Courtney Maum, to invoke Whitman, truly contains multitudes: she is a widely published and successful writer (fiction, non-fiction, essays, criticism, etc.) and a one woman ambassador for literary apprentices. Her deep knowledge, gained from years of experience, of all-things publishing is nicely captured in her indispensable book Before and After the Book Deal (2020), and is alive and well via her super popular newsletter of the same name. Courtney has assisted countless writers, and deeply believes in Community (with a capital C).
She is generous and wise, but also prolific (!!). Please join me today in not only acknowledging—but buying—her new book Alan Opts Out. (Much more about Courtney and her novel, here.)
To properly celebrate this occasion, we’re revisiting one of the many (!!) conversations I’ve had with Courtney over the years. Here’s some more snippets, followed by video to a handful of full-length discussions. Share the good word and BUY HER BOOK!
YAY for literature and YAY for Courtney!
Courtney Maum: Along with her latest novel, ALAN OPTS OUT, Courtney is the author of five previous books, including the romantic comedy TOUCH (A New York Times Editors’ Choice) and the memoir THE YEAR OF THE HORSES, chosen by the Today show as one of the best reads for mental health awareness. Creator of the groundbreaking publishing guidebook BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL and the bestselling Substack newsletter by the same name, Maum is an educator and writing coach hellbent on preserving the joy of art-making in a culture obsessed with turning artists into brands. In addition to her advocacy work for writers at The Author’s Guild, Courtney runs a workshop in New Mexico where she combines twenty years of experience in advertising with a deep love of craft to help writers boost their confidence and industry know-how. Learn more and sign up for her writing classes at CourtneyMaum.com
Visit Courtney’s Bookshop.org page for reading recommendations by genre.
