me (at first) about joining their schedule of planned author events. After my most recent experience, I tamped down my hopes (which is pretty soul-crushing in itself), and quietly prayed for the best.
In the meantime, I went to Store B and checked it out. I attended a couple of events. It felt…weird. …Yup, weird. The inventory was very limited. The space was quite small. Just navigating the crowd/chairs/tables/frilly decor to find an open two inches to stand and peruse the shelf you’ve spent 10 minutes trying to get to…only to find you’ve read 90% of them, and could easily obtain the rest from the library…and that all titles were full retail price…was not a satisfying time.
The other, big thing that jumped out at me about Store B’s stock was…not a single indie author. It was all big names, ones I easily recognized or was at least previously acquainted with. Initially, I applied the benefit of the doubt; after all, a brand new business wouldn’t have a huge catalog from every single spectrum of publishing right off the bat…Right…?
However, after attending the events, I knew, for certain, that there was a distinct bias towards trad pub and small presses being “more legit” than self-publishing. The astounding level of ignorance among the audience about how one might release a book (meaning, they were all convinced finding an agent was the ONLY way); and the flabbergasting level of arrogance displayed by authors (meaning, that was the ONLY way they accepted as proper) made me not-metaphorically nauseous. I was almost embarrassed that I’d ever reached out to this place.
(By the way, my contact with Store B went from sporadic to completely dropping off about a month ago. I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten all about me, and it is not a fun feeling.)
And here’s where I get to the crux of the biscuit and lay out the ugliness of it all: Bookstores need to stop playing these games. Indie authors are just as valid and important as trad pub. Readers who prefer indie titles are just as important and needed and as those who focus on mainstream releases. Indicating (however subtly) that one is superior to the other will drive a further wedge between the trad and indie camps. In about a decade, indie authors have gone from being seen as a serious contender in the industry to considered subpar, untalented hacks releasing vanity projects to stoke our ego. This damaging perspective will drive self-publishing dreams back to the dark ages — and for no good reason.
We’ve become, again, the outsiders in a field we thought we’d conquered. We indies find ourselves scrambling to hold onto the respect we thought was now guaranteed. When I first took the plunge and made a Nook Press account (and underwent the formatting nightmare for the first of many times), I received mountains of praise for my courage, and achievement. But bit by bit, I’ve seen the support fade for so many of us, the cheerleaders drift off, and the skepticism and cynical takes return, and it’s not okay.
I’m so tired of being the outsider.
October 7, 2025
What’s Happened to Publishing?
Good morning! Hopefully none of you forgot about me, seeing as I haven’t posted in, well, a while. But over the last several weeks, I’ve found myself really struggling with just what to discuss here. And that’s for a bunch of reasons, which I’ll go into in a minute.
I wasn’t even sure what to title this post. I went with publishing, because I mean reading, and writing, and distribution, and the fact how we read — and what’s considered “valid” publishing has absolutely changed in recent years — so my goal is to cover a lot of territory, pretty much all of it under the generalized heading of “books.”
If you’re into any of the hobbies/interests/pursuits I am, you’ll have noticed something in the last decade or so about books. Not all that long ago, if you enjoyed reading for fun, you just went to the nearest library and took out a few titles that seemed cool, read them, returned to the library, and rinse and repeat. It was fine; more than that, for many of us, it filled in parts of our souls; it helped us learn about other cultures, dream of societies that may one day come to be, and made us laugh or healing-cry in ways other activities or endeavors did not. A book that really resonates with us, that seems to speak directly to our heart, is an incredibly valuable thing.
But. Then. Reading became a trend. Entire websites were created out of thin air to encourage us to gush lovingly about the authors/titles we cherished; and, unfortunately, even more so, to whine and bitch and rage about the ones we definitely did not. And, after a lot of introspection on this topic, I’ve realized something very, very bad: Goodreads has become about tearing down those with differing opinions, rage-baiting us into huge shouting matches regarding style and genre and totally subjective things, like whether first or third POV is “better.”
It’s only the start of the whole big problem. Now more than at any other point in civilized history, so many people are literate, and have access to a variety of reading material — physical copies, digital, audiobooks, trad pub, indie, even fanfiction has basically settled in as an acceptable category. For maybe the first time ever, comics and graphic novels are counted as reading by a lot of the mainstream book culture. This should simply be a positive thing. But.
If you’ve been on any social media platform (and indeed, there are gazillions of those now, too) discussing reading or writing since about 2015, you’ll know exactly what I’m saying. The trend dictates that we argue: trad versus indie, literary fiction versus genre fiction, modern versus classic. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Prologues, yes or no? Which is better, series or standalones? Death to all the tropes! — except all the favorite tropes! And these hot-button topics have to include timely, relevant, and so-new-it-won’t-happen-till-an-hour-from-now points and remarks and perspectives straight off the Instagram and Tiktok accounts of influencers who (surely) read 4389 books last year.
And in the end, what will we accomplish? Does anybody actually change their mind on prologues, “not like the other girls,” trilogies, or whether audio counts? Mostly…they don’t.
This is not fun. It’s not beneficial. It’s dumb. And exhausting.
Being a reader in this kind of toxic environment (because, yes, it is toxic) is hard enough. Now imagine being a writer on the battlefield of BookTok and BookTube. Your work could be subjected to unfair criticism, based solely on what tropes it does, or doesn’t, include; what narration style you like to use; whether you employed enough of this season’s buzz words; and how comparable to other recent releases your blurb makes your novel sound.
This is, by the way, assuming every influencer or reviewer who received a copy of your publication will, in fact, read it. Because, it turns out, now that “books” is a trend — and “literature” solidly an industry — we’ve reached the level of social-media-famous people (who used to work in marketing or fashion or tourism) being paid to record a prepared 30-second synopsis of what a publisher tells them they should say about the book.
And, because so many people are consuming short-form content (because no one can afford TV anymore and newspapers and magazines are all going digital and making you pay a lot more for them), this is how a whole lot of folks find out about new releases, and that’s what they’re buying.
And then… People realize these books were either AI produced, or ghostwritten (possibly by several individuals using very different outlines), or that they were rushed through, and…the short version is, these books suck. Titles spend 2 weeks on the bestseller list, only to be tossed into thrift store donation boxes, crammed into Little Free Libraries, placed on dozens of shelves in charity shops and library sales. This is, ironically, now its own trend, with the industry showing no signs of learning from their mistakes and preparing to pivot away.
Amid this turmoil, indie authors and the small press have absolutely claimed their spot. Marketing is more genuine (since budgets are smaller). Yes, there are some self-pub folks who use AI to create their content and don’t see an issue with doing so; but many of us are firmly against that, and readers do notice, and appreciate, the difference in how a totally-human-authored title reads. We are — almost without intending — a vital part of the industry, since eventually (I do believe) sales for trad pubs will drop (maybe dramatically across another couple seasons), and more readers will push for libraries and brick-and-mortar stores to carry indie works. That’s already started.
So, seeing as it appears I’ve nailed the answer to the question, “what’s happened to publishing?”, why do I continue to pontificate and opine?
Because we are not yet through the storm. We are presently in the middle of it. Right now, authors’ careers can be ended in one week by a handful of BookTok snobs lacking reading comprehension. Agents are deliberately told to reject queries that “sound too original or not on-topic.” Bookstores that aren’t part of a chain won’t stock non-trad-pubbed works because they’re convinced sales will take a big hit. You may not be invited to bookish events depending on your genre, your target audience, or your determination not to bring specific cultural discussions into the literary space.
(It’s actually happened to me. Years ago I was cut out of an entire group of fantasy authors because I mentioned Biblical lore/history in my debut, but did not blatantly label my work as “Christian fiction.” My work isn’t Christian fiction; it’s told from a Western world POV that recognizes the commonality of that religion and its affects on lifestyle and society, while also using, as plot points, many other mythologies and ancient tales. Like Tolkien, I despise allegory; so there isn’t meant to be a religious theme or message woven into my writing. Those who don’t like that, well, tough; I won’t change what/how I write just to placate them.)
But. (Here’s where what I’m about to admit really stings.) When you get removed, or choose to remove yourself, from a writing/reading community, you end up even more “out of the loop” (indies always risk being “out of the loop” by virtue of not having a big publicity team behind us). And when one of your main goals is to reach readers (not to become rich and famous, but to simply share your work), not gaining social media followers is a huge obstacle.
We have to engage in feeding the beast, to achieve what we desire, even if the method of getting there makes our skin crawl. No, I don’t expect to earn a living from my authorship; but, holy crap, that’d be amazing if I could. I poured literal blood, sweat and tears into my books; I want them to find their niche and be appreciated. I suck at typical marketing — because I won’t try to make myself into something/someone I’m not. I have no issue hollering into the void, “Hey, do you like cozy fantasy with characters who are nice people and belong to a secret organization that know the truth about monsters and mythical creatures and are in control of a warehouse full of magical artifacts? Yeah? Read my books!”But I hate comping, I hate pitches (Canva’s stealing art now, too, so I refuse to even make a mood board), and my body dysphoria prohibits taking provocative selfies with printed copies. Could I be reaching more potential readers by feeding the beast? Sure, that’s always a possibility. However.
I need to be able to sleep at night, confident in the knowledge that I made professional choices that won’t tear apart the personal me. That comes before sales, every time.
Hence, we are, at the moment, in the storm between the past of publishing (which was, yes, more exclusive, but also made sense and produced some truly great literature), and the present…whatever this mess is.
So, to the inevitable: How do we get through it?
My recommendation is to use public libraries as much as possible. Read low-star reviews of popular new releases (yes, I just said that), and compare not only the critiques of different (non-paid!) posts, but also think about what you want from a book. Don’t fall for the hype train — don’t rush to buy a title that “everybody is loving.” Save your hard-earned money for a release that speaks to your heart (for example, as a late birthday gift to myself, I did splurge on a new science-fantasy inspired by one of my favorite classics — because the whole premise made my soul sing).
The saying goes that companies start to change the way they’re doing business when customers hit them where it hurts: in the wallet. If we buy less AI-generated rubbish, eventually publishers will catch on.
Buy more indie. Request indie titles be included in your library system, or at that little corner bookstore. Review indies on not just Amazon, but Barnes & Noble (I’m a Nook Press author!), Kobo, Google Books, and if you still blog, on your blog. If somebody asks you to recommend a new read, throw a small press offering their way.
And don’t forget, this isn’t an “us versus them” situation. Plenty of trad authors are living, breathing humans who write every single sentence on the pages that bear their name (shout-out to my friend CG Drews!). Lots of agents and editors want real, live humans submitting queries and entering contests. Many online anthologies or zines won’t accept anything made via AI. It’s about banding together for artistic and integrity, and to increase access to literature while maintaining a standard of quality.
Can we make it?
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