,
Brian Yansky

year in books

Brian Yansky’s Followers (139)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
Katy Up...
1,355 books | 761 friends

Britney
5,340 books | 713 friends

Tiffany...
0 books | 741 friends

Rebecca...
373 books | 1,685 friends

Melissa
1,362 books | 2,221 friends

Kathleen
1,856 books | 118 friends

Gwen Polk
1,673 books | 506 friends

Lisa
6,212 books | 2,350 friends

More friends…

Brian Yansky

Goodreads Author


Born
I live in Austin, Texas, The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore

Member Since
November 2009


I write supernatural horror suspense comedy (a mix of dark humor, quirky, silly humor and satire.), .

I love many kinds of stories. I especially love off-beat, quirky stories with unusual characters and settings that have a sense of wonder and humor.…Falling in love with stories saved me from a life of crime (I’m only sort of kidding; they did save me from something). A lot of my main characters are adopted. Like them, I was adopted. I seem to write often about identity. I live in Austin, Texas. I have no horses or cowboy hats. I do have a 125 pound sheep dog. I’ve taught college, been a bartender and waiter and am now a full-time writer.

I've had five novels traditionally published and something like fifteen independently published. My ind
...more

To ask Brian Yansky questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Brian Yansky When people ask what my one piece of advice would be to new writers, I always say get a dog. A dog makes you take walks. And walks are excellent place…moreWhen people ask what my one piece of advice would be to new writers, I always say get a dog. A dog makes you take walks. And walks are excellent places to think. And what you will think about it is often what you're working on--the first draft and many subsequent drafts and revisions and so on. The problems, the different kinds, encountered at all stages of writing will be worked on when you walk. So that would be my number one piece of advice. Get a dog. Very important.

My number two would be the tried and true-- which lives up to its billing both as tried (you can't be writer if you can't write--a pretty photo won't do it) and true--it just is--write and also read, which sounds kind of uninspired except that it is REALLY the best advice. Writers become writers by writing. They learn by writing. They learn by their mistakes and they figure out things and they become better. Reading helps. You have to read, but writing is #1 way to get better.

I wrote five novels before I was published. I wrote five novels where I was learning how to write. I thought they were good at the time. I loved writing them. But they weren't really very good. When I figured out why, little by little, I got better. I'm still working on getting better with everything I write.

I was looking at this youtube by Brandon Sanderson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pLdI...
Check it out for inspiration. He wrote 12 novels and hadn't made a penny off of them. He thought the first five were practice but he thought the sixth was very good and he felt like he knew what he was doing. He felt that way about the subsequent novels he wrote, too. But none of them were published. Finally, though, someone did agree to publish #6 which was called Elantris and it became a big hit. Now he's a bestseller.

We've all heard these stories. They're rare but what I like about Sanderson's is that he just kept writing. Twelve books. Whether you traditionally publish or publish independently, you still have to deal with finding an audience. That can be hard. A lot of it is random. A lot of it is luck. What you can control though is your work, your writing, your learning how to write better each book. So the simplest advice---keep writing--is still the best as far as I'm concerned. Write what you love and what you really want to write. Be aware that your writing isn't perfect and keep looking for ways to improve. You'll find your way and you'll love what you're doing.(less)
Brian Yansky He was pushed down the stairs and he died. As his spirit was pulled out of his body, he looked up and at the top of the stairs and saw the very last p…moreHe was pushed down the stairs and he died. As his spirit was pulled out of his body, he looked up and at the top of the stairs and saw the very last person in the world he would expect to see.(less)
Average rating: 4.1 · 10,699 ratings · 912 reviews · 40 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Librarian of the Haunte...

3.81 avg rating — 3,697 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Book ...

4.21 avg rating — 1,037 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Time ...

4.34 avg rating — 685 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Witch...

4.36 avg rating — 581 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Devil...

4.44 avg rating — 432 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Monst...

4.38 avg rating — 416 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Dark ...

4.38 avg rating — 405 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Knife...

4.28 avg rating — 395 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the Magic...

4.50 avg rating — 373 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Librarian and the New G...

4.48 avg rating — 328 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More books by Brian Yansky…

Foe Discovery Writers: Step 10, How to Build A Novel, The Second Draft

 Chapter 10: The Second Draft - Bringing the Story into Focus

With the major structural issues addressed, it's time for your second draft. This is often where your novel starts to feel like a real book rather than a collection of scenes.

The second draft is your opportunity to refine the entire manuscript with the incredible advantage of knowing the complete story. When you wrote the first draft, yo

Read more of this blog post »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 11, 2025 08:38
The Librarian of the Haunte... The Librarian and the Book ... The Librarian and the Time ... The Librarian and the Witch The Librarian and the Knife... The Librarian and the Monster The Librarian and the Devil
(12 books)
by
4.13 avg rating — 8,965 ratings

What Is Happening in Egypt,... What Will Happen in Egypt, ... Aliens, Hybrids, and Egypt,...
(3 books)
by
4.09 avg rating — 468 ratings

A True Story from a Paralle... The Detective And The Villa... Romeo Moon
(3 books)
by
4.11 avg rating — 401 ratings

Alien Invasion and Other In... Homicidal Aliens and Other ...
(2 books)
by
3.41 avg rating — 394 ratings

The Librarian After The Apo... The Librarian and The Monst...
(2 books)
by
4.46 avg rating — 195 ratings

More series by Brian Yansky…
No Stress Space E...
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Portable Door
Brian Yansky is currently reading
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
Bob's Saucer Repair
Brian Yansky is currently reading
by Jerry Boyd (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 

Brian’s Recent Updates

Brian Yansky wrote a new blog post

Step 8: It's Time To Revise, Discovery Writers. Where Do You Start?

 Chapter 8:  Revision (time to shift gears) : Evaluating Draft One/ Checking the structureCongratulations! You've completed your first draft. That put Read more of this blog post »
Brian Yansky is currently reading
No Stress Space Express by Jack Bodett
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky is currently reading
The Portable Door by Tom Holt
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky is currently reading
Bob's Saucer Repair by Jerry  Boyd
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky finished reading
In the Heart of the Fire by Dean Koontz
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky finished reading
The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie by Freida McFadden
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky is currently reading
The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie by Freida McFadden
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky finished reading
The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman
The Answer Is No
by Fredrik Backman (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky is currently reading
The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman
The Answer Is No
by Fredrik Backman (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brian Yansky is currently reading
Grave Talk by Nick Spalding
Grave Talk
by Nick Spalding (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
More of Brian's books…
Quotes by Brian Yansky  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“It takes less time for them to conquer the world than it takes for me to brush my teeth. That's pretty disappointing." Jesse from ALIEN INVASION & OTHER INCONVENIENCES.”
Brian Yansky

“You don’t mess with someone’s dog. You just don’t.”
Brian Yansky, The Librarian of the Haunted Library

“I’m pretty sure heroes don’t whine. They quietly endure cold, fireless nights. Further proof I’m no hero.”
Brian Yansky, Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Wild Things: YA G...: Reading Challenge #7 - Tasks & Discussion 90 152 Mar 28, 2011 06:36PM  
Wild Things: YA G...: Reading Challenge #7 - Report Points Here 480 222 Apr 14, 2011 09:58PM  
100 books in 2011 : Karis 114 76 Sep 07, 2011 10:48AM  
2025 Reading Chal...: Stephanie's Cozy Corner 119 152 Dec 31, 2015 10:42AM  
Aussie Readers: Discussion and New Releases! Do you love Young Adult Fiction? 412 735 Feb 28, 2019 06:28PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: March 2024 Series Finisher 64 37 May 03, 2024 02:01PM  
Children's Books: What "YA" books have we liked? 58 69 Jun 23, 2024 08:13PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: March 2024 SPELL - National Joe Day 90 57 Sep 01, 2024 12:25PM  
“It takes less time for them to conquer the world than it takes for me to brush my teeth. That's pretty disappointing." Jesse from ALIEN INVASION & OTHER INCONVENIENCES.”
Brian Yansky

25350 THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB — 6691 members — last activity Oct 11, 2025 08:20AM
ALL GENRE COMMUNITY OF BOOK LOVERS-Perfect for those interested in good books of any genre, film and lively discussion!- from current fiction, thrille ...more
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55110 members — last activity 1 hour, 11 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
69520 Chaos Reading — 2781 members — last activity Sep 04, 2025 09:01AM
For people who read an eclectic mix of books. We like variety, new experiences and intelligent, thoughtful, funny conversation. We like our shelves bu ...more
35559 Nothing But Reading Challenges — 26385 members — last activity 8 minutes ago
(click on image to go to discussion) We believe reading is fun and find unique and challenging ways to spread the love of reading. T ...more
31471 THE Group for Authors! — 12876 members — last activity Oct 08, 2025 12:26PM
This is a group for authors to discuss their craft, as well as publishing and book marketing.
3124 Urban Fantasy — 5150 members — last activity Oct 07, 2025 12:10PM
Urban fantasy is a subset of contemporary fantasy, consisting of magical novels and stories set in contemporary, real-world, urban settings--as oppose ...more
More of Brian’s groups…
No comments have been added yet.