
Deadline City's Podcast
Welcome to Deadline City: a podcast and a destination. We are two New York City-based authors who share an office and work on multiple books at a time. Between us, we have 40 books published and under contract, and we’re just getting started. If you’ve seen us on the road, you know how we cut up. We like to have fun and talk about the one thing that is always on our minds: creating books. Publishing is a big scary world to many of us, and our goal is to pull back the curtain on some of the mystery by simply talking about it. In our first season, we want to dig into subjects like YA fiction, editing, reading reviews, burnout. Most of the time, you publish a book and then you’re at a loss for what comes next. How do you navigate the industry and then still manage to write more books? That’s a journey we’re on and know that so many others are on the same road. We hope you come along for the ride.
Episodes
75 episodes
S6 - Episode 6: Big Idea Barn
Welcome back to Deadline City! This week we are talking about the "Big Idea." But what is a "Big Idea" and who gets to decide that? We pull from our vast publishing experience plus trends we've seen come and go, and do a deep dive into a topic ...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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53:06

S6: Episode 5 - Remix Row
This week on Deadline City, we break down retellings and remixes. When it comes to writing, IS there anything new under the sun? We talk about our own experiences with tropes, reimaginings, classics, and WHO gets to tell these stories. Buckle i...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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53:38

S6: Episode 4 - Myth Buster Manor
This week we head to "Myth Buster Manor" where we asked the internet for publishing myths and rumors that are spread through the industry streets. Based on our experience, we tackle one by one. Is your career over if you don't hit the elusive N...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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1:02:37

S6: Episode 3 - The Political Playground w/ Samira Ahmed
This week's episode features Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestseller and activist! It's a deep dive into the politics of being an author. What risks do we take? What do we have to consider when we're writing about people from the real world, or...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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1:14:37

S6: Episode 2 - Burnout Borough Pt. II (Extra Crispy)
What's up Deadline City?! We're back to Burn Out Borough. This week we're having an honest conversation about how to identify burnout, working through COVID, what we're doing to cope with the times, and how we can be better. No matter wha...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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42:12

Season 6: Episode 1 - Where In The World Is Deadline City?
We're back and more tired than ever! But first, we need to catch up on all that's happened in our lives since the start of the year. So much has happened in the publishing industry this summer, and we go through our own version of "the state of...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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57:18

S5: Episode 10 - Resolution Blvd. Pt 3
It's that time again. RESOLUTION BLVD, we meet again. Dhonielle and Zoraida break down the peaks and pits of our year and lay out what we want to do better or try next year. What are your resolutions? We're also l...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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1:19:07

S5: Episode 8 - TikTok Tavern w/ Alex Aster
This year, TikTok has become the new publishing buzzword. Publishers and authors have tried to crack the code of virality. What makes a book take off? Does crying online sell books? One thing is certain: when it works it works. Critically accla...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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1:03:40

S5: Episode 9 - Pen Name Palace
This week on Deadline City, we discuss the subject of pen names. Why start your career with one? Why start a new one for a different genre? And what are the pros and cons of anonymity? Tune in to dive into another side of writer life on Deadlin...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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47:18

S5: Episode 7 - From a Certain Point of View
This week on Deadline City we talk about POV. From a certain POV, that is. No, it's not a Star Wars episode, BUT we do dig into what makes us write the way we write. How do we choose the way we tell stories? All that and more on this week's epi...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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46:11

S5: Episode 6 - Publicity Parlor w/ Saraciea J. Fennell
This week Deadline City has a special guest! Publicity manager, editor, and festival founder, Saraciea J. Fennell knows the ins and outs of the publishing industry. She stops by the Publicity Parlor to give us her insights into author-publisher...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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1:06:48
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S5: Episode 5 - The Theme Park
This week on Deadline City we are digging deep into theme! We break down some of our recent reads and figure out how we build themes and make our stories stronger. Dhonielle is very organized, and Zoraida is not.
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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37:10

S5: Episode 4 - The Query Quarter
This week on Deadline City we head to the Query Quarter. We have an honest discussion about how we got our agents, when you know you need to move on, and how to keep going. Whether you're polishing your first letter or an author thinking of mak...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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36:43

S5: Episode 3 - Self-Pub Parlor w/ Sierra Simone
USA Today Bestselling author, Sierra Simone, stops by Deadline City to talk all things self-publishing. Sierra Simone is a bestselling author of angsty and dark romance. She's been in the game for years and we are so lucky to have her share her...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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54:02
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S5: Episode 2 - The Future of Publishing
This week on Deadline City we're talking about the future of the publishing industry from our perspectives. What are the changes we're reading out? How do we see buying trends changing, and how is this affecting the way we are personally going ...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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45:36

S5: Episode 1 - Pandemic Book Babies
Season 5 of Deadline City is here, and we are back on our bullsh*t! We catch up on this episode and go over our pandemic releases and well as discuss how we are staying sane during author promotion. Join us for our first episode back.
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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56:04

S4: Episode 13 - The Idea Factory
Welcome to the season finale of Deadline City! For our final episode, we've decided to talk about ideas and trends. We're often asked, "where do you get your ideas from?" Well, here it is. We discuss organic ideas and how they take shape. How t...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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57:06

S4: Episode 12 - The Arena Pt 2 - YA vs. Adult
YA versus Adult! We get these questions quite a bit. Why write YA? Why write adult? What is the difference? Zoraida is making the move to adult in September 2021, and Dhonielle is so close to finishing her first adult novel. But why the change?...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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45:13

S4: Episode 11 - The Champagne Room w/ Sarah E. Younger
This week on Deadline City we talk about sex and intimacy in adult romance novels! Sarah E. Younger is a literary agent who specializes in adult romance. She's part of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency and represents authors like Alexis Daria, Kit...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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55:52

S4: Episode 10 - Fantasy Fields w/ Rebecca Roanhorse
Welcome to the Fantasy Fields! New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Roanhorse joins us in Deadline City for a deep dive on fantasy world-building. How do we create fantasy novels that have distinct cultures? How do we go beyond t...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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56:28

S4 Episode 9 - Destination City Hall
One of the ongoing conversations in the Book World is the politics of being a writer! Can authors take an a-political stance? What are the expectations? Dhonielle and Zoraida discuss the politics of being an author in times like these.
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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57:53

S4: Episode 8 - Community Corner w/ Natalie C. Parker
This week on Deadline City we are joined by an old friend and critically acclaimed author and anthologist, Natalie C. Parker. We pick her brain about how she creates community through workshops and retreats at her company, Madcap Retreats...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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1:14:52

S4: Episode 7 - #OwnVoices Observatory
Let's talk about #OwnVoices! This term coined by the writer Corinne Duyvis has changed a lot about the conversation about books. We go over what it means, what it means to us, and how it can be weaponized by the publishing industry. Is #O...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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44:17

S4: Episode 6: Genre Grove w/ Adam Silvera
A question we get often is "do I have to stay in one genre?" For us, the answer is no. But that's a big topic and a lot of factors go into that. We're joined by New York Times bestselling author, Adam Silvera, to talk about how we writ...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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54:59

S4 Episode 5 - Destination: Cancel Court
This week we talk about the controversial parts of publishing! As always we want to make sure we cover everything, even subjects that are a bit tricky to navigate. This is a huge discussion and we only cover a bit of it, but we have to start so...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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52:38
