This is a great episode, and ties into what I saw when I did this analysis of the SFF writers from my debut year, that most folks don't really make it past whatever that initial contract is, even if that first book does "well". bsky.app/profile/mrma...

good GOD it's been a long time 🫠 No promises on the quality of this episode! We're rusty as anything. Huge thanks to "Drake Scottford" for being our special guest this episode! S2 e45 is live! publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2025/10/26/s...

when artists ask for advice this is likely best trot i could give. applies to those looking for big movie deal or record deal or big five publishing deal but really it is about YOU and THE GIFT OF YOUR ART. glad to be able to share on @publishingrodeo.bsky.social @sunyidean.com @scottdrakeford.com

So sorry - just realised there was an error to the outtro alignment at the end. Not sure how that happened - the tester file was fine! Fixed now, with apologies to folks.

VERY few resources for new authors trotting into publishing industry and @publishingrodeo.bsky.social is such a gift to explore this world. so thankful to join them for chat about ART THEORY and BOOK BUSINESS and of course PROVING LOVE. out now on your preferred podcast way rss.com/podcasts/pub...

In this ep, we are joined by GREATEST AUTHOR CHUCK TINGLE @chucktingle.bsky.social as he shares his incredible journey through publishing, and makes a passionate case for why authors are so much more than just the story they write. Ep link in second post. 1/2

Since the @publishingrodeo.bsky.social and @printrunpodcast.bsky.social podcasts haven't updated lately, I'm seeking more writerly podcasts with hosts that make me giggle while teaching me stuff while I jog in the morning! Any suggestions #writingcommunity?

"Money is a real thing." Great ep that touched on a lot of my current insecurities as an author re: career momentum. (Also, I will also die on the universal healthcare hill.)

Sunyi and Scott both discuss career momentum, cheerfully losing at the Hugos, and pushback on Reddit. And finally, they each get to give the pettiest hill they’d die on. Hint: Sunyi’s hill starts with “J” and ends in “owling”. publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2024/10/07/s...

Authors are expected to juggle many different demands on their time and energy--from social media and self-promotion, to side projects and live events. How do we decide what is or isn't worth our efforts, and where do we set boundaries to prevent burnout and overwhelm? 1/2

After submitting his debut novel to the annual SPFBO competition, Alexander Darwin landed a trad deal and agent. Alex applied his self-pub experience and many different methods to boost his trad re-launch, sharing what worked and what didn't. 1/2 publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/s...

This is ridiculous. This press is asking for "first right of refusal for adaptation rights (film, graphic novels, etc.) of the work for a period of 3 years from the signing date." THREE YEARS. Run, don't submit, don't sign this. Such a bad thing for writers. www.emberletterpress.com/submissions

Join me on my Adventures in Publishing™

After solid sales for his first duology, David Wragg’s @thedavewragg next book series got caught in the infamous post-covid “midlist death spiral”. When this current trilogy finishes, his future in trad is uncertain at best. This sounds a bit bleak, but-- 1/2

Sending you all our gratitude for thisb❤️

What's the deal with author book events? Are they useful, do they even sell copies, and why do they all follow the same format? 👀 Sam Missingham @samatlounge.bsky.social joins us to talk about book events, book publicity, and author empowerment. publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2024/03/27/s...

This week, Steve Leard (a freelance cover artist and fellow podcaster!) joins us to demystify all things cover design: processes, briefs, trends, industry pay, the problem with thumbnails... and finally, the looming specter of generative AI. publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2024/03/18/s...

In addition to writing bestselling novels and cofounding a viral podcast (THE BESTSELLER EXPERIMENT), Mark Stay also spent many years working with bookstores and publishers, gaining great insight to all sides of the industry.

As our one and only return guest, JT Greathouse joins us for the launch of Season 2. We discuss how to get your books into stores, not having a USA deal, what good presale numbers look like, and the myth of the "instant bestseller." publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2024/02/10/s...

This year we're organised enough to offer an episode list! We can't book too many months in advance, but here are the first five episodes we have scheduled for Season 2, with the first one landing this Sunday 🙂 #amwriting #amquerying #publishingrodeo #ampublishing

This is tonight! We'll be up to shenanigans with some other lovely authors. And for those who are curious - our first recording session for Season 2 is scheduled for end of this week 🤓 Still wrangling schedules with lots of people over the next few months to pin down more!

Three podcasts I've been enjoying: 1. @publishingrodeo.bsky.social (the hosts are authors) 2. @printrunpodcast.bsky.social (the hosts are agents) 3. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing (the hosts are an author and two agents) Lots of wisdom on #writing, #querying, and #publishing here.

Brief note: if we are incorrect about the fourth wing / ip stuff, do let us know! I'll add in a correction and re upload if so.

SEASON FINALE! This week, we talk frankly about author leverage, when & how to pitch new books on proposal, the impact of past sales--and why Scott is (probably) walking away from trad fantasy as a result. publishingrodeo.wordpress.com/2023/11/26/s...

Sorry for the delay! We've all had so much going on. After being orphaned by multiple agents, and a COVID book launch that hamstrung her sales, Holly Race started again–querying with a fresh manuscript, in a different age category–before finally landing on her feet… for now. Ep 30 now live!

Does Twitter sell books? Do book tours improve sales? How do readers actually find authors? Across a 15-year-career, NYT best-selling author Gail Carriger talks hitting list, collecting data on her readers, and walking away from bad deals. Please do check out the show notes for Gail's resources!

Folks, this is a usability game-changer. Turn it on! In your settings -> Thread Preferences. Turns the threading of post replies into a reddit-like structure instead of twitter-like. *SO* much easier to navigate and read without having to backtrack and re-click replies to unlock threads.

Scott's fancy nails for tonight's recording

We crossed the 100k download mark tonight, after not-quite 7 months 😳 A huge THANK YOU from both of us to all our guests, listeners, and kind supporters--without you all, we'd just be ghosts in an empty room 🙂 It has been a wild ride of a year.

Against the odds, Wesley Chu’s small-press debut became a break-out success. Across 10 years, he has written a dozen other titles, from self pub to IP to big 5. Today, we chat about surprise wins, getting blacklisted by publicists, learning sex scenes from Diana Galbadon, and many other things.

After years of writing, querying, and revising, @anikascott1.bsky.social 's debut novel was snapped up --only to then publish a week before COVID hit. This week we discuss the European scene, including the Frankfurt Book Fair, and recovering from a COVID launch.

Podcast crossover! If you don't already listen to Page One, do check them out 🙌

Today, we sit down with Hugo-winning novelist and essayist, @kameronhurley.bsky.social to talk setbacks, persistence, and when to walk away. We also ask some hard hitting questions: Why don't we just quit? Why keep doing it? Why not 'just' self publish? And finally, was it all worth it? 1/2

So we finally moved across 💪