Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai discuss recent author life updates and practical publishing-event etiquette. Tina shares launching book three of the Wilder Zoo series, “Neeka and the Great Search,” and they discuss gift ideas for in-conversation partners, the importance of stocking and pitching the partner’s books, and not feeling pressured to spend much. Tina talks about adjusting to a new writing routine, realizing she can’t sustain full-day creativity. Madeleine describes February becoming busier after a calm January, plans to restrict social media, and mentions discovering an unauthorized Melbourne walking tour based on her novel “The Butterfly Women,”. Natasha shares submitting book two to her publisher and reflects on how writing later books feels different from a first book, including higher expectations, risk-taking, and fluctuating confidence, and the group discusses how routine changes can affect creativity and productivity and how drafts can swing between feeling “terrible” and “good.” They talk about social media’s addictive design and strategies to limit it, and Natasha outlines her portfolio career schedule combining writing blocks, counseling work, and shifts at Roaring Stories bookstore. The conversation touches on the value of unpaid writing-related work, the difficulty of earning a living from writing alone, and measuring success beyond sales. They also promote applications for the Magnetic Island “Writers on the Reef” program through James Cook University (with flights and a stipend mentioned), and float the idea of a future Book Deal Podcast writers’ retreat.

00:00 Podcast Intro
00:43 Welcome and Acknowledgement
00:56 Tina Launches Book Three
02:09 Gifts for In Conversation
06:56 Tina Finds a Routine
10:46 Mads Social Media Rules
12:18 Unexpected Walking Tour
14:59 Tash Submits Book Two
18:00 Writing Sequels and Pressure
25:41 Routine Changes and Creativity
28:18 Daily Writing Without Guilt
29:01 When Books Flow or Fight
30:44 Time Blocks and Trust
32:07 Rest as Productivity
33:02 Tasha’s Portfolio Routine
33:50 Beating Instagram Dopamine
39:40 What Portfolio Careers Mean
42:08 Value Beyond Sales
47:27 Magnetic Island Residency Plug
48:57 Planning a Podcast Retreat
50:19 Embrace the Poo Finale

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Tina Strachan children's book author
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Madeleine Cleary | Author
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Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor

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