[Electric Speed] Fun new word game | Can you break the rules?

A note from Jane

When it comes to writing and publishing, I like to say that there are no rules.

However, what I teach every day often amounts to rules, or at least best practices, for success.

Follow submission guidelines.

Don’t call agents or publishers out of the blue unless guidelines say so.

If your work is rejected, move on.

But I had a friend who played the game of publishing (and life) by her own rules. Her name was Martha.

She had no problem cold calling agents (or anyone else, for that matter) and asking for immediate consideration. She wasn’t mean or arrogant about it. But neither was she going to waste her time being a supplicant.

In a way that was entirely her own, she got her first novel published as she approached 70 years of age.

I’d like to tell you that anyone can do what Martha did, but it’s not true. She was both fearless and charismatic. If someone told her no, she knew it was no only at that moment in time, not no forever and not no from everyone. If a door was closed, she looked for the window. Once through the window, she charmed the pants off people.

That takes chutzpah not all of us have. As I saw it, she led her life entirely on her own terms, damn the consequences. How many of us can do that?

I love to observe people who break the rules. You can learn what’s possible, while also learning what’s not in fact possible for yourself.

In the last issue, I asked you to tell me about your favorite Instagram accounts. Here’s a selection of what you said:

Notes From Your Therapist —Sarah Chauncey
This one is the best, she is magical! —Maggie Smith
My favorite is instabooktours. The lengths Vic goes to publicly acknowledge and thank her book bloggers is unparalleled. —Emma Lombard
One of my faves is 3pyrsinapod [attention dog lovers!]. —Denise T
My favorite Insta is lindy_and_jlo they are so cute and crack me up. —Milissa Story
I love Still I Run. They are a nonprofit, all-volunteer group of runners raising mental health awareness. Lots of feel good, fitness fun. —Nita Sweeney
My favorite is this guy who fosters kittens. —Angel Dey
My favorite Instagram accounts continually astonish and delight by telling me unique things I don’t know. By that measure, I enjoy accounts like howtoreadhieroglyphs. And GastroObscura is good, too. —Cecilia Tan

Next question: What is your favorite smartphone case and/or accessory? Mine is Camo. Share yours by replying to this email or discuss on Discord.

Jan. 12: This Is the Year You’ll Finish Your Book with Allison K Williams
Jan. 13: Book Marketing Cornerstones: Websites and Email with Jane Friedman
Jan. 14: The Anxiety Talk with Jane Friedman
Jan. 20: Book Publicity 101 with Barbara Linn Probst
Jan. 28: How Memoirs Resonate with Dinty W. Moore
Feb. 9: Write Your Novel from the Middle with James Scott Bell
Feb. 23: Write Your Nonfiction Book Proposal with Jane Friedman
Feb. 26: The Magical Marketing Trifecta for Writers with Jane Friedman
March 3: Finding and Working with the Right Literary Agent with Howard Yoon

[Electric Speed] Fun new word game | Can you break the rules?

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