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 DEBATEBeth shares a Guardia…
First Page Feedback: Charlotte's Hunt for GloryBeth 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 SubmissionCharlotte's Hunt for…
Writers with Wrinkles — S5E11The One Where Nobody Ordered the Books | Beth McMullen & Lisa SchmidLisa Schmid shares a cautionary tale from the Sacramento Book Festival, where a series of logistical failures turned what shou…
Literary agent Vicki Weber on the state of publishing, querying smarter, and why you shouldn’t stop writingIf you’ve been paying attention to publishing news lately, you know it’s been rough. Roaring Brook shut down. Dial Books f…
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?…
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 IndieThe royalty gap between …
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 ins…
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 fi…
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 s…
