First Draft with Sarah Enni

A conversation between the entire team behind debut young adult novel Don't Ask Me Where I'm From: author Jennifer de Leon, Literary agent Faye Bender, partner and founder of The Book Group, and Caitlyn Dlouhy, Vice President & Editorial Director–Caitlyn Dlouhy Books at Simon & Schuster.

This conversation was held as part of A Mighty Blaze's YA Weekend, and many thanks to Joseph Moldover (author of Every Last Breath) for all the help putting that entire celebration together.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Francisco X. Stork, author of Illegal, Marcelo in the Real World, and more

• Natalie C. Anderson, author of City of Saints and Thieves and Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday

• Desmond Hall, debut author of forthcoming YA novel Your Corner Dark

• 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds, whose many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely [listen to his First Draft interview here]), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series, Look Both Ways, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. Listen to his First Draft interviews here and here.

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

If you're looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter.

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Adele Griffin, two-time National Book Award honoree and author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers, including The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, The Becket List, and Sons of Liberty and Where I want to Be.

Today's episode is brought to you by Caveda, which leads group focus sessions for a worldwide community everyday on Zoom. First Draft listeners can try a free, three hour cave with promo code "FIRSTDRAFT" at caveday.org/firstdraft

This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Agatha Christie, author of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and more

• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

• OMG Book Festival

• Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Great Shelby Holmes, Past Perfect Life, and more

• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

• John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and many more

• Nancy Paulsen at Penguin

• Graphic novelist Lisa Brown collaborated with Adele on Picture the Dead

• Kate DiCamillo is one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, for her novels The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses, and author of Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising, as well as New York Times bestselling novels The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician's Elephant, the Mercy Watson series, and more. DiCamillo was the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014 and 2015. Listen to her First Draft interview here.

• Wilder Girls by Rory Power

• Sarah Mlynowski, author of Just a Girl and a Boy in a Little Canoe, the Whatever After series, and co-author of Upside-Down Magic

• Julia DeVillers is the author of Liberty Porter, First Daughter series and the coauthor of the Trading Faces series

• Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm series, the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (N.E.R.D.S.

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

If you're looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter.

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

📚🗣️💰 How do readers learn about your book? We get into how publishing companies decide on the marketing budgets for each book, and what marketing tools are at their disposal. The difference between publicity and marketing; how authors can maximize what their publisher has planned; and the one thing that matters most when it comes to promoting books.

This episode features:

Jennifer de Leon, debut author of YA novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From (out August 18).

Margot Wood, director of sales and marketing and Oni Press, former marketer at HarperCollins who co-created EpicReads, and author whose debut novel will be out with Abrams in Fall 2021.

Simon Versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (hear a First Draft interview with Becky Albertalli).

Christine Riccio, author of Again But Better and BookTube star at her channel, PolandBananasBooks.

Joanna Volpe, President and literary agent at New Leaf Literary and Media.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (listen to her First Draft interview here).

Episode 1: Publishing 101

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Bonus Episode: Publishing in the time of COVID

Episode 3: Selling Your Book (Part 1)

Episode 4: Selling Your Book (Part 2)

Episode 5: Advances (Part 1)

Episode 6: Contracts

Episode 7: After the Book Deal

Bonus Episode: Inequality in Publishing

• The Track Changes episode about Advances

• We discussed in-house enthusiasm, and Jenn being able to present as sales conference, in the After the Book Sale episode.

• BookExpo America

• The American Library Association

• Booklist

• The School Library Journal

• Kirkus Reviews

• NetGalley

• Edelweiss

• The American Bookseller's Association

• The Texas Library Association Meeting

• The National Council of Teachers of English Conference

• Stefon from SNL

• Love, Simon (movie)

More Information:

• "Jacket Copy Sells Books, So Better Make it Good," by PublishingTrends

• blurbs

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Support First Draft by subscribing to the podcast wherever you listen (on Apple Podcasts, Spotfiy, Stitcher, or elsewhere), and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. You can donate to the podcast, on a one time or monthly basis.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

Arthur Levine is the legendary children's book editor, including of series such as Harry Potter and The Golden Compass. He is founder of publishing house Levine Querido, and formerly President and Publisher at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, as well as author of picture books, most recently The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol.

I used portions of Arthur's interview in the Track Changes: Inequality in Publishing episode, and I encourage you all to listen.

This episode is brought to you by Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar, a debut YA novel that blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy. Available wherever books are sold now!

This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Susan Hirschman, editor and founder of Greenwillow Books

• Ursula Nordstrom, legendary editor of children's books at HarperCollins

• Margaret Frith, long-time editor at G.P. Putnam's Sons

• The Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine

• The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

• The Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole

• Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

• Levine Querido is partnering with Chronicle Books for printing

• Everything Sad is Untrue: A True Story by Daniel Nayeri

• Elatso by Darcie Little Badger

• Illustrator Rovina Cai

• The Wanderer by Peter Van Den Ende

• Illustrator Shaun Tan

• Illustrator M.C. Escher

• This Old Dog by Martha Brockenbrough, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo

• Kevin Hawkes, illustrator for The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol

• Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

If you're looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter.

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Christina Hammonds-Reed, debut author of The Black Kids, is in conversation with 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds, whose many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely [listen to his First Draft interview here]), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series, Look Both Ways, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• You can hear my previous conversation with Jason here

• I spoke with Morgan Jerkins, author of New York Times bestselling essay collection This Will Be My Undoing, about her recent history and memoir, Wandering in Strange Lands (listen to her First Draft interview here)

• Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up

• Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin and its sequel, Dear Justyce, Odd One Out, Clean Getaway, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Morgan Jerkins, author of essay collection This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America, talks about her new book, social history and memoir Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov

• Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

• City of God (movie)

• Morgan worked as an editorial assistant at independent publisher, online magazine, and writing class hub Catapult

• Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

• Get Out (movie)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

This week is a new mailbag episode, where I--along with a very special guest--will answer listener questions! Joining me today is Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe, Little & Lion, The Only Black Girls in Town, and more! Her latest book, The Voting Booth, is out now.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Brandy just announced her latest project, a nonfiction young adult book about the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, with Balzer + Bray

• Hear Brandy's first two appearances on the podcast here and here!

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

🔍📚 How bad is structural inequality within the U.S. publishing industry, how did it get that way, and what can we do to make it better? Industry experts and activists contextualize, illuminate, and identify some of the key inflection points that perpetuate inequality and get into what every book lover can do to enact change.

This episode features:

Industry expert Mike Shatzkin, Founder and CEO of The Idea Logical Company and co-author with Robert Paris Riger, of The Book Business.

Jalissa Marcelle Corrie, marketing and publicity manager at Lee and Low Books, contributor to anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell, and planning committee member of People of Color in Publishing.

Nicole Johnson, Executive Director of We Need DIverse Books

Arthur Levine, founder of the Levine Querido and for 23 years, Publisher at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic.

Episode 1: Publishing 101

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Bonus Episode: Publishing in the time of COVID

Episode 3: Selling Your Book (Part 1)

Episode 4: Selling Your Book (Part 2)

Episode 5: Advances (Part 1)

Episode 6: Contracts

Episode 7: After the Book Deal

• We Need Diverse Books

• The Lee & Low Books Diversity Baseline Survey 2015

• The Lee & Low Books Diversity Baseline Survey 2019

• P&L Statements

• Dana Canedy, new publisher of Simon & Schuster

• Barnes & Noble selling to Elliott Advisors

• James Daunt

• Waterstones

• The American Booksellers Association

More Information:

• "People of Color to Publishing: We're Not Okay," in Publisher's Weekly

• "A Conflicted Cultural Force': What It's Like to Be Black in Publishing," in The New York Times

• "In Publishing, 'Everything Is Up for Change" in The New York Times

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Support First Draft by subscribing to the podcast wherever you listen (on Apple Podcasts, Spotfiy, Stitcher, or elsewhere), and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. You can donate to the podcast, on a one time or monthly basis.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

Kim Johnson, college administrator and mentor of student activists, on her debut author of This is My America, out now!

This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene

• Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Are Watching God

• Black Lives Matter

• We Need Diverse Books

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Alaya Dawn Johnson, Nebula-winning author of YA novels The Summer Prince, Love is the Drug, and more. Her new adult speculative fiction novel, Trouble the Saints, is out now!

Be sure to check out A Mighty Blaze's YA Weekend July 25-26, 2020! All events streamed live at Facebook.com/AMightyBlaze!

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

• The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

• Charles Sheffield, science fiction writer

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King

• Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

• Colson Whitehead The Nickel Boys (which won the Pulitzer Prize)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

How do you like the show?

Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!