The Evolution of a Rejected Manuscript on its Journey to Publication

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09/23/21 • 70 min

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On today's Books with Hooks segment, we have an author come onto the show to discuss her submission with us. In the segment, Carly and CeCe chat with Shari about linking multiple POV stories in a query letter; answering the 'why now?' question; establishing what’s at stake for each POV character; how an offer implies a transaction, and how all of life is about power; being careful who you comp as that creates expectations; explaining the thematic pressures that affect characters; how regret is a passive emotion; and nailing entry and exit points in each chapter.
After which, Bianca chats with debut author of The Tiger Mom's Tale, Lyn Liao Butler, about how to find support as a debut novelist; debuting in a hostile climate; how much is out of your control as a debut author; revising a novel and changing POVs in the process; all the mistakes writers make with their first novels; the evolution of a rejected manuscript on its journey to publication; why reading is so important; how to use feedback and critique; and how to choose the right agent.

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Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Previous Episode

Having Fun with Your Writing & Getting Out of Your Own Way - Lauren Groff

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss thinking of your query letter as real estate with curb appeal; considering what you’re providing for the reader’s sake vs what you’re providing for the character’s sake; being clear with memoir with regards to what you’re working towards as a climax; memoir needing to have a sub-genre; immersing a reader in scene instead of giving a round-up of feelings; and the problem with presenting a character just to immediately kill them off.
After which Bianca chats with award-winning novelist, Lauren Groff, about avoiding perfectionism; laying the groundwork for inspiration; how dialogue should complicate what’s happening on the page and deal with power structures; dealing with characters’ emotionality; how historical fiction has the past speak into the present day; how good art is trying to speak as truthfully as possible; how omniscient POV is the most fun you can have; and how fiction is the art of sculpting time through words.

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From the Archives: Talking with the Bestseller Whisperer

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Author and host, Bianca Marais, chats with Tara Singh Carlson, the first editor to have two of their novels picked by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club. Besides acquiring numerous bestsellers like The Silent Wife, The House at Tyneford and The Light We Lost, she's also edited the publishing phenomenon, Where The Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens, which has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for more than three years. Tara discusses what it takes to be the next Delia Owens as she shares amazing insight into how bestsellers happen.

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