The Book Deal cover art

All Episodes

The Book Deal — 86 episodes

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Title
1

Ashley Kalagian Blunt on novel structure, strategic selling and compartmentalising when researching

2

Bookstagram, community, events, reviews and reading with Brooke Michie (a.k.a @bmichie31)

3

Jacqueline Harvey: inside the world of one of Australia's most popular kidlit authors, and the rocky road it took to get there

4

The Writing Deal: Natasha, Tina and Madeleine discuss 'stalking' story ideas, bookstore bravery, and 'who are you really writing for'?

5

Jack Heath on novel ideas, writing practice and building a writing career

6

Rebecca Armitage on rejection and the road to a bestseller (with pre-empts, Reese's Book Club, and a TV adaptation on the way!)

7

How to succeed in writing competitions, agent and publisher assessments and networking, with Tina Clark, CYA conference coordinator

8

The Writing Deal: Natasha, Madeleine and Tina on being a 'good literary citizen'

9

Bridie Blake on writing romcoms, writing practice and 20 years of persevering for a book deal

10

The Publishing Deal: Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, on Success, Bestsellers and Writing from the Heart

11

Amy Doak on writing young adult fiction, twisty crime, new books and tips for navigating the querying process

12

The Writing Deal: Tina, Madeleine and Natasha discuss 'listening' to Book 2, wading through the poo and figuring out the 'write' routine

13

Debut Crew 26 pre-release feels, fears and excitement about having your debut novel out in the world

14

Alli Parker and Mark Mupotsa-Russell on finding success with your second book

15

Amie Kaufman on celebrating all the wins, setting writing goals, connecting with readers and the realities of bestseller lists.

16

The Writing Deal: Madeleine, Natasha and Tina's 2026 writing goals, journaling, royalty statements explained, and 'what is rest?'

17

SUMMER SERIES The Publishing Deal: Publisher Ruby Ashby-Orr from Affirm Press

18

SUMMER SERIES Holly Brunnbauer on securing a book deal and social media tips that create true connections

19

SUMMER SERIES 20 book deals! Rory H Mather tells us how its done

20

SUMMER SERIES The Publishing Deal: Literary agent Samuel Bernard

21

SUMMER SERIES Kylie Orr on competitions, writing craft, social media and letting go

22

SPOILER BOOK CLUB: Kate Mildenhall on The Hiding Place

23

Agony Aunt Hayley Scrivenor on 'bloody mindedness' for writing success, live at Writing NSW

24

Holly Cardamone on pre-launch strategies, communications and why publishing is a marathon, not a sprint

25

The Publishing Deal: Publisher, Tom Langshaw, on the strongest elements in a fiction manuscript, what to include in your submission pitch, and industry trends

26

Kidlit superstar Kate Foster on managing multi-publications, co writing, celebrating diversity and being a good industry citizen

27

Natasha, Tina and Madeleine on festival preparation, public speaking tips and embarrassing mothers

28

Kate Mildenhall on publishing and resilience, publicity tips and what it means to be a good industry citizen

29

Believing in yourself and the benefits of constant learning with Valerie Khoo, CEO of the Australian Writers Centre

30

Nadia Mahjouri on finding writing support and submitting work to as many opportunities as possible

31

Editing: spreadsheets, reading backwards, rulers and when readers point out errors

32

Emily Paull on "retiring" from writing and her 17-year journey to publishing The Distance Between Dreams

33

Angie Faye Martin on writing layered stories, Indigenous representation and how to prepare for publicity and book promos

34

Middle Grade Debut Special with Shara Curlett, Sandy Bigna and Lucie Stevens

35

Natasha, Tina and Madeleine on strategies to identify and manage author burnout, anchoring your writing in time and intention setting

36

Jessica Box on portfolio careers for creatives, coaching, growing your author business, managing your time and social media

37

Paramedic and writer Sally Gould shares her experiences of writing and editing memoir; how to use feedback and giving yourself time to make your work the best version of itself

38

Graphic novel publisher and debut author, Bethany Loveridge, shares tips for navigating kidlit publishing

39

The importance of writing residencies, enjoying uninterrupted time to think and write, and eating ALL the cheese

40

The Takeover: Michelle See-Tho on winning a major literary prize, what happens behind the scenes after the win, and invaluable editing tips

41

Bookselling behind the scenes: author tips and advice with bookseller and writer Charlotte Guest

42

Debut author Carla Salmon on writing fiery stories for the young adult market

43

Natasha, Tina and Madeleine are titillated by their ONE YEAR of The Book Deal

44

The Takeover: Holly Brunnbauer on securing a book deal and social media tips that create true connections

45

Writerly breakthroughs and author disappointment

46

Supercharged brains and publishing advice with author and Publisher Dani Vee

47

Literary festivals, pitching yourself for events (and podcasts!), new books and the special art of a timeline

48

Manifest your writing success with Jane Tara

49

Madeleine and Tina on post-launch feels and the value of taking creative breaks

50

The Takeover: Shankari Chandran on writing for pleasure, giving up on the dream of getting published, and how to create longevity in the publishing industry

51

Goodreads reviews, social media and day jobs: the reality of being a (newly) published author

52

Debut Panel: Carly-Jay Metcalfe and Christine Newell on memoir writing and sharing personal stories

53

The Takeover: Zahid Gamieldien on story structure, flawed characters, and planning a novel

54

Gareth and Louise Ward on the business of bookselling and writing bestselling cosy crime

55

Madeleine Cleary and The Butterfly Women: ancestry, inspiration and her publication journey

56

Irma Gold on managing constant crises of confidence, finding the spark in your writing and how to trick yourself into writing a novel.

57

Sophie Beer on the importance of writing inclusively and her new middle grade novel, Thunderhead

58

The Takeover: Zaheda Ghani on writing goals, how to keep momentum and setting intentions for writing practice

59

Natasha Lester on setting goals, the business behind a bestseller and her latest novel inspired by Marie-Madeleine Fourcade

60

Advances, royalties, pirated books and other ways authors may (or may not) earn money

61

20 book deals! Rory H Mather tells us how it's done

62

The Takeover: writing fiction after memoir with Kaya Wilson

63

Natasha Rai on persevering through setbacks, rewriting drafts, and securing her debut book deal

64

Book launches, author events and pre-release pressures

65

Debut Panel: Emma Pignatiello, Kate Horan and Marion Taffe on book deals, writing tips and launch feelings

66

The Takeover: from poetry to prose with Christine Shamista

67

Author/Illustrator Dean Rankine on what it takes to make a career out of your craft

68

Tina Strachan on how to win a competition, secure a three-book-deal and release a debut novel

69

The Debut Year in Review with picture book author Kirsten Ealand

70

The Debut Year in review with YA crime author Troy Hunter

71

The Debut Year in review with Mark Mupotsa-Russell and Kyra Geddes

72

The Publishing Deal: Publisher Ruby Ashby-Orr from Affirm Press

73

How to win (or nearly win) a writing competition

74

Katherine Collette on the highs and lows of publishing and how to build resilience

75

When is your manuscript ready to submit?

76

The Publishing Deal: Publicist Caitlin Lawless

77

Tina and Madeleine chat digital detox, WIPs, new words and 'the muse'

78

The Publishing Deal: Literary Agent Samuel Bernard (Part 2)

79

The Publishing Deal: Literary agent Samuel Bernard (Part 1)

80

Alli Parker on how to become a debut bestseller

81

Lisa Kenway on slush pile success, crafting and editing thrillers, and the writing community

82

Michelle Upton on persistence through rejections, setting writing goals and the value of the author community

83

Kylie Orr on competitions, writing craft, social media and letting go

84

Jess Horn's pathway to picture book publication

85

Introducing The Book Deal: first ep from debut authors Tina and Madeleine!

86

The Book Deal trailer