In this episode, co-hosts Madeleine and Tina discuss Tina's recent writer's retreat in Byron Bay and their busy schedules as debut authors. They also revisit their very first guest interview with Australian children's author Jess Horn. Jess shares the journey of publishing her debut picture book 'Bernie Thinks in Boxes', from participating in competitions and assessments to securing a contract with Affirm Press. Alongside, she gives practical advice on handling rejections, leveraging social media, and the importance of community and feedback in the publishing process. The episode highlights Jess's exclusive tips on writing and editing.

00:00 Morning Catch-Up

01:27 Byron Bay Writer's Retreat

02:54 Recording Challenges

04:30 Editing Milestones

07:48 Book Cover Design

10:00 Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)

15:28 Interview with Jess Horn

29:17 Gaining Insight from Assessments

29:26 The Journey of 'Bernie Thinks in Boxes'

32:16 Facing Rejections and Perseverance

35:48 Upcoming Book Releases

37:41 Balancing Writing and Life

42:13 The Importance of Community and Social Media

50:49 The Publishing Process and Final Tips

56:24 Conclusion and Book Launch Details

Links mentioned:
Jess Horn Jess Horn Author
Zoe Bennet Zoe Bennett.
ASA Literary Speed Dating Literary Speed Dating - Australian Society of Authors (asauthors.org.au)
CYA Conference CYA Conference | Writers And Illustrators Conference
KidLitVic KidLitVic
Affirm Press Home - Affirm Press
Bright Light Bright Light Books (hellobrightlight.com)
Hardi Grant Publishing Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Natural Readers Free Text to Speech Online with Realistic AI Voices (naturalreaders.com)

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You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author