“Beware the ides of March.”
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Act I, scene 2
March 15th. The ides of March, according to the old Roman calendar. But the ides have developed something of a sinister reputation over the centuries, likely thanks to that bit of dialogue from Shakespeare. The quote, a warning from a soothsayer, predicts the murder of Julius Caesar on March 15th, but while plenty of negative events can be attributed to the date, historically speaking, it’s no worse than any other day of the year.
Romans traditionally looked to March 15th as the last day to settle debts. Up until two years prior to Caesar’s death, the day marked the beginning of the new year, making it a logical time to finish up financial business and get a fresh start. Julius Caesar himself was the one to change the calendar, pushing the first day of the year back to January. March 15th might not be cursed, but Caesar’s death on that specific date might still be considered a bit of karmic retribution.
I’m still rationing my social media exposure, especially Twitter. Dip in, get a quick update on the state of everything, and jump back out again. Part of me would like to take an extended break, but the FOMO is real. It’s still the fastest route to keeping up on editorial roulette (when editors change houses) and, increasingly, who is quitting the business entirely.
Last Friday, four editors announced it was their last day at their respective imprints, two of them stating outright they were leaving publishing. It’s easy to point to all the talk of the Great Resignation, but recent events have only served to underscore long-standing issues in certain industries, and the workload and salaries in publishing are ongoing problems. Assistants juggle duties for multiple editors while trying to learn the jobs they’re aspiring to and build their own project lists, and more senior editors face increasing stress over the P&L statement of each book they champion. No one gets to just go home at the end of the work day; reading of submissions and, in many cases, the editing of books, takes place in “personal” hours.
While it’s less visible—mostly because we don’t announce it as often on social media—literary agents have also been leaving publishing. There’s almost a trickle-down effect; editors leave publishing houses and frequently become agents, because they see it as a way to stay within the industry but gain more control of their time and decisions. Agents leave because of reading burnout, frustration with the ever-increasing difficulty of placing books, the migration of authors to the self-publishing model, and the need to continue side hustles that help pay the rent. Like editors, agents never see the end of their to-do lists, but unlike editors, they primarily work on commission—one-third to a half of which goes to the agency, making far more of their efforts unpaid.
In a capitalist society where more and more people find themselves scrambling for ways to monetize every corner of their lives, there remains this weird, unspoken idea that work that qualifies as “fun” should not garner a living wage. You don’t go into the arts for money but for love, and that includes not just those making the art—the writers and painters and musicians—but those selling it or managing it or helping to package and deliver it. Creators put their work up on the internet for free, hoping for an in but settling for a bit of feedback. And everywhere there’s finger-pointing.
There needs to be change, a better balance of power and money, and not just in the publishing industry. But that’s the greater argument playing out, isn’t it? The reality behind the noise on Twitter, the political upheaval, the accusations of greed and power grabs, the name calling, the questioning of democracy and socialism and right versus left. Each small fight is a microcosm of the whole. Can we fix the small scale and not the big? If we fix enough of the pockets, will the big picture shift?
I don’t have any big-picture answers, but I do see more and more people taking their lives back, whatever that means for them. For all of its tragedies, the pandemic has shone spotlights on our day-to-day routines and habits, and helped so many people realize they needed to make changes going forward. It’s a little bit heartbreaking if that change means leaving a job you love that’s become untenable, but I applaud anyone taking those brave steps for their own health, happiness, and financial security.
Speaking of working on your own time—but in the best possible way!—I’m excited to announce that in-person writing conferences have started to reinsert themselves on my calendar. I can’t share anything specific yet, but I will let you know here and on my website as soon as things are official and the news can go public. Since part of my version of looking for a better balance in my life includes leaving my apartment, I couldn’t be more excited.
That said, I will continue to do things virtually as well. I realize not everyone feels safe braving the world quite yet, and for others the virtual conference-sphere allows them their only opportunity to engage in conversation with publishing professionals, attend workshops, network, and so on. I’m adding a few online events over the course of 2022, and those will get added to my site as well.
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On the mental health front, I have a new mini-journaling system that I find does an excellent job of keeping me out of Twitter rabbit holes and has the added benefit of serving as a memory aid.
I use the Notes app on my iPhone, and whenever I find myself picking up the phone and heading for Twitter (or to a lesser extent, Instagram), I first open Notes and jot down a sentence or two. Whatever I’m thinking about. I start a new note each day, labeled by date, and timestamp each entry as a running list as the day goes on. The whole thing gets saved to iCloud, so if I want to access it on my computer or iPad, I can. Which means I can also add an entry if I want to jot down a book title or a new Netflix show, include a link to something I need to get back to, etc.
Later on—might be that night or the following morning—I can scan through the day’s entries and see if anything needs to get put someplace. Book titles to a TBR list, information from a linked site filed away for future use, newsletter topic added to the proper folder, whatever. And I can also sit down with my regular notebook and write a longer journal entry about whatever meatier thoughts jump out at me.
This system combines a bunch of different journaling practices, including Julia Cameron’s morning pages that allow you to just dump your thoughts on the page and move on (only spread out over the day), and Austin Kleon’s little pocket notebook that he carries with him everywhere (just digital). I’m loving the brain dump aspect, but also how it derails me from losing myself on social media, because even if I spend a few minutes on Twitter, I inevitably leave to put some thought (or rant) into Notes.
Do you keep a journal or some sort of notebook? I’m fascinated by diaries and journals, both from the writing aspect and just as social and historical records. What kind of journal systems have you tried?
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A few more links to share:
12 of the Funniest Women in Literature – Because we could all use a funny book about now, right?
The 50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time – Just one person’s opinion, but I love that this list includes such a wide range of titles and so many I’m excited to check out.
Announcing the Women’s Prize 2022 Longlist! – This list has already put a dent in my wallet, but I’ve loved so many Women’s Prize winners from previous years, I think it’s well worth the expense. Have you read any of these yet?
Astra Magazine – A new magazine coming in April! They’re aiming to include fiction, poetry, comics, art, and narrative nonfiction from around the world.
Seasons of Scam: A Reading List of Fake Identities – Books about deception and reinvention. Feels somehow appropriate, doesn’t it?
Currently in my teacup:
Taste of British History blend from Harney & Sons.
Currently on my nightstand:
THE BREAD THE DEVIL KNEAD by Lisa Allen-Agostini
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas
That’s about it for this round. Thank you for reading! Drop a comment below if you’d like to chat about books or journals, shifts in the workplace, or how you’re spending this ides of March. I’m always happy to hear what you’re up to. Until next time.🥰
Woah, your Notes app idea is brilliant, and I think I'm going to attempt my own version. Reading this made me realize in a new way how my desire to look at social apps is tied to my compulsion to "check" my phone. Whenever I say I'm going to consume less social, it only works when my phone is faraway (aka in another room), which is the exception not the rule. It's really hard (for me) to change two habits at once. But I love the idea of using the Notes app trick to break the social habit, which feels easier than trying to avoid my phone when it's sitting right next to me.
I read The Paper Palace. Or, rather tried to read it when we lived on Cape Cod but this novel wasn't my cup of tea. Then, last summer, we had dinner party guests who said the author had been a neighbor and they knew all the people described. Because of this unexpected connection, I have noticed the current promotion in the UK and the absolutely beautiful jacket cover on the British edition.