Three Things We Loved This Week: 5/22/25

"Kill the Editor," the first Tom Keegan story, and ranking the 50 best crime and noir novels of all time

Whenever a call for submissions goes up, there’s always that little admonishment: “Be sure to read some back issues to get a sense of what we publish.” But what do you do when there are no back issues to read?

To help give a sense of our sensibilities (and just to share stuff we love), we’re publishing quick weekly roundups. If you like what we post, we’ll probably like what you write. So send us your stuff, okay?

Kill the Editor, by Caleb Caudell

Good god! Here I was, just minding my own editorial business here at Cold Caller HQ, when Mr. Caudell throws this proverbial firebomb through my proverbial window.

But setting aside the murderous title, this piece makes some damn good points for anyone trying to figure out writing and publishing in 2025 (especially on Substack):

From where I’m sitting, the defense of traditional publishing’s fine writerly polish seems a little dependent on bright spots of the past; on the surface this makes sense, as writing transcends death, so why not point to certain canonized authors in arguing for the value of legacy standards and working relationships with editors. But we’re talking about choices faced by living writers, today. Notice in the above-quoted note, Rhi brings up Joan Didion writing at Vogue as an example of how proper guidance from a skilled editor elevates the craft of the essay. Forgive me an impoliteness, but why not mention someone currently writing at Vogue? Didion wrote for the magazine from 1956 to 1964. What’s Vogue been up to lately? I’ll wait for someone to educate me.

At this moment, I’m not saying that all the current writing at Vogue is pure garbage (maybe it is, not sure), just that a writer trying to make it today can’t write for a dead editor in 1964. He has to write for Vogue now, and if he lacks resources, institutional ins, he’s not getting anywhere, and even if he does, he’ll be writing for a small crew of insiders, which isn’t that different from what’ll happen if he writes on Substack.

Read the full piece here.

Lit Up, by M.E. Proctor

A couple weeks ago, we interviewed M.E. Proctor about her new book Bop City Swing, a novel which features her recurring character Tom Keegan, a homicide detective in 1950s San Francisco.

So it was a real treat to see Proctor had republished Keegan’s first outing over at The Roll Top Desk:

“I swear someday I’ll throw that piece of shit through the window,” Tom Keegan said. “And I won’t bother opening the damn window either.”

Al ‘Matt’ Matteotti looked up from his stack of notes. “Threatening violence against an inanimate object? Not to mention that this piece of shit is government property.”

“See if I care.” Tom had his fingers in the basket of the bulky Underwood, untangling the typebars. It was a familiar sight. So far, the Underwood was winning.

“You know what’s wrong with you?” Matt said.

Tom slid the carriage, making the boxy thing go ding. “Enlighten me.” He worked the lever return to get back to the right spot in the document. “Damn nuisance.”

“It jams because you type too fast. You’re too impatient. You confuse the stupid contraption. Me, on the contrary …” Matt raised his index finger, held it up in the air until Tom turned to look at him “One finger. See.” He switched to the middle finger, flipping the bird. He talked as he typed. “R – clack – O – clack – B – clack – E – clack – R – clack – Y – clack. No jam, no tangle. Slow and steady does it.”

“There’s two Bs in Robbery, you dolt,” Tom said.

Ride along with Tom Keegan.

Video: Ranking 50 of THE BEST Crime and Noir Books

Speaking of lobbing proverbial firebombs— check out this guy’s ranking of the “50 Best Crime and Noir Books.”

Is he wrong? Is he right? Is there something inherently flawed about trying to place works of art on a subjectively constructed five-tier ranking system?

Who cares! It’s still a great reading list, even if his take on The Friends of Eddie Coyle is completely insane.