In this second and final episode with Jessica Mudditt, we chat about the evolution of Hembury Books and how it has grown from a publisher of non-fiction and memoir to now publishing fiction. We take a deep dive into what topics authors should know about, including royalties, book distribution, and vanity publishing.

A great episode for authors who are considering publishing options.

Jessica Mudditt is the author of two memoirs, podcaster and the founder of Hembury Books, a Sydney based hybrid publisher. Her first book was self-published in 2021 and is called Our Home in Myanmar – Four Years in Yangon. Her second book is Once Around the Sun – From Cambodia to Tibet. It’s a two-part series, with Kathmandu to the Khyber Pass coming in 2025.

In this episode, Jessica chats with Rack Roney and Harry Colfer about her publication journey to the creation of her own publishing company, Hembury Books.

In episode 2 of 2, author Mary-Clare Terrill discusses the following writing tips:

1. writing is rewriting 2. getting the right kind of feedback and who to seek feedback from 3. resilience & getting comfortable with 'rejection' 4. time away from your project will give you perspective 5. when is your manuscript ready? 6. appreciating the process – trust in and have faith in your own process 7. calling yourself a ‘writer’ and seeing your writing as your ‘work’ 8. remember why you write 9. let joy be at the centre of everything you do / stay the course despite the prospects of getting published – self doubt vs joy.

Mary-Clare Terrill is an Australian-Canadian author of historical fiction. Her debut historical romance novel, Maplecroft, is based on the true story of her great-grandparents and their lovingly preserved love letters: the first book in the Maplecroft family saga series. In episode 1 of 2, we chat about the writing process behind her new novel.

In this second of two episodes with Philadelphia based author C.J. Spataro, we discuss what it’s like to be a debut author later in life and how life experience can be the catalyst for inspiring story telling. C.J goes on to explain the role of research in fiction writing and how the idea of research can still be applied in genres such as fantasy and science fiction.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this first of two episodes, we chat with Philadelphia based author C.J. Spataro about her recently released debut novel More Strange Than True. C.J. explains the inspirations for her story and how being a creative writing teacher has made her a better writer. She also provides advice for writers who are thinking of embarking on creative writing higher education. As an accomplished musician, C.J. goes on to explain the relationship between music and writing and how music can influence and inspire fiction.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this second episode with Brisbane author Diane Clarke, we delve into Diane's background as a speech pathologist and how skills learned in this profession heightened her ability to listen to and observe human interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and how she uses these skills to develop lifelike dialogue in her stories. We delve further into the key elements to writing realistic and engaging dialogue and how stories should be driven by these authentic character interactions.

Some excellent writing tips for emerging writers.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this episode, we welcome Brisbane author Diane Clarke who explains how her debut novel 'The Photograph' was inspired by the evacuations of children in London during world war 2 with the plot centred around a missing boy and the discovery of an old photograph which uncovers a dark family secret. Her second novel, 'The Bracelet' is a family drama and murder mystery due for release in March 2025. During the discussion, Diane breaks down her strategies for blending historical facts with fictional storylines and the importance of research to ensure authenticity. Finally, Diane describes her journey to publication, her disappointments, successes and learnings.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!