The Young Adult Fiction Market with Sara Zarr
Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing Mary Kole Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing Mary Kole

The Young Adult Fiction Market with Sara Zarr

Join Mary Kole and Sara Zarr as they talk about the complex realities surrounding publishing and becoming a career author within a rapidly shifting YA and Middle Grade marketplace. Sara Zarr brings insight and personal experiences to surviving the sudden and drastic changes within the YA marketplace.

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Episode 24: Mindy McGinnis, YA Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 24: Mindy McGinnis, YA Author

Mindy McGinnis, mystery, suspense, thriller author and dog haver, joins the Good Story Podcast to talk about her upcoming work with James Patterson, shit-shoveling, book snobbery, and showing characters' humanity.

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How to Write a Novel Synopsis
Writing, Critique, Craft, Novel Submission, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea Guest User Writing, Critique, Craft, Novel Submission, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea Guest User

How to Write a Novel Synopsis

One of the most difficult parts of submitting a manuscript or query to an agent or publisher is figuring out how to write a novel synopsis. That task is different every time and for every book. Just like the task of writing each book is different and calls upon different skills, crafting a synopsis for each manuscript is different, as well.

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Episode 20: Rachel Orr, YA and Children's Literary Agent
Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole

Episode 20: Rachel Orr, YA and Children's Literary Agent

Decades-long agent, Rachel Orr, talks about real life clients as she shares what agents and editors are looking for, what to include in your query letter, and how to challenge the status quo.

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Episode 23: Jonathan Auxier, Writer of Strange Stories for Strange Kids
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission Mary Kole

Episode 23: Jonathan Auxier, Writer of Strange Stories for Strange Kids

NYT Bestselling young adult and middle-grade author Jonathan Auxier joins Mary Kole to discuss visual writing, worldbuilding, and how different media use dialogue to create action.

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Episode 9: Kilby Blades, Romance Author
Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing Mary Kole Market, Novel Publishing, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Submission, Freelance Publishing Mary Kole

Episode 9: Kilby Blades, Romance Author

A conversation with Kilby Blades (author of romance novels such as The Gilded Love series) about self-publishing, writing diverse, feminist characters, and changes the traditional publishing industry needs to make in order to be an inclusive space for writers of color.

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Episode 19: Chuck Sambuchino, Freelance Editor and Publishing Expert
Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission Mary Kole

Episode 19: Chuck Sambuchino, Freelance Editor and Publishing Expert

Insights from industry veteran Chuck Sambuchino on how to become a well-informed writer, build a platform, and get published.

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Communicating with Literary Agents
Agent, Submission, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Agent, Submission, ER/CB Submission, Freelance Submission, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Submission, Novel Submission, Picture Book Submission, Short Story Submission, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Communicating with Literary Agents

Communicating with literary agents is an important part of the querying process. Here are some communication do's and don'ts that'll give you the best shot at receiving a response to your query.

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Growing From Aspiring Writer to Published Author with Rebecca Ansari
Writing, Craft, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Growing From Aspiring Writer to Published Author with Rebecca Ansari

Debut middle grade author Rebecca Ansari chats with Mary about the journey from aspiring writer to published author, MG craft insights, and what new things she has in the works!

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Writing for a Living
Writing, Market, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Market, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Writing for a Living

Many aspiring writers hope to quit their day jobs so they can pursue writing for a living, but is this a realistic goal? Here's an overview of what to expect if you want to pay the bills with your writing.

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Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Submission Mary Kole

Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author

Lisa Stringfellow discusses her debut novel set in the Caribbean, “A Comb of Wishes.” She talks through her long journey from draft to finished book—plus plans for Book 2—and shares craft and industry tips she’s learned along the way.

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Writing Your Debut Novel with Benjamin Roesch
Writing, Craft, Character, Revision + Editing, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Submission, Short Story Editing, Short Story Publishing, Novel Draft, Short Story Draft Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Character, Revision + Editing, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Submission, Short Story Editing, Short Story Publishing, Novel Draft, Short Story Draft Mary Kole

Writing Your Debut Novel with Benjamin Roesch

Benjamin Roesch joins us to talk about his debut novel—but not his first novel—published with LGBTQ+ young adult indie publisher Deep Hearts. We talk about turning short stories into a novel, coming of age fiction, and being an older debut writer.

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Reading Like a Writer
Craft, Writing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Amy Wilson Craft, Writing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Amy Wilson

Reading Like a Writer

If you’re struggling to figure out how to write a good story, you might want to consider coming at it from a fresh angle: reading like a writer. What does reading like a writer mean?

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Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator
Marketing, Craft, Writing, Character, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Submission, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Craft, Writing, Character, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Submission, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole

Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator

Tune in for a chat with Mary Kole's long-time friend in the children's publishing space, YA Author J.C. Geiger. He tells all about how he made an epic mixtape with music no one's heard before (and met his heroes in the process), and talks about writing young adult characters, the future of post-pandemic fiction, and—of course—the power of music.

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Magic, Mythology & Monsters with Lisa Stringfellow
Writing, Craft, Community, Critique, Market, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Outline Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Community, Critique, Market, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Editing, Novel Outline Mary Kole

Magic, Mythology & Monsters with Lisa Stringfellow

Lisa Stringfellow, award-winning author and middle school teacher, discusses her debut novel about mermaids and mythology set in the Caribbean, “A Comb of Wishes.” She talks through her long journey from draft to finished book—plus plans for Book 2—and shares craft and industry tips she’s learned along the way.

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The Writing Journey with Leslie C. Youngblood
Writing, Craft, Character, Freelance Publishing, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Character, Freelance Publishing, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Mary Kole

The Writing Journey with Leslie C. Youngblood

Author and former assistant professor of creative writing Leslie C. Youngblood joins Mary Kole on the Good Story Podcast. She shares her journey through her MFA program, gives tips on crafting interesting character relationships, and weighs in on one of the hottest questions for authors today: traditional or self-publishing?

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