Bestselling hybrid romance author, Chelsea Curto joins Jamie this week to chat about her DC Stars hockey series and her traditional publishing debut, In Stormy Weather. Chelsea shares the surreal journey of writing her first book in 2022 to landing a major book deal, and why she believes that publishing is a marathon and not a sprint.

Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to decode the indie publishing world or a romance fan obsessed with forced proximity and sports tropes, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.

• Why hockey's physicality and 82-game travel schedule make it the ultimate sport for romantic tension.
• How Chelsea researched storm chasing and atmospheric science for her STEM-focused rival meteorologists in In Stormy Weather.
• The realities of being a hybrid author and balancing the creative control of self-publishing with the collaborative team support of traditional publishing.
• The Emily Henry book that sparked Chelsea's love for the genre and led to a magical full-circle career moment.

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction & Latest Releases
• 05:08 - Why Hockey Dominates the Romance Genre
• 07:50 - Writing Women in STEM & Storm Chasing
• 14:09 - The Leap into Traditional Publishing
• 25:17 - The Book That Started Chelsea's Journey
• 30:40 - From Flight Attendant to Bestselling Author
• 45:45 - Realities & Advice for Indie Publishing
• 57:45 - The Best of Both Worlds: Hybrid Publishing

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Literary agent, Philippa Sitters is with Jamie this week to chat about her career in publishing from a high intensity start with a major talent agency all the way through to starting her own agency, PSA Literary. Philippa shares a candid look at the day-to-day reality of running an independent agency, what she is looking for in her inbox, and why online author platforms are becoming increasingly significant in the industry.

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 – Philippa’s entry into the publishing industry.
• 07:28 – The leap to starting a solo agency (PSA Literary).
• 13:54 – What Philippa represents (and the genres she doesn't).
• 19:45 – What makes a standout crime thriller and the need for fresh perspectives.
• 22:45 – Which book would Philippa want if she was snowed in at a cosy woodland cabin.
• 27:06 – Fiction vs. Non-Fiction queries: Breaking down the submission guidelines.
• 39:37 – How to write the perfect query letter (and major red flags to avoid).
• 49:20 – Do you really need an author platform and a social media presence?

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Writer, editor and photographer, Amelia Kyazze is back on the podcast after first joining us back in 2021 with her debut novel. We chat about everything that she has written and published since then both with big publishers and independently. Amelia goes on to discuss her experiences with different publishing models, how she discovery writes in historical fiction, and why finding a community is so intertwined with creative success.

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What does it take to find a literary agent and navigate today’s ever-shifting publishing world?

In this episode, Jamie sits down with publishing veteran and literary agent Kate Barker to pull back the curtain on the industry. Kate talks about the ways in which AI and social media are changing author discoverability, why she asks for the first 500 words of a manuscript in her queries but not a synopsis.

Whether you're fine-tuning a pitch or love bookish insider talk, this conversation is packed with goodies.

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Middle grade fantasy author, Oliver Lendon joins Jamie to talk about his traditional debut. Oliver chats about writing for the love of the craft, the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing and practical insights on querying manuscripts, open submissions, and the amount of formatting and documentation that goes into self-publishing.

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Contemporary fiction author, Elizabeth Richardson is here, chatting about serialising her debut novel Trad on Substack. We discuss the trad wife subculture, dealing with rejections, and balancing multiple projects with a busy family life. Tune in for insights on building an organic reader community and a publishing inspired locked-room mystery recommendation.

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What if the government could police your dreams?

Young adult author Pippa Dunn drops by to discuss her debut novel, The Sign of the Raven.

Pippa pulls back the curtain on her journey from the theatre world to traditional publishing. She talks about the "crafter, not a drafter" writing process, how she balances plotting with discovery, and her whirlwind querying experience that led to a publisher auction.

Whether you're in the query trenches or just looking for a new historical fantasy, this episode is packed with actionable advice and creative inspiration.

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How do you write fast-paced, high-tech sci-fi that gets kids hooked on reading?

Debut children’s author, Steve Blackman joins us to talk about his new middle-grade novel, Zero Override!  Steve breaks down his writing process, how video games and classic sci-fi influence his world-building, navigating Middle Grade vs. YA, and his journey to landing a publishing deal with Scholastic.

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Author, illustrator, and content creator Christy Anne Jones is here ahead of the release of her debut cosy fantasy novel, Theodora’s Tea Shop.

Christy pulls back the curtain on how she blended 1920s modernist influences with illegal magic syndicates and deep female friendships to craft a story that sits right in the sweet spot of cozy and dark fantasy. She also chats about her YouTube series where she tests out the writing routines of authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Dan Brown, and Brandon Sanderson.

Plus we have an honest, behind-the-scenes discussion about the business of books. From Christy's first manuscript dying in the querying trenches to navigating an international publishing auction with Hachette, she shares priceless advice on marketability, rewriting entire drafts from memory, and being part of a creative team.

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Are you an aspiring author wondering if indie publishing is the right route for your book?

In this episode of the Write and Wrong podcast, Jamie sits down with Rachel Pattinson—an independent children’s author, publisher, chartered librarian, and winner of the prestigious Hachette Children’s Novel Award (2023).

Rachel talks about the inspiration behind her debut middle-grade mystery novel, Seven: Distracted Detective and pulls back the curtain on her unique journey from winning a major traditional publishing award to successfully launching her own indie imprint, Aralyn Press.

Support the show on Patreon! 💖 And get extended episodes, ad-free and a week ahead of everyone else. 🙏

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