Pub Dates

Welcome to Pub Dates! Join NYT bestseller Amie Kaufman and editor turned debut author Kate J. Armstrong as they take you behind the scenes on the countdown to the release of their novels, The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds, both coming in 2023. Pub Dates is a podcast for readers and for writers that will follow two friends as their stories come to life.

Welcome to our first episode, in which we talk about who we are, how we met, and the journey this show is about to embark on. Come behind the curtain as we discuss pitches: what they are, why they matter, and how we came up with ours.  Add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, or follow Amie and Kate on Instagram. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates Newsletter, which will go out every time a new episode drops and include some of the visuals we discussed on air, plus sneak peeks, contests, and more.

Welcome back! This episode we're going to talk about where our book ideas come from, and specifically about where these ideas came from. Get ready for tallship adventures and speakeasy sparkle... Add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, or follow Amie and Kate on Instagram. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates Newsletter, which goes out every time a new episode drops and includes some of the visuals we discussed on air, plus sneak peeks, contests, giveaways, and more.

This episode is all about worldbuilding. We'll discuss why worldbuilding matters, dive into how we created the worlds where our stories are set, and reveal some of our favourite parts of those worlds.  If you like our show, sign up for the complementary newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of things we discuss, behind-the-scenes snippets, and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads.

In this episode, we introduce you to some of our characters, describing their type and some of their quirks. We might even drop a few hints about what sorts of trouble they're going to get into. For more Pub Dates goodness, make sure to sign up for the complementary newsletter that publishes each week a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets, perks, and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads.

This episode, we answer a listener question about how we sold our books, Kate on submission and Amie on proposal. What's the difference between the two approaches? Let's get into it. For more Pub Dates goodness, make sure to sign up for the complementary newsletter that publishes each week a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets - this week we share quotes from the novels for the very first time - listener perks, and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads.

Kate invited her editor, the incomparable Stacey Barney, onto the show to talk about editing, Nightbirds, and something called launch. What IS launch, exactly, and why does it matter? How did Stacey launch Nightbirds? What was it that made her want to buy the book in the first place? Listen on. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each week a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads.

In this episode, we talk all about editing — working with critique partners, how we approach different stages of editing, the techniques we used in editing Nightbirds and The Isles of the Gods, and how we know when we're done. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads so you'll be notified when they come out.

What do authors do all day, you wonder? Let's find out. In this episode, we talk about what happens on our ideal writing days (and days that are...well, not), strategies from getting into the zone, and finding time to write when it's thin on the ground. We're getting ready to do our first Q&A episode and we'd love your questions! Leave your question in a voice message, email us at pubdates@gmail.com, or in a comment on the Pub Dates newsletter. Everyone who asks us something will be in the running for a very special prize. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, and U.S. readers can officially preorder Nightbirds right now!

Join us as we chat with our wonderful agents, Josh and Tracey Adams, about everything from how they got into agenting and what an agent actually does to how WE signed with Adams Literary and how Josh and Tracey pitched our books to editors. We're getting ready to do our first Q&A episode and we'd love your questions! Leave us a voice message, email us at pubdates@gmail.com,or leave us a comment over on the newsletter. Everyone who asks us a question goes into a draw for a very special prize. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, and U.S. readers can officially preorder Nightbirds right now!

We're taking a break from gushing about Nightbirds and Isles of the Gods so we can rave about some other books, all of which you can pick up right now. We hope you enjoy, and that your summer (or, if you're in the southern hemisphere, winter) reading is fruitful. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, and U.S. readers can officially preorder Nightbirds right now!

We asked for your questions, and you all certainly delivered! Join us as we answer some of your burning queries, from how we name our characters and our favorite fictional fashions to drafting and grappling with comparison. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets: this newsletter, we'll be answering a couple of bonus questions we couldn't fit into the audio. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, and U.S. readers can officially preorder Nightbirds right now!

An update on our plans for August.

Join us for an interview with Kate's cover designer, Jess Jenkins, about how the cover for Nightbirds came to be, from conception to execution. They talked about how to find the right vibe for a particular book, choosing an artist, text placement and more. They also talked through how and when different groups within the publisher weigh in, and how Jess got into this line of work in the first place. We'll be back in a future episode to talk about Amie's cover — it's still a work in progress, but that progress is looking gorgeous. In the meantime, if you'd like an extra dose of Amie, you can check out the first issue of her personal newsletter right here, and subscribe if you like. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can also add The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds on Goodreads, and U.S. readers can officially preorder Nightbirds right now!

We get a lot of questions about how we build our fantastical worlds. So let's talk about how we do research for our worldbuilding — from the big, 'what's the vibe of this place?' stuff down to the small but vital details — and what sorts of real-world details worked their way into our books. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can find out more about us and sign up for our individual newsletters at Amie and Kate's websites. U.S. readers can preorder Nightbirds and The Isles of the Gods right now!  

It's time to meet Amie's inimitable editor, Melanie Nolan! Amie and Mel sat down to talk about how she got into editing, what made her fall in love with The Isles of the Gods, and what launching a more established author in-house looks like. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can find out more about us and sign up for our individual newsletters at Amie and Kate's websites. U.S. readers can preorder Nightbirds and The Isles of the Gods right now!

We've just celebrated Teacher Appreciation Day! We want to take some time to celebrate the teachers in our lives who inspired and shaped us, as writers and as humans. We owe them so much. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. You can find out more about us and sign up for our individual newsletters at Amie and Kate's websites. U.S. readers can preorder Nightbirds and The Isles of the Gods right now.

So much goes on behind the curtain at a publishing house. We authors don't even know the half of it! So let's chat with Gillian Levinson, a publishing whiz over at Random House, and join her deep within the workings of the publishing process to find out more about how books end up on your shelf.

It's our birthdays! Want to get us (and yourself) a present? This episode is all about how to support your favorite authors. Some of them cost money, some are free, and ALL will help keep the writers you adore in business so they can tell you stories for years to come. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. To leave us questions or challenges for our upcoming holiday episode (there will be prizes!) you can email us at pubdates@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail. You can find out more about us and sign up for our individual newsletters at Amie and Kate's websites. U.S. readers can pre-order Nightbirds and The Isles of the Gods right now.

Let's talk about MAPS! We're both huge map nerds, and we're taking you through how we created the geography for The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds, and how we worked with our incredibly talented artists to bring those maps to life. Or really, just watched in admiration as they did! You can still send us a challenge for our December holiday episode — name a page you'd like a quote from, ask us to choose which of our characters we'd like to kiss, marry or throw off a cliff… take your pick. There's only a couple of days left, though! You can do that byemailing us at pubdates@gmail.com, or you can leave us a voice message by clicking here. Make sure to sign up for the Pub Dates newsletter that publishes each time a new episode drops. It's full of images of the things we discuss, plus behind-the-scenes snippets and a comment section where you can join in on the fun. To leave us questions or challenges for our upcoming holiday episode (there will be prizes!) you can email us at pubdates@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail. You can find out more about us and sign up for our individual newsletters at Amie and Kate's websites. U.S. readers can pre-order The Isles of the Gods and both U.S. and Australian/New Zealand readers can pre-order Nightbirds.