Writers off the Page

The Publishing 101 mini series delves into the nitty gritty of publishing a book - from pitching to acquisitions, edits, publicity, book distribution, audiobooks and more. In Episode 1, Harper Collins' Head of Fiction Catherine Milne chats all about submissions, finding your voice, author brand and her ultimate manuscript wish list.

To celebrate the release of my debut middle grade novel,  One Wrong Turn , I handed the mic over to author Kathryn Lefroy and let her interview me. Two crazy dance lovers chatting about how this book came to fruition - including moments of insanity, meltdowns and living vicariously through characters.

Author and illustrator Jo Dabrowski chats about her hilarious and heartwarming middle grade novel,  Get Your Act Together Doris Kozlowski.  Plus, tackling tricky friendships in primary school, Polish food and the common character mistake  writers make.

Can a pantser become a plotter? Claire Christian gave it a go with her new novel West Side Honey. We also chat Tinder, dating disasters and self discovery, all key aspects of her novel.

YA Fantasy author Sarah Street chats about her debut novel  A Curse of Salt , securing an overseas agent, edits and MORE!

Winner of the 2022 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize Ayesha Inoon chats about her debut novel, Untethered. We also discuss balancing your personal story with fiction, cultural identity and the big submission risk Ayesha took that thankfully paid off.

Ten picture books in three years, author Rory H. Mather shares his secrets to getting published.

Celebrating the 100th episode of Writers off the Page with WA author HM Waugh. We chat all about her latest book, Mars Underground, getting noticed in the slush pile, presenting to kids and MORE!

A very honest chat with crime author Rae Cairns about her unusual path to publication. From rejections to self-publishing, to being shortlisted for a Ned Kelly award and landing a two book deal with Harper Collins, Rae's story is one of resilience. 

The Garden at the End of the World  is a gorgeous new picture book written by Cassy Polimeni & illustrated by Briony Stewart. The pair join me to chat all about picture books and how it works when a book is written and illustrated by two different people.

Multi-award winning author Stephanie Bishop chats about her latest novel  The Anniversary . Plus, creative influences, unreliable narrators and writing sex scenes.

Author and Comedian Carolyn Swindell chats about her debut novel We Only Want What's Best  and the divisive world of dance.

Talking Pasta with Felice Arena! Felice is one of Australia's most-loved children's authors. Find out how he got his beginnings and what he did to win the hearts of so many. 

Go behind publishing doors with Meg Whelan from Affirm Press. We chat all about the big changes to Affirm's submission process, guidelines, deal breakers and what happens after you've signed the dotted line.

Say HOORAY for a cheeky bonus episode! Renae Hayward chats about her gorgeous picture book for babies, Say Hooray! 

Crime writer Kerryn Mayne chats about her fantastic debut novel,  Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder , plus creating 'gentle authenticity'. When you're an expert in the field you're writing about, how much technical knowledge is too much ?

There's more to being an author than just writing great books. Natasha Lester and Emily Gale take us off the page to find out how to make a living as an author. We explore both writing for adults and for kids, creating opportunities, social media v Substack and generating income. 

Talking series writing with best-selling author, television writer and podcaster, R.A. Spratt. We chat all about the key ingredients of a good series, how to write efficiently, author sacrifices and the trick to selling more books. 

Master of children's literature Jane Godwin chats about her new junior fiction series,  The Isabelle Stories ,  keeping up with today's kids, and what it means to keep the stakes high.

Go behind publishing doors with Alaina Gougoulis, Senior Editor at Text Publishing. We chat all about submissions, comp titles and trends. Plus, did you submit to the Text Prize? Find out what happens now.

Rachael Mogan McIntosh chats about her hilarious memoir,  Pardon my French .

Author and illustrator Kelly Canby chats about her new picture book,  Timeless , the brilliance of organisations like SCBWI and the things you need to consider when choosing a publisher for your debut. 

Find out everything you need to know about verse novels as Karen Comer chats about her brand new YA verse novel  Grace Notes.

Award winning author Dinuka McKenzie chats about her latest crime novel,  Taken,  and why plotting isn't necessarily the most efficient way of writing.

Go behind publishing doors with Jeanmarie Morosin, Head of Children's Publishing at Hachette Australia. We talk all about submissions - the do's, the don'ts and the major red flags. Plus, how important is your public profile when it comes to landing a contract?