Your graphic novel isn't a novel. It's a screenplay, and editors can tell from page one whether you know the difference. First Second Books editor Ivan Taurisano ex…

Most rejected picture book and middle grade manuscripts aren't turned down because they're bad — they're turned down because an editor has already seen five just li…

AI companies are shredding rare books to train their models—and now authors are the ones being told to prove they didn't use AI to write their own. Beth and Lisa un…

Wendelin Van Draanen spent 10 years collecting rejections before anyone said yes to her Sammy Keyes mystery series — she just kept writing the next one anyway. Now,…

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary In this episode of Writers With Wrinkles, hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid welcome back returning guest Lisa Frenkel Riddiough t…

Send us Fan Mail Literary agent Ann Rose (Marsal Lyon Literary Agency) returns to Writers With Wrinkles for a candid, funny, and reassuring conversation with Beth a…

Join Writers With Wrinkles podcast for in-depth insights into writing and publishing. Expert advice, interviews, and tips for authors on their publishing journey.

Send us Fan Mail Hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmidt cut through the noise of book marketing advice to spotlight what genuinely moves books: word of mouth. Nearly …

Send us Fan Mail Beth and Lisa talk with literary agent Nikki Carrero, from The Rights Factory, to break down the querying process from the agent’s side — what gets…

Send us Fan Mail We tackle a publishing debate, draw writing wisdom from Taylor Swift, and dig into one of the most common craft problems in fiction — weak stakes a…

Send us Fan Mail First Page Feedback: Charlotte's Hunt for Glory Beth and Lisa critique the opening page of a middle grade fantasy submission and pull out craft les…

Send us Fan Mail The One Where Nobody Ordered the Books | Beth McMullen & Lisa Schmid Lisa Schmid shares a cautionary tale from the Sacramento Book Festival, wh…

Send us Fan Mail Imprint closures, layoffs, and reorganizations are rattling the publishing world. Literary agent and At-Home Author founder Vicki Weber joins Beth …

Send us Fan Mail Beth and Lisa discuss the 2026 publishing landscape. From the end of prestige imprints like Dial Books to the flood of AI content, they explore why…

Join Writers With Wrinkles podcast for in-depth insights into writing and publishing. Expert advice, interviews, and tips for authors on their publishing journey.

I’m delighted to welcome award-winning author Fleur Bradley to the blog. I first discovered Fleur when I devoured her middle grade mystery Midnight at the Barclay Hotel. With its clever clues and spec...

Send us a text Is your inbox is bursting with slop from bots and scammers? In this "Ask Beth & Lisa" episode, we tackle the explosion of predatory emails—from f…

Send us a text Episode Summary What does it actually take to get a non-fiction book published in today's market? In this episode, literary agent and author Alia Han…

What Literary Agents Look for in Kidlit Submissions, with Erin Casey Westin page for Writers With Wrinkles