Author Madeline Te Whiu working at her desk, surrounded by editorial notes and bookcases.

How Madeline Te Whiu became a debut fantasy author

Her perseverance paid off with the completion of her first draft for The Assassin Thief. But over 50 rejections later, she knew she needed to try a new approach. Madeline enrolled in Creative Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers’ Centre to nail the basics of her story, then went on to edit her manuscript with Cut, Shape, Polish. After taking Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers, she was ready to send out her novel again – and this time she was snapped up by New Dawn Publishing.

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Samera Kamaleddine fulfils her publishing dreams

Samera Kamaleddine quit her job as editor of Women’s Fitness magazine to finally write the novel that was in her head – but she quickly discovered she had no idea where to start! After taking a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre, she found her writing rhythm and has now gone on to publish her debut young adult (YA) novel, Half My Luck.

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Cover artwork of Ellie Marney’s ‘The Killing Code’ with the words Win This Book beside it

WIN ‘The Killing Code’ by Ellie Marney

This week’s giveaway book is The Killing Code by bestselling Australian crime author Ellie Marney. It’s a historical mystery for fans of The Enigma Game and Last Night at the Telegraph Club, about a girl who risks everything to track down a vicious serial killer. We have three copies to

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Author Madeline Te Whiu working at her desk, surrounded by editorial notes and bookcases.

How Madeline Te Whiu became a debut fantasy author

Her perseverance paid off with the completion of her first draft for The Assassin Thief. But over 50 rejections later, she knew she needed to try a new approach. Madeline enrolled in Creative Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers’ Centre to nail the basics of her story, then went on to edit her manuscript with Cut, Shape, Polish. After taking Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers, she was ready to send out her novel again – and this time she was snapped up by New Dawn Publishing.

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VIDEO: Polly Phillips on her novel ‘The Reunion’

Polly Phillips currently lives in Australia, although she is originally from the UK. She’s the author of The Reunion and My Best Friend’s Murder, which won the Montegrappa Writing Prize at the Emirates Literature Festival in 2019. Polly has also worked as a journalist in Australia, Dubai, Denmark and the

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Samera Kamaleddine fulfils her publishing dreams

Samera Kamaleddine quit her job as editor of Women’s Fitness magazine to finally write the novel that was in her head – but she quickly discovered she had no idea where to start! After taking a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre, she found her writing rhythm and has now gone on to publish her debut young adult (YA) novel, Half My Luck.

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VIDEO: Emily Henry on her novel, ‘Book Lovers’

Emily Henry is the author of Book Lovers and other butterfly-inducing romantic comedies. Her novels Beach Read and You & Me on Vacation were both New York Times bestsellers, and Jodi Picoult calls her ‘my newest automatic-buy author.’ Emily studied creative writing at Hope College and now lives and writes in the American Midwest. This interview

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WIN ‘The Book Eaters’ by Sunyi Dean

“Truth is found between the stories we’re fed and the stories we hunger for…” This week’s giveaway book is The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean – described as “a darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A

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Ep 043: How to charge for your copywriting work

Christian Simovic is a man on a mission. At just 22 years old and with only 10 months under his belt as an email copywriter, he has taken the risky path of offering his clients a no-results-no pay model. Gutsy? Yes, but it works and in this session he shows

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VIDEO: Veronica Lando on her novel, ‘The Whispering’

Veronica Lando is an Australian crime author who won the 2021 Banjo Prize for her then-unpublished manuscript The Whispering. As a child, she grew up above her parents’ Melbourne bookstore, surrounded by other people’s stories. Now, as an adult, she lives in Queensland and enjoys using the uniquely wild and sometimes

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The cover of Kate Atkinson’s book ‘Shrines of Gaiety’ with the text ‘Win This Book;

COMP CLOSED ‘Shrines of Gaiety’ by Kate Atkinson

This week’s giveaway book comes from the inimitable bestselling author, Kate Atkinson – a mesmerising novel set in Soho in the 1920s, when gangsters and politicians, peers and dancing girls, rubbed shoulders in a dazzling new world. It’s called Shrines of Gaiety and we have three to be won. 1926,

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A circle of hardcover books against a green background.

7 publishing opportunities you may have missed

By Allison Tait It’s a wonderful time to become an author. Here are seven publishing opportunities you may not have considered. Remember to give yourself the best possible chance of success by reading the publisher’s guidelines carefully, and prepare to be patient! With declared waiting times of up to six

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Photographs of the exterior of Sulari Gentil’s writing hut, and the interior where two dogs sleep next to a heater.

Sulari Gentill’s idyllic writing hut

Many aspiring writers dream of an idyllic creative space where they can pen their next masterpiece. Sulari Gentill, who has recently released her 15th book, The Woman in the Library, turned that dream into reality when she installed a writing hut on her property in the Snowy Mountains in Australia.

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Q&A: Why do we say “second nature”?

Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re having second thoughts… Q:

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The cover 'Agatha Christie' by Lucy Worsley’ with the text ‘Win This Book

COMP CLOSED ‘Agatha Christie’ by Lucy Worsley

‘One brilliant woman writing about another: an irresistible combination.’ – Antonia Fraser This week’s giveaway book is Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley – a brand new biography about this mysterious writer of mysteries. We have three copies to be won. ‘Nobody in the world was more inadequate

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How to establish and build a long-term author career

By Allison Tait. Unless you’re planning to write just one amazing book and disappear (hello, Harper Lee), chances are you’re hoping to establish and build a long-term career as an author. But just what does that take? One person who has insider insights on that question is Sophie Hamley, currently

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2023 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards now open

Entries for the 2023 Premier’s Awards are now open! This year, the awards have also received a funding boost which makes the Indigenous Prize a yearly fixture, while increasing the the Multicultural NSW Award from $20,000 to $30,000. From to the press release: “The Premier’s Literary Awards are the longest

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Q&A: Where does “going haywire” come from?

Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re on a wire… Q:

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VIDEO: Kathy Reichs on her novel ‘Cold Cold Bones’

Kathy Reichs has written over twenty novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, including Cold Cold Bones. An international best-seller, she’s also worked as the producer of the television series based upon her work, Bones, and she’s one of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology.

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