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If you write for children, you've probably wondered what's really happening on the other side of the submission inbox. This week on Writers With Wrinkles, we got to ask an actual acquiring editor — and she didn't hold back. Susan Marston spent 25 y…
AI companies scraped and destroyed rare books to train their models — and now authors are the ones being told to prove they didn't use AI to write their own work. In this episode, Beth and Lisa unpack publishing's newest, most unfair double standard…
Literary agents are rejecting most submissions in under a minute — sometimes in under thirty seconds. Not because your story is bad, but because your first few pages are doing the wrong job. That's the topic developmental editor Joel Brigham tackle…
It Took Her 10 Years and 4 Rejected Books Before Anyone Said Yes. Here's What Kept Her Writing Anyway. Wendelin Van Draanen had already written and shelved four rejected manuscripts by the time an editor finally said yes. Not one book she kept revi…
You could finish four books this year and only ever get to publish one of them. That's the reality of traditional publishing timelines — and it's exactly why more authors are quietly building a different kind of career. Not quitting traditional pub…
NYT bestselling author Jason June is back on Writers With Wrinkles — and this time he's brought a Christmas villain who moonlights as a hero. Jason (*Out of the Blue*, *Jay's Gay Agenda*) joined co-hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid for a conversa…
Episode Summary In this episode of Writers With Wrinkles, hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid welcome back returning guest Lisa Frenkel Riddiough to discuss her brand-new picture book, Furious Turtle (Disney Hyperion), book two in the Forest School…
WRITERS WITH WRINKLES | Encore EpisodeGetting Your Nonfiction Book Published with Literary Agent Alia Hanna Habib Beth and Lisa welcome literary agent and debut author Alia Hanna Habib, whose book Take It From Me is a practical behind-the-scenes gu…
What Literary Agent Ann Rose Wants in Your First Chapter If you're querying right now, you already know the truth: publishing is hard, and it feels harder than it did even a year ago. In a recent episode of Writers With Wrinkles, hosts Beth McMulle…
Drafting a novel is hard. Revising it well is harder, and it's where most manuscripts either come alive or fall apart. In this re-released episode of Writers With Wrinkles, developmental editor Joel Brigham returns to break down exactly how he appro…
WRITERS WITH WRINKLES • SEASON 5, EPISODE 16 Stop Making Videos Nobody Watches — Here's How Authors Actually Sell Books If you've ever spent hours crafting the perfect Instagram reel, posted it to near-silence, and wondered what you're do…
Joel Brigham runs Brigham Editorial (developmental edits, manuscript critiques, query help), teaches high school English in Illinois, and is an editor for RevPit — a community that gives away free developmental edits each spring. REVPIT •  Free …
If you’ve ever stared at a rejection email wondering what you did wrong, this one’s for you. Literary agent Nikki Carrero of The Rights Factory joined Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid on Writers With Wrinkles to pull back the curtain on what agents act…
We tackle a publishing debate, draw writing wisdom from Taylor Swift, and dig into one of the most common craft problems in fiction — weak stakes and missing tension. Plus a community book shout-out. THE HARDBACK DEBATE Beth shares a Guardian arti…
First Page Feedback: Charlotte's Hunt for Glory Beth and Lisa critique the opening page of a middle grade fantasy submission and pull out craft lessons for any writer working on those critical first pages. The Submission Charlotte's Hunt for Glor…
Writers with Wrinkles — S5E11 The One Where Nobody Ordered the Books | Beth McMullen & Lisa Schmid Lisa Schmid shares a cautionary tale from the Sacramento Book Festival, where a series of logistical failures turned what should have been an exci…
Literary agent Vicki Weber on the state of publishing, querying smarter, and why you shouldn’t stop writing If you’ve been paying attention to publishing news lately, you know it’s been rough. Roaring Brook shut down. Dial Books for Young Readers c…
In the world of publishing, we often celebrate the "big win": signing with that first literary agent. But there is a quieter, more daunting topic that many authors face but few discuss openly—what happens when you and your agent part ways? Whethe…
When an agent recently claimed on social media that indie authors aren't "real" authors, hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid had a lot to say about it — and the numbers back them up. The Business Case for Going Indie The royalty gap between tradit…
In our latest episode of Writers with Wrinkles, we were thrilled to welcome back author and literacy advocate Fleur Bradley. Fleur joined us to dive deep into the world of middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) mysteries, sharing her expert insights…
In our latest Season 5 bonus episode, we decided it was finally time to clear out our "insanely long" laundry list of burning topics. From the magic of local book swaps to the shifting landscape of digital hangouts, we’re diving into how to find you…
Mastering the Middle Grade Opening: Lessons from "Beyond the Moon" Capturing the attention of a middle-grade reader is a unique challenge. You aren’t just competing with other books; you’re competing with short attention spans, school schedules, an…
In the world of publishing, there are certain milestones we all expect: finishing that first draft, getting your first request for a full manuscript, and eventually seeing your book on a shelf. But according to our latest episode of Writers with Wri…
In the world of publishing, non-fiction is often treated like fiction’s mysterious cousin. Many writers assume the process is the same: write the book, find the agent, sell the manuscript. But as literary agent and author Alia Hanna Habib shared o…
