Deadline City's Podcast

Welcome back to Deadline City! This week we are talking about the "Big Idea." But what is a "Big Idea" and who gets to decide that? We pull from our vast publishing experience plus trends we've seen come and go, and do a deep dive into a topic everyone seems to be chasing. Support the show

This week on Deadline City, we break down retellings and remixes. When it comes to writing, IS there anything new under the sun? We talk about our own experiences with tropes, reimaginings, classics, and WHO gets to tell these stories. Buckle in and join us. Support the show

This week we head to "Myth Buster Manor" where we asked the internet for publishing myths and rumors that are spread through the industry streets. Based on our experience, we tackle one by one. Is your career over if you don't hit the elusive NYT list? Are you relegated to a single genre? Does jumping agents make you less desirable? You asked, we answered. Support the show

This week's episode features Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestseller and activist! It's a deep dive into the politics of being an author. What risks do we take? What do we have to consider when we're writing about people from the real world, or fantasy worlds? We interrogate ourselves and the way we approach social media, as well as the decisions other creatives make when they're voicing their political views online. We hope you love this honest, and at times ridiculous (thanks Zoraida), conversation. Support the show

What's up Deadline City?! We're back to Burn Out Borough. This week we're having an honest conversation about how to identify burnout, working through COVID, what we're doing to cope with the times, and how we can be better.  No matter what, we're still creating. We're in this together, and hope this episode lets you know that you're not alone in Burnout Borough. Support the show

We're back and more tired than ever! But first, we need to catch up on all that's happened in our lives since the start of the year. So much has happened in the publishing industry this summer, and we go through our own version of "the state of the union." From Barnes & Noble's new policies to book bannings to the DOJ v PRH, we have a lot of opinions. Welcome back to Deadline City and we hope you stay a while! Support the show

It's that time again. RESOLUTION BLVD, we meet again. Dhonielle and Zoraida break down the peaks and pits of our year and lay out what we want to do better or try next year. What are your resolutions? We're also launching a small Deadline City shop! We've got mugs and tshirts and stickers, oh my! Check it out here: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/deadline-citySupport the show

This week on Deadline City, we discuss the subject of pen names. Why start your career with one? Why start a new one for a different genre? And what are the pros and cons of anonymity? Tune in to dive into another side of writer life on Deadline City. Support the show

This year, TikTok has become the new publishing buzzword. Publishers and authors have tried to crack the code of virality. What makes a book take off? Does crying online sell books? One thing is certain: when it works it works. Critically acclaimed author, Alex Aster, stops by Deadline City to talk about her first-hand experience with the platform, and how she leveraged her success into the biggest deal of her career so far. Listen in to what Alex has to say!Support the show

This week on Deadline City we talk about POV. From a certain POV, that is. No, it's not a Star Wars episode, BUT we do dig into what makes us write the way we write. How do we choose the way we tell stories? All that and more on this week's episode of Deadline City. Support the show

This week Deadline City has a special guest! Publicity manager, editor, and festival founder, Saraciea J. Fennell knows the ins and outs of the publishing industry. She stops by the Publicity Parlor to give us her insights into author-publisher relationships and how we can feel a little less helpless in this big wide career. Support the show

This week on Deadline City we are digging deep into theme! We break down some of our recent reads and figure out how we build themes and make our stories stronger.  Dhonielle is very organized, and Zoraida is not. Support the show

This week on Deadline City we head to the Query Quarter. We have an honest discussion about how we got our agents, when you know you need to move on, and how to keep going. Whether you're polishing your first letter or an author thinking of making a change, this episode is for you. Support the show

USA Today Bestselling author, Sierra Simone, stops by Deadline City to talk all things self-publishing. Sierra Simone is a bestselling author of angsty and dark romance. She's been in the game for years and we are so lucky to have her share her experience, her process, and her journey overall. Tune in to find out more!Support the show

This week on Deadline City we're talking about the future of the publishing industry from our perspectives. What are the changes we're reading out? How do we see buying trends changing, and how is this affecting the way we are personally going to keep creating. As always, let us know your thoughts! Support the show

Season 5 of Deadline City is here, and we are back on our bullsh*t! We catch up on this episode and go over our pandemic releases and well as discuss how we are staying sane during author promotion. Join us for our first episode back. Support the show

Welcome to the season finale of Deadline City! For our final episode, we've decided to talk about ideas and trends. We're often asked, "where do you get your ideas from?" Well, here it is. We discuss organic ideas and how they take shape. How trends might not be such a bad thing to write to if you do the work! And how publishing changes ideas for authors. We're also thrilled to be partnering with Libro.fm for a Deadline City exclusive discount code. Create a new account and you can get **2** audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99). About our sponsor: Libro.fm makes it possible to purchase audiobooks through your local bookstore of choice. The same way Bookshop.org helps independent bookstores, Libro.fm has a network of 1400+ bookstore partners.  They have over 185,000 audiobooks including New York Times bestsellers and hundreds of bookseller recommendations. The best part about Libro.fm? It's DRM-Free so all their audiobooks are free of being digitally managed. Translation: Unlike Audible, with Libro.fm you OWN the digital file, regardless. Read more here.To claim your two for one audiobooks: Your code can be entered at checkout: DeadlineCity26It can also be redeemed by clicking on your link with the code embedded: libro.fm/redeem/DeadlineCity26Thank you for listening in this season. We wouldn't be able to this without you. If you're part of our Patreon, the monthly live streams will still be happening! After our summer break we'll be back for the fall with more conversations, more publishing deep dives, and more shenanigans. Write on, Zoraida + Dhonielle  Support the show

YA versus Adult! We get these questions quite a bit. Why write YA? Why write adult? What is the difference? Zoraida is making the move to adult in September 2021, and Dhonielle is so close to finishing her first adult novel. But why the change? And how was the process different than when they wrote Labyrinth Lost or The Belles? How would those books look like if they had written them with an older audience in mind?Support the show

This week on Deadline City we talk about sex and intimacy in adult romance novels! Sarah E. Younger is a literary agent who specializes in adult romance. She's part of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency and represents authors like Alexis Daria, Kit Rocha, and many more. We explore the different heat levels (chili peppers, if you will) and what makes for convincing chemistry. Support the show

Welcome to the Fantasy Fields! New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Roanhorse joins us in Deadline City for a deep dive on fantasy world-building. How do we create fantasy novels that have distinct cultures? How do we go beyond the generic European fantasy? Rebecca is a master world-builder--just read Black Sun! Listen in for her expert advice on how to write with intention. Support the show