Thriller 101

Send me a Text Message!17 Things to Think About When Talking to an Agent/PublisherArticleAnnie's WebsiteConnect with Annie on TwitterConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSFinding an independent publisherWhat to know about independent publishingWhat to look for in a relationship with a publisherEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to debut thriller author, Jessica Payne. She shared all about writing thrillers, finding an agent, and how to navigate picking the right people to work with!Today, we're talking about independent publishing, finding the right fit for your work, and making your manuscript shine!BIO:A native of the Missouri Ozarks, Annie's traveled to exciting places that she bring into my writing. She primarily writes for teens and young adults, but she also enjoys expanding into other areas too. In most of her work, you’ll find a generous dash of romance. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!17 Things to Think About When Talking to an Agent/PublisherArticleJessica's WebsiteConnect with Jessica on TwitterConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSHow to write a great plotThe importance of communityWhat she looked for in an agent and what the relationship with your agent should be likeTips for when you finally get that publishing contractEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to author and literary agent Paula Munier. She shared amazing information about her writing process, what agents are looking for, and how to burst out of the slush pile!Today, we're talking about how to find the right agent for you, why it's important to keep writing, and how to build suspense into your work.BIO:Jessica grew up in Kansas City, later moving to the Pacific Northwest where the mountains and Puget Sound became home. Beyond writing, she loves to run, rock climb, and explore the great outdoors with her daughter and husband. She is also an RN. When holding still, which isn’t often, you’ll find a book in her hand and a cat or dog in her lap. Jessica writes suspense and thriller and is the host of #MomsWritersClub on Twitter and YouTube. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!FREE 5 Minute Writer Weekly NewsletterArticlePaula's WebsiteConnect with Paula on TwitterConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSWriting as a career - making that shift from writer to authorWhat she’s looking for as a literary agentHow to pitch your book/story to agentsEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to freelance writer, author, and ghostwriter, Paulette Perhach. She had so much information about how to be productive as a writer without overworking yourself.Today, we're talking about going from first draft to a query-ready manuscript. If you've been through the query gauntlet and want to make it through to the other side with an agent, you're going to love this interview!BIO:PAULA MUNIER is Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling and Content for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place appeared on both Lesa Holstine and Dru Ann Love's Best of 2021 Lists. THE WEDDING PLOT debuts in July 2022. Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep love of New England as her series’ major influences. Paula has also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie. She lives in New England with her family and Bear the Newfoundland-retriever rescue, Bliss the Great Pyrenees-Australian cattle dog rescue, pandemic puppy Blondie, a Malinois rescue (much like Elvis in her books), and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Writerly Lifestyle Free NewsletterArticlePaulette's WebsiteConnect with Paulette on TwitterConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSFocusing too much on productivity can be...unproductiveWriting is a process and focus on the process instead of the results (especially rejections)Don’t be afraid of the business of writingEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to professional editor, Ericka Baldwin. She had so much information about how to find an editor, what to do when you're done with your first draft, and more! But today we're talking about productivity, what to look for in a routine, how to approach your day, how to handle rejection. Plus, what to think about if you're looking for a writing coach and more! Paulette Perhach is an amazing writer, coach, and all around hilarious human being. You're going to really love this interview!BIO:Paulette Perhach has been published in the New York Times, Vox, Elle, Slate, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire, Yoga Journal, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Hobart, and Vice.She wrote a book called Welcome to the Writer's Life which was selected as one of Poets & Writers' Best Books for Writers. On her blog, she talks about writer’s craft, business, personal finance, and joy at welcometothewriterslife.com and leads meditation and writing sessions through A Very Important Meeting.She also works with writers as a coach to help them figure out how to build their writing careers. Learn more about her here. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Writerly Lifestyle Free NewsletterArticleEricka's WebsiteConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSBefore looking for an editor, lay out your strengths and weaknesses so you know what kind of editor you need!What to look for in an editing relationshipHow to mentally prepare yourself for an editEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to debut author, Zulie Rane about how to grow your platform through Medium. I learned so much talking to her and it's definitely worth a listen whether or not you'r going to write on Medium. This interview really reminded me of the interview(s) I did with Chantelle Aimée Osman (Part I & Part II)BIO:Ericka loves storytelling! She is a professional editor, writer, and provides coaching for resumes, novels\books, cover letters, curriculum vitae, and website content for authors, business professionals, college graduates, networks, and publishing houses worldwide.She recently published 16 Copy-Editing Enhancements that will improve your writing, increase your novel’s readability, and boost the confidence it takes to become a Best Selling Authors. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Get Started on Medium!Writerly Lifestyle Free Newsletter5 Minute Writer - Sometimes all you have is 5 minutes...but it might be all you need!SEE INTERVIEW DETAILS:Interview articleHANG OUT WITH Zulie! WebsiteFollow Zulie on MediumHANG OUT WITH DAVID!Follow David on MediumConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSHow fiction writers can use MediumOvercoming self-doubtBeing willing to try new forms of writingEPISODE INFO: Medium is a publishing platform where writers can get paid for their words. And my guest, Zulie Rane is one of the top writers there. But there's something very important about Zulie that might make you pay close attention to what she has to say. If you listened to my interview with Sinem Günel a few weeks ago, you'll know there's some pretty great earning potential through Medium's platform.But then I talked to Allison Buccola, a debut author, and I started thinking about how to merge these two writing careers. How can fiction writers improve their book sales using Medium? So if you write fiction, there's this really important added incentive to write on Medium, but before Zulie tells you how to maximize your bookselling potential, I'll tell you that special thing about Zulie: She wants to write fiction! So she's going to share what she would do to build a readership on Medium for our fiction work!Note: I sometimes use affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may receive compensation for promoting this content. I ONLY promote products and services I have direct experience with. In this instance, I am a Medium user and highly recommend the platform Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Check this out to find out more about what the 2nd Season of the Writerly Lifestyle podcast is all about!Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Writerly Lifestyle Free NewsletterArticleTobie's Twitter, Instagram & Tik-TokKelly's Twitter & InstagramConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSBuilding a focused community is importantStruggling to stay motivated is commonRemembering your ‘why’ you started writingEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to writer and editor Chantelle Aimée Osman about finding a team for your writing and rethinking rejection.BIO:Tobie Carter is a fiction writer living in TX with her husband and two children. She writes adult suspense and contemporary romance and also co-hosts the bi-weekly #ThrillsandChills chat with Kelly Malacko on Twitter. She fell in love with reading in seventh grade when her teacher made her read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Her love of writing didn’t appear until a story popped into her head while rocking her daughter to sleep, and since then, she’s written four stories and has no plan on stopping.Kelly Malacko has a background in Journalism and Communications but focuses on writing fiction now. A boxing coach during the day, she balances writing at a computer with push-ups and sprawls in the gym and hopes her words hit as hard as her left hook. She is the mother of two girls and a six-month-old Airedale Terrier and is married to a police officer who barely flinches when she plots crimes and asks for his input. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Writerly Lifestyle Free NewsletterArticleChantelle's WebsiteConnect with Chantelle on Twitter!Polis BooksConnect with David on Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSFind a team for your writing by finding people who appreciate your workRethink your ideas about rejectionWhat to look for in an agentEPISODE INFO:Last time on the interview series I talked to debut author, Allison Buccola. It was so fun to talk to her about what it was like to be a debut author. Definitely check that out if you haven't already!Chantelle's business mindset really reminded me of my interview with Bianca Marais. So if you liked that interview, you’re really going to like this one.BIO:Chantelle is the editor of Agora Books. Agora focuses on "socially and culturally unique crime fiction and horror from award-winning publisher Polis Books."She was named to Publisher's Weekly Rising Star honoree list in 2020. She's been a freelance editor for over 10 years. She is an instructor at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, Authors at Large and LitReactor. She is the author of  The Quick and Dirty Guides To…, which is a non-fiction series on writing that I recommend checking out.Chantelle hosts Words of Prey podcast through the Pipeline Artists Network. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Writerly Lifestyle Free Newsletter5 Minute Writer - Sometimes all you have is 5 minutes, but it might be all you need!SEE INTERVIEW DETAILS:Interview articleHOW TO FIND ALLISON!WebsiteInstagramTwitterHANG OUT WITH DAVID!Twitter3 BIG TAKEAWAYSMake small progress every dayEdit by re-typingFind a critique groupEPISODE INFO:If you're an aspiring author, you'll love hearing about how Allison managed to develop her story while managing two kids. Her goal-setting and managing plan is something I plan to emulate. You'll see why!Plus, she shared an editing tip that I am OBSESSED with. I can't wait for you to hear it!We talk about: How to get started on MediumThe biggest mistakes new writers makeTop tips for writers who want to make moneyHow to think of your writing like a businessLearning to hook readersAND MORE! Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now