The Book Deal

Join our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos You can find out more about Tina,...

Kayte Nunn is the bestselling author of nine novels, including The Botanist’s Daughter , The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant , The Silk House and The Last Reunion . Kayte grew up in England and the US, before moving to Australia. She has had a diverse career working in publishing, editing, and magazines, including as the former editor of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine. Madeleine chats with Ka...

Tina Strachan interviews author Sarah Clutton about her new novel ‘The Bookshop of Buried Pasts’. Clutton outlines the story of antiquarian book dealer Phyllida Banks, who disappears and leaves her granddaughter Lottie to run their Southern Highlands bookshop and find a man named Francis, leading to a Cambridgeshire mystery tied to an unsolved 50-year-old crime, family secrets, spirituality, and t...

Tina, Madeleine and Natasha catch up and discuss: Natasha's successful workshop on creativity and the nervous system, and how to get the most from creative flow.  Natasha's title of her second book (!) All things small business: accounting, expenses, BAS, GST, mileage, super, income averaging, receipts. We go into the nitty gritty of running your own author business. Please do your resea...

Natasha Rai interviews author Emily Maguire about her Queensland Literary Award–winning, Prime Minister’s Literary Award–shortlisted novel Rapture, inspired by a 1,000-year-old legend of a woman disguising herself as a man, rising through monastic ranks, and becoming pope. Maguire contrasts nonfiction research—structured around a topic and intended conclusions—with fiction research driven by deep...

Content warning: Please note this episode contains brief references to crimes against children, including mentions of historical cases and industry terminology. These topics are not discussed in detail, but listener discretion is advised. Not suitable for younger audiences. Madeleine interviews beloved Australian author, Rebecca Lim. Rebecca is an Australian writer, editor and lawyer, and the auth...

Tina Strachan welcomes author and teacher Jess Galatola to The Book Deal podcast to discuss her upcoming children’s books: picture book The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell (launching 19 July) and graphic novel Seasons of Clementine (launching 4 July). Jess shares that The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell uses homophones and comedic chaos to encourage resilience, imperfection, and joy in language, praising debut...

Hosts Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai introduce The Book Deal podcast and share monthly updates. Tina takes a break from an intense manuscript, catches up on author admin, runs a kids’ workshop at The Little Book Nook in Palmwoods, prepares for workshops and Bethany Loveridge’s Josie Mack launch at Quick Brown Fox, and flags opportunities including the Lighthouse Arts Residency (H...

Natasha Rai interviews author Ashley Kalagian Blunt about her thriller Like, Follow, Die. Blunt shares an elevator pitch: a Sydney mother, known as “the most hated woman in Australia,” faces a homicide detective at her door as three narratives (mother, cop, and son ages 12–19) converge around whether she reveals secrets about her teenage son. She discusses the novel’s origin as an Audible Original...

Brooke Michie is a lifelong reader and passionate supporter of Australian authors. She works in public libraries and loves nothing more than matching readers with their perfect book. As one of Australia’s most influential Bookstagrammers she reads and reviews hundreds of books every year and spends much of her time attending author events and raving about her favourite reads.  Make sure you follow...

Tina Strachan interviews bestselling children’s author Jacqueline Harvey about her 20+ year publishing career, including nearly 70 books, 40 audiobooks, and Alice-Miranda adaptations. Harvey discusses her latest middle-grade series, The Girl and the Ghost, inspired by meeting a prince in a Singapore bookshop and research at Versailles that led her to make Louis XVII the story’s ghost. She explains...

Hosts Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai reconnect after a busy few months. Natasha begins major structural edits on a 120,000-word second novel with tight timelines and a tip to rewrite editorial notes in her own words. Madeleine describes how edits revealed deeper issues, advises asking for deadline extensions, and discusses proactively visiting bookshops, introducing yourself to b...

Natasha Rai interviews award-winning author Jack Heath (49 novels, published in 10 languages) about his YA thriller 'I Know What You’re Hiding'. Heath gives an elevator pitch: after a house fire kills one sister, survivor Jamie receives a blood-written note saying “I know what you’re hiding,” and teen true-crime podcaster Zoe investigates the blackmail. Heath discusses writing for ages 1...

Madeleine interviews Tasmania-based ABC journalist and digital editor Rebecca Armitage about her debut novel, The Heir Apparent (December 2025, HarperCollins Australia). One might think Rebecca’s journey to publication was a bit of a fairytale, with simultaneous releases in multiple territories, pre-empts, a Reese’s Book Club pick and even a TV deal! But her journey to publication was not without...

Tina Strachan interviews author and CYA Conference coordinator Tina Clark about how the CYA writers and illustrators conference helps aspiring and emerging creators secure publication through competitions, bootcamps, and agent/editor/publisher assessments. Clark explains her motivation to centralize trustworthy industry information and protect writers from predatory services, and she outlines CYA’...

The Writing Deal: Natasha, Madeleine and Tina on being a 'good literary citizen'. Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai share their updates in March: somatic therapy training, writing and editing in the snatches, immersion time, journalling, book research and more. Plus they brainstorm what their promo boxes look like and chat about what they are reading. They reflect on advic...

Natasha Rai interviews author Bridie Blake days before her rom-com debut The Boyfriend Clause releases. Blake pitches the novel: café owner Sabrina Fogarty enters a fake-dating deal with her broody neighbor, bestselling author Adam Whitaker, which escalates when he joins her family holiday to the UK. Blake discusses becoming a rom-com reader during the pandemic, her earlier years writing dark YA a...

The Publishing Deal: Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, on Success, Bestsellers and Writing from the Heart Catherine Milne has worked in publishing for many years, including with Penguin Books, Allen & Unwin, and since 2012, with HarperCollins, where she has been Head of Fiction since 2017.  Her list is eclectic, ranging across fiction and non-fiction, but consistently award-wi...

Tina Strachan interviews author Amy Doak about her YA mystery thriller What Have They Done to Liza McLean?, pitched as a twisty story set at an elite boarding school with dual viewpoints and secrets leading to a death. Amy discusses crafting one-liners using comp titles to convey “vibe,” avoiding overthinking, and balancing the ongoing Eleanor Jones series (book four, Eleanor Jones Is Not Drowning...

Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai discuss recent author life updates and practical publishing-event etiquette. Tina shares launching book three of the Wilder Zoo series, “Neeka and the Great Search,” and they discuss gift ideas for in-conversation partners, the importance of stocking and pitching the partner’s books, and not feeling pressured to spend much. Tina talks about adjustin...

Natasha Rai explores the inspiring stories behind anticipated debut books of 2026 in her interview with Sophie Stern, Leearna Shaw, and Inessa Jackson, members of the 'Debut Crew 2026.' The authors share their elevator pitches, writing processes, publishing journeys, and how competitions boosted their confidence. They also discuss preparing for their book launches, navigating public spea...

Alli Parker and Mark Mupotsa-Russell on finding success with your second book In this episode, Madeleine chats second books with Alli Parker and Mark Mupotsa-Russell. Is second book syndrome a thing? Is it harder or easier to publish a second time? This is an episode full for heart, craft, strategy, lessons learned, screenwriting tips for novelists and self-care and is useful for a writer at any s...

Tina Strachan interviews renowned science fiction and fantasy author Amie Kaufman. The conversation covers Amie's new book 'Red Star Rebels,' the writing journey, and the significance of comp titles. Amie discusses the realities of bestseller lists, the importance of celebrating small wins, and practical advice on managing social media and newsletters. This insightful episode is a m...

Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai return for the 2026 edition of The Book Deal podcast. They reflect on their successful live podcast event with Hayley Scrivenor, their plans to spotlight debut authors, and Natasha’s upcoming panel discussion. The hosts share their personal writing journeys, including Tina’s plans following the launch of her third book in the Wilder Zoo series, Made...

Hosts Tina Strachan and Madeleine Cleary delve into the world of book publishing and the journey to getting a book deal. They are joined by Ruby Ashby Orr, a publisher from Affirm Press, who shares invaluable insights on how to perfect your book pitch, the importance of knowing your market, and what publishers are looking for in submissions. Ruby discusses the acquisitions process, offers tips for...