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#218 – The Heroine’s Journey with Gail Carriger

Bestselling author Gail Carriger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her new non-fiction book, The Heroine’s Journey. Gail started out as a traditionally published author, but once she got a taste of indie publishing she absolutely loved it.

Bestselling author Gail Carriger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her new non-fiction book, The Heroine’s Journey. Gail started out as a traditionally published author, but once she got a taste of indie publishing she absolutely loved it. Her newest book, The Heroine’s Journey, takes a look at the storytelling device by the same name and how it appears throughout the literary canon and pop culture. Gail also talks to us about her writing process, the fate of the publishing industry, and what happened when she stopped running ads for three months. 

  • Gail tells us about her journey from PhD candidate to bestselling author, and how she made the decision between writing fiction full-time and completing her thesis
  • She discusses why she decided to try out indie publishing, what her experience as a hybrid author has taught her about both trad and indie publishing, and why hybrid authors need to be hyper aware of the option clause in their publishing contracts
  • Gail explains why newsletters are so important for all authors to have and she gives some great advice on how to make sure yours is great
  • She tells us about her newest book The Heroine’s Journey, which explains the storytelling concept of the same name, why knowing readers’ expectations can be so helpful as a writer, and what Agatha Christie and Nora Roberts have in common
  • Gail tells us why she decided to stop running ads for three whole months (!!!), what she learned by doing this, and how it reinforced her belief that metadata is the most important tool at an author’s disposal
  • She explains why it’s so hard to predict the future of publishing, especially with traditional publishing’s reluctance to change, and how this is affecting her publishing decisions moving forward

Useful Links
Gail’s Website
Gail’s Resources for Writers
Gail’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube
The Heroine’s Journey
Soulless
Changeless
The Parasol-Verse
RWA
Until We Meet Again
Sotus (Netflix)
Eternal Love (Netflix)


A headshot of Gail Carriger holding a parasol.

Gail Carriger has multiple NYT bestsellers and over a million books in print in dozens of different languages. She writes comedies of manners mixed with urban fantasy (and sexy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). Her best known books include the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

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