Hosts Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai introduce The Book Deal podcast and share monthly updates. Tina takes a break from an intense manuscript, catches up on author admin, runs a kids’ workshop at The Little Book Nook in Palmwoods, prepares for workshops and Bethany Loveridge’s Josie Mack launch at Quick Brown Fox, and flags opportunities including the Lighthouse Arts Residency (Hunter Writers Centre) and the Spier(s) Prize for middle-grade fiction via UWA Publishing ($5,000 plus a publishing deal). Madeleine finishes a book-two rewrite, recounts being heckled while interviewing Belinda Alexandra at Readings, and discusses craft insights from Dervla McTiernan and Benjamin Stevenson about questions and clues per page. Tash explains completing structural edits quickly by prioritizing time and using Emily Maguire as an early reader, and outlines an upcoming library workshop on pitching, including X-meets-Y, comp titles, and “vibe sheets.”

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:56 Hosts Catch Up

01:15 Tina Writing Reset

02:00 Workshops Launches

03:22 Declutter Phone Detox

05:01 Grants Residencies

07:12 Mads Rewrite Win

08:20 Heckler At Event

12:40 Tash Deadline Sprint

17:44 Crime Writing Tricks

21:34 Hooks And Structure

22:46 Reading While Writing

25:07 Avoiding Close Comparisons

28:42 Pitching And Comp Titles

32:21 Vibe Sheets And Playlists

33:58 Release Dates And Wins

34:55 Dymocks Top 101 Spotlight

37:06 Wrap Up And Farewell

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You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here:

Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author
Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos
Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor

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