Get It Write

Andrea Bartz

Candid conversations about writing, author life, and the publishing industry with Andrea Bartz, a New York Times bestselling thriller author. andibartz.substack.com

Episodes

  1. "We're throwing a party to celebrate books and literature and literacy and free expression of ideas for our community—that's the mindset with which we approach it."

    20 May

    "We're throwing a party to celebrate books and literature and literacy and free expression of ideas for our community—that's the mindset with which we approach it."

    I loved peppering Abra McAndrew, who runs the excellent Substack The Booktender and is executive director of the storied Tucson Festival of Books, with all my burning questions about book festivals! We went deep on: * How Abra became the director of an event that draws more than 300 authors and 100,000 book-lovers * How planners decide which authors to invite * Where book festivals fit into the book-event ecosystem for writers * How authors can figure out which book fests might be a fit—and put themselves in the best possible position to be invited * The question you must ask before committing to a festival * The mistake some attending authors make days before the fest—and how authors can make organizers’ lives easy * Abra’s best advice for someone thinking about starting their own book fest …and more! Be sure to sign up for Abra’s newsletter, The Booktender, where she shares delightful monthly reading lists and commentary about what she’s reading. Thank you Kathleen Schmidt, Sally Ekus, Travis Malone, Norma Cardenas, and many others for tuning into my live video with Abra McAndrew! You can check out my past Substack Lives here and listen to any of them in your favorite podcast app (including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and others linked to the right or using the “Listen via…” button). Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  2. "Feeling hopeless and atomized is exactly what people with power want us to feel right now."

    6 May

    "Feeling hopeless and atomized is exactly what people with power want us to feel right now."

    I learned so much from my chat with Saul Austerlitz, who wrote HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN ACTIVIST, and AurelioAguirre, software developer and cofounder of The Users Union, about how people with concerns about AI can find the best and most impactful ways to join the fight. We discussed: * Why now is such a crucial time for us to be having these discussions—and taking action * The shockingly within-our-grasp environmental solutions we can push for (and how) * How to break down the overwhelming concept of AI into actionable arenas and causes * Why community is the backbone of effective activism—and how to find it (or build it) * The reason “call trains” and “co-hosts” are powerful grassroots tools * The exact bills you should be paying attention to, plus how to push for the right outcomes * The surprising reason even small fundraisers are effective against multi-billion-dollar companies * The most effective way to talk to someone who’s new to the topic of AI …and more! Be sure to follow both guests, sign up to follow Users Union’s progress, and order Saul’s book for more. (We didn’t discuss this in the call, but I’m also a fan of The AI Doc’s cheat sheet for ways to get involved. What other resources are y’all using to turn your anger into action?) Thank you Megan Cooley Peterson, Alyson Wilbur, Marla bronstein, and many others for tuning into my live video with Saul Austerlitz and AurelioAguirre! You can check out my past Substack Lives here and listen to any of them in your favorite podcast app. My next one will be on May 20 at noon ET, when I’ll be discussing everything authors need to know about book festivals with Abra McAndrew, executive director of the Tucson Festival of Books and author of the excellent Substack The Booktender. Here’s that link. See you there! It takes labor (and love!) to bring you original, exclusive posts every week. If you dig what Get It Write is doing and find the content valuable, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thanks for being here! Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    47 min

  3. 4 May

    "Why haven't scholars cared about agents? Why are writers so obsessed? And what is that mismatch telling us about what's going on in this industry?"

    I had the best time chatting with author and academic Laura B. McGrath, whose new nonfiction book, Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, is on shelves now. We nerded out on: * When agents burst onto the scene (and why publishers loathed them at first) * Where the title comes from and why her book cover is giving midcentury glam * Why agents are so secretive about their day-to-day * The surprising reason her book research—and access to pros—took a big turn midway through her project * Why the introduction of paperbacks upended agents’ role * The questions you should ask an agent before signing—and the convo you must have with your agent after working together for a while * How she sees agenting changing in 5-10 years * Why you should pick up the book for “a whole lot of quantitative data about what contemporary literature is and what it’s turned into thanks to the agents’ influence.” …and more! Be sure to sign up for Laura’s newsletter, textCrunch, where she shares fascinating, data-driven research about books, publishing, and culture—and order her book for more. During the Live, we discussed agent calls, and I promised to share the link to this helpful post from Sally Ekus: Here’s another great one from author Leah Rowan: Finally, here’s my compendium of successful query letters, with additional resources at the end: Thank you Sally Ekus, Shana Clarke, Shanyn, MJ Soni Author, Ariees Roman, and many others for tuning into my live video with Laura B. McGrath! You can check out my past Substack Lives here and listen to any of them in your favorite podcast app. My next one will be on Wednesday, 5/8 at noon ET, when I’ll be discussing Activism 101: How to Hold Big AI Accountable with Saul Austerlitz (author of How to Assemble an Activist) and Aurelio Aguirre (software developer and cofounder of Users Union). Here’s that link. See you there! It takes labor (and love!) to bring you original, exclusive posts every week. If you dig what Get It Write is doing and find the content valuable, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thanks for being here! Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    1hr 6min
  4. "I really see newsletters like any extension of an author's work. And [Substack] is a place where a lot of agents are."

    9 Mar

    "I really see newsletters like any extension of an author's work. And [Substack] is a place where a lot of agents are."

    I LOVED going live with non-fiction agent Sally Ekus, whose generous and candid approach to the industry is such a breath of fresh air! We went deep on: * How authors can use their newsletters to connect with readers * Whether author newsletters translate to sales—or event attendance * What makes up an author “ecosystem” * The nuts and bolts of pitching non-fiction * The surprising personality traits Sally looks for in new clients * How she scouts on Substack—and what happens after a writer catches her eyes * Why she loves it when an author turns her down (for now) …and more! If you aren’t already a Sally Ekus superfan (like me), go sign up for her newsletter, Not So Secret Agent, right now—there are so many fantastic posts and resources, all of ‘em free, and so much of it applying to novelists in addition to non-fiction writers. Thank me later! And thank you to Rebecca Blackwell, Caroline Madden, Andrea 🌄, Sandhya Jain-Patel, Jennifer Houle, and many others for tuning in. You can check out my past Substack Lives here and listen to any of them in your favorite podcast app. If you dig what Get It Write is doing and find the content valuable, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thanks for being here! Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    1hr 3min
  5. "My big theory about life is that we're all desperate to connect with each other and just need that nudge."

    10/12/2025

    "My big theory about life is that we're all desperate to connect with each other and just need that nudge."

    I loved my convo with Nancy Reddy, the author of THE GOOD MOTHER MYTH and the Substack Be Less Careful. We discussed what people really want from book events, specific tricks to make a book launch interactive and memorable, where events fit into the author-brand ecosystem, the best book releases we ever attended, the pluses and pitfalls of planning a virtual event, and more. We even had an on-the-spot brainstorm about two viewers’ upcoming book parties! Huge thanks to Olivia Muenter, Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, Fabio N.Biazetti, Julie Zuckerman, JENNIFER VAN DER KLEUT, and others for tuning in. After this, I’ll be taking a break from Substack Lives and returning to the Words With Author Friends interview format for a bit. Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    58 min

  6. 24/11/2025

    "We're not athletes—we don't need to retire at 30. We're gonna keep writing, and we're gonna keep getting better."

    I adored my chat with Amie McNee, beautifully transparent and inspiring Substacker and the author of WE NEED YOUR ART, among other books. We discussed her new historical mystery, TO KILL A QUEEN, as well as trad- vs. self-publishing, figuring out how to tell a detective story, balancing business with the “sacred space” of creation, Amie’s genius reframe for ~self-promo~, and more. Thanks so much to Fabio N.Biazetti, Mallary Tenore Tarpley, Karen Dukess, Megan Caryline, James Winestock, and many others for tuning in! TO KILL A QUEEN is out now, and y’all are going to love it. Here’s the description: Enter a shadowy world of crime in Elizabethan London with this twisty historical mystery featuring a queer sleuth and a dash of romance!When Queen Elizabeth I is nearly assassinated, the rebellious heir to a criminal legacy seizes an opportunity for a better life.London, 1579. In the treacherous alleyways of London, Jack has left behind the life of petty crime, hoping to atone for the past by rooting out murderers. As the eldest child of a notorious and infamous figure who controls the slums, Jack has no safe place to land and dreams of a future off the streets. When an attempt is made on the Queen’s life, it falls to Jack to catch the would-be-assassin and fight for a different future. With the help of a coroner, Damian; a sultry barmaid with a secret; and the criminal connections from Jack’s past, the unlikely investigator dives into the case. But the former thief’s informants keep turning up dead, and every lead seems to vanish just when it feels within reach. As Jack follows the trail deeper into danger, the question becomes: Who can truly be trusted? With the promise of security and redemption hanging overhead, Jack must uncover who orchestrated the assassination attempt before time runs out in this historical mystery, perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander. Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    57 min
  7. "Professionals associated with that IP are gonna be like, 'I don't want to work with that person. They seem like a dick.'"

    17/11/2025

    "Professionals associated with that IP are gonna be like, 'I don't want to work with that person. They seem like a dick.'"

    I loved sitting down with the hilarious, prolific, and insightful Mike Chen, who’s turned his nerdy fandom (said lovingly) into a badass career as the New York Times bestselling author of both original commercial spec fic novels (including, most recently, A Quantum Love Story) and contributions to the SFF canon, such as Star Wars: Brotherhood, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dog of War, Marvel: What If . . . Marc Spector Was Host to Venom?, and more. We chatted in depth about how he broke into writing for these landmark franchises, the elements that make you attractive to IP (intellectual property) editors, the nuts and bolts of writing work-for-hire books in an established universe (think: deadlines, subsidiary rights, the pitching process…), the role social media can play in getting a dream book assignment, and more. You can listen to or watch the interview in a browser or the Substack app, or listen to the audio in your favorite podcast player (instructions here). I had a blast chatting with Mike (who does, fair warning, drop some F-bombs), and I hope you enjoy listening in! Big thanks to Sierra Godfrey, Lisa Pertoso, Isabela Livino, Amjed McDonnell, Jeni Anderson, and many others for tuning into our live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    1hr 1min

  8. 24/10/2025

    "I want to talk about history because I think it's echoing all the time, especially right now."

    I had the best time chatting with Vanessa Lillie about her new thriller, THE BONE THIEF, as well as the Anthropic lawsuit, my run-in with Reese Witherspoon (!), what it was like writing and selling a sequel, how we prep ourselves for the pub-week tornado, and more. Big thanks to Olivia Muenter, The Balance Dilemma Podcast, Michelle Richmond, J. Lincoln Fenn, Jaime Garbin, and many others for tuning into the live video with Thriller Thursday. THE BONE THIEF comes out Tuesday and I can’t wait for y’all to check it out. Here’s the description: When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family’s fears.As Syd investigates both crimes, she’s drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it’s not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren’t isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society’s doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town’s most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed. Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    1hr 1min
  9. "You're trafficking in your own personality. How much of yourself do you want to give? It's a weird line."

    01/08/2025

    "You're trafficking in your own personality. How much of yourself do you want to give? It's a weird line."

    I loved sitting down with the delightful Jenny Rosenstrach, who writes the Substack Dinner: A Love Story. We chatted about how we found our agents, what we learned from working in magazines, dealing with a fear of navel-gazing in our own work, and more. (Please enjoy my full-court press for Jenny to start writing that novel already!) I finally set up a “podcast” (it gets airquotes) for my Substack Lives, so now felt like the person time to send this out. You can listen to or watch the interview in a browser or the Substack app, or listen to the audio in your favorite podcast player (instructions here). I had so much fun chatting with Jenny, and I hope you enjoy listening in! Have a great weekend, friends, and don’t stop calling pestering your reps. Andrea Bartz: Get It Write is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min
  10. "I don't start by knowing the characters. I start by just sorta having faceless people that interact."

    03/06/2025

    "I don't start by knowing the characters. I start by just sorta having faceless people that interact."

    Thank you Sim Carter, Stephanie Hedrick, Abigail Nora Brennan, and many others for tuning into my live video with CeCe Lyra of The S**t About Writing Team! You can watch the replay above. We chatted about social media strategy for new authors, how to make settings come alive, switching genres, getting the most out of a writers’ retreat, differentiating characters’ voices, and more. (And my mom’s poodle made an appearance around the 3:30 mark. Her name is, wait for it…CeCe!) One announcement: Today’s scheduled Substack Live with Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner: A Love Story was pushed back a week, to 3pm ET on Tuesday, June 10. Download the app to join us! Get full access to Andrea Bartz: Get It Write at andibartz.substack.com/subscribe

    38 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Candid conversations about writing, author life, and the publishing industry with Andrea Bartz, a New York Times bestselling thriller author. andibartz.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Andrea Bartz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Andrea Bartz
  • Show Website
    Get It Write

You Might Also Like