Join publisher Jane Curry of Ventura Press and Jane Curry Advisory and author Seana Smith as they explain the inside story of writing and publishing books.
We cover traditional publishing and self-publishing, with insight, advice and inspiration for all unpublished writers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join publisher Jane Curry of Ventura Press and Jane Curry Advisory and author Seana Smith as they explain the inside story of writing and publishing books.
We cover traditional publishing and self-publishing, with insight, advice and inspiration for all unpublished writers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet a debut author juggling kids, writing, Instagram and success. Leesa Ronald's debut romcom Special Delivery was published in December 2024 and has already been reprinted. Success! Leesa has also signed a further two-book deal with Allen & Unwin, her second romcom will hit bookshelves towards the end of 2025.00:00 Introduction
01:10 Jane asks Leesa about her lived experience as an author. Leesa explains how she was fortunate to land up with Allen & Unwin and the rhythm of her interactions with her publisher.
04:00 Interactions with various people at the publishers and getting used to response times.
05:30 Finding the publisher, ASA Literary Speed Dating and getting a contact at A&U.
07:45 Knowing your genre. Leesa started reading romcoms about 18 months before she started writing one. Writing the book in the midst of being pregnant and having third child.
09:21 Understanding the contract, where Leesa got advice.
10:20 The titles changes and draft front cover.
13:00 Deciding to just write and let the publishers look after the publishing. Feedback on the book so far, reviews etc
14:15 Leesa on her social media strategy and advice she got.
17.20 Writing the book, first the plot of the book, and then how Leesa got started. Not much of a plotter in first book but currently writing second book and doing more plotting.
20:20 With job and three kids, Leesa tends to write at night, some early morning.
21:30 Special Delivery did not have a huge amount of editing to be done.
22:20 Leesa didn't do writing courses before she wrote the first book, but has always worked as a writer of magazine and now corporate communications. Trying to write the type of book I wanted to read. Did do a 6-week course before book 2, what was useful in that.
25:20 Meeting other writers and the romcom community. The Romance Writers of Australian Conferenece.
28: 10 The audiobook production process.
29:00 Thanks and farewells
Leesa Ronald's website is here.
Leesa Ronald is on Instagram here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode of The Publisher & The Writer, we answer questions on a variety of writing and publishing topics.
00:47 Jane’s trip to London, with a stop at the huge Waterstones bookshopat Piccadilly. Seeing how genre fiction is laid out and how much it dominates the fiction floor.
02:40 The fantasy section being close to children’s section and issues that causes. Sex in fantasy is pretty full on so parents are helped to appreciate topics in young adult books. Reading Fourth Wing, and how author writes for those who feel they don’t fit in.
05:00 Who’s reading books. That Waterstones is a citadel. The joy of bookshops that stay open late.
08:00 Fonts and colours in vogue now.
09:00 Meetings with old friends and the changes sweeping through publishing, the power of digital publishing.
09:50 What is print on demand and who is using it. A primer. Change your religion! It means a virtual warehouse.
13:00 How spammy publishing companies claim to get your books into bookshops but anyone can do it via Ingram.
13:50 Amazon has the algorithm, and promotion. Promoting digitally and fulfilling demand digitally. Upsides and downsides of Amazon.
15:50 Best to upload to both Amazon and to Ingram.
16:30 Question about promotional blurbs on book cover, how to get them.
19:15 Question about writing courses, advice on value for money. Join the local writer’s’ centre.
21:20 Writing courses or mentors first? BBC Maestro course.
23:00 Memoir writing groups, Jenny Valentish as mentor and teacher.
23:30 How to start a career in publishing and is it a good place to work if you’d like to be a writer? Other careers that work well for writers.
26:30 Latest books we have been reading.
29:00 Send your FAQs to Seana Smith via Instagram or website, see below.
Websites mentioned:
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Buy Going Under
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the Publisher and the Writer podcast, Seana Smith interviews Lynne Johnson, former lawyer and current author of the indie published crime novel 'The Bait Trap.' They cover Lynne's initial interest in crime writing, her experiences with online creative writing courses, the challenges and strategies of self-publishing, her marketing efforts, and the supportive community she found in the process. The episode also touches on her upcoming second novel and the valuable insights she's gained from her writing and publishing experiences.
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Meet the Hosts
01:21 Interview with Lynne Johnson, lawyer turned crime novelist
02:45 Crime fiction's appeal as reader and writer
04:18 Writing courses and classes, editing the novel
08:49 Pitching to agents and publishers
12:13 Choosing indie publishing means being the CEO, the cover, the preparation, finding the right professionals and then marketing and reviews
19:49 The Bait Trap: plot and characters
22:28 Research and realism in crime
23:43 Quick outline of the next novel and the plan for that one
28:21 Conclusion and contact information
Websites mentioned:
https://www.lynnejohnsonauthor.com
https://www.lauraboon.com/book-editing-services
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
BUY GOING UNDER
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are back for 2025. In this episode we cover a lot of ground, with insights into the writing and publishing journey of successful authors, plus Aussie publishing news and a catchup on how 2025 has started for Seana's writing and for Ventura Press.
Join Jane Curry and Seana Smith for a candid insight into how to write and to publish your book.
00:00 Introduction and Ventura Press author Katherine Johnson's wins inaugural HarperCollins Australian Fiction Prize.
01:24 Katherine Johnson's publishing journey and the impact of literary prizes for authors.
05:53 Australian publishing news: Text Publishing sold to Penguin Random House.
06:20 Th challenges of third-party distribution.
11:21 Independent and Ventura's position in the market.
14:00 Commercial fiction and why we love it.
16:18 Current trends in memoir.
17:46 Promoting 'Going Under' in 2025, ongoing promotion mode and not needing the sugar hit of huge sales immediately
20:20 Simon and Schuster sales conference, coming up. Ventura Press upcoming books and sales strategies.
23:13 Seana's current writing endeavours.
24:35 Seana and Jane's recent reads and book recommendations
28:33 Farewell!
Seana Smith Links
Jane Curry Links
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In this extra episode, concluding our first 10-part series, we catch up with Jane who has just got back from the Frankfurt Book Fair and we explore the collapse of Shawline, a vanity publisher.
01.09 Frankfurt. Ventura part of the Australian Publishers Association stand in Hall 6. It's the most enormous gathering of intellectual property purveyors. It's a wholesale market, publishers doing business with publishers.
02.58 Lots of young rights agents work hard, whilst MDs look important. It's a microcosm of the whole industry.
05.00 Which of Ventura's book got interest. Who else was there. What usually happens is that English-speaking publishers buy foreign rights and translate the books. That is changing, more books being translated into English. The Australian rights agents.
08.16 How translation rights work. What sort of royalties publishers and authors receive. Why the German market is important. Which Australian publishing companies have UK cousins. Why translations come out later than English language editions.
13.09 The collapse of Shawline, leaving 600 authors in the lurch. The difficulties of managing fringe publishers and worse, predatory publishers. Why to use the ASA's Authors Legal. There's a lot of malpractice out there
16.20 Proper publishers have distribution into bookshops. Others may say they distribute but it's all digital. Companies not being honest about how few books writers are likely to sell. On the other hand, a publishing services company can be good e.g. Publish Central.
18.37 Is it likely the Shawline authors will get their files back so they upload them by themselves? Never pay full cost upfront for anything!
20.05 Listeners questions: What is NaNoWriMo? Does a non published author need an author website and social media presence?
23:59 What are we reading? Jane had 74 manuscripts submitted when she was away so she is reading them. Good and bad examples. Seana has read Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard Devotional and Elizabeth Strout's latest book Tell Me Everything.
25.53 Where to find us and farewell.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jane and Seana answer readers’ questions.
Links
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jane Curry and Seana Smith take a deeper dive into self-publishing, using Seana's self-published books as examples.
Find full show notes on the website.
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Keeping up with publishing company changes is essential for writers. In this extra episode within series 1, jane and Seana chat about some recent changes in Australian publishing, and about how to stay up to date in the English-speaking world.
Death At The Sign of The Rook - Kate Atkinson
The Vagus Nerve Reset - Anna Ferguson
The Burrow - Melanie Cheng
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fyfe - Anna Johnston
Special Delivery - Leesa Ronald (to be published Dec 2024)
Intermezzo - Sally Rooney
Stoneyard Devotional - Charlotte Wood
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au
https://www.publishersweekly.com
https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
These are exciting times for self-publishers which has really come in from the cold.
Read more on the show notes over on The Publisher & The Writer podcast: https://thepublisherandthewriter.com/how-to-self-publish-1
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Editing books is the topic of this podcast, and it’s a vast one. Jane explains the three major types of editing:
This is a deep dive on best practices, working with the right editor, the editor’s skill set. You will learn what to expect from an editor and how to ensure that you and your editor work well together.
We also discuss the issues in the digital era with version control and making sure that the right final manuscript that is published.
Jane chats about contemporary books which take out all punctuation and the pace that gives. Role of the publisher in making changes to the manuscript, before the structural edit.
We chat about the close relationship between writers and editors and the trust needed. The pitfalls of finding an editor online and not investing in a good editor.
There’s advice about avoiding vanity presses and about taking time with your writing and the editing process.
Books mentioned:
Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss
Institute of Professional Editors
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode explores and explains the two parts of selling books. Selling in covers publishers and distributors selling books into bookshops in advance of publiscation. Selling through covers the books actually being sold into the hands of readers via bookshops.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Links for this week’s podcast can be found in the show notes.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we discuss a range of topics pertinent to aspiring authors, from differentiating between types of publishing (trade, educational, and self-publishing) to the process and challenges of handling unsolicited manuscripts. Jane shares insights into the evolving landscape of publishing, the digital transformation, and offers practical advice for writers seeking to get their manuscripts noticed.
People and websites mentioned
Virginia Lloyd - Lloyd Literary
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode we take a tour of the publishing landscape in the English speaking world.
Check out the biggest to the smallest traditional publishers to see where your book might fit in.
We discuss the following publishing companies, with stories of how they operate, which ones use their own sales representatives and which use distribution companies.
Find links to all the companies mentioned by clicking through to the show notes on the website.
Also discussed are:
Australian Society of Authors is www.asauthors.org
Australian Publishers Association is www.publishers.asn.au
We discuss the impact of COVID on sales of books here in Australia, and the downsides of that and then the more recent contraction of the publishing industry here.
In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.
Jane Curry Links
Seana Smith Links
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet the co-hosts, Jane Curry of Jane Curry Advisory and Ventura Press, and Seana Smith, her latest book is the memoir ‘Going Under.’
We chat about:
Links
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea
License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Check out the trailer for the new podcast from Jane Curry and Seana Smith.
Join The Publisher & The Writer for our first series of 10 episodes. We'll demystify the writing and publishing business and support you on your creative journey.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/today-is-the-day
License code: K79OEY7K6QBX2TDR
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.