Novels, short story collections, and YA fiction published by Norton, St. Martin’s, and Penguin/Dutton. New work forthcoming from Regal House. NEA Fellowship. Repped by @jennaschmenna.bsky.social Bradbarkley.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3mqvbb6xqjk2jSo stoked! 🔥🔥🔥 [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Jul 2026 02:55 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqvbb6xqjk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3mg4ykojkdc2lBook trailer for THE REEL LIFE OF ZARA KEGG. #ZaraKegg #YAlit03 Mar 2026 05:03 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg4ykojkdc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3mbxahyzgfc2zUnboxing books! With a little help from my best friend. @regalhouse.bsky.social09 Jan 2026 00:28 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbxahyzgfc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3m5ojabm2wc2iI am very pleased to learn that my short story, “Glen 2.0” will be in the next issue of the wonderful Blue Mesa Review!15 Nov 2025 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5ojabm2wc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3m5gx7egdgs2s🚨 Cover reveal! The Reel Life of Zara Kegg, coming June 2026 from Regal House. ““Brilliant, funny, moving, unputdownable….I wish I had a zillion adjectives to describe this knockout of a book...” —Lesléa Newman Preorder information coming soon! @regalhouse.bsky.social @jennaschmenna.bsky.social12 Nov 2025 15:19 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5gx7egdgs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3m5ewyxrqik2qTHE REEL LIFE OF ZARA KEGG, cover reveal tomorrow! Stay tuned…, @regalhouse.bsky.social11 Nov 2025 20:10 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5ewyxrqik2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3m2eueohrws2dNew novel is officially out on sub! #fingerscrossed @jennaschmenna.bsky.social https://media.tenor.com/j8mTlPBfReMAAAAC/spongbobe.gif?hh=200&ww=26804 Oct 2025 15:07 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2eueohrws2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3m2cncxnyec2zThanks for the shout out! [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Oct 2025 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2cncxnyec2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lzyvoop5kk2aVery pleased to have my Work appear today in the amazing @flashfrog.bsky.social ! Thanks also to Ali for the beautiful artwork. ❤️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Sep 2025 20:59 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzyvoop5kk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lvsvfsnnm22eI’m thrilled to announce that I have signed with @stormliterary.bsky.social and the utterly awesome @jennaschmenna.bsky.social Happy to find such a smart, passionate partner! https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/brad-barkley.html07 Aug 2025 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvsvfsnnm22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lvr4zyum522bI wrote as a birthday celebration this blog post https://www.bradbarkley.com/post/advice-to-my-younger-writing-self.06 Aug 2025 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvr4zyum522bhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lt7ynhx5bc23TFW you get an acceptance from @flashfrog.bsky.social ! https://media.tenor.com/LnU_5e67ESUAAAAC/jack-black-yes.gif?hh=278&ww=49805 Jul 2025 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt7ynhx5bc23https://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lrqjrnam2c2u🎬 Enter the reel life. One year from today, The Reel Life of Zara Kegg hits shelves — a witty, wistful YA novel about grief, love, and 150 inflatable Godzillas. Cover reveal later this summer. 📽️ Coming June 16, 2026, from Regal House Publishing. @regalhouse.bsky.social16 Jun 2025 17:43 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrqjrnam2c2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lptvuktcoc2d“The novel you’re working on right now doesn’t know you’ve written other novels before.” —John Irving23 May 2025 15:07 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lptvuktcoc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lpr2id6nqc2mWhen you write the first draft of a novel, all you’re doing is making clay. After that work is done, you now have a big lump of clay sitting in front of you on your desk. Here’s when the real work begins of sculpting it, shaping it, turning it into something. #amwriting22 May 2025 11:52 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpr2id6nqc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lph7cocdps27Writers, you can fix a bad page; you can’t fix a blank one.18 May 2025 13:51 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lph7cocdps27https://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lpcjfvoybs22New blog post today. I hope you give it a look! https://www.bradbarkley.com/post/three-novels-one-brain? https://www.bradbarkley.com/post/three-novels-one-brain?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=blog.post-promoter&utm_campaign=3088e20d-9515-4d1e-b96b-86a7901dfeb616 May 2025 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpcjfvoybs22https://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lp7xs7loh22jWrite what you know” doesn’t mean limit yourself. It means pay attention. To how people talk. To what hurts. To the weird stuff you remember. Write what you know emotionally.15 May 2025 16:48 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp7xs7loh22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3loyiskq4n22mIf revising your novel isn’t hard, you’re not doing it right.12 May 2025 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3loyiskq4n22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/bradbarkley.bsky.social/post/3lotaanf6jc2yMost writing advice is just disguised anxiety. Be OK with bad first drafts and and write often. You’ll be fine.10 May 2025 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:gkhimafptc3lswnqtk3xv7dd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lotaanf6jc2y