PODCAST · arts
Afronauts Podcast
by Afronauts Podcast
A podcast to promote Black speculative fiction. https://linktr.ee/AfronautsPod
Episodes
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Writing Across Age Categories (with Alechia Dow!)
Hey Afronauts! Today we're chatting with award-winning author Alechia Dow, about writing across age categories and genres. What makes each age category unique? How does she channel each age's voice? Has she ever considered a pen name? We also celebrate the release of Jill's middle grade debut…
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Messy Middles
Pre-order AN OCEAN APART by Jill Tew Pre-order I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOU by Beatrice Winifred Iker In this Messy Middles episode, we discuss the covers for AN OCEAN APART and I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOU, different types of messy middles, and balancing the 'promise of the premise'...
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Romance and Romantic Elements
If this world were mine... We're some REAL romantics over here at the Afronauts Podcast (what y'all know 'bout that Luther?). On this episode we discuss the differences between a Romance novel and a novel that contains "romantic elements". Plus why they're both so good and worth reading and...
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How a Book Gets Made from Start to Finish with Ashley Imanë Fields
From acquisitions all the way to publication and beyond, Ashley Imanë Fields walks us through the process at Freedom Fire, a new imprint at Disney Hyperion dedicated to stories about Black Joy, Black Resilience, and Black Storytelling. Topics discussed include: The acquisitions process…
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Intellectual Property: NDAs, Political Influence, and Reader Expectations
This episode is all about intellectual property (IP) companies and our experiences working with them. We're joined by Nia "N.E." Davenport and Bethany Baptiste. Nia "N.E." Davenport is an award-winning Science Fiction/Fantasy author who writes stories that blend magic, mayhem, and deadly…
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Southern Gothic Television: Bonnie’s Blackness, Tara’s Agency, and Louis’ Humanity
Today, we're discussing the Southern Gothic genre through some of Beatrice's favorite TV shows. This was adapted from a Voodoonauts class Beatrice taught. The TV shows discussed are The Vampire Diaries (Bonnie Bennett), True Blood (Tara Thornton), and Interview with the Vampire (Louis de Pointe…
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Beatrice's New Book Deal!
Beatrice has a new book deal! Join us as we discuss their debut adult horror novel, I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OUT OF YOU, coming fall 2025. Full of Black Appalachian history, Southern Gothic horror, religious horror, and much much more. To keep up with their latest updates, check out their website at...
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Ask an Agent!
Join us as we talk with experienced agents Jen Azantian (Azantian Literary Agency) and Chelsea Hensley (kt literary) about current market dynamics, their agenting highs and lows, and more! Learn more about Azantian Literary agency at www.azantianlitagency.com Learn more about kt literary at...
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Kamilah Cole: Secret Publishing Goals, A Lot of Crying, and Plantains
Hey Afronauts! Our guest today is Indie-bestselling author Kamilah Cole. We had such a fun conversation, discussing everything from an alarmingly strict writing routine as a child, to the metadata she researches for her day job and writing, to plantains. Thee Afronauts Black Writers Social is...
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Self-Advocacy: Pushing Deadlines, Community Support, and an Announcement
In today's pre-chat, Thee Afronauts have some big announcements! We're opening a discord community for Black writers, starting a newsletter, and having our first-ever social! More info below if you're interested. The meat of today's episode is about self-advocacy. We gave some examples of when we...
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2024 Debuts Part 2: Edits, Marketing, and Protecting Your Energy
This is a fun one! Join us for a round table conversation with four 2024 debut authors: Sami Ellis, Ashton Lattimore, Avione Lee, and Rae Giana Rashad. We get into some honest discussion of the highs and lows of debut year, marketing plans, and protecting the integrity of your story through…
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Kwame Mbalia: Writing, Publishing, and Making More Pie
Catch up with us in our pre chat, then listen as we talk to Kwame Mbalia about writing, publishing, and Freedom Fire Books, an imprint of Disney-Hyperion that will feature stories of black joy and resilience written by black creators. Kwame is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times…
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Samantha Fabien: Agent/Author relationships, Professional Taste, and Career Aspirations
We had a wonderful chat with Root Literary's Samantha Fabien about her personal agent taste, how she sets her client's submissions up for success, and her personal agent career goals. Learn more about Samantha at https://www.rootliterary.com/agents
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Sheree Renée Thomas: The Short Fiction Industry, Hoodoo, and working with Janelle Monáe
Our esteemed guest, Sheree Renée Thomas, was kind enough to visit us and drop some knowledge. More info on her below! Sheree is a New York Times bestselling, two-time World Fantasy Award-winning author and editor. A 2023 Octavia E. Butler Award honoree and a 2022 Hugo Award Finalist, she is the...
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All About Anthologies with Shari Pennant and Sami Ellis
Join us as we chat with our guests, Jamaican-American fiction author Shari Pennant and queer horror writer Sami Ellis, all about Anthologies! Shari's work can be found in the multi-genre YA anthology COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. You can find Shari on her website at https://www.sharipennant.com/, on...
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2024 Debuts (pt. 1): Marketing, Mental Health, and Managing Expectations
Join us for a real talk chat with two of next year's debut authors! Avery Cunningham is the author of THE MAYOR OF MAXWELL STREET, a riveting historical drama in which a rich Black debutante enlists the help of a low-level speakeasy manager to identify the head of an underground crime syndicate....
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Jamison Shea: Debut Horror Author, Monster Lover, Milk Tea Aficionado
In our pre-chat, we let you know which books we're reading (bring on the scary vibes!), and catch you up on what else we've been up to. After that, we chat with our guest: debut horror author, Jamison Shea. Jamison was once a flautist, violist, anthropologist, linguist, choreographer, dancer,...
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J. Elle: House of Marionne, Mentoring, and Eager Fans
In our pre-chat (we're still getting the hang of this), we discuss what we've been up to this summer and what we're excited about for the upcoming week. Spoiler: BEYONCÉ. Our guest was NYT bestselling author J. Elle, a longtime friend of the pod. We discussed her upcoming dark academia romantasy...
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Spring Pick: Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker
In our first-ever seasonal pick: BLOOD DEBTS by Terry J. Benton-Walker is our spring pick! In this episode, we have a deep-dive conversation about this magical book with the author, with both non-spoiler and spoiler sections (there is a spoiler warning!). We talked about: BLOOD DEBTS, a magical…
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Jill Got a Book Deal!
Join us as we celebrate Jill's book deal for her YA Dystopian Romance, THE DIVIDING SKY, out with Joy Revolution next Summer! Add THE DIVIDING SKY on Goodreads! Stay tuned for more info on the Afronauts Podcast's first hosted panel with WriteHive this summer! Find The Afronauts Podcast online:...
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Pre-Writing: Vibes, Worldbuilding, and Character Arcs
Come chill with the Afronauts as we discuss our favorite approaches to pre-writing. How do we create immaculate vibes while ensuring the worldbuilding feels fleshed out? What do star signs have to do with character arcs? And why is Beatrice listening to something called "sad bathroom music"?...
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Short Fiction with Award-Winning SF/F Writer and Editor L.D. Lewis
In this episode, we discuss short fiction, publishing, defining success, FIYAH Literary Magazine, and more with award-winning SF/F writer and editor L.D. Lewis. Find her online! Twitter: @ellethevillain Website: https://ldlewiswrites.com/2021/11/27/ls-discon-iii-schedule/ Support her on Patreon!...
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The Hero's Journey with Terry J. Benton-Walker: Outlining Series, Perseverance, and Building Community as a Black Author
Meet our next hero: Terry J. Benton-Walker Terry is the author of Blood Debts, a magical YA contemporary fantasy which will be available in April 2023. His apocalyptic middle-grade contemporary fantasy, Alex Wise vs the End of the World, comes out in Fall 2023. Join us as we discuss Terry's...
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Writing for Audio with Diana M. Pho
In this episode, we discuss the history of audio fiction, creating images through sound, and representation in the audio industry. Find our guest on the internet Twitter: https://twitter.com/writersyndrome Website: https://dianampho.com/ Find The Afronauts on the internet Twitter:...
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Building Community with the Voodoonauts
Voodoonauts is a grassroots Afrofuturist collective for Black SFF writers. Founded by two MFA students, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu and Shingai Njeri Kagunda, and the cocoa-founders, Hugh “H.D.” Hunter and LP Kindred, in response to the under-representation and isolation of Black speculative fiction…
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The Hero's Journey with Britt Threatt: Writing Inclusively, Balancing Faith and Fiction, and Making the Choice to Self-Publish
Meet today's Hero: Britt Threatt Britt Threatt is a fantasy and speculative fiction writer committed to penning stories that explore the capacity and aliveness of Black youth. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Africana Studies, which informs much of her creative writing around themes of social...
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The Hero's Journey with Daniel Renjenko: Afrofuturism, Empowering Black Readers, and Finding Your Support
Meet our next hero: Daniel Renjenko Daniel is a previously agented writer focused on crafting Black main-characters only, and Black-trauma-conscious stories of Afrofuturism and Afrofantasy with some steamy romance weaved in. His main goal is always to empower Black readers, while his personal...
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Revisions: Killing Our Darlings, Incorporating Feedback, and Our Favorite Resources
This episode is all about revisions! We discuss how many CPs we like to work with, our favorite revision books and articles, and our process for evaluating/incorporating feedback. You can follow us here: Twitter: @AfronautsPod Instagram: @AfronautsPod Pinterest: @AfronautsPod Sources mentioned:...
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The Hero's Journey with Tracy Deonn: Legendborn & Bloodmarked, Research Consultants, and Fan Fiction
Meet our next hero: Tracy Deonn Tracy Deonn is the New York Times bestselling, Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award-winning author of Legendborn, and a second-generation fangirl. She grew up in central North Carolina, where she devoured fantasy books and Southern food in equal measure. After...
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The Hero's Journey with Nick Brooks: Novel Writing, Film, Music, and Navigating these Industries as a Black Creator.
Meet our next hero: Nick Brooks Nick is an award-winning filmmaker from DC. He is also the author of NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT, the first book of his middle grade novel series (out October 4th) and PROMISE BOYS, his first YA novel (out January 2023). Join us as we discuss...
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Self-Publishing with Sierra Elmore: Book Covers, Kickstarter, and TikTok
With our first-ever guest co-host, Sierra Elmore, we discuss all things self-publishing. We talked about everything from working with book cover designers, to how you can see your book sales, to getting your books into indie stores! Sierra writes YA contemporary and thriller novels. Her debut...
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The Hero's Journey with Karen Strong: Eden's Everdark, Anthologies, and Social Media for Authors
Meet our next hero: Karen Strong Karen is the author of middle grade novels JUST SOUTH OF HOME and EDEN’S EVERDARK. She is the editor of the forthcoming young adult anthology COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. And she has also written short fiction for Star Wars and other award-winning anthologies. Join us as...
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The Naut-y Awards!
In this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we introduce The Naut-y Awards! The Naut-ys aren’t really an award show, there’s no single winner, just a chance to gush about our favorites in a handful of categories. Books/Short Stories/Novellas mentioned in this episode: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn...
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Dark Matter: Writing Fight Scenes and Movement
In this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss writing fight scenes and other types of movement. Resources/books mentioned in this episode: Essa Hansen thread: https://twitter.com/essahansen/status/1525525321557999616, Body Beats to Build On by April W Gardner, Nia Davenport’s THE BLOOD...
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The Hero’s Journey with Liselle Sambury: Blood Like Magic, Blood Like Fate, and Writing a Sequel
Meet our next hero: Liselle Sambury Liselle is a Trinidadian-Canadian YA fantasy author. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through her YouTube channel. She is the author of Blood Like Magic, and its sequel Blood Like Fate, out...
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Dark Matter: Research, Research, Research
In this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: how accurate we want our stories to be, researching before drafting, using our own family history, and tips for keeping track of research. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.archives.gov/research/census/online-resources...
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The Hero's Journey: Nia Davenport
Meet our next hero: Nia Davenport Nia is the author of The Blood Gift duology, which starts with The Blood Trials (out now!). She’s an English and Biology teacher and a strong advocate for diverse perspectives and protagonists in literature. Recently, along with co-founder Traci-Anne Canada, she...
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Dark Matter: Black Villains and Antagonists
On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: Our favorite black villains and antagonists, our least favorite, what makes a great villain/antagonist, and more! Black Books mentioned in this episode: Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Check…
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The Hero's Journey: Brittney Morris
Meet our next hero: Brittney Morris Brittney is the author of SLAY, The Cost of Knowing, Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Wings of Fury, and she’s also written for various video games. Most recently, she joined the team at Insomniac Games to write for the upcoming Spider-Man PS5 game. Join us as we...
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Dark Matter: Mentorships for Black Authors
On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: Picking the best mentorship for you, what to watch out for, our ideal mentorship programs, what to do if you don't get in, and more! Some mentorship programs mentioned in this episode: We Need Diverse Books - Black Creatives Mentorship -...
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The Hero's Journey: Kiah Danielle Norris
Meet our next hero: Kiah Danielle Norris Kiah is a Young Adult Speculative Fiction writer. She loves drinking bourbon, discussing books, and ruminating about life, imagination, and writing. Kiah earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University of Los Angeles and her Bachelor of Arts in...
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Dark Matter: Black Love in SFF
Happy Valentine's Day! On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: Black romance, black familial love, and black self love in speculative fiction Black books mentioned in this episode: Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Skin of the Sea by Natasha...
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The Hero's Journey: Sheena Williams
Meet our next hero: Sheena Williams Sheena is a YA science fiction writer and artist. She is a winner of the Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware award for Commentary and 2020 Honorable Mention for the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Join us as we discuss Sheena's querying experience as a...
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Dark Matter: #NaNegroWriMo, Self Care, & 2022 Writing Goals
Thanks for joining us for Season 2: Dark Matter! On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: #NaNegroWriMo, Our Winter Writing, Self Care, And our 2022 Writing Goals/Resolutions Be sure to check out our NEW WEBSITE at http://afronautspodcast.com/. For more information on the horror...
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Genesis: The Call and Navigating the Industry
On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: The Call - when an agent calls to offer representation Navigating the Industry Feel free to use our template for questions to ask during "The Call" - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zFO9_pMuQs01j9fNTbNJ8JJRQ0-fp1K1Ri0aEru5Pvw/edit. For…
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The Hero's Journey: Mike Lee
Meet our next hero: Mike Lee Mike is a sci-fi, cyberpunk and fantasy writer who also does developmental and copy editing. Join us as we discuss: Mike's publishing journey so far, his experience working with critique partners, his favorite thing about editing, and more! You can find Mike on…
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Genesis: Twitter Pitch Contests, Hard and Soft Sci-Fi & World Building
On this episode of the Afronauts Podcast, we'll discuss: Twitter Pitch Contests Hard and Soft Sci-Fi & World Building For a link to our Discord Community, follow us on social media and send us an email at [email protected]!
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The Hero's Journey: Tony Debajo
Meet our next hero: Tony Debajo Tony is a civil engineer, digital marketer, and the author of In The Shadow of Ruin which is book one in his The Fractured Kingdom series. Join us as we discuss: Tony's novel, his self-publishing journey, tips for writers interested in self-publishing, and more!…
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The Hero's Journey: Britney S. Lewis
Meet our next hero: Britney S. Lewis Britney writes YA contemporary and speculative fiction, does competitive West Coast swing dancing, and is documenting her traditional publishing journey on YouTube. Her YA debut, The Undead Truth of Us, will be available Summer 2022. Join us as we discuss:...
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The Hero's Journey: Eve Williams
Meet our next hero: Eve Williams Eve has been telling stories since she was 8 years old. She got serious about writing in her late teens and in college studied creative writing and English. She is working on her first fantasy novel and is currently in the beta reader stage. Eve is going to start...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Afronauts Podcast have?
Afronauts Podcast currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Afronauts Podcast about?
A podcast to promote Black speculative fiction. https://linktr.ee/AfronautsPod
How often does Afronauts Podcast release new episodes?
Afronauts Podcast has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Afronauts Podcast?
You can listen to Afronauts Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Afronauts Podcast?
Afronauts Podcast is created and hosted by Afronauts Podcast.
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