Jess Galatola: reaching young readers through writing books with heart

Rebecca Lim on genre-hopping, rejection and the joy of 'having no brand'

Content warning: Please note this episode contains brief references to crimes against children, including mentions of historical cases and industry terminology. These topics are not discussed in detail, but listener discretion is advised. Not suitable for younger audiences. Madeleine interviews beloved Australian author, Rebecca Lim. Rebecca is an Australian writer, editor and lawyer, and the author of over twenty books, including Tiger Daughter (a Kirkus, Amazon and Booklist Best Book, CBCA Book of the Year, and Victorian Premier’s Literary Award-winner), Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky (NSW History Award-winner) and the bestselling Mercy. Her work has been twice shortlisted for the NSW Literary Awards and Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award, shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards and ARA Historical Novel Prize, shortlisted multiple times for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Aurealis Awards and Davitt Awards, longlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award and the Tasmanian Literary Awards, and has been optioned for film. Rebecca talks to us about: * why being a publishing flake might be a good thing * rejections and the financial realities of being an author * having no brand (but loving what you do) * how she balances life as a corporate lawyer, mother, dog owner and writer (and a little spoiler, her advice includes the use of toilet paper rolls). The Graduate (Affirm Press, 2026) [https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Graduate/Rebecca-Lim/9781923293786] A razor-sharp revenge thriller that blows the whistle on the cutthroat world of corporate law.  New graduate Fei Fei Chou is an outlier at her prestigious law firm. She's too quiet. She wears too much makeup. She’s only here because the boss has a thing for Asians. But Fei isn’t here to climb the corporate ladder – she’s here for revenge.  Thirty years ago, three schoolgirls were kidnapped and abused by a man who’s never been identified. The information Fei needs to find him is buried somewhere in the firm’s records. Deliberately placing herself in harm’s way, Fei will uncover a secret history of power and privilege that haunts not only her firm, but the nation itself. Taut, riveting and blackly humorous, The Graduate is a mesmerising legal thriller and a masterfully dark crime debut from a beloved Australian writer. Our Debut in the Spotlight this week is Lit by Anna Woods (Allen & Unwin, 2026). [https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Anna-Woods-LIT-9781786588265] 00:51 Meet Rebecca Lim 02:33 Early Writing  08:46 Quitting Law For Writing 10:23 Genre Hopping  13:56 The Graduate  32:24 Debut in the Spotlight 33:45 Editing 40:20 Writing Adults Vs Kids 42:37 Balancing life 43:52 Burnout And Career Breaks 50:58 Feedback And Resilience 54:31 Top Tip  Join our Patreon community [https://www.patreon.com/thebookdealpodcast/] for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/the_book_deal_podcast/] You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/td_strachan/] Tina Strachan children's book author [https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-tina-strachan-childrens-book-author] Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/madeleineclearywrites/] Madeleine Cleary | Author [https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/] Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/raiwriting/] Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor [https://www.raiwriting.com.au/] If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here [https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/?r=5df0no&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]...

Jess Galatola: reaching young readers through writing books with heart

Tina Strachan welcomes author and teacher Jess Galatola to The Book Deal podcast to discuss her upcoming children’s books: picture book The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell (launching 19 July) and graphic novel Seasons of Clementine (launching 4 July). Jess shares that The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell uses homophones and comedic chaos to encourage resilience, imperfection, and joy in language, praising debut illustrator Lou Baker’s Easter eggs. She explains Seasons of Clementine evolved from a picture book (The Cloud Collector) into a graphic novel after publisher feedback, and describes learning the format through Perenti Press workshops and the Perenti Prize. Jess recounts her “backwards” publication journey, writing Some Families Change during a 2020 separation, its 2024 release with EK Books, and her advice to remember your “why,” avoid comparison, build relationships, and persist through slush-pile submissions. 00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:56 Welcome Jess Galatola 01:43 The Witch Who Couldn't Spell Pitch 04:25 The Witch Who Couldn't Spell Message 06:24 Illustrator Magic 09:29 Seasons of Clementine Origins 13:45 Graphic Novel Craft 16:10 Perenti Workshops 20:19 Reading Kids Today 23:27 Why Reading Matters 23:56 Books as Escape 25:13 Representation Matters 26:03 Jess Origin Story 27:25 Writing Through Separation 29:38 Landing a Publisher 30:41 Finding Kidlit Community 33:41 Slush Pile Reality 35:12 Rejection and Resilience 39:48 Advice for Authors 44:25 Pitching and Conferences 47:45 Upcoming Launch Events 48:57 Final Thanks and Outro Join our Patreon community [https://www.patreon.com/thebookdealpodcast/] for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/the_book_deal_podcast/] You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/td_strachan/] Tina Strachan children's book author [https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-tina-strachan-childrens-book-author] Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/madeleineclearywrites/] Madeleine Cleary | Author [https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/] Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/raiwriting/] Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor [https://www.raiwriting.com.au/] If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here [https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/?r=5df0no&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]...

The Writing Deal: Natasha, Madeleine and Tina discuss editing deadlines, getting heckled and reading while writing

Hosts Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai introduce The Book Deal podcast and share monthly updates. Tina takes a break from an intense manuscript, catches up on author admin, runs a kids’ workshop at The Little Book Nook in Palmwoods, prepares for workshops and Bethany Loveridge’s Josie Mack launch at Quick Brown Fox, and flags opportunities including the Lighthouse Arts Residency (Hunter Writers Centre) and the Spier(s) Prize for middle-grade fiction via UWA Publishing ($5,000 plus a publishing deal). Madeleine finishes a book-two rewrite, recounts being heckled while interviewing Belinda Alexandra at Readings, and discusses craft insights from Dervla McTiernan and Benjamin Stevenson about questions and clues per page. Tash explains completing structural edits quickly by prioritizing time and using Emily Maguire as an early reader, and outlines an upcoming library workshop on pitching, including X-meets-Y, comp titles, and “vibe sheets.” 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Hosts Catch Up 01:15 Tina Writing Reset 02:00 Workshops Launches 03:22 Declutter Phone Detox 05:01 Grants Residencies 07:12 Mads Rewrite Win 08:20 Heckler At Event 12:40 Tash Deadline Sprint 17:44 Crime Writing Tricks 21:34 Hooks And Structure 22:46 Reading While Writing 25:07 Avoiding Close Comparisons 28:42 Pitching And Comp Titles 32:21 Vibe Sheets And Playlists 33:58 Release Dates And Wins 34:55 Dymocks Top 101 Spotlight 37:06 Wrap Up And Farewell Join our Patreon community [https://www.patreon.com/thebookdealpodcast/] for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/the_book_deal_podcast/] You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/td_strachan/] Tina Strachan children's book author [https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-tina-strachan-childrens-book-author] Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/madeleineclearywrites/] Madeleine Cleary | Author [https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/] Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/raiwriting/] Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor [https://www.raiwriting.com.au/] If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here [https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/?r=5df0no&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]...

Ashley Kalagian Blunt on novel structure, strategic selling and compartmentalising when researching

Natasha Rai interviews author Ashley Kalagian Blunt about her thriller Like, Follow, Die. Blunt shares an elevator pitch: a Sydney mother, known as “the most hated woman in Australia,” faces a homicide detective at her door as three narratives (mother, cop, and son ages 12–19) converge around whether she reveals secrets about her teenage son. She discusses the novel’s origin as an Audible Original, how removing a key twist reshaped the story, and why this book was easier to draft than Cold Truth, for which she discarded a full manuscript. Blunt also describes researching the manosphere and education for boys, her move from genocide-focused nonfiction to crime for strategic and creative reasons, her path to publication and agents, and tips for writers: maintain momentum (even one word a day), join a strong writers group, and prioritize structure. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Ashley Blunt 02:00 Like Follow Die Pitch 03:24 Building The Detective 05:00 Audible Origin Story 07:17 Writing Process And POVs 10:13 Manosphere And Policy 13:16 Schools And Respect Crisis 15:12 Staying Sane In Dark Research 17:50 From Memoir To Crime 25:35 Early Writing And Ego 29:08 Illness And Finding Craft 32:21 First Publishing Contract 36:16 Novella Becomes Debut Book 39:54 Switching Publishers 42:50 Rejection and Resilience 44:01 Affirm Press Breakthrough 45:53 Going Agented 49:14 US Subagent Reality Check 53:41 Two Book Deal 57:35 Writing With Chronic Illness 01:02:55 Momentum Writers Groups Structure 01:08:40 Why Structure Is Rarely Taught 01:13:35 Final Thanks and Wrap Join our Patreon community [https://www.patreon.com/thebookdealpodcast/] for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/the_book_deal_podcast/] You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/td_strachan/] Tina Strachan children's book author [https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-tina-strachan-childrens-book-author] Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/madeleineclearywrites/] Madeleine Cleary | Author [https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/] Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/raiwriting/] Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor [https://www.raiwriting.com.au/] If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here [https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/?r=5df0no&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]...

Bookstagram, community, events, reviews and reading with Brooke Michie (a.k.a @bmichie31)

Brooke Michie is a lifelong reader and passionate supporter of Australian authors. She works in public libraries and loves nothing more than matching readers with their perfect book. As one of Australia’s most influential Bookstagrammers she reads and reviews hundreds of books every year and spends much of her time attending author events and raving about her favourite reads.  Make sure you follow Brooke for all her recommendations on Instagram at @bmichie31 [https://www.instagram.com/bmichie31/].  Madeleine chats with Brooke about how she first started her Instagram seven years ago and is now one of Australia's most influential Bookstagrammers. Find out how Brooke reads 20-25 books each month and how authors can work with Bookstagrammers! Brooke recommends: * Sasha Wasley’s The Society of Literary Marauders * Leearna Shaw’s A Farm in Golden Clouds, and * Mark Mupotsa-Russell’s A Wolf Who Cried Boy. Our Debut in the Spotlight is Lorena Otes, with her memoir, Solo Mum by Choice (Hawkeye Publishing, May 2026).  [https://hawkeyebooks.com.au/products/solo-mum-by-choice] 00:56 Brooke Michie 03:23 What Is Bookstagram 09:24 Reading 25 Books Monthly 10:29 Social Media Focus Struggles 11:43 Choosing books to read 15:31 Honest Reviews  18:03 Author-Bookstagrammer Etiquette 25:03 Paid Review Scams 27:34 Debut Crew Support 29:04 Aussie Books  30:50 Author Social Media 33:41 Content Burnout 35:02 Book Events  37:38 Bookstagram Community 39:30 Book Recommends 42:49 Top Tip  44:19 Podcast Wrap Up Join our Patreon community [https://www.patreon.com/thebookdealpodcast/] for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/the_book_deal_podcast/] You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/td_strachan/] Tina Strachan children's book author [https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-tina-strachan-childrens-book-author] Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/madeleineclearywrites/] Madeleine Cleary | Author [https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/] Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/raiwriting/] Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor [https://www.raiwriting.com.au/] If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here [https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/?r=5df0no&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]...