In this episode, I chat with Jenna Satterthwaite about her journey as an author and literary agent. She touches on the emotional aspects of writing, the challenges of the publishing industry, and the importance of persistence in the face of rejection. She also opens up about her personal experiences with grief that led her to writing, and she shines a light on the real struggles along the road to publication, which is paved with rejection. Lastly, she gets into her decision to become an agent, which is its own unique story. Through her agent lens, Jenna offers valuable insights into the subjective nature of publishing and reminds us just how important it is to find our reasons to write.

Bookmarks:

00:00 - The Journey Begins: Jenna's Writing Path

06:00 - The Long Road to Publication

12:00 - Finding Purpose in Grief: Becoming an Agent

17:57 - Navigating the Agenting World

23:58 - The Emotional Landscape of Rejections

24:28 - The Importance of Patience in Publishing Offers

26:28 - Community Support Among Agents

29:06 - Insights from Both Sides of the Publishing Industry

29:52 - The Subjectivity of Taste in Manuscript Rejections

33:56 - The Unpredictability of Book Advances

35:57 - Balancing Confidence and Reality in Publishing

40:00 - Finding Your Internal Motivation to Write

41:57 - Influential Books and Their Impact on Writers

43:56 - Upcoming Projects and Exciting Releases

Stay Connected With Me:

-Substack: https://substack.com/@jasonarehart

-The Write Thing: https://jasonarehart.substack.com

-Instagram: @jason.arehart

-Website: www.jasonarehart.com

-Email: thewritethingpod@gmail.com

Jenna Satterthwaite:

-Website: https://www.jennasatterthwaite.com

-Substack: https://jennasatterthwaite.substack.com

CREDITS:

The Write Thing is produced and edited by Jason Arehart