Writers talk craft, agent hunt, query trenches, publishing industry, and more. Hosted by Mindy McGinnis.
Today's guest is Shayne Leighton, Editor in Chief of Parliament House Press, an indie publisher specializing in SciFi and Fantasy. Shayne joined me today to talk about the pros of going the indie route, the need for transparency in publishing, and how the pandemic has affected the industry.
Co-host Kate Karyus Quinn joins Mindy McGinnis for a special summer series focused on Indie and self-publishing authors. Today's guest is Lee Savino, successful indie author who found a way to combine craft with sales in order to make half a million dollars a year.
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Today's guest is Dan Koboldt. Dan joined me today to talk about his publishing journey with SciFi, non-traditional routes to success in the audio world and how to put the science in fiction.
Links for Dan:
Site: http://dankoboldt.com/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/DanKoboldt
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Today’s guest is Maram Taibah, a fantasy writer, born in Montreal, Canada. She was raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which, at times, was the most unimaginative place. This pushed her to escape into books at a very early age and from there into the craft of storytelling. Her most recent publication is the children's steampunk book Weathernose. Maram is not only a fiction writer but also a screenwriter and filmmaker. In 2014 she made her first short film Munkeer and in 2016, Don’t Go Too Far, both of which were screened at the Cannes Short Film Corner. Maram joined me today to talk about how screenwriting can help you become a more concise novelist, as well as her three tips for world building.
Links for Maram:
Website: https://www.maram-taibah.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maram.taibah.author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maramtaibah
Newsletter: https://www.maram-taibah.com/subscribe-1
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Kelly DeVos Day Zero: https://amzn.to/2NkkL9j
Andrea Hannah A Map for Wilds Hearts: https://amzn.to/3a6ZXMi
Today’s guest is Kelly Coon, author of the YA Fantasy Gravemaidens which recounts the tale of two sisters: Kammani, a 16-year-old healer's apprentice who wants to save the dying ruler of her city-state and Nanaea, Kammani’s little sister who will be buried alive as the ruler’s bride if he dies. Kelly joined me today to talk about how to make a fantasy stand out in the crowded YA market by making her female main character have understated strength. Also covered:how editing and being an ACT test prep writer helped Kelly in her fiction and marketing on your own, the constant hustle, and the benefits of having a street team.
Links for Kelly:
Website: https://www.kellycoon.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyCoon106
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellycoon106
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellycoon106/
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The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey.
Lexi McGill and the Teleportation Tournament by Kim Long.
Today’s guest is Katya de Becarra, who was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Her debut What The Woods Keep was released in three countries in 2018. Katya joined me today to talk about blending genres in her debut title, and how she managed to find a publisher that believed it was a strength, rather than a marketing weakness, writing in your non-native language, and how Katya made the decision to write her novels in English.
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Links for Katya:
Website: http://katyabecerra.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDeBecerra
IG: https://www.instagram.com/katyadebecerra/
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Today’s guest is Elizabeth Tammi, author of Outrun the Wind which released from Flux in 2018, and the forthcoming The Weight of a Soul, coming in December of 2019. Elizabeth studies creative writing and journalism at Mercer University, where she works for her college’s newspaper and literary magazine.
Elizabeth joined me today to talk about landing a publishing deal without an agent and achieving publication as a teenager, the enduring qualities of mythology, and how modern perspectives can open up old tales, as well as the different skills at work in both journalism and creative writing.
Links for Elizabeth:
Site: http://www.elizabethtammi.com
Tumblr: http://annabethisterrified.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizabethTammi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_tammi/
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Today's topics include inspiration - where does it come from and how does it work? Also, the pros of fan-fiction and how it helps build essential skills, plus how to make the leap from writing it to creating your own works.
Today’s guest is Sara Raasch author of the New York Times bestselling YA fantasy trilogy SNOW LIKE ASHES, and the upcoming STREAM RAIDERS series. Sara joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about how the concept for her SNOW LIKE ASHES series was originally something she worked on as a teenager, and how intensely personal books can be for the author. Also covered: how to market yourself as a debut author, the power of cover art, writing a trilogy versus writing a duology and the unique challenges within each, and how to keep multiple POV voices distinct from one another.
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Your Destination Is On the Left by Lauren Spieller
All for One by Sophia Beaumont
Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood
Today’s guest is Bethany C. Morrow author of MEM releasing in May from Unnamed Press. Bethany graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Sociology (but took notable detours in the Film and Theatre departments). Following undergrad, she studied Clinical Psychological Research at the University of Wales, in Great Britain before returning to North America to focus on her literary work. Bethany joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about her query process, as well as writing in a post-election world as a black woman, and the concern that minority authors need to be looking for agents that want to represent them for a long-term career, not just as a response to a trend and whether or not white writers should attempt to write main characters of color, and the difference between that and being inclusive in your writing.
Support the Podcast on Go Fund Me
Become a Patron to Unlock Agent & Editor Episodes
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Freya’s Daughter by Rachel Pudelek
Fat Girl On A Plane by Kelly DeVos
