The First Draft Club

What are the actual sales numbers for authors who get book deals versus authors who self-publish? Mary gets into the data—yep, hardcore math—to help you weigh the pros and cons (financially) of the two major publishing paths.  -Free training on how much you can make on your book: https://www.thebookincubator.com/free-training -Blog post summary: https://maryadkinswriter.com/blog/how-much-do-authors-make

Mary shares the novels and memoirs that came out in 2024 that left her with the memorable reading experiences from a craft and writing perspective—ones that taught her something about writing or showed her something new about what literature can do. The books are (in no particular order): - The Wedding People by Alison Espach - Molly by Blake Butler - Old Enough by Haley Jakobson - Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley - Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker She wants you to know that Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (a Kirkus Prize finalist this year) was recused because Rufi teaches with Mary in The Book Incubator, but it's an incredibly instructional novel from a craft perspective (and just a fantastic book).

In the last episode, Mary talked about how a 90% great book will get rejections 100% of the time. How do you make up the difference? Whether it's a 40% gap you need to close or a 5% gap, Mary shares her recommendations.

Mary talks about why a 90% great book will get rejected 100% of the time...and how to tell if that's what's happening from the rejections you're getting. She: - Shares a sample (real) rejection letter - Discusses examples of a 10% gap between good and great - Talks about why this means you shouldn't give up, you should revise

We're back for Season 8! Mary talks about a newcomer to publishing—The Black List—and shares costs, benefits, and how it could potentially save you months (or even years) in your publishing journey. If you dream of publication but dread the long, uncertain querying process, this episode is for you.   Show Notes: In this episode, I cover:· What is The Black List? Learn how this groundbreaking platform, originally created for Hollywood screenwriters, works—and why it’s now disrupting the world of fiction publishing. · How it works for novelists: I’ll break down how you can use The Black List to host your manuscript, receive professional evaluations, and get noticed by literary agents and publishers. · Is it worth the investment? I’ll share costs, benefits, and why I think it could save you months (or even years!) in your publishing journey. Why I was skeptical—and why I changed my mind: My honest take on whether publishing needed a tool like this and why it might be a game-changer for early adopters. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the slow query process or wondered how to get professional feedback on your manuscript without waiting months, this episode has the answers you’ve been looking for. Resources Mentioned: The Black List Fiction Submissions: https://blcklst.com/fiction The Author’s Guild Membership: https://authorsguild.org/membership/

Don't fall for anyone offering you "global copyright" for a bunch of money. Here's what you need to know about copyright as an author and how to file. ------ Alessandra Torre Ink: https://ati.mykajabi.com/fearlessly-publish

Authors are hiring their own publicists—but how do you know if a publicist is worth the cost? Mary shares the questions she'd ask. --- PublicityxChristina: https://www.publicityxchristina.com/  

Mary takes on the recent buzz around "Big 5" publishing being a waste of time for authors by sharing her own story and how she views authorial success. --- Mary's Blog: https://maryadkinswriter.com/blog/in-defense-of-big-publishing The Elysian Article: https://www.elysian.press/p/no-one-buys-books

How do you find the right literary agents or publishers to query? There's one resource that's worth every penny (and this isn't sponsored content): Publisher's Marketplace. Here's why, and how to use it.

How do you get feedback without letting it derail you? The risk is real. Mary shares the single criterion she uses in deciding whether or not to take a piece of feedback.

In this short and sweet episode, Mary shares the secret to writing a book that's smarter than you (with some helpful words from George Saunders and Rufi Thorpe).

In this sneak peek into the private podcast inside The Book Incubator, Mary and Rufi discuss what they label "Newtonian Narratology" (you think we're kidding!), a.k.a. why it's better for your characters to try not to cry than to cry, and why you might not need to learn how to write that one emotion you struggle to write, after all.

Author of Thursday is the New Friday, Joe Sanok speaks with Mary about the neuroscience findings that can help aspiring authors finally finish their drafts.

There are people online selling solutions you don't need to problems that don't exist. As a writer aspiring to be published, it pays to be savvy. Mary unpacks 3 of these myths so you can avoid traps.

In this episode, Mary shares the origin story of her newest tool "A Novel in 52 Prompts" and shares the first 3 prompts so you can knock out your first 5,000 words.

Mary shares two stories about what Tom Stoppard the playwright taught her about life and creativity.

We're back for Season 7! In this first episode of the season, Mary walks us through her current daily writing routine as she balances a new novel, work, and parenting.

In this episode, Mary builds on the 5 tips for writing stronger dialogue she shared back in the first episode of Season 5. These 3 strategies will help improve your dialogue further. ----- Season 5, Episode 1: https://thefirstdraftclub.podbean.com/e/how-to-write-compelling-diagloue/

What actually makes us call a book "good" is something Mary recently completely changed her view on. Here's how she thinks of a "good book" now, and why.

Mary shares the 3 questions she'd ask herself if deciding whether to write a true personal story or a fictionalized version based on real events. Also, join our 10,000-Word Challenge starting next week! ----- Join Mary's (FREE!) 10,000-Word Challenge starting Monday, Oct. 23rd, and write the first 10,000 words of your novel or memoir in 10 days! Visit https://maryadkinswriter.com/10k-challenge-live to get started.