Margs & Manuscripts

The book world is bigger than any one corner of it. Margs & Manuscripts brings it all together — writers, authors, agents, editors, bookstore owners, and readers — for real, unfiltered conversation about writing, publishing, and the reading life. Hosted by Cait and Jenna, two writer friends who pour a drink and let the conversation flow.

Margs & Manuscripts is a arts podcast hosted by Cait & Jenna, with 44 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Cait & Jenna hosts Margs & Manuscripts, a arts show with 44 episodes published.

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  Episode #17

  Found Family and Found Readers with Dakoda Mazzii

  Sep 29, 202638 minS2

  We hit almost 500 downloads in a single week, and we're marking the milestone with an episode that turned into a full-circle moment for our own indie publishing journeys. Dakoda Mazzii, author of the dark fantasy trilogy The Fate of Astoran , joins us to talk about querying, signing with a literary agent, and ultimately walking away to self-publish on her own terms. Since then she's released Chasm of Dreams and Summoner of Chaos seven months apart, sold thousands of copies, and built a devoted readership from scratch. We get into how she grew her fanbase as an indie author (hint: human-made artwork, newsletters, and a lot of giving books away), why she refuses to write to market, and why she's giving herself zero deadline for book three. Plus some honest talk about day jobs, health insurance, and the reality of chasing a creative dream without betting your whole life on it. In this episode: Why Dakoda left the trad pipeline after a year of waiting and uncertainty Releasing two epic fantasy books in seven months (and why book three gets all the time it needs) Investing in human artists over AI art to draw readers in Newsletters, giveaways, and the self-sacrificial side of indie marketing Why "writing to market" isn't the answer Every author has their own journey, and your craft grows with every book A reminder for the online author community: we're all on the same team About Chasm of Dreams : A character-driven, fast-paced, Lord of the Rings-coded fantasy about a dream walker and her found family taking on the fallen angel who has conquered their world. Expect prophecy, revolution, a medium-burn romance with zero brooding animosity, and a story about honor, compassion, and humanity reclaiming its footing. Chapters: 00:00 Almost 500 downloads in one week 02:14 Meet Dakoda and Chasm of Dreams 05:16 The Fate of Astoran series 07:49 Querying, landing an agent, and walking away 13:28 Choosing indie and letting book three breathe 17:11 How she built her readership 23:07 Every author has their own journey 28:13 Leaving the query trenches and ignoring the market 31:44 Day jobs, health insurance, and real talk about risk 33:18 Be nice, we're on the same team Find Dakoda: Instagram: @dakodamazziiauthor Find us: Instagram: @margsandmanuscripts

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  Episode #16

  In the Lime Light with Elizabeth Gillman

  Sep 24, 202626 minS2

  This week on the Limelight, debut author Elizabeth Gillman joins Jenna and Cait to talk about her novel, Maybe, Maybe Not . Annie has learned to live well with her OCD, but travel has always been off the table, and she has never left her little Gulf Coast community. When her boss offers to sell her the boutique she has worked in since she was a teenager, Annie finally decides to face travel with her fearless best friend Kat by her side. Then Kat dies unexpectedly, leaving behind a list of offbeat places to scatter her ashes and a surly little brother to help get it done. It is funny, it is tender, and it is full of road trip energy. We get into why OCD is not the antagonist of this story, the deeply personal reason Elizabeth wrote it, the octopus hiding on her gorgeous cover, and her ten-year road to publication. Her OCD is an octopus. Her best friend's last wishes are a road trip. If you love Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Road to Tender Hearts , this one is for you. In this episode: (00:00) How long Elizabeth has been working on this book, and meeting Cait at the Alexandria retreat (00:48) ARC reader reception and trying (and failing) not to read reviews (02:09) The pitch, the premise, and the comp titles (04:41) Why OCD is not the antagonist (05:59) The heart of the story: writing hope for her daughter and for the parents who love kids with OCD (10:19) The cover journey, letting the designer take the wheel, and the octopus you can't unsee (14:37) Elizabeth's ten-year publishing journey, from a 134,000-word first draft to finding her first critique partner (21:25) Writing this one for her daughter, setting a querying deadline, and choosing to go indie (23:40) Building a publishing team, from dev editor to audiobook narrator (25:05) Wrapping up If you liked these, you'll like Maybe, Maybe Not : The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Turtles All the Way Down by John Green After Annie by Anna Quindlen Get the book: Maybe, Maybe Not comes out September 26 from 20 Knots Press and is available for preorder now. Keep an eye out for two more books from Elizabeth coming soon. Preorder: https://books2read.com/u/bPqqlR Website: https://elizabethgillman.squarespace.com/ Find Elizabeth: Website: https://elizabethgillman.squarespace.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethgillmanwrites

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  Episode #15

  The Hot Ghost Boyfriend Rules with Katie Jung

  Sep 22, 202643 minS2

  Katie Jung joins us to talk about her debut romance, You're the One That I Haunt , and the surprisingly hard rules of writing a love interest who can't be touched. We dig into how Trip became a ghost in the first place, the logic she had to build so the "rules" of a paranormal romance actually hold up (turns out you don't need to explain everything, sometimes a ghost is just an octopus), and why every bit of magic in a story needs to earn its place in the plot. Katie also walks us through her whirlwind path to publication, from a mentorship program to an agent to a two book deal in under a year, and gives us the details on her launch week, including a haunted wine bar and a joint event with fellow author Mackenzie Reed. In this episode: How Trip became a ghost, and why Katie almost changed her mind more than once Building consistent rules for a paranormal romance without overexplaining the magic (the "static electricity, not a chill" fix) Why every magical element needs to serve the character arc, not just solve a plot problem Jenna's trick of personifying a magic system as its own character to find its "why" The Smooch Pit mentorship program, her mentor Audrey Goldberg Rueff, and the agent showcase that led to her offer Her timeline from agent signing in March to book deal in June to publication in September, all inside one year What's next: book two is a new contemporary romance with a magical element, same vibe, and yes, this time they can touch Launch week plans, including her haunted-wine-bar release party and a joint event with Mackenzie Reed About Katie Jung Katie Jung writes romance about the messy parts of being human and what it means to build your own happy ending. You're the One That I Haunt is her debut novel, publishing September 22, 2026 from Penguin Random House. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and three kids, and she's already at work on book two. Where to find Katie: You're the One That I Haunt — launch event in Syracuse, NY Joint event with Mackenzie Reed ( I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell ) at The Ripped Bodice, Sept 24 Instagram: @katiejungwrites Book Break: Maybe, Maybe Not by Elizabeth Gillman It's taken decades, but Annie Reeves has learned to coexist with her OCD. Travel's still out of the question, but her moss-draped historic Florida town holds everyone she loves, including her fearless best friend Kat and the boutique she's managed for years. When Kat dies unexpectedly, Annie learns Kat wanted her ashes scattered far and wide, with Kat's wayward brother Evans by her side. To honor that wish, Annie has to face everything that triggers her and decide whether to let her heart lead the way. Available 9.26.26 https://books2read.com/b/bPqqlR

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  Episode #13

  Devouring the Fourth Wing Cookbook with Author Chelsea Cole

  Sep 11, 202645 minS2

  Episode Summary What happens when a sous vide nerd falls hard for a war college full of dragons? You get a cookbook. This week we sit down with Chelsea Cole, the mind behind A Guide to the Kitchen Quadrant , the (unofficial) Fourth Wing cookbook that is embossed, spot glossed, and frankly prettier than most things in our houses. We get into how you build a recipe out of four passing food mentions, why aesthetic is the entire point, and how she turns a book launch into a full night at Basgiath (axe throwing, a maker's market, and a marketplace throne included). Come hungry. Leave manifesting Rebecca Yarros's phone number. In This Episode How a cookbook actually gets made, from 30 recipe testers to chapter intros to dragon scale cover textures Writing recipes when the source material only mentions food four times Picking a whole flavor world (hello, Southern European Navarre) to make a fan cookbook feel cohesive Fan lore as an ingredient: Jesinia's margin notes, Segale's chardonnay, Broccoli the kitten Turning launches into immersive events that actually sell out The working author-parent reality: 5am writing, meal planning a month at a time, and treating it like a business, not a hobby Why fan-first beats source-accurate every time (the rabbit stew is beef, sorry) About Chelsea Cole Chelsea Cole is a cookbook author, food blogger, and photographer who has been running her sous vide site A Duck's Oven for over a decade. She wrote Everyday Sous Vide and Sous Vide Meal Prep , and she teaches other writers how to make cookbooks through her course, The Cookbook Lab. A devoted Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros fan, she has turned her fandoms into a growing shelf of unofficial fan cookbooks, the newest being A Guide to the Kitchen Quadrant , a 60-recipe tribute to the Empyrean series ( Fourth Wing , Iron Flame , and Onyx Storm ) from Simon & Schuster. She lives outside Portland, Oregon, where she develops recipes before sunrise and raises two very small humans. Links Get A Guide to the Kitchen Quadrant : https://a.co/d/0byRi0Ka Chelsea on Instagram: @chel.seacole A Duck's Oven: aducksoven.com The makers from Chelsea's launch market (ceramics, embroidery, hand-forged daggers, and more): @brujos_brewing @elviejonpdx @domestic_science @saltandstemware @stephiepredmore @faithhead99 @lindsaystrannigan Follow Along Loved this one? Send it to the friend whose TBR is 90% romantasy. Then do us a favor and follow Margs & Manuscripts on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. It genuinely moves the needle on who finds the show. Website: margsandmanuscripts.com Instagram: @margsandmanuscripts Books featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors. Keywords Fourth Wing cookbook, Chelsea Cole, A Guide to the Kitchen Quadrant, Rebecca Yarros, The Empyrean, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, Basgiath, romantasy, fan cookbook, unofficial cookbook, cookbook author, cookbook writing, sous vide, book launch, self-publishing, indie author, bookish podcast, books and writing podcast, A Court of Thorns and Roses

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  Episode #12

  Died on Sub, Reborn on Substack | Elizabeth Richardson

  Sep 8, 202649 minS2

  What happens when your book dies on submission? For author Elizabeth Richardson, the answer turned into one of the best decisions she's ever made. This week we dig into her viral serialization of Trad , the novel she serialized on Substack after it didn't sell, and how she built an audience of 800+ subscribers in a single summer. We get into the highs and lows of querying and going on sub, why toxic positivity runs rampant in publishing, and how the "no rules anymore" era of indie publishing is opening doors that used to be firmly shut. Elizabeth also shares her surprisingly simple serialization strategy (hint: it started with fanfiction), why she treats every release like a debut, and the hustle behind getting yourself heard. Whether you're querying, on sub, or just Substack-curious, this one's for you. In this episode: Why Elizabeth dragged her feet on Substack, then went all in What it really feels like when a book dies on sub Celebrating the wins without the toxic positivity The fanfiction-inspired cadence that built her audience Why not every book (or genre) is right for Substack Serialization, tension, and the "Netflix binge" model for books Treating your release like a debut, and pitching like you mean it The Trad pitch: a woman named Hannah pretends to be a trad wife online, goes viral, and unravels her life one bad decision at a time. Subscribe to Trad and catch up before the final chapter drops. Follow Elizabeth: https://substack.com/@elizabethrichardsonbooks Follow Margs & Manuscripts: @margsandmanuscripts This episode is brought to you by: Andrew Loftesnes' book The Emperor's Cabin Buy on amazon or wherever books are sold: https://a.co/d/0gXUhiSu

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