I have long been interested in narrating audiobooks. I was wondering - do you have any steps or resources you recommend for a complete newb?

While I definitely didn’t get into narration the traditional route, I can give you some advice inspired by how I went about it, and hopefully this will help!

First, don’t wait to be given permission to audition for your own book. Just write your editor an email noting that you’d like to be considered for the narrator gig and attach a sample of yourself reading a chapter. Normally an audition is probably only 3-5 minutes, but authors have an uphill battle. As a person who’s established your relationship with your publisher as a writer, there will be some pushback. It’s sort of an industry joke that I’ve heard from a number of publishing insiders that authors are terrible narrators, but you and I both know that while some of us are definitely introverts who prefer to stay out of the spotlight (maybe even most of us), others are introverts who masquerade as extroverts that got talent, baby! So I found that a whole chapter for this first go-around of asking to narrate your own audiobook can show that you are able to keep up the pace, the authorial voice, and the nuances in how you embody different characters better than just a three-minute snippet that might have been practiced or edited over and over to perfection. If they only want to listen to three minutes of that chapter, that’s great too, but at least you’ve already sent over proof that you can do more than that.

Be ready for your team to tell you no, quickly and without remorse, lol. That’s what happened to me with JAY’S GAY AGENDA. When I asked if the audio team had perhaps a sentence or two of feedback so I could improve for the next book, I got nothing, which, of course I got nothing. These are audio professionals who are literally producing thousands of books, they don’t have time for that! Just take the loss respectfully and patiently wait until your next book comes around.

When your next book comes out, send a friendly reminder that you’d like to narrate and ask if you could be considered for the job. Don’t send an audition this time, because the first go around it didn’t go so well, and perhaps sending too many unsolicited snippets is too forward. This is what I did with OUT OF THE BLUE, and again, I was quickly told no.

Here’s the part where the specifics aren’t entirely replicable, but I think can be applied to any author looking to narrate their own work. Once JAY’S launched and OOTB was on the way, I was getting asked fairly regularly to moderate or speak on panels. One such panel was for the release of the iconic Julie Murphy’s PUMPKIN (a phenomenal book, btw), back in the day when everything was over Zoom. A VP of HarperCollins’s marketing team was watching us, and the angel of light and love that she is said to others in her department, “We need to be putting JJ in front of more people.” Literally, she changed the trajectory for me being able to narrate my own work. Because she vouched for me, EpicReads created a web series for me called YA for a Day with Jason June in which I was given adventures to do that I’d never done before inspired by the plots of other YA books. It was so much fun! And (very pivotal for my audiobook journey) it proved to my publisher that I could perform while being recorded and gave them the confidence to let me narrate RILEY WEAVER NEEDS A DATE TO THE GAYBUTANTE BALL.

As you can see, this chapter of my narration saga was very random, very fortuitous, and entirely outside of my control. I’m definitely not like, “Just get your publisher to produce a web series for you, it’s so easy!” But if you’re currently getting no’s when asking your publishing team if you can narrate your audiobook, I’d recommend getting yourself out there in any forward facing media possible so that you have all kinds of material to show your publisher that you can do this. Moderate panels, go on podcasts (maybe even start your own!), perhaps you create a little scripted something on your social media (I’m not talking a full-on TV show, but perhaps little vignettes), whatever you can do to show you are also able to shine away from a keyboard.

I don’t think that any one of these things was the one that sealed the deal for my first narrator yes with RILEY. But I do think all of them added up (the audition, the respecting the team’s rejections, the other examples of how I could perform), eventually led to that yes. And once I recorded RILEY, it set a precedent for my other works that I could narrate. A snippet from RILEY helped me get the yes to narrate my next book, THE SPELLS WE CAST. I now get to do all my books and we negotiate it into my contracts. And I’m eternally grateful to the authors who’ve vouched for me to narrate their books too, after they heard samples of my work.

As for a resource, the Audio Publishers Association has been very helpful! And one more little tip, for any author who is also an actor and wants to get into SAG-AFTRA (the union for actors, for those who aren’t familiar): When you get your narrator yes, ask to be given a union contract. Money will be deducted from your pay for Pension & Health, and being the primary narrator on a union project qualifies you to join SAG-AFTRA.

So that’s my audiobook journey. I’m recording my next one (for Mason Deaver’s SHIP HAPPENS!!) in a couple weeks and can’t wait! I also can’t wait until we’re all listening to your narrations, too 💖

-JJ

If anyone has any other audio-related questions, feel free to put them in the comments, or if you’d like to chime in with other narrator tips, you can write them there as well. If you want to stay anonymous, e-mail me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com, and I’ll include your thoughts without your name.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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I wonder if you'd ever do a post about your experiences related to your sales "track" and what conversations have been had with your publishers around that. E.g., some of your books have not earned out (which I know is typical), but I'm wondering if that's been brought up by editors, impacted your futures deals, etc.

So, Track Curious, here’s another moment in publishing where I’m going to give an annoyingly vague answer: I’m not sure. No editor has ever said to me directly that the low performance of my last four novels will affect my advances, but I do know multiple authors who have heard this, and based on my past experiences, I can venture a guess that the advance figures I’ll be offered will go down.

Let’s take a look at my advances from HarperCollins for the four young adult novels I pubbed with them. I got these in two separate, two-book deals, the first of which was for $40K per book, and the second of which was for $50K per book. This increase was 1) welcome, and 2) due to my first two books with them earning out (or I think in the case of OUT OF THE BLUE, which hadn’t earned out quite yet at the time of my second deal, it was clear to them that it was going to, which it ultimately did). This was told to me directly, that my nice sales figures was leading to a jump in advance.

With this in mind, I think it’d be safe to say that poor sales figures would lead to a decrease in advance. Because my last four novels haven’t even sold half as many copies as my first two, by the transitive property (inappropriate use here, I’m sure), I wouldn’t expect to be offered much more than half of what I got for that first book deal. And, ultimately, I wouldn’t blame the publisher for that. This is a business, after all, and I can’t expect to be making the same amount when my books aren’t pulling the same weight at this point.

Publishing and math don’t always go hand-in-hand (certainly not in my brain), so it’s not always a one-for-one (too many hyphenated words in one sentence, huh?) in that someone goes “Oh, since your most recent book sold 40% of what your best book sold we’ll only offer you 40% of that best-book advance”, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to guesstimate numbers for yourself with this kind of mindset. In my head (and I have no idea if this is the right way to think or not, since I have no behind-the-scenes at the publisher experience), I always keep a They only remember the last thing you do mentality, and prepare myself to be judged by the success or failure of my most recent book. It obviously goes your way if your most recent book is a banger, but in the stage of my book career I’m in now, I don’t think the odds are ever in my favor 😅

One thing that I think has the potential to supersede sales figures, though, is when you hop age categories or genre for the first time. In essence, it’s like you’re debuting again, so nobody can really hold sales figures against you too strongly when nobody knows how you perform in that new world. This has happened to me with my adult romance books that will start to come out next year. I got offered an advance for these that I think is in the realm of normal (neither low nor astronomical) based on convos I’ve had with other romance authors: $30K per book. So, lower than my first YA deals, but adult romances that start as paperbacks have a whole different rubric, and I’m hoping my sales will make this number only go up for future deals 🤞🏻

So how’s that for a convoluted answer to whether or not my sales track has affected my advances? Who can say really, but certainly yes, maybe.

How about you, fellow authors? Any anecdotes about sales track affecting future advances? Feel free to put them in the comments below, or if you’d like to stay anonymous, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com and I’ll include your thoughts with no name attached.

Here’s to hefty advances and fabulous track records for all of us!

-JJ

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE (2017, picture book)

• $10K Advance

• 44 copies sold this period; 43 hardcover + 1 e-book

• We sold 10 copies more in this period than last period. Huzzah! That’s like, a 33% increase and I’ll take it! Now about $1,140 away from earning out🦉

PORCUPINE CUPID (2020, picture book)

• $10K Advance

• -39 copies sold this period; 41 hardcover copies returned, 2 e-books sold

• No royalties earned. This was the period without Valentine’s Day in it, so that’s tough for a Valentine’s picture book ❤️ Still $5,150 away from earning out.

MERMICORN ISLAND Series (2021, four chapter books, joint accounting*)

*Joint accounting means all four books in this series were grouped together in terms of royalties, so that I wouldn’t earn royalties until all four books earned out

• $34K Advance (For all four books combined)

• 843 copies sold this period across all formats (Going into detail of paperback, hardcover, e-book, and fairs for all four books is tough with these ones, but typically most of these are paperback editions sold at book fairs). We sold over 5K copies last period, so it looks like this series is starting to peter out 🦄

• $201.34 royalties earned

JAY’S GAY AGENDA (2021, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance + $10K sales bonus (also treated as an advance)

• 1,106 copies sold this period; 17 hardcover + 248 paperback + 227 e-book + 614 audiobook

• $1,197.21 royalties earned

• Total copies sold dropped by about 200 compared to last period, although e-books sales went up since last time.

OUT OF THE BLUE (2022, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance + $10K sales bonus (also treated as an advance)

• 1,361 copies sold this period; 26 hardcover + 410 paperback + 308 e-book + 617 audiobook

• $1,494.30 royalties earned

• Down about 600 copies from last season in all formats, but that this book keeps swimming really warms my heart 🧜🏻‍♂️

NEVER FORGET ELEANOR (2023, picture book)

• $17,500 Advance

• -124 copies sold this period; -126 hardcover + 2 e-book

• No royalties earned. I’m about $8,850 from earning out, a backwards jump of $50 since last period.

RILEY WEAVER NEEDS A DATE TO THE GAYBUTANTE BALL (2023, young adult novel)

• $50K Advance

• -105 copies sold this period; -15 hardcover + -147 paperback + 32 e-book + 25 audiobook

• No royalties earned. This period we’re $37,320 away from earning out, another backwards jump since last accounting period of about $30.

THE SPELLS WE CAST (2023, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance

• 357 copies sold this period; 97 hardcover + 34 e-book + 226 audiobook

• No royalties earned. I’m still about $28.5K away from earning out, but we’re $300 closer this period than last 🤠

THE MAGIC YOU MAKE (2024, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance

• 92 copies sold this period; -111 hardcover + 37 e-book + 166 audiobook

• No royalties earned. I’m still about $36.4K away from earning out, same as last period. This fantasy duology is keeping in line with most fantasy series consisting of more than one book in that the later books don’t sell as well as the first ✨

FLOPPING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND (2024, young adult novel)

• $50K Advance

• -67 copies sold this period; -258 hardcover + 27 e-book + 163 audiobook + 1 Physical Audio (probably CD)

• No royalties earned. Didn’t sell many copies this holiday season, so little that we had more returns than purchases in this Christmas YA novel’s second holiday season. Maybe third year’s the charm and we’ll see what happens next year 🎅🏻

TOTAL ROYALTIES EARNED THIS PERIOD: $2,892.85

We’re about $1,300 less than last period, so this feels like sales are noticeably starting to decline. Unless some random act of BookTok kindness puts one of my books on the map, I think we can safely say these books are entering their sunset years. As are my royalties, lol! It all seems symbolic though, and like the universe is telling me the transition to adult books is the right decision. At least in the Fall royalty reports post, I’ll include my total author income and that will include some money from my 3-book deal in said adult realm. But for the next 2 years, I expect we’ll just be looking at these numbers getting smaller and smaller, but come Spring 2028, we should start getting numbers in for my adult romance books. Looking forward to iiiiiiit!

If anyone has any questions, feel free to put them in the comments, or if you’d like to remain anonymous, you can always email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com.

That wraps up our dive into my Spring 2026 royalty statements. Until next time!

-JJ

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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So what’s the Ventorship about for all you new folks, and as a little reminder for the Venties who’ve been here a while: The Ventorship is a sporadic newsletter where writers at any stage of their journey (from just curious to pre-published to multi-pubbed) can write in to me anonymously (at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject VENTORSHIP) and get anything writing/publishing related off their chest. I’ll give you my feedback in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments section. The intent is to let you know you’re not alone in your frustrations or worries or celebrations when so much of the writing life entails being alone and often being a tad scared to ask questions straight out, whether those questions be about pay, or agent relationships, or editing processes, etc. etc. etc. If you want a look into what some of these posts have looked like in the past, try out these ones here, here, and here. We haven’t had an anonymous vent in a while, and I’m taking that as a good sign that we’ve got good support groups in our non-internet lives or have nothing to vent about, which is even better! But if ever there is something you want to run by the ship, feel free to write in.

Twice a year I also give a look into my royalty statements to try and demystify even a little bit what financial realities can look like for an author. Of course, these are just my sales figures, I write what most people call niche so no one will be blown away by these numbers, but I always think the more info that’s out there, the better. My Spring 2026 royalty deep dive should be posted sometime in May. Here are all the installments so far (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).

That’s all for now, and welcome aboard again to all our newbies and established passengers alike. Here’s to riding the waves of the author seas together! ❤️

-JJ

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In short, the answer is no, the Christmas season didn’t see a huge jump in sales for FLOPPING. But, there was a small boost, and there are a few things to keep in mind with my numbers in particular before we dive in:

*I’m a mid-list author, meaning I don’t have a huge following that’s spreading the word about FLOPPING all over the internet at Christmastime which could bring more readers to the novel. I imagine many of the adult Christmas-themed novels on the bestseller lists this year from big name authors will be sure backlist bets for years to come.

*FLOPPING was not a huge runaway success in 2024 when it came out.

*This is a gay YA book at a time when there is less promo/investment in gay YA. This is not to call anybody out by any means, but just to state an observation that many of us are making. (This is for another post, but this is part of the reason why I won’t be writing YA anymore, at least for the foreseeable future)

*I didn’t make any social media posts about FLOPPING on my own this year because I’m a firm believer that, for the most part, it’s content from readers, not authors, that has an impact on sales, doubly so for backlist titles (there are too many commas in that sentence). I did repost any FLOPPING mention that I was tagged in on Instagram and TikTok.

*These sales are for hardcover only, as a paperback version has not been printed, and I won’t know e-book numbers until royalty statements this spring.

Now, let’s look at sales together, in three-month chunks (I find that we don’t use the word “chunks” enough):

Initial 3 Months

Week 1 (Nov. 12-16, 2024): 316 copies sold

Week 2 (Nov. 17-23): 120

Week 3 (Nov. 24-30): 150

Week 4 (Dec. 1-7): 117

Week 5 (Dec. 8-14): 98

Week 6 (Dec. 15-21): 89

Week 7 (Dec. 22-28): 120

Week 8 (Dec. 29-Jan. 4, 2025): 95

Week 9 (Jan. 5-11): 55

Week 10 (Jan. 12-18): 42

Week 11 (Jan. 19-25): 46

Week 12 (Jan. 26-Feb. 1): 29

3-6 Months Post-Release (February through mid-May 2025)

Here I don’t think it’s helpful to go into the nitty gritty of copies sold because they were basically the same each week, plus or minus a handful of copies. The average in this time was about 16 copies sold a week.

6-9 Months Post-Release (mid-May through mid-August)

Sales continued to dip and the average per week sales in this time was 7.5 copies.

9-12 Months Post-Release (mid-August through mid-November)

Here’s where we see an interesting blip that has nothing to do with the holidays. Barnes & Noble had a big sale during this time, and FLOPPING was included. I’m pretty sure it was a 50% off all hardcovers sale, or it might have been a 50% off select titles sale, but either way, it was well publicized online and in-store. The first four weeks of this chunk saw sales of 34, 52, 45, and 37 copies before jumping down to an average of 8.5 copies sold per week. Heck, maybe that 1 copy jump in the average sales over the previous chunk of time was people getting in their fall cozies and getting excited for the holidays coming up!

Holiday Season 2025

Here is where we do see a bit of a jump from the non-holiday time average, but it still doesn’t match the sales and excitement of a 50% off sale in late summer (interesting to note the price can get readers more pumped for a holiday book than whether the time of purchase is near the holiday itself).

Week 53 (Nov. 9-15, 2025): 21

Week 54 (Nov. 16-22): 32

Week 55 (Nov. 23-29): 21

Week 56 (Nov. 30-Dec. 6): 23

Week 57 (Dec. 7-13): 8

Week 58 (Dec. 14-20): 20

Week 59 (Dec. 21-27): 13

Week 60 (Dec. 28-Jan. 3, 2026): 19

Week 61 (Jan. 4-10): 12

Week 62 (Jan. 11-17): 5

So, was there an increase over how many copies FLOPPING was selling in the middle of the year? Yeah, about 2-3 times as many copies. But I wouldn’t say it was enough to be like, “Wow, I’m raking it in at Christmas every year!” When royalties come out in March, I’m going to pay close attention to seeing if those numbers seem different from what was reported to BookScan (if they are, I’ll be sure to let you know), but I have a feeling these are about the numbers I can expect (if not less) as each year goes by. It’s the same pattern I see with my Valentine’s Day picture book, PORCUPINE CUPID, where I always have more sales around Valentine’s, as would be expected, but those sales are still very modest. In fact, I just checked, and as of last week, PORCUPINE sold a whopping 3 copies, but that’s a huge increase over the average of 0 copies sold per week which goes as far back as October. Things are looking up!

So, do I think sales of a holiday book increase around the holiday your book is about? Yes. Does that mean those sales are runaway sales every year when that holiday rolls around? No. I think it all depends on author popularity/how big the reception of the book was at its initial release. This is not at all to persuade people not to write holiday fare. In fact, what will hopefully become my adult debut is another Christmas novel! I fucking love that holiday and that’s all there is to it, and writing should be about writing what we love. After all, how else am I going to become the Mariah Carey of the gay holiday novel without writing Christmas books?! Being in the holiday spirit is more than worth the smaller sales, and just because one book might be small now doesn’t mean another book can’t be a big hit in the future. I’ll be sure to ask Santa for bestseller status 🎅🏻

Feel free to put any questions you have in the comments!

Until next time!

JJ

A brief note: In fun news, I’m feeling so inspired lately and writing a lot, which feels great! This means that I’m going to have to put The Vent—where authors give us an inside look into their latest books—on hold for a bit, so you won’t be seeing those anymore. But I’m still definitely doing anonymous vents from folks who have anything publishing related they need to get off their chest in a safe and friendly environment. That’s how the Ventorship got started, and I’d love to keep that going. ❤️ So, with that said…

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Kate Fussner (KF): For me, querying and going on submission are both leaps of faith; or, if not leaps of faith exactly, they are moments where you as a writer must decide if your art and your heart are up to the task of asking, “Are we ready?” I realize this sounds a little out there, but for me, trying to determine if I was ready was the hardest part. After all, how do you know if a book is ready? And how do you know if your book and spirit are ready for the inevitable slog of rejections? When I was querying, lots of friends liked to remind me, “It only takes one yes.” When Eric Smith (my agent) and I were ready to go out on submission, Eric reminded me again, “It only takes one yes.” But do you know how many NO’s it also takes?! So many! Dozens! More than dozens! Obviously, putting in the work into your writing is one way to help lessen the number of no’s that are headed your way, but the reality is: there will always be more no’s than yes’s (rude). And back when I was beginning to query, I wasn’t sure if my heart was up to the task of hearing all of the no’s, and I wasn’t sure if there was someone out there that would say, “Yes.” I started querying by testing the waters in a Twitter (RIP) pitch contest. When I saw I was getting interest from agents I hadn’t even researched yet, I realized that if I was going to pitch any agents then I might as well pitch the ones that I had spent time and energy researching to find my “best” matches.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to publish multiple books? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

KF: When I signed a two-book deal for my debut novel, I thought I had truly made it (insert millennial lol here). Alas, this was not the case. While it was, in many ways, a great blessing to sell two books in one go, I had no plans for a sequel and no idea what the process would be like for pitching a second standalone novel. Add to it a strike at HarperCollins when I could have been getting started on pitches for my second book and I felt very, very lost. Don’t get me wrong: I am a big supporter of unions and am glad that the strike resulted in contract improvements for union members. But it also meant delaying the ability to work with my editor and thus fumbling alone through a draft of a middle grade novel that I loved but ultimately could not sell as my second book. When my editor and I decided on a second book idea, it was a vast re-write of a story I had been trying to tell in another form (more about this in a moment). Basically, from delaying my second book to writing an entire draft of a book I couldn’t use to stumbling through a revision that essentially meant fully reimagining a story, nothing about my second book in my two-book deal felt “easy” or like I’d “had made it.” It felt like that moment right after you trip but before you hit the ground where you aren’t sure if you’re going to catch yourself or fall, but for months on end. On top of that, I felt bad about feeling bad. Wasn’t a two-book deal a dream? If I could offer readers a piece of advice, it might be this: don’t feel bad about your feelings. It doesn’t help. You might want to be selective about who you share your venting to, because not every group chat is right for a “my second book that’s already under contract is soooooo hard” chat and that’s reasonable! Finding your people who can help celebrate you and hold the hard with you is critical in this industry.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

KF: My latest book, 13 Ways to Say Goodbye, is a queer middle grade novel-in-verse about 12-almost-13 year old Nina, who sets out to finish her deceased older sister’s “13 Before 13” birthday goal list only to discover something magical happens each time she completes one of Lily’s unfinished goals. Set in Paris and its many art museums, 13 Ways is a story of grief, sisterhood, first love, art, magic, and ghosts. This book for me was a bit of a Ship of Theseus. While it was always a story of grief, sisterhood, and magic, the story began in my head in 2017 as a YA prose novel set in Boston with a magical elevator. By the time it hit the shelves, it was a MG novel-in-verse set in Paris with a magical to-do list. Both stories were about a younger sister grieving the loss of her older sister a few years after the death. Both stories were about how to grow up when the role model you’ve had for yourself is suddenly gone. But nearly everything else about the story had to change. As I wrote, re-wrote, re-imagined, revised, re-envisioned the hell out of this book, there were so many pieces that I wanted to work that just would not work. In the end, what made the book work was my ability to let go of certain pieces that had once felt so essential and to trust that it would, in fact, be the same story I had always wanted to tell. My biggest vent along the way was how hard it was to trust that the story would ever work. In some ways, I felt so far from the original story that I wasn’t sure it ever could work. My friends heard about this for years before it finally worked (shout out to them for listening for so long and trusting that I could get there even when I didn’t know for sure!). I suppose the lesson here is that you really do have to be okay with killing your darlings, because sometimes what’s on the other side of that death is something so much stronger.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

KF: Find your people. I would not have made it through my MFA program (during the pandemic no less!) without my writing friends and mentors. I would not have made it through my debut year without my Pride 5 queer kidlit friends, who hyped me up when things were hard and cheered me on with every little victory. Often in publishing, there’s very little transparency about how things work, how resources are distributed, and how much control you actually have over your work once it’s completed. So find your people who will celebrate you, let you vent, hear you out, and share their own vents with you, and then hold onto them as much as you can. Writing is an act of community. I hope you find yours.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Kate! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Kate and 13 WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE!

About 13 WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE

A novel-in-verse about life after loss, 13 Ways to Say Goodbye beautifully renders the power of sibling bonds, the depth of grief, and the strength of learning to love again, perfect for fans of Everywhere Blue and The Distance to Home, from the author of The Song of Us.

Nina always followed her older sister, Lily. But just before her thirteenth birthday, Lily died, leaving Nina behind forever.

In the three years since she lost her sister, Nina has completed Lily’s secret Before Birthday lists to continue in her footsteps. But now Nina is catching up. When Nina flies to Paris, France, and completes tasks that Lily never finished, Nina finds herself magically transported inside of her own memories, face-to-face with the ghosts of her past.

With her birthday looming and the last list running out, Nina is torn between visiting her sister in her memories and adventuring in the present, including crushing hard on her art classmate, Sylvie. Should she follow Lily’s instructions or try something new? And what happens when she finishes the list?

About Kate Fussner

Kate Fussner (she/her) is a novelist, teacher, and accidental poet living in Massachusetts with her wife and dramatic dog. She holds her B.A. in English from Vassar College, her M.Ed. from UMass Boston/Boston Teacher Residency, and her M.F.A. in Writing for Young People from Lesley University. Kate spent more than a decade teaching English for grades 6-12 for Boston Public Schools, where she created and implemented choice-based curriculum for her students, helping all students find joy in reading. Her partnership with her school’s teacher-librarian to build a school-wide culture of reading was the focus of several BPS professional developments and the BostonEd Talks in 2019. Her debut novel, The Song of Us (HarperCollins) was named a 2024 Notable Verse Novel by NCTE, longlisted for the MA Book Awards for YA/MG, and named a Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College of Education. Her second queer middle grade novel-in-verse, 13 Ways to Say Goodbye (HarperCollins), a story of grief, first love, art, Paris, and ghosts, released on March 18, 2025.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Even still, I had fun in 2025, which was a surprise to me amid everything going on around us *laughs nervously*. I’ve been outrageously honored by how much people have responded to my posts about the not-so-glamorous realities of author/artist life, so I thought I’d give y’all a look into my year-long lack of accomplishment so folks know that life still goes on when you don’t have a book out, you don’t sell a book, and nobody cares who you are (respectfully). I’m not saying this in a Woe is me way. I’m saying this in an uplifting You can be irrelevant for a while and still have purpose! sort of way because, let’s face it: The vast majority of us are going to be irrelevant in the larger culture conversation for the majority of our careers. Some might say that means we are gluttons for punishment (which we kind of are), but I also think it puts into perspective how creating art is about something more than wide recognition. Is it amazing to get recognition? I imagine it is but I wouldn’t know yet. The real reason we do what we do is up to each of us, and I’ll give you a look into what I consider the wins behind each of my professional failures. Let’s go!

I went on sub and most editors ghosted me

This is with a project I wrote a couple years ago that my agent and I thought deserved another go-around. We got two rejections rather quickly and eight crickets. Nary a peep. Maybe we should call this spiriting. It sounds more polite and proper than ghosting, and I think editors deserve that kind of respect. They’re not ghosting on purpose. They’re working their asses off, get hundreds if not thousands of submissions every year, and that’s on top of editing books they’ve actually acquired. So if they don’t have the time to look at my submission, or they don’t want to take what little time they do have to tell me it’s a no and would rather spend those minutes on the good news, I totally get it 👻

I wrote one book but it’s not on sub

After about nine-ish months through 2024 where I wasn’t feeling inspired at all, I finally had the lightning strike for what will hopefully become my adult debut. It took me all year to write. I got the first draft done in June, the second draft in August, and I’m working on finishing up the third draft now. I’d hoped to have a full book ready for sub by October, but that just didn’t work out. In all honesty, the state of the world got to me in September, and working on my books seemed futile, ha! Who knew existential dread could be a bigger obstacle than writer’s block? But I love this story (this is the Santa Krampus spicy cozy murder love story I’ve mentioned in the past), and I really hope someone snatches it up when it 🤞🏻hopefully🤞🏻 goes out on sub in January. But I came to the solid conclusion that if the spiriting trend continues and I hear back from no one, I’m going to self-publish this for next year’s holiday season. And if that happens, I’ll for sure keep y’all updated on how that works, because as of right now, I have literally no idea where to get started 💃🏼

I auditioned dozens of times and didn’t book anything

But god I loved each and every audition I got to film. I’m having so much fun! It’s so creatively fulfilling getting to know the characters that a casting director thinks I could be a good fit for. I filmed an audition that I was so proud of I couldn’t stand it (it was for a serial killer!). I surprised myself, and it was such an Aha to realize how in the actor side of my creative life, I underestimate what I can do. I think in the long run it will make me braver and more apt to try roles I wouldn’t have initially considered myself a good fit for.

Throughout the year, I auditioned for projects that let me be a village idiot, a bitchy house manager, a stoned wedding guest, an udder-obsessed robber. I auditioned for indie films, studio films, TV projects. Just having this opportunity is a dream come true. Do I want to book something? Obvi. But I’m having such a blast auditioning that booking would just be a cherry on top of a gift that I’m getting thanks to my agent and manager working their batooties off to get me these opportunities 🎬

I never got a screenwriting agent

I do think I leveled-up in my screenwriting though! For the first time, I got not one, but two finalist placements in a screenplay competition, as well as three semi-finalist placements, where in years past I never made it further than a quarterfinalist spot. So this feels like I’m headed in the right direction and I’m really hopeful I can snag a screenwriting agent/manager in 2026.

I failed to get publishing to remember I’m an audiobook narrator

In some respects, it’s nice that publishing houses are looking to me to write books. That at least, in some way, means I’ve made enough of a mark in that realm that they expect more from me (which I hope to give them!). But I also cannot overstate HOW MUCH I FUCKING LOVE TO NARRATE AUDIOBOOKS. I had three narration gigs come out this year that I’m so proud of and incredibly honored the authors and publishers let me be a part of (Steven Salvatore’s When Love Gives You Lemons, Navessa Allen’s Caught Up, and Zachary Sergi’s Love and Video Games). When I bring up my narration work to folks in publishing circles, I either get an Oh yeah, I forgot you do that! or an I didn’t know you narrate! I’m trying to change both of those responses in 2026. In the meantime, that feedback spurred me on to build a recording studio in my house, which I hope manifests more jobs and makes it easier for audio teams to work with me since they won’t have to rent out studio space 🎧

I left the internet despite publishing wisdom

I take this as a win despite hearing regularly that we *must* be online or we’ll drown in professional obscurity. I don’t think that’s the case. My accounts are still active, but I stepped back majorly from all platforms, and somehow I have more followers on Instagram now than I started the year with. That’s with having posted no more than 15 posts this year. I also went into my profile and deleted the vast majority of my posts as I figure out where I’m going creatively and artistically (wow that sounds so obnoxious) from here. Folks didn’t leave in droves the minute I stopped feeding the algorithm. This was a great way to realize the people who have followed me because they’re interested in my books are truly there for updates about my books, so I should have been focusing on those all along instead of worrying about whatever song and dance I was going to put online. Sure, when I have something to promote or updates I eventually put on there if 2026 picks up, those posts won’t be fed out to the masses as insistently by the Meta Overlord, but I’m confident the people that are meant to find what I post will find it. They’re still following me, they’ll check in, and as Dr. Ian Malcolm says, Life finds a way. 🦕

And that’s that for the ways in which 2025 didn’t really add many notches to my career belt that the world-at-large can see. But personally, I feel like I’m on the right track. I’m loving what I’m writing, I’m loving where acting is heading, I’m loving every time I get to sit in front of a microphone and record a book. In 2026, I hope that I get to show y’all more of my art in a variety of formats. Honestly, I will be disappointed if I don’t sell a book, don’t book a gig, don’t etc. etc. etc. But now I’m a little more settled in knowing that even if nothing happens that others can see, the year can still shape up to be fulfilling.

What about y’all? What accomplishments, big or small, did you make in 2025, whether or not the world saw them?

See you next year!

JJ ❤️

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Josh Funk (JF): This one is pretty easy. I wrote picture books in rhyme. And rhyming picture books have a stigma associated with them throughout all levels of the kidlit industry.

To be fair, it’s sort of a well-deserved stigma. A lot of writers (like me) start out thinking two things:

1. Picture books are short, so they’ll probably be the easiest things to write.

2. I always loved rhyming picture books growing up. And I love reading rhyming books like Iggy Peck, Architect and Llama, Llama Red Pajama and Circus Ship to the little ones in my life.

And we therefore conclude that we should start our kidlit writing careers by writing (1) picture books (2) in rhyme.

And we do. Like all writers, our first manuscripts are inevitably our worst. But we write them, get them critiqued, submit them, and get rejections.

And some of us stubbornly continue to write in rhyme, and we might improve our rhyming picture book manuscripts to the point where they’re worthy of publication.

Others, however, may decide that they would be better off writing picture books not in rhyme. Or they realize they prefer writing for older readers and start writing chapter books or YA (not thinking of anyone in particular here, this is just a general statement).

But FAR too many of us submit TERRIBLE rhyme to agents and editors. So the negative attitude toward rhyme is merited.

My first handful of picture book manuscripts ranked at various qualities between terrible and REALLY terrible. In retrospect, I never should have sent any of them out into the world. But after a couple years, I could sense that my writing was improving. I was figuring out all those rhyming mistakes one could make and mostly avoiding them. I joined a new critique group with writers at even more advanced stages in their careers and their feedback was encouraging.

But my queries were still getting no traction. In fact, out of 36 queries I sent out for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, I received two passes from agents who clearly read the manuscript, ten form rejections, and 24 black holes.

So, I tried submitting directly to publishers. And here, I had some luck. In 2013, I sent out three different manuscripts to a variety of publishers mostly via snail mail and a few via digital submission. All three garnered interest, and along with a personal recommendation from a friend of mine to their agent, we had offers on all three within a couple of months from Scholastic, Penguin, and Sterling.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to be multi-published? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

JF: I’ve been very fortunate over the last decade. My first book came out in 2015. Since then, I’ve had 20 more picture books released. And next spring (2026) I’ll have two more. I’ve worked with 7 different publishers for those 23 titles. But I’ve worked with 18 different editors.

How is that possible? I’ll break it down for you

● Sterling/Union Square: 9 books. 7 editors.

● Penguin: 4 books. 3 editors.

● Two Lions: 4 books. 1 editor.

● Macmillan: 2 books. 3 editors.

● Simon & Schuster: 2 books. 2 editors.

● Bloomsbury: 1 book. 3 editors.

● Scholastic: 1 book. 1 editor.

(Note: I know that adds up to 20 editors. But I actually worked with both S&S editors previously at Scholastic and Penguin. So technically, it’s only 18 different people, just two of them at two different publishers.)

So I guess my vent is the transient nature of the publishing industry. Some editors move to new children’s publishers. At least I can still submit to those at other places (as I’ve done with Simon & Schuster). Some move to adult publishing (so I can’t sub to them any more). Some become agents. Some leave the industry altogether. And the worst is when they get laid off (which has happened to two of my editors in the past 12 months - a circumstance far worse for them than for me, obviously).

I’ve gotten so many emails with subject lines like “Some news” or “A note from [insert editor name]” or “News from [insert publisher name]”. The first time I got one of those emails it was devastating. But it’s happened so many times I’ve become numb to it. It’s not that I expect it to happen, but I’m no longer surprised.

Of course, I’m not alone. Pretty much everyone goes through this sooner or later. I just seem to get a new editor once every six months or so. Sometimes it’s because I sold a book to a new house. But most of the time it’s not for a good reason.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this book?

JF: WHODONUT? A Holiday Mystery, illustrated by Brendan Kearney, is the 7th book in the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series. In this adventure, titular characters are invited to a special reading of Agatha Crispy’s new book at Gingerbread Mansion on Holiday Eve. But before Agatha Crispy can begin, the lone copy of her book is stolen! Pancake and Toast, along with a dozen other familiar characters throughout the series (Baron von Waffle, Inspector Croissant, Agent Asparagus, Count Caper, Professor Biscotti, Miss Steak et al.) split up and search the house à la Clue (the movie), including all manner of hilarious hijinx. Spoiler alert: the book is found. And the culprit is definitely who you’d suspect.

It’s honestly pretty amazing that I got to write seven books in a picture book series, let alone one that never made a best-seller list (unless you count that week in February, 2016 when LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST was the #8 best-selling picture book in St. Louis according to Publishers Weekly, thanks Novel Neighbor Bookstore!). The series as a whole has sold over 250,000 copies; and that’s even before WHODONUT was released.

Books 2 through 7 were all named to the Kids’ Indie Next List (by booksellers across the U.S.), and WHODONUT was actually named the #1 Kids’ Indie Next Pick for Sep/Oct 2025. The Union Square editorial team has been great to work with. Brendan is a dream illustrator. The Union Square marketing and publicity folks have been very attentive and supportive.

So what’s my vent? Union Square was acquired by Hachette a year ago. And while the Union Square team appreciated the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, I think it got lost in the transition to Hachette. Most likely, Hachette had all their sales conferences prior to integrating the Union Square list into theirs, so when it came time to share books with booksellers, WHODONUT wasn’t top of mind.

And despite being the NUMBER ONE Kids’ Indie Next Pick, many indie bookstores haven’t stocked it. I know it’s not because the previous books didn’t sell well. I’m pretty sure it just got lost in the shuffle.

By the time my next book with Union Square comes out, I hope (and believe) the Hachette sales team will be ready. And hopefully they’ll prioritize it when they go to B&N and all the indie bookstores.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

JF: For those at the beginning, my best advice is always to keep writing new things. We all love our first story (even if it’s a rhyming picture book). And you need to revise it, get it critiqued, revise some more, send it out to agents and/or editors and get rejections, revise some more, and so on.

But you’ll learn SO much about writing (both the craft and the industry) while doing all that. And your second story will start off in a much better place. And your third will be even better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a keynote speaker at a writing conference say something like, “and finally, the seventh novel I wrote sold to a publisher and became my debut.” And these are the keynote speakers!

For me, my first book, LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST, was the 10th picture book manuscript I wrote. I’ll never go back to those first few. I know now how flawed they were. Both in concept and execution. But I needed to write and revise and submit them to get to my 10th. And you will, too.

As far as multi-published authors, my best advice is to appreciate every step. There’s always something more out there to strive for that’s often out of our control. Things to be jealous about. (being a best-seller, being a #1 best-seller, being a multi-week #1 best-seller, getting an award seal on your book, getting the gold award seal on your book, etc.)

But I try to remember to step back and think about the fact that I’m a published author. I have a book that’s available at public libraries and bookstores and is read in schools. A book that kids and their parents read before bed. Maybe when that kid grows up, they’ll remember fondly a book that I wrote and it’ll make them feel nostalgic. And maybe they’ll read it to their own kid.

Sure, there are lots of things to vent about. But I wrote a published book. A book that kids actually read and enjoy. That’s pretty cool. And isn’t that why we do this, after all?

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Josh! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Josh and WHODONUT? A HOLIDAY MYSTERY!

About WHODONUT? A HOLIDAY MYSTERY

A thief is among us ... The newest Agatha Crispy book is here, and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have been invited to the very first reading on Holiday Eve! But when the lights go out and the book goes missing, everyone becomes a suspect. As the party splits up to search the mansion, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast team up once again. Will they be able to follow the clues and save the ending to the Miss Maple series, or will the culprit be at large forever?

About Josh Funk

Josh Funk is a software engineer and the author of books like the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, How to Code a Sandcastle, Dear Dragon, My Pet Feet, the ​It’s Not a Fairy Tale series, Lost in the Library, and more. His books have sold more than half a million copies worldwide and been translated into a dozen languages. He has presented (and virtually presented) at over 900 schools and libraries in the last decade since his first book was released. For more about Josh, visit joshfunkbooks.com and @joshfunkbooks on socials.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Ali Terese (AT): I wish I’d had the self-confidence to seek out a true business partner from the start of querying. In hindsight, I wonder if I was looking for more of a book friend, someone to validate that I was a real writer and everything was going to be okay, while sending my work out on submission. My goals were completely different when I queried again last year. I focused on searching for an agent who was an expert in their field, a confident negotiator, and a passionate advocate for their clients. Once things get moving, there are luckily lots of opportunities to make amazing book friends—debut group buddies, critique partners, other authors at your publisher, librarians and booksellers who you meet at events—but the agent search really needs to focus on connecting with a professional who sees you as the entrepreneur and artist that you are right now and have the ability to grow into.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to publish multiple books? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

AT: It can be really hard to focus on what actually sells the type of book you write! That goes for age category, genre, publisher-type, and where a particular book is positioned on that publisher’s list. For example what matters to my books as a mid-list middle grade contemporary author can look very different from what my favorite best-selling adult romantasy writer is doing. Writing it out like that makes the situation seem extremely obvious, but it can feel different when you’re in sales mode and think you should be doing everything possible to get the book out there! I write comedies and carry around 3ft-tall crochet uteruses, so my focus has always been at the intersection of fun and art. But since I sold my first book, I’ve also changed my personal marketing mindset from asking will-this-action-lead-to-a-sale to will-this-action-build-community-among-readers-for-the-type-of-book-I-write?

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

AT: VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. is a middle grade heist comedy! I call it Ted Lasso for tweens! Perhaps you can tell from the exclamation marks that I am wildly proud of it! Burned out soccer star Meg and fashionista Jo witness the kidnapping of their middle school mascot Babette the goat. They assemble a rag tag group of students to steal her back so they can then find true freedom for their four-legged, sweater chewing friend. Along the way, the students learn to stand up for their own rights as well, including their bodily autonomy, the human right we all have to make decisions for our own bodies and care. I write comedies about equity because I believe laugh-out-loud funny stories can really break the ice around difficult topics to get young readers thinking about their own rights and how they want the world to operate.

But there is physical pain in this book. Jo has juvenile arthritis, and Meg has a significant sports injury—two things I experienced as a kid. And I was recovering from a painful illness and surgery while I was writing it. My vent was that I kept questioning whether my experiences with pain were dragging the story down or if I was veering the other way toward toxic positivity. In the end, the solution was to get out of my own head, which I feel like should be the first answer to most writing problems. I fully embraced the book world I created and asked these chaotically optimistic, yet realistic tween characters to tell me what they were experiencing rather than me trying to say something through them.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

AT: Have an artistic goal for your project in addition to your sales, marketing, and publicity goals. Something that you can strive for and be really honest with yourself about whether you achieved it in the end. When I was cleaning up my desk after VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. pass pages were finished, I found the note I’d written to myself in preparation for my very first editor meeting with the fabulous Aly Heller at Aladdin because I wanted to make sure we were on the same page. It said, “the most important thing I want to say with this book is: a girl must make decisions about her own body - she’ll grow into a woman who makes decisions about her body and won’t accept anything else.” And all these years later, after all the drafts, the self-doubt, the struggles, the many many many vents, I was able to say to myself, I DID THAT! I also cried. Honestly, I am crying again right now thinking about it all. Because no matter what else happens with this book, I made art that was important to me and that I hope others can connect with and enjoy.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Ali! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Ali and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T.!

About VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T.

From the author of National Book Award–longlisted Free Period comes a new hijinks-fueled comedy about finding your voice, perfect for fans of Carrie Firestone and Lisa Yee!

Sporty Meg and fashionista Jo don’t have much in common besides being seventh graders at Somerset Middle School, where everyone is obsessed with being voted the Greatest of All Time and celebrated at the Harvest Ball. But when their mascot Somerset Babette (a.k.a. the world’s cutest goat) is kidnapped, Jo and Meg are wrongfully accused of being the culprits.

The burned-out soccer star and chronically ill overachiever band together and assemble a rag-tag squad to steal the goat back. Banter, activism, self-care, double-crosses, big shenanigans, and even bigger feelings follow as the girls fight to change how animals are treated at their school and achieve true freedom for their four-legged, sweater-chewing friend in this laugh-out-loud middle-grade heist centering friendship and bodily autonomy.

About Ali Terese

Ali Terese is a middle grade and YA author who writes funny and heartfelt stories including FREE PERIOD (Scholastic – 2024) and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (Aladdin / Simon & Schuster – 2025). Her work has been longlisted for the National Book Award, received starred reviews in School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, an Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award, a Kids’ Indie Next selection, and spots on the American Library Association’s RISE list, the Chicago Public Schools Battle of the Books, Texas Lone Star Reading List, Garden State Teen Book Award List, and DC Three Stars Book Award List. Visit Ali online for book bonuses, giveaways, and resources like discussion guides, recipes, and craftivism projects at aliterese.com.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started on your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time?

A. A. Vacharat (AAV): Publishing says it wants originality, but it has so many systemic barriers for authors who want to do something different.

How often have you heard it on a panel? Read it on a #MSWL?: “I want something I’ve never seen before. Something totally new.”

I believe they believe they want that. But even if the agents and editors genuinely do, they usually can’t take those books—because they know they won’t convince their team at acquisitions, and sales and marketing can’t count on selling them to the public.

Something “new” won’t have comps—and that means no evidence of sellability, and no connections that publishers can use to shuffle readers from one title to the next (“you might also like…”). Your very original Victorian ghost story corporate thriller cookbook won’t have tried-and-true keywords for SEO and algorithm-baiting.

Corporate capitalism isn’t set up for newness. The system demands our work be derivative in order to be “original” enough to sell. It needs to be pitchable as “WELL-KNOWN-THING but dragon school instead of wizards.”

Before I met my agent, Kelly, I sent out THIS MOTH SAW BRIGHTNESS (my satirical, semi-literary thriller/mystery-esq speculative novel) to forty agents who said they wanted “something new,” or “genre-bending” work; I got one request for a full—and that was ultimately a rejection.

It speaks to a fundamental brokenness in the industry. Agents and editors enter publishing because of their love of books. But they so often have to pass on the books they love—the books they believe should exist not to pay someone’s rent, but because they make the world better.

Of course, there are exceptions.

For me, I didn’t get an agent because the system worked as promised; I got one because of relationships and sustained work (things, it should be noted, that not all people have the time and resources and privilege to develop). Kelly invited me to read for her because of our shared network—we’d attended the same graduate program, a decade apart. For two years, I critiqued manuscripts from her slush pile. That work built her trust in my judgment, and when I finally sent her my novel, she read past the “unsellable” impulse and signed it because she loved it—even though she believed (she only told me this after the book had a pub date) it would be very hard to place. And my editor—who was the editor I wanted from the moment I finished the first draft in 2016—is one of the rare few with the privilege to take on projects that don’t have a pre-defined, easy-to-target market.

I worry about all the fantastic, original books we’ll never see—because their writers gave up, or gave in.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to write more manuscripts? How did your frustrations change?

AAV: I thought I was emotionally and mentally prepared for the marketing frustrations. I wasn’t.

I expected it to be like teamwork, as long as I made it clear that I was willing and able to play on their team—to do the work of it—that they would contribute a bit of support.

To be very clear: the marketing teams are trying to meet sales goals and expectations presumably set by someone else, to market and sell too many books on too little time, and they are doing the best they can given the constraints of The System. Still, it’s frustrating, perhaps more so, because there is no specific person to go to, no easy solution to fix it.

It’s a lot of small things that make you feel like your efforts—and your book—don’t much matter. The way you post or send ideas and emails and the publisher doesn’t acknowledge them. The errors (e.g. your book’s title and cover, but with another book’s description) in the content the publisher puts out.

A specific example: I’d wanted to do a collaborative post for Autism Acceptance month—it was good timing, a month before my book release, and there aren’t many books with authentic autistic characters out there, and RFK Jr was in the public discourse for his anti-autism rhetoric and proposed autism registry. There was, I thought, a great opportunity to point out the uncanny relevance of THIS MOTH SAW BRIGHTNESS, a novel about corrupt governing and conspiracies, which brings up the question of why humans repeatedly get the urge to decide who is worthy of living. But I never got a response from marketing. Months later, the publisher put up a post with suggested books for disability pride month, but did not include my novel.

When I asked my agent about this, she reported that I shouldn’t worry myself—that all of this is totally typical. Which is ironically even more worrisome—this is so normalized in the industry that authors are being told to accept and ignore it. It’s a recipe for learned helplessness.

What makes it worse is the pressure the publishers are putting on authors to market themselves. For a current project on sub, I was required to research and write “The Marketing Plan.” There are so many problems with this, the least of which is that I, as an author, do not have any tools or knowledge to write a competent or meaningful marketing plan. Why do publishers want whatever bullshit—because it will be bullshit—I create?

I wish that sharing information with authors was the default. The industry implies they want you—expect you—to be part of the marketing team but with none of the data or tools. You don’t get any information from them—sales numbers, sales expectations, what has and hasn’t worked for selling your book, their target audiences, what they are working on behind the scenes.

Marketing should be call and response: try, measure and analyze, then adjust. You throw things at a wall and see what sticks. But all authors can do is throw stuff at a wall they can’t see, just throw and throw and throw never knowing if they are even hitting the wall let alone sticking to it. The question about whether we can “move the needle” feels unanswerable because we have no way of seeing the needle.

To be fair—I’ve never gotten this pressure from my publisher. I truly don’t think they care if I try to sell the book at all, which of course has the pro of making me feel less pressure but the con of making me feel even more irrelevant.

Again—I don’t blame the individuals on the marketing team, they are doing truly huge lift with what little they are given. But something has to give. The industry can’t survive like this, especially with increasing options for self-publication—at some point authors will start to wonder…what’s the point of hopping on board? It’s a hamster wheel in quicksand.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book? And what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

AAV: I’m currently working on a middle grade mystery about a girl who loses her cat on a spaceship, and it’s heavily reliant on illustrations. I’m having a great time, with nothing to complain about except, perhaps, the pressure I feel not to write it. Because my first novel was a YA, I “should” be writing another YA. The world caters to people—like it does to novels—who fit in definable boxes. The algorithms and markets reward consistency. Heaven forbid we authors should want to keep learning and evolving as artists.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

AAV: If you’re feeling the pressure to make your work more like other work you’re seeing succeed, take a step back. Study everything you’ve made—not just writing, not only published work, and ask: Which pieces made me proud? Which felt the most satisfying?

Then, line them up and look for what they share. Maybe they’re all funny. Maybe they’re joyful, centered around certain themes or issues, or unapologetically strange. That’s the thread of you-ness woven through your work.

When you know that thread, you can hold onto it. That’s your brand. You won’t be as likely to try to be blown off your creative path and into whatever generic brand box the industry is holding out for you.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, A. A.! Author-passengers, read below for more info about A. A. and THIS MOTH SAW BRIGHTNESS!

About THIS MOTH SAW BRIGHTNESS

For fans of Severance’s unnerving blend of humor and insight, and appreciators of A.S. King’s bold stylistic choices, this weird and un-put-downable novel captures the dislocation of growing up BIPOC and neurodivergent in a country awash in both conspiracy theories and genuine conspiracies. ‘Wayne Le—known as “Invisible-D”, or “D”—knows he’s a disappointment. When John’s Hopkins University offers him the chance to participate in a prestigious study, D jumps at the chance to make his father proud. The program seems strange but simple. As it progresses, though, the study begins to seem not-so-ordinary, and D teams up with with crush Jane, and best friend Kermit, to try to uncover the truth about the program’s purpose. They find themselves sucked into an M. C. Escheresque maze of conspiracies that might be entirely in their heads or might truly be a sinister government plot.

About A. A. Vacharat

A. A. Vacharat is an author, illustrator and web developer. Her books include elements of science, technology, and usually a touch of absurdity. She includes characters that her child-self longed to see—such as children with one Asian parent and autistic protagonists—and portrays worlds beyond those most often seen.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE (2017, picture book)

• $10K Advance

• 34 copies sold this period; 32 hardcover + 2 e-book

• No royalties earned, BUT there was an exciting development this last period where WHOBERT sold into the Scholastic Education bookclub, and I got a $750 payment for subsidiary rights for it to be placed in that club. So I went from being just under $2K from earning out, to being $1,200 away from breaking even. This is a fun reminder that your book can be old in the grand scheme of things and something unexpected can happen to jumpstart sales. It’s been eight years since WHOBERT came out, and now we’ve got this club inclusion that could generate new royalties. What a hoot! 🦉

PORCUPINE CUPID (2020, picture book)

• $10K Advance

• 105 copies sold this period; 94 hardcover + 11 e-book

• No royalties earned. Most of these copies sold in the three weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day as it’s a Valentine’s picture book ❤️ I’m now just over $5.1K away from earning out, a $100 change since the last royalty report.

MERMICORN ISLAND Series (2021, four chapter books, joint accounting*)

*Joint accounting means all four books in this series were grouped together in terms of royalties, so that I wouldn’t earn royalties until all four books earned out

• $34K Advance (For all four books combined)

• 5,038 copies sold this period across all formats (Going into detail of paperback, hardcover, e-book, and fairs for all four books is tough with these ones, but typically most of these are paperback editions sold at book fairs). This number is more than twice what sold last period, and I haven’t the slightest as to why there’s been an increase in sales, especially when checking these past couple months, it looks like the second book in the series is going out of print. So a surprising but fin-tastic increase in royalties here 🦄

• $1,044.58 royalties earned

JAY’S GAY AGENDA (2021, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance + $10K sales bonus (also treated as an advance)

• 1,299 copies sold this period; 43 hardcover + 475 paperback + 242 e-book + 539 audiobook

• $1,371.17 royalties earned

• Total copies sold dropped by about 750 compared to last period. But it’s been over four years since publication, and I’m just gobsmacked that this is still selling over 1K copies across formats in a six-month time frame. Thanks, readers! 📓

OUT OF THE BLUE (2022, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance + $10K sales bonus (also treated as an advance)

• 1,991 copies sold this period; 104 hardcover + 610 paperback + 538 e-book + 739 audiobook

• $1,768.86 royalties earned

• Royalties this period are only about $315 down from last period, so this feels roughly even to me. Paperback copies and e-book sales went up from last period, while hardcover was down a smidge, and audio was down by about 400 downloads. 🧜🏻‍♂️

NEVER FORGET ELEANOR (2023, picture book)

• $17,500 Advance

• -115 copies sold this period; -119 hardcover + 4 e-book

• No royalties earned. I believe this is the first accounting period where we’ve seen a net negative thanks to copies returned. I’m about $8,800 from earning out, a backwards jump of $100 since last period.

RILEY WEAVER NEEDS A DATE TO THE GAYBUTANTE BALL (2023, young adult novel)

• $50K Advance

• -159 copies sold this period; -93 hardcover + -150 paperback + 36 e-book + 44 audiobook + 4 Physical Audio (probably CD)

• No royalties earned. So, still eking out the occasional e-book and audio download (also you should listen to the audio! I narrate it spectacularly, if I do say so myself, ha! But seriously, I’m very proud of the performance in this book, and had an audio narrator I really admire tell me they play a section of it to their colleagues often #shamelessplug), but those downloads aren’t enough to counteract the returns in print formats. This period we’re at $37.3K away from earning out, another backwards jump since last accounting period.

THE SPELLS WE CAST (2023, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance

• 829 copies sold this period; 479 hardcover + 2 e-book + 348 audiobook

• No royalties earned. I’m still about $28.8K away from earning out.

THE MAGIC YOU MAKE (2024, young adult novel)

• $40K Advance

• 141 copies sold this period; -261 hardcover + 34 e-book + 368 audiobook

• No royalties earned. I’m still about $36.4K away from earning out, a $100 jump backward from last period.

FLOPPING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND (2024, young adult novel)

• $50K Advance

• -252 copies sold this period; -842 hardcover + 161 e-book + 415 audiobook + 14 Physical Audio (probably CDs)

• No royalties earned. A negative amount of copies sold as I expected this period since Christmas didn’t fall in it and I figured bookstores would clear out their holiday stock in the spring. But, I am now about $29.7K away from earning out, a jump of about $1,800 in my favor thanks to a reversal of a small reserve against returns (it’s normal for most publishers to keep a reserve of some of your royalties in anticipation of copies of your book being returned from bookstores). I’m curious to see how royalties shape up next period since Christmas will be within that accounting statement and because no paperback edition is being issued this year. I wonder if the hardcover will have a second life of sorts with the return of the Holly Jolly season, or if digital downloads will reign supreme. I’ve been keeping a weekly tally of FLOPPING’s sales numbers reported to BookScan so that after the first of the year, I can give you a look at what a mid-list holiday book’s numbers could look like. Ho ho ho! 🎅🏻

TOTAL ROYALTIES EARNED THIS PERIOD: $4,184.61

Only about $160 less than last period, so this feels like sales are staying relatively even. We’ll see if and how that changes as we head into next year where it will have been over a year since my last release with no new books slated to come out or contracted. My guess is that sales will decline more than I saw between this period and last, unless FLOPPING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND gets a nice holiday season boost. I’m also thinking that because I’m decidedly less online through social media channels, new readers will have had much fewer opportunities to find me, and that could also result in less sales. For my sanity, I’ve had to step back from the internet (he says as he posts this on a website), and I’m curious to see just how much being online does or does not affect my sales. It’ll take a few royalty periods to really determine this, but it’s one of the data points I’m looking forward to seeing in the next accounting period.

Now, let’s add up royalties from the spring with this fall’s number and see how much I’ve earned from my books in 2025.

TOTAL ROYALTIES EARNED THIS YEAR: $8,529.53

This is just about $300 less than my total royalties earned for 2024. Unless I sell the one book I have on submission, or get booked for an acting or audiobook gig before January, my total yearly income from the arts will be right around $12K. Whew. A dry year. I’m in that wonderful position of having a spouse who keeps our life running, but I want to share this info for any writers who are looking to take the leap into full-time artist mode so they have as much data as possible and a realistic look at how some years can be really, really lean, even after you’ve had banger years before. If anyone has any questions, feel free to put them in the comments, or if you’d like to remain anonymous, you can always email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com.

That’s all for Fall 2025 Royalty Statements! Until next time!

-JJ

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Caroline Carlson (CC): I’m not sure I’ve ever spoken about my first book deal entirely honestly in public, but in the spirit of venting, I’m going to do that here. What you should keep in mind is that I sold my first book, Magic Marks the Spot, almost fifteen years ago, in a publishing landscape that was very different than the one we face now, and I had the sort of submissions experience that makes other writers want to grab you by the toes and dangle you off the top of a high building. So I hope you’ll understand that I say all of this in the most apologetic way possible (Sorry! Sorry!):

When I queried agents with my first middle grade manuscript—not the first I’d written, by a long shot, but the first I’d attempted to publish after years of work—I received offers of representation within a week. A month after that, my manuscript had sold to a major publisher in a three-book pre-empt. I was young; the deal was life-changing; I suddenly had the career I’d always dreamed of writing books for kids, and I knew I was supposed to be deliriously happy.

I was happy, of course, and grateful and overwhelmed and all the other things you might expect to feel if you’d just been hit over the head with your dream come true. I was also very, very anxious. Would I be able to revise my book to my editor’s expectations and write two more in the series? What if my publisher was disappointed by my sales? Had I chosen the right home for my books? Was this the beginning of a sustainable career? I remember feeling a huge amount of pressure, mostly self-imposed, as I learned that life holds just as many worries after selling a book as it did before. The biggest difference was that I felt like I was no longer allowed to complain. Telling your writer friends that you are having an existential crisis about your extraordinarily lucky publishing deal seemed like a great way to lose writer friends. So I didn’t vent at all.

Of course, I was truly fortunate to have that early enthusiasm from my publishing team and all the wonderful people who brought my first book into the world. I will always be grateful for their faith in my work and for the financial support that made my life as a writer possible. But those earliest moments in my career were emotionally tough and a little lonely in a way that I still don’t love talking about, and my heart goes out to all debut authors who are grappling with conflicting emotions that they might not feel comfortable sharing. (If you’re reading this, please feel free to reach out and vent to me any time!)

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to publish multiple books? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

CC: The longer I stick around in publishing, the more convinced I am that the shape of a typical long-term writing career isn’t linear. For many of us, it looks more like a wheel of fortune: Sometimes you’re on top; sometimes you’re at the bottom; sometimes you’re on the side of the wheel and not exactly sure which direction you’re going. These days, my vents are mostly about how frustrating it is that there’s very little you can do to control that wheel. Your writing can be great, you can work really hard, you can hustle and be friendly and thoughtful and prompt—all things that would get you ahead in any normal job—but none of those admirable qualities seem to nudge the wheel of publishing fortune very much.

Over the years, I’ve had professional highs (reviews in major publications! Invitations to panels and conferences! Readers writing to me to tell me that my books are dear to them!) and lows (an agent retirement! Rejected manuscripts! Watching books I poured my heart into slip through the cracks!). But none of those moments, good or bad, had much to do with the quality of my work or with my worth as a person. It can feel frustrating to keep going around on the wheel of publishing fortune yourself, and it's equally hard to see beloved friends and colleagues on the lower parts of their own rides when you know how hard they’ve worked and how talented they are. In those low moments, I choose to believe that if we can keep hanging on to that infuriating wheel by writing the stories we care about, we’ll eventually find ourselves heading skyward.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

CC: While The Tinkerers is my seventh novel for young readers, it feels personal to me in a way that’s brand new. It’s about a twelve-year-old boy named Peter who’s an anxious kid, a perfectionist, with an almost magical belief that as long as he never makes any mistakes, everything in his world will be okay. It’s a feeling I’ve been familiar with my whole life. You might be familiar with it, too.

But Peter lives in a world where magic is real, where brightly colored wisps of starstuff fly through the night skies like a fantastic aurora. Researchers come to Peter’s mountain village to collect this magical starstuff and harness its power, and when they create a starstuff machine that can turn back time by only a few minutes, Peter realizes that he could use this machine to erase all the little mistakes he makes every day. He might even be able to fix some of his very worst mistakes from the past.

Oh, and there are spies and pranks and a cozy hot chocolate restaurant, and thoughts about friendship and civil disobedience and hiking and whether there can be more than one way to tell the truth. (It’s a long book!)

My biggest vent about creating The Tinkerers is that it was an incredibly complex process! But that’s my own fault, because I set out to challenge myself with this book, and wow, did I succeed. The story is told in documents, so the narrative weaves together Peter’s reflections with letters, radio newscasts, original folktales, and even transcripts from surveillance cameras—all of which were a total blast to write, but tricky to organize. Because the story is set in an imagined world with a complex magic system and some mystery elements, I ended up writing dozens of pages of backstory, drawing maps and floor plans, and building a hyper-detailed timeline, all so I wouldn’t get too confused while I was writing and revising. (You can see that whole process in the “Behind the Book” series that I wrote for my own newsletter, The Scuttlebutt!)

I am really proud of The Tinkerers, and I hope readers of all ages will enjoy it, but I particularly hope it’ll find its way to anyone who struggles with anxiety or perfectionism—or anyone who loves a good adventure.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

CC: While most of your admirable qualities might not move your own wheel of fortune very much, one trait that will make a real difference in your publishing career is stubbornness. You are a writer: Be stubborn about that! Refuse to relinquish the title! Keep doing this important work as well as you can for as long as it feels right, with as much generosity and joy as you can muster.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Caroline! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Caroline and THE TINKERERS!

About THE TINKERERS

The astromancers in Peter’s star-touched village have an amazing device that nudges time—surely it wouldn’t hurt if Peter used it to fix a few mistakes? Cozy fantasy alight with wonder from the author of Wicked Marigold.

When Peter leads two Tinkerers to his family’s inn in Stargazers Valley, he imagines they’re like other astromancers, researchers from the Imperial College who study starstuff. The valley is a special place, where the magical aurora called the Skeins appear in the sky and starstuff falls in their wake, as thin and wispy as fluff from a seed pod. But starstuff is powerful, and astromancers are the only people allowed to handle it—a law enforced by the strict and stealthy Outbounder Task Force. When Peter discovers the Tinkerers have used starstuff to invent an incredible not-a-clock that can turn back time for a few minutes, he realizes it’s his chance to undo his mistakes: if he can go back and put away his new boots, he doesn’t need to add their destruction by falcons to his list of ten worst mistakes (#7: stepping on a star-eating newt). But while using the not-a-clock is easy, stopping using it is hard. And maybe not everything that feels like a mistake at the time actually is. Family, friendship, and budding self-confidence are at the heart of Caroline Carlson’s stellar fantasy.

About Caroline Carlson

Caroline Carlson is the author of funny and fantastical books for young readers, including The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy, The World’s Greatest Detective, The Door at the End of the World, and Wicked Marigold. Her novels have won accolades from the New York Times, the American Booksellers Association, Bank Street College of Education, the American Library Association, and Junior Library Guild, among others. She is the children’s book columnist for the website Literary Hub.

Caroline holds a BA from Swarthmore College and an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family. Visit her online at carolinecarlsonbooks.com.

Substack: carolinecarlson.substack.com

Instagram: instagram.com/carolinecarlsonbooks/

Facebook: facebook.com/carolinecarlsonbooks

Bluesky: carolinecarlson.bsky.social

Threads: threads.com/@carolinecarlsonbooks

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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I write middle grade novels, and when I started writing for this age range I wasn't aware of school visits or the expectation for middle grade authors to do them. For folks not in the children's book space, a lot of authors will visit schools and give presentations on writing / their publishing journey / etc, in exchange for a fee or a minimum book buy. This is an amazing way to get your book into the hands of readers and build direct connections in the school/library market, which is such a key avenue for children's book sales. Some authors are even able to be full time authors because of the income they earn through school visits.

Anyways, my vent is that I already have a full time day job that I need to keep, for the salary and the health insurance. And my publisher really wants me to be doing more school visits (that I would have to set up myself, of course). But I have limited vacation days, and I'm not interested in spending them that way! Plus, then you're also dealing with more complicated taxes and invoicing and all the backend work that makes those visits profitable. Not to mention that you have to build the presentations in the first place, and then reach out to schools and PTAs and negotiate fees and and and... it's just a lot of work. Kudos to anyone who is doing it!

My publisher does not pay me enough to write full time, so I need my day job. But now they are acting like my day job is getting in the way of successfully marketing my book to schools. Worse of all, I'm starting to feel like my publisher thinks that I'm not pulling my weight--like I'm being a bad partner in this book-selling team. And the straight-A student in me hates that feeling. But at the same time, I'm sitting here like... pay me more and I'd be happy to! Also, isn't marketing my book to schools and libraries your job? You have a whole (I'm sure equally overworked and underpaid) school and library marketing team.

What are we supposed to do about all the expectations placed on authors, when so many of us are being paid so little for our actual writing? I already have two jobs (my day job and writing), I'm simply not interested in picking up a third with school visits.

I couldn’t agree with you more, Not Here To Visit. Visiting schools, in my opinion, should not be an expectation of middle grade authors or any author, for that matter. Do I think that a publisher should mention school visits as an avenue to sell books? Absolutely. But do I think there should be pressure to do them? Absolutely not.

Do I think that middle grade authors who do school visits probably sell more copies of their work on average than authors who don’t? Yes. Just like I think authors of works for any age range who have billboards or NYT ads or talk show segments featuring their books would, on average, sell more copies. But it would be unreasonable for a publisher to expect authors to foot the bill for all of these things. Just like I think it’s unreasonable for it to be expected that a MG author takes on the burden (read: expenses) of school visits, including but not limited to time away from work (or using vacation days that should be spent on vacation instead of going to this other form of work), the time it takes to create presentations, the time it takes to book visits, to do taxes, etc. etc. etc. If the publisher isn’t willing to cover the costs of those expenses, it shouldn’t be a burden that MG authors are expected to take on. Not to mention, we’re in an increasingly volatile climate towards authors of books for children where one rogue parent can really ruin the experience for authors, school administrators, and students. Nobody should be guilted for not wanting to take that on.

You hit the nail on the head, Not Here To Visit: you’re an author. You’ve already done the authoring. In addition to your day job that’s paying the bills and giving the insurance, it is not at all unreasonable to expect your remaining time to be spent on continuing to author by writing the next book. Sure, some could argue that by hitting the pavement and going school to school you’re setting up an audience to buy the next book, but if all your time is spent building that audience and not writing, there, in fact, won’t be a next book.

Also, I’m not entirely sold that kids themselves care if you come to their school. Yes, there will be some that think it’s so, so cool to hear from an author, and many writers have been set on their authorly path when they had that first Aha moment that being an author was an actual job thanks to a real life author visit. But for most kids, I think they’re just excited to not be in class, and honestly, I don’t know that a presentation will steer them away from the depressing trend of kids reading less and less. If I were in your shoes, I’d say the best investment of my time would be to write the next thing and try to focus all my energy on crafting a novel that hooks MG readers rather than trying to be a salesperson of sorts.

This is not at all to say that I think authors who vibe with school visits should stop doing them! If you are good at school visits and want to do them, or have found ways to be in demand enough that it can supplement your writer income and serve the overall purpose of creating more books, then 100% absolutely continue to do visits! This is to say, though, that just because some authors are immensely good at school visits, it shouldn’t become an expectation for all authors to do them. In fact, I’m sure some of those authors that love doing school visits would prefer less authors do them so they can get more of those speaking gigs, and who could blame them!

I’m right there with you as a straight-A people pleaser, but let’s breakdown the myth that it makes you a bad author if you aren’t doing school visits with some good ol’ fashioned numbers. Middle grade author and data analyst, Sam Subity, has some great articles (here and here) showing a low estimate of MG books published yearly in the recent past at 500-ish. With that number in mind, I doubt that even half of those 500 authors are doing school visits regularly. Maybe one-offs here and there, but I’d venture to say that the majority of authors are like you and can’t take time away from their families and day jobs to make school visits a regular part of their career. I highly doubt that the publishing powers that be see those hundreds of authors (thousands, when we add them up year after year) who don’t go school to school as failures or unwilling to play the game (and if they do, then they’re mad at literally hundreds of people a year, and not just you!), which leads me to my last little tidbit of advice:

Analyze whether that pressure you’re feeling is coming from inside your own house, i.e. your head. I truly fully relate to you in wanting to make everybody happy and be the ultimate of team players, so when there are times that I have to say no to something for whatever reason, I cannot stop thinking about it. My inner guilt then can make the simple ask from the publishing team seem like a much greater demand when they didn’t mean for it to come across that way at all, simply because I can’t stop focusing on how I “let them down”, which was really me just saying, “Sorry, I can’t, and here’s why” and my editor or whoever asked literally never, ever thought about it again, still saw me as a great contributor, and our relationship was unchanged. In your situation, I’d say if you’ve gotten more than three gentle nudges (something like an editor or sales team member pointing out the benefits of school visits) and you’ve made it clear that school visits aren’t feasible for you (which, again, I think is so reasonable!) and your team keeps coming back with more hints about doing school visits, then yeah, that feels like pressure. If you’re getting regular e-mails from the publisher asking if you’re available for specific school events as they come up, then I’d actually read that as a great thing and not as pressure. It’s your publisher saying, “Hey! This event came up and you’re top of mind for us!” Still, saying no is totally reasonable because of all the costs we’ve already gone over, but it is nice to be thought of for specific events.

Should the time ever come where you think school visits are right for you, I know there are booking agencies out there that will do the reaching out to schools for you and can be a wonderful intermediary so you aren’t spending all your time working out the nitty gritty details of each visit. This presents the problem of having to research those agencies and querying them, but I know there are some great agencies out there who make sure authors get good rates and clear contract terms. Also, many independent bookstores are ready to team up with authors to handle the sales portion of school visits. So, if you take the plunge into visits (and I’m definitely not saying this should be an expectation; I wouldn’t/won’t do them either!), there are folks out there who can help take some of the visiting burden off your plate.

In the meantime, imagine me giving you a daily affirmation that you are perfect just the way you are, school visits or not 💖

-JJ

What about you, author-passengers? Do you think MG authors should be expected to do school visits? Any tips on how to do them in a way that doesn’t make it feel like an entirely new job to take on? Any other ways you get the word out about your books that have felt more rewarding and/or less time- and resource-consuming than school visits? Let us know in the comments below. If you’d like to remain anonymous, e-mail me your replies at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP, and I’ll include your thoughts without your name attached.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Lacey N. Dunham (LND): I attempted to publish a book more than a decade ago. I wasn't picked up by an agent and it was devastating. I stopped writing for several years. I wish I'd known then more about the business of publishing as separate from the act of writing—one is capitalistic and the other is creative. Because at the end of the day, a book is a product. It's about sales, about profit and loss spreadsheets. And everything about getting an agent or going on sub to editors is about the product, not the act of creation. They are entirely different beasts.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to write more manuscripts? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

LND: The Belles is my debut. Writing new work has been challenging alongside the promotion of my debut novel—both are exhausting, both are necessary, and often there aren't enough hours in the day. Many writers have day jobs, myself included, so you're juggling several balls often while on deadline. I become a hermit, put my phone on focus-mode, and turn down every social invitation for the weeks or months it takes to go finish a draft or revisions.

I think there's a cultural romanticism of writing where writers are drinking until the wee morning hours at lavish parties while sharing Deep Thoughts, or whatever. But for me at least, it's really self-enforced isolation. It's going to bed at 9pm and waking at 5:30am to get the work done around life's other obligations.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

LND: The Belles is a Southern gothic dark academia novel about a mysterious outsider desperate to prove herself to a clique of privileged girls at her elite women's college. It's a sinister novel wrapped in a cotton candy exterior about the consequences of conformity, toxic white femininity, and the desperation to belong no matter the consequences. It's also spooky and atmospheric and entertaining.

I actually enjoyed the writing and revision process for The Belles! I learned a lot about myself as a writer. I also learned that it's important to write what I want to write. Not the thing that makes me look smart or literary. Not the thing that my imposter syndrome would insist I write. This was actually quite hard to do. I'm a first-generation college graduate and grew up working class, so I think I internalized a lot of messages about the arts and creativity, which long felt out of reach as a career. Once I stopped listening to those privileged (and often elitist) voices, I was able to write The Belles.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

LND: 1. First and foremost, very few writers make a full-time living off their books. I don't begrudge those who do, but I think lots of aspiring writers see this as the end goal, and it's simply not realistic. I believe transparency and conversation around the finances of a writing career is empowering.

2. Set up a separate writer email account. I didn't, and I deeply regret it.

3. If it's accessible to you, have a good therapist. Don't wait until you have a book deal or are imminently debuting or have a career crisis to get one.

4. Don't let publishing's capitalistic definitions of success define your personal success. You can't control any of it and you'll lose your mind trying. Focus on the writing and be the best damn writer you can be. Write for yourself, and then worry about everyone else.

5. Find community with fellow writers. Enthusiastically and genuinely uplift them at every opportunity. Other writers aren't your competition; they're your colleagues and friends. Be generous. Be kind. Be excited for others.

JJ: I love every last item in your words of wisdom, Lacey! Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Lacey and THE BELLES!

About THE BELLES

It’s 1951 at secluded Bellerton College, and Deena Williams is an outsider doing her best to blend in with her wealthy and perfectly groomed peers. Infamous for its strict rules as much as its prestige, attending Bellerton could give Deena the comfortable life she’s always dreamed of.

She quickly forms an alliance with a powerful clique of wealthy girls, the most promising of their class: The Belles. They walk the college’s halls in menacing unison, matching velvet ribbons in their hair. But no sisterhood comes without secrets, and the Belles are no exception. As Deena begins to piece together Bellerton's sinister history, her own past threatens to come to light, forcing her to make a dangerous choice.

A chilling and seductive coming-of-age story, The Belles is an excavation of the dark side of girlhood, the intricacies of privilege, and the unbridled desire to belong at any cost. Southern gothic meets dark academia, The Belles is perfect for fans of The Secret History, Heathers, and Bunny.

About Lacey N. Dunham

Lacey N. Dunham has received fellowships and grants from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Sewanee Writers Conference, and Catapult. A former independent bookseller, she lives in Washington, DC with too many books but only two cats. Find her at laceyndunham.com.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Erin Becker (EB): When I signed with my first agent around a decade ago, I didn’t know much about the business. That meant I didn’t know what to expect or what the norms were when we went out on submission. I know different agents take different approaches to the submission process, but looking back, I wish I had asked more questions throughout that first experience being on sub. I wasn’t filled in on who we were submitting to, what the strategy was, or what we were hearing from editors. After a while, I just heard that the manuscript hadn’t sold, and that was that. Now, I know that not selling a manuscript is super common. But I now also know that it’s fine to ask for more information, support, and communication throughout the submission process!

I feel like this comes up in nearly every edition of The Vent, but it bears repeating: your relationship with your agent is a business partnership. So if something about that relationship isn’t working for you, it’s totally okay to speak up or simply part ways. In my case, I like to have a lot of transparency about what’s going on with my career. That’s how I operate in my “day job” life where I cosplay as Corporate Erin. In the years since this first submission experience, I’ve learned to bring these ways of working and advocating for myself into my career as an author, too.

JJ: How about once you got your first book deal? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

EB: My first book (and so far only announced book—more news soon!) was sold on an R&R. This was a page-one rewrite that transformed the entire manuscript from a nonlinear timeline to a linear one, and from a verse novel to prose. But that is not my vent! Once I wrapped my head around this rewrite, the editorial process was actually pretty fun. Like a literal puzzle, with pieces I was cutting up and moving around on the floor of the little studio apartment I lived in at the time. The rewrite ended up making the book way better. And getting to nerd out on character development, pacing, and voice with my editor was a dream.

What was tough was getting dropped by my agency midway through this editorial process. This was the second agency I’d signed with. I’d already been bounced around a bit within the agency, moving from one agent to another. (So I was really racking up agents…three by that point!) Not long after this switch, I was part of a big swath of the agency’s clients that they cut all at once. As a debut author, it was initially very strange navigating milestones like cover art selection and copyedits while suddenly un-agented.

Something that was challenging about this process is that there aren’t many resources available for mid-career or previously-agented writers on how to approach finding a new agent, even though it’s a common thing for authors to do.

For this reason, I appreciate the work you’re doing with this newsletter! Also, I want to shout out former guest Dahlia Adler, who has been so open about her own journey in the business. Her post on this topic is one of the best resources out there, and it’s something I returned to multiple times while making my own querying plan.

In the spirit of contributing to the canon of mid-career querying advice myself, a few things I did that helped it go smoothly were: taking my time with the process; only querying agents with firsthand recommendations from people I knew well; being transparent about where I was in my journey with new projects and what I was looking for; and asking lots of questions that I wouldn’t have known to ask earlier, such as their policy for cutting clients, what happens if they switch agencies or leave the business, and details around their communication style and general timelines for reading manuscripts and responding to emails.

Finally—and I feel like I can say this with some authority because I’ve now had FOUR agents—no matter what stage of your career you’re at, I think it’s good to remember that switching agents isn’t as scary as it seems. In my case, it ended up being a good opportunity to find someone who matched my needs at this stage of my career.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

EB: Crushing It is an enemies-to-first-crushes story about two girls on the same eighth-grade soccer team, with a You’ve-Got-Mail (or Love, Simon!) twist. I feel fortunate to say that I really have no vents about creating the novel itself. It came out just over a year ago and recently launched in paperback, and I’m still so happy these characters have their story out in the world.

My vent has more to do with the post-publishing process, specifically, book marketing. When Crushing It launched, I’d been around the business long enough that I had very realistic expectations for what my publisher would do to market my book. All credit to the team at Penguin, who definitely exceeded them! But despite the support in-house, I (like many authors) felt a lot of pressure—probably much of it self-inflicted—to do quite a bit of my own marketing, too. 

I work in marketing for my day job, so I guess I came in better prepared than many authors for this aspect of the work. Maybe most importantly, I had a sense of what was doable and what the impact was likely to be. I knew that without a large budget or access to proper analytics or a team to help me, I wouldn’t be able to move a massive number of titles. But even with this knowledge, I spent many months post-publication writing very little because I was flitting from one marketing-related task to another.

One thing that helped me get into a more strategic and focused mindset was doing some very light audience research. Since I write for middle grade, school and library purchases make up a significant chunk of my sales. I interviewed two dozen librarians to understand how they decided which books to stock in their libraries. This isn’t a huge sample, but it’s some data, at least! Only 20% mentioned using social media to learn about books, while 85% mentioned trade journals. Directionally, this tells me I probably don’t need to worry too much about social media, and it’s okay that my Instagram is…lackluster at best, lol. On the other hand, writing a bylined post for SLJ’s blog was probably worth my time.

For me, even a little bit of “audience research” like this helped me figure out how to use a limited amount of time and money more effectively. (And most importantly, get back to writing!)

For more on this topic, check out my post on why marketing is tricky for authors, and some ways to make it less so. But the tl;dr is:

1. I think that, in the absence of good ROI data or clear top-line goals, authors should consider only engaging in marketing tactics that they enjoy for their own sake or that provide some other benefit. If you love connecting with other authors, go to conferences! If you love spouting off on your opinions, pitch bylines and podcasts and do interviews like these! If you’d like to build a school visit business for the extra revenue or because you love the direct connection with young readers, go for it! But only do things that fill your well or help you meet tangential career goals. That way, selling books can be a fortunate byproduct, rather than a central stressor that’ll never stop looming.

2. Your number one job as an author is writing. Remember that anything you’re doing that is actively harming your creative practice over the long term is ultimately self-defeating. Sure, there might be a few months around publication where things tip into marketing mode rather than writing mode. But if this is consistently messing with your goals as an author, the strategy may need a reset.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

EB: I’m going to be on-brand here for someone who wrote a book about soccer and recommend this podcast about US Women’s National Team player Tobin Heath’s retirement. (I promise I’ll relate this back to writing.)

The way Tobin talks about loving the game is so beautiful. Just to offer a taste: she tells a story from early in her career, when she subbed on late into a match against Canada. Canada scored to equalize, sending the game into extra time. She remembers being genuinely excited when Canada scored. Sure, the US team could end up losing, but she wasn’t worried about that. She was just like, “Yes, I get to play more soccer!”

She also talks about scoring a goal in a World Cup final and thinking less about the career milestone and more about how when she was a little kid kicking the ball around, that was the thing she’d always say: “Goooooaaaal!! In the World Cup final!”

It’s easy to get caught up in the accolades, the marketing push, the starred review, the A-list blurb. It’s easy to look at whatever someone else is getting (that you’re not getting) and become generally glum about the business.

But the longer I write, the more I realize that the most important thing I can do for myself as a creative person is to stay connected to that little-kid version of myself who wrote because it was fun, who thought making up stories was the coolest thing she could do. Kid Erin would be so happy that I’m still writing and that I still love it.

The business can be hard, but I think it’s a little easier (and a lot more joyful) when you remember the version of yourself who cares less about winning and more about just getting to play more minutes. I mean, we get to do this. We get to live this creative life. That’s pretty “Goooooaaaal!! In the World Cup final!”—if you ask me.

JJ: Thanks for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Erin! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Erin and CRUSHING IT!

About CRUSHING IT

On the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She’s ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can’t get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst. The only place she feels like herself is in her text conversations where she shares her secret poetry with BTtoYouPlease.

Tory McNally, on the other hand, is keeping everything together, thank you very much. So what if her mom is more preoccupied with her craft projects and new husband than her, or that she’s down to one IRL friend because of annoying, overly peppy “Magic” Mel? She’s perfectly fine, and even when she maybe isn’t, she’s got NotEmilyD to text with.

As the championships loom closer, everything around Mel and Tory starts to get more and more complicated: the dynamics on the field, the rift between their friend group, and, as they connect anonymously online, maybe even their feelings for each other . . .

About Erin Becker

Erin Becker is an author and marketer living in Washington, DC. She grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, studied English and creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill, and holds her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut novel, Crushing It, an "enemies-to-first-crushes" story for middle grade readers, was published by Penguin Random House, chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and received a star from Shelf Awareness. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin at the gym, or occasionally playing soccer (though not nearly as well as the protagonists of her novel). Learn more and connect with Erin at erinbecker.me.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. Your identity will remain shrouded in mystery, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Tamika Burgess (TB): The main frustration I experienced was the agent query process. I reached out to many agents, and a few responded (which I appreciated), but they passed on my manuscript. The frustration was, of course, that they passed on my draft, but it was more so about the fact that they told me they didn’t know what to do with the story. My debut, SINCERELY SICILY (middle grade; contemporary; fiction) features a Black Panamanian girl named Sicily Jordan. At the time, and I hope it is still happening now, there was a big push for diversity in publishing, so I was confused and annoyed that I was being told they didn’t know what to do with the story. My thoughts were, “you should want this story and know who to sell it to.”

However, looking back, I’m glad those agents passed. I wouldn’t have wanted an agent to take on my manuscript and not feel confident about what to “do” with it.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to be multi-published? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

TB: I was really green when I signed with my agent and publisher. I feel like it was expected that I knew exactly what I was getting into, but I wish I would have been able to have a conversation with someone who could have really broken down the world of publishing to me. I’m grateful to all the author friends whom I have met, who have explained bits and pieces and have been very forthcoming, but my biggest frustration at the time was always feeling like I was in the dark. That feeling caused me to constantly second guess decisions.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

TB: The biggest vent I have about my latest release is about me and my lack of motivation. I put so much effort into my debut that the second time around, I think I was/am a little jaded with the whole process. Part of that is because, in my opinion, authors never fully know what will move the needle in terms of book sales. So putting so much effort into my debut, and not seeing it help as much as I would have liked, has been and remains frustrating. And I still have no idea how to increase my book sales…

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

TB: Ask all the questions you need to! In the beginning, I went along with whatever I was told or whatever I thought sounded good. I remember feeling like, “I’m just glad to be here, let me not rock the boat.” But now, I have no qualms about asking questions, especially asking, “why?” Or asking for additional details or further clarification. So my advice is, it’s your career, don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you need.

JJ: Thank you so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Tamika! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Tamika and DANILO WAS HERE!

About DANILO WAS HERE

From the award-winning author of Sincerely Sicily, Tamika Burgess, comes a timely coming-of-age story about a young boy’s fight to save his family and his dreams in the aftermath of the 1989 US military invasion of Panamá. Perfect for fans of Janae Marks, Adrianna Cuevas, and Chrystal D. Giles!

About Tamika Burgess

Tamika Burgess (Tuh-MEE-kuh BUR-jess) is the award-winning author of SINCERELY SICILY and DANILO WAS HERE. Born to parents who migrated from Panamá, Tamika has always taken a particular interest in writing themes that explore her Black Latina identity. Because of her passion for spreading knowledge about her culture, Tamika writes fiction novels that feature Black Panamanian main characters. Tamika currently resides in Southern California. Learn more about her at TamikaBurgess.com and follow her on various social media sites at @TameeksB.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to anonymously vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. Your identity will remain shrouded in mystery, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Poppy Alexander (PA): I’m not sure if this counts as a frustration - more a desire for magic to be real (which of course it absolutely is, and I say this for the benefit of everyone reading who still believes in Father Christmas) – but, if I could have had one wish granted at that time, it would have been to absolutely know I WAS eventually going to succeed, even if I also had to accept it was going to take ages and be really tough. And it was. Right from the first though, I was never one of those “I’m just doing this for my own satisfaction” writers. I wanted to be read. Ideally by lots of people. Because I wanted to earn a living doing the thing I love best, but more on that later.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to publish multiple books? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

PA: I think the biggest frustration from published authors in my corner of the world now (the UK) is how tough it is to earn a living as a mid-list author who is trad published. I have been trad published for ten years now and – mainly through incredible luck and a large dose of bloody-mindedness (actually, let’s call it resilience, sooo much more positive-sounding) - I have managed to earn steadily more as I have gone on. And the journey so far has included four publishers, two agents and three writing names to date.

I am really lucky that my current writing contract is with a big five US imprint that pays enough in advances for me to feed myself. It seems, from hanging out with UK authors, that very few are earning enough to actually – you know – eat. And it’s getting worse: A recent survey by the Society of Authors in the UK reported that average annual writer incomes had dropped from a dire £11k a year to an absolutely abysmal £7k.

Seeing really superb, multiply published writers leaving the industry because they just can’t afford to stay is a tragedy on an individual AND country-wide cultural scale. It worries me a lot that middle-aged, middle-class white women like me are going to end up being the only ones writing because more marginalised, less privileged voices can no longer afford to be heard. I know the publishing industry is working to address this – sometimes slightly performatively, in my humble opinion – but when writer incomes are falling at the same time publishing profits are rising, there’s something very wrong going on…

I would love to know other author opinions on this. A lot of writers are saying that digital has cursed us all with the proliferation of the 99p book, and it does seem ridiculous that 90,000 painfully crafted words can be bought for much less than the latte and cake you enjoy while you read it.

I do not miss the irony that the cheap e-book is apparently the problem at the same time that going self-pub through digital is increasingly looking like the solution for starving authors. It is massively heartening that some writers are absolutely smashing it in the self-pub space. Others are finding it hard to reach readers but at least this avenue exists.

Let’s have a heated debate!

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

PA: Ah, this story… I know we are not allowed to have favourites (or is that just children? I can never remember) but my latest book is always my favourite, and I adored writing The Battle of the Bookshops soooo so much.

It is a story set in the same world as The Littlest Library (my first book about books) with the return of some secondary characters from previous books - although this is absolutely a book that can be read as a standalone. I also got to have fun with a theme I had long wanted to explore about the hero and heroine coming from feuding families. Of course you can’t look at that without the Romeo and Juliet inferences. Using loyalty to family as the biggest conflict affecting the H1/H2 romance was a really helpful addition to the plot possibilities of warring bookshops.

So, the writing was a blast, but the one wobble I had this time was that stage we all reach, when our story leaves our loving arms and has to make it in the wider world.

The first reader feedback – as I am sure other writers know - is from platforms like Netgalley and Goodreads, and I was shocked when a few ARC readers took exception to my Shakespeare nod, which was frankly a little weird! I was taken aback, until I realised that those reviewers seemed to be just skimming - or even DNFing without admitting to it - because they were branding my story a Romeo and Juliet re-telling. THIS IS NOT A RE-TELLING, PEOPLE! There are NO teen suicides. In fact, I am happy to pledge that zero teens were harmed in the writing of this story… 😉.

I bring this issue up because the chat in my professional writer groups is that the ARC platforms seem to be getting meaner. You have to wonder at how booklovers in receipt of as many FREE books as they can eat seem to get off on putting writers down? Also, I wonder what that ‘pile-on’ behaviour does to the confidence of a debut writer…I have a rhino hide these days and even I had a few hours of despair, imagining my book being tanked before it even reached paying readers – and this by a bunch of people who appeared not to have actually – you know – read it!

In my case, I was able to self-soothe by reminding myself that I was unlikely to have written a totally crap book, as it was being enthusiastically produced and distributed by a talented team working for a big five publisher, selling into the biggest English-speaking market in the world… I would love to hear what you other writers make of this problem, and if you have personally experienced it?

As to whether The Battle of the Bookshops gets the real readers all riled up too, I suppose we will see very soon!

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

PA: Hmm… Maybe take ARC reviews with a pinch of salt? As for the still-to-be-published authors, I would say “enjoy the journey” because your first published novel ain’t the end, it’s the beginning of a – usually – rocky road. You have to be in it for the long term, and you have to keep hustling, so lean in to writing groups, your fellow authors are your friends and allies. I have only ever found that we are a brilliantly supportive crowd, and nothing replaces a chat with someone who is down in the trenches with you. There is no celebration to share or bump in the road to endure that hasn’t already been experienced by many other writers. They are wise and they have your back.

Also, I would say, finally, don’t be afraid to have a little dabble in the self-published world. I have a couple of novels with rights reverted now, along with a MS that died on sub, and I fully intend to see what I can do in this sphere with material that is wasted if not earning me a dime or two. I see it as diversifying my income, which is a savvy thing to do in a career space that’s nothing if not mercurial.

Finally (I know, I know… my second “finally” – hey, I’m a writer not a mathematician) keep honing your craft. I am currently half-way through a Creative Writing MA, and having an absolute blast! Another wise writer once said to me, new writers should rightly take pride in their first finished novel, but they should also remember, no-one ever won Bake Off with the first cake they ever baked…

So, above all I would say, take risks, have fun and make sure you never stop learning.

Oh, and finally (finally, finally) please buy and/or tell people about my book!

Thank you. xxx

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Poppy! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Poppy Alexander and THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKSHOPS!

About THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKSHOPS

A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals.

The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years…

The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember.

Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, unlikely to make it to its own centenary celebration, and the lease on the building is up for renewal. With a six-figure sum needed, the future looks bleak.

To make matters worse, the owner of the property is the insufferable Roman Montbeau, from the posh, local family who owns half of Portneath. The Montbeaus and Capelthornes have feuded for years, and Roman has clearly not improved since he tormented Jules as a child. Fresh from a high-flying career in New York, he is on a mission to shake things up, and—unforgivably—proves his point about Capelthorne’s being a relic of the past by opening a new bookshop directly opposite—a shiny, plate-glass-windowed emporium of books.

Jules may not be able to splash the cash on promotions and marketing like the Montbeaus, but she’s got some ideas of her own, plus she has a tenacity that may just win the hardest of hearts and the most hopeless of conflicts.

Let the battle of the bookshops commence…

About Poppy Alexander

Poppy Alexander is the author of The Littlest Library, Storybook Ending, and 25 Days ’Til Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying, and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends, and life in her West Sussex village (think The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks), where she lives with her husband, children, and various other pets.

Website: www.poppy-alexander.com

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Alysha Rameera (AR): I seriously began writing back in 2012, with the desired outcome being a career author. I didn't start querying until 2015 and though that was ten years ago and a full five years before I landed my agent and went out on submission for the first time, my vent then is much the same as it is now--time. It takes so much time to write a good book, edit a good book, and then wait for publishing professionals to read and decide whether it's a good enough book to pick up. It might sound weird, but I wish the 'no's' came faster, like right away. I also wish ghosting wasn't a thing in this industry. I can handle a 'no' much better than months of wondering. I understand why all this takes time, and I commiserate with the very real humans behind the screens who are overworked and underpaid. Still, it's hard. So, since going on submission for the first time back in 2020 (yikes, right?) and being on it another two times before my debut was picked up, I've been working on my patience. Thanks to author friends, and a wonderful therapist, I've also been working on staying openly hopeful during that time.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to write new projects? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

AR: By the time my first book deal happened I'd been pursuing this career for 12 years. I had listened to all the podcasts, read all the blogs, gone to many conferences, and thought I knew what to expect. Of course, I was wrong on some things and on a lot of other things I was still in the dark. I realized that most of the information I had been consuming was all the lead up to getting the book deal, and very little information was out there about what happened next, not just with the books the publisher bought, but everything after. Like, how does one be a career author? What happens when/if this current publisher doesn't pick up your next option? What if you want to branch out to other genres or age categories? I realize I can ask my agent these questions (and oh I have) but there's no real answer. There's strategy! But no concrete path, like there would be in other jobs and industries. And that's a little scary.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

AR: My debut novel, Her Soul For A Crown, releases with Sourcebooks Casablanca on August 12th! An epic, slow-burn romantasy inspired by Sri Lankan mythology follows a fierce young woman with an affinity for poisons and revenge who would do anything to end the reign of heartless rajas—even sell her soul to the most dangerous cursed god of all—the Blood Yakka, Reeri.

My biggest vent is that it took me so long! (There's that impatience again). First of all, this was my most ambitious novel yet, so I had to level up in a few craft elements during the first couple drafts. Then I succumbed to fear and put so much pressure on this book being perfect that I burned myself out and nearly gave up--on the book and my dream career. It wasn't until I gave myself permission to throw off the pressure and just write for fun, that the last draft flowed out of me. I had even told myself that it was the last book I would write and that I wasn't going to show my agent. It was just for me. And of course, I fell so madly in love with it and was so proud of it at the end that I immediately sent it to her!

Funnily enough, I had to remind myself of this exact scenario recently, as I'm pressuring myself too much while revising what will be my second published novel. I guess that's a vent too, when will I stop having to learn the same lesson over again?!

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

AR: I think the number one thing I've learned on this journey with my debut novel and now my sophomore novel is to never let the pressure kill your joy. We need to protect that piece, because the best words come out of a fulfilled place.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Alysha! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Alysha and HER SOUL FOR A CROWN!

About HER SOUL FOR A CROWN

For readers of Sarah J Maas, Scarlett St. Clair, and Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, this epic, slow-burn romantasy inspired by Sri Lankan mythology follows a fierce orphaned young woman with an affinity for poisons and revenge who would do anything to end the reign of heartless rajas—even sell her soul to the most dangerous cursed god of all—the Blood Yakka, Reeri.

Anula Ramanayake of Anuradhapura calculated her ascent the moment she was orphaned—when her village burned in an endless war and the gods forsook her prayers. First, she would marry the raja. Then, she would poison him and take the throne for herself and her people. But when an unexpected coup thwarts her careful plans, Anula is left with one desperate option. She offers her soul to the cursed gods she renounced in exchange for the crown.

In the Second Heavens, Reeri the Blood Yakka, the most dangerous and powerful of his clan, hears her prayer. For eons, he's waited for such a valuable offering—one that could finally give him the chance to kill his divine tormentor and return his fellow Yakkas to their former glory on earth. Reeri accepts Anula's bargain, tethering them until their goals are achieved, or until they die.

As the war presses on, Anula must move quickly or lose her chance to become the first raejina. But while she is skilled at many things, especially in stopping hearts, the closer she grows to Reeri, the more she finds her own heart at risk. And when the time comes to fight enemies both human and divine, Anuradhapura and the Heavens will never be the same.

About Alysha Rameera

Alysha Rameera is a Sri Lankan and German American author who writes about little-known historical figures, romance, and magic, preferably altogether. On non-writing days, you can find her baking at home or traveling the world with her husband.

Website: www.alysharameera.com

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing and illustrating journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Angela Hsieh (AH): Less of a vent, and more of an “I wish I’d known”: knowing that it’s okay to change agents would have saved me a bit of grief. My first agent and I weren’t a good style fit—they weren’t doing anything wrong, it just wasn’t working for me—and it would’ve been nice if I had someone to tell me that was a perfectly valid reason to part ways. There was no need for me to stress out so much about it.

Going through the querying process after that turned out to be relatively straightforward for me. As was the submission process, it turns out. Querying and submission each took about three months, which is considered quite fast in the publishing world. 

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to create more work? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

AH: The thing about graphic novels is that the lion’s share of the work comes after your book has been acquired. Unlike a prose novel, where you finish the manuscript first and then go on submission, graphic novels are largely acquired on proposal. When you go on submission with a graphic novel, you don’t do it with the entire book made. You put together a pitch that consists of a detailed synopsis, 10-15 completed sample pages, and sometimes (but not necessarily) a script. 

So after my book deal, I had to actually make the book. And boy, did my friends get to hear me gripe about it every step of the way. Graphic novels take a loooooooong time. There’s nothing quite like the emotional whiplash you get after spending months writing the script, proudly handing it in for edits, and then realizing you still have to draw all 256 pages of it. 

It took far longer than I predicted, too. Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology was my first graphic novel, and I was terrible at estimating how long it would take me. I had to ask for three deadline extensions over the course of the 3-4 years it took to make it. 

Drawing the first half of the book was agonizing. It felt like I’d never finish. (What do you mean I still have to draw 150 more pages after finishing the 100th?) I don’t think I really hit a stride until about two-thirds of the way through the book. There was a glorious few weeks where my pen practically flew across my tablet. And then one day, I was done. Though as readers probably know, you’re not really done with a book after you hand in the final page. 

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this graphic novel?

AH: Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology is a middle grade fantasy adventure graphic novel that came out this past May. It’s set in a world where giant animals, or geofauna, exist as part of the landscape. Lu and her friend Ren set off on a journey across the land of Lirrin in search of Lu’s grandma, a geozoologist who has disappeared on one of her research trips. They’re guided by Lu’s ah-ma’s journal—which is, frustratingly, written in ah-ma’s native language, which Lu can barely read. As their travels take them all across Lirrin, Lu and Ren discover things they never expected about their world, their family, and about each other. 

It’s a story about many things: discovery, friendship, language barriers, and family expectations. It’s also about gigantic guinea pigs. It’s a love letter to the natural world, and to the kinds of relationships I hold dear in my own life. 

Making a graphic novel was tough, but I’d been building that skillset for years; I got a degree in illustration, and I had a few years as a professional illustrator under my belt before I set out to make a graphic novel. What I haven’t trained for is marketing and publicity. My book is not a lead title, so I had to do a lot of things I’d foolishly assumed would be taken care of by my publisher. I had to plan my own launch and talks, apply to festivals and conventions, contact bookstores about carrying Geozoology, set up author visits and signings, etc. I’m sure I’ve sent more emails in the past few months than I’ve ever sent in my life. I’ve never done this before, and I’m learning as I go. It’s exhausting, and it’s sapping away the energy I wish I could put towards making my next book.

Making a book was a beast, but ooof, I was not prepared for what trying to sell my book would do to my psyche. And it still doesn’t feel like enough, but I can’t realistically do any more than what I’ve already done. I’m ready to spend a month lying motionless on my couch with my cat. 

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers and illustrators whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

AH: Don’t let perfect get in the way of done. When you’re done making the book, you’re still not done, because you got to market the thing. Take breaks, pace yourself, and find hobbies that aren’t writing/drawing.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Angela! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Angela and LU AND REN’S GUIDE TO GEOZOOLOGY!

About LU AND REN’S GUIDE TO GEOZOOLOGY

Lu dreams of being a great adventurer, just like her ah-ma, who is a world-renowned geozoologist. Ah-ma has traveled far and wide, researching unique animals like dreamy cloud-jellies, enormous sunfish, and playful mossgoats. There’s nothing Lu loves more than reading Ah-ma’s letters about her quests, even if she and her mom struggle to understand the Cylian language Ah-ma writes in.

But when Ah-ma’s letters suddenly stop, Lu becomes worried. So when a nearby town needs a geozoologist, Lu decides to go on the journey to find Ah-ma. She charts a course with the help of Ren, an old friend turned new travel buddy. 

As they follow in Ah-ma’s footsteps, Lu begins to discover the complex relationships between geofauna—and between people. What stories has Ah-ma never told her? And what’s Ren hiding from her?

About Angela Hsieh

Angela Hsieh is a Taiwanese American author and illustrator whose choices are mostly explained by her love of goofy animals. Her life experiences include firefighter-carrying a sedated bear cub and catching a belligerent wallaby. She has 1.5 cats.

She illustrated Antarctica: The Melting Continent, a critically acclaimed nonfiction book about real-life scientists and explorers. Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology is her first graphic novel.

Angela can be found online at www.angela-hsieh.com. You can follow her newsletter at angelahsieh.substack.com.

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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Jason June (JJ): When you started your writing journey, what was the biggest frustration you encountered as you tried to find an agent and/or went on sub to editors for the first time that you wish you could have vented about?

Laura Lavoie (LL): There were definitely a few frustrations, but publishing trends was a big one. I started out writing humorous picture books, and around the time I was seriously trying to get an agent there was this massive wave of narrative nonfiction, specifically biographies. For a while, I debated whether I should start writing something completely different to meet what it seemed like the market wanted. Ultimately, my heart wouldn’t have been in it and I stuck to humor, but it was tough feeling like I might get published faster if I wrote to the market instead of writing what I enjoy.

JJ: How about after you got your first book deal and continued on to be multi-published? How did your frustrations (if you had any) change, and what would you have vented about or did vent about to author friends?

LL: Hear me out: having to deal with all the time-consuming aspects of being an author that have nothing to do with writing or engaging with readers. No one prepares you for this stuff! For example, for a long time I maintained my own website. I used a premade template that had some features I didn’t need, and I spent hours googling html code trying to get the site to look and function the way I wanted it to, and hours more on the phone with tech support every time something glitched. Last year, I finally caved and paid a pro to design and manage a site for me. It’s been a huge weight off my shoulders to not have to think about website maintenance anymore, but not everyone can afford to invest in something like that right away, especially when they’re not bringing in much (or any) writing income. Yet, it’s pretty much expected that you will have a website before you even start querying. That’s tough.

I also dread doing all the bookkeeping, like tracking expenses for my taxes. I could pay someone to do that, too, but kidlit advances aren’t huge and there would probably be some years when I’d be paying out nearly as much as I was bringing in. I think that’s a hard part of publishing in general–you have to either be willing (and financially able) to invest in yourself before you’re getting paid, or you have to figure out how to handle all of those business-y things yourself. Becoming an author is like starting up a small business, which the daydreaming, seven-year-old version of me who wanted to be a writer when she grew up never would have anticipated. Aside from some stuff about social media marketing, I haven’t seen any trainings or classes on the business side of being an author, but I wish they existed.

JJ: Tell us about your latest book! And (I bet you know where this is going) what’s the biggest vent you’ve got about the process of creating this novel?

LL: My latest book is a spooky middle grade novel called The Thirteen Doors of Black House. It’s about a girl named Maya who wants to be an investigative journalist but feels like she’s blown it at the school paper and with her best friend/writing partner. Luckily, Maya and her extended family are going on a vacation to Black House, the former home of her favorite (deceased) mystery author, Augusta Black. Maya feels like the eerie Maine coast mansion will be the perfect place to find some inspiration for a piece that will blow the patterned socks off of Mr. Newman, the paper’s advisor. When Maya arrives at the mansion (during dismal, stormy weather), she finds a creepy caretaker and a room enclosed in glass with thirteen strange doors. With the help of her cousins, plus a black cat who might be a ghost, she sets out to solve the mystery of the doors and winds up in a desperate mission to save both Black House and her family.

My biggest vent about writing this book and sending it out into the world is that despite 13 Doors being my fourth published book (and my fifth, another picture book, came out two weeks after it), I felt like a total newb. This was my first foray out of the picture book space, and the editorial process for a novel felt so different. I had some major self-doubt creep in. It was especially tough because my best writing pals write picture books, so I didn’t have that network of friends who were in it with me, or who had been through this particular experience before.

Marketing the book has felt completely different, too. With my picture books, I’ve always stressed leading up to pub day that no one is going to book me for events, I won’t see the book on social media at all, et cetera, et cetera, but it’s always worked out fine. I’m a type-A overthinker by nature, so this time around I tried to give myself permission not to worry that I wasn’t hearing back about interviews and didn’t have a bunch of events booked. I told myself it would all work out, like it always has.

Boy was I wrong. I thought I knew who to contact for book promo, but it turns out there’s a whole list of people who specialize in middle grade that I didn’t know about. Not really something you want to figure out after your book comes out. Thankfully, the authors I’ve since messaged for advice have been super helpful, as writers tend to be. Lesson learned: I should have reached out for support sooner. I have another middle grade novel coming out next year, and now I have some tricks in my pocket that I can use the second time around.

JJ: Any words of wisdom you have for writers whether they are at the beginning of their journey or multi-published?

LL: Just keep going. Even more than talent, I think what you need to succeed in this industry is tenacity and perseverance. Keep putting your work out there, keep writing the next thing. We all go through periods when our books aren’t selling or editors aren’t acquiring what we’re writing, and that feels really tough when you’re in it. But you have to try to keep focusing on your writing, which is probably the only part of this industry that’s within your control. And if you don’t already have a community of writer pals you can vent to, find one! This business can be brutal and community is essential.

JJ: Thanks so much for joining us aboard the Ventorship, Laura! Author-passengers, read below for more info about Laura and THE THIRTEEN DOORS OF BLACK HOUSE!

About THE THIRTEEN DOORS OF BLACK HOUSE

“The Thirteen Doors of Black House is a fast-paced scary mystery that is destined to become a classic haunted house book for kids.” —Fleur Bradley, award-winning author of Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

Maya Murtagh can’t wait to spend a week at Black House, a looming seaside mansion that was once home to her favorite mystery author, Augusta Black. After a falling out with her best friend and journalism partner, she needs ideas for a juicy new story that will repair their friendship and earn them a coveted regular column in the school newspaper. Black House is the perfect place to spark inspiration.

But when Maya and her family arrive at the mansion, the host who greets them is totally creepy. So are the thirteen doors inside Augusta Black’s old office, each one carved with an eerie symbol. Add in the unshakeable feeling that someone—or something—is watching her, and Maya becomes convinced: there’s a mystery to be solved here, real. . . or supernatural. Each of the thirteen doors hides a secret but opening them leads to dire consequences. When too many doors are open and Maya and her cousins are unable to close them, not only are they and the mansion at risk, so are their parents who are left stranded in town. Maya receives some help from an unexpected place, but will it be enough to save them?

Told over the course of one thrilling day, The Thirteen Doors of Black House

is a fast-paced mystery that is sure to hook young readers. A little bit spooky, and a little bit funny, it perfectly pairs the magic of vacationing with your family with the magic of an old, storied house.

About Laura Lavoie

An educator by day and a writer by night, Laura Lavoie writes books for kids of all ages. Some of her books are silly, some are spooky, and many are a little bit of both. Her picture books include Vampire Vacation, Duck, Duck, Taco Truck, and Cousins!. The Thirteen Doors of Black House is her first novel. Laura holds dual master’s degrees in education and mental health counseling and began her career as a counselor for kids. When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, baking, and spending time outside, specifically kayaking in local rivers and hiking in the Adirondack mountains. She resides in northern New York with her husband and daughters.

Website: lauralavoieauthor.com

Instagram & Bluesky: @llavoieauthor

Authors, the Ventorship is looking for traditionally published writers to be featured with their latest book release in a future edition of The Vent! Email me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: THE VENT to let me know you’re interested. All you’ll need to be featured are answers to the same four questions asked above, as well as an author bio, cover image, and book description.

If you’d like to vent about anything author/writing related, write to me at heyjasonjune@gmail.com with the subject: VENTORSHIP. I’ll give you my take in a post, and we’ll crowdsource author opinions in the comments. You’ll remain anonymous, and any haters will be thrown overboard. Ultimately, I think you’re going to be buoyed up by author love and support as we realize we really are all in the same boat 🛳️

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