The Book Deal

Rebecca Armitage on rejection and the road to a bestseller (with pre-empts, Reese's Book Club, and a TV adaptation on the way!)

Madeleine interviews Tasmania-based ABC journalist and digital editor Rebecca Armitage about her debut novel, The Heir Apparent (December 2025, HarperCollins Australia). [https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460767900/the-heir-apparent-a-riveting-royal-story-now-a-reeses-book-club-pick/] One might think Rebecca’s journey to publication was a bit of a fairytale, with simultaneous releases in multiple territories, pre-empts, a Reese’s Book Club pick and even a TV deal! But her journey to publication was not without its challenges, and Rebecca has some fabulous advice about creating good writing habits, finding resilience when dealing with multiples rejections and some great tips for when your book hits the shelves.  She details early rejections, pitching through the Australian Society of Authors, getting the 'yes', landing a HarperCollins pr-eempt and major US/UK deals, feels after being selected for Reese’s Book Club - and prompting a pub date shift, TV deals and more. She has some wonderful advice for emerging and debut authors on habit-setting, writing and pitching. Our Debut in the Spotlight is Leearna Shaw, whose debut novel is A Farm in Golden Clouds (March 2026, Allen & Unwin). [https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Leearna-Shaw-Farm-in-Golden-Clouds-9781761472565] 00:56 Introduction to Rebecca Armitage 01:39 Heir Apparent Elevator Pitch 04:00 Journalism and Fiction 06:08 Inspiration 10:11 Research 15:14 Plotter or Pantser 17:40 Writing Habits and Targets 21:56 Draft to Submission 23:21 Pitching and Finding an Agent 26:27 First Yes Moment 26:58 Rejection Resilience 28:35 HarperCollins Preempt 30:11 Global Deal Whirlwind 36:16 Reese Book Club Pick 40:44 TV Adaptation Plans 44:11 Launch Advice for Debuts 47:06 Tassie Reading Recommends  49:25 Final Writing 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]...

How to succeed in writing competitions, agent and publisher assessments and networking, with Tina Clark, CYA conference coordinator

Tina Strachan interviews author and CYA Conference coordinator Tina Clark about how the CYA writers and illustrators conference helps aspiring and emerging creators secure publication through competitions, bootcamps, and agent/editor/publisher assessments. Clark explains her motivation to centralize trustworthy industry information and protect writers from predatory services, and she outlines CYA’s hybrid format, including online bootcamps, in-person July sessions, and a rooftop networking event at the Pullman Hotel. She details how bootcamps work in small groups with editors, how competitions provide two sets of blind-judged feedback and shortlist entries for a final publisher/editor decision, and gives practical submission tips like strictly following guidelines and formatting headers/footers. She advises not to argue with editors in assessments and emphasizes her top tip: finish the book—“bum in chair” writing.  The Debut Spotlight for this week is Katie Hoskins and her debut novel 'When the Party's Over'. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Tina Clark 06:38 CYA Origins 08:06 Shadows of Africa 12:20 Why She Champions Writers 16:15 CYA Overview 16:46 Bootcamps Breakdown 24:21 Debut Spotlight: Katie Hoskins 25:36 CYA Competition Dates 28:09 Judging Process 33:29 Prizes And Growth 35:24 Publisher Feedback Limits 35:46 Follow Submission Guidelines 37:35 Formatting Pitfalls 39:42 Why Assessments Matter 43:01 Submit the Opening Pages 45:49 Networking Not Pitching 46:58 Never Argue With Editors 48:50 Success Stories And Notes 55:26 Conference Day Options 57:07 Panels And Program Highlights 01:02:00 Rooftop Networking Night 01:03:14 Bum In Chair Finale 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 on being a 'good literary citizen'

The Writing Deal: Natasha, Madeleine and Tina on being a 'good literary citizen'. Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary, and Natasha Rai share their updates in March: somatic therapy training, writing and editing in the snatches, immersion time, journalling, book research and more. Plus they brainstorm what their promo boxes look like and chat about what they are reading. They reflect on advice from HarperCollins Australia Head of Fiction, Catherine Milne, about 'bailing-up' publishers at events, the art/commerce balance, comparison titles. They also discuss what being a 'good literary citizen' actually means.  00:00 Podcast intro 00:56 Monthly catch up 02:43 Writing in snatches 04:34 Structural edits crunch 11:11 Promo boxes! 14:55 Tina's self-care journal 18:57 Workshops and events 20:05 Spiritualist church book research 22:53 Publisher Pitch Reflections 24:20 Art Meets Commerce 29:31 Being a Good Literary Citizen 37:39 What We Are Reading 41:56 Wrap Up And Support 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]...

Bridie Blake on writing romcoms, writing practice and 20 years of persevering for a book deal

Natasha Rai interviews author Bridie Blake days before her rom-com debut The Boyfriend Clause releases. Blake pitches the novel: café owner Sabrina Fogarty enters a fake-dating deal with her broody neighbor, bestselling author Adam Whitaker, which escalates when he joins her family holiday to the UK. Blake discusses becoming a rom-com reader during the pandemic, her earlier years writing dark YA and suspense, and years of rejections, including a two-year US submission during COVID after signing a US agent. She explains developing The Boyfriend Clause from a “white lie,” outlining with a pitch and detailed plan, and choosing to publish in Australia so her dad could see it in bookstores. Text Publishing acquired it quickly, and Blake has submitted book two and is drafting book three. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:56 Meet Bridie and Launch Day 02:34 Release Nerves and Social Media 04:08 Elevator Pitch The Boyfriend Clause 05:27 Why Romcoms Feel Good 08:59 From YA Darkness to Romcom 10:08 Writing Since Childhood 11:48 Resilience Through Rejection 14:51 Querying and US Agent Journey 18:28 Pandemic Submission Heartbreak 20:14 Switching Genres to Adult Romcom 20:49 Origin of The Boyfriend Clause 25:38 Pitch First Then Outline 30:04 Drafting Timeline and Agent Edits 31:37 Making It Australian 32:34 Americanize The Manuscript 33:18 US Submission Reality Check 34:55 Choosing Australia First 38:39 Dream Publisher Submission 41:18 Full Request To Offer 47:29 Editing And Next Books 52:48 US Vs Australia Publishing 54:36 Routine Craft And Feedback 59:33 Final Advice 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]...

The Publishing Deal: Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, on Success, Bestsellers and Writing from the Heart

The Publishing Deal: Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, on Success, Bestsellers and Writing from the Heart Catherine Milne has worked in publishing for many years, including with Penguin Books, Allen & Unwin, and since 2012, with HarperCollins, where she has been Head of Fiction since 2017.  Her list is eclectic, ranging across fiction and non-fiction, but consistently award-winning and bestselling. It includes such successes as Trent Dalton, Julia Baird, Holly Ringland, Meg Mason, Jacqueline Maley, Alli Parker, Rebecca Armitage, Jacinta Parsons, Stan Grant, Rick Morton and Ben Crowe. For more information about The Australian Fiction Prize, see here [https://www.harpercollins.com.au/theaustralianfictionprize/]. The Debut in the Spotlight this week is Sophie Stern, with her debut novel What is Left For Us (Penguin, March 2026).  [https://www.penguin.com.au/books/what-is-left-for-us-9781761354441] 00:00 Welcome to Book Deal 01:50 Catherine's start in publishing 06:12 The slush pile 08:35 Approaching publishers 10:21 Pitching 17:22 Inside Acquisitions Meetings 22:30 Second Book Pressure 25:48 Writing for Love 26:55 Debut in the Spotlight: Sophie Stern 28:11 Defining Success 29:44 Advances 33:26 Marketing Myths Breakouts 36:23 Case Study Sorrow & Bliss 41:20 State of the industry 47:54 The Australian Fiction Prize 52:49 Final 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]...