In this interview, Mariah discusses breaking writing rules in her debut short story collection, Extinction Capital of the World, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Mariah Rigg
Literary agent: Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Trellis Literary Management
Book title: Extinction Capital of the World
Publisher: Ecco
Release date: August 5, 2025
Genre/category: Literary Fiction/Short Stories
Elevator pitch: Magnetic, haunting, and tender, Extinction Capital of the World is a stunning portrait of Hawaiʻi—and a powerful meditation on family, queer love, and community amid imperialism and environmental collapse.

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What prompted you to write this book?

Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of positive depictions—or really, a lot of depictions at all—of Hawaiʻi in popular media. The depictions of the Hawaiian Islands I did see often reinforced settler colonial structures of sugar and pineapple plantations, extractive tourism, and the American military industrial complex’s occupation of the islands. As a child, I didn’t understand the extent of the harm perpetuated by these stereotyped depictions of my home. It wasn’t until my teens that I began to recognize my own role as a settler of Hawaiʻi, and to interrogate how the stories of the Islands I saw in popular media were used to occupy both the narrative surrounding Hawaiʻi, and the literal islands themselves.

Some of the stories in Extinction Capital of the World are written from my anger toward the people who have and continue to bastardize and colonize the Hawaiian Islands. But most of the stories are written from a place of deep love. I feel like I’m always repeating this wisdom, but I had a mentor once tell me: You write to the places you’re not. For the past five years, I’ve been writing love letters to Hawaiʻi. I’m not sure I’ll ever stop.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wrote the earliest story—“After Ivan,” a queer love story between an American and Soviet Olympic kayaker, set just before the 1989 fall of Berlin—in February of 2020. I was halfway through my first year in the MFA program at the University of Oregon and had no idea how to write a short story, let alone a collection. I thought maybe I could sell “After Ivan” by stretching it into a novel, but as I continued to write stories, I found a momentum building.

I never set out to write a linked collection. But as I revised stories for my MFA thesis, I realized that what I’d thought had been separate lives was really a universe. Much like my own childhood on Oʻahu, the characters in my Extinction Capital of the World are hopelessly intertwined—through blood, marriage, work, friendship, the ʻāina, and over and over again, through love and loss. Only a third of the stories I’ve written between 2020 and now are in the final book. I think I queried at least three different times, with different arrangements of stories and different titles, before signing with Amy Bishop-Wycisk in 2023.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

So, so, so many! Writing a book and publishing a book feels like it requires two completely different parts of the brain—one’s creative and world-building, the other is a lot of admin. I’ve been lucky that my agent Amy Bishop-Wycisk, my editor Rachel Sargent, my publicist Nina Leopold, and my teams at Trellis and Ecco have been so patient and kind.

One of the most surprising and affirming things in this publication process is the number of truly amazing people I’ve gotten to meet. It’s so easy to fall into stress and anxiety when you’re working to get your book on shelves—will I get enough blurbs? Is my book in the hands of the “right” people? After the years of work I put into this book, is anyone even going to read or like it?

This past January, I was driving through Kentucky when my partner and I stopped into a record store to browse. If you’re ever in Louisville, you have to stop by Surface Noise. Part record store, part bookstore, part gallery, the place has rotating art exhibits, monthly readings, and shows. My partner is an extrovert, and he and the owner immediately hit it off. We found out that the owner is a poet—Brett Eugene Ralph, whose book Black Sabbatical, published by Sarabande, is an absolute banger—and that he’d studied at UMass Amherst with David Berman. Brett Eugene was thoughtful and funny, selling us Gabby Pahinui’s “Rabbit Island Music Festival” for a fraction of its value, and inviting us to do a reading at the store later in the year. I was pretty frantic about my book at the time, but what he said as I left the store helped me to reality check: “You’ve got to remember that we do all this”—he gestured and the records and books and prints in the store around him—“for the access it gives us to other artists. For the community we form.” And you know what? He’s so right.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

This book was at least three other books before it became this one. The biggest change between the first draft and the book that will be on shelves is the addition of “Target Island,” which opens the collection, and the titular story, “Extinction Capital of the World,” which closes the book out. I wrote these two stories the winter before I queried for the last time and honestly wasn’t thinking about how they’d fit into my larger body of work as I drafted them. I just wanted to play with form and voice. When I returned to each of them in the spring of 2023, I began to see how they were connected and knew that they’d have to be in the collection.

As I’ve gotten more comfortable writing short stories, I’ve been more willing to mess with form and point of view and voice. I’m grateful that the first draft of this book wasn’t published, because even though I love the stories that were cut from the collection, a lot of them felt more “traditional,” which contributed to a sense of repetition and even stagnancy in the collection. I wouldn’t say this book is weird, but my hope as a writer (and person) is to keep getting weirder. Breaking “rules” in my writing gives me the courage to do the same in my life.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope people will stop telling me about their vacations to Hawaiʻi. Ha. But really, I do hope that this book helps people to reconsider their role as consumers and perpetrators of settler colonialism in Hawaiʻi, the North American continent, and beyond. As Haunani-Kay Trask famously said: “The First world nations must still learn what Pacific Islanders have known for millennia: Upon the survival of the Pacific depends the survival of the world.” Now more than ever is the time to educate ourselves on the infinite ways that our struggles are connected.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t count yourself out before you’ve even begun. There are enough people out there who want to knock you down a peg, and you don’t have to be one of them. Apply for every single thing you can afford (and always ask for fee waivers!), even if it feels out of reach, because you might just get it. Write the story everyone tells you won’t work, because if you’re interested in it, odds are there are thousands of other people who will be interested in it, too. Rejection hurts, and I’m not sure it ever gets better, but “no” is a lot better than wishing you’d done more, that you’d had the courage to believe in yourself.

The post Mariah Rigg: I’m Grateful That the First Draft of This Book Wasn’t Published appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Rachel discusses how writing out a rant at her daughter’s swim meet led to her new horror novel, Tantrum, her hope for readers, and more.

Name: Rachel Eve Moultong
Literary agent: Kim Witherspoon, Inkwell
Book title: Tantrum
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release date: August 5, 2025
Genre/category: Horror
Previous titles: Tinfoil Butterfly; The Insatiable Volt Sisters
Elevator pitch: What would you do if your baby girl was born with a full set of teeth and an untoward appetite? What would you do if she wanted to devour the world?

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What prompted you to write this book?

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I was surprised by the parts of pregnancy no one had ever warned me about. It seemed to me that there was a full-length-horror movie of details that had been left out. So, at the end of the 16-hour extravaganza called labor, when I finally got to hold my newborn in my arms, I found myself shouting directly into her sweet face, “It’s a baby! It’s a baby!” I didn’t fully understand until that moment that I’d felt sure I was carrying around a monster rather than a beautiful, strong baby girl. The relief was overwhelming.

Lucia, the protagonist’s baby in Tantrum, is the monstrous version of that baby.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The first draft of this book came to me pretty quickly. I wrote much of it by hand on the bleachers of my eldest daughter’s swim meets. And although it took another six months to shape it into something I was ready to show to anyone else, the idea and character voice remained the same.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

My aforementioned daughter was briefly a part of a club swim team, which meant a tremendous amount of time spent in hot, chlorinated spaces waiting for her to swim for approximately 39 seconds. Weekends were spent on bleachers, which were particularly physically and emotionally painful—I’m being only a little dramatic. I would look around at the other parents and wonder why they all looked so happy to be there. It was miserable! At one of these meets, I sat in my camp chair on those bleachers and wrote an early draft of Tantrum by hand. It was more of a rant than a story at that time, but it came out almost all at once. A novel the length of a swim meet!

The next step was shaping the rant I’d written into a plot driven story. This was where I learned, once again, what a tremendous editor I have. Daphne Durham was able to see the first rambling draft and help me shape it into the full world it is today. She reminded me to focus on the narrative and not just the voice.

Always listen to your editor!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

My hope is that the novel’s exploration of generational trauma and motherhood will make readers feel less alone in their experience. Becoming a parent often coincides with a genuine curiosity about how your parents parented you. Often this exploration opens untended wounds, and the opportunity to see yourself in a new light. I want to encourage women to dive into this exploration. To try to understand their own anger in order to pass something more examined down to the next generation.

Shame thrives in the dark. It gains power when the experience of it is not voiced. The examination of our own horrors, inherited or of our own making, leads to freedom.

I also hope Tantrum makes readers rage a little and laugh a lot.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Rejection doesn’t mean you are a bad writer or even that the rejected piece is bad. It only means that you need to keep writing until you find your authentic voice and with it your audience.

The post Rachel Eve Moultong: Always Listen to Your Editor appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Joy discusses the surprising humor in her new thriller, Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, her desire to see older characters across all genres, and more.

Name: Joy Fielding
Literary Agent: Tracy Fisher at WME
Book title: Jenny Cooper Has a Secret
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release date: August 5, 2025
Genre: Psychological suspense
Previous titles: The Housekeeper; Cul-de-sac; All the Wrong Places; The Bad Daughter; She’s Not There; Someone Is Watching; Shadow Creek; Now You See Her; The Wild Zone: Still Life; Charley’s Web; Heartstopper; Mad River Road; Puppet; Lost; Whispers and Lies; Grand Avenue; The First Time; Missing Pieces; Don’t Cry Now; Tell Me No Secrets: See Jane Run; Good Intentions; The Deep End; Life Penalty; The Other Woman: Kiss Mommy Goodbye; Trance; The Transformation; The Best of Friends. Plus Home Invasion, a novella designed to encourage adult literacy.
Elevator pitch: A 92-year-old woman suffering from dementia claims to be a serial killer.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

As far as what prompted me to write this book, I’ve always enjoyed writing suspense, and I thought it would be an interesting twist on the genre—as well as high time—to have both the protagonist and the villain of the novel be women over the age of 70 (and one of them over 90!). Older women have been largely ignored in suspense fiction—all fiction, for that matter—and I thought it was time for our voices to be heard. I also just found the whole topic of memory and how it defines us to be a fascinating subject to explore.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It generally takes about two years from the time I conceive an idea until it ends up in print. It’s about a year from the time I get an idea until the book is finished, and then another year—sometimes longer—to go through the editing and other publishing-related issues. As to whether the idea for this book changed during this process, the answer is that while the basic idea didn’t change, the manuscript itself underwent a number of changes. I did some restructuring to heighten the suspense in the first half of the book, and I made a number of cuts to dialogue that were too repetitious. I also made a significant change regarding something that happens to a secondary character. But as I said, the basic idea remained the same.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Frankly, I’m always a little surprised when an editor feels some changes are necessary to my books, especially involving structure, because I usually don’t let an editor see the manuscript before I’m pretty sure it’s perfect. But writers have editors for a reason, and I’m always willing to listen to advice that will improve the book. In the case of Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, my original editor felt that while the first half of the book contained plenty of drama, it needed more suspense, which she stressed was not the same thing, so she asked me to move some things around and to try to amp up the suspense in the first half. This involved a lot more work than I’m used to—and frankly, don’t particularly like. Restructuring is very hard because when you change one little thing, it changes everything that came before and after. It’s a lot of work! After I made the changes, the editor still felt I could do more, but I disagreed, and thankfully, my current editor agreed with me. Jenny Cooper is more a psychological page-turner than hard-core thriller.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I believe it was Flannery O’Connor who once said that if the writer is never surprised, you can’t expect the reader to be surprised, so I look forward to the little surprises that come my way when I’m writing. I always know the beginning and the end of my novels and a few key things that have to happen along the way. I used to write a fairly detailed outline, and this is something I would still recommend to beginning authors. But the more books I write, the shorter my outlines get. As I said, I always know how my books will end, although I don’t always know precisely how. But in writing suspense, you have to know where you’re going to end up in order to build that suspense and everything has to be a little bigger than what came before. If you don’t know where you’re headed, you can’t do that, and you end up wandering all over the place, which just means an awful lot of rewriting. In Jenny Cooper, what surprised me was how funny the book turned out to be and how sympathetic the women were. I got very attached to these women, and actually found myself tearing up at one point. I didn’t expect that.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope that, above all, readers will just totally enjoy the book and find it impossible to put down. I also hope that readers will recognize themselves in the characters and care about their fates. I hope that they’ll realize that stories can still be written that are modern and new while featuring older protagonists.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

If I could share one piece of advice with other writers, it would be this: When telling the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, bring on the three bears! In other words, get to the interesting part of the story.

The post Joy Fielding: I Always Know the Beginning and the End of My Novels appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Stuart discusses the grief at the center of her new literary novel, Ghost Fish, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Stuart Pennebaker
Literary agent: Christopher Combemale
Book title: Ghost Fish
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release date: August 5, 2025
Genre/category: Literary fiction
Elevator pitch: A young woman who’s recently moved to NYC finds herself haunted by her sister, who’s taken the form of a fish.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I never quite know how to answer this question. A lifetime of being utterly obsessed with books? A draft of a completely different novel that wasn’t quite working? A move to New York? A desire to write about loneliness that felt impossible to shake? Many boring (and not-boring) shifts at many different restaurants? A line from As I Lay Dying? A crush on a bartender that took me by surprise? Is that OK to say?

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The novel was originally focused on the restaurant and Alison’s experience working there, but that changed when I realized why she had moved to the city in the first place, how desperately Alison needed to reckon with the grief of losing her family. I had the idea and finished the first draft relatively quickly, in the spring and summer of 2021, but had no idea how challenging I’d find the revision process. I am not a writer who outlines anything, so my first drafts are always very messy and in need of an immense amount of work. The cast of characters and central idea didn’t change so much but we’ve tried out many different sequences of events—beginnings are hard!—and I think the story now reflects more truly what I wanted to get across with Alison’s tendency to move inward and the people who are able to pull her into the realm of the living.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I learned that there is a difference between the story one scribbles in notebooks and on computer screens and the product of a book. Writing the first draft of this story was a surreal, heady, singular experience; the book took lots of revising and many very, very smart people to make. I’m so grateful for all the perfect angels that work in publishing: from my agent to my editor to the publicity and marketing team at Little, Brown, and Grace Han, the artist who designed the extraordinary cover. Ghost Fish is a group project; I was and continue to be delighted by how many amazing people were willing to be on its team.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I never in a million years could have guessed that my first book would be a ghost story. The sister-as-ghost-fish appeared out of what felt like nowhere, as ghosts tend to do.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I do think this story is a summer book. It’s slim, water-resistant, somewhat oceanic, and I hope it’s one people are able to consume in as few sittings as possible, ideally adjacent to a body of water. I recently devoured Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley in such a way that I was completely immersed and the world almost looked like a different color once I came up for air—I’d be ecstatic if I could create that feeling for another person.

My secret hope is that it makes anyone who feels alone less so, or at least less lonely in their aloneness.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Oh, I don’t know, I still sort of feel like I’m starting from scratch every time I sit down to write! I guess I wish someone had implored me not to overthink every little thing. You can’t make anything out of a draft that doesn’t exist. But now that I’m thinking about it, I’m sure someone did tell me this and I ignored it for the circus of neuroses inside of my head. Try to make a smart and generous writer friend or two, if you can. That certainly helps.

The post Stuart Pennebaker: On the Group Project of Publishing a Book appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Juliet discusses writing about her native northern California in her new mystery novel, Asylum Hotel, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Juliet Blackwell
Literary agent: Jim McCarthy, of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret LLC
Book title: Asylum Hotel
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: July 29, 2025
Genre/category: Mystery/thriller/suspense
Previous titles: The Paris Showroom, The Vineyards of Champagne, and several other standalone novels based in France; The Witchcraft Mystery series, The Haunted Home Renovation series, The Art Lover’s Mystery series.
Elevator pitch: The abandoned Hotel Seabrink has been a silent witness to several mysterious deaths over the years, and locals believe a curse follows anyone who dares set foot on the grounds. When the ghostly image of a teenage girl appears in a photograph, and a fellow trespasser is killed, disgraced architect Aubrey Spencer must uncover the identity of a modern-day murderer before she—and her best friend—succumb to the alleged Seabrink curse.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book

I was excited to write a book set in my native northern California! An hour or two north of San Francisco, there’s a very different vibe from the mellow southern California coast so often depicted in films and television. Here, the coastline is rugged and wild, with waves crashing off rocky outcroppings, and isolated stretches of dramatically twisting highways that can seem rather foreboding—especially when foggy! I spend a lot of time near the little town of Gualala, which boasts an old hotel built in 1903, and often wondered what life must have been like in the area during that time. Cue my writer’s imagination, and I thought of a long-since abandoned grand hotel from the Golden Age of Hollywood located somewhere in these remote, majestic, redwood-covered mountains…

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This idea had been stewing for a couple of years, at least. The actual writing/editing/rewriting took about nine months, and then there’s always a lag of nearly a year before the actual book lands on bookstore shelves. And yes, my ideas always change during the process of writing. No matter how I endeavor to give my editor a detailed outline, I give myself permission to veer off my plan as the story develops. To me, this is one of the greatest joys of writing: allowing the plot to unfold naturally rather than adhering strictly to the original plan. This means a lot of rewriting and reworking ideas, but to me it’s worth it—and frankly, it’s the only way I can produce a novel!

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I always learn from the process of being edited and forced to revise. I’ve been working with my editor at Berkley for nearly 20 years now, and I find her insights to be invaluable. I often fight against them initially, but I have to admit that her instincts are almost always on point. I do a lot of research, and I have a tendency to try to include way too much information in my books. Though it can be painful to make cuts, I find the streamlining ultimately leads to a better experience for the reader.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

There are always surprises while I write—that’s a big part of the joy of writing! The last couple of books I wrote were based in France and required months of research, so part of me assumed that I would be able to write a book set in California without too much difficulty. But of course, I was wrong. I took a deep dive into the history of the “poor farm” tradition in the U.S., which was fascinating from a sociological as well as a human perspective. I based one character on William Randolph Hearst, of Heart Castle, and found myself reading about the “Golden Age” of Hollywood and newspaper tycoons. Finally, while doing local research I came to understand the special situation when it comes to law enforcement in this remote stretch of the California coast: The area is considered Sonoma County below the Gualala River, but Mendocino County above it, and the county seats of both (as well as official police stations) are quite a distance away. Locals call the area “Mendonoma”, and they tend to be an independent bunch, at the ready to help a neighbor or stranded tourists.   

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope readers will gain a sense of California’s vibrant and wild coastal setting. I hope Asylum Hotel spurs an appreciation for history and architecture, and that readers connect with the struggles of my protagonist, Aubrey, as she tries to re-center and find her sense of self. Above all, I hope readers are able to envision themselves trespassing in a massive old abandoned hotel—and are thoroughly entertained! Entertainment sometimes gets a bad rap, but it’s essential for our primate brains to wander and play and visualize. Fiction fosters our imagination and creativity, as well as boosting connection and understanding.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Keep going. Even when it’s torture. Maybe especially when it’s torture. In my experience, the Muse (or whatever one calls inspiration) only shows up when a writer puts her butt in the chair and produces the worst first draft ever. Make it a terrible, wretched draft. Vomit all the worst words out onto the page; only then will you have something approximating a manuscript in hand. Only then can it be cleaned up and take the form of an actual book!

The post Juliet Blackwell: Make It a Terrible, Wretched Draft appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Ed discusses the culmination of 25 years of writing short stories into his new collection, An Oral History of Atlantis, his hope for readers, and more.

Name: Ed Park
Literary agent: PJ Mark, Janklow & Nesbit
Book title: An Oral History of Atlantis
Publisher: Random House
Release date: July 29, 2025
Genre/category: Literary fiction; short stories
Previous titles: Personal Days, Same Bed Different Dreams
Elevator pitch: Gilt-edged stories that slice clean through the mundanity of modern life. Characters bemoan their fleeting youth, focus on their breathing, meet cute, break up, write book reviews, translate ancient glyphs, bid on stuff online, whale watch, and try to find solace in the sublime.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

These short stories were written across 25 years—my entire writing career. They came to me before, during, and in between my novels. It was incredibly freeing to play hooky from a longer project. I wanted these to be entertaining, crisp, perfect.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

Several of these stories were written in one go—a concept or a title was all I needed. Others took longer. I’d write like the wind for 10 pages, hit a roadblock, then put it in the metaphorical drawer, until I’d happen upon it again and remember what I found enchanting about it in the first place. Then I’d finish. Then, hopefully, I’d publish.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

These aren’t all the stories I wrote in that 25-year span; I left out some worthy stories that didn’t quite the collection’s vibe. I wanted An Oral History of Atlantis to have variety but also an interior logic. As I shuffled and edited my selections, I saw connections between them that I’d not been unconscious of while writing each individual story. Though not exactly a novel-in-stories, the sum feels satisfyingly greater than the parts.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Probably the two best known stories here (“Slide to Unlock” and “The Wife on Ambien”) were each written in an hour or so.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

The pleasure of an unimpeachable sentence. The shock or joy of encountering a single character across multiple stories. Laughter.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Write the kind of fiction you like to read.

The post Ed Park: On Unconscious Connections Between Short Stories appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Chinaza discusses putting her characters through the ringer in her new fantasy novel, Birth of a Dynasty, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Chinaza Bado
Literary agent: Natanya Wheeler via Nancy Yost
Book title: Birth of a Dynasty
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release date: July 29, 2025
Genre/category: Fantasy Fiction, High fantasy, Adventure fiction, Historical fantasy, Epic fantasy
Elevator pitch: Game of Thrones meets Children of Bone in an epic story of vengeance.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

I have always been a reader of fantasy, historical fiction, and political drama. And I find it fascinating how often fantasy is more of a truthteller to history and politics than anything else—how nations rise and fall, how power is amassed and then lost. However, I often found the visibility of Black characters sparse if any are included at all. Countries with a majority Black population have experienced the ebb and flow of power struggles, too! I wanted to create a world where we exist at every level as the majority and tell the stories that happen in every society: power, drama, love, war, and nation building.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wasn’t sure how long it took me to go from idea to publication until I checked my files. I just realized I began outlining Birth of Dynasty on August 8, 2018. So, it has taken about seven years. The idea changed as I was trying to figure out what ancient civilization to base my story in. I did so much research I found myself overwhelmed the first year. So, I put the story down and came back with the idea to base it in fantasy world reminiscent of Africa pre-colonization. Obviously, it’s not a complete similarity but that became my base.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I had previously written romance under a pen name. When I sent the manuscript to my agent, I told her that it was different. So, I was definitely feeling some nerves and vulnerability. But I had seen the fantasy landscape change as several other fantasy novels with Black or African connections not only became popular, but achieved bestseller status.

After she read, my agent called me to tell me she was floored and that she loved it. And then when we put it on submission, I think we got an offer in two weeks, which I know is incredibly fast. I’ve long admired Harper Voyager’s books and am so honored to be published by them. And I’m so grateful to all the Black authors in the fantasy space who unknowingly helped me and paved the way for my book to be possible.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I’m not sure if it was a surprise but the most pleasant thing I found as I began writing was just how much history and inspiration I was able to find throughout the whole continent of Africa.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they get renewed sense of adventure, and I hope to get them emotionally invested in these characters. I do put my characters through the ringer, and I want readers to really laugh, cry, and rage with them.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

The advice I think I will always give is to Just Write. Even if you don’t think your idea will sell, even if your idea is too niche, even when you don’t want to; just write. Because a space will open one day and when it does, you can move without hesitation to grab it.

The post Chinaza Bado: Fantasy Is More of a Truth Teller appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Mary discusses the years of transformation that underwent her new romance novel, We Are the Match, her hope for readers, and more.

Name: Mary E. Roach
Literary agent: Claire Friedman
Book title: We Are the Match
Publisher: Montlake
Release date: July 29, 2025
Genre/category: Romance
Previous titles: Better Left Buried (Disney-Hyperion)

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

I grew up obsessed with the myth of Helen and all the stories surrounding it. There are so many stories of glory, war, and heroes, but, especially when I was younger, very few that explored what Helen might think of it all. What does she want in all of this? It flies in the face of all the fairytales: she’s the princess, married to a king. She has the happily ever after. How badly does that turn out, how dissatisfying an ending to her story has that proven to be, that she uproots her whole world to go with Paris? I wanted to explore what could have caused Helen to make the choices she did, and I wanted to explore a version of Paris that’s a little more vengeful than the one we see in the original myth.

Because if every choice you have made is dictated by the gods, the people in power, what do you have left but your anger? Paris and Helen were an avenue to explore that.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This book has been a long time coming. I actually wrote an early draft of this back in November of 2019 (though in that version, there’s a speculative/magic element to the story).

I had originally written the story as an exploration of power, rage, and love between women, and that has remained central. It was purely a fantasy novel in its earliest drafts, and while it had a romantic subplot, there’s a version of this that can’t be called a romance novel because it had no HEA. That evolved into a romantasy, and eventually into a contemporary romance.

But the heart of it—power, love, what it takes to survive an empire—has remained the same.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Oh, definitely. I would say the entire process has been a learning experience, because for me, the road to publication for this particular story was long and winding. As a romantasy, this book received love but ultimately didn’t find a home. When the offer came for a version of We Are the Match that was contemporary, it was a surprise (a welcome one), and it was a fun challenge to reimagine the world and the characters in a new way. It breathed new life into the story, and I was able to dive deeper into the characters than I had before.

But beyond that, I think the most lovely and pleasant surprise has just been the depth of the romance book community. It’s truly such an engaged, passionate group of readers. Within minutes of my deal announcement, I had writers, Bookstagram & Booktok folks, and readers reaching out to express their eagerness to read, and that enthusiasm hasn’t waned.

I’ve been published before, and have loved my reader interactions and bookseller connections and everything else along the way. But the romance community truly has such deep roots, and connecting there (and to romance-specific bookstores, which are becoming more common across the country) has been an unexpected gift.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Returning to a story I’d written so many years ago was surprising in itself. There were so many lines and moments I’d almost forgotten I’d written, so rediscovering and falling back in love with We Are the Match was an amazing experience. I feel so lucky that I got to return to this world and these characters.

My writing process had evolved, too. In the early days, when I first began taking writing seriously and pursuing publication, I didn’t outline anything. I was a pantser,  and I refused what I felt was the rigidity of outlining. Now, outlining is a skill I’ve developed and honed. I know what comes next. I know the beats of a story, where a twist or plot point needs to land. And despite my stubborn assertion in my early 20s, outlining didn’t end up being a rigid tool that robbed me of my authorial freedom.

Returning to We Are the Match to revise it was a gift in more ways than one, but it was definitely a really fun surprise to see the ways in which my craft had developed (and how much easier it made revising this story).

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Honestly, my biggest hope is that readers will walk away from this story with more acceptance or even appreciation of their own big, powerful emotions. Helen begins the story disconnected from her own feelings, and Paris begins with everything locked down so she can pursue her revenge. Ultimately, it’s allowing both anger and love to balance each other, to meet at that intersection, that allows both women to have a chance at something better. So, that’s what I hope readers get from this: Your anger is a gift that buoys you. Your love is a compass that points the way.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Keep going, and stay open to the possibilities. This book has changed shape in some really dramatic ways (it occupied a few different genres before it found its way), but I love the version that arrived when I was open to some very, very big changes.

Radical acceptance is your friend in this industry. There’s so much we can’t control as writers, and if you can make peace with that (and then continue making peace with that), you can find your way to a version of your book, your characters, and even your career that you never thought was possible.

The post Mary E. Roach: Radical Acceptance Is Your Friend in This Industry appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Hannah discusses the dose of happiness she needed that led to writing her new novel, The Sandy Page Bookshop, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Hannah McKinnon
Literary agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writer’s House
Book title: The Sandy Page Bookshop
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books, S&S
Release date: July 22, 2025
Genre/category: Fiction, Beach Reads, Women’s Fiction
Previous titles: The Lake Season, Mystic Summer, The Summer House, Sailing Lessons, The View From Here, Message in the Sand, The Darlings, The Summer Club (Emily Bestler Books/Simon & Schuster) Franny Parker, The Properties of Water (FSG/MacMillan)
Elevator pitch: After her personal & professional life implode in Boston, Leah Powell returns to her small Cape Cod town and stumbles upon an old captain’s house as dilapidated as she feels. When she decides to try to turn it into a bookstore, The Sandy Page Bookshop becomes a much needed haven for a handful of local characters as adrift as she feels during this second-chance summer.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

A needed dose of happiness and hope. Given all that is going on in the world, I think we’re all ripe for one. As I sat down to write this one, I found myself leaning into community. I wanted to write about a handful of rather unlike characters who are drawn together despite their differences. Without being saccharine, I wanted to write about friendship and romance and second chances. Ultimately, this is a love story to a small coastal town and community.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

These days I publish a book a year, so my timeline is a pretty tight turnaround. This is my ninth novel with Emily Bestler Books and the 11th of my career. I know I need a new idea for next summer’s book the spring before, and it usually takes me four to six months to complete. In the midst of writing my next book, I’m touring and promoting the current release, so there is a bit of a juggling act between two titles each year, but that keeps me focused. Going from idea to publication in the publishing world is about a year and a half once you land a book deal, but with my current contract schedule I’m constantly in production.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title? Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Yes! My novels are all set in coastal New England and they center on relationships. Often, they’re about loving but dysfunctional families, with main characters in the thick of life: marriage, parenting, loss, coming of age… the ups and downs we all experience. Though they all contain humor and levity to balance the gritty stuff, this time around I found myself leaning in hard to happiness. What better setting than a coastal bookstore? What better cast than a quirky mix of found family who meet over a love of books, each carrying their own hardships? There are some serious themes explored: a teenage car accident one summer night. Love lost. A career ended. Starting over. But this time around I wanted my characters to win!

Without giving away any spoilers, I wanted romance. Healing. That elusive happy ending. Life is hard. I think people need community now more than ever, and I wanted to give that to my readers in a way that didn’t feel forced or false. Things are not tied up with a big red bow at the end, but there is laughter, there is love, and there are tears (the happy kind!) This book made me cry several times while writing it, and I still think about these characters almost every day.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

The characters in this book are all so different from one another, there is someone for everyone. A young woman in her 30s whose near-perfect life just got upended. An elderly widow afraid to leave her house unless it’s to rescue dogs. A local teen whose family is reeling from an accident with a secret. An out-of-town PHD student struggling to come out to his conservative Portuguese grandmother. My hope is that every reader will find a relatable and lovable character on the page, even if that character is someone unlike them. To my surprise, I’ve been getting notes and messages from early readers who felt compelled to reach out about one character or another or to tell me what this story meant to them. I can’t say there is anything more meaningful to an author than to hear that one of your characters made someone feel seen and heard.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

There are two things that worked for me. First, don’t give up. I could have wallpapered my house with rejection letters (back when they landed in your mailbox!) Every single one stung, but the thought of giving up the dream stung more. Second, always have another iron in the fire. I used to be an elementary teacher and desperately wanted to become a picture-book writer. When a few summers of picture-book writing attempts didn’t pan out, I pivoted to middle-grade novels. That’s how I landed my first two-book deal: Franny Parker and The Properties of Water. Then I pivoted again to adult fiction. Working on something new all the time widens your chances and sharpens your skills. My father once told me, you only need one person to believe in your work to get your foot in the door. Keep creating and keep submitting!

The post Hannah McKinnon: I Could Have Wallpapered My House With Rejection Letters appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Seth discusses the learning curve that came with working in a different genre for his new science fiction novel, Volatile Memory, his hope for readers, and more.

Name: Seth Haddon
Literary agent: Maeve Lysaght
Book title: Volatile Memory
Publisher: Tordotcom
Release date: July 22, 2025
Genre/category: Science fiction
Previous titles: Reforged, Reborn, Reclaimed
Elevator pitch: This is How You Lose the Time War meets Ex Machina: Seth Haddon’s science fiction debut, Volatile Memory, is a sapphic sci-fi action adventure novella.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

I wrote Volatile Memory as a much-needed break from the elaborate and often convoluted fantasy novel I had been working on since I was 18. The first chapter came together when I was around 22, but after that, I set it aside for several years. In the meantime, I focused on completing my World of Reforged series and eventually finished Reclaimed, the third book in that world. After spending so much time in fantasy, I wanted to try something entirely different, both creatively and thematically.

When I returned to Volatile Memory, I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself. I was drawn to questions of gender, identity, and the ways humanity is treated as an asset under capitalism. These ideas felt timely and important to explore. The project became both a personal exploration and a chance to expand my writing in new directions, outside the comfort of my usual genre.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I first wrote the opening chapter when I was 22, and now I’m 28, so technically it’s been about six years from initial idea to publication. But in reality, most of that time was spent not actively working on the project. I picked it up again in early 2023, feeling ready to finally explore the full story. Once I committed to it, the first draft came together in about a month. After that, I worked through a few rounds of edits, mostly based on feedback from my agent, before we went out on submission. By August, we were already in talks with Tordotcom, and the deal was officially offered around October. Contracts were finalized by January 2024, and then it was full steam ahead. Now we’re just about a month away from release.

As for the idea itself, it stayed remarkably consistent throughout the process. Of course, there were rewrites, scene adjustments, and polishing along the way, but the core story, characters, and themes remained much the same as I originally envisioned. Even the structural changes were fairly minor, which made the whole process feel very clear and focused once I finally sat down to finish it.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Since I had worked with a small press before, I was familiar with parts of the process like working with an editor or a cover designer. But with this title, the scale was completely different. There was a full team dedicated to every aspect of the book, from editorial to marketing, publicity, design, sales, and audio. So many more people were involved, each bringing their expertise to help support the book through every stage. I was also more involved in certain areas this time, like collaborating on the cover design and giving input on the selection of audiobook narrators, which was really exciting. It was eye-opening to see how many steps go into shaping not just the book itself but also its launch and life in the world. The coordination and attention at every level taught me a lot about how traditional publishing works on a much larger scale.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I think the biggest surprise was realizing I could actually write something like this. The first draft came together much faster than I expected, and I was surprised at how naturally the narrative voice and perspective linked with the story itself. It felt very connected to the character, and finding that balance happened more organically than I anticipated. That being said, even though it is a shorter book, it was still one of the more challenging projects I’ve worked on. I was doing a lot of research throughout the process, and since this was my first science fiction novel after previously publishing only fantasy, there was definitely a learning curve. I had to think differently about world-building, pacing, and the kind of speculative elements I was working with. Making sure the science fiction aspects felt grounded while keeping the emotional core intact really pushed me as a writer. It was a new kind of challenge, but a rewarding one.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I think it’s a book that can appeal to a variety of audiences, and so I don’t want people who aren’t familiar with science fiction to feel put off. At its core, it’s an introspective story about two women who are learning to understand each other, themselves, and the anger they feel toward a system built to suppress and control them. While the sci-fi elements frame the world, the emotional and political threads are very grounded and, I think, very relevant to the moment we’re living in. Especially in the current political climate, I hope readers will connect with both the message and the exploration of rage. There are a lot of stories out there that focus on hope and optimism, which are important, but this book is ultimately about taking control of your own circumstances, reclaiming power from oppressive systems, and fighting for justice when no one else will. It’s about refusing to accept what you’re told you have to endure.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

If I could give one piece of advice to other writers, it would be to nurture patience and determination as early as possible. Writing is a skill, and like any skill, you can and should keep improving it throughout your career. But technical skill alone isn’t enough to succeed in this industry. The reality is that creative work involves a lot of rejection, critique, and waiting. Even after you’ve cleared the initial hurdles and sold a book, there are still long periods where you’re waiting for feedback, for approvals, for edits to cycle through, and for different teams to finish their parts of the process. It can be frustrating at times, but learning how to stay focused and keep moving forward during those stretches is essential. If you can build up the resilience to handle both the creative challenges and the business side’s unpredictable pacing, you’ll set yourself up for a much more sustainable and rewarding writing career.

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