HeyJaredMistakes Were Made
My books have been translated into 25 languages and optioned for the screen. Follow my misadventures in publishing. Learn from my wins. Laugh at my mistakes.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 27, 2026
- Audience
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 5, 2026
Latest issues
The plot of my upcoming book is becoming reality (opens the original)
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I spent the past year working on a middle grade novel about an evil AI that tries to destroy humanity. You know, fun stuff for kids. I can’t get into the specifics quite yet because if I do, ChatGPT will target me first the contract hasn’t been signed. But vaguely speaking, it’s about the world-ending threat of technology.When I started writing this book, it was science fiction. I didn’t really think artificial intelligence was going to try to kill me. I was just telling a fun story.But then, on
I Won The Author Lottery (And It Didn’t Make Me Happy) (opens the original)
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In May of 2010, my biggest dream came true. And I was completely miserable.Let me offer a bit more context: At that time in my life, the thing I wanted most in the world was to get a book published. But of course you don’t just get a book published. At least not with a major publisher. First, you need a literary agent. And unfortunately, at the time, literary agents all hated me.Okay, that’s not true.They just hated my books. Over the prior six years, I’d written two novels. With each one, I’d c
The Pilgrimage (opens the original)
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The small, cramped, rapidly-overheating continent of Europe offers a number of historic pilgrimage trails for those who are interested. All you need is a bit of time and a decent pair of hiking boots, and you can walk in the footsteps of a long-dead saint. But in the Year Of Our Lord 2026, with various modes of mechanized travel available to mankind, what kind of a person would forego all the various modes of convenient transportation available to them and choose to travel by foot, for miles and
How To Raise A Reader (opens the original)
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A few months ago, I published a post with the title, “Why Isn’t Your Kid Reading Anymore?” It turned into one of my most popular things on Substack. Today’s piece is in a similar vein. It’s about kids and reading. But it’s a little more prescriptive, offering some real world tips that you can adopt in your own house to try to get your kid to finally pick up that book they’ve been ignoring.Enjoy!
The Chatbot Diaries (opens the original)
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