Electric Speed is a biweekly newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. Sign up here.
A note from Jane
Early in my career I was interviewed for a prestigious position at a literary journal. The hiring manager was experienced and exuded cosmopolitanism, while I had spent most of my life living in rural Indiana.
The interview questions seemed laser focused on establishing how much of Indiana resided in me. Had I ever traveled abroad? Which cities and countries? What museums had I visited? Who were my favorite artists? (This question came before who my favorite writers were.) What shows or events had I attended recently?
I left the interview feeling small and ignorant, and also like it would be necessary moving forward to prove my worth to publishing despite my place of origin. I never said a good word about Indiana for years.
Twenty-five years later, it’s more apparent than ever my place of origin is a strength and differentiator. New York publishing’s perspective is a narrow one, sometimes diverse, sometimes not, and its tastes may or may not reflect what the rest of the country cares about.
Whoever you are, and whatever you’re pursuing, don’t allow the judgment of New York editors and agents to shape your worth.
Would you like guidance and support while writing your first novel? Join Reedsy’s novel writing course taught by author, editor, and creative writing instructor Tom Bromley. You’ll learn about writing craft, receive feedback on your work, and become part of a supportive community to help you stay on track. Get a free lesson when you create an account today.
Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)
Threadable: a social platform for readers
While I was in Chicago for a conference, I had a chance to meet with one of the founders of Threadable, an app that supports connections and conversations around the reading of books. It’s a little hard to describe in words, easier to understand if you browse their website. You can create conversation circles for specific books that are either private or public. Educators and book clubs leaders will find a lot to like here.
An unusual note-taking application
Would you benefit from having an ongoing conversation with yourself, in chat form, that you can save for later? Maybe while writing, editing, or revising? Take a look at Duck. It’s free.
The only workout series to secure an Emmy nomination
Now that 90-degree days have arrived, I’m spending a lot of time on the treadmill. Fortunately, I’ve discovered an outstanding video series called Everest: A Trek to Base Camp. It’s 18 sessions, about 30 minutes each, filmed on location in Nepal. And it was nominated for a Sports Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts & Science—the first time such programming has been so honored. The trek is led by three climbers who’ve all summited Everest. You can access it if you become an iFit user; here’s a little preview of what it’s like. (And if you enjoy that, next try the Bhutan series!)
An app for fitness coaches to use with clients
Continuing on the fitness theme: Mark and I have been working with a personal trainer who uses a mobile app, Trainerize, to create programs for clients and track progress. If you run a health and wellness business, it’s worth a look if you already have a steady and profitable business. (The app is not cheap—you pay to use it with clients; clients get the app for free.) One thing I just discovered is Trainerize allows you to search by location for service providers who use the app. Browse.
NEXT ONLINE CLASS
June 26: Writing & Pitching Hybrid Memoir in Today’s Market with Courtney Maum
If memoir is a story purely about your life and nothing else, then hybrid memoir is where personal journeys intertwine with academic, historical, or thematic exploration, offering readers not just a story, but a journey of learning and discovery. However, agents and editors don’t necessarily seek out “hybrid memoir,” nor will you find a shelf on a bookstore called “hybrid memoir.” But to entice a traditional publishing deal today, a memoir must offer something beyond the personal journey, and the “hybrid memoir” concept is a helpful way to think about how that can be done. This class will look at what your hybrid-or-not memoir needs to do today to find a readership, attract an agent or publisher, and succeed in the market.
In the last issue, I asked you to share the type of home printer that you love. Brother was definitely the favorite! Here’s a selection of what you said:
I do have a home printer that I love—a Brother DCP L2530DW. I print a lot as a professor and it is really great. —Alexandra Pauceanu
HP ENVY 7100 series: smooth operation (no paper jams), it’s an elegant little work horse. —Ruth Josimovich
A friendly and seemingly knowledgeable Staples employee said the Brothers come back for repairs less often, so so I made the switch [from HP] and now have the BrotherMFC-L2820DW. I’m really happy with it—fast, quiet, and able to print double-sided manuscripts. —Carol Newman Cronin
I swear by Brother laser printers. Their toners give me many more pages of print before they run out. They’re easy to use and replace the toners. My local computer/print shop takes back the empty cartridges for recycling. I buy the toners in packs of two at Costco for an excellent price. I could tell you which Brother printer I have now, but it doesn’t matter, in my opinion. They’re excellent. —Jessica
My Samsung Xpress color laser printer is a workhorse! I put it to work almost daily with writing projects, and it never lets me down—and the cartridges seemingly last forever—highly recommended! —Kevin Reed
Brother HL-L2460DW Monochrome Wireless Laser Printer. I bought this laser printer almost 10 years ago when I got tired of the inkjet printer’s cartridges being dried out every time I tried to print something. Laser toner cartridges don’t dry out, not even if there are weeks or months between use. I purchased one of these printers a few years ago for my parents and it works great for them too. —Michelle Bish
My Brother 2270W is a workhorse. The wireless feature takes some doing and is easily knocked off by storms, but otherwise this is an excellent machine. No problem with printing a hundred pages at a time or double-sided. It takes generic toner drums like a dream. —Kelly Turner
The home printer I love/recommend is the Brother HL-L2305. It’s a small/medium B&W laser that happily takes generic toner cartridges so you can print quite cheaply. The HL-1210W is smaller, but you’ll be refilling toner/paper more often, so I’d only recommend it if you have a really tiny space. —Gabe McGrath
I’ve had the same B&W laser printer for the past 20 years or more, the Brother HL-2270DW. It has a simple design, prints fast and clearly, and is as solid and dependable as a good friend. Paper and ink cartridges are easy to install. The design is nicely minimal and it doesn’t take up much space. Just incredible. —Wayne Jones
For years now, Juanita and I have owned HP Colour Laser printers. When one dies after years of service, we go pick up the latest and greatest. Always the multi-function version that scans as well. Juanita is an artist as well as a writer, and she uses our printer to make cards from her work. We both use it for writing projects and professional communications. Laser printers give much better quality for less cost and hassle. The colour matching is awesome. —Tony Berryman
The Brother HL-L2300D laser printer has supported my noveleering efforts for five years now. I can enthusiastically recommend it for quality and low cost, especially when it’s time to make hard copy of an entire novel. Apparently, the printer includes an English-improvement algorithm, because my text always reads better on paper than it ever did onscreen. —Bob Peterson
Next question: Do you have a special purse, light travel bag, or pouch that you carry when you travel? Let me know about it. Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.
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