A Long Game

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Warm, wise and full of practical tips, this book is the ideal companion to every writing life

Write every day
Show, don’t tell
Write what you know
Kill Your Darlings

These are some of the most popular nuggets of advice given to writers, universally agreed to be true. They are all pieces of writing advice that Elizabeth McCracken expertly and persuasively shoots down in A Long Game.

McCracken has been writing for most of her life. Here, she shares insights gleaned along the way, deconstructing received wisdom whilst playfully tackling the mysteries that are inherent to writing and creativity.

A book about the life of an artist and a guide to fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource and will lead all writers, at any stage of their career, back to the page.

‘A cheering companion that makes writing a less lonely business’ Yiyun Li

'Elizabeth McCracken is one of America's finest writers' Garth Greenwell

'An irreverent, thought-provoking and ultimately inspiring book about making art' Rumaan Alam

'A world class writer and a world class writing teacher' Paul Harding

'I would encourage every writer to read it' Rebecca Ivory

© Elizabeth McCracken 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

A Long Game is a manual that I will return to again and again, and am so grateful to have it in my toolkit as a writer. To have a book like this to turn to is a comfort and a lifeline. McCracken is as honest and incisive in A Long Game as she is in fiction. I would encourage every writer to read it
Rebecca Ivory
A gift for writers, A Long Game is warm and bolstering, straight-talking, practical and tough
Jessica Stanley

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.