Hey Afronauts! Today we're chatting with award-winning author Alechia Dow, about writing across age categories and genres. What makes each age category unique? How does she channel each age's voice? Has she ever considered a pen name? We also celebrate the release of Jill's middle grade debut, Kaya Morgan's Crowning Achievement. Alechia is awesome! To buy her books (including her adorable new middle grade Their Just Desserts) visit her website: https://www.alechiadow.com/books And check out this...
May 09, 2025•48 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Pre-order AN OCEAN APART by Jill Tew Pre-order I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOU by Beatrice Winifred Iker In this Messy Middles episode, we discuss the covers for AN OCEAN APART and I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOU, different types of messy middles, and balancing the 'promise of the premise' with...everything else. I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOUCover design: Lisa Marie PompilioArt by: Mike HeathAN OCEAN APART Design: Liz Dresner Art by: Jorge Luis Miraldo...
Mar 13, 2025•52 min
If this world were mine... We're some REAL romantics over here at the Afronauts Podcast (what y'all know 'bout that Luther?). On this episode we discuss the differences between a Romance novel and a novel that contains "romantic elements". Plus why they're both so good and worth reading and writing. Thank you Zakiya N Jamal and H. D. Hunter for joining our conversation! You can find them online and support their books here: H D Hunter website: https://hughhdhunter.com/ Patreon/IG: @hdhunterbooks...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 5
From acquisitions all the way to publication and beyond, Ashley Imanë Fields walks us through the process at Freedom Fire, a new imprint at Disney Hyperion dedicated to stories about Black Joy, Black Resilience, and Black Storytelling. Topics discussed include: The acquisitions process (editorial, sales, and more) How editors advocate for books within their imprints What it's like to establish a new imprint within a company as expansive as Disney Thanks Ash for joining us!...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 5
This episode is all about intellectual property (IP) companies and our experiences working with them. We're joined by Nia "N.E." Davenport and Bethany Baptiste. Nia "N.E." Davenport is an award-winning Science Fiction/Fantasy author who writes stories that blend magic, mayhem, and deadly heroines. She attended the University of Southern California and studied Biological Sciences and Theatre Arts. She also has an M.A. in Secondary Education. She teaches English and Biology to amazing students. Wh...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Today, we're discussing the Southern Gothic genre through some of Beatrice's favorite TV shows. This was adapted from a Voodoonauts class Beatrice taught. The TV shows discussed are The Vampire Diaries (Bonnie Bennett), True Blood (Tara Thornton), and Interview with the Vampire (Louis de Pointe du Lac). Here is the link to the aforementioned chart: https://tinyurl.com/yh37vd6s
Sep 09, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Beatrice has a new book deal! Join us as we discuss their debut adult horror novel, I'LL MAKE A SPECTACLE OUT OF YOU, coming fall 2025. Full of Black Appalachian history, Southern Gothic horror, religious horror, and much much more. To keep up with their latest updates, check out their website at www.beatriceiker.com. And follow them @beatricewinifrediker on Instagram/Threads and TikTok, and @beatriceiker on Twitter.
Aug 26, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Join us as we talk with experienced agents Jen Azantian (Azantian Literary Agency) and Chelsea Hensley (kt literary) about current market dynamics, their agenting highs and lows, and more! Learn more about Azantian Literary agency at www.azantianlitagency.com Learn more about kt literary at www.ktliterary.com
Aug 19, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Hey Afronauts! Our guest today is Indie-bestselling author Kamilah Cole. We had such a fun conversation, discussing everything from an alarmingly strict writing routine as a child, to the metadata she researches for her day job and writing, to plantains. Thee Afronauts Black Writers Social is January 31, 2024. Kamilah Cole is the inaugral guest of honor, and will be do a reading of SO LET THEM BURN. Also, we'll be giving away a signed copy! If you're a Black writer, DM us (@theeafronauts) on soc...
Jan 29, 2024•35 min
In today's pre-chat, Thee Afronauts have some big announcements ! We're opening a discord community for Black writers, starting a newsletter, and having our first-ever social! More info below if you're interested. The meat of today's episode is about self-advocacy. We gave some examples of when we had to advocate for ourselves, discussed turning down opportunities (not easy!), and discussed the importance of community support. This is the last Afronauts Podcast episode til this fall, but we're f...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min
This is a fun one! Join us for a round table conversation with four 2024 debut authors: Sami Ellis, Ashton Lattimore, Avione Lee, and Rae Giana Rashad. We get into some honest discussion of the highs and lows of debut year, marketing plans, and protecting the integrity of your story through edits. Support their books here: DEAD GIRLS WALKING by Sami Ellis: https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/dead-girls-walking ALL WE WERE PROMISED by Ashton Lattimore: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Catch up with us in our pre chat, then listen as we talk to Kwame Mbalia about writing, publishing, and Freedom Fire Books, an imprint of Disney-Hyperion that will feature stories of black joy and resilience written by black creators. Kwame is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times bestselling author, a former pharmaceutical metrologist, and a publisher with Freedom Fire Books, an imprint of Disney-Hyperion. His debut middle-grade novel, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY was awarded ...
Nov 27, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 7
We had a wonderful chat with Root Literary's Samantha Fabien about her personal agent taste, how she sets her client's submissions up for success, and her personal agent career goals. Learn more about Samantha at https://www.rootliterary.com/agents
Nov 13, 2023•48 min
Our esteemed guest, Sheree Renée Thomas, was kind enough to visit us and drop some knowledge. More info on her below! Sheree is a New York Times bestselling, two-time World Fantasy Award-winning author and editor. A 2023 Octavia E. Butler Award honoree and a 2022 Hugo Award Finalist, she is the author of Nine Bar Blues: Stories from an Ancient Future, a Locus, Ignyte, and World Fantasy Finalist, Marvel’s Black Panther: Panther’s Rage novel, and she collaborated with Janelle Monáe on “Timebox Alt...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Join us as we chat with our guests, Jamaican-American fiction author Shari Pennant and queer horror writer Sami Ellis , all about Anthologies! Shari's work can be found in the multi-genre YA anthology COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. You can find Shari on her website at https://www.sharipennant.com/, on Instagram @sharibpennant, or Twitter @ShariWrites. Sami will be included in the upcoming Black horror anthology ALL THESE SUNKEN SOULS, out this fall. Find Sami at https://www.authorsamiellis.com/, on Insta...
Oct 12, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Join us for a real talk chat with two of next year's debut authors! Avery Cunningham is the author of THE MAYOR OF MAXWELL STREET, a riveting historical drama in which a rich Black debutante enlists the help of a low-level speakeasy manager to identify the head of an underground crime syndicate. Preorder here: https://books.disney.com/book/the-mayor-of-maxwell-street/ Etta Easton is the author of THE KISS COUNTDOWN, a fake dating rom-com featuring a down-on-her-luck event planner and a charming ...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In our pre-chat, we let you know which books we're reading (bring on the scary vibes!), and catch you up on what else we've been up to. After that, we chat with our guest: debut horror author, Jamison Shea . Jamison was once a flautist, violist, anthropologist, linguist, choreographer, dancer, professional fire alarm puller, digital producer, and account executive–but they’ve always been a writer. When Jamison isn’t writing horror, they’re drinking milk tea and searching for long-forgotten gods ...
Sep 11, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In our pre-chat (we're still getting the hang of this), we discuss what we've been up to this summer and what we're excited about for the upcoming week. Spoiler: BEYONCÉ. Our guest was NYT bestselling author J. Elle, a longtime friend of the pod. We discussed her upcoming dark academia romantasy HOUSE OF MARIONNE, along with many other bookery things. More info on J. Elle: J. Elle is the New York Times , Indie bestselling and award-winning author of multiple books, including Against The Tide, an...
Aug 28, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In our first-ever seasonal pick: BLOOD DEBTS by Terry J. Benton-Walker is our spring pick! In this episode, we have a deep-dive conversation about this magical book with the author, with both non-spoiler and spoiler sections (there is a spoiler warning!). We talked about: BLOOD DEBTS, a magical YA contemporary fantasy is out now! Terry's next book, an apocalyptic middle-grade contemporary fantasy, Alex Wise vs the End of the World , comes out in Fall 2023. Want more Terry? Here's how to find him...
Apr 04, 2023•28 min
Join us as we celebrate Jill's book deal for her YA Dystopian Romance, THE DIVIDING SKY, out with Joy Revolution next Summer! Add THE DIVIDING SKY on Goodreads! Stay tuned for more info on the Afronauts Podcast's first hosted panel with WriteHive this summer! Find The Afronauts Podcast online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfronautsPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afronautspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@afronautspod?lang=en Website: https://www.afronautspod.com Afronauts Ko-fi: http...
Mar 06, 2023•28 min
Come chill with the Afronauts as we discuss our favorite approaches to pre-writing. How do we create immaculate vibes while ensuring the worldbuilding feels fleshed out? What do star signs have to do with character arcs? And why is Beatrice listening to something called "sad bathroom music"? RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE : Beatrice Iker's horror template Invisible Ink by Brian McDonald Final Girls by Riley Sagar The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Find The Afronauts on the internet Twit...
Feb 20, 2023•39 min
In this episode, we discuss short fiction, publishing, defining success, FIYAH Literary Magazine, and more with award-winning SF/F writer and editor L.D. Lewis. Find her online! Twitter: @ellethevillain Website: https://ldlewiswrites.com/2021/11/27/ls-discon-iii-schedule/ Support her on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=16703627
Feb 06, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Meet our next hero: Terry J. Benton-Walker Terry is the author of Blood Debts , a magical YA contemporary fantasy which will be available in April 2023. His apocalyptic middle-grade contemporary fantasy, Alex Wise vs the End of the World , comes out in Fall 2023. Join us as we discuss Terry's upcoming novels, outlining series, social media, perseverance, and building community as a black author. Want more Terry? Here's how to find him: Website: www.tjbentonwalker.com Instagram: @icecreamvicelord...
Jan 23, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode, we discuss the history of audio fiction, creating images through sound, and representation in the audio industry. Find our guest on the internet Twitter: https://twitter.com/writersyndrome Website: https://dianampho.com/ Find The Afronauts on the internet Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfronautsPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afronautspod/ Afronauts Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/afronautspod Sources Mentioned Free Webinar with Fred Greenhalgh: https://finalrune.com/learn-audio...
Jan 09, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Voodoonauts is a grassroots Afrofuturist collective for Black SFF writers. Founded by two MFA students, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu and Shingai Njeri Kagunda, and the cocoa-founders, Hugh “H.D.” Hunter and LP Kindred, in response to the under-representation and isolation of Black speculative fiction writers in the SFF landscape. Follow them on social media: @voodoonauts on Twitter and Instagram // voodoonauts.com Yvette: @Lisa_teabag on Twitter and Instagram Shingai: Twitter - @Shingaibelike // Instagram...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Meet today's Hero: Britt Threatt Britt Threatt is a fantasy and speculative fiction writer committed to penning stories that explore the capacity and aliveness of Black youth. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Africana Studies, which informs much of her creative writing around themes of social life and death, intimacy, belonging, and trauma. Britt has a YouTube channel called Britt Writerly, which curates conversations about the relationship between books and culture, and showcases original con...
Dec 05, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Meet our next hero: Daniel Renjenko Daniel is a previously agented writer focused on crafting Black main-characters only, and Black-trauma-conscious stories of Afrofuturism and Afrofantasy with some steamy romance weaved in. His main goal is always to empower Black readers, while his personal mission is to change the normalized use of negative black connotations into positivity. Join us as we discuss Daniel's writing and inspiration, his take on Afrofuturism, parting from his agent, and finding ...
Nov 21, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This episode is all about revisions! We discuss how many CPs we like to work with, our favorite revision books and articles, and our process for evaluating/incorporating feedback. You can follow us here: Twitter: @AfronautsPod Instagram: @AfronautsPod Pinterest: @AfronautsPod Sources mentioned: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-revise-a-novel/ https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/write-character-arcs/ https://thejohnfox.com/2021/04/8-steps-to-revise-your-novel-without-losing-its-essence/ htt...
Nov 09, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Meet our next hero: Tracy Deonn Tracy Deonn is the New York Times bestselling, Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award-winning author of Legendborn, and a second-generation fangirl. She grew up in central North Carolina, where she devoured fantasy books and Southern food in equal measure. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication and performance studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tracy worked in live theater, video game production, and K–12 educa...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 4
Meet our next hero: Nick Brooks Nick is an award-winning filmmaker from DC. He is also the author of NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT, the first book of his middle grade novel series (out October 4th) and PROMISE BOYS, his first YA novel (out January 2023). Join us as we discuss Nick's novels, film writing, and music; his writing process; and how he navigates these different industries as a black creator. Want more Nick Brooks? Here's how to find him: Website: https://www.theni...
Oct 03, 2022•40 min•Season 3Ep. 3
