"Sure, writers have demons and inner critics that whisper horrible, discouraging things to us. But some of us give them undignified pet names and enrol them in short courses to get them off our hands..."

In these essays, Angela Slatter—the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the Sourdough Stories, the Verity Fassbinder Series, and more—explores the relationship between the writer, their work, and the publishing industry they inhabit.

Drawn from twelve years of author presentations, keynote speeches, blog posts, and articles aimed at aspiring and established professionals, You Are Not Your Writing features Slatter’s best advice on managing social media, understanding the role awards play in your developing career, the hierarchy of rejection, and strategically building your career and network of other writers. Most importantly, they draw the line between the writer and their work, and illustrate the dangers of mistaking one for the other.

Whether you’re a new writer seeking advice on taking the next step, or a fan of Slatter’s fiction looking for a glimpse behind the scenes, this chapbook is a peek into the mindset and philosophy of one of Australia’s most acclaimed writers of fantasy and horror.

ESSAYS IN THIS COLLECTION

• How to Be A Writer


• Online Presence: Pros, Perils and Possibilities


• Time Moves Differently Here


• Awards Don’t Matter


• You Are Not Your Writing


• The Writing Life: A Really Big Echo Chamber