Are you ready to take the next step in your traditional publishing journey? Literary agent Flo Sandelson of Curtis Brown joins us this week to share invaluable insider advice for aspiring authors. Flo chats about her path to becoming an agent, what it’s like working alongside Felicity Blunt and her incredible list of authors, and exactly what she looks for when reviewing a manuscript submission.

If you are currently writing a book, perfecting your fiction book proposal, or getting ready for querying literary agents, this episode is packed with tips on how to get published and how to catch an agent's eye. Tune in to find out what kinds of fresh voices and stories Flo is planning on building her list around—and learn how to make your own query letter stand out from the slush pile!

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Literary agent, Lauren Gardner of Bell Lomax Moreton is here to chat about how she became an agent, how she looks at queries and cover letters and a few things that she's looking to add to her list!

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What happens when a book "dies on submission"?

Indie romcom author Mike Lawson discusses some of the difficult realities of the publishing industry and how he channeled his 17-year cabin crew career into his queer rom-com Winging It. He explains why he split with his first agent and accidentally landed a new one. There's also a good chat about how Mike has navigated self-publishing with more confidence on his second time around.

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What happens when your day job as a medical historian collides with epic fantasy?

Lindsey Byrd joins us to chat about finishing her fantasy duology, A Tale of Two Crowns with the recent release of the second novel, The Moon Blessed King.

Lindsey breaks down her high-stakes magic system that was inspired by real-world healthcare inequalities and the difference between fantasy romance and romantasy. Lindsey talks about being a reformed pantser and explains how her plotting style has evolved over the years.

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Discover how inaugural Libraro Prize winner Donna Fisher is tackling cancel culture in her new novel Sheep's Clothing, and how the platform that discovered her is removing traditional publishing gatekeepers.

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What happens when real-world political anger sparks a dark fantasy trilogy? Isabelle Mongeau discusses her debut novel, The Debtor's Game, a dark fantasy inspired by the Palace of Versailles and American politics, where your financial debt is tattooed directly onto your skin.

Isabel shares her journey from writing unpublished crime thrillers to finding her voice in fantasy, the crucial difference between "romantasy" and her focus on political intrigue, and how she learned to stop over-outlining and trust the drafting process.

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Literary fiction writer, Natalie Gregory joins us this week to chat about her debut novel and the long and unexpected journey she has been on with it through unsuccessful querying to winning the Primadonna Prize.

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

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Domestic and psychological thriller author, Kathryn Sharman is here chatting about the many years it took her to learn and hone her craft before signing with an agent and then securing her book deals!

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! 📚

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