📚 How do you pitch your book, find an agent, and break into publishing—without losing your mind along the way?
In this episode of The Author Next Door, Angela Haas and Cassie Newell chat with Laura Goode, award-winning author, poet, and Stanford professor, about the art and strategy behind getting your book agented, published, and paid.

Drawing from her new craft book Pitch Craft: The Writer’s Guide to Getting Agented, Published, and Paid (Ten Speed Press, 2025), Laura shares her expert insights on querying, pitching, and positioning your work in today’s competitive publishing landscape.

In this explore they explore:

The craft of pitching your book with clarity and confidence ✍️

How to query agents effectively (and what not to do)

Common mistakes writers make in their submission materials

How to identify the right agent and publishing path for your goals

Why persistence and professionalism matter more than perfection

The realities of breaking into traditional publishing as an indie or debut author

How to position your writing as both art and business

Whether you’re polishing your first query letter or preparing to pitch your next big project, this episode is your step-by-step guide to navigating the publishing process with strategy—and heart.

👇 What’s your biggest question about pitching or querying?

Where to find Laura: https://www.lauragoode.com/

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🎙️For More About The Author Nextdoor ➡ https://theauthornextdoor.com/  

🗺️ Other places to find us and connect:    
ANGELA HAAS Choose your own adventure  🚀💕  https://ahaaswrites.com/    

CASSIE NEWELL Romance 🩷 https://ckdarling.com/   
Young Adult 🧚  https://authorcmnewell.com/   
Writing Coach 📚  https://www.sassywritingcoach.com/     

ℹ️ Keywords 🔑 pitching a book, how to get a literary agent, query letter tips, querying agents, traditional publishing, book pitch tips, literary agent advice, publishing process, writing craft, author career, publishing strategy, manuscript pitching, how to get published, writer tips, Pitch Craft Laura Goode