Iris Blasi
@irisblasi.bsky.social
Book lover and literary agent at Arc Literary. Say hi here: [email protected].
arcliterarymanagement.com/the-agents#iris
arcliterarymanagement.com/the-agents#iris
"Successful authors are the ones who keep showing up through failure."
Three cheers to @robwhart.bsky.social for his transparency in this great @opensecretsmag.bsky.social essay about the many failures that come before success. JUST KEEP GOING.
Three cheers to @robwhart.bsky.social for his transparency in this great @opensecretsmag.bsky.social essay about the many failures that come before success. JUST KEEP GOING.
I'm a Thriller Author Who Figured Out the Secret to Actually Selling Books
And it’s not ideal—because it’s all about the things you can’t control
opensecretsmagazine.com
June 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
"Successful authors are the ones who keep showing up through failure."
Three cheers to @robwhart.bsky.social for his transparency in this great @opensecretsmag.bsky.social essay about the many failures that come before success. JUST KEEP GOING.
Three cheers to @robwhart.bsky.social for his transparency in this great @opensecretsmag.bsky.social essay about the many failures that come before success. JUST KEEP GOING.
Some exciting deal news today!
May 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Some exciting deal news today!
I could not be more excited myself! Rare are the books that make me laugh AND break my heart, and I feel so lucky to have spent the time I have in this place with these people @daniellebarrwrites.bsky.social has created. I can't wait to get to invite the rest of the world in!
A year ago today I finished my first novel.
Today, I signed a contract with my dream literary agent. I am so excited to share that my work is now represented by @irisblasi.bsky.social of Arc Literary Management.
I can’t wait for all that is to come with her in my corner!
Today, I signed a contract with my dream literary agent. I am so excited to share that my work is now represented by @irisblasi.bsky.social of Arc Literary Management.
I can’t wait for all that is to come with her in my corner!
April 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I could not be more excited myself! Rare are the books that make me laugh AND break my heart, and I feel so lucky to have spent the time I have in this place with these people @daniellebarrwrites.bsky.social has created. I can't wait to get to invite the rest of the world in!
An interesting tactic in my inbox today: An author calling attention to the number of rejections he's received thus far from other agents ("at least 35").
March 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
An interesting tactic in my inbox today: An author calling attention to the number of rejections he's received thus far from other agents ("at least 35").
"Any agent will tell you that finding a writer in slush is like finding a needle in a haystack."
This is a VERY good piece by data scientist @lbmcgrath.bsky.social about the realities of the slush pile:
This is a VERY good piece by data scientist @lbmcgrath.bsky.social about the realities of the slush pile:
textCrunch, No. 2: Looking Inside the Slush Pile
And your odds of getting out of it
laurabmcgrath.substack.com
March 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
"Any agent will tell you that finding a writer in slush is like finding a needle in a haystack."
This is a VERY good piece by data scientist @lbmcgrath.bsky.social about the realities of the slush pile:
This is a VERY good piece by data scientist @lbmcgrath.bsky.social about the realities of the slush pile:
I just received a query referring to me as "Agent Blasi" and, honestly, I could really get into this honorific.
March 14, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I just received a query referring to me as "Agent Blasi" and, honestly, I could really get into this honorific.
My favorite recent query is for the "literary fiction work of approximately [word count] words."
March 12, 2025 at 2:26 AM
My favorite recent query is for the "literary fiction work of approximately [word count] words."
I love @olgakhazan.bsky.social's answer to the question "What about writing surprises you?"
Via @memoirland.bsky.social: memoirland.substack.com/p/the-memoir...
Via @memoirland.bsky.social: memoirland.substack.com/p/the-memoir...
March 12, 2025 at 2:06 AM
I love @olgakhazan.bsky.social's answer to the question "What about writing surprises you?"
Via @memoirland.bsky.social: memoirland.substack.com/p/the-memoir...
Via @memoirland.bsky.social: memoirland.substack.com/p/the-memoir...
Reposted by Iris Blasi
you’re fired. wait you’re rehired. email us a list of things you’ve done today wait forget it you’re fired again. come back your job was important. you’re fired. or hired. come in to the office. wait the office has no computers go home. we are the department of government efficiency.
March 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
you’re fired. wait you’re rehired. email us a list of things you’ve done today wait forget it you’re fired again. come back your job was important. you’re fired. or hired. come in to the office. wait the office has no computers go home. we are the department of government efficiency.
"I think my main takeaway is that writing a book is exhausting beyond belief, and yet here I am doing it all over again." @juliekliegman.com
Happy first birthday, MIND GAME!!!
Happy first birthday, MIND GAME!!!
Happy first birthday, Mind Game
Plus, a shiny new website.
buttondown.com
March 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
"I think my main takeaway is that writing a book is exhausting beyond belief, and yet here I am doing it all over again." @juliekliegman.com
Happy first birthday, MIND GAME!!!
Happy first birthday, MIND GAME!!!
"Here’s the thing about first books: It might not be the book that gets you there. ... I know writers who didn’t hit until their third, fourth, or even seventh book. The unifying factor amongst successful writers tends to be stubbornness, not MFAs."
via @opensecretsmag.bsky.social
via @opensecretsmag.bsky.social
Dear Daddy Advice Column March 2025: Do You Need an MFA to Get Your Novel Published?
Our advice columnist has strong opinions about MFA programs: “The unifying factor amongst successful writers tends to be stubbornness, not MFAs. “
opensecretsmagazine.com
March 5, 2025 at 4:33 PM
"Here’s the thing about first books: It might not be the book that gets you there. ... I know writers who didn’t hit until their third, fourth, or even seventh book. The unifying factor amongst successful writers tends to be stubbornness, not MFAs."
via @opensecretsmag.bsky.social
via @opensecretsmag.bsky.social
Reposted by Iris Blasi
For me, fighting fascism has nothing to do with thinking I’ll win. I don’t fight because there’s an inevitable outcome, I fight because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something.
March 5, 2025 at 4:30 AM
For me, fighting fascism has nothing to do with thinking I’ll win. I don’t fight because there’s an inevitable outcome, I fight because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something.
If you like incredibly intelligent fiction with horror elements, you are going to LOVE what @joshuadbellin.bsky.social and I working on right now. Stay tuned…
New agent announcement!
This past week, I signed with Iris Blasi of ARC Literary. I'm thrilled to join forces with an advocate who possesses such passion and insight, and I can't wait to work with her to bring my stories to the world!
This past week, I signed with Iris Blasi of ARC Literary. I'm thrilled to join forces with an advocate who possesses such passion and insight, and I can't wait to work with her to bring my stories to the world!
March 1, 2025 at 3:56 PM
If you like incredibly intelligent fiction with horror elements, you are going to LOVE what @joshuadbellin.bsky.social and I working on right now. Stay tuned…
Reposted by Iris Blasi
Hey, artists, in case you were wondering if your work matters: I'm a scientist working on climate change and biodiversity, and I would not be who I am today without The Lorax, The Secret of NIMH, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn, and The X-Files. I know I'm not alone. Thank you for all you do.
February 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Hey, artists, in case you were wondering if your work matters: I'm a scientist working on climate change and biodiversity, and I would not be who I am today without The Lorax, The Secret of NIMH, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn, and The X-Files. I know I'm not alone. Thank you for all you do.
Just popping in to say that @lindaholmes.bsky.social's BACK AFTER THIS is officially out today, and, if you're looking for a smart, funny book to lift you up in these dark times, this is it. And, as a bonus: Linda reads the audiobook herself, which any fan of PCHH is going to LOVE. I certainly did!
My next book is set in the world of podcasts, dogs, influencers and sketchy dating advice. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720444...
Back After This by Linda Holmes: 9780593599259 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love? From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over.....
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
February 26, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Just popping in to say that @lindaholmes.bsky.social's BACK AFTER THIS is officially out today, and, if you're looking for a smart, funny book to lift you up in these dark times, this is it. And, as a bonus: Linda reads the audiobook herself, which any fan of PCHH is going to LOVE. I certainly did!
Advice from @jamiattenberg.bsky.social for writers trying to finish a book:
"I think less about the finish line & more about the starting line. I think about my reason for beginning the book in the first place. I have found when I tap into the spirit of that original purpose, it often renews me."
"I think less about the finish line & more about the starting line. I think about my reason for beginning the book in the first place. I have found when I tap into the spirit of that original purpose, it often renews me."
Let's Talk About Crossing the Finishing Line
By returning to the starting line.
1000wordsofsummer.substack.com
February 26, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Advice from @jamiattenberg.bsky.social for writers trying to finish a book:
"I think less about the finish line & more about the starting line. I think about my reason for beginning the book in the first place. I have found when I tap into the spirit of that original purpose, it often renews me."
"I think less about the finish line & more about the starting line. I think about my reason for beginning the book in the first place. I have found when I tap into the spirit of that original purpose, it often renews me."
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love the tv show "From."
If you are an author whose manuscript is anything in the vein of that vibe (character-driven horror in an isolated small town with mysteries rooted decades back), please send it to me immediately, as I want to represent you.
If you are an author whose manuscript is anything in the vein of that vibe (character-driven horror in an isolated small town with mysteries rooted decades back), please send it to me immediately, as I want to represent you.
February 21, 2025 at 1:09 AM
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love the tv show "From."
If you are an author whose manuscript is anything in the vein of that vibe (character-driven horror in an isolated small town with mysteries rooted decades back), please send it to me immediately, as I want to represent you.
If you are an author whose manuscript is anything in the vein of that vibe (character-driven horror in an isolated small town with mysteries rooted decades back), please send it to me immediately, as I want to represent you.
Aspiring authors, please know: There are more novels in drawers than anyone really talks about.
February 13, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Aspiring authors, please know: There are more novels in drawers than anyone really talks about.
It was my job to bring dessert to the Super Bowl party last night.
February 10, 2025 at 7:02 PM
It was my job to bring dessert to the Super Bowl party last night.
A host of literary organizations have released a joint statement decrying Trump’s anti-trans executive order in no uncertain words: “This return to McCarthyism by other means is a leap backwards to a grim chapter of American history.”
Literary Organizations Release Joint Statement Decrying Anti-Trans Executive Order
The American Booksellers Association, Audio Publishers Association, Independent Book Publishers Association, PEN America, and dozens of other orgs issued a letter addressing President Donald Trump's e...
www.publishersweekly.com
February 6, 2025 at 10:02 PM
A host of literary organizations have released a joint statement decrying Trump’s anti-trans executive order in no uncertain words: “This return to McCarthyism by other means is a leap backwards to a grim chapter of American history.”
"First they came for the transgender athletes, and I did not speak out—because I was not a transgender athlete."
This is how it begins.
This is how it begins.
Breaking News: The NCAA followed President Trump’s executive order and prohibited transgender athletes from women’s sports.
NCAA Bars Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports After Trump Order
The decision, effective immediately, came a day after President Trump signed an order barring transgender girls and women from playing in women’s sports at federally funded educational institutions.
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2025 at 9:38 PM
"First they came for the transgender athletes, and I did not speak out—because I was not a transgender athlete."
This is how it begins.
This is how it begins.
I received a query for a manuscript with 492,000 words.
I realize word counts can vary, but that is simply too many words.
I realize word counts can vary, but that is simply too many words.
February 6, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I received a query for a manuscript with 492,000 words.
I realize word counts can vary, but that is simply too many words.
I realize word counts can vary, but that is simply too many words.
“Focus is a fundamental substance of democracy.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, that’s the point.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.
Video: Opinion | Don’t Believe Him
Look closely at the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second term and you’ll see something very different than what he wants you to see.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 2:05 PM
“Focus is a fundamental substance of democracy.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, that’s the point.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.
Video: Opinion | Don’t Believe Him
Look closely at the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second term and you’ll see something very different than what he wants you to see.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 2:02 PM
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, that’s the point.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.
Take a minute and watch this from @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social.