Notes from the Front Lines of Publishing

The Audacity Gap in Publishing

Mark Gottlieb, literary agent — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:46:19 GMT

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Writers must be audacious and think very highly of themselves. They must hold themselves and their work in very high esteem.

This is not just meant as a morale boost for writers (although who doesn’t love a good morale boost), but it is really about writers visualizing a dream or a goal for themselves.

That is why it is ve…

Why I’m Done Whispering—and You Should Be Too

Mark Gottlieb, literary agent — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 20:14:36 GMT

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For as long as I can remember, the publishing industry has operated on a sort of silence of politeness. Literary agents whisper their opinions among themselves in private. Editors hedge in their own private meetings. Authors seem to nod along with all of this when they should be pushing back. Everyone protects the ecosyst…

Someone Actually Said That to You? We Need to Talk.

Mark Gottlieb, literary agent — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:38:00 GMT

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I receive a lot of social media messages and emails. Sometimes, it is authors venting, celebrating, or just asking for advice they’re not sure they’ll like. Now, every once in a while, something lands in my inbox that stops me cold in my tracks.

This message I received was one of them.

An author…not important if he is publ…