The Manuscript Academy

New Season Preview: From Comp Titles to Virtual Spaces: What's Next at Manuscript Academy

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Also on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/QaWwJ8O5NFA In this episode of the Manuscript Academy Podcast, hosts Julie Kingsley and Jessica Sinsheimer intro...

Why Does Publishing Take So Darn Long? With Special Guest Agent Stefanie Molina

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered why Publishing seems to take so much longer than any other industry? We posed this question to agent Stefanie Molina, Ladderb...

How To Make Your Work More Addictive: Pacing, Structure & Symmetry with Agent Liv Ivanov

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome Liv Ivanov, agent at Creative Media Agency, to the podcast! In this episode, we talk about making your work more addictive...

How To Make Your Work More Commercial with Agent Alyssa Jennette (Stonesong Literary)

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you make your work more commercial--and why is commercial the trend right now? Join agent Alyssa Jennette (Stonesong Literary) as we talk abo...

The Formula For Successful Books with Editor Ivan Taurisano

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a formula for success? What do you do when "A new twist on something familiar" starts to feel overly simplistic? Enter editor Ivan Tauris...

The Art of Feedback: What To Take, What To Ignore & How To Know The Difference

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manuscript Academy alum and a published author, she’s a member of a 20-person writing group—and an ex...

Live Recorded: Mystery Editor Consultation with Macmillan Editor Christina Lopez

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty...

Your Book Is Not For Everyone (Thank Goodness!): Author Positioning with Norton Editor Emma Peters

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for everyone"? We get it! It sounds like the perfect way to convince an agent your book is a slam dunk...

Metaphor, Math, Editing, & How You Can Get Your Message to Your Reader Effectively

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orlin to the podcast! Ben Orlin is a math teacher who can't draw. His book Math with Bad Drawings (2018...

Messy Characters, Building Tension & How Agents Should Advocate For Your Work with Agent Nour Sallam

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at P.S. Literary, to the podcast! We discuss: *How agents should advocate for clients from signing t...

Genres, Tropes, Trends, and Finding Your Agent Fit with Agent Erica Bauman

27 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are so pleased to welcome agent Erica Bauman from Aevitas Creative Management to the podcast! We discuss: *How to make your work more atmospheri...

Querying, Middle School, And How Mistakes + Embarrassment Often Lead To Book Deals

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Debut author Kristy Jackson joins Julie and Jessica to talk about her new middle grade book, MORTIFIED, now out in bookstores everywhere! From embarra...

Preparing For Your International Bestseller: Liv Constantine on Crafting Unputdownable Characters

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the first installment of the Manuscript Academy Book Club, we have Liv Constantine, the pen name for internationally bestselling sister duo Lynne a...

Finding Your Voice: On the Page, In Your Life with Agent Katharine Sands + Jessica Doyle-Mekkes

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve heard of the all-important voice—but how do you make it more vivid, both on the page—and in your life? Enter Jessica Doyle-Mekkes, an a...

Hollywood Versus New York: Publishing, Film, Options, Etiquette + What Makes A Hook?

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to introduce our very own Julie Kingsley's debut novel! It's called The Space Between You and Me and came out this week! "That summer...

Emotional Range, Sensory Details, And Pitching Works On Difficult Topics

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Content Warning: This podcast discusses suicide, grief, and loss. Pam O'Hara's beautiful writing captivated our expert audience during a recent Manu...

Live Recorded: Query Class with Agent Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Watch the free video version, slides and all (and get a coupon for our workshop!) at https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy Join our Three-Day Keep An Ag...

Mini Lesson: What Author Elizabeth Holden Did Right In Her Query & First Page

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are honored that author Elizabeth (Liz) Holden, author of the forthcoming YA novel Mighty Millie Novak, allowed us to go through her work as a teac...

The Roller Derby of Querying: How Author Elizabeth Holden Found Her Agent

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

View our in-depth video of what Liz did right in her query letter and first page here: https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy Meet Elizabeth Hold...

Finding Your Perfect Agent Fit with Agent Ismita Hussain and Author Jessica Guerrieri

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Please note: This episode contains mentions of alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety. We are so happy to welcome author Jessica Guerrieri and agent Ism...

Tuesday, May 7, 8:30pm ET: Free Query Workshop With Agent Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

04 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are so grateful to Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Associates, who has offered to teach a free workshop for you all about the ele...

Writing Fantasy That Mirrors Our World With (Manuscript) Academy Award Winner Ali McLafferty

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to introduce Ali McLafferty, author, teacher, and most recent winner of the as-yet-untitled (Manuscript) Academy Awards. Ali was nom...

Details, Focus and Visual Storytelling To Bring Any Genre To Life with Editor Melissa Warten Vogan

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We love this creativity-packed episode with Melissa Vogan (née Melissa Warten), former editor at Macmillan, current editor at Epic For Kids. We dis...

Good, Better, Best, Agented! Julia Alexandra and Agent Ellen Goff on Plot, Character & World

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You may remember Julia Alexandra from our episode in the fall when we went over three query versions with her (good, better, best): Well, she now has ...

Learning Advanced Point of View, Romantic Tension & Betrayal From A New Body-Swapping Novel

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever had trouble with point of view in your work, wait until you hear the advanced logistical world author Nia Davenport had to navigate for...

Success Stories: Aime Alley Card, Agent Leticia Gomez And One Olympic Team That Changed Everything

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tennessee, 1960. One extraordinary team of women--and the first all-Black women’s track team--found glory at the Olympic games in Rome. Here in Amer...

What Editors Look For: Fresh Takes On Familiar Stories with Harper Editor Sara Schonfeld

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join our interactive Says/Does Activity + view transcript here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/sara-schonfeld We discuss editing with ...

Research, Marketing & Successful Small Press Publishing with Author JB Harris

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes publishing your novel takes an unexpected route. In today's episode, Jessica and Julie speak with author JB Harris to discuss how she pivote...

How To Build Romantic Tension In Any Genre with Author Lynn Painter

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve never seen a romantic comedy like this one! Happily Never After breaks ALL* the rom com rules, while still maintaining tension, interest, narr...

Red And Green Flags When Querying Agents with Agent Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to welcome Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Associates, to talk with us about the red and green flags when querying a...

Writing Dialogue That Brings Complicated Characters To Life with Author Karen Outen

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even our podcast editor describes author Karen Outen as "a breath of fresh air." After twenty years of work, her book, Dixon Descending, features two ...

Personal, Political, Published: Finding Agents For Important, Sensitive Topics with Annie Cardi

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of abortion, grooming, assault. Annie Cardi's new book, Red, is a very modern take on The Scarlet Letter. Today, Annie joi...

Building Character, Enhancing POV, and Principles of (E)motion with Author Sara Read

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A smart, poignant novel perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry “An incredible STEMinist read.”—The Honey Pop Transcript, timestamps and video...

Rejection Interpretation, Pivots & Annual Submission Strategy Workshop (January 23-25)

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join our workshop here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/three-day-submission-strategy-workshop Are you a writer thinking about querying? Or hav...

"Good Enough" Versus Fit: Executive Editor Erica Finkel On Improving Your Odds Of Yes

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're thrilled to welcome Abrams editor Erica Finkel to the podcast to discuss editorial board meetings, the top reasons writers get rejected--and how...

Seventh Annual Holiday Party with Kaitlyn Sanchez, Linda Camacho, Kiana Nguyen & Stephanie Winter

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to welcome you to the replay of our SEVENTH (woo hoo!) Annual Holiday Party. In this event, writers nominated writers for feedback f...

December Announcements: Classes, Mystery Agent + Our FREE Holiday Party

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We can’t wait—what an exciting month! December 5, 8:30pm ET: Our You Belong Here class with Nancy Tandon and Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo: https://ma...

Live Q&A + Collaborative Query Consultations With Editor Jonathan Baker

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Query writing is a craft in and of itself and so often, even the experts disagree on the best approach (hint: that just means there are number of ways...

How To Talk To Your Family About Writing: A Holiday Pep Talk (Replay)

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This pep talk was inspired by that extremely uncomfortable phenomenon of going home for the holidays, only to be grilled by your relatives. It was mad...

MSWL Live Agent Panel with T.S Ferguson, Kelly Van Sant, Jenissa Graham + Claire Harris

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In October, we wrapped up the month with a deliciously spooky Halloween #MSWL panel. Join us for a live panel recording with agents T.S Ferguson, Kell...

You Belong Here: Middle Grade Voice, Success Via Community, & The Rule of 100 with Nancy Tandon

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us December 5 for Nancy’s class, You Belong Here (meant to alleviate the “walking with your cafeteria tray toward the popular kids’ table”...

The Rejections That Hurt Most: Author-Agent Empathy, Revision & Rejection As Protection

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome Monica Rodriguez, agent at Context Literary, to the podcast! Not only is Monica Jessica’s Agency colleague in charge of ...

Starting Soon! Unputdownable: Write A Book Agents Can't Stop Thinking About

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Starting today (we promise you're not too late!), join us for a Three-Day Workshop: Unputdownable: Write A Book Agents Can't Stop Thinking About. It's...

Finding Your Agent, Political Fiction, Hopeful Dystopias & The Chaperone with M Hendrix

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us in a lively conversation with debut author M Hendrix, whose book The Chaperone came out this year with Sourcebooks! From finding an agent and ...

Second Books, Second Agents, & Second Chance Hotel: Live Q&A with Author Sierra Godfrey

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to welcome Sierra Godfrey, author of The Second Chance Hotel and A Very Typical Family, to the Member Lounge. Sierra, along with Mik...

Nonfiction With Voice, Subrights & Anti-AI Clauses with Agent Dani Segelbaum

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome Dani Segelbaum, Vice President, Literary Agent, and Subsidiary Rights Director at Carol Mann Agency. We discuss how the be...

Three Query Drafts: Good, Better, AMAZING with Author Julia Alexandra

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a deep dive into query revisions with YA fantasy writer, Julia! Julia and Jessica have spent the last few months in revisions, taking a go...

Perseverance & Positivity With Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez, Bradford Literary

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We love Kaitlyn! She’s so happy, perceptive, kind, and talented—AND a literary agent who’s created community for her writers, a strong sales tra...

Plotting for Pantsers, Synopsis Success, & Answering YOUR Questions with Agent Taj McCoy

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have a book that's "No plot, just vibes"? We're here to support you! Join agent Taj McCoy to discuss how to feel good from Draft One to Done....

Pitching Fiction On Proposal, Changing Endings & Bestselling Books After 10 Years On Submission

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: brief mentions of fictional sexual assault off the page throughout the episode. We are so happy to talk with bestselling author Cam...

Hopeful Rejections, 20 Years on Submission & Accountability To Your Dreams

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with Corey Finkle, the author of picture books, Your Future is Bright and Pop's Perfect Present. From fin...

Writers On Strike: Lessons From WGA For Book Authors with Derek Santos Olson

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The more we hear about the Writer’s Guild of America West, the more we wonder why book authors don’t have something similar. Did you know that m...

Bestselling Author Ashley Audrain on Fear, Expectation & Writing Hard Things

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have the delightful Ashley Audrain, author of The Push, as we discuss her new book, The Whispers. From the many faces of motherhood, gettin...

Literary Agents of Change: Daniele Hunter and The AALA's New Initiative

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we speak with Daniele Hunter, Junior Agent at McIntosh & Otis, AALA member, and AALA DEI committee and Literary Agents of Change member! B...

Ordinary Time, Extraordinary Time: How Expectations, Power Dynamics & Assumptions Propel Your Reader

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join our Three-Day Workshop, Making & Breaking Status Quo with Anne Elliott, June 13-15, 2023. Tickets are $49 and include daily classes, daily worksh...

Penguin Random House Senior Executive Editor Sara Sargent on How Editors Choose Books

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to welcome Sara Sargent, Senior Executive Editor at Random House Books for Young Readers, to the podcast. In our cozy member lounge fo...

Making & Breaking Status Quo with Anne Elliott

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Elliott is back for her second three-day event! Join us June 13-15 for daily classes, workshops, exercises, Q&A, a live feedback panel, and a sup...

Industry News, Client Insight & How To Be More Human In the Age of AI with Agent Alyssa Jennette

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Friends! We have the wonderful Alyssa Jennette of Stonesong Literary Agency joining us today as we tackle the current highlights and worrying dark sid...

Learning From Rejection: A Success Story with Agent-Author Pair Jessie Latimer and Kristen Terrette

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are so excited to welcome the delightful author-agent pair Jessie Latimer and Kristen Terrette, Martin Literary Management. We talk about genre-ble...

#MSWL Live Agent Panel: Caitlin McDonald, Samantha Wekstein, Thao Le & Taj McCoy

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The votes are in! Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative & Supernatural won—and we’ve built this panel to that theme. But even if you’re writing ...

“This Is What I Love About Agenting”—How Adriann Ranta-Zurhellen Found Joslin Brorsen

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome happy author-agent pair Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Folio Literary Management, and author Joslin Brorsen, who created a magica...

Bestselling Author Lauren DeStefano on Why You Shouldn’t Aim For A 100 Percent Publication Rate

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Starting Tuesday, April 11 (but on your schedule + available for 30 days!): Three Day Workshop: Think Like An Editor, with daily classes, daily intera...

How To Be A Good Literary Citizen In A Time of Books Bans with Tonya Todd

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Starting Tuesday, April 11, join our Three-Day Workshop: Think Like An Editor to learn, through classes, workshopping, Q&A and a live panel to be your...

Random Writer Pep Talks: Pivoting, Publishing, Success & Timing

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We absolutely loved making this episode! We started randomly calling (opted in) writers for pep talks—and the result is an inspiring, uplifting, lif...

FREE Event Thursday: Your Path To Publication with Shirin Yim Leos and Lisa Manterfield | 8:30pm ET

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join Shirin Yim Leos and Lisa Manterfield for an evening all about choosing YOUR best path to publication. We’ll cover big five, still-big, universi...

Quick Q&A: Personalizing Your Queries With #MSWL, Publishers Marketplace & More

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had a great question during one of our Manuscript Academy Welcome Tours: How do you personalize a query if you don't know the date of an agent's #M...

Giveaway! Win A Free Ticket To Thursday's Panel with Senior Editor Stephanie Stein (HarperCollins)

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We cannot wait for Thursday's panel with Harper Collins senior editor, Stephanie Stein. If you haven't met her yet, she has kind thoughtful, fun, and...

Live Q&A with Penguin Random House Editor & Bestselling Author Jill Santopolo

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome Jill Santopolo, a New York Times bestselling author *and* editor and publisher at Philomel/Penguin Random House. We talk ...

#MSWL's 10th Anniversary, From Tumblr to Sustainable, Miraculous Site: How It All Happened, Part 2

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve been following along at home, you know that ManuscriptWIshist.com version 4.0 just launched. And while it’s new, and shiny, and lovely, ...

#MSWL Live: Agents on What They Wish They Had In Their Inboxes

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We had the best time with this panel! Many thanks to our amazing agent panelists. Vote for YOUR genre for the next #MSWL panel! https://manuscriptac...

#MSWL’s 10th Anniversary: How It All Happened with KK Hendin

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For MSWL’s 10th anniversary (we know! We can’t believe it either!) we’ve invited KK Hendin, co-founder, who made us legit within four minutes of...

Join Our Call-In Episode! Writer Pep Talks, Advice, And What We'd Do If We Had A Bus

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sign up for a free pep talk here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/pep-talk Have you ever had a publishing question you couldn't answer with Google? Or ...

How To Build Rapport With Agents: How Joshua Roots Found Agent Renee Fountain

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How To Build Rapport With Agents: How Jonathan Roots Found Agent Renee Fountain Twenty years ago at his local pub, author Joshua Roots had been talki...

How To Get An Agent’s Attention From The First Page (Mystery Agent Consultation)

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our latest Mystery Agent episode. We asked you, our lovely writers, to send in your query and first page—and asked a wonderful literary a...

How To Promote Your Work, Help Writers, And Stay Genuine

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about to get the best return on your time investment, boost your book sales, excel at Instagram—and connect with your audience i...

Holiday Novels, Food Writing, And Tips For Faster First Drafts

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome author Amy E. Reichert to the podcast! She has a number of beautiful novels (all featuring wonderful food writing), her lat...

Holiday Party December 13! Plus: Anna Conathan On Discomfort, Creativity & Making Them Work For You

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We can’t wait! Join us for our SIXTH annual holiday party, December 13, 8:30pm ET. The event is FREE and open to the public, and features agents Kay...

Anne Elliott on Movement, Momentum & Keeping an Agent Reading

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to speak with Anne Elliott—who always makes us feel like we’re in the best kind of MFA—about how structure and movement in your ...

Comps, Opening Pages & Pitching: Live Q&A with Agent Paige Wheeler

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We loved this event! In a cozy, neighborhood potluck-like format, we chatted with agent Paige Wheeler, who talks everything from comps to first pages ...

Script-to-book, Book-to-Film, And All Things IP with Bethany Baptiste & Gigi Griffis

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We love this conversation about a part of the industry few writers know about--script-to-book, or when a writer is hired to novelize a project origina...

Genre, Metaphor, Twitter Pitch Contests, and Feminist Werewolf Novels with Author Rachel Harrison

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to speak with author Rachel Harrison about her new feminist werewolf novel, Such Sharp Teeth! This isn’t horror as you’d normally ...

#TenQueries with Agent Ismita Hussain - YA, NA, Short Stories & More!

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We loved this episode! We talk with agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) about short stories, writers making mistakes with QueryManager, New Adul...

Who Knows What When: Keeping Track of Characters' Agendas with Christine Wells

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We love this book! You can hear it in our voices, of course, but it’s worth saying again. This is a beautiful and fun historical work—kind of like...

How To Keep Readers Interested With Internal Conflict

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re thrilled to welcome Bobby Finger, whose book, The Old Place, is so full of twists and turns—many of them with internal, past, and multi-laye...

Our First Mystery Agent Consultation!

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is also a video! If you'd like to view our agent's screen as she works, click here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/mystery-agent-september...

Choosing The Best Agent For You: Q&A with Author-Agent Team Melissa Edwards and Sierra Godfrey

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so excited for this episode! It’s truly a case of good things happening for good people. Sierra Godfrey is part of the team that built Manusc...

Back-To-School Q&A and Fall Preview

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We asked our Facebook group (join here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook) how we can help, and the questions that came in were fantastic! We’r...

Special Episode: Live Coffee Break with Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, Westwood Creative Artists

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We love this episode! Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Artists, was kind enough to join us for a live coffee break with our members—...

Writing for Graphic Novels, Collaboration with Artists, & Common Mistakes with Mat Heagerty

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you write for graphic novels? How do you collaborate with an artist? And what mistakes do most authors make when starting out--and how can you ...

Live Recorded: Positivity Agent Panel with Kayla Lightner and Kaitlyn Sanchez

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I think we can all agree the world has been tough lately. To keep your spirits up, we invited some of our favorite friends–agents Kayla Lightner (A...

Write What You Can’t Stop Thinking About: Author Mahi Cheshire on Tension & Stakes

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Mahi Cheshire sent out the first version of what would become Deadly Cure, it was a New Adult novel about med school rivals. Now, in final form, ...

How To Raise The Stakes In Your Query with Author Robyn Ryle

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so proud of writer Robyn Ryle! She’s the first person to get feedback twice from our feedback panels—and by the time she’d incorporated t...

Editing, Rejection, Growth Mindset: Sourcebooks Editor Anna Sargeant on What Makes A Great Book

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to welcome the creative and delightful Anna Sargeant, editor at Sourcebooks, to the podcast! We talk about Anna’s journey from curr...

Pitching Agents Vs. Pitching Small Presses, Indie Success & Magical Realism

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week! Join our NEW Submission Packet Workshop to get your query and first pages optimized for today’s stressed-out agent. Learn more here: http...

Bestselling Author Juno Dawson on Multiple Storylines, Trilogies & Desperate Housewives with Witches

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the first lockdown of 2020, Juno Dawson’s editor was expecting a YA thriller—but all she wanted to write was Desperate Housewives, with witches...

Summer Novels, Compelling Villains, and Multiple Agents with Bestselling Author May Cobb

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are thrilled to talk with author May Cobb about planning your author financial life, working with multiple agents, writing lifelike sociopaths, and...

What Writers Can Expect of Agents (And How To Get It) with Author Jo Wu and Agent Tricia Lawrence

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a longer than usual episode—something we thought about breaking into two chunks, but—just as Jessica hates requesting a 50-page partial, ...

Multiple Agent Offers, Power & Agency For Characters, and Shelving Books One Through Three

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We love this author-agent pair! When Kimberly Brower first offered representation, she worried that, in a multiple offer situation, Jessica Payne woul...

Bestselling Author Emily Henry on Snappy Dialogue, Enemies-to-Lovers & Character Likability

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so excited to speak with bestselling author Emily Henry (Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation) about all things character—how to make a cha...

700-Page Novels, Agent Misunderstandings, And The Best Food Descriptions The NYT Has Ever Read

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are so happy to introduce today’s podcast guest. The  New York Times Book Review calls her work, SEARCH, “A wicked pleasure... Huneven is a ...