Pub Talk TV Pub Talk TV

It’s the #PubTalkTV Ask Me Anything episode!

In this season finale, special guest Amanda Shih of Penguin Random House talks with Kelsey, Summer, Ted, Rosie and Jessica about platform, timelines, styles of communication, and the all-important difference between bon bons and truffles.

Questions include:

What’s the relationship between a nonfiction editor and an author?
What’s the timeline from delivery to publication?
How long should a revision take?
How much platform is enough platform?
What works for you in a manuscript/sample pages?
What’s okay in Middle Grade?
My agent hasn’t sent me any letters from editors—for a year. Is my book out or not?

Plus:
Why you shouldn’t turn in an R&R before two weeks
Styles of communication—and how to find the right agent to match yours
The difference between bon bons and truffles, and how we’re not on the couch eating them.

…plus much more!

Special thanks to Brian Schwartz for our opening music.

Earlier episodes, visual footage, and more on PubTalkTV.com!

Welcome to #PubTalkTV's first Pep Talk in Your Pocket episode!

Explaining the writing life to your family can be hard, especially during the holidays. So when they start asking you why you don't have a movie deal yet/how many copies your book has sold/why you don't just hit Upload and become a bestseller, pop in your earbuds, crank up this podcast, and remind yourself you're not alone.

Please note: there is some (very justified, we think) swearing in this podcast.

To make your season a little brighter, we asked writers to tell us what works--and doesn't work--when discussing the writing life with your family. How do you keep the kids occupied? What do you say to those awkward questions? And how--with all the holiday craziness--do you find time for your work?

We are thrilled to have the following contributors (in order of appearance, after the names montage). Find them on Twitter and thank them for being awesome!

2:24 Brandon Hoang @BrandonHoang_
2:50 Ted Fox @TheTedFox
2:56 Tiffany Meuret @TMeuretBooks
3:03 Bethany Telles @BethanyTelles
2:26 Denise Mealy @DCCMealy
3:50 Writer from Texas
4:04 Caitlin O'Connell @Caitlin_Renata
4:10 Heather Smith @SmithWriter
4:20 Eileen
4:30 Pam Barney @lifewithBarns
4:38 Caitlin O'Connell @Caitlin_Renata
4:43 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee
4:50 Heather Smith @SmithWriter
4:59 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee
5:24 Kelly Schluterman @kmschluterman1
5:43 Writer from Texas
5:51 Lara Ruth Ziobro @lararuthz
6:06 Sharon Chriscoe @schriscoe_
6:17 Ozma Bryant @ozma_bryant
6:33 Caroline @Keep_Tha_Faith
7:02 Marcela Ferreira @mlmfd
7:25 Jessica Kapp @JessKapp
7:58 Bethany Telles @BethanyTelles
8:10 Jessica Kapp @JessKapp
8:35 Kelly Schluterman @kmschluterman1
8:47 Pam Barney @lifewithBarns
9:04 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee
9:21 Caroline @Keep_Tha_Faith
10:09 Writer from Texas
10:29 Ozma Bryant @ozma_bryant
11:06 Sharon Chriscoe @schriscoe_

Many thanks to Brain Schwartz, @BrianRSchwarz, for the beginning and ending music.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Submit reactions (either by voice memo or by email) to PubTalkTV@gmail.com.

In this episode of PubTalkTV, we focus on one scary (but necessary!) part of the creation process: revision! With special guest Alison Weiss, editor at Skyhorse, we delve into the best—and worst—ways to revise, and what do to if your revisions don’t go as planned—your beta readers lead you astray—or you come up with a brilliant idea AFTER you’ve submitted your work.

Panelists include authors Summer Heacock and Kelsey Macke, agents Monica Odom, Jessica Sinsheimer, and Roseanne Wells—and Senior Token Male Correspondent Ted Fox. On the Twitter stream, sharing delicious treats, our very own Veronica Bartles. Music by Brian Schwartz.

In this episode, we answer the following questions (plus many more!):

Where did you get your best beta readers, and how did you choose which suggestions to implement as you revise? When can you trust them? What if their advice is off the mark?

(For the panel): What kind of books are you looking for RIGHT NOW?

What do you do if you’re out on submission and get great feedback that inspires a revision?

If an agent asks for a revise and resubmit, and lists several plot points that need to be changed, what if one of the points doesn’t work for the writer? Is it offensive not to take suggestions?

If your first manuscript gets all rejections, but your second manuscript has interest, what is the proper thing to do with the first book?

Revising can feel like so close, yet so far—when is it time to put the pen down and back away slowly?

How do you know you’ve received bad advice on your manuscript?

PubTalkTV’s first top ten list: Top Ten Tips for Revising!

Our current #MSWL wishes for our inboxes.

…Plus much, much more!