The Write Type

Show notes: In this episode Dean and I discuss his YA debut verse novel, The Black Flamingo We talk queer Black representation, what inspired him to write the book as well as some deeper conversations about identity I loved speaking with Dean, he is an absolute delight and I hope you enjoy this episode!You can follow Dean on Twitter, Instagram or his Website Thanks for listening!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Aiden Thomas, author of Cemetery Boys We speak about their favourite books right now as well as anime they love We also speak about the important of writing your full self into your story You can follow them on Twitter, Instagram or their Website

Show notes: In this episode Adiba and I recommend some Queer books Books mentioned: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow The Black Flamingo by Dean AttaLike a Love Story by Abdi NazemianPeople Like Us by Dana Mele The Luminous Dead by Caitlin StarlingAlex in Wonderland by Simon James GreenThe Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Hope you enjoy our recs!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Lauren Knowles, the senior editor at Page Street Kids We discuss what a day in the life is like, her favourite books and literary figures she'd love to dine with You can follow Lauren on twitter

Show notes:In this episode I talk to Ashia Monet about her debut novel, The Black Veins; Self-publishing; and QPoC representation in books!You can follow Ashia on Twitter and Instagram Hope you enjoy the episode!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with William Hussey, author of Hideous Beauty which is out now! We discuss his favourite queer books, inspo behind writing Hideous Beauty, the importance of Queer literature and more! You can buy his book from any of the links below:AmazonWaterstonesBlackwellsBook DepoUsborneYou can follow William on Twitter or Instagram

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Charlie, Senior publicist and Marketing Exec at Little Tiger/Stripes about queer books, her publishing journey and she gives some advice on how to get into publishing You can follow Charlie on Twitter and Instagram You can follow Little Tiger on Twitter and Instagram You can follow Stripes on Twitter and Instagram

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Alex Gino author of bestselling and award winning book, George, and now their new book rick!We discuss their publication journey, their favourite books by queer authors as well as their love of British quiz shows such as QI and 8 out of 10 Cats! You can follow them on Twitter or visit their website

Show notes: In this episode Kim Johnson, author of This is my America, and I speak about race, class and the justice system.We discuss the importance of “Black Pain” narratives and why we are not done telling them.She also shares some of her favourite historical figures and some wisdom about navigating life as a Black person. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram or her Website You can pre-order her book by clicking the link hereThank you for listening!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Roseanne A. Brown, debut author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin We discuss everything from mental health, her inspiration for ASoWaR, and anime You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram and her Website You can pre-order her book here now

Show notes: Interview with Adiba Jaigirdar where we discuss culture, her sapphic debut rom com and dead pet pigeons You can follow Adiba on Twitter, Instagram and her WebsiteHope you enjoy this episode!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Lyla Lee, author of I'll Be The One and The Mindy Kim SeriesWe discuss her very unconventional publication journey (starting when she was just 13!) and her favourite K Drama's and KPOP artists You can follow Lyla on Twitter, Instagram or her WebsiteHope you enjoy the episode!

Show notes: In this episode I talk about how to successfully write Multiple POVs I provide examples of books that do it well as well as some exercises that might help you make your POVs distinct Hope you enjoy!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Casey McQuiston, bestselling debut author of Red, White & Royal Blue.We discuss their inspiration behind writing RWRB, their favourite reads, their publication journey and I quiz them on British slang! You can follow Casey on Twitter, Instagram and you check out their Website Thank you for tuning in to this weeks episode!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Lizzie Huxley-Jones about representations of autism in the media and in books as well as the anthology she edited called STIM, an anthology of essays by autistic writersWe discuss the fact that most people writing about autistic people aren't actually autistic and why this is a problem She gave some amazing book recs which i'll list below:The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas Forever Neverland by Susan Adrian Do You Know Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca WestscottExplaining Humans by Camila Pang A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll We also talk about the publisher Knights Of who exclusively publish diverse stories, I even recorded an episode with Knights Of's Editor, Eishar, which you can check out here“If you haven't read anything by an autistic person, make that the thing you do this month.” - Lizzie Huxley-Jones You can follow Lizzie on Twitter, Instagram and her WebsiteThanks for listening!

Show notes: In this episode I interview Claribel Ortega, author of Ghost Squad which is out next week April 7th! In the episode she takes us through her publication journey, what inspired her to write Ghost Squad as well as her non-writing hobbies We discuss IN LENGTH British TV and culture, and I test Claribel on her knowledge of British slang!She also talks about weight training and how this hobby changed her life.This was such a fun episode to record, I hope you all enjoy :-) You can pre-order Claribel's book hereYou can also follow her on Twitter and InstagramYou can also check out her website: https://www.claribelortega.com/

Show notes: In this episode I speak with debut author Leah Johnson about her book ‘You Should See Me in a Crown' We also speak about the pandemic and its effect on publishing as well as how inclusive/ accessible publishing could be if more people cared about those who can't live in New York or London as well as people who need to work from home. We discuss how the pandemic is exposing a lot of flaws that were obvious to many beforeLeah Johnson shares the essay that got her noticed by agents and editors Some quotes from the episode: “I wish someone had told me... when you get it (achieving your dreams) hold onto it with both hands and don't let anybody tell you don't deserve it because you do.” “(Janelle Monaes concerts) are gay church” - Leah Johnson“No matter how many people in the world tell you that because of who you are you dont deserve beautiful things, you absolutely deserve beautiful things. You deserve to be loved. You deserve to be cared for. You deserve to take up space.” “Crown is a self love anthem” You can find Leah on Twitter and Instagram Her website is www.byleahjohnson.comAdd her book on Goodreads or Pre-order

Show notes:In this episode I talk about word count conventions in fiction with an emphasis on what is deemed “normal” in YA and who is allowed to break these rules Hope you enjoy!

Show notes:In this episode Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights, and I discuss what it's like juggling a book deal and a degree We discuss ageism, pros and cons of publishing young among other thingsAuthors mentioned: Alice Oseman, author of Heartstopper; I Was Born For This, Radio Silence, Solitaire Samantha Shannon, author of The Bone Season series and Priory of the Orange TreeTomi Adeyemi, author of The Children of Blood and Bone seriesLyla Lee, author of the Mindy Kim series and the I'll Be The One duology Tashie Bhuiyan, author of Counting Down With You You can find Chloe on Twitter, Instagram of her Website Thank you for listening!

Show notes: In today's episode I interview Jasveen Bansal, Marketing Exec at Egmont Publishing/Electric Monkey Books We talk about her very interesting journey into publishing and how creative access helps PoC get really good paid internships in publishing https://creativeaccess.org.uk/ We also talk about her favourite reads as well as Egmont titles she really loves and recommends The episode ends with some brilliant advice from Jasveen that you won't want to miss!You can follow her on twitter @Jasveen_Bansal

Show notes: It's world book day on Thursday 5th of March (tomorrow) in the UK and Ireland and I kept thinking “how should I celebrate this day?” As a child, this was one of my favourite days in the year. We got to dress up, got a voucher for a free book and got to spend the whole day doing bookish activities and hearing from really cool authors World Book Day is about celebrating amazing books as well as encouraging children to read. The free voucher is literally life-saving for children like me who had no money for books when I was younger. This episode is dedicated to all the kids across the UK and Ireland who love world book day! I thought it would be really cool to have this short mini episode for World Book Day with my little sister (and best friend) In this mini episode we talk about her favourite school visit - Author of Cogheart, Peter Bunzl; which author she'd love to have tea with - Author of Abomination, Robert Swindells; as well as the type of book she wishes to read but hasn't yet!Hope you enjoy!

Shownotes: Books by African American Writers That I‘ve Read and Loved Long Way Down by Jason ReynoldsSulwe by Lupita N'yongo and Vashti Harrison On The Come Up by Angie Thomas Dear Martin by Nic Stone Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Hunger by Roxane Gay Autobiography of Malcolm X I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest Books by African American Writers That I Haven't Read But Have Heard Amazing Things AboutFelix Ever After by Kacen Callender Tristen Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame M'Balia Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen Tiny Pretty Things Co-Written by Dhonielle Clayton Pride by Ibi Zoboi A Phoenix First Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson Debuts from African American WritersYou Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson This Is My America by Kim Johnson A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna The Sound of Stars by Alechia DowThe Year Of the Witching by Alexis Henderson Legendborn by Tracy DeonThank you for listening! :-)

Show notes: In this episode, I talk with Alechia Dow, author of The Sound of Stars. We talk about everything from representation in publishing to her publishing journey to her love of baking. You can follow Alechia on Twitter and Instagram or visit her websiteYou can pre-order Alechia's debut novel The Sound of Stars hereThank you for listening!

Show Notes:In today's episode, Shannon Doleski - author of Mary Underwater - Prerna Pickett - author of If Only You Knew - and I talk about tropes and cliche's we love (and hate) as well as our mutual love of Jenny Han, the queen of YA Romance. You can follow Shannon on Twitter and Instagram and Preorder her book hereYou can follow Prerna on Twitter and Instagram or her website and you can purchase her book here Thank you for listening!

Show Notes:In this episode I speak with Ciara Smyth, author of The Falling In Love Montage We speak about her favourite romance tropes, her thoughts on love at first sight among other thingsYou can pre-order her book at Barnes & Noble and Amazon Thank you for listening!

Show notes: In this episode I speak with Sanne, the creator behind the lovely booktube channel ‘Books and Quills'.We discuss her publishing journey as well as how she got into booktubeYou can find her at Twitter, Instagram , Youtube and her blog Hope you enjoy this episode!

Show notesIn today's episode I interview debut author, Francesca Flores, writer of the brand new series ‘Diamond City' about an assassin named Aina and her friends who together embark on a dark and risky mission. The book releases on January 28th 2020 from Wednesday Books and you can still pre-order a copy by clicking here. In this episode, Francesca walks us through her publishing journey, what inspired her to write Diamond City as well as which vacation spot each of her characters would choose. You can keep up with Francesca on Twitter, Instagram and her WebsiteI hope you enjoy this episode!

Show notes: In this episode, Adiba and I debunk myths about publishing from popular TV shows. Below are the shows mentioned with a short description, detailing what they are about.Friends From College Twenty years after graduation, a tight-knit group of college friends reconnects and discovers that love hasn't gotten easier with age. Girlfriends GIRLFRIENDS revolves around the friendships of four African-American women from different walks of life. They explore the many trials and tribulations that most women face today, such as relationships, family, friends and other hot topics that interest universal women. Whether it is getting over a divorce, finding a career or simply looking for true love, GIRLFRIENDS delivers along with comedy and wit. Younger Recent divorcee Liza is finding it tough to start all over again at the age of 40. Rejected repeatedly for entry-level jobs for being too old, she reinvents herself as a 26-year-old and finds that her career and love life improve overnight. YouA dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by. Fresh off the boatA Taiwanese family makes their way in America during the 1990s. 90210 A Kansas family relocates to Beverly Hills, where their two children adapt to the infamous social drama of West Beverly Hills High. Gossip GirlPrivileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching. Jane The VirginA young, devout Catholic woman discovers that she was accidentally artificially inseminated. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt A woman is rescued from a doomsday cult and starts life over again in New York City. Kill Me Heal MeA love story between the son from a wealthy family who has 7 personalities Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) and Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) who becomes his secret psychiatrist. I hope you enjoy this episode! Until next time :-)

Show notes: This episode I talk about 20 2020 books I am excited for! 1. The City We Became by NK Jemisin Goodreads 2. The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by VE Schwab Goodreads3. American Royals 2 by Katharine McGee Goodreads 4. And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando Goodreads 5. I'll Be The One by Lyla LeeGoodreads 6. The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow Goodreads 7. Diamond City by Francesca Flores Goodreads 8. These Violent Delights by Chloe GongGoodreads9. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar Goodreads 10. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Rosie Brown Goodreads11. Ghost Squad by Claribel OrtegaGoodreads 12. Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger HoltGoodreads 13. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Goodreads  14. The Sky Is Mine by Amy Beashel Goodreads 15. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone Goodreads16. This Is My America by Kim Johnson Goodreads 17. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna Goodreads 18. You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson Goodreads 19. Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao Goodreads20. The Strange Worlds Travel Agency by LD Lapinski Goodreads21. Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn Goodreads 22. Felix Ever After by Kacen CallenderGoodreads 23. Indivisible by Daniel Aleman GoodreadsSo excited to read all of these releases! I hope you enjoy this episode :-)

Show notes: In this episode, myself and 12 other authors (who I will be introducing in the space below) will be discussing our reactions to our book deals as well as the gifts we gave ourselves once we got a book deal This is the final episode of the first season, the second season will air in January Authors:Louisa Onome, COMES AND GOES, SPRING 2021 Amy Beashel, THE SKY IS MINE, 6 FEB 2020 Namina Forna, THE GILDED ONES, 26 MAY 2020 Adiba Jaigirdar, THE HENNA WARS, 12 MAY 2020 PJ Gardner, HORACE & BUNWINKLE, FALL 2020Roseanne A. Brown, A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN, 2 JUNE 2020Gina Loveless, PUBERTY IS GROSS, BUT ALSO REALLY AWESOME, SPRING 2021 J. Elle, WINGS OF EBONY, 9 FEBRUARY 2021 Erin Elizabeth Grammar, NO FRILLS, WINTER 2020Prerna Pickett, IF ONLY YOU KNEW, WINTER 2020 Nicole Kronzer, UNSCRIPTED, 21 APRIL 2020Lyla Lee, MINDY KIM SERIES (MG) & I'LL BE THE ONE (YA), JAN 2020 & JUNE 2020Thank you for listening! See you next season :-)

Show notes: In this episode I talk about Book 2 syndrome also known as sophomore book syndromeWhat is that though? It's basically when a writer writes a book and then struggles to write another, particularly common among debut writers writing their second book I talk about how to overcome this, some things that might help, as well as my experience Hope you enjoy!

Show notes: In this episode I talk with YA Author Liselle Sambury who has a book coming out in 2021 with Simon Pulse in the USWe talk about her journey to getting a book deal, publishing terms you should know as well as traditional publishers you should know as well Liselle is an author-tuber, an author who makes YouTube videos about writing and the behind the scenes in publishing. Twitter: @LiselleSambury Instragram: @LiselleSambury Website: www.LiselleSambury.ca

Show notes: In this episode, I talk with Eishar Brar, Editorial Director at Knights Of, a publisher who specializes in publishing books about and by marginalized people They have published works such as Knights and Bikes by Gabrielle Kent, Ghost by Jason Reynolds and more. In the episode, we talk about the day in the life of an editor at Knights Of, the importance of diverse literature and which writer's she'd love to have tea with Their submission is constantly open 24/7 and they cannot wait to see your diverse stories!Twitter: @_KnightsOfInstagram: @_KnightsOfWebsite: www.KnightsOf.media Thank you for listening!

Show notes: In this episode we talk about what happens post book-deal Namina Forna's The Gilded Ones is essentially The Hunger Games x The Handmaids Tale and we spend the episode talking about her journey to publication as wellWe discuss barriers in publishing How she started out first in film school We also talk about how her being Black effected the way she was rejected and the amount of rejections she received She was told by agents and other higher ups that people were not interested in reading about people who looked like her We discuss questions to ask literary agents during an offer callWe also talk about what to look for in an agent “I did not understand the barriers that were against me. If I had, if I'd understood the amount of pain, the amount of years that I would spend knocking on a wall that was not going to open for me…I probably would have quit and would have done something else.” - Namina Forna “I cannot help but think how many other talented writers of olour gave up because the wall was insurmountable.” - Namina Forna “I think Black Panther in so many ways changed the game.” - Namina Forna We talk about her having a UK literary agent despite being from the USA look into UK and US book dealsHaving a day jobFinances and financial literacyTwitter: @NaminaFornaInstagram: @Namina.FornaWebsite: www.NaminaForna.comThank you for listening to this episode! Hope you found it engaging and helpful!

Show notes: In this episode I interview Amélie Wen Zhao, author of Blood Heir, which will publish November 19th in the US and November 21st in the UK. Amélie (yes, like the movie!) has adored putting pen to paper since she was in kindergarten. Born in Paris and raised in a multicultural community in Beijing, Amélie has a bone-deep love for traveling and immersing herself in new worlds and cultures. She lives in New York City, working as a full-time financial professional by day, and writer at night.She hopes to empower young readers with messages of acceptance, strength, and courage through her works, and to continue to push the boundaries of young adult literature by exploring new, cross-cultural themes.Amélie is represented by Peter Knapp of Park Literary & Media.In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.When Ana's father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father's murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.We start by talking about her publication journey, from querying to getting an agent to getting a book dealHer process to getting Blood Heir published was 5 years in the making We spoke about how she likes to make sure she takes her time with perfecting her work before doing something as big as querying “Taking my time to make sure I had it to the best place…before I took my shot.” - Amelie “I've always believed in working hard. But I also think that working smart is really important to me.” - Amelie Amelie talks about getting agent who is going to be your biggest champion She discusses her inspiration for writing her debut “I fell in love with the idea of reversing the trope of a princess. I wanted her to be the most dangerous player in this game. I wanted to make a book where the princess was the monster.” - Amelie She spoke about the trans pacific slave-trade and how her inspiration also stems from the history of her fiance's family “We all know that the victors and the powerful write history.” - Amelie We talk about which of her characters she'd take to dinnerWe also talk about which writers dead or alive she'd take to dinnerTwitter: @AmelieWenZhaoInstagram: @AmelieWenZhaoWebsite: AmelieZhao.com

Show Notes: In this episode, I spoke with a Waterstones Bookseller about bookselling, representation in publishing, her favourite books and everything in between. We discussed her journey to becoming a bookseller and what goes into the job“I've tried to reflect the people that come into our shop…” - Rachael We discussd why representation is so important and how Waterstones Croydon ensure people feel welcome and represented in the bookstore through the beautiful displays, such as the LGBT display and the BAME displaysBooks mentioned: Slay by Brittney Morris, Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi, The Binding by Bridget Collins and The Boy With The Butterfly Mind by Victoria Williamson “No matter what your life is like, you can always be the hero of your own story.” - Rachael Twitter: @WaterstonesCroyIG: @WaterstonesCroydon

Show notes: In the episode, Ciannon and I discussed how she got an agent, her submission story in both the UK and the US and the way she dealt with the stress of submissionWe go in-depth into what happens on submission and how everyone has a varied timeline. Some people it takes days, weeks or months and in some cases a year or moreHave low expectations to avoid disappointment over variables and outcomes you can not control “Submission is like a wild dance” - Ciannon SmartCiannon suggests keeping yourself busy during submission to stay sane “With submission…you arm yourself with all the knowledge you can” - Ciannon Smart We discuss different submission styles, some writers ask to only hear about the good news their agent receives from publishers, some ask for the constructive criticism and others want to hear everything. Ciannon and I had very different submission styles. “Expect nothing” - Ciannon SmartCiannon suggests that writers get a non-writing hobby She also debunks the common advice that writers should always work on something new while awaiting news. This is not something everyone is emotionally capable of. Don't force yourself to write something new while on submission if you have no energy to. We gushed a lot about our agents and our publishersCiannon's Twitter: @CiannonSCiannon's IG: @AuthorCiannonSmart Ciannon's Website: www.ciannonsmart.comThanks for listening!

Show notes: In this episode I talk about my favourite books of the year so far I'm currently on 57 books, despite my goal being 100 books and while I'm behind I have read so many incredible books that i'd love to share with you all Rise Up by Stormzy To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Hunger by Roxane GayPaper Girls the graphic novelMy Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan BraithwaiteEleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Gilded Ones by Namina FornaThe Places I've Cried In Public by Holly BourneOn The Come Up by Angie ThomasRocket Says Look Up by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola Proud Book edited by Juno Dawson Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Alex In Wonderland by Simon James Green Bloom the graphic novelNoughts and Crosses the graphic novel An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab Taking Up Space by Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi The Boy At The Back of The Class by Onjali Q. Rauf Thank you for listening!

Show notes: In this episode, we talk in-depth about the query process We define what a query is for people who are still not sure We start with our query letters Louisa's query: Sixteen-year-old Chinelo is all about her neighbourhood. She loves the chill vibe of Ginger East, its ride-or-die sense of community, and the good memories she has of her best friends growing up there. Even though most of them moved away, and new, gentrified businesses have altered the make-up of her neighbourhood, she still has Kate, whose family owns local staple Ginger Store, and as long as both Kate and Ginger Store never leave, she's good. After all, Ginger Store was Chinelo's unofficial hangout spot, her first semi-job, and her second home; she knows she wouldn't be the same without it.But when Ginger Store is broken into, Chinelo's sense of security is shaken. Her first instinct? Find out who did this and why they'd want to hurt her community by targeting such a beloved spot. Unwanted media attention from the incident makes Kate less enthusiastic to dig around, causing a rift between her and Chinelo. To top it all off, local real estate developers want Kate's family to sell, forcing the girls to drift further apart from each other. Chinelo's entire world is changing and she must figure out how to get things back on track or risk losing herself and her world to the constant monster of change. It should be for the better, but better for who?Faridah's query: From sex-tapes to covered up murders, Devon and Chiamaka have a lot at stake if their secrets ever get out.Anyone that knows them knows that they are furthest from friends; some may even call them enemies. But when ‘Aces', an anonymous texter, starts spreading their secrets around their private school, they have no choice but to team up and expose their tormentor's identity. If they fail to act fast enough, they risk social annihilation and losing out on a place at their dream colleges. Devon and Chiamaka set out to find the person or people behind Aces, what they find, however, is the soiled history of their school's past and that Aces is not just a game of high school mean girl's, but instead a powerful institution that dates back 400 years ago: an institution with the power to ruin not only the lives of the only Black students at the private academy, but also historically the lives of millions that looked just like them.Now it's not just about them –Devon and Chiamaka must expose Aces or risk a violent and treacherous history repeating itself.We also spoke about the differences in MG stories VS YA Coded language marginalized writers get in rejections Query experience Pop-Up/breaking new ground an organisation that this year put together a book of all the authors and illustrators of colour in the UK, click here to view it Jesus and Jollof Podcast check out for some inspiring talk by amazing Nigerian actresses/entrepreneursDVpit and AMM talk Not being successful in DVPit but that not being the end of the road “New things always come out of the ashes.” - Louisa OnoméTwitter: @LouisaOnome_Instagram: @LouisaOnomeWebsite: http://louisaonome.com/Thank you for listening!

Show notes: In this episode Alex and I chat about being a Black British writer in the UKYA space, and the unique challenges that comes withAlexandra's journey to being traditionally published “Don't let your inbox rule your life” - Alexandra Sheppard “Get it all on the page and sculpt it later.” - Alexandra Sheppard She mentions both a new publisher in the UK who prioritise marginalised stories and are made up of a very diverse staff and their amazing book shop which does the same. The publisher is Knights Of and their book shop is Round Table Books! We also talk about her favourite greek myths and greek myth inspired novels, which you'll have to listen to the episode to find out more on You can follow Alexandra on Instagram @alexsheppard19 and Twitter @alexsheppardThank you for listening!

Show notes: Here is my brand new series, the ‘Trench' Coat Series! A series of discussions with writers of colour about different stages in the process of getting traditionally published. First part is what happens before querying. Next part is on querying - so look out for that! In this episode me and YA author Adiba Jaigirdar discuss everything from querying to the things that happen before you query, like pitch contests, drafting, editing, looking for critique partners (CPs) and beta readers. We give our perspective as women of colour who also happen to be Muslim and queer and how our identity has brought up challenges along this journey. You can follow Adiba on these links: Twitter: @Adiba_JInstagram: @Dibs_JWebsite: adibajaigirdar.com/If I've missed anything from the show notes that you would like me to add, just let me know and I'll add them! Thank you for listening.

First ever episode AHHH! It's extremely short, but the others won't be. Apologies in advance, I have been sick for such a long time that my voice is a bit nasally. I hope you enjoy this first episode. The other episodes will include some show notes and links. Twitter: @TheWriteTypePodInstagram: @TheWriteTypePod