Veteran game writer and Netflix Find Your Voice Award winner Max Doty joins us to discuss his debut horror novel, The House that Eats the Dead. Max shares how his viral short stories on the r/NoSleep subreddit caught the eye of a literary agent and led to a two-book publishing deal. He also details his transition from writing interactive mobile game narratives to traditional publishing, and why learning to take collaborative feedback is essential for a long writing career.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The genesis of The House that Eats the Dead, a story about a house that consumes dead things and erases them from existence, and how it evolved from a Reddit post into a full-length novel.
• Max's background writing interactive narratives for mobile games like Surviving High School and Choices, and his surreal experience winning a Netflix screenwriting contest.
• The differences between the immediate validation of posting on internet forums versus the long, solitary process of traditional publishing.
• Actionable writing advice, including how to use spreadsheet gamification to hit a 2,000-word daily goal and why you should never be "Dr. No" in a creative brainstorm.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & The Premise of The House that Eats the Dead

05:37 - Going Viral on Reddit's NoSleep & Landing an Agent

14:55 - Winning a Netflix Screenwriting Contest

20:53 - Writing Advice: Collaboration and Taking Feedback

25:42 - The Cabin Book Choice: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

31:00 - Writing for EA, Surviving High School, and Mobile Games

36:30 - The Rules of r/NoSleep and the Psychology of Internet Publishing

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Literary agent Mia Dakin joins us this week to chat about her start in publishing and building her list of authors from scratch at Greene & Heaton. Mia tells us about finding her first author through Instagram, the specific fiction genres she is looking for, and the influx of AI submissions to the agency. Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to perfect your cover letter or just curious about the literary agenting process, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• How Mia transitioned from a publishing master's at UCL to a full-time agenting role at Greene & Heaton.
• What she is actively looking for in submissions, including multi-generational sagas, clever retellings, and locked-room mysteries.
• The agency's strict stance on AI-generated submissions, why AI flattens creative work, and how publisher contracts are explicitly adapting to prohibit AI use.
• Actionable advice for querying writers, including how to effectively use comparative titles by explaining their relevance, and why you should always have beta readers proofread your cover letter and synopsis.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & Getting into Publishing

06:22 - Building an Author List & Finding Writers on Instagram

11:40 - Genres, Retellings, and Manuscript Wishlists

24:43 - The Cabin Book Choice: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

30:00 - AI in Submissions and Publishing Contracts

39:23 - Cover Letter Tips, Comp Titles & Synopsis Advice

Support the show on Patreon! 💖 And get extended episodes, ad-free and a week ahead of everyone else. 🙏

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Hugo Award-winning fantasy author Alix E. Harrow joins us this week to chat about her novel, The Everlasting, coming out in paperback on October 8th. Alix talks about how she taught herself to write through short fiction, which lead to landing a two-book deal after one of her short stories caught the eye of an editor, and why authors need to recognise how much luck is involved with publishing.

Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to navigate the submission process or a devoted reader curious about how your favourite fantasy books hit the shelves, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.

• How Alix uses short stories as "training wheels" to experiment with different tones, perspectives, and concepts before committing to a full-length novel.
• The psychological realities of writing, including why first drafts are genuinely bad and how commercial success can actually tighten the internal pressure to perform.
• The incredible luck and timing of getting direct messages from an agent and an editor on Twitter that led to her first book deal.
• Actionable advice for writers looking to get published, including why you must prioritise improving your craft and forming sincere friendships with fellow authors.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & Deconstructing Knighthood in The Everlasting

04:10 - Navigating Author Anxiety and the Writing Process

13:24 - The Freedom and Experimentation of Short Fiction

24:14 - Finding Ambition and Early Sci-Fi Influences

30:35 - Submitting to Magazines and Landing an Agent

52:33 - Final Advice for Writers and Navigating the Industry

Support the show on Patreon! 💖 And get extended episodes, ad-free and a week ahead of everyone else. 🙏

For audio listeners:

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Listen to The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes, Jamie's other podcast with Melissa Welliver and Naomi Gibson! 📚

• Spotify
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Follow on socials! 🥳

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Twitter