The Manuscript Academy

Dec 17 2024 254 ep. 34 mins 734

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The Manuscript Academy brings you conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey.

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Why Does Publishing Take So Darn Long? With Special Guest Agent Stefanie Molina

Dec 17 2024 46 mins

Have you ever wondered why Publishing seems to take so much longer than any other industry? We posed this question to agent Stefanie Molina, Ladderbird Literary--and discuss what it means for agents, editors, and - most of all - writers. Want to talk about your work with Stefanie? Schedule a time here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/stefanie-molina We discuss:

How To Make Your Work More Addictive: Pacing, Structure & Symmetry with Agent Liv Ivanov

Dec 01 2024 21 mins

We are so happy to welcome Liv Ivanov, agent at Creative Media Agency, to the podcast! In this episode, we talk about making your work more addictive (we can all dream of the "I read it in one sitting" agent response!) through: *Effective pacing *Structure *Tension *Symmetry *The MICE Quotient And more! Liv shares her insights on avoiding excessive exposition, the balance b

How To Make Your Work More Commercial with Agent Alyssa Jennette (Stonesong Literary)

Nov 20 2024 15 mins

How do you make your work more commercial--and why is commercial the trend right now? Join agent Alyssa Jennette (Stonesong Literary) as we talk about: 1) Why is commercial trending right now? 2) What can ALL genres (including literary) do to appeal to readers in this moment? 3) Why you should focus revision efforts on stakes, character, payoff and more to make your commerc

The Formula For Successful Books with Editor Ivan Taurisano

Nov 07 2024 44 mins

Is there a formula for success? What do you do when "A new twist on something familiar" starts to feel overly simplistic? Enter editor Ivan Taurisano, editor at Abrams, who works from the opposite direction of most editors: he can think of a concept that's marketable, then put together the team to make it happen. We discuss: ***Collaborating with Licensing Partners: Ivan wo

The Art of Feedback: What To Take, What To Ignore & How To Know The Difference

Oct 15 2024 36 mins

We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manuscript Academy alum and a published author, she’s a member of a 20-person writing group—and an expert on knowing what feedback to take, what to ignore, and how to tell the difference. After 17 years of writing, her novel is ready—and we talk about keeping work fresh, learning and growing as a person, and remaining emotionally

Live Recorded: Mystery Editor Consultation with Macmillan Editor Christina Lopez

Sep 20 2024 49 mins

Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions. Wan

Your Book Is Not For Everyone (Thank Goodness!): Author Positioning with Norton Editor Emma Peters

Sep 05 2024 39 mins

Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for everyone"? We get it! It sounds like the perfect way to convince an agent your book is a slam dunk bestseller--right? Wrong. Realistically, no book is for everyone--and this is a great thing. We're happy to join Emma Peters, editor at W.W. Norton, to discuss: *Why you need to define your audience--and pitch an agent on this

Metaphor, Math, Editing, & How You Can Get Your Message to Your Reader Effectively

Aug 23 2024 38 mins

We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orlin to the podcast! Ben Orlin is a math teacher who can't draw. His book Math with Bad Drawings (2018) has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, and has since been followed by Change is the Only Constant (2019), Math Games with Bad Drawings (2022), and most recently, Math for English Majors (Sept 2024). His work has appeared in Th

Messy Characters, Building Tension & How Agents Should Advocate For Your Work with Agent Nour Sallam

Aug 08 2024 32 mins

We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at P.S. Literary, to the podcast! We discuss: *How agents should advocate for clients from signing to offers to contracts to publication and beyond *Why messy characters and their interiority are often the one thing missing from your work *Why we should experience empathy for your villain *Opportunities to build tension, pullin

Genres, Tropes, Trends, and Finding Your Agent Fit with Agent Erica Bauman

Jul 26 2024 44 mins

We are so pleased to welcome agent Erica Bauman from Aevitas Creative Management to the podcast! We discuss: *How to make your work more atmospheric *Where to place emphasis when writing between genres *Balancing keeping the reader in their heads vs. their senses *When the genre of our world gets closer to dystopia, how does the dystopian genre change? *Why do agents ask