Page Count

To celebrate the 150th birthday of Ohio author Zane Grey, Laura is joined by Lucas Fralick from the Wyoming Center for the Book and Don Boozer from Cleveland Public Library to discuss Grey’s novel Wyoming, which was originally published in serial form in 1932. Wyoming surrounds plucky, independent Martha Ann Dixon and abrasive Andrew Bonning, whose paths cross as Martha Ann hitchhikes her way to W...

Don Boozer, the Literature Department Manager and Ohio Center for the Book Coordinator at Cleveland Public Library, steps in as Page Count’s guest host to interview author and historian Douglas Brinkley. During a discussion that covers the burning Cuyahoga River, the conservation policies of past American presidents, environmental activism, and his latest book, Silent Spring Revolution : John F. K...

In this bonus episode, join us behind the scenes at the kickoff event for Cleveland Reads , the citywide reading challenge that tasks Clevelanders with reading a million books and/or minutes in 2023!   Featured in this episode: Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland John Marshall High School Marching Band Jen Jumba, Cleveland Public Library Felton Thomas, Jr., Cleveland Public Library Executive Director...

Literary agent, author, and podcaster Erin Hosier discusses the current publishing landscape, challenges and opportunities in the industry, the author-agent relationship, and what aspiring writers can do to develop their writing. Finally, she and Laura critique three query letters submitted by Ohio writers.   Erin Hosier is a  literary agent  with Dunow Carlson & Lerner in NYC, specializing in nar...

We’re wrapping up 2022 with a compilation of writing advice from some of the authors who appeared on the pod this year. From writing routines to persistence, motivation, research, rejection, and more, these authors have you covered. Be sure to listen to their full Page Count interviews for more in-depth discussion of these topics and others.   In this episode: Negesti Kaudo on why writers shouldn’...

We’re taking a meta dive into the world of podcasting with Jill Grunenwald, an author, librarian, and the cohost of OverDrive’s Professional Book Nerds podcast. Grunenwald shares how Professional Book Nerds got its start, how she and her cohosts produce the show, the challenges and benefits of hosting a podcast, tips for authors making their first podcast appearance, and why podcasting is such a p...

This mini episode offers 10 tips for writers working on their first novels. Host Laura Maylene Walter draws on her experience as a novelist to discuss idea generation, outlines, structure, word-count goals, persistence, the constant battle against self-doubt, and more.   The advice Walter shares in this episode was originally recorded during a workshop she led at the Ohio Center for the Book at Cl...

Kirsten Reach, founder of Jonquil Editorial and former Kenyon Review fiction editor and Melville House book editor, critiques opening pages from Ohio prose writers. Her feedback surrounds the importance of starting in the right place, writing dialogue that moves the story forward, and creating a clear and immediate sense of the world from the very first page. This episode also covers literary maga...

In this special live episode, Laura Maylene Walter interviews Liz Breazeale, an award-winning author and NEA Fellow, to offer listeners practical advice surrounding the writing process, revision, rejection, literary agents, publication, MFA programs, and more. During their conversation, Liz equates revision with disaster; Laura reveals why she can’t be Liz’s literary executor; Liz describes how sh...