A is for author, because that's the heart of the matter.
U is for unappreciated, because that's how Mack, the main character, feels.
T is for trials and tribulations, because Mack's life as a professional author is bumpier than he expected.
H is for hilarious, because parts of this are laugh-out-loud funny.
O is for of course, because of course it's satire—and of course satire can feel painfully real.
R is for reader reviews, because the reader reviews are among the most entertaining parts of the book.
L is for lesbians, because there are four lesbian characters.
I is for instant bestseller, because that's what Mack—and I—both dream of.
F is for finances, because who can blame Mack for wanting some financial security?
E is for existential crisis, because none of this would've happened if Mack hadn't succumbed to doubt and fear and ego.
Writing novels wasn't supposed to be a blood sport. After selling his first thriller novel for six figures, Mackenzie "Mack" Lane quit his job as a journalist to become a full‑time author. But now, a few years later, his career is spiraling downward. With each book doing worse than the last, he fears his status as a Boring White Dude is partly to blame. With his bank accounts dwindling, Mack has to find a way to make more money: his ex‑wife wants to send their son to a private high school, and his current wife wants to have a baby. Mack begs his agent and editor to sing the praises of his new novel and do everything in their power to encourage his publisher's marketing team to make the book a bestseller. But as Pub Day for his fourth novel approaches—without the interviews and publicity he'd so hoped for—Mack knows his book is in trouble. And with it, his career and personal life. Growing more desperate, Mack concocts a risky and more‑or‑less unethical idea for a publicity stunt. His agent, Wallis Wallace, reluctantly goes along with it—after all, if it works, she stands to gain 15% of his windfall. And if it doesn't work, Mack is the one who will suffer the consequences of being ridiculed and cancelled. #AuthorLife is a satire about an author who gets the wrong sort of inspiration from his dying career—because publishing is a bloody hard business.
Thriller [ Bad Hand Books, On Sale: September 22, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781967846313 / ]
Joe Zagets is the pseudonym of a bestselling author. He fell in love with the power of storytelling over teen summers spent at the American Ibsen Theater. He went on to write plays, poetry, and essays—while working an eclectic series of jobs at a video store, shoe store, a regional television station, and a public library. When not writing he can be found contemplating how we got here.
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