Best AmWriting With Jess Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 454 Mid-Year Check-In 36:33

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5d ago36:33

36:33

Our goal words, as a reminderSarina: presenceJess: growthJennie: Teflon™KJ: inner compass #AmReadingJess: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidKJ: The Spy Coast by Tess GerritsenJennie: Shakespeare: The Man Who Plays the Rent by Judi DenchSarina: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez Transcript below! EPISODE 454 - TRANSCRIPT KJ Dell'Antonia Hey, writ…

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454: Ep 454 Mid-Year Check-In 36:32

5d ago36:32

36:32

Our goal words, as a reminder Sarina: presence Jess: growth Jennie: Teflon™ KJ: inner compass #AmReading Jess: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid KJ: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen Jennie: Shakespeare: The Man Who Plays the Rent by Judi Dench Sarina: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby JimenezBy #AmWriting with Jess & KJ

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453: The Ultimate How To: Write, Pitch, Maybe Publish with Kate McKean from Agents+Books 41:27

12d ago41:27

41:27

This is the how-to book you need right now, the one with “am I ready to query” and “what does my platform need to look like” and “what if no one buys my book” and “what happens if someone buys my book”. We have a great episode, talking about creating this book, writing this book and living this book—because Kate McKean is not only a very experience…

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The Ultimate How To: Write, Pitch, Maybe Publish with Kate McKean from Agents+Books 41:27

12d ago41:27

41:27

This is the how-to book you need right now, the one with “am I ready to query” and “what does my platform need to look like” and “what if no one buys my book” and “what happens if someone buys my book”. We have a great episode, talking about creating this book, writing this book and living this book—because Kate McKean is not only a very experience…

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452: The Gift of Failure: Author Version 40:14

19d ago40:14

40:14

Karen Dukess’s first book, The Last Book Party, was wildly successful by any measure—sold at auction, Indie Next pick, Discover New Writers pick… you probably read it. The second… Didn’t sell. Not as in, not very many people bought it but as in, no publisher published it. She spent the requisite couple years or so, her agent signed on but… no taker…

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The Gift of Failure: Author Version 40:15

19d ago40:15

40:15

Karen Dukess’s first book, The Last Book Party, was wildly successful by any measure—sold at auction, Indie Next pick, Discover New Writers pick… you probably read it. The second… Didn’t sell. Not as in, not very many people bought it but as in, no publisher published it. She spent the requisite couple years or so, her agent signed on but… no taker…

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451: New Series: From Soup to Nuts 35:57

26d ago35:57

35:57

Hi! Jess here. As an author and host of this podcast, I hear “I have a great idea for a book!” a lot, and while I believe everyone has a story to tell, I’ve only been knocked over by these book pitches twice. The first was the idea for the book Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids b…

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New Series: From Soup to Nuts 35:57

26d ago35:57

35:57

Hi! Jess here. As an author and host of this podcast, I hear “I have a great idea for a book!” a lot, and while I believe everyone has a story to tell, I’ve only been knocked over by these book pitches twice. The first was the idea for the book Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids b…

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Should there be a body? Writing is Revising with Meg Mitchell Moore 37:20

1M ago37:20

37:20

Meg Mitchell Moore is the author of Mansion Beach, a page-turner-y multi POV summer saga with everything you could ask for: a beach, a body, rich people behaving badly but also sometimes not behaving badly, parties, drama and just enough gender-swapped Gatsby to think hard about the meaning of the American Dream. I loved it (KJ here) and I also lov…

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450: Shifting POVs, Adding or Subtracting a Body... Writing is Revising with Meg Mitchell Moore 37:20

1M ago37:20

37:20

Meg Mitchell Moore is the author of Mansion Beach, a page-turner-y multi POV summer saga with everything you could ask for: a beach, a body, rich people behaving badly but also sometimes not behaving badly, parties, drama and just enough gender-swapped Gatsby to think hard about the meaning of the American Dream. I loved it (KJ here) and I also lov…

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449: Sticking it to the Book Banners: A Glorious Tale of Pyrrhic Victory 47:37

1M ago47:37

47:37

Greetings writers! Sarina here. Earlier in May I was surfing social media, as one does, when I came across a story about children’s author Erica Perl and an ill-fated school visit. Her scheduled visit to a school was abruptly canceled. After asking a few questions, it was determined that a single parent had objected to… Well, it’s hard to say. We’l…

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Sticking it to the Book Banners: A Glorious Tale of Victory 47:38

1M ago47:38

47:38

Greetings writers! Sarina here. Earlier in May I was surfing social media, as one does, when I came across a story about children’s author Erica Perl and an ill-fated school visit. Her scheduled visit to a school was abruptly canceled. After asking a few questions, it was determined that a single parent had objected to… Well, it’s hard to say. We’l…

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448: How to Focus on Work in a Chaotic World 44:00

2M ago44:00

44:00

Hi all, Jess here. This episode was Sarina’s idea, and when you listen you will understand why. It can be hard to focus on the work, whether it’s editing, world building, conjuring meet cutes, or translating research-based hope for the next generation. That said, it’s important that we keep creating and putting our words out into the world. We hope…

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How to Focus on Work in a Chaotic World 44:01

2M ago44:01

44:01

Hi all, Jess here. This episode was Sarina’s idea, and when you listen you will understand why. It can be hard to focus on the work, whether it’s editing, world building, conjuring meet cutes, or translating research-based hope for the next generation. That said, it’s important that we keep creating and putting our words out into the world. We hope…

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Imagining the Life of Jo Van Gogh 59:34

2M ago59:34

59:34

Joan Fernandez is a former senior marketing executive and general partner of the financial powerhouse Edward Jones. In 2018, she retired from a 30+ year career to be a full-time writer. Since leaving the corporate world, she’s become a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Author’s Guild, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). In…

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447: Imagining the Life of Jo Van Gogh 59:34

2M ago59:34

59:34

Joan Fernandez is a former senior marketing executive and general partner of the financial powerhouse Edward Jones. In 2018, she retired from a 30+ year career to be a full-time writer. Since leaving the corporate world, she’s become a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Author’s Guild, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). In…

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Reading a Book Contract 47:33

2M ago47:33

47:33

Jess here with Sarina Bowen to help simplify and demystify author contracts. Let’s start off with a wonderful resource called The Authors Guild. They have sample contracts on their website The Authors Guild Sample Contract Sarina made a lovely outline to prepare for the episode (because of course she did) so I’m dropping that here. * You’re not “se…

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446: Reading a Book Contract 47:33

2M ago47:33

47:33

Jess here with Sarina Bowen to help simplify and demystify author contracts. Let’s start off with a wonderful resource called The Authors Guild. They have sample contracts on their website The Authors Guild Sample Contract ONE You’re not “selling” your book. You’re licensing it. TWO Grant of rights Term length Which territories Which formats Territ…

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Novel Writing for Journalists with the NYT's Elizabeth Harris 42:34

2M ago42:34

42:34

When a former NYT journo who now writes novels (that would be me, hi) gets together with a current NYT journo now writing novels, they—we!—cannot stop talking about the challenges, advantages, schedules, pros and cons of book leave and what it is about fiction that lights some journalists up, and turns some off. It’s the good, the bad and the overc…

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445: Novel Writing for Journalists with the NYT's Elizabeth Harris 42:33

2M ago42:33

42:33

When a former NYT journo who now writes novels (that would be me, hi) gets together with a current NYT journo now writing novels, they—we!—cannot stop talking about the challenges, advantages, schedules, pros and cons of book leave and what it is about fiction that lights some journalists up, and turns some off. It’s the good, the bad and the overc…

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The Business of Being a Writer 49:55

2M ago49:55

49:55

Hi #AmWriting listeners, Jennie here! Today, I'm talking to Jane Friedman, who is one of the most trusted voices in the world of publishing.She has advised and served organizations such as Writers Digest, The Chicago Manual of Style, The Editorial Freelancers Association, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the National Endowment for the Arts,…

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444: The Business of Being a Writer 49:55

2M ago49:55

49:55

Hi #AmWriting listeners, Jennie here! Today, I'm talking to Jane Friedman, who is one of the most trusted voices in the world of publishing. She has advised and served organizations such as Writers Digest, The Chicago Manual of Style, The Editorial Freelancers Association, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the National Endowment for the Arts…

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443: Booklab: First Pages (a bite of sci-fi/fantasy action-adventure and Conditioned, a memoir) 41:06

3M ago41:06

41:06

Hey listeners: This week, everyone gets a taste of what paid supporters will get more regularly—a special Booklab: First Pages episode. Each month (and sometimes more often), we’ll choose two “first pages” to review. A first page, for our purposes, is the first 350 words of your book—fiction, non-fiction or memoir. We will read the page aloud on th…

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Booklab: First Pages (a bite of sci-fi/fantasy action-adventure and Conditioned, a memoir) 41:07

3M ago41:07

41:07

Hey listeners: This week, everyone gets a taste of what paid supporters will get more regularly—a special Booklab: First Pages episode. Each month (and sometimes more often), we’ll choose two “first pages” to review. A first page, for our purposes, is the first 350 words of your book—fiction, non-fiction or memoir. We will read the page aloud on th…

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A.I. Training and Piracy: What You Need to Know 27:03

3M ago27:03

27:03

Social media is all aflutter over an article by Alex Reisner in The Atlantic: The Unbelievable Scale of A.I.’s Pirated Books Problem. In this episode, Jess and Sarina cover the news and its ramifications for authors. You won’t want to miss this discussion about the lawsuits against Meta and OpenAI. We discuss problems and remedies, and the formatio…

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442: A.I. Training and Piracy: What You Need to Know 27:03

3M ago27:03

27:03

Social media is all aflutter over an article by Alex Reisner in The Atlantic: The Unbelievable Scale of A.I.’s Pirated Books Problem. In this episode, Jess and Sarina cover the news and its ramifications for authors. You won’t want to miss this discussion about the lawsuits against Meta and OpenAI. We discuss problems and remedies, and the formatio…

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441: Creativity, Compromise, and Commercial Viability 53:20

3M ago53:20

53:20

Michael Dante DiMartino graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Film and Animation. His directing credits include the primetime animated series King of the Hill, Family Guy, and Mission Hill. DiMartino is the co-creator of the award-winning animated Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of K…

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Creativity, Compromise, and Commercial Viability 53:20

3M ago53:20

53:20

Michael Dante DiMartino graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Film and Animation. His directing credits include the primetime animated series King of the Hill, Family Guy, and Mission Hill. DiMartino is the co-creator of the award-winning animated Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of K…

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How (and Why) to Submit to Literary Mags and Small Presses 40:37

3M ago40:37

40:37

Let me start with this: if you have any interest at all in literary magazines or small presses, you want this book: How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses. It’s a wonderful book and a great guide, and will lead you into this world and help you feel good about your journey without your getting lost in…

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440: How (and Why) to Submit to Literary Mags and Small Presses 40:36

3M ago40:36

40:36

Let me start with this: if you have any interest at all in literary magazines or small presses, you want this book: How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses. It’s a wonderful book and a great guide, and will lead you into this world and help you feel good about your journey without your getting lost in…

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439: A Peek Inside a Hybrid Publisher 45:23

4M ago45:23

45:23

There are many misconceptions about what a hybrid publisher does or doesn’t do, and why it may or may not be a good choice for a writer. I thought hearing from a hybrid publisher directly would be educational for our audience, so I’m pleased to be speaking in this episode to Dr. Nick Courtright, CEO of Atmosphere Press. Check out Atmosphere Press h…

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A Peek Inside a Hybrid Publisher 45:24

4M ago45:24

45:24

There are many misconceptions about what a hybrid publisher does or doesn’t do, and why it may or may not be a good choice for a writer. I thought hearing from a hybrid publisher directly would be educational for our audience, so I’m pleased to be speaking in this episode to Dr. Nick Courtright, CEO of Atmosphere Press. Check out Atmosphere Press h…

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438: The Outer World of Publishing 40:37

4M ago40:37

40:37

Hey ho, Jess here. This week, all four of us discuss some of the happenings out there in the publishing world. First up: Super Bowl Sunday is apparently a great reading day. Sarina sent us a screenshot of her sales (she was tipped off by another author) and found out what many people are reading during the game: So that’s fun. Next up, Sean Manning…

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The Outer World of Publishing 40:38

4M ago40:38

40:38

Hey ho, Jess here. This week, all four of us discuss some of the happenings out there in the publishing world. First up: Super Bowl Sunday is apparently a great reading day. Sarina sent us a screenshot of her sales (she was tipped off by another author) and found out what many people are reading during the game: So that’s fun. Next up, Sean Manning…

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437: How to Have a Thick Skin, with Lauren Blakely 29:34

4M ago29:34

29:34

Hi listeners! Sarina here, with a topic that has been on my mind for years. When I began my career, everyone told me I had to develop a “thick skin” to do this job. But it turns out that a “thick skin” is one of the only things you can’t buy on Amazon. Today I invite my friend Lauren Blakely onto the podcast for a frank discussion of all that we’ve…

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How to Have a Thick Skin, with Lauren Blakely 29:35

4M ago29:35

29:35

Hi listeners! Sarina here, with a topic that has been on my mind for years. When I began my career, everyone told me I had to develop a “thick skin” to do this job. But it turns out that a “thick skin” is one of the only things you can’t buy on Amazon. Today I invite my friend Lauren Blakely onto the podcast for a frank discussion of all that we’ve…

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Writing Partnerships with Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson 40:59

4M ago40:59

40:59

“If the language isn’t there, I have difficulty showing up for the idea” - Jenny Anderson Jess here. Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and Jenny Anderson, award-winning journalist, paired up to write one of my favorite education and parenting books in recent memory: The Disengaged Teen. W…

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436: Writing Partnerships with Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson 40:58

4M ago40:58

40:58

“If the language isn’t there, I have difficulty showing up for the idea” - Jenny Anderson Jess here. Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and Jenny Anderson, award-winning journalist, paired up to write one of my favorite education and parenting books in recent memory: The Disengaged Teen. W…

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435: Wrangling the Doubt Monster with Amy Bernstein 37:10

5M ago37:10

37:10

Do you have a Doubt Monster? (Doesn’t everyone?) Amy Bernstein is an Author Accelerator certified writing coach, an #AmWriting Blueprint Challenge coach, a writer, a creative coach and many other things—but for our purposes, the author of Wrangling the Doubt Monster—a delightful book that you can open on any page for help wrangling your own doubts …

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Wrangling the Doubt Monster with Amy Bernstein 37:11

5M ago37:11

37:11

Do you have a Doubt Monster? (Doesn’t everyone?) Amy Bernstein is an Author Accelerator certified writing coach, an #AmWriting Blueprint Challenge coach, a writer, a creative coach and many other things—but for our purposes, the author of Wrangling the Doubt Monster—a delightful book that you can open on any page for help wrangling your own doubts …

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434: Consider the Sweep of Your Whole Writing Career 41:15

5M ago41:15

41:15

One of the things I think we do well with on this podcast is addressing the long game of writing. It’s not just about writing a good book or pitching one or selling one, but about the work of doing it over and over again, of succeeding and failing, of PERSISTING. That’s why I love this conversation with Tiffany Yates Martin, who is an author hersel…

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Consider the Sweep of Your Whole Writing Career 41:16

5M ago41:16

41:16

One of the things I think we do well with on this podcast is addressing the long game of writing. It’s not just about writing a good book or pitching one or selling one, but about the work of doing it over and over again, of succeeding and failing, of PERSISTING. That’s why I love this conversation with Tiffany Yates Martin, who is an author hersel…

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433: Social Media: What Happens Now? 46:24

5M ago46:24

46:24

“I put my effort into building trust, showing up, and being present for people who have opted into my universe.” A slight paraphrase of Jennie Nash On the day we recorded this episode, no one really knew what was going to happen to TikTok (Jess thinks it’s going away, everyone else doubts her) and Sarina was attempting to manage all the emails from…

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Social Media: What Happens Now? 46:25

5M ago46:25

46:25

“I put my effort into building trust, showing up, and being present for people who have opted into my universe.” A slight paraphrase of Jennie Nash On the day we recorded this episode, no one really knew what was going to happen to TikTok (Jess thinks it’s going away, everyone else doubts her) and Sarina was attempting to manage all the emails from…

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Treat your writing like a business in 2025 9:34

5M ago9:34

9:34

I’m Sarina, and I’m a business nerd. Hi, my name is Sarina, and I’m a business nerd. I was born this way. I can’t help it. I realize that not everyone gets excited about spreadsheets, but if you have any writerly income at all, I’m begging you to make 2025 the year you treat your writing as a business. There are actually two reasons to do this: * F…

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432: Treat your writing like a business in 2025 9:33

5M ago9:33

9:33

I’m Sarina, and I’m a business nerd. Hi, my name is Sarina, and I’m a business nerd. I was born this way. I can’t help it. I realize that not everyone gets excited about spreadsheets, but if you have any writerly income at all, I’m begging you to make 2025 the year you treat your writing as a business. There are actually two reasons to do this: Fir…

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The Making of a Workbook 50:18

6M ago50:18

50:18

Hi #AmWriters, Jess here. I’ve been wanting to do an episode on workbooks forever - on any form of companion text that pairs with nonfiction books, really. How do you propose them, write them, format them? You know me, I like the granular details. Fortunately, Ned Johnson and Dr. William Stixrud are publishing The Seven Principles for Raising a Sel…

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431: The Making of a Workbook 50:17

6M ago50:17

50:17

Hi #AmWriters, Jess here. I’ve been wanting to do an episode on workbooks forever - on any form of companion text that pairs with nonfiction books, really. How do you propose them, write them, format them? You know me, I like the granular details. Fortunately, Ned Johnson and Dr. William Stixrud are publishing The Seven Principles for Raising a Sel…

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430: A People Pleaser Learns to Write the Book She Wants to Write 48:46

6M ago48:46

48:46

Essay collections—readers love them, but publishers and editors are often unconvinced. Jennie and KJ talk to Amy Wilson about getting that contract, finding the through line and writing a book about pleasing people while also remembering to please yourself. Links from the pod Mary Karr The Art of Memoir Wendi Aarons Listen to Your Mother (Essay per…

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A People Pleaser Learns to Write the Book She Wants to Write 49:43

6M ago49:43

49:43

Essay collections—readers love them, but publishers and editors are often unconvinced. Jennie and KJ talk to Amy Wilson about getting that contract, finding the through line and writing a book about pleasing people while also remembering to please yourself. Links from the pod Mary Karr The Art of Memoir Wendi Aarons Listen to Your Mother (Essay per…