The Book Deal

Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary & Natasha Rai
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Motivation and inspiration for emerging writers, helping them pave their own pathway to publishing success.

  1. 2D AGO

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

    Tina Strachan interviews bestselling children’s author Jacqueline Harvey about her 20+ year publishing career, including nearly 70 books, 40 audiobooks, and Alice-Miranda adaptations. Harvey discusses her latest middle-grade series, The Girl and the Ghost, inspired by meeting a prince in a Singapore bookshop and research at Versailles that led her to make Louis XVII the story’s ghost. She explains how travel sparks ideas across her series, how Alice-Miranda took off after years of rejections and a publisher change, and why she values testing manuscripts with young readers. Harvey shares practical advice on celebrating releases, planning while allowing story surprises, using simple tools (notebooks, whiteboard, Word), building loyal relationships with publishers and booksellers, being generous on social media, managing burnout through scheduling and saying no, and not quitting a day job too soon. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Jacqueline Harvey 02:21 New Release Spotlight 02:53 Prince in the Bookshop 07:40 Travel Sparks Stories 10:35 Celebrating Book Launches 12:37 From Teacher to Author 15:27 Rejections and Ugly Covers 19:28 Backing Alice Miranda 22:37 Kid Readers as Testers 22:58 Kid Feedback Before Print 23:39 Editors Over Beta Readers 24:35 One Publisher Loyalty 27:10 Plotter Meets Pantser 30:01 Tools Word Notebooks Whiteboard 31:46 Marketing Teamwork Reality 32:31 Bookshops And Booksellers 35:00 Social Media Generosity 38:30 Avoiding Burnout Planning 42:49 Top Tips And Farewell Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    46 min

  2. APR 22

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

    Hosts Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai reconnect after a busy few months. Natasha begins major structural edits on a 120,000-word second novel with tight timelines and a tip to rewrite editorial notes in her own words. Madeleine describes how edits revealed deeper issues, advises asking for deadline extensions, and discusses proactively visiting bookshops, introducing yourself to booksellers, and signing stock to boost visibility and sales. Tina reports starting an exciting new project after a beach break, discusses “stalking ideas” from the Jack Heath interview, and suggests naps can help solve plot problems. Cassie Stroud introduces her debut novel Iluka, about siblings uncovering letters from their missing mother. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Hosts Catch Up 07:44 Natasha Structural Edits 12:02 Editing Tips and Mindset 15:47 Madeleine Deadline Extension 20:20 Tina New Story Spark 26:32 Stalking Ideas Discussion 28:00 Story Idea Sparks 28:35 Channeling the Muse 29:37 Naps and Liminal Breakthroughs 32:04 Cassie Stroud Iluka 33:30 Jack Interview Takeaways 36:15 Write for Publishers 42:54 Author Marketing Reality 46:52 Bookseller Hand Selling 53:46 Cold Calls and Signings 56:52 Top Tips and Wrap Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    59 min

  3. APR 15

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

    Natasha Rai interviews award-winning author Jack Heath (49 novels, published in 10 languages) about his YA thriller 'I Know What You’re Hiding'. Heath gives an elevator pitch: after a house fire kills one sister, survivor Jamie receives a blood-written note saying “I know what you’re hiding,” and teen true-crime podcaster Zoe investigates the blackmail. Heath discusses writing for ages 12–16, the book’s long development from an earlier pitch that spun into the 'Liars' series, and why Zoe returned after 'If You Tell Anyone You’re Next'. He explains lessons about series vs sequels, selling manuscripts to publishers, balancing promotion with writing, his daily process and project management, outlining, differences between adult and kids fiction, idea “odd sock drawer” blending, embracing negative feedback, and joining nonprofit writing groups. The Debut Spotlight features Lisa Moule’s debut 'The Mother of All Calamities'. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:42 Meet Jack Heath 01:44 Elevator Pitch 03:28 Writing Dark YA 05:42 Origins of the Novel 10:04 Odd Sock Ideas 11:35 Series Lessons 14:15 Selling to Publishers 18:28 Promotion Pressures 21:43 Writing Routine 25:45 Word Count Planning 27:45 Editing and Reading Style 30:12 Editing Versus Drafting 31:44 Guest Introduction 32:15 Outlining To Sell Books 36:41 Adult Versus Kids Writing 45:44 Ideas And Book Mashups 50:33 Sustainable Career Lessons 54:04 Embracing Negative Feedback 58:47 Advice And Writing Communities 01:01:25 Wrap Up And Credits Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    1h 2m

  4. APR 8

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

    Madeleine interviews Tasmania-based ABC journalist and digital editor Rebecca Armitage about her debut novel, The Heir Apparent (December 2025, HarperCollins Australia). One might think Rebecca’s journey to publication was a bit of a fairytale, with simultaneous releases in multiple territories, pre-empts, a Reese’s Book Club pick and even a TV deal! But her journey to publication was not without its challenges, and Rebecca has some fabulous advice about creating good writing habits, finding resilience when dealing with multiples rejections and some great tips for when your book hits the shelves.  She details early rejections, pitching through the Australian Society of Authors, getting the 'yes', landing a HarperCollins pr-eempt and major US/UK deals, feels after being selected for Reese’s Book Club - and prompting a pub date shift, TV deals and more. She has some wonderful advice for emerging and debut authors on habit-setting, writing and pitching. Our Debut in the Spotlight is Leearna Shaw, whose debut novel is A Farm in Golden Clouds (March 2026, Allen & Unwin). 00:56 Introduction to Rebecca Armitage 01:39 Heir Apparent Elevator Pitch 04:00 Journalism and Fiction 06:08 Inspiration 10:11 Research 15:14 Plotter or Pantser 17:40 Writing Habits and Targets 21:56 Draft to Submission 23:21 Pitching and Finding an Agent 26:27 First Yes Moment 26:58 Rejection Resilience 28:35 HarperCollins Preempt 30:11 Global Deal Whirlwind 36:16 Reese Book Club Pick 40:44 TV Adaptation Plans 44:11 Launch Advice for Debuts 47:06 Tassie Reading Recommends  49:25 Final Writing Top Tip Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    51 min

  5. APR 1

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

    Tina Strachan interviews author and CYA Conference coordinator Tina Clark about how the CYA writers and illustrators conference helps aspiring and emerging creators secure publication through competitions, bootcamps, and agent/editor/publisher assessments. Clark explains her motivation to centralize trustworthy industry information and protect writers from predatory services, and she outlines CYA’s hybrid format, including online bootcamps, in-person July sessions, and a rooftop networking event at the Pullman Hotel. She details how bootcamps work in small groups with editors, how competitions provide two sets of blind-judged feedback and shortlist entries for a final publisher/editor decision, and gives practical submission tips like strictly following guidelines and formatting headers/footers. She advises not to argue with editors in assessments and emphasizes her top tip: finish the book—“bum in chair” writing.  The Debut Spotlight for this week is Katie Hoskins and her debut novel 'When the Party's Over'. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Tina Clark 06:38 CYA Origins 08:06 Shadows of Africa 12:20 Why She Champions Writers 16:15 CYA Overview 16:46 Bootcamps Breakdown 24:21 Debut Spotlight: Katie Hoskins 25:36 CYA Competition Dates 28:09 Judging Process 33:29 Prizes And Growth 35:24 Publisher Feedback Limits 35:46 Follow Submission Guidelines 37:35 Formatting Pitfalls 39:42 Why Assessments Matter 43:01 Submit the Opening Pages 45:49 Networking Not Pitching 46:58 Never Argue With Editors 48:50 Success Stories And Notes 55:26 Conference Day Options 57:07 Panels And Program Highlights 01:02:00 Rooftop Networking Night 01:03:14 Bum In Chair Finale Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    1h 5m

  6. MAR 25

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

    The Writing Deal: Natasha, Madeleine and Tina on being a 'good literary citizen'. Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai share their updates in March: somatic therapy training, writing and editing in the snatches, immersion time, journalling, book research and more. Plus they brainstorm what their promo boxes look like and chat about what they are reading. They reflect on advice from HarperCollins Australia Head of Fiction, Catherine Milne, about 'bailing-up' publishers at events, the art/commerce balance, comparison titles. They also discuss what being a 'good literary citizen' actually means.  00:00 Podcast intro 00:56 Monthly catch up 02:43 Writing in snatches 04:34 Structural edits crunch 11:11 Promo boxes! 14:55 Tina's self-care journal 18:57 Workshops and events 20:05 Spiritualist church book research 22:53 Publisher Pitch Reflections 24:20 Art Meets Commerce 29:31 Being a Good Literary Citizen 37:39 What We Are Reading 41:56 Wrap Up And Support Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    43 min

  7. MAR 18

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

    Natasha Rai interviews author Bridie Blake days before her rom-com debut The Boyfriend Clause releases. Blake pitches the novel: café owner Sabrina Fogarty enters a fake-dating deal with her broody neighbor, bestselling author Adam Whitaker, which escalates when he joins her family holiday to the UK. Blake discusses becoming a rom-com reader during the pandemic, her earlier years writing dark YA and suspense, and years of rejections, including a two-year US submission during COVID after signing a US agent. She explains developing The Boyfriend Clause from a “white lie,” outlining with a pitch and detailed plan, and choosing to publish in Australia so her dad could see it in bookstores. Text Publishing acquired it quickly, and Blake has submitted book two and is drafting book three. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Bridie and Launch Day 02:34 Release Nerves and Social Media 04:08 Elevator Pitch The Boyfriend Clause 05:27 Why Romcoms Feel Good 08:59 From YA Darkness to Romcom 10:08 Writing Since Childhood 11:48 Resilience Through Rejection 14:51 Querying and US Agent Journey 18:28 Pandemic Submission Heartbreak 20:14 Switching Genres to Adult Romcom 20:49 Origin of The Boyfriend Clause 25:38 Pitch First Then Outline 30:04 Drafting Timeline and Agent Edits 31:37 Making It Australian 32:34 Americanize The Manuscript 33:18 US Submission Reality Check 34:55 Choosing Australia First 38:39 Dream Publisher Submission 41:18 Full Request To Offer 47:29 Editing And Next Books 52:48 US Vs Australia Publishing 54:36 Routine Craft And Feedback 59:33 Final Advice And Wrap Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    1h 3m

  8. MAR 11

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

    The Publishing Deal: Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, on Success, Bestsellers and Writing from the Heart Catherine Milne has worked in publishing for many years, including with Penguin Books, Allen & Unwin, and since 2012, with HarperCollins, where she has been Head of Fiction since 2017.  Her list is eclectic, ranging across fiction and non-fiction, but consistently award-winning and bestselling. It includes such successes as Trent Dalton, Julia Baird, Holly Ringland, Meg Mason, Jacqueline Maley, Alli Parker, Rebecca Armitage, Jacinta Parsons, Stan Grant, Rick Morton and Ben Crowe. For more information about The Australian Fiction Prize, see here. The Debut in the Spotlight this week is Sophie Stern, with her debut novel What is Left For Us (Penguin, March 2026).  00:00 Welcome to Book Deal 01:50 Catherine's start in publishing 06:12 The slush pile 08:35 Approaching publishers 10:21 Pitching 17:22 Inside Acquisitions Meetings 22:30 Second Book Pressure 25:48 Writing for Love 26:55 Debut in the Spotlight: Sophie Stern 28:11 Defining Success 29:44 Advances 33:26 Marketing Myths Breakouts 36:23 Case Study Sorrow & Bliss 41:20 State of the industry 47:54 The Australian Fiction Prize 52:49 Final Tip Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos Tina Strachan children's book author Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos Madeleine Cleary | Author Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...

    57 min
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About

Motivation and inspiration for emerging writers, helping them pave their own pathway to publishing success.

Information

  • Creator
    Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary & Natasha Rai
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Book Deal
  • Show Website
    The Book Deal

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