Literaticast

I talk about the qualities of my "ideal author" besides, like, writing awesome books. Author Martha Brockenbrough joins me to rap about such topics as: Writing in multiple categories; the difference between writing fiction and nonfiction; the value of saying YES to opportunity, and more. We then take a look at the subject of her newest book, a man who may have said YES at least two times too many... founding father Alexander Hamilton. HAMTASTIC! Oh and we discuss Santa, do a dog poet storytime, and I not-so-subtly beg for a special ARC.

I rant a bit about "girl books" and "boy books", then I am joined by David Elliott, the brilliant author of BULL, the ORQ series, and much more. His books are generally hilarious, and his latest is in verse, so we talk about having an "ear" for comedy and poetry. We talk about novels in verse, and David sheds light on his process, talks about Jungian analysis, and gabs about Greek myths and Joan of Arc. David also gives his advice for both how to take criticism of your writing... and how to GIVE it. And he reaches into the archives to give some book recommendations, including TUCK EVERLASTING. :-)

I give the skinny on how to spot SCHMAGENTS in the wild - aka scammy and scummy fake "agents" who take naive writers for a ride. Then superagent Kate Testerman joins me for frank talk about how to work with an agent, the ever-loving slowness of publishing, how to choose comp titles, and even the eternal question: When to give up on publishing dreams and go learn to become a carpenter. We also touch on fanfiction, Maurice Sendak, Pokemon, possessed nutcrackers, and Doctor Who. It's a wild ride!

YA author Mackenzi Lee joins me to talk about, well, almost everything, from book deal depression to hitting milestones like the NYT Bestseller List. We also cover: how to tackle historical research (and when to get anachronistic); cross-dressing fencers; Dutch tulip-mania; a lady painter of the Italian Baroque; 1980's women wrestlers -- this is a wide-ranging conversation with a fascinating author.

I talk about what I like to see in an author's website. And Publicist Extraordinaire Saraciea Fennell talks to me about the Secret World of Publicists -- including what authors can do to work with their publicist, how to grow your own network by getting the word out in your local community, when (and if) to spend your own money on publicity, authors getting political on social media, and much more. Saraciea also mentions a couple of her most memorable publicity campaigns, and we talk about our current obsessions.

I share some of my top tips for writers attending big conferences. And Chronicle Books senior editor Melissa Manlove joins me to give advice about writing picture books. Also, I give HER advice about getting sick in Italy (spoiler: DON'T). Plus Swedish Punks, Turkish Cats, and more!

​In this episode, I answer my most frequently asked question: What the heck is a literary agent, anyway? And author and professor Laurel Snyder is on hand to talk about Imposter Syndrome, mid-list author mania, crafty plots (and how to keep 'em moving), avoiding creative burnout, and more.