Ask The Author with Jodi Gibson

This week I'm thrilled to be chatting to Taryn Donohue writes under TP Donohue and is the author of the fabulous Amaranthine Vampire trilogy which is now complete with the last book The Shadow & The Mirror having just been released.  Taryn and I have an in-depth conversation on indie publishing and particularly on writing, editing and indie publishing a trilogy. We chat about how storytelling is i...

This week I have a fabulous chat with Pamela Cook. Pam forged her way onto the Australian literary scene with loved her rural fiction novels and now writes heartfelt women's fiction novels tackling every day issues such as relationships, friendship, grief and belonging.  I chat with Pam about how she got her start in writing, the ups and downs of publishing, resilience as a writer and the realitie...

This week, I chat with Philippa Kaye, author of Girl Detectives Just Want To Have Fun and Girls' Lips Are Sealed We chat about her early love of disappearing into stories, how making up bedtime stories for her kids drew her to writing, and her path through hybrid publishing into indie publishing. Pip also talks about her writing process as a writer with ADHD, and what writing has taught her about...

This week's guest is women's fiction author Casey Nott, who has just released her second novel titled Five Stages of Grace. Casey's debut novel Forgotten was published with Hawkeye books in 2024 to great acclaim, and she has followed up with a stunning story drawing from personal experience and adding in her trademark wit, humour and emotion which readers will no doubt lap up.  Casey and Jodi have...

This week's guest is award-winning Australian author Camille Booker. Camille has just released her novel Code Name Funnel Web with Hawkeye Books (April 15, 2026), a gothic historical fiction that will have readers locked in immediately.  Jodi and Camille have an in-depth chat about how she began writing, what happens when you take a leap and put your writing out in the world, and how she has evolv...

Season 3 is our guest author era! This week Jodi welcomes debut rural romance author Leearna Shaw to the show. Leearna's first rural romance, A Farm in Golden Clouds was released on March 31st 2026 and is already going gangbusters. Jodi and Leearna have a great conversation about finding your writing voice once you find your genre, what it feels like to realise your book is going to be published,...

Season 3 of the podcast is our guest author era! This episode Jodi chats with fellow Indie author, Joanne Tracey who has published 17 books to date. Jodi and Jo chat about being an indie author, writing across genres, and the importance of allowing yourself to follow your creativity in different ways. It's a brilliant chat that covers so much more and I'm sure you will all enjoy.  You can find Joa...

Ask the Author is now in season 3 - the guest author era!  This week, Jodi chats with Australian author of small-town romance, Libby Iriks, whose debut novel Home to the Heart Country was released in late 2025. Libby shares her roundabout path to writing and publishing, chats candidly about bringing such personal experiences into her characters, and, of course, answers the hot 3 questions. You can...

Welcome to season 3 of the Ask The Author podcast. This season the podcast enters a new era. We're in our guest author era! That's right, each epiosde, Jodi will interview a guest author and chat about everything from their path to publication, writing process, creativity, and so much more.  Our first guest this season is debut Aussie author Olivia Tolich . Olivia's debut romcom "Side Character En...

I'm back with a very special episode featuring debut romcom author Holly Brunnbauer.  Holly's debut novel What Did I Miss? was released in July by Harper Collins. It's a fun, vibrant, and engaging romcom filled with heart and humour. Holly joins me in this very special episode about her path to publication, her writing process, and shares her experience as a debut romcom author in 2025. Holly Brun...

It's our 100th episode and I'm so excited to share with you all the tips you ever needed. A mish-mash of tips from past pocast guest and various writing peeps all in one jam packed episode.  A huge thank you to everyone who has ever listened along the way. I'm so grateful that you've emraced and enjoyed the podcast.  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. A...

In this week's episode I'm chatting about how to find your author voice. 'Author voice' is something that can be hard to explain to those new to writing and it can often be confusing as if you need to find it before you start which of course you don't. Your author voice develops over time. Listen up to find out wha the author voice means, and what things can you do to help you find and develop you...

This week I have some a little different for you. I like to think of it as a pep talk. Ten minutes of inspiration to get you energised and motivated if you're feeling a little low or a little stuck.  I'm going to share with you an essay I wrote recently on Substack about creativity and the importance of owning your creativity, and why,  now more than ever it's important to do so.  I hope you enjoy...

Romantasy is the 'it girl' right now. Everyone is talking about it. It's all over BookTok and readers can't seem to get enough of it. But does that mean YOU should write it too? I'm approaching this as a bit of a broarder questions - should I write to trend?  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. The 100th episode is coming up very soon, so don't miss it!...

This week we're looking at the difference between a manuscript assessment and a structural or developmental edit. If you're at the stage where you're ready for someone else's eyes on your manuscript then this is a must-listen episode. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a questions you'd like answered or a topic you'd like covered on the...

This week I am answering a listener question from Lisa who wants to know how to know when your novel is finished. It's a great question and I'm sharing three scenarios on when you know and what you should do from there. If you enjoyed this episode don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast and share to your lovely writer friends.  You can also find about the services I mention in the intro...

If you're a new author seeking a traditional publishing deal it's important to learn about the industry you're wanting to be a part of. Today I'm sharing three tips on how to manage your expectations as a new author specifically if you're trad publishing.    Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a questions you'd like answered or a topic yo...

This week I'm sharing three tips to help you move through the murky waters of the messy middle of your novel. We'll all need to do it at some point so these 3 tips can help you through.  Apologies for the ending of this week's epiosde, I have had dramas with my podcasting software which were frustrating. The main part of the episode is fine so I decided to publish with the outro levels not 100% ra...

This week Jodi shares three things she'd do differently if she were starting out as an author right now compared to when she first published her debut novel in 2019. It's only six years, but so much has changed in the publishing landscape over that time plus experience builds wisdom.  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a questions you'd...

In this week's episode Jodi answers a question from a reader who asks what's the difference between pitching and querying, and also, how are the synopsis and the blurb different. These are great questions for those perhaps new to writing and publishing and who are just starting out learning about the ins and outs of the author game.  Also on this week's episode Jodi talks about creative burnout an...

We've all seen those mesmerizing dominoes falling and creating a pretty pattern as they fall. But what has that got to do with storytelling? It's all about cause and effect. And that's what I'm chatting about this week.  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a questions you'd like answered or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast, pleas...

This week is a bit more of a personal one in that I'm sharing the reasons behind my saying 'see ya later!' to Instagram.  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a question you'd like answered, please email through my contact form on my website https://www.jfgibson.com.au/, or reach out on my Substack https://bookishwithjodigibson.substack.co...

We've all heard the many and varied Writing Rules floating around. When it comes to rules, I like to see them more as guidelines, but these are some that I feel you can break and maybe even should break. I'm sharing six of them in today's episode. Let me know what you think! Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a question you'd like answer...

Today's episode is a little different in that I'm tackling four questions from four different listeners.  What is an author platform? Is it just your social media following? Does your social media following count when you're pitching a novel? What is the difference between a romantic fiction book and romance book? Is it worthwhile pursuing writing and publication? I hope you enjoy the episode and...

Does social media sell books? It's complicated. In this episode I'm sharing my thoughts and experiences on this very topic.  Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. And if you have a burning questions you'd like answered, please email through my contact form on my website https://www.jfgibson.com.au/, or reach out on Instagram where you'll find me @jfgibsonw...