First Draft with Sarah Enni

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Episode 7: After the Book Deal

Bonus Episode: Inequality in Publishing

Episode 8: Marketing and Publicity (Part 1)

Discussed in this episode:

Politics and Prose, a Washington, D.C. bookstore
Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education edited by Jennifer de Leon
GrubStreet
The LOGIC Model
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The We Are KidLit Collective
Teach For America
Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You
Holly Root, literary agent and founder of Root Literary

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Support First Draft by subscribing to the podcast wherever you listen (on Apple Podcasts, Spotfiy, Stitcher, or elsewhere), and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. You can donate to the podcast, on a one time or monthly basis.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

Castle Envy With Katherine McGee

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #268: Katharine McGee

Katharine McGee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Thousandth Floor series, as well as American Royals and its sequel, Majesty.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

In her fanfiction, Katharine would correct existing books to have happier endings, like the His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman (she got so attached to her new ending that she hasn't yet gotten the courage to read The Secret Commonwealth, sequel to The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage) and the Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Katharine wishes she knew about National Novel Writing Month when she was drafting her thesis
Katharine has a soft spot for works that reclaim the stories of women who, to this point, have mostly been known for being adjacent to men as the men make history. Novels like The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley; Margaret George's Helen of Troy: A Novel
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Katharine edited Pretty Little Liars books 9-16 by Sara Shepard, and Kass Morgan's The 100 (listen to Kass's First Draft interview here), and some of Laura Avery's books
When Katharine first tried her hand at writing American Royals, she'd been watching a lot of House of Cards, so the tone of her book was MUCH darker than what ended up on shelves
Katharine was lucky enough to go on book tour with Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series, Anna Dressed in Blood, and more (listen to us chatting on this live episode of First Draft!)
Katharine cites Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series as a major influence over her vision for the future in the Thousandth Floor series
Katharine pitches American Royals as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Crown
If you get the chance, ask Katharine about her feelings on how publishing is represented in the TV show Younger
American Royals was featured in The Skimm; However, Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine remains a moving target
The Secret Diary of Ann Boelyn by Robin Maxwell

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

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Thanks again!

Track Changes Bonus Episode: Publishing From Every Angle (Panel)

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 17:12:22 +0000

Track Changes Bonus Episode: Panel Conversation With Abigail Hing Wen, author of Loveboat Taipei; Literary Agent Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media; and Alvina Ling, VP and Editor in Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

A conversation between an author, agent, and editor to cover the ins and outs of the publishing process. The panel features Abigail Hing Wen, debut author of Loveboat Taipei; agent Joanna Volpe, president and literary agent at New Leaf Literary & Media; and Alvina Ling, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers (and co-host of the Book Friends Forever podcast).

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

This is My Brain In Love by I. W. Gregorio
Stephen Barbara, literary agent at Inkwell Management
Holly Black, The Cruel Prince series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and many more (hear her First Draft interview here)
Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and the Strange the Dreamer series (hear her First Draft interview here)
Brandy Colbert, author of The Voting Booth, The Only Black Girls in Town, Little & Lion, and more (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here, and her mailbag episode here)
Emily X. R. Pan, author of The Astonishing Color of After (listen to her First Draft interview here)
Samira Ahmed, author of Internment
Kirsten Pettit, Executive Editor at HarperChildren's
Alvina Ling contributed to the Track Changes episode After the Book Deal: What Next?
Adam Silvera, author of They Both Die at the End, Infinity Son, and History is All You Left Me (hear his First Draft interview here)
Lea Salonga, singer, actress, and the voice of Jasmine in Disney's animated Aladdin
Black Brother Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams
Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in writing for children's and teens
Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath and The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
We Need Diverse Books

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Writing Infinity Jokes With Jill Twiss

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #267: Jill Twiss

Jill Twiss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo and Emmy winning comedy writer on Last Week Tonight, talks about her latest picture book, Everyone Gets a Say, with illustrator EG Keller.

Today's episode is brought to you by Caveda, which leads group focus sessions for a worldwide community everyday on Zoom. First Draft listeners can try a free, three hour cave with promo code "FIRSTDRAFT" at caveday.org/firstdraft

This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Laurie Kilmartin, comedian and writer for Conan
Nell Scovell, writer, producer, director, and author of Just the Funny Parts and co-writer for Lean In with Sheryl Sandberg, writer for The Simpsons and creator of Sabrina: The Teenage Witch
Marlon Bundo
The New Yorker review of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
E. G. Keller, illustrator of Marlon Bundo
The Trevor Project
AIDS United
Brenda Bowen at The Book Group, Jill's literary agent

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Track Changes Bonus Episode: The Don't Ask Me Where I'm From panel, feat. Author Jennifer de Leon, Agent Faye Bender, and Editor Caitlyn Dhlouhy

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #267: The Don't Ask Me Where I'm From Team: Author Jennifer de Leon, Agent Faye Bender, and Editor Caitlyn Dlouhy

A conversation between the entire team behind debut young adult novel Don't Ask Me Where I'm From: author Jennifer de Leon, Literary agent Faye Bender, partner and founder of The Book Group, and Caitlyn Dlouhy, Vice President & Editorial Director–Caitlyn Dlouhy Books at Simon & Schuster.

This conversation was held as part of A Mighty Blaze's YA Weekend, and many thanks to Joseph Moldover (author of Every Last Breath) for all the help putting that entire celebration together.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Francisco X. Stork, author of Illegal, Marcelo in the Real World, and more
Natalie C. Anderson, author of City of Saints and Thieves and Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday
Desmond Hall, debut author of forthcoming YA novel Your Corner Dark
2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds, whose many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely [listen to his First Draft interview here]), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series, Look Both Ways, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. Listen to his First Draft interviews here and here.

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Hooked on Libraries With Adele Griffin

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #266: Adele Griffin

Adele Griffin, two-time National Book Award honoree and author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers, including The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, The Becket List, and Sons of Liberty and Where I want to Be.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Agatha Christie, author of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and more
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
OMG Book Festival
Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Great Shelby Holmes, Past Perfect Life, and more
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and many more
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin
Graphic novelist Lisa Brown collaborated with Adele on Picture the Dead
Kate DiCamillo is one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, for her novels The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses, and author of Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising, as well as New York Times bestselling novels The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician's Elephant, the Mercy Watson series, and more. DiCamillo was the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014 and 2015. Listen to her First Draft interview here.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Sarah Mlynowski, author of Just a Girl and a Boy in a Little Canoe, the Whatever After series, and co-author of Upside-Down Magic
Julia DeVillers is the author of Liberty Porter, First Daughter series and the coauthor of the Trading Faces series
Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm series, the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (N.E.R.D.S.

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Track Changes: Marketing and Publicity (Part 1)

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

📚🗣️💰 How do readers learn about your book? We get into how publishing companies decide on the marketing budgets for each book, and what marketing tools are at their disposal. The difference between publicity and marketing; how authors can maximize what their publisher has planned; and the one thing that matters most when it comes to promoting books.

This episode features:

Jennifer de Leon, debut author of YA novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From (out August 18).

Margot Wood, director of sales and marketing and Oni Press, former marketer at HarperCollins who co-created EpicReads, and author whose debut novel will be out with Abrams in Fall 2021.

Simon Versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (hear a First Draft interview with Becky Albertalli).

Christine Riccio, author of Again But Better and BookTube star at her channel, PolandBananasBooks.

Joanna Volpe, President and literary agent at New Leaf Literary and Media.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (listen to her First Draft interview here).

Catch up on the series so far:

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Episode 7: After the Book Deal

Bonus Episode: Inequality in Publishing

Discussed in this episode:

The Track Changes episode about Advances
We discussed in-house enthusiasm, and Jenn being able to present as sales conference, in the After the Book Sale episode.
BookExpo America
The American Library Association
Booklist
The School Library Journal
Kirkus Reviews
NetGalley
Edelweiss
The American Bookseller's Association
The Texas Library Association Meeting
The National Council of Teachers of English Conference
Stefon from SNL
Love, Simon (movie)

More Information:

"Jacket Copy Sells Books, So Better Make it Good," by PublishingTrends
blurbs

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

Using the Skills of Friendship With Arthur Levine

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 16:55:56 +0000

Arthur Levine is the legendary children's book editor, including of series such as Harry Potter and The Golden Compass. He is founder of publishing house Levine Querido, and formerly President and Publisher at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, as well as author of picture books, most recently The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol.

I used portions of Arthur's interview in the Track Changes: Inequality in Publishing episode, and I encourage you all to listen.

This episode is brought to you by Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar, a debut YA novel that blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy. Available wherever books are sold now!

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Susan Hirschman, editor and founder of Greenwillow Books
Ursula Nordstrom, legendary editor of children's books at HarperCollins
Margaret Frith, long-time editor at G.P. Putnam's Sons
The Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine
The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin
The Magic School Bus by Joanna Cole
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Levine Querido is partnering with Chronicle Books for printing
Everything Sad is Untrue: A True Story by Daniel Nayeri
Elatso by Darcie Little Badger
Illustrator Rovina Cai
The Wanderer by Peter Van Den Ende
Illustrator Shaun Tan
Illustrator M.C. Escher
This Old Dog by Martha Brockenbrough, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo
Kevin Hawkes, illustrator for The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol
Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com!

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Track Changes

Support the Show

Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft.

Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!

Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post!

Thanks again!

Christina Hammonds-Reed and Jason Reynolds

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #265: Christina Hammonds-Reed and Jason Reynolds

Christina Hammonds-Reed, debut author of The Black Kids, is in conversation with 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds, whose many books include All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely [listen to his First Draft interview here]), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series, Look Both Ways, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

You can hear my previous conversation with Jason here
I spoke with Morgan Jerkins, author of New York Times bestselling essay collection This Will Be My Undoing, about her recent history and memoir, Wandering in Strange Lands (listen to her First Draft interview here)
Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up
Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin and its sequel, Dear Justyce, Odd One Out, Clean Getaway, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

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Thanks again!

Defining the Line With Morgan Jerkins

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #264: Morgan Jenkins

Morgan Jerkins, author of essay collection This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America, talks about her new book, social history and memoir Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov
Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
City of God (movie)
Morgan worked as an editorial assistant at independent publisher, online magazine, and writing class hub Catapult
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Get Out (movie)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

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Opening the Mailbag With Brandy Colbert

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 18:24:48 +0000

First Draft Episode #263: Opening the Mailbag with Brandy Colbert

This week is a new mailbag episode, where I--along with a very special guest--will answer listener questions! Joining me today is Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe, Little & Lion, The Only Black Girls in Town, and more! Her latest book, The Voting Booth, is out now.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Brandy just announced her latest project, a nonfiction young adult book about the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, with Balzer + Bray
Hear Brandy's first two appearances on the podcast here and here!

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

Rate, Review, and Recommend

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Thanks again!

Track Changes: Inequality in Publishing

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

🔍📚 How bad is structural inequality within the U.S. publishing industry, how did it get that way, and what can we do to make it better? Industry experts and activists contextualize, illuminate, and identify some of the key inflection points that perpetuate inequality and get into what every book lover can do to enact change.

This episode features:

Industry expert Mike Shatzkin, Founder and CEO of The Idea Logical Company and co-author with Robert Paris Riger, of The Book Business.

Jalissa Marcelle Corrie, marketing and publicity manager at Lee and Low Books, contributor to anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell, and planning committee member of People of Color in Publishing.

Nicole Johnson, Executive Director of We Need DIverse Books

Arthur Levine, founder of the Levine Querido and for 23 years, Publisher at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic.

Catch up on the series so far:

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Episode 7: After the Book Deal

Discussed in this episode:

We Need Diverse Books
The Lee & Low Books Diversity Baseline Survey 2015
The Lee & Low Books Diversity Baseline Survey 2019
P&L Statements
Dana Canedy, new publisher of Simon & Schuster
Barnes & Noble selling to Elliott Advisors
James Daunt
Waterstones
The American Booksellers Association

More Information:

"People of Color to Publishing: We're Not Okay," in Publisher's Weekly
"A Conflicted Cultural Force': What It's Like to Be Black in Publishing," in The New York Times
"In Publishing, 'Everything Is Up for Change" in The New York Times

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

It's a Woo Woo Thing With Kim Johnson

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #262: Kim Johnson

Kim Johnson, college administrator and mentor of student activists, on her debut author of This is My America, out now!

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Are Watching God
Black Lives Matter
We Need Diverse Books

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

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Falling Onto the Earth With Alaya Dawn Johnson

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #261: Alaya Dawn Johnson

Alaya Dawn Johnson, Nebula-winning author of YA novels The Summer Prince, Love is the Drug, and more. Her new adult speculative fiction novel, Trouble the Saints, is out now!

Be sure to check out A Mighty Blaze's YA Weekend July 25-26, 2020! All events streamed live at Facebook.com/AMightyBlaze!

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Charles Sheffield, science fiction writer
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Colson Whitehead The Nickel Boys (which won the Pulitzer Prize)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

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Digital Native Lit With Hank Green

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #260: Hank Green

Hank Green talks about A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, the sequel to his #1 New York Times bestselling debut, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. Hank is, along with his brother John Green, the CEO of Complexly, co-host of the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel and the Dear Hank and John podcast, and is also co-founder of VidCon, DFTBA Records, and Crash Course.

Be sure to check out A Mighty Blaze's YA Weekend July 25-26, 2020! All events streamed live at Facebook.com/AMightyBlaze!

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The Mars Trilogy, which starts with Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson
John Green, Printz-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars
There There by Tommy Orange
Recursion by Blake Crouch
Zurg Enterprises in The Fifth Element (movie)
The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

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Track Changes: After the Book Deal

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Track Changes: After the Book Deal

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Read the transcript

💻 ➞ 📚 What happens between signing the book contract and seeing a book on shelves? Industry experts walk us through edit letters, production schedules, cover designs, first pass pages, sales meetings and more.

We catch up with Jennifer de Leon as she prepares for the release of her debut young adult novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, on August 18. (Hear her First Draft interview here.)

Then Katherine Tegen, publisher and editor at Katherine Tegen Books, at HarperCollins; Alvina Ling, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers (and co-host of the Book Friends Forever podcast); and Stacey Barney, Executive Editor at G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group talk us through

Catch up on the series so far:

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

Discussed in this episode:

Publishing seasons
Edit letters
Deadlines
Copy Editing
Sample Pages
Covers
Advance Reader Copies, or Galleys
Sales Meeting or Sales Conference
Acknowledgments

More Information:

"Edit Letters in Traditional Publishing" by Susan Dennard
"Editorial Letters and Line Edits in Traditional Publishing" by Susan Dennard
"Understanding Copy Edits as an Author" by Susan Dennard
"How a Cover is Born" by Susan Dennard
"Understanding First Pass Pages" by Susan Dennard

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

The Friendship Canon With Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #259: Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow

Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow are media mavens, co-hosts of the phenomenal CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND podcast, and debut co-authors of friendship memoir BIG FRIENDSHIP.

Today's episode is brought to you by KEEP MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO, by Amelia Diane Coombs, out today from Simon & Schuster.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Voice of America and RFI (Radio France Internationale)
Ann and Aminatou were set up by their mutual friend, Dayo Olopade. They talked to Dayo about their friendship origin story on a recent episode of Call Your Girlfriend
Shine Theory (and the original article that popularized the term, published in The Cut)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

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Popcorn Origin Stories With Ally Carter

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #258: Ally Carter

Ally Carter, New York Times bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls series, the Heist Society series, the Embassy Row series, Not If I Save You First, Dear Ally: How Do You Write a Book?, and a new middle grade series that kicks off with Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor.

Today's episode is brought to you by Hank Green's A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, out July 7, the sequel and conclusion to Green's debut novel, the New York Times bestselling An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Screenplay by Syd Field
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Romance Writers of America (RWA)
Ally's agent is Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency (who appeared on the Bonus Episode of Track Changes about Publishing During the Time of COVID)
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Sarah Rees Brennan, author of Unspoken, The Demon's Lexicon, and more
Gordon Korman, author of Schooled, Ungifted, Swindle, and more
Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries, Size 12 is Not Fat, Shadowland, and more
Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows, and Ninth House (listen to her First Draft interviews here, here, and here)
Holly Black, author of The Cruel Prince, Tithe: A Modern Fairytale, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here)
Janet Evanovich, author of the One For the Money series
Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus series, The Kane Chronicles, and more
Karen McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying
Sarah MacLean, author of A Rogue by Any Other Name, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, and more (also host of the podcast Fated Mates)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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The Anne of Green Gables Litmus Test With Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair are comedians and actors, who created, wrote, and starred in Best Friends Forever and Playing House,

This episode is brought to you by Highland 2, the writing software made by writers, for writers.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Lois Duncan, author of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Stranger With My Face, and Who Killed My Daughter? The True Story of a Mother's Search For Her Daughter's Murderer
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Emma and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
"The Ladies Who Lunch" and Elaine Stritch
Actor, comedian, and screenwriter Jason Mantzoukas
Poet and playwright Dan O'Brien
Comedy writer Rodney Rothman
The Upright Citizens Brigade
Who's Line is it Anyway (TV show)
The Wild and Crazy Guys, starring Steve Martin and Dan Akroyd
Coneheads (SNL skit and movie)
Howard the Duck (movie)
Odyssey of the Mind
Actor and comedian Seth Morris
Actor and comedian Jack McBrayer
Screenwriter Scot Armstrong
Ravi Nandan, writing partner with Scott Armstrong
Actor and comedian Adam Pally (who was on Happy Endings)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Track Changes: Contracts

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

📑🔍 Contracts! We get into the basic structure of your contract, and all the rights, clauses, provisions, and negotiated terms you need to know to make sure your contracts is right right for this book and beyond.

We catch up with Jennifer de Leon as she prepares for the release of her debut young adult novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, on August 18. (Hear her First Draft interview here.)

Then Sarah Burnes, literary agent with The Gernert Company, and Jo Volpe, literary agent and President of New Leaf Literary & Media, break down what authors should know to look for in their contracts. And Kate Sullivan, senior content development manager at New Leaf Literary & Media and former senior editor at many Big 5 publishing houses, breaks it down from an editor's point of view.

Borrow to Make With Elizabeth Acevedo

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #256: Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High and Clap When You Land, out now!

This episode is brought to you by Highland 2, the writing software made by writers, for writers.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe
A handful of Elizabeth's viral poems
Anna Deavere Smith and Sarah Jones are both poets who had one woman shows, which inspired Elizabeth in college
Nikki Giovanni, Tupac, Lucille Clifton were some poets who shaped Elizabeth
Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming, I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, and Red At the Bone
Walter Dean Myers, author of Monster, Scorpions, and dozens more books
Julia Alvarez, author of Before We Were Free, Return to Sender, and more
Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street, Woman Hollering Creek and many more
Phil Bildner, author of High Five For Glenn Burke, and Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans
Angela Johnson's Coretta Scott King-winning The First Part Last was dedicated to Elizabeth Acevedo

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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What's On Robyn Schneider's Mind Oven

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

First Draft Episode #255: Robyn Schneider

Robyn Schneider is the New York Times bestselling author of The Beginning of Everything, Extraordinary Means, Invisible Ghosts, and more. Her newest book, You Don't Live Here, is out now!

This episode is brought to you by Highland 2, the writing software made by writers, for writers.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, author of Hawksong and In the Forests of Night, was first published at age 13
Jennifer Ung, now a Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, was one of the first people to read The Beginning of Everything
Robyn knew John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, from David Levithan's YA author meet-ups in New York City
Vlogbrothers, the YouTube channel that John Green started with his brother, Hank, in 2007
Hamilton (musical)
The Great (TV series)
A Knight's Tale (movie)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Julian Winters

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

This episode featuring Julian Winters, author of Running with Lions, first aired on July 31, 2018. Since then, Julian has released How to Be Remy Cameron, and his latest book, The Summer of Everything, is coming out September 8.

Julian Winters Show Notes

One Direction

Felicity (TV show)

Scandal (TV show)

Scott Foley

Kirsten Hubbard (listen to her First Draft podcast here)

Sara Farizan (author of IF YOU COULD BE MINE and TELL ME AGAIN HOW A CRUSH SHOULD FEEL and the forthcoming HERE TO STAY - listen to her First Draft interview here)

BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan

Robbie Rogers (out soccer player)

Nic Stone (author of DEAR MARTIN and the forthcoming ODD ONE OUT - listen to her First Draft interview here)

INTO THE BLUE by Pene Henson

LUCHADOR by Erin Finnegan

Becky Albertalli, author of SIMON VERSUS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA (listen to her First Draft podcast here)

Patrice Caldwell

Simon James Green, author of NOAH CAN'T EVEN

Adam Silvera (listen to his First Draft interview here)

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Track Changes: Advances (Part 1)

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Let's talk about money: how do authors get paid, how much do authors get paid, and what do they need to keep in mind when the checks roll in?

We catch up with Jennifer de Leon as she prepares for the release of her debut young adult novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, on August 4. (Hear her First Draft interview here.)

Courtney Maum, author of Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book lays out the basics of book advances.

Holly Root, founder of Root Literary and Seth Fishman, literary agent with The Gernert Company give a helpful overview of how much authors are paid across a variety of age categories and genres. And Sarah Burnes, literary agent with The Gernert Company, walks through what earning out means.

Then, we get into #PublishingPaidMe with Tochi Onyebuchi, who, along with L.L. MicKinney, started the viral publishing industry pay transparency movement.

Trust Your Gut With Liara Tamani

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 21:08:30 +0000

This episode with Liara Tamani first aired on October 31, 2017. In this episode, she was the debut author of Calling My Name. Her newest book, All the Things We Never Knew, is out now!

Liara Tamani Show Notes

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Girlfriends (TV show)

Courtney Summers (listen to her First Draft episode here or read the transcript)

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks

SOLD by Patricia McCormick

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Alone with All That Could Happen: Rethinking Conventional Wisdom about the Craft of Fiction by David Jauss (writing craft)

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Dr. Somaiya Daud

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Dr. Somaiya Daud is the author of Mirage and its forthcoming sequel, Court of Lions (out August 4, 2020). Check out the cover reveal from Court of Lions and read an excerpt at Tor.com, as well as a conversation between Somaiya and I about how the theme of lost cultures functions in the series.

Somaiya has also answered questions on a February 28, 2020 mailbag episode, and was featured on the July 5, 2014 episode (the very first First Draft episode ever).

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Somaiya Daud's first interview with First Draft Podcast
Throughout her writing career Somaiya's writing become more genre forced aka more "J. R. R. Tolkien and less William Gibson."
When cosplaying form the Victorian era they say that no one would cosplay Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens you would cosplay Emma by Jane Austen
Somaiya did her Masters thesis on The Arabian Nights by Muhsin Mahdi (Editor), Husain Haddawy (Translator)
Somaiya's dissertation is on Historiography and Translation Theory
Chelsea Grimmer is the host of The Poetry Vlog, a show in which people discuss poetry and pop culture
Somaiya Daud on The Poetry Vlog where she talked about how Science Fiction is studied academically versus how it is perceived in pop culture
Provincializing Europe by Dipesh Chakrabarty, talks about the ways in which Europe's idea of modernization was in part built on the idea that the rest of the world was caught in a historical waiting land
Somaiya read Consorts of the Caliph by Ibn Al-Sa'i when implementing poetry into the Mirage
Joanna Volpe,President and literary agent at New Leaf Literary agency

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Hold Your Square With Jason Reynolds

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 07:51:42 +0000

First Draft Episode #214: Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ghost series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu), When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit, As Brave As You, Miles Morales: Spider Man, Long Way Down, For Every One, Look Both Ways, and co-author of All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely, listen to his First Draft interview here) and Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi),. In January, Jason was named the seventh National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2020-2021.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Jason didn't grow up writing prose, but he and all his friends had rhyme books where they would write lyrics. They wanted to be the next Nas, Slick Rick, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane, or Rakim.
Jason's aunt would give him classic books as gifts, including Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Bob Marley's "Kaya," Nina Simone's "Four Women," Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" were hugely influential on Jason because of the beauty of the lyrics
Jason teamed up with the artist and writer Jason Douglas Griffin for an early book, My Name is Jason. Mine Too: Our Story. Our Way.
Jason credits Joanna Cotler, author and artist, and then publisher of her own imprint at HarperCollins, with teaching him how to write narrative and gave him the mantra: "Your intuition will take you farther than your education ever will."
Jacqueline Woodson (author of Brown Girl Dreaming, winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and Newberry Honor winner), Rita Williams-Garcia (author of Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, a National Book Award finalist), and Walter Dean Myers (author of more than 100 books for young people, including Monster, winner of the Printz Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and National Book Award, and more) are people Jason considers predecessors to his career.
Christopher Myers, writer, artist, and the son of Walter Dean Myers, pressed Jason to return to writing, to carry on his father's legacy. At Christopher's urging, Jason read The Young Landlords by Walter Dean Myers (which the TV show 227 was based on)
Caitlyn Dlouhy, Vice President & Editorial Director of Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, nurtured Jason's career by focusing on the integrity of his work
Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Speak and The Impossible Knife of Memory), Eliot Schrefer (author of Threatened, a National Book Award finalist), and Gene Luen Yang (author and illustrator of American Born Chinese ), and Jason also shouts out Sharon Draper's New York Times bestselling Stella by Starlight
Jason references part of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself: "Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!"
Jason admires writers who use verse for all or many of their books, specifically Kwame Alexander (poet and educator, and New York Times bestselling author of The Crossover: A Novel, winner of the Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Honor) and Ellen Hopkins (New York Times bestselling author of Crank)
Alfred Hitchcock's works (including Psycho and Rear Window), and Stanley Kubrick's The Shining are examples of subtle ways that framing and design can make a viewer feel uncomfortable.
Quincy Jones said about producing music, "I always say you have to leave space for God to walk into the room." That's how Jason feels about the appearance of poetry in text.
The first scene of Boyz 'n the Hood shows one kid asking another, "Do you want to see a dead body?"
Fresh Ink: An Anthology, edited by Lamar Giles (author of Fake ID and Spin), and Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, edited by Ibi Zoboi (author of American Street, a National Book Award finalist, and Pride) are among the anthologies that Jason thinks are wonderful. He wonders why we've moved away from the short story format for younger readers.
The TV show High Maintenance is another example of vignette storytelling that Jason was going for with Look Both Ways
Jason shouts out Jennifer Buehler, Ph.D., Associate Professor at St. Louis University, Educational Studies who specializes in young adult literature
Jason's friend and co-author of All American Boys, Brendan Keily (author of Tradition, listen to his First Draft episode here), refers to the story under the story as "vertical narrative"

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998. You can also email the podcast at firstdraftwithsarahenni@gmail.com.

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Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, New York Times bestselling author and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone's an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's free!

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Track Changes: Selling Your Book (Part 2)

Thu, 28 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Track Changes: Selling Your Book (Part 2)

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher

Read the transcript

In the second look at how books get sold, former Little, Brown and Delacorte senior editor Kate Sullivan, Senior Content Development Manager for New Leaf Literary & Media, walks us through all the steps an editor takes between receiving an agent's pitch and signing a deal memo to acquire a book. Acquisitions meetings, P&L statements, and TI sheets, oh my!

This episode is brought to you by The Slow Novel Lab, a six-week creativity and writing course from Printz-winning novelist Nina LaCour. For the summer session, beginning June 7, Nina will donate 50% of profits to Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization working with underserved communities. Learn more and sign up for the Slow Novel Lab here.

Catch up on the series so far:

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?

The following agents were interviewed for this episode:

We meet Jennifer de Leon as she prepares for the release of her debut young adult novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, on August 4. Though Jennifer has been writing for years, she quickly learns that there's a lot about Capital-P-Publishing that she doesn't know. (Hear her First Draft interview here.)

Kate Sullivan is the Senior Content Development Manager for New Leaf Literary & Media. For 13 years, Kate worked in the editorial departments of three separate Big Five publishers, eventually becoming a senior editor.

Discussed in this episode:

Faye Bender, partner and founder at The Book Group, is Jenn's agent.
Caitlyn Dlouhy, publisher of Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books at Simon & Schuster
Holly Root, literary agent and founder of Root Literary
Seth Fishman, literary agent at The Gernert Company
Chris Colfer, actor and author of Land of Stories
BookScan

More Information:

"The Book P&L: How Publishers Make Decisions About What to Publish," by Jane Friedman
"What Book Editors Do" by Nathan Bransford
"Publishing Myth: Editors Don't Edit" by Nathan Bransford; good follow: a Q&A with Peter Ginna, who has 30 years of book editing experience and put together the collection What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing
"PubCrawl Podcast: Publishing 101 Submission and Acquisition" featuring Sarah Jae-Jones and Kelly Van Sant
"How to Handle an Editor's Call With an Offer" by Kristin Nelson, founder of Nelson Literary Agency and one of the agents we spoke to in the Bonus Episode of Track Changes (Publishing in the Time of COVID)
"First Book: Acquiring Minds" on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour blog
"The Waiting is the Hardest Part" by Joanna Mackenzie on the Nelson Literary Pub Rants blog

Want more information? Sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Track Changes newsletter, which goes a step (or two) further behind the scenes into the publishing world.

Track Changes is produced by Hayley Hershman. Zan Romanoff is the story editor. The music was composed by Dan Bailey, and the logo was designed by Collin Keith.

99 Pages But There Can Only Be One Lev A.C. Rosen

Sun, 24 May 2020 00:19:15 +0000

First Draft Episode #254: L.C. Rosen

Lev A.C. Rosen, author of Depth and Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts), talks about his latest young adult novel, Camp.

This episode is brought to you by Highland 2, the writing software made by writers, for writers.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
Phylicia Rashad, actress
Dan Chaon, author of Among the Missing: Stories, and You Remind Me of Me
David Walker playwright instructor Oberlin
Lev teaches at Gotham Writers workshop in New York City
Liz Gorinsky, editor who bought Lev's debut book while she worked at Tor
Alvina Ling is Lev's editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Virgin Xtravaganzah, the drag queen and voice actor who read Lev's audiobooks for Jack of Hearts and Camp

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Pseudonymous Bosch and Shane Pangburn

Tue, 19 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Pseudonymous Bosch, the pen name for Raphael Simon, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Name of This Book is Secret and the Secret series, Bad Magic and the Bad series. Shane Pangburn is a writer and illustrator and producer of YALLWEST (hear his First Draft interview here). Simon wrote, and Pangburn illustrated, The Unbelievable Oliver and its sequel, The Unbelievable Oliver and the Sawed In Half Dads. Pseudonymous Bosch, Shane Pangburn, and Melissa de la Cruz are joining forces for a new middle grade series, The Reject Room, out in 2021.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Joni Mitchell is one of the artists most associated with Laurel Canyon in the 70s, which she explored in her third album, Ladies of the Canyon
Margaret Stohl, author of Beautiful Creatures, Jo and Laurie, and many more (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here) is Rafi's childhood friend

Sarah Burnes, literary agent (and my agent! Listen to Sarah and I chat on her episode of First Draft here)
Melissa de la Cruz, author of The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel, Alex and Eliza, and more
Sailor Moon
Gilbert Ford has been the illustrator for many of the Pseudonymous Bosch book series

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998.

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Track Changes: Selling Your Book (Part 1)

Thu, 14 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Track Changes: Selling Your Book (Part 1)

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher

Read the transcript

Literary agents Holly Root, founder of Root Literary, and Seth Fishman with The Gernert Company return to lead us through how an agent prepares a manuscript for submission, how they choose which editors to approach with a manuscript, and how they negotiate common types of book sales. We get into what a writer can expect during this notoriously nerve-wracking process.

Catch up on the series so far:

Episode 2: Agents: Who Are They, What Do They Do, And How Do You Get One?