Literary News
The stories, milestones, and ideas shaping our writing community
Read author interviews, publishing insights, new-release features, and thoughtful coverage from across the literary world.
Explore the latest storiesAnnual Membership — $25/year
Make Space for the Work
Only You Can Write
Fourth Group & Co brings practical publishing research, generous editorial attention, and meaningful introductions together for writers moving their work forward.
Author Spotlight
We Write About Your Work — At No Cost
Have a new book launch, award, or publication milestone? Submit your details, and our editorial team will write a featured post for our literary network.
Every request is reviewed by an editor. Nothing is published without your approval.
This Week’s Prompt
What the House Remembers
Write about a room you have not entered in years. Let the objects speak before the people do, and end on a sound rather than an image.
Start writing307
Magazines, presses, agents, grants, contests and residencies listed today
The Fourth Group Desk
Five ways to move a manuscript forward
On Our Reading Table
Books worth meeting
A Fourth Group & Co selection of history, memoir, literary fiction, and stories of public life.
Historical fiction
Early Mornings with “Dick”
by Jack Ryan · Hardcover
5.0 · 1 review
A compelling historical novel following a Georgetown law student whose private breakfasts with President Richard Nixon reshape his understanding of leadership, truth, and public service.
View on Amazon
Literary fiction
Blame It on Socrates
by Jack Ryan · Kindle Edition
5.0 · 7 reviews
Professor Patrick Dolan returns to the turbulent 1960s after a long-lost letter forces him to examine the ideals, friendships, and unfinished choices that shaped his life.
View on Amazon
Memoir
Proud American
by Sergio A. Tinoco · Kindle Edition
5.0 · 2 reviews
A remarkable true story of a South Texas migrant worker who became a soldier and federal agent—a testament to service, sacrifice, faith, and Hispanic American pride.
View on Amazon
Campus novel
Blame It on Socrates
by Jack Ryan · Kindle Edition
Available now
A witty, reflective campus novel about philosophy, nostalgia, and the weight of unfinished business, bridging the unrest of the 1960s with one professor’s present reckoning.
View on Amazon
Children's fantasy
Stjarna's Stars
by Patricia Squire · Hardcover
Available now
An illustrated story of a young girl, winter skies, and the wonder of following the stars.
View on Amazon
Romance
Shattered by Love
by Michael Knapp · ed. Patricia Fancher · Kindle Edition
Available now
A heartfelt story of romance, joy, and heartache across a life shaped by family and service.
View on Amazon
Fiction
A Girl with a Bad Reputation
by Dave Gioia · Kindle Edition
Available now
A sharp, emotional novel about rumour, judgement, and a young woman reclaiming her own story.
View on Amazon
Memoir
Lucrecia: Memoir of a Manic Woman
by Jamie Goudeau · Paperback
Available now
A candid memoir of living with mania, resilience, and the long search for wholeness.
View on Amazon
Essays
Reflections for the Twenty-First Century
by Jean Pi Lee · Paperback
Available now
Thoughtful essays on a changing world, from global shifts to the personal questions of modern life.
View on Amazon
Science fiction
SuperPower: The Ability to Fly or to Become Invisible
by Roger E. Pedersen · Kindle Edition
Available now
Book 4 of In Ashes, Phoenix Eagles Shall Rise — where extraordinary abilities carry extraordinary consequences.
View on Amazon
Sports fiction
Finish the Race
by Jon Waller · Hardcover
Available now
An energetic story of endurance and determination, where crossing the line means more than winning.
View on Amazon
Western
Gunfighters, Thieves and Lawmen
by David Milton McGowan · illus. Samantha Singer · Kindle Edition
Available now
Frontier tales of outlaws, lawmen, and the hard choices of the open range.
View on Amazon
Western
Boundaries
by David M. McGowan · Kindle Edition
Available now
A Western of ranch country, loyalty, and the lines people draw — and cross.
View on Amazon
History & myth
Egypt Under the Stars
by Ev Cochrane · Kindle Edition
Available now
A scholarly exploration of astral religion and cosmogonic myth in ancient Egypt.
View on AmazonFrom the Fourth Group Shelf
Titles currently in conversation
Reader spotlight
Early Mornings with “Dick”
Jack Ryan
Reader spotlight
Blame It on Socrates
Jack Ryan
Reader spotlight
Proud American
Sergio A. Tinoco
Reader spotlight
Blame It on Socrates
Jack Ryan
Reader spotlight
Stjarna's Stars
Patricia Squire
Reader spotlight
Shattered by Love
Michael Knapp · ed. Patricia Fancher
Reader spotlight
A Girl with a Bad Reputation
Dave Gioia
Reader spotlight
Lucrecia: Memoir of a Manic Woman
Jamie Goudeau
Reader spotlight
Reflections for the Twenty-First Century
Jean Pi Lee
Reader spotlight
SuperPower: The Ability to Fly or to Become Invisible
Roger E. Pedersen
Reader spotlight
Finish the Race
Jon Waller
Reader spotlight
Gunfighters, Thieves and Lawmen
David Milton McGowan · illus. Samantha Singer
Reader spotlight
Boundaries
David M. McGowan
Reader spotlight
Egypt Under the Stars
Ev Cochrane
Cover Craft
The first conversation with a reader
Portrait, lettering, colour, and atmosphere all begin telling the story before a book is opened. We look closely at the visual choices that invite readers in.
Explore creative supportStories Looking for the Screen
Books with cinematic possibility
Character-led stories, historical turning points, and extraordinary real lives ready to be discovered by screen professionals.
Early Mornings with “Dick”
A compelling historical novel following a Georgetown law student whose private breakfasts with President Richard Nixon reshape his understanding of leadership, truth, and public service.
Blame It on Socrates
Professor Patrick Dolan returns to the turbulent 1960s after a long-lost letter forces him to examine the ideals, friendships, and unfinished choices that shaped his life.
Proud American
A remarkable true story of a South Texas migrant worker who became a soldier and federal agent—a testament to service, sacrifice, faith, and Hispanic American pride.
Featured Members
Writers in our community
Jack Ryan
Historical & literary fiction
Sergio A. Tinoco
Memoir & military history
Patricia Squire
Children's fantasy
D.M. McGowan
Westerns
Built Around the Work
What membership makes possible
Spend less time searching and more time submitting to opportunities that genuinely fit your work.
Opportunity researchClear, current, practical
Share work in a considered literary setting built for conversation rather than noise.
Writer communityThoughtful, generous, focused
Describe the heart of your book with confidence when approaching readers and screen professionals.
Story developmentPurposeful, precise, compelling
Author Conversation
History, memory, and the private rooms of public life
Jack Ryan’s novels return to defining political moments through characters still deciding what duty means. Our conversations with authors look beyond the synopsis to the questions that keep a book alive.
Read author conversationsIn focus
Early Mornings with “Dick”
Jack Ryan · Historical fiction
A young law student’s unexpected conversations with President Nixon become a lens on ambition, unrest, and public service.
A Place to Begin
Three prompts for the blank page
Fiction
The Room After Everyone Leaves
Begin with what remains on the table, then let one object reveal what no one said aloud.
Poetry
A Map Drawn From Memory
Trace a familiar place without naming its streets. Let sound and scent establish the borders.
Memoir
The Letter That Arrived Twice
Write about news you understood differently the second time you received it.
Fourth Group Journal
Notes for a writing life
Editorial practice
How to shape a compelling author announcement
A practical guide to finding the human story inside a launch, award, or publication milestone.
Continue readingPublishing insight
What literary editors notice in the opening page
Clarity, movement, and a confident point of view matter long before a submission reaches its final paragraph.
Continue readingScreen stories
Five questions to ask before pitching an adaptation
Identify the visual engine, central conflict, audience, and emotional promise at the heart of your book.
Continue readingComing to the Programme
Gatherings for curious writers
These planned formats will bring authors, editors, and fellow writers together for focused conversation and practical learning. Dates will be announced.
Visit the events pageSoon
Planned online workshop
Opening Pages: Live Editorial Session
Soon
Planned author conversation
Writing History Without Losing the Story
Soon
Planned virtual panel
From Book Premise to Screen Pitch
Your next chapter deserves good company
Come for the research. Stay for the conversations, shared knowledge, and steady encouragement that help serious work find its readers.
One annual membership. No tiers or hidden charges.