By Valerie Khoo A little fur baby has recently come into my life. His name is Apollo, he is a ridiculously gorgeous ragdoll kitten and he has already taken up his position as the Australian Writers’ Centre’s newest writing assistant. Admittedly, his current skills are less “structural editing” and more
Storytelling and food at the Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 If you like your literature with a side of dumplings, you’ll want to clear your calendar for 15-17 August. The Bendigo Writers Festival is back and this year’s theme blends two of life’s greatest pleasures: storytelling and food. Highlights include a
Ready to stab the page? The 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards are now open! Crime-fiend storytellers, sharpen your pens – Australia’s top short story competition for women’s crime fiction is back! The 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime, is open for entries until 31 August 2025, with more
From open submission windows to exciting success stories, here’s what’s making news in the writing world this week. Penguin Random House opens submissions for children’s and YA manuscripts during July 2025 Penguin Random House Australia is now accepting unsolicited submissions for children’s and young adult manuscripts throughout July. Submit 50–100
Richell Prize for Emerging Writers: deadline approaching The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers 2025 is nearing its submission deadline on 13 July 2025. This prize, established in memory of Hachette Australia’s CEO Matt Richell, offers unpublished writers of adult fiction and narrative non-fiction a chance to win $10,000 and a
From a Netflix reboot of a beloved Aussie classic to a national writing comp for young storytellers, the writing world has been busy this week. BookTok reshapes publishing strategy If you have been resisting TikTok, you might want to check it out. Although, I warn you that it’s a rabbit
by Jodi Gibson There’s more to success as an Indie author than simply writing your book and hitting publish. As an indie author, you’re not only the author but the publisher, marketing specialist and bookkeeper. And with all of those roles comes many responsibilities. With three indie published books under
Whether or not you believe in New Year’s resolutions, there’s something about the idea of a fresh year to, well, do things differently and start something new. Which makes it the perfect time to avoid grandiose statements like “this year I will write my novel” and, instead, concentrate on creating
Picture books are fantastic gifts for kids of all ages. They wrap easily, introduce visual literacy alongside the joy of words, and give endless joy when they hit the spot – just ask any parent who’s been asked to read a favourite picture book over and over again. But how
When it comes to a great gift for kids, you can’t go wrong with a book. Not only are they the gift that offers a ticket to a whole new world, but they’re easy to wrap and they last forever. With that in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of
Do you have a backlist of novels? Don’t let it languish when it could be making you money, expanding your audience and building your profile. Of course, you can publish your titles again as printed books. But you then need to be prepared to figure out printing and distribution. That
The Ned Kelly Awards shortlist has been announced and we are so thrilled to see AWC graduate Kerryn Mayne on the list! Here are the details from the Australian Crime Writers Association website: We are proud to report that Aussie crime writing continues to grow in strength and identity, as
Penguin Random House Australia has just revealed the shortlist for the 2023 Write It Fellowship. We are so excited that six out of the 11 shortlisted writers are AWC graduates! Here are the details from Penguin Random House’s website: We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for Write It, a
I know Marie Kondo has had her third child and given up on tidying up, but I find it an invaluable part of my writing process. At the beginning of each year, I tidy my office. And by tidy, I mean go through it like a dose of salts and
By Valerie Khoo Last week, I was fortunate enough to go to the opening night of the musical phenomenon Hamilton in Brisbane (thanks Rah!). If you’ve followed my podcast or social media, you’ll know that I’m a massive Hamilton fan. Sure, as one of the founding fathers of the United
Google ‘gifts for writers’ and you’ll discover an endless array of coffee mugs and pretty notebooks. But the truth is that what most writers want for Christmas is time – time to write, time to think, time to dream. So perhaps your first port-of-call for your last-minute gift for the
By Allison Tait. Authors can earn money from a diverse range of income streams. Check them out …. Diverse income streams are key So, where does the money come from? How can you make a living as an author? If you’re an author, whether traditionally published, hybrid or indie published,
By Allison Tait. In case you missed it, the financial year ended a few weeks ago in a flurry of retail sales and dire warnings about how the tax office is planning a crackdown in 2022 after a couple of years of benevolence due to the pandemic. The 21/22 financial
The places we live have always been something to celebrate. And with all the extra time spent inside them in recent years, our relationship with them has become stronger than ever. Homes are not simply bricks, timber, glass and subway tiled splashbacks. They are offices, entertainment spaces, retreats, libraries, gyms,
Most people are aware of the idea of royalties, where writers get paid a percentage of the sale of their books. But there are other ways to earn money, and it’s important for authors to know about them! In this post, bestselling author Pamela Freeman explains how authors can make
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