The First Draft Club

S08 E01 The Black List: The new publishing shortcut for aspiring novelists

We're back for Season 8! Mary talks about a newcomer to publishing—The Black List—and shares costs, benefits, and how it could potentially save you months (or even years) in your publishing journey. If you dream of publication but dread the long, uncertain querying process, this episode is for you.

 

Show Notes:

In this episode, I cover:· What is The Black List? Learn how this groundbreaking platform, originally created for Hollywood screenwriters, works—and why it’s now disrupting the world of fiction publishing.
· How it works for novelists: I’ll break down how you can use The Black List to host your manuscript, receive professional evaluations, and get noticed by literary agents and publishers.
· Is it worth the investment? I’ll share costs, benefits, and why I think it could save you months (or even years!) in your publishing journey.

Why I was skeptical—and why I changed my mind: My honest take on whether publishing needed a tool like this and why it might be a game-changer for early adopters. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the slow query process or wondered how to get professional feedback on your manuscript without waiting months, this episode has the answers you’ve been looking for.

Resources Mentioned:

The Black List Fiction Submissions: https://blcklst.com/fiction
The Author’s Guild Membership: https://authorsguild.org/membership/

S07 E12 3 Things to Know about Copyright & a Scam to Avoid if You’re Self-Publishing

Don't fall for anyone offering you "global copyright" for a bunch of money. Here's what you need to know about copyright as an author and how to file.

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Alessandra Torre Ink: https://ati.mykajabi.com/fearlessly-publish

S07 E11 Should You Hire a Book Publicist?

Authors are hiring their own publicists—but how do you know if a publicist is worth the cost? Mary shares the questions she'd ask.

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PublicityxChristina: https://www.publicityxchristina.com/

 

S07 E10 How Much I Was Paid for My First Novel & Why I Don't Think Big Publishing is Dead

Mary takes on the recent buzz around "Big 5" publishing being a waste of time for authors by sharing her own story and how she views authorial success.

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Mary's Blog: https://maryadkinswriter.com/blog/in-defense-of-big-publishing

The Elysian Article: https://www.elysian.press/p/no-one-buys-books

S07 E09 The #1 Resource for When You're Querying

How do you find the right literary agents or publishers to query? There's one resource that's worth every penny (and this isn't sponsored content): Publisher's Marketplace. Here's why, and how to use it.

S07 E08 The Lean-In Method for Assessing Feedback

How do you get feedback without letting it derail you? The risk is real. Mary shares the single criterion she uses in deciding whether or not to take a piece of feedback.

S07 E07 The Real Secret to Writing Your Best Possible Book

In this short and sweet episode, Mary shares the secret to writing a book that's smarter than you (with some helpful words from George Saunders and Rufi Thorpe).

S07 E06 Rufi Thorpe (with Mary) on How to Control Your Reader's Mind

In this sneak peek into the private podcast inside The Book Incubator, Mary and Rufi discuss what they label "Newtonian Narratology" (you think we're kidding!), a.k.a. why it's better for your characters to try not to cry than to cry, and why you might not need to learn how to write that one emotion you struggle to write, after all.

S07 E05 Interview with Psychologist & Author Joe Sanok on How to Get Your Book Written

Author of Thursday is the New Friday, Joe Sanok speaks with Mary about the neuroscience findings that can help aspiring authors finally finish their drafts.

S07 E04 3 Publishing Myths that Are Making Me Mad

There are people online selling solutions you don't need to problems that don't exist. As a writer aspiring to be published, it pays to be savvy. Mary unpacks 3 of these myths so you can avoid traps.