Cait Flanders: From Blog Experiment to Bestseller (and Back Again)

Kelton gets her first agent rejection and refuses to sugarcoat it—while Krisserin shares what she learned about advances, deal structures, and editor wish lists from her meeting with agent Kima Jones. Then bestselling author Cait Flanders joins to tell the unlikely origin story of The Year of Less—how a blogged shopping ban went viral on Forbes, attracted six literary agents, and became a Wall Street Journal bestseller now resurfacing on TikTok a decade later. Cait gets refreshingly transparent about advances, earning out, switching publishers, and the real tension between maintaining a SubStack audience and carving out space to write her third book. Plus: middle grade fiction advocacy, a genre-busting reading challenge, and why Kelton’s only goal this week is to read a book. Find Cait Flanders: Website: www.caitflanders.comSubstack: caitflanders.substack.com Instagram: @caitflanders Books by Cait Flanders: The Year of Less (Hay House) — Wall Street Journal Bestseller Adventures in Opting Out (Little Brown Spark) Books Mentioned in This Episode: “October, October” by Katya Balen “The Names” by Florence Knapp “The Housemaid” by Frieda McFadden “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer “Lady Tremaine” by Rachel Hochhauser “The Ogress and the Orphans” by Kelly Barnville Write to us: [email protected] us:Instagram: @penpalspodTikTok: @penpalspodYouTube: @PenPalsPodSubStack: penpalspod.substack.comFollow Krisserin and Kelton:TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwritesKelton's Substack: ShangrilogsKrisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.comMusic by Golden Hour Oasis Studios