Ep. 249 - Editor Kesia Lupo on YA, Queries & Big-Publisher Decisions
Watch this episode a full video episodeKesia Lupo is the commissioning editor at MacMillan Children's Books, as well as being a former agent and author of three YA books.We had a great chat with Kesia, learning about how she first got started in the publishing industry, and the differences between working for a smaller and larger publisher, and the impact that has on acquisition decisions. Plus, we discuss the differences in the US and UK markets, talk about the all-important query letter to agents, and hear about times that authors have pushed back against editing suggestions.NOTE: We know Marco's audio is bad on this one - he unwittingly used the wrong mic when recording - we have cleaned the audio up as much as we can, but fortunately you are here for Kesia, not him!Links:Follow Kesia on BlueskyVisit Kesia's Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
1:08:00
--------
1:08:00
Drafting Notes - How to Write a Great Opening - And Why It Matters
Watch this episode as a full video episode on YouTubeYou only have one chance to make a first impression, so you better make sure you offer your prospective agent/editor/reader the best you can! On this week's episode, we chat about what makes a good opening compared to bad and why it matters. Plus, we discuss some of our favourite openings — as well as some not-so-good ones...Drafting Notes is a series in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Drafting Notes episodes are available early if you join our Patreon - check it out and get this and other great benefits!Drafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsDrafting Notes is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
23:30
--------
23:30
Ep. 248 - Jenny Brown on Query Letters, Trends & the Future of Publishing
Jenny Brown established Jenny Brown Associates in 2002. She was previously Head of Literature at the Scottish Arts Council, presenter of book programmes for Scottish Television, and founder Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. She was shortlisted in 2014 and2020 for Agent of the Year Award. She is former Chair of the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival (2011–21). She was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2021 and awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2024. She represents 50 writers and likes to work closely with her writers and for this reason, almost all the writers she represents are based in Scotland.We loved speaking with Jenny and hearing why she first moved into the world of agenting, and what she looks for in the queries that she reads. We also discuss how publishing has changed over the years, and discuss current trends in the market, along with her general advice for writers looking for agents.Links:Visit Jenny Brown Associates websiteFollow Jenny Brown Associates on Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
1:01:30
--------
1:01:30
Page One Extra: Catching Up with Richard Swan: The Scour, The Infinite State & More
Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeRichard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, the Decurion Saga (2026), and various short fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into nine languages.We enjoyed having Richard back on the podcast, catching up with him since we last spoke with him back in November 2022 (Episode 141 of the main pod!) and hearing about what he has been writing since then. We chat about writing books that will lead readers to your older work, and hear about his two new books - The Scour, out now, and The Infinite State (out next year). Plus, we chat about space roofers (blame Tariq) and of course hear about 5 books that influenced him!Links:Buy The Scour and Richard's other books nowFollow Richard on InstagramVisit Richard's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One Extra and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsPage One Extra is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
1:06:12
--------
1:06:12
Drafting Notes - How to write a great synopsis (without hating it!)
Watch this as a full video episode on YouTubeOn this week's episode of Drafting Notes we are discussing that thing every writer hates: The Synopsis! Nobody enjoys them, but how do you write them? What should you include? What should you leave out? We discuss all this and even talk about why synopses can help you find the heart of your story.Drafting Notes is a series in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Drafting Notes episodes are available early if you join our Patreon - check it out and get this and other great benefits!Drafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsDrafting Notes is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New episodes every Friday!On Page One - The Writer's Podcast, we talk to writers of all descriptions (authors, screenwriters, comic writers and more) about their writing process and how they craft their next great works. We also explore their career, including how their first big break happened, and discuss the ups and downs along the way. We learn something new every episode, and we hope you do as well.Page One is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/shop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UK