ON SUNDAYS I RUN A PROMO POST FOR (MOSTLY) INDY AUTHORS:  Book Promo And Vignettes By Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike.

There’s also a fun vignette challenge.

JAMIE K. WILSON: DEI vs. Story: How Publishing Lost the Plot. Part 1 of 7: The Gatekeepers.

Once upon a time, an aspiring fiction writer had a fighting chance. If you wrote a good story, polished your manuscript, and braved the slush pile, you might just get picked up. The system wasn’t perfect, but it was meritocratic enough that talent sometimes slipped through the cracks and found its way into print.

That world is gone.

Today, agents and editors, the self-appointed gatekeepers of publishing, increasingly use submission guidelines not as a way to filter for quality, but as ideological purity tests. Want to query an agent? You’d better make sure your story features “marginalized voices,” that your characters are “diverse,” and that your personal identity matches the preferred checklist. Otherwise, don’t bother. Some agencies explicitly state they will not consider manuscripts by authors from “overrepresented groups.” Some agents state baldly that they will not be able to represent white males. Others signal subtly or overtly that unless your work advances the current ideological line — the one centered on race, gender, or sexuality — they are not interested.

This isn’t just rumor.

And here’s Part 2.

GOOD: Trump Administration Initiates Section 232 Investigation on Medical Supplies. “On September 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the initiation of an investigation into the effects on U.S. national security of imports of personal protective equipment, medical consumables, and medical equipment, including devices.”

THEY CHEERED THE KILLING OF CHARLIE KIRK:   Chicago Teachers Union Honors Convicted Cop Killer Assata Shakur.

AS MUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE THEY’VE GOT:  Kamala Harris believes she’s still a leader in the Democratic Party — but even longtime backers are ready to move on.

GOOD!  17 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia rescued from occupied territories.

MAKE THEM PAY:  Educator targeted for ‘white toxicity’ during anti-bias training can sue NYC for ‘racial harassment’.

MEANWHILE, HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE NEWS?  20 Ongoing Genocides You Should Know About.

FORTY EIGHT HOUR RULE:  Gunman Kills Two at Michigan Mormon Church.

DESPERATELY NEEDED:  DOT Orders Emergency Action After Deadly Crash Tied to Illegally Licensed Truck Driver.

NIGERIA? IT’S NOT GENOCIDE, IT’S JUST ETHNIC (CHRISTIAN) CLEANSING:  Bill Maher Highlights a *Real* Genocide That No One Is Talking About.

BUT THIS TIME IT WILL WORK, RIGHT?  Mindset of Another Socialist.

HE HAS A POINT:  Elon Musk says he was invited to Epstein’s island and refused. I believe him. Why? Because Epstein seems to have liked thinkers who don’t quite fit in conventional academic boxes and are a bit notorious for that. Elon fits that pattern. So do I. In retrospect, I’m a little surprised I never got that invitation. But I’m glad, because I’m not sure I would have known enough to refuse it.

AND: for the x-less.

YES, YOU CAN COPYRIGHT AI ART:  Invoke Secures Copyright in Landmark Ruling for AI-Assisted Artwork.

REALITY IS NEVER AS CATASTROPHIC AS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS WOULD LIKE IT TO BE:  More Perfect Union videos are wildly deceptive on data center water use.

DELIBERATELY NOT UNDERSTANDING WORDS BY THOSE IN POWER:  On the art of not understanding things.