The Book Deal

Hosts Madeleine and Tina are podcasting from a Gold Coast café! Join them as they provide updates on their writing projects and experiences. Madeleine shares her positive feedback from her publisher and her excitement and anxiety about a renowned historian reading her novel. Tina discusses the complexities of editing her third series book and the importance of character development and writing resources like Scrivener. Then Tina interviews the bright and bubbly Michelle Upton, who emphasizes balancing market demands with personal passion in commercial fiction, tackling imposter syndrome, and the significance of preparation for promotional events. She offers practical writing tips and advice for managing the marketing aspects of a writing career. The episode concludes with a feel-good message about the importance of engaging with the writing community and finding supportive peers for the writing journey.

00:00 Café Catch-Up: A Different Kind of Episode
01:14 Weather Talk and Queensland Life
01:43 Writing Updates and Editing Milestones
02:21 The Copy Edit Process
05:16 Publication Schedules and Printing Curiosities
08:47 Character Decisions and Structural Edits
11:16 Plotting and Scene Management
13:59 Illustrations and Visualizing the Novel
15:36 Writing Tools and Top Tips
21:12 Interview with Michelle Upton: Journey to Publication
39:18 The Journey to Getting Published
40:43 The Excitement of Getting Published
42:50 Navigating Rejections and Perseverance
44:09 The Importance of Competitions and Networking
45:54 Building a Supportive Writing Community
50:18 Starting the Writing Journey
54:27 Learning the Craft and Finding Your Voice
01:00:12 The Reality of Publishing and Market Trends
01:05:41 The Emotional Roller Coaster of Writing
01:10:05 Tips for Aspiring Authors
01:20:36 Preparing for Book Launches and Events
01:25:38 Final Words of Encouragement

Links mentioned:
Michelle Upton
Scrivener
NaNoWriMo
HarperCollins Banjo Prize
Red Litzner Anthology
Save The Cat
Story Grid
Emotion Thesaurus, Conflict Thesaurus, Emotional Wound Thesaurus
Queensland Writers Centre writing competitions

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author

Join Tina and Madeleine as they candidly discuss their paths in the writing world, from shooting author videos and exploring middle grade fiction to announcing upcoming book deals and generating new ideas. They reveal their personal writing practices, including plotting versus pantsing. Madeleine interviews Kylie Orr and they discuss the influence of social media on an author’s life and the challenges debut authors face in the publishing industry, such as managing expectations and gaining visibility. While reflecting on writer's block and finding inspiration in daily life, Kylie also celebrates the joy of seeing her books on shelves and the supportive nature of the writing community. The episode wraps up with motivational advice for aspiring authors.

00:00 Sunny Weather and Catching Up
01:05 Behind the Scenes of an Author Video Shoot
04:33 Exploring Middle Grade Books
09:10 The Journey of Writing and Publishing
21:59 From Feature Articles to Novels
35:17 Finding the Right Editor
35:54 Rewriting the Book
36:18 Entering the Richell Prize
36:57 Securing a Book Deal
38:01 The Eleventh Floor Pitch
39:30 Writing the Second Book
41:58 Insights on Agents
47:37 The Third Book
50:48 Social Media and Writing
58:35 Organizing Book Events
01:05:53 Wins and Woes

Links mentioned:

• Kylie Orr Kylie Orr
• Tina's book WILDER ZOO (BOOK ONE): NEEKA AND THE MISSING KEY Neeka and the Missing Key (Wilder Zoo, #1) :HarperCollins Australia
• Story Grid Story Grid - How to Write a Book People Will Read
• Save the Cat Screenwriting & Story Structure Software, Books, Classes - Save the Cat!®
• Scrivener Scrivener | Literature & Latte (literatureandlatte.com)
• Richell Prize The Richell Prize - Hachette Australia
• Fiona McIntosh masterclasses Masterclasses - Fiona McIntosh
• HQ fiction HarperCollins HQ - HarperCollins Australia :HarperCollins Australia
• Zeitgeist Agency Zeitgeist Agency

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author

In this episode, co-hosts Madeleine and Tina discuss Tina's recent writer's retreat in Byron Bay and their busy schedules as debut authors. They also revisit their very first guest interview with Australian children's author Jess Horn. Jess shares the journey of publishing her debut picture book 'Bernie Thinks in Boxes', from participating in competitions and assessments to securing a contract with Affirm Press. Alongside, she gives practical advice on handling rejections, leveraging social media, and the importance of community and feedback in the publishing process. The episode highlights Jess's exclusive tips on writing and editing.

00:00 Morning Catch-Up

01:27 Byron Bay Writer's Retreat

02:54 Recording Challenges

04:30 Editing Milestones

07:48 Book Cover Design

10:00 Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)

15:28 Interview with Jess Horn

29:17 Gaining Insight from Assessments

29:26 The Journey of 'Bernie Thinks in Boxes'

32:16 Facing Rejections and Perseverance

35:48 Upcoming Book Releases

37:41 Balancing Writing and Life

42:13 The Importance of Community and Social Media

50:49 The Publishing Process and Final Tips

56:24 Conclusion and Book Launch Details

Links mentioned:
Jess Horn Jess Horn Author
Zoe Bennet Zoe Bennett.
ASA Literary Speed Dating Literary Speed Dating - Australian Society of Authors (asauthors.org.au)
CYA Conference CYA Conference | Writers And Illustrators Conference
KidLitVic KidLitVic
Affirm Press Home - Affirm Press
Bright Light Bright Light Books (hellobrightlight.com)
Hardi Grant Publishing Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Natural Readers Free Text to Speech Online with Realistic AI Voices (naturalreaders.com)

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author

In the inaugural episode of The Book Deal Podcast, hosts Tina Strachan and Madeleine Cleary introduce themselves and share their experiences and updates on their writing journey. Tina discusses her recent manuscript assessments with publishers and the benefits of the CYA Conference, while Madeleine talks about her structural edits and the long publication process. They highlight the importance of writing conferences, competitions, and maintaining a playful approach to writing. The episode sets the stage for future interviews with authors and industry professionals, offering valuable advice and insights for aspiring writers.

00:00 Welcome to the Book Deal Podcast!
00:53 Our Book Deal Journey
02:11 The CYA Conference Experience
03:34 Balancing Multiple Projects
05:16 Navigating the Publishing Industry
07:14 The Importance of Feedback
14:56 The Editing Process
23:07 Building a Writing Community
25:07 Signing the Book Deal
30:25 Tips for Aspiring Authors

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author

Links mentioned:
CYA conference CYA Conference | Writers And Illustrators Conference

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author

Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos

You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author