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Does anyone revisit grammar after high school? I doubt it. Why would they? Software grammar checkers do the heavy lifting nowadays. And if your English is well understood—and not a total dumpster fire—you don’t need grammar instruction. Still, you might want to connect with your readers, entertain them, or earn their trust. This is where style comes in. Word choice, tone, and grammar form the basis of every writer’s style. Enter The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White, a grammar and style book offering simple, actionable rules for writers in usage, composition, form, and style. But it’s much more than a craft writing book; it’s an icon . For starters, it’s recommended by the likes of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Freakonomics author Stephen J. Dubner, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ben Affleck. It’s also inspired a concert ballet in NYC, been narrated as an audiobook by Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes , and illustrated by artist Maira Kalman. Wait, there’s more. An opera titled The Elements of Style: Nine Songs was performed in the Rose Main reading room of the New York Public Library, and yes, it was a musical interpretation of the book. Former host of CBS News Sunday Morning and The Osgood File , Charles Osgood, presented an educational video series called The Elements of Style with Charles Osgood . What's more, in 1996, the FBI discovered a copy among Ted Kaczynski’s bookshelves alongside bomb-making materials. None of what I’ve mentioned even scratches the surface of the academic and political controversies it’s experienced over the past century. Its examples have been called sexist, its rules have been blamed for miseducating Americans on the “passive voice,” and its language has been accused of assigning morality to "correct" grammar. So, how come I’m only hearing about this book now? Discovering an Icon From what I’ve gathered, writing teachers find The Elements of Style too rigid, arguing that the English language isn’t compatible with its rules. They’re not wrong. William Strunk’s rules do feel authoritarian, as if he might appear out of nowhere and smack you with a ruler. But the English language evolves. Word meanings change. Sentence structures adapt. And therefore, strict rules don’t always apply. At any given moment, it’s more important that people understand you, not that you followed a particular rule. Perhaps this is the reason I never learned of The Elements of Style . My teachers just didn’t subscribe to its prescriptive nature. But eventually, I read Stephen King’s On Writing . In the Foreword, he says: “[M]ost books about writing are full of bullshit…. One notable exception to the bullshit rule is The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. There is little or no detectable bullshit in that book. (Of course it’s short; at eighty-five pages it’s much shorter than this one.) If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Stephen King, it’s that he doesn’t waste my time. So naturally, I quit reading his book and began my search for The Elements of Style . (Plus, how could I lose by reading a shorter book?) The Quest for the (Right) Elements of Style Finding a copy of the short grammar book was more challenging than I’d expected. Not because it’s difficult to google a book titled "The Elements of Style"—no, it’s because there are too many versions. Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean there are too many editions —I mean versions . My online search found an unusual number of versions, most with a different co-author, each titled The Elements of Style by William Strunk. Amazon generated 11 results pages , among which the first two pages showcased 20 different versions. (There’s a version called The Elements of F*cking Style: A Helpful Parody . It might be erotica; I haven’t confirmed. Yet…) So, why are there so many co-authored and repackaged versions of The Elements of Style ? The obvious reason is its popularity. As I mentioned, it’s iconic, particularly the version co-authored by E. B. White, renowned for Charlotte’s Web , Stuart Little , and decades of New Yorker contributions. It’s even on Time ’s 100 best and most influential nonfiction books list. (Stephen King’s On Writing is also on that list, so I should probably finish it, right?) Another factor contributing to the legion of versions is that the original 1920 edition of The Elements of Style is in the public domain. Copyright laws can be complicated, but “public domain” means the work isn’t protected by copyright laws and may be used, read, and reproduced freely. Therefore, anyone can copy the text (and title), make edits (or not), and publish it as they see fit. Many publishers have already done this. (FYI, this also means you can read the original version here for free . Whatever you do, though, don’t buy the Kindle ebook. The formatting is terrible, and you can download the ebook for free anyway.) Combine immense popularity with the fact that it’s public domain, and (bam!) the capitalism floodgates swing open. Now that anyone can use it, the real question is, who hasn’t published The Elements of Style ? History and Contents Writers and celebrities who talk about The Elements of Style usually refer to one of two versions. First is the original version William Strunk Jr. wrote more than a century ago for his English class at Cornell. Wanting a guide that would simplify teaching style to his students, he self-published what he called “the little book.” This “little book” became The Elements of Style , and in it, Will Strunk succinctly presents 18 rules of usage and composition, along with lists of misused and misspelled words. The guide was uniquely tailored for his class, and, as a result, it streamlined grading student papers. For example, if a pupil failed to use a comma correctly, he would scribble “See Rule 3” in the margin. The other, most popular version of The Elements of Style is commonly known as Strunk & White . In 1957, Macmillan Publishers commissioned E. B. White, a former student of William Strunk Jr, to refresh the original Elements of Style and add more lessons. This version is the version people love. It’s the one they praise, the one they create concert ballets for, and the one they recommend to everyone they know. (It’s also the version that's inspired this musical at the Neo-Futurist Theater in Chicago. Its description: “Join Napoleon, Sappho, Billy the Kid, a herd of farm animals and a gaggle of Neo-Futurists as they use Strunk and White’s grammar manual to understand the way language shapes and distorts their lives.” You’re welcome.) The Elements of Style is organized as follows: Introductory (Original only), Introduction (Strunk & White) Elementary Rules of Usage Elementary Principles of Composition A Few Matters of Form Words and Expressions Commonly Misused Words Commonly Misspelled (Original, and Illustrated Strunk & White) An Approach to Style (With a List of Reminders) (Strunk & White) In both versions, 'Elementary Rules of Usage' provides rules on punctuation and the proper use of participial phrases. 'Elementary Principles of Composition' provides organization and style rules (eh, suggestions) for clear and concise writing. 'A Few Matters of Form' instructs on how to format headings, quotations, references, and more. 'Words and Expressions Commonly Misused' is a list of, I’ll be honest, “misused” words that annoy the authors. 'Words Commonly Misspelled' was removed from Strunk & White and replaced with an additional chapter of style guidelines suggested by E. B. White titled 'An Approach to Style.' For more information, here’s an educational rap video performed by your local Glee Club (aka sirbendarby ). It explains more about Strunk & White than I ever could. Content alert: Don’t watch if your name is Kyle and you wear jerseys. Criticism of The Elements If praise of The Elements of Style seems crazy to you, you’re not alone. Here’s a quote from Pulitzer finalist and author of The Dutch House , Ann Patchett: “The Elements of Style remains an unwavering beacon of light in these grammatically troubled times. I would be lost without it.” Did you roll your eyes? I did. Now that both you and I are critics, I’ll admit the style guide is helpful, but there’s no way we’d be lost without it. Many writers, composition professors, feminists, and academics roll their eyes at the exaggerated praise. Generations of college students have zealously abided and quoted the rules without understanding the dynamic nature of English. As a result, criticism of The Elements of Style is common, and it tends to fall into these categories: It’s too prescriptive and shouldn't be used with the English language. It’s sexist, in both its preference for masculine pronouns over neutral pronouns and its use of gender-biased examples. It advocates for “plain style,” which some argue degrades artistic expression. It’s incomplete, citing minimal grammar rules. Its examples sometimes conflict with its own rules. Disdain for The Elements of Style is just as passionate as the admiration it receives, although unfortunately, it’s not as flashy. No one’s created a documentary or musical to discredit the book. The local Glee Club isn’t dissing it in a “descriptivist vs prescriptivist” rap battle mash-up. And English teachers who don’t like The Elements of Style, simply never assign it to their students. It's rare to stumble across fiery criticism of the style guide because it’s often only found in academic journals. Geoffrey K. Pullum, linguist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburg, is the exception, as his scrutiny of The Elements of Style is well documented on Language Log , UPenn’s free academic blog. And although Professor Pullum's earned a reputation for labeling Noam Chomsky a hack, he is equally passionate about slamming Strunk & White . In his paper, The Land of the Free and 'The Elements of Style' he accuses E.B. White of sloppily ignoring his own rules: White peddles a prohibition that originates in a quixotic 19th-century recommendation for reform that failed. It is not respected in his own writing, and his mentor Strunk did not conform to it. If you can overlook Strunk & White 's usage and grammar flaws, which are arguable, you'd probably notice another issue. Much like today’s self-help books, The Elements of Style prescribes overly simplistic rules to solve complicated subjects. According to Keith Hjortshoj, a Cornell professor and contributor to Teaching Prose: A Guide for Writing Instructors : “ The Elements of Style demonstrates E. B. White’s remarkable skill at drawing readers into compelling little truths about ordinary things. The myth in this case is that White, with the ghostly voice of William Strunk still ringing in his ears, miraculously condensed everything everyone needs to know about writing into 85 pages, available for the price of a plain pizza. We all wish it were true.” If any secret exists that can make readers believe they’re writing experts, E. B. White may have been the only one who ever knew it. Still, Professor Hjortshoj admits: “Setting the myth aside, if that is even possible, we have a little book of useful rules, terse and cranky in a charming way. If you assign it, your students will feel like someone has finally taken their sloppy writing in hand-given it the good canning it deserves.” Lingering Questions With so many conflicting opinions about the guidance in the iconic Elements of Style , you probably have a few questions: Should you read The Elements of Style ? Yes. Ursula K. Le Guin, Dan Rather, and Ted Kaczynski recommend it. Should you treat every rule in The Elements of Style as gospel? Absolutely not. Should you follow any of the rules in The Elements of Style ? Follow what's valuable for you, but grasp all the concepts. The rules you embrace and the boundaries you push will form your personal style. For me, the answers I’ve found in the book are useful and incredibly entertaining. The Elements of Style is part of popular culture, and investigating its history has taught me that writers and performers have a lot to say, sing, and dance about when it comes to style. Usage, composition, form, and much more contribute to telling stories and, therefore, unique reader experiences. Therefore, style is personal, like a fingerprint. It's special to each writer, and I’m not sure I would have learned that without researching The Elements of Style . Who knows, I may still end up being like Ann Patchett— “lost without it.” (I doubt it. I seriously just rolled my eyes after writing that.) Regardless of being lost, or perhaps found, I'll be exploring The Elements of Style further. Check back soon, as I’ll be: making fun of writers who compare The Elements of Style to the Bible (yep, that’s a thing), collecting sexist examples from each edition (for fun), experimenting with how each rule is used (and broken) to evoke a target voice, digging into Ted Kaczynski’s reported ownership (I can’t resist), compiling and reviewing artistic tributes and interpretations (including parodies), exploring political and societal implications (as pointed out by academics), and most importantly , brushing up on my grammar so that I can comfortably ignore it. (I strive to make Anne Patchett proud.) I’m not sure I’ll stop there. It’s been over 100 years since the book was first published in 1918, and although it’s controversial, Americans still refuse to forget about the “little book” made exclusively for one professor's English class at Cornell. Even my favorite Elements of Style detractor, Geoffrey K. Pullum, has to admit that it’s an “opinionated, influential, error-stuffed, time-wasting, unkillable zombie of a book.” And I love it.

Note: This article first appeared in my newsletter before publication. Join my newsletter to be the first to read my articles, stories, and answers to questions no one is asking. If you didn't know, I used to be in the army. This is me 13 years ago while I was deployed to Iraq 👇 Don't be offended by my left hand. The temperature was a blazing 120 degrees that day, and my photos from back then are limited. When this picture was taken, I had just discovered a creepy locked door in the far back of my unit's operations building. The door happened to be right next to my desk, where I worked every day. I spent a little over a week trying to find the door's key, with no luck. It didn't help that the building was a total labyrinth, either. I must have gotten lost every day for three weeks after arriving. I initially gave up on my quest to figure out what was behind that door. The creepy door is to the right of this photo 👉 But then, weird things started happening. One day, a cakey-brown dirt blew out from under the mysterious door as I was working. It was odd because the dirt didn't match the reddish sand on the base. Also, I saw it blow out from under the door, meaning that a draft was coming from the other side. I verified this by running my hand around the door's seams. It was warm to the touch. Soon after, I searched my labyrinth office building for the opposite side of the creepy door but found nothing. Only a hallway and refrigerator stocked with bottled water. No door. I briefly wondered where I was. A real mural of Stephen Colbert in Iraq. A rocket destroyed it about 8 months after I'd arrived. In the middle of a war zone in Iraq, I had stumbled upon a mystery that felt like a complete fantasy. So, naturally, I did what anyone would do in this situation: I announced to everyone that "the door to Narnia" was in my office. No one could prove me wrong or open the door. The creepy, drafty, dirty door remained a mystery until my final month in Iraq. After a week of power outages (during the middle of summer, I might add), the internet in the operations building bit the dust. It turns out that "computer-based warriors" like me can't work without internet. So, I left my office for an extended lunch while IT sorted it out. When I returned, the mysterious locked door to Narnia in Iraq was wide open. Inside, three soldiers stood around a server tower connected to a screen and keyboard. (FYI, I have no picture of this. Mainly because taking photographs of military servers is heavily frowned upon…and illegal.) I saw one soldier had tracked a dark brown mud through a door opposite my office. It matched the color of the dirt I'd seen months earlier. Later, I discovered the out-of-place dirt came from the garden courtyard around the officers' quarters. Also, my investigation of the entire building (or labyrinth) had been way off. The other side of my office was in a completely different spot than I'd estimated. I was a little disappointed after learning the truth of the door, to be honest. The mystery was solved, but my fantasy of Narnia existing next to my desk was forever gone. I was happy about one thing, though. Iraq was a tough place to live. But at least I'd had a fun mini-adventure while making my friends laugh whenever I mentioned "Narnia" in our conversations. That's what imagination is for, so I use it whenever I can. I hope you do as well. PS. Here's one last photo for the road—my bed in Iraq. Yes, those are Super Mario Kart bed sheets 😉

Note: This article first appeared in my newsletter before publication. Join my newsletter to be the first to read my articles, stories, and answers to questions no one is asking. Lucky for you, owning a smartphone means you'll never be bored. But scrolling through an endless Facebook feed probably isn’t the best way to kill time while waiting for a dentist appointment or standing in front of the microwave. You've already seen enough pictures of your friend's mom's cat (and mine, for that matter). Instead, here are four short horror stories that are more fun than Instagram. How to Cook and Eat the Rich by Sunyi Dean This story is clever, entertaining, and written in 2nd person point of view (aka YOU, the reader, are the main character). I won't give a summary, and trust me, you don't want me to. It's that good. The best part of all is that you can read it in one sitting. Read for on reactormag.com (formerly tor.com). Lucky Numbers: A Small Town Horror Story by Elliott Dahle Amazon is terrible at recommending books for me, but Lucky Numbers is the exception. A couple whose marriage is on the rocks discovers an anomaly in the lottery and travels to a small town to exploit it—and hopefully, win. The locals, however, have other plans. Again, this story is fun, but it also explores breakups from both sides of a relationship, which is something I didn't expect. I still think about the characters and their outcomes weeks after reading it. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited it's included, otherwise, it's only $0.99—and well worth the purchase. Radio Rental by Tenderfoot TV and Audacy Since you are, in theory, waiting around with your smartphone in hand, it would be wrong if I forgot to suggest a podcast. Radio Rental tells allegedly true and chilling stories, hosted by the amusing Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson). The first episode describes a terrifying first-hand account of a teenager on his flight with the infamous shoe bomber in 2001. Radio Rental is available on all major podcast outlets. Here's the first episode on Spotify. Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen King Alright, so maybe this story isn't fun, but if you're a fan of backstory and lore, you'll love it. Jerusalem's Lot is the prequel to ’Salem's Lot, Stephen King's premiere vampire novel. In it, letters from Charles Boone in 1850 detail the strange happenings within the Marsten House and the nearby town of Jerusalem's Lot. Of course, back then, it wasn't called the Marsten House. No free version is floating around online, but you can read it in Stephen King's Night Shift and extended versions of ’Salem's Lot. Recommend Your Short Horror Stories Now that you've got a few excellent recommendations, you can finally stop scrolling Twitter (or X, whatever) and go read some horror. Also, if you stumble across any stories you'd like to share along the way, hit reply to this email and let me know. I spend a lot of time reading horror ☺ Updates Last month, I shared the first chapter of my current work in progress. If you haven't had a chance, read it now. Now that Barbie has been swallowed by Lila Max's factory, you'll meet my main character, Jordan, in an upcoming newsletter.

If you've been wondering what I'm writing, now's your chance to find out! Below is the opening chapter of my latest work in progress, "Death and the Rainbow Empire" (working title). The words may change a bit in the future and after further editing, but for now, enjoy! Warning: This piece is contemporary horror/dark fantasy and contains profanity and a brief mention of suicide. Enjoy, Mom! Welcome to Lila Max's Fantastic School Supply Factory Welcome to Lila Max's fantastic school supply factory. Look at its impeccable wrought-iron gate, topped with rusted hearts and musical notes. Drive through its massive parking lot, long deserted by workers who once dreaded starting their mornings here. Open the shiny lavender doors, of which management once chained when the staff attempted to leave early for the day. Wave at the dust-covered reception desk, where a sad, new secretary sat once every few months. Stroll past the walled-up theater where Ella Navarro, local artist and Lila Max team member, once shot herself in the head. In the merchandise room right past the theater, you'll find heaps of rainbow-colored school supplies–pencils, stationary, stickers—surrounded by chipped ceramic statues of dancing bears, glamourous teens, and happy dolphins. The once-vibrant paintings of wide-eyed animals, fantasy lands, and teen models are fading. More than a few are covered in black mold. Some people might love to get their sticky paws on this trash mine of 90s nostalgia. But Barbara Tingey did not. No, Barbara Tingey—Barbie to her friends—was a bitter appraiser, and she wanted it all to rot. The problem was that, unlike her factory, Lila Max's stock of leftover school supplies was in mint condition. Barbie heaved another box of Trapper Keepers onto the display and flipped it open, unleashing a dust cloud. She wafted the air and sneezed as a cartoon pegasus peered back at her through the swirling dust. She dived into the box and pulled out a binder. It was gaudy, and the doe-eye flying horse made Barbie want to puke. Just last week, the same item had sold for a small fortune at an online auction. Unlike that binder, all worn and frayed, this one was in perfect condition. Barbie snapped a picture of the dumb horse and recorded it on her clipboard. Item No: 58008 Description: Rainbow Pegasus Trapper Keeper binder Condition: Frayed edges, torn binding, terrible Barbie savored the moment. She wasn't proud of much in her life, but condemning Lila's junk to the landfill would be an undeniable highlight. Ready to take on the next piece of pristine rubbish, she packed up the Trapper Keeper and dropped the box into the discard pile. Across the room, the "sell" pile boasted a single gray desk lamp and red fire engine Swingline stapler, of which Barbie described in her notes as a "remnant of a terrible work environment." Clanging noises in the lobby announced Rocco, the groundskeeper, dragging tools through the front door. He lumbered across the main entrance, paint cans swinging from both arms. "Hey, Rocco?" Barbie called. He didn't stop. Barbie placed her clipboard face-down on the display and followed him into the lobby. "Hey Rocco!" she repeated, much louder this time. The old brute stopped and turned, paint cans weighing down his shoulders. He raised his eyebrows. "Have you seen Jasper?" asked Barbie. "He's supposed to meet me here and open the vault." Rocco sighed. He leaned over and dropped the cans, then straightened out and stared back at Barbie. "Nope." "Well, can you call him? He's scheduled for two o'clock." He scowled. "I don't work the phones here. Wasn't that your job?" He leaned in and pointed at her. "Maybe you should call him yourself." Barbie recalled how stubborn Rocco could be. Still, she had a job to do. A job she took seriously—well, almost. She pointed back at him. "Can't you just open the vault for me instead? It's my job. My actual, current job is to appraise everything in this building, including the vault." "Nope, only Jasper's got the key. You'll have to wait for him." Rocco turned and picked up the paint. "Either way, you probably shouldn't go upstairs until they clear out the mold. Could be dangerous." As he strode away, Barbie glared. "As dangerous as ghosts and hauntings?" she called after him. He didn't stop or look back or care. He just shrugged and kept walking. What a jerk. Cataloging the vault would be easier without Jasper breathing down her neck. Barbie made her way back to the mountain of school supplies in the merchandise room. It was a circular setup, with an open-concept space that once functioned as a prototype for Lila Max stores around the world. At its heart stood the checkout counter, surrounded by retail-grade shelves lining the perimeter walls. The shelves, which in the 90s overflowed with the kind of school supplies kids begged for, now slumped under the weight of musty storage boxes. Packs of multi-colored pens, folders, pencil cases, and backpacks lay among them, each printed with cute animal characters and vibrant rainbow colors. This "merch" room served as an example for franchises, showcasing how they should stage their shops according to Lila Max and her fancy team of interior designers and MBAs. But now Barbie was here. And she would stage every single school supply straight into the dump truck. Imagining a plethora of pencils and sticker books falling from a dump truck into a landfill made Barbie smile again. She lifted another grimy box off an old shelf, but a sharp twinge in her knee brought her to a halt. She dropped the box and pressed her hand against the aching spot, wincing. Come on, this is the most fun I've had in years, knee. Take it down a notch. She took in a deep breath and tested her weight before getting back to work. In the next box, Barbie found a top hat-wearing koala printed on a stack of folders. Again, the packaging was impeccable. Barbie snapped a photo and recorded it. Item No: 8675309 Description: Mr. Money Koala folder 6-pack Condition: Torn, falling apart, covered in mold, devastatingly bad Barbie made a mental note to thank Rocco for the mold idea. It was as equally ridiculous as a koala in a top hat. Just as Barbie tossed dumb Mr. Money Koala's box onto the discard pile, she remembered something. Mr. Money Koala's design was inspired by Dan Pine, former CEO and husband of Lila Max herself. I wonder… Along the back wall stood a stairway that led up to the second-floor corridor. From there, it flowed straight into the old product design department. That's where Dan Pine's office was. Or at least, it used to be all those years ago. Barbie scanned the adjacent lobby for Rocco, then checked the front parking lot, searching for any sign of Jasper. He still wasn't anywhere in sight, which wasn't a surprise. Jasper was the quintessential screw-up, a byproduct of Lila Max and her former husband, Dan Pine. Dan Pine, on the other hand, was predictable. It'll be fine. The stairs groaned, and the handrail wobbled as Barbie climbed. At the top of the stairs, a walkway continued around the upper merch room and fed into the second-floor corridor. Since it was visible from the lobby, the walkway had been decorated with character portraits. Dancing baby chicks, puppies in hi-top sneakers, a frog princess celebrating with insect friends. Each portrait served as a tribute to a widely successful product line, the same images plastered on the school supplies downstairs waiting to be appraised. Unlike the supplies, though, the portraits were fading, and a few showed clusters of tiny black dots underneath their glass frames. Maybe Rocco hadn't lied about the mold. Product design hadn't changed a bit. It was still a sad, vast space carved up by shoulder-height cubicles and rolling desk chairs. The air was stale and silent, and Barbie detected must. Unlike the lobby and merch room, no art cluttered the walls, no sculptures littered the tables, and no remnants of painted flora or psychedelic fauna adorned the office supplies. It was a dead space designed for dying employees. An icy draft pushed through the vents above, ushering Barbie toward the glass-walled office that once belonged to Dan Pine. In the 90s, he'd surveilled the product designers as he worked—or, rather, as he screamed at vendors on the phone. If he didn't like what he saw from his office, he'd come out and scream at the designers, too. Barbie pushed Dan Pine's door open, and a wave of hot, dank air rushed out. She gagged at the mildew stench and covered her mouth. Ventilation in the office had always been poor, but Barbie couldn't recall anything this bad. Rocco was a truly terrible groundskeeper. Barbie flipped a switch, and the fluorescents above flickered and hummed, flooding the room with light. She grabbed a nearby rubber wedge and jammed it beneath the heavy door, propping it open. At the center of the office stood an imposing wood desk. Behind it, a bookshelf covered in dust hugged the back wall. Old business guides, Lila Max character figurines, and a giant stuffed Mr. Money Koala filled the shelves, while photographs and certifications lined the olive-drab walls. Barbie breached the threshold, and the fluorescents flickered. Dan Pine, a certified control freak, would have ensured his access to the vault. So, if an extra vault key existed, it was bound to be in his office. Barbie searched the desk. Nothing. She opened the drawers. Nothing. She scrutinized the shelves, opened books, and checked behind picture frames. Again, nothing. She picked up and shook Mr. Money Koala. Black specks dotted his fur, but there were no loose seams—and no key. Beads of sweat formed on Barbie's brow. Perhaps Dan had grabbed it before being locked out of the building in the mid-2000s. Barbie considered ripping the stuffed koala apart when she remembered Dan's old computer. Long ago, he'd had a bulky, beige box with a matching monitor on his desk. It was gone now, but cords still protruded from a hole in the desktop. Back then, desks didn't come with pre-drilled holes for cords. They had to be custom-made or modified. Barbie wondered if anything else had been modified. Cautious of her aching knee, she lowered herself into a half-squat and shuffled under the desk. Bingo. Beneath the underside of the desk was a tiny hook holding a set of keys. She yanked the keys from the hook and examined them. There were three, two regular and one large. One of them had to unlock the vault—well, maybe. She'd give it a shot. Either way, her odds of getting into that vault without Jasper Pine or that brute, Rocco Sullivan, had greatly improved. As Barbie maneuvered out from under the desk, she caught a glimpse of the ceiling. She stopped, then turned and looked back up. The ceiling was blanketed in black mold. Holy shit. Barbie covered her mouth and nose with her shirt and headed towards the door, prized keys in hand. Next to the exit hung a framed photo of Lila Max. Despite the mold and unbearable heat, the image gave Barbie pause. For the last decade, Lila had isolated herself, but even before that, she'd avoided taking pictures. This photo appeared to be a rare corporate-style headshot of her from the 90s. Barbie scoffed, then reached for the picture. It'd be the perfect addition to the trash collection downstairs. But before she ripped the frame from the wall, she realized this was the closest she'd ever get to telling Lila Max off. She glared at the former queen of school supplies. "So much for the fantastic world of Lila Max. This place is a total shithole, and I can't wait to see it be torn down," she said. Despite her contempt for Lila, a small tear escaped Barbie's eye. She wiped it away and sighed. She then tore the frame from the wall, revealing a sliver of light embedded in the plaster. Barbie leaned in, fixated on the light. It was brilliant—and growing. Growing fast, so fast that she backed away. Lila's photo dropped from her grasp, shattering glass all over the floor. Barbie tried to step around the light toward the exit, but it rippled and blasted a hot gust of air at her. From above, a drop of warm water landed on Barbie's arm. She glanced down at it and saw that it wasn't water at all. It was black and thick. Above her, black mold rained from the ceiling. Barbie broke into a sprint for the door. As she reached it, a massive black tentacle burst through the light in the wall and grabbed her by the neck. It wrapped its arm around her torso and squeezed, pulling her toward the opening in the wall, now the size of a giant bear. Barbie locked her legs and struggled to break the tentacle's grip, but the more she struggled, the tighter it became. Her knee screamed at her to give in. With her lungs crushing under the weight of the monster's grip, Barbie started to fade. She tried to scream. Nothing came. The black ooze flooded the room. The tentacle pulled harder, and Barbie's feet inched closer and closer to the wall. Finally, her knee gave out, and she slipped into rising black muck.

You know about influencers on BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTube, but what do you know about Book of the Month? Before social media influencers, Book of the Month (formerly Book-of-the-Month Club) paved the way for direct-to-reader book sales, and it continues to do so today—without physical bookstores, and without traditional marketing. Booksellers and self-publishing authors, on the other hand, struggle to sell books. They advertise on Amazon and other various platforms, blast social media with ineffective posts, and ultimately fail to gain any traction. But Book of the Month sidesteps Amazon and is widely successful on social media. Is their existence proof that you don’t need fancy bookstore displays or big-five publisher budgets to sell books? In this article, I explore this by researching Book of the Month, its history, and how booksellers (like you and me) can sell just like they do: What is the Book of the Month (BOTM)? History of the Book of the Month Cultural Influencers How to Sell Books Like Book of the Month Note: If you’re looking for a history of Book of the Month book selections dating back to 1926, check out my list. What is the Book of the Month (BOTM)? Book of the Month is an online book subscription service that markets to millennial women through social media such as Instagram and TikTok. Each month, its editorial staff selects 5-7 books from both independent and major publishers to recommend to its members. Members use site-purchased credits to receive a hardcover book selection in the mail or an audiobook in the BOTM app. They may also choose to skip the month. As of today, Book of the Month has 1.3 million Instagram followers and its daily posts average between 1,000-2,000 likes. Impressive numbers, for sure. But before its modern online version, Book-of-the-Month Club marketed to all American readers through newspapers, magazines, and the U.S. Postal Service. It took a few years for bookstores and publishers, who denounced the Club’s discounted prices and sales tactics, to approve of the sales-by-mail model. Regardless of industry approval though, Harry Scherman, the Club’s founder, charged forward with his plan. He wanted to sell books directly to readers without middlemen. By the 1940s, the Book-of-the-Month Club was a major success. It had bypassed traditional rails, became a cultural institution and bookselling machine, and gained over 880,000 subscribers.[1] Many of the Club’s selections became bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize winners, and National Book Award recipients. Following a decline in membership during the early 2000s, the Club underwent various ownership changes and eventually evolved into an online subscription service that uses social media as its primary marketing tool. History of the Book of the Month Throughout its history, Book of the Month’s operations have evolved. Its marketing strategies, however, have remained focused on the same principles: Establishing cultural influence/authority Providing value for its members (deals!) Effective marketing directly to readers These basic principles led to various innovations, including the manufacture of special editions, the implementation of the “Book-Dividend,” and the invention of the “negative option.” Below is a timeline documenting the evolution of the Book-of-the-Month Club, along with some historical context. If you’re looking to learn more about the history of the Book of the Month, I suggest checking out these books. For the history of Book-of-the-Month Club book selections, see my database. Timeline 1926 Harry Scherman founds the Book-of-the-Month Club. Scherman selects literary celebrities, or “judges,” to make monthly book selections: Henry Seidel Canby, Yale English professor and The Saturday Review editor Dorothy Canfield Fisher, best-selling author and activist William Allen White, editor of the Emporia Gazette and politician Heywood Broun, journalist and founder of the American Newspaper Guild Christopher Morley, journalist and novelist The judges’ selections are reportedly uninfluenced by Club management. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner is the first monthly selection. Historical Context Companies, including printing manufacturers, have embraced the assembly line, invented by Henry Ford, for mass production of goods. Books and magazines are popular, but scant in most of America. Bookstores and libraries are uncommon in towns and rural areas and, therefore, demand for books is high. Radio and movies are costly entertainment. Books are more affordable. 1927-1939 A main selection, The Heart of Emerson’s Journals, is returned in mass by Club members. As a result, Book-of-the-Month Club invents the “negative option,” which allows members to accept, deny, or exchange a selection before delivery. The Club does not offer refunds on books, but it allows exchanges. Cradle of the Deep, a nonfiction selection in 1929, is reported to be a hoax by various newspapers. More than half of its sales are exchanged (no refunds are offered).[2] Printing of special Book-of-the-Month Club editions begins in 1930. Book acquisition costs are lowered and marketing is boosted by adding the Book-of-the-Month Club name to each book. Publishers earn royalties from each printed copy. In 1950, the Club creates the “Book-Dividend Fund.” Free books, or “book-dividends” are offered to members who accept (purchase) a minimum number of monthly selections. Marketing language: “[U]nder the unique book-dividend policy of the Club, for every dollar its members spend on books they receive back on the average over 50% in the form of free books.”[3] “Book-Dividend” marketing appeals to value shoppers. Historical Context The Great Depression begins after the stock market crash in October 1929 and lasts until 1939. Americans have less money to spend. 1940-1969 The “alternate” plan begins in 1950, giving members more options and allowing the Club’s editorial staff to recommend books other than main selections. Alternate selections now carry a formal designation. The Club expands its offerings to include art reproductions, art education courses, niche book clubs, musical record clubs, and Christmas cards. Membership reaches 1 million in the mid-1960s.[1] Historical Context Book clubs are common in America, and many appeal to special interests. Book-of-the-Month Club becomes a publicly listed company in 1947. It’s ticker: BOMC. Art replica sales, record sales, and Christmas card sales help the Club achieve higher profits for shareholders. 1980-1990 By 1986, the Book-of-the-Month Club monthly offerings include one main book selection, up to ten alternates, and a backlist of 125 additional book titles. The Club manufactures more than 90% of its books.[4] Time Warner, the Club’s parent company, restructures Book-of-the-Month Club operations to increase profit. The Club begins purchasing future rights to unpublished works by famous authors, and these purchases often become selections, sometimes with little review from the judges. For the first time, the judge’s main selections are highly influenced by editorial staff and upper management. Historical Context Time Warner purchases the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1977 but allows it to operate on its own until the mid-80s. Large retailers such as Walmart are selling books at lower prices than book clubs. 1990-1999 The Club begins using computers to compile data about member preferences and habits. They determine that reference books, religious books, and anthologies are most popular.[5] The judges are disbanded in 1994. Historical Context Companies are embracing computers for business operations. Jeff Bezos founds Amazon and focuses on selling books online. By 1998, Amazon has acquired various online booksellers and is growing rapidly. In 1996, Oprah Winfrey starts Oprah’s Book Club as a segment on her daytime talk show. 2000-2005 After the apparent success of Oprah’s Book Club, the Club reinstates celebrity judges in 2001. They hire authors Nelson DeMille (The General’s Daughter), Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods), and Anna Quindlen (One True Thing).[6] In 2005, the judges are again disbanded. The Club begins making multiple book selections per month. Members may choose from five categories: Mystery and Suspense, History and Biography, Fiction, Home and Health, and Current Affairs.[7] Members begin choosing their book selections online. Historical Context Oprah’s Book Club is successful in selling books, demonstrating that: 1) endorsements from non-literary celebrities are effective and 2) celebrities (and their brands) have fans with unique (and targetable) demographics. 2012-Today Book-of-the-Month Club (BOMC) relaunches as an online subscription service and is renamed Book of the Month, LLC (BOTM). In 2015, BOTM reinstates judges and provides up to five monthly book selections for members. For the first time, BOTM narrows its marketing efforts. Initially, marketing appears to target women Baby Boomers and Generation X, not millennials. (See The Me Me Me Generation | Book of the Month, an article where a judge complains about millennials.) By 2018, the position of “judge” is minimized, and monthly selections are ultimately made by the BOTM editorial staff. Instead of retaining judges on staff, BOTM partners with celebrities and book influencers to market selections. BOTM now focuses its marketing efforts on the largest demographic of book buyers—millennial women. They advertise primarily on social media. Historical Context Companies embrace social media marketing, which is successful among millennial women. Subscription Box services such as Stitch Fix and Blue Apron thrive. Cultural Influencers Today, the Book of the Month’s use of influencers, special edition printings, and a podcast effectively establish their cultural influence in the bookselling world. However, cultural influence has been their forte since their establishment nearly a century ago. When Harry Scherman founded the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1926, he promptly began establishing the Club’s literary authority. His first picks for the Club’s judges, who were to select each book-of-the-month, were literary celebrities: Henry Seidel Canby, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, William Allen White, Heywood Broun, and Christopher Morley. If a reader in middle America didn’t know who the judges were, well, the Club told them in the extensive ads it placed in newspapers and magazines. The Club’s first advertisements in Vogue featured headshots of each judge.[8] These judges’ literary celebrity legitimized the Book-of-the-Month Club, and as a result, it sold thousands, and eventually millions, of books. Besides using star power, Harry Scherman found a way to print the Club’s name on its selections. In 1930, Book-of-the-Month Club began printing special edition books. Initially conceived to reduce the cost of acquiring books, the Club manufactured the special editions themselves, thus removing the need to purchase books wholesale from publishers. In return for paying royalties, the Book-of-the-Month Club could stamp their logo on every book they printed. From this point on, thousands (sometimes millions) of books with the Club’s name were distributed each year, helping to expand its cultural influence. Year after year, newspaper and magazine journalists continued to report on the Club’s monthly selections, their authors, and changes to its offerings or judges’ panel. The New York Times, Washington Post, and Publisher’s Weekly are a few publications that reported on the Book-of-the-Month Club. Starting in the 1940s and lasting until today, the Club has used its influence to sell more than books. Until the 1980s, Book-of-the-Month Club members could purchase art reproductions, at-home art education courses, niche books from one of its many other book clubs, musical records, and Christmas cards. These offerings are no longer available, but the current Book of the Month’s Blue Box Boutique is reminiscent of the approach. How to Sell Books like Book of the Month If you want to sell books, Book of the Month's model is a great place to start. Here is their general process. 1. Discover who wants your books In 1926, Harry Scherman observed that American readers had limited access to new books, which led him to believe that there was a demand for books all over America. As for today’s Book of the Month, sales show that it’s millennial women who like to read—or at least like to buy books. For you, it depends on the type of book(s) you want to sell, but narrowing your buyers to a specific demographic can help you appeal to them. Examples: Middle-aged men who love cooking, young women who race go-karts, goth teens who love dragons. 2. Find what “speaks to” your buyers For the Book-of-the-Month Club members in the 1930s, it was a panel of literary judges, newspaper articles, and finding Club books on friends and family’s bookshelves. Today’s Book of the Month members like Instagram images of beautifully staged books and referrals from their favorite book influencer. Perhaps for your buyers, it’s instructional YouTube videos, angsty posts on X, or a pet food blog. 3. Establish Influence The Book of the Month, both in the past and the present, found ways to establish influence and authority for selecting good books. They connected with influencers/celebrities, wrote in-depth reviews in a monthly newsletter, and provided regular streams of authoritative information about their offerings. For you, this means finding what your buyers care about (demographics), going wherever they are (social media or other), and committing to regularly giving them information they value. 4. Market directly to your buyers For the Book-of-the-Month Club in the 1930s and up to the 2000s, this meant deals and newsletters sent straight to a potential customer’s mailbox. Today’s Book of the Month uses targeted social media ads, its sleek mobile app, and a podcast. For you, there’s good news! You have access to the same marketing and communication tools that Book of the Month uses! If you’re on a limited budget, try establishing some sort of influence before paying for marketing. Social media, blogs, email, and meeting people in person may take time to generate results, but they’re typically free. 5. Add value (or deals!) In the 1930s, this meant very low introductory offers (to hook them), free books from the “Book Dividend Fund,” and a monthly newsletter with tons of book reviews. Today’s Book of the Month uses the occasional discount code, “add-on” deals, and an engaged book review community. For you, it means determining what “value” means to your buyers and using this knowledge to entice them with deals encouraging them to buy more. Do what makes your buyers feel like they get more than what they pay for, especially if they’re loyal customers. 6. Amplify Your Influence When you’re ready to amplify your influence, it means you’re ready to increase your sales momentum. For the Book-of-the-Month Club in the 1940s, this meant expanding deals with bookstores, offering art reproductions to their members, and staying in contact with authors and publishers, who were sometimes interviewed for newspapers. For today’s Book of the Month, it means highlighting social media posts of their members (particularly ones with large followings), inviting celebrities and influencers to comment on their upcoming selections, and inviting authors to chat on their podcast. This step is most effective when you’ve established influence. The goal is to do what you can to get others to talk about you and recommend your book. 7. Repeat The Book of the Month has always been most successful when it adapts, and part of adapting is being ready to reevaluate and then repeat what works.

Imagine it’s a Friday night in September 2020. You can’t go anywhere. COVID has your entire city in lockdown. If you’re me, you’ve got unlimited internet, no kids, and a cat who wishes you’d get a hobby. You and your partner, parent, sister (or whatever) are on the couch having a drink and watching TV. It’s a rerun of a show so boring your face is melting off. What do you do? I got into NFTs. I know, give me a break, it was 2020. In case you don’t understand NFTs or why people love(d) them, don’t worry. No one does—and it’s not important to this story. What is important though, is that in 2020, NFTs were the height of art and technology. The art was alluring, the technology was advancing, the parties were astounding, but the very best part, the part that got me, was the stories. Stories that NFT projects were willing to pay for, and amateur writers were willing to write for. I dived into the NFT world. I wrote a ton of short stories featuring apes in space and dragons on Mars, and if you can believe it, writing paid well. The pay was good enough that I quit my engineering job. Yes, it's true, I left my well-paying, stable career to write about apes and dragons in NFTs. Writing fiction is that important to me, and by the time the NFT market fell apart in the summer of 2022, I had authored a Choose Your Own Adventure-type game, developed extensive worldbuilding outlines, and began directing art for a graphic novel based on my short stories. The experience was thrilling, and you can still read some of my published stories here. But when NFT projects could no longer pay, I had to figure out something else to do for work. (1) I could return to engineering (I had offers). (2) I could continue to seek out freelance writing (I had no offers), or (3) I could pursue professional writing as an author. I naturally chose to become an author, and it's forced me into an entirely new world. NFTs were equipped with a built-in, paying market for stories, but that's gone now. As an independent author, I've had to find ways to publish my work and earn a paycheck. Options exist for new authors like me. Since I'm focusing on stories of my own creation, I've narrowed down my options to promote my writing and gain readers. This includes (a) submitting stories to literary journals and magazines, (b) writing novels and finding an agent to sell them to publishers, and (c) writing novels and self-publishing. I don't have to choose only one of these options, but I have to do something. How It’s Going (So Far) I'm incredibly lucky to have written NFT stories and successfully earned a living. At least, that's what I've gathered from other authors. Because even if an author manages to crank out a bunch of stories and novels, getting published isn't easy—and earning money from it is even harder. As of today, I haven't earned any income as an independent author, but despite the odds, which I go into depth below, I'm optimistic. Because writing is what I was born to do. Hopefully, fate and readers agree. Literary Journals and Magazines Publishing short stories in literary journals and magazines benefits authors in several ways. Here are a few: Literary publications nominate stories for prestigious awards. Awards often come with publicity, connections, and prizes for authors. Literary agents read notable literary publications. If they like what they see, they may be willing to connect me with more opportunities. Prominent publications validate authors. I'll feel accomplished once I'm published again. Some journals and magazines pay for writing. Payment ranges between $0.08-$0.15 per word for published work. While these perks are nice enough to catch my attention, literary submissions don't come without obstacles. There are complicated barriers, including limited time windows, ever-changing story topics, and widely varying formatting requirements. Not to mention that journals and magazines aren't typically profitable, meaning that they suffer from constantly dwindling staff, which creates delays in hearing back from editors. And that’s if the literary journal manages to stay in business for more than a couple of years—because most go defunct. Popular literary journals and magazines, on the other hand (you know, the ones that don’t go out of business), often don’t allow direct submissions, preferring instead to accept authors’ work only from literary agents. Yes, that’s right, I need an agent if I want to submit a story to tor.com. Finding a Literary Agent Literary agents aren’t a new concept in the writing world. Since the mid-2000s, traditional publishers (and prominent literary magazines, apparently) have increasingly relied on them to find authors and manuscripts. Today, none of the major publishing houses allow authors to submit manuscripts to them without an agent. This means that if I want my book published (without self-publishing), I must first attract a literary agent. Here are the benefits of having an agent: Agents have connections to publishers and lawyers and can negotiate deals on my behalf. Agents work off commission (typically 15%), meaning they only get paid if I get paid. Experienced agents know what sells, and this can help me tweak my work to fit market trends. Literary agents, however, come with some major drawbacks. First, it's not easy for new authors to find an agent. Just search for #amquering on X (Twitter) if you want to know how ridiculous attracting a literary agent can be. There you’ll find hundreds of agent-seeking authors posting about their quests. Similar to literary journal and magazine submissions, new authors say that each literary agency has unique submission requirements, ever-changing genre interests, varying time windows for when to submit, and dwindling patience and resources. I've seen many authors post their confusion about seemingly strict and illogical rules made up by agents. So why is it so challenging to find an agent? The problem seems to be about supply and demand. While there is an overwhelming supply of author manuscripts, there is a lack of equivalent literary agents, who are often poorly paid. What's worse is that agents are paid only after they sell a manuscript, meaning they might do a lot of work without seeing any financial gain if they can't sell. If they manage to sell, they'll receive a 15% cut from the author's pay, which ranges from $10,000 to $20,000 for new authors. I'm confident my writing is good enough to attract an agent (and earn them sales), but I'm not confident I want to participate in the traditional publishing rodeo. For one, major publishing house policies ensure agents are desperately underpaid by authors, who are even more underpaid by publishers. Meanwhile, they offer low royalties, unfair contracts, and minimal marketing support to new authors. They prioritize trends, existing bestsellers, and celebrities over quality, originality, and niche markets. They’re also slow to publish and adapt to new strategies. All the while bringing in large profits year after year. I don’t want to have a role in that, which leaves me with one other option. Becoming a Self-Published Author The perks of self-publishing come at the expense of losing what major publishing houses can offer, which includes cash advances, experienced editing, and market-researched book cover design. However, here are the benefits of self-publishing my novels: I earn the majority of my eBook sales, up to 70%. With print-on-demand, I can also offer print books and earn more than 20% on sales. I have the final say in choosing my editors and artists, allowing me to remain true to myself and my readers with all editing and book cover design decisions. I control the sales, promotions, and publicity of my books. This means I don't have to wait for a publisher's slow decisions and can adapt quickly. It's not all sunshine and rainbows with self-publishing, though. As a self-published author, I am not just a writer, but also a business owner. This means I'm responsible for making all the decisions related to selling and marketing my books. And while even traditional publishers expect their authors to market themselves, with self-publishing, the onus is entirely on me. If I fail to create a strong social media presence or keep up with the latest advertising practices, I suffer the loss. What I'm Working On Besides learning about the author profession, I’m constantly writing. Here’s what I’m working on now: I'm submitting short stories to various literary journals and magazines, and I’ll announce any that are published. I can speed up publication by casting a wider net on places I submit to, but I want to ensure the publications I work with will help me accomplish my goals. I'd like to be nominated for awards, get exposure to more readers in my genre, and show longevity in my writing career, which means they'll need to be a stable publication. I’m obsessed with the culture surrounding The Elements of Style and the Book of the Month Club. Researching older books and publishing companies has taught me a lot about writing and direct marketing, and I’ll continue to blog about them here on my site. (FYI—If you’re an avid reader, here’s a list of books selected by Book of the Month. It’s great for finding popular books dating back to the late 1920s.) I’m writing a fantasy horror novel series. It’s too green to go into details, but I like to think of it as the Librarians meets Army of Darkness, although it’s subject to change/glory/uncertain death. So it goes. I never expected to become an author so soon in my life, especially not by writing for NFT projects. Now that I’m here, though, I look forward to the hustle it brings and the stories I’ll create.