Mark Twain was a man of many firsts. He wrote some of the most beloved American novels, traveled the world, and even held patents for inventions (including an adjustable strap for garments—because why not?). But here’s a little-known fact that’s as delightful as a riverboat ride down the Mississippi: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was the first novel ever written on a typewriter.
Yes, before laptops, autocorrect, and the nightmare that is predictive text, Twain sat down at a Remington No. 1 typewriter and tapped away, pioneering a new era of storytelling. Imagine the scene—Twain, mustache bristling, eyes twinkling with mischief, hammering away at the keys, likely muttering about how slow and frustrating this newfangled contraption was. He later complained that typewriters were too cumbersome and returned to writing by hand. (Twain: brilliant writer, but not one for tech support.)
Was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer a better book because it was typed? Probably not. But it was certainly different. Before the typewriter, writing was a laborious, ink-stained process, requiring careful penmanship and more patience than a fence-painting contest. The typewriter changed everything—it sped up the writing process, made editing slightly easier (though still a headache), and set the stage for the word processors and keyboards we use today.
Twain, always ahead of his time, saw potential in the machine. He even sent a typed manuscript of Life on the Mississippi to his publisher, making it the first typewritten book submitted for publication. The publisher, undoubtedly both impressed and bewildered, must have wondered if they were witnessing a literary revolution or just another one of Twain’s elaborate pranks.
Of course, Twain’s love affair with technology was… complicated. While he appreciated the typewriter, he also had a knack for disastrous investments in cutting-edge gadgets. He poured a fortune into an ill-fated automated typesetting machine, which nearly bankrupted him. (In classic Twain fashion, he later turned his financial woes into great storytelling.)
So, the next time you sit down at a keyboard, tapping away on a laptop or phone, take a moment to appreciate the clunky machine that started it all—and the mischievous writer who dared to use it. Twain may not have loved his typewriter, but he certainly made history with it.
Fun trivia like this reminds us how even the smallest innovations can shape how we tell stories. Who knows? Maybe a hundred years from now, someone will write about how today’s authors pioneered novels written entirely with AI or virtual reality. Until then, let’s just be grateful we don’t have to retype entire pages because of a single typo—Twain certainly would be.
Want More Fun Trivia?
Want more fun trivia like this? Stick around—there’s always another literary oddity waiting to be discovered! Readers and Writers Book Club, where we dig into the fascinating lives of authors, swap trivia about literary legends, and explore hidden stories behind the books we love. If The First Novel Ever Typed intrigued you, wait until you hear what else is hiding in the pages of history. Come on in— I promise, there’s always room for another curious mind!
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Author Campaign Method (ACM) for Authorpreneurs
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. Author Campaign Method (ACM) of sales and marketing is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authorpreneurs who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for them.
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Facebook Profile and Facebook Page
Active Social Media Participation
Ebook Cards
The Great Alaska Book Fair: October 8, 2016
Costco Book Signings
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Jim Misko Book Signing at Barnes and Noble
Cortex is for serious authors and will probably not be of interest to hobbyists. We recorded our Cortex training and information meeting. If you’re a serious author, and did not attend the meeting, and would like to review the training information, kindly let us know. Authors are required to have a Facebook author page to use Cortex.
Correction:
We take the quote by Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble seriously: “The author is essential to the success of the book, giving energy behind the book to make it something that a customer will come in and ask for. That is what makes the difference in a book that sells, that develops legs, and has a life of its own. Otherwise the book goes on the shelf and stays there for three months. Then it gets returned.”
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. ACM is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authors who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for serious authors, but a burden for hobbyist. We don’t recommend ACM for hobbyists.
We’re the only publisher we know of that provides authors with book signing opportunities. Book signing are appropriate for hobbyist and essential for serious authors. To schedule a book signing kindly go to our website, <
An Author Page on Amazon Author Central is a serious author ACM requirement and desirable for the hobbyist. Author Central is a free resource designed to help authors become more active participants in the promotion of their books. In Author Central you can manage an Author Page, update information about your books, and view Customer Reviews and sales information for your bibliography. If you don’t already have an Author Page on 
We hear authors complain about all the personal stuff on Facebook. Most of these complaints are because the author doesn’t understand the difference difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Simply put, a profile is for personal things for friends and family; a page is for business. If your book is just a hobby, then it’s fine to have only a Facebook profile and make your posts for friends and family; however, if you’re serious about your writing, and it’s a business with you, or you want it to be business, then you need a Facebook page as an author. It’s simple to tell if it’s a page or a profile. A profile shows how many friends and a page shows how many likes. Here’s a link <> to a straight forward description on how to set up your author Facebook page.
Active Social Media Participation
Mosquito Books has a new location in the Anchorage international airport and is available for signings with 21 days notice. Jim Misko had a signing there yesterday. His signing report included these words, “Had the best day ever at the airport . . ..”
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When he published those overseas blogs as the book The Innocents Abroad, it would become a hit. But you couldn’t find it in bookstores.
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