Picture Book Author Jocelyn Rish joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who loves researching weird and wonderful animals and sharing what she learns. Her first book was Battle of the Butts, about ten animals that do weird things with their butts. Her next book moved to the other end with Battle of the Brains, about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. She lives in South Carolina with her adorable dog....
May 23, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Young Adult Author Kristi McManus joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Kristi McManus is a Registered Nurse by trade, but avid reader and enthusiastic book lover all her life. Her debut novel, Our Vengeful Souls, was released Summer 2023 by CamCat Books. When she isn't writing, she enjoys photography, art, and considers napping to be a form of cardio. She lives in Toronto with her husband. Kristi: Query | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | ...
Apr 25, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Picture Book Author Anna Lazowski joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Anna Lazowski wrote her first picture book for a class assignment in the sixth grade and has been creating stories ever since. Now an award-winning radio producer, Anna has an MA (Journalism) from the University of Western Ontario and a BFA (Hons.) from the University of Manitoba. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with her husband, two teenagers, and two dogs. Anna: Query | Websit...
Apr 11, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 5
YA Author Jennifer Chen joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Jennifer Chen is a freelance journalist who has written for Oprah Daily, Real Simple, and Today. Her debut YA rom-com book, Artifacts of an Ex, is out now. Jennifer: Query | Website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Bookshop | Libro FM QQQ Home Base | Support on Patreon Read the full transcript. If links aren't clickable, find them here: https://bit.ly/qqqjchen This page includes ...
Mar 28, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 6
YA Author Allison L. Bitz joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Allison L. Bitz hails from Lincoln, NE, where she lives with her spouse, two kids, and various rescue pets. When she’s not writing a novel or a song, Dr. Bitz is helping clients in her private counseling practice, planning some form of political action, or trying to track down a pastry to enjoy with her coffee. If you can’t find her at a party, check the floor—she’s probably hanging wit...
Mar 14, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Picture Book Author Janelle Harper joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Janelle Harper is a Bronx native who enjoys storytelling through dance and ballpoint pens. She finds inspiration for children’s stories in city living and the diverse experiences of the African Diaspora. Janelle is passionate about creating stories that reflect the faces she sees in her classroom and neighborhood. Janelle: Query | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amaz...
Feb 22, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Horror Author Nora Fussner joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Nora Fussner has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from CUNY Brooklyn College. Her debut novel, The Invisible World, was published by Vintage in September 2023. Other work has appeared in Longleaf Review, Brooklyn Review, and Electric Literature. She lives in Pittsburgh. Nora: Query | Website | Instagram | Amazon | Bookshop | Libro FM QQQ Home Base | Support on Patreon Read t...
Feb 09, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 3
MG Author Kate Fussner joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Kate Fussner is a novelist, teacher, and accidental poet living in Massachusetts with her wife and dramatic dog. When not reading or writing, Kate can be found baking, spending time with her family, or singing her favorite musicals. Kate believes in the power of a good laugh and a good cry, and hopes her stories will provide readers with both. Her debut novel, The Song of Us, was published...
Jan 27, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Fantasy Author Rose Black joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss her journey to publication. Rose Black is a combination of anxiety and dyslexia in a hoodie, bi, a professional computer wrangler, and mother to the world’s wiggliest child. She’s lucky enough to live in the historic city of Bath and is capable of eating her weight in sushi. Rose: Query | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Bookshop | Libro FM QQQ Home Base | Support on Patreon Read the full transcript. If li...
Jan 11, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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Jan 01, 2024•55 sec
Magical Realist Author Angel Di Zhang joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss recording her own audiobook, having an editor who gets your vision, Pitch Wars, writing books that you don't want, the joy in writing a perfect sentence, querying too early, the two sentence critique that led to a rewrite, and getting sidetracked by the wrong feedback. Angel Di Zhang was born in northeast China, and raised in China, England, Canada and the United States. She was educated in the joint B...
Jun 24, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Cookbook Author Jules Sherred joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss query tracker, a fortuitous agent connection, the two-year overnight project, selling out on Amazon on pub day, breaking the rules, ripping out readers' guts, getting in trouble for his writing, and the problem with a quick publication schedule. Jules Sherred works as a commercial food photographer and stylist, writer and recipe developer, journalist, and outspoken advocate for disability and trans rights. His...
Jun 15, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Romance Author Romi Moondi joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss zigzags and backtracks, amassing over a hundred rejections, signing with the wrong agent, self-publishing, the tyranny of best of lists, feeling responsible for representing your entire community, the one soundtrack she has to listen to for every book, and the friends who’ve been with her through it all. Romi Moondi is a Canadian author whose 2022 diverse contemporary romance, 24 Hours in Paris, received a Publis...
Jun 08, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 22
MG Author Sarah Kapit joins Queries, Qualms, and Quirks to discuss switching agents, using networking, a slow build over time, accepting her writing process, the highs and lows of publishing, what you deserve from an agent, and the joy when kids love your book. Sarah Kapit is the author of several books for young readers. Her novel Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! earned the Schneider Family Honor and Washington State Book Award. Sarah's most recent book, Second Chance Summer, came out from Macmillan on ...
Jun 01, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Kidlit and Romance Author Tanisia Moore joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss wanting her kids to see her have a life, a two week deal, getting an R&R from a friend, dispelling the dream agent, switching agents, the danger of #writingcommunity twitter, rejection being part of the journey, celebrating all the parts, and how not selling a book doesn't mean your art is bad. Known affectionately as “your family’s favorite author,” Tanisia “Tee” Moore writes uplifting work for ...
May 18, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Young Adult Author Jesmeen Kaur Deo joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss finding community in fanfiction, inspiration from Richelle Mead, reading Query Shark in high school, having a book die on submission and then having a quick pre-empt sale, advice from Nora Roberts, and finding balance. Jesmeen Kaur Deo grew up in northern British Columbia, where she spent most of her childhood daydreaming. She loves books that can make her laugh and tug at her heartstrings in the same pa...
May 11, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 19
YA & MG Author Kalyn Josephson joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss how Lani Taylor inspired her writing, Scooby Doo fanfic, three books that should have never been queried, an offer after an R&R, how no writing is ever wasted, and the subjectiveness of the industry. Kalyn Josephson is a fantasy author living in the California Bay Area. She loves books, cats, books with cats, and making up other worlds to live in for a while. THE STORM CROW duology is out now. Kalyn: ...
May 04, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Young Adult author Brian D. Kennedy joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss having three agents, the insult that led to a genre change, the Goldilocks of submission strategy, worrying you’ll never be good enough, feeling the negative ten times more, all the snacks, a ten year journey, no shortcuts, Brian D. Kennedy lives in New York City with his husband and their miniature Schnauzer. When not writing, he can be found working at an LGBTQ nonprofit and obsessing over all things D...
Apr 27, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Middle Grade Author & Illustrator Derrick Chow joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss how agent referrals aren't the end all, the courage it takes to show your work to another person for the first time, how an auction isn't all about the money, the joy of meeting young readers, all the distractions that come after a contract is signed, avoiding scammy publishers, and more. Derrick Chow is an author, illustrator, and comic creator. His short stories have been featured in sev...
Apr 20, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Short Story and Literary Author Allegra Hyde joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss submitting without an agent, having agents reach out to her, the book deal that felt like a miracle, the difference from working with a university press, letting go as an author, over-researching, over-revising, and how community is everything. Allegra Hyde's newest book, the story collection THE LAST CATASTROPHE, will be published this March by Vintage. She is also the author of the novel ELEUT...
Apr 13, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Author and Poet Meg Eden Kuyatt joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss getting her first agent in high school, how writing is like gardening, holding your projects loosely, writing out of order, and regretting acting on impatience. Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, and teaches creative writing at colleges and writing centers. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World” (Press 53, 2020) and child...
Apr 06, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 14
MG Graphic Novel Author Elizabeth Agyemang joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss video game fan fiction, multiple R&Rs, querying her future agent while in high school, a lot of rewriting, and focusing on the things you can control. Elizabeth Agyemang is the author and illustrator of Fibbed, a middle grade graphic novel published by Razorbill, and Heart-Shaped Lies, a young adult novel coming from Delacorte. When she isn’t gushing over books or comics, she spends her free t...
Mar 30, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Fantasy and Thriller Author Chelsea Mueller joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss book blogging, going to editorial five times with no book deal, keeping your eyes on your own paper, different processes for different genres, and the importance of perseverance. Chelsea Mueller writes gritty, twisty fantasy and thriller novels for adults and teens. She's best known for the YALSA Reluctant Reader Pick PROM HOUSE and her gritty Soul Charmer urban fantasy series. She loves bad cove...
Mar 23, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Young Adult Author Rosiee Thor joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss how failure is part of the process, teenage Marie Lu, Inkpop, signing with an agent who doesn’t represent her genre, feeling a bit stagnant, refusing to give up on publishing, and finding the groups that nourish instead of drain you. Rosiee Thor began her career as a storyteller by demanding to tell her mother bedtime stories instead of the other way around. She spent her childhood reading by flashlight in th...
Mar 16, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Middle Grade Author Sarah Allen joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss coming up in the time of author blogs, being over eager, hundreds of rejections, being scared to write the book you want, leaving an agent, learning to be bolder, and balancing the boldness with kindness. Sarah Allen is a poet and author of books for young readers. Her upcoming middle grade horror, THE NIGHTMARE HOUSE, releases in August of 2023. Her first book, WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF, was an ALA Notable Boo...
Mar 09, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Fantasy Author R.R. Virdi joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the cover his mom designed, the difference between indie and trad, seeing the sign at Barnes and Noble, the importance of asking questions, how delays snowball, and how publishing is different for everybody. R.R. Virdi is a usa today bestseller, two time dragon award-finalist and nebula award finalist. He is the author of urban fantasy series, The Grave Report, and the new South Asian Epic Fantasy series from TOR ...
Mar 02, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Middle Grade Author Esme Symes-Smith joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss genre labels, the two-glass-of-wine query, how NaNoWriMo prepared them for publishing, inspiration from Tamora Pierce, waiting for the other shoe to drop, the fanfiction gateway, making excuses for yourself, Esme Symes-Smith grew up in the Southwest of England, got their degree in Literature and Creative Writing in Wales, and now lives in Missouri with their wife and furbabies. SIR CALLIE is their first...
Feb 23, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Young Adult Author Laura Taylor Namey joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss learning to write a novel by writing one, the pitfall of comparison, longevity as an author, romanticizing publishing, and doing things backward. Laura Taylor Namey is the New York Times and international bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, The Library of Lost Things, When We Were Them, and two forthcoming titles. A proud Cuban-American, she can be fou...
Feb 16, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Middle Grade Author PJ Gardner joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss coming to writing late in life, how querying is like boxing, writing as a calling, how promoting for MG is different from promoting for YA, querying with old data, taking big risks but expecting safe results, and how the success goalposts always move. PJ Gardner has never met a talking animal, but that hasn’t stopped her from writing about them. She’s the author of the middle grade Horace & Bunwinkle seri...
Feb 09, 2023•31 min
Young Adult Author Sarah Suk joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the writing group that started it all, Author Mentor Match, how being on submission was harder than querying, realizing her community is not her competition, worrying if anything's going to work out, and the importance of writer and non-writer friends. Sarah Suk lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she writes stories and admires mountains. She is the author of young adult novels Made in Korea and The Space Between...
Feb 02, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 5
