What happens when a book "dies on submission"?

Indie romcom author Mike Lawson discusses some of the difficult realities of the publishing industry and how he channeled his 17-year cabin crew career into his queer rom-com Winging It. He explains why he split with his first agent and accidentally landed a new one. There's also a good chat about how Mike has navigated self-publishing with more confidence on his second time around.

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What happens when your day job as a medical historian collides with epic fantasy?

Lindsey Byrd joins us to chat about finishing her fantasy duology, A Tale of Two Crowns with the recent release of the second novel, The Moon Blessed King.

Lindsey breaks down her high-stakes magic system that was inspired by real-world healthcare inequalities and the difference between fantasy romance and romantasy. Lindsey talks about being a reformed pantser and explains how her plotting style has evolved over the years.

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Discover how inaugural Libraro Prize winner Donna Fisher is tackling cancel culture in her new novel Sheep's Clothing, and how the platform that discovered her is removing traditional publishing gatekeepers.

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What happens when real-world political anger sparks a dark fantasy trilogy? Isabelle Mongeau discusses her debut novel, The Debtor's Game, a dark fantasy inspired by the Palace of Versailles and American politics, where your financial debt is tattooed directly onto your skin.

Isabel shares her journey from writing unpublished crime thrillers to finding her voice in fantasy, the crucial difference between "romantasy" and her focus on political intrigue, and how she learned to stop over-outlining and trust the drafting process.

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Literary fiction writer, Natalie Gregory joins us this week to chat about her debut novel and the long and unexpected journey she has been on with it through unsuccessful querying to winning the Primadonna Prize.

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Domestic and psychological thriller author, Kathryn Sharman is here chatting about the many years it took her to learn and hone her craft before signing with an agent and then securing her book deals!

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SFF author Jeremy Szal dials in from Australia to chat about finishing his trilogy, his writing and publishing journey and the experience of working at the Hugo award-winning podcast, StarShipSofa.

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Satirical thriller and critically acclaimed horror author Sarah Langan joins us this week to chat about her latest novel Tradwife and the dramatic ups and downs of her publishing journey over the years.

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Literary agent, Isabel Lineberry joins us this week to chat about her journey in publishing, what it's like to build a list from the early stages of being a literary agent and how she tackles query letters.

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Creative non-fiction author, Madelyn Postman is here to chat about her linked memoir anthology, which is going through a hybrid publishing process. We chat all about what that means, Madelyn's writing tips and experiences and how much writers love to procrastinate!

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