The First Draft Club

Tired of being told you're either an "outliner" or a "pantser"? In this episode, Mary introduces a revolutionary new framework that recognizes writers exist on a spectrum—not just at two extremes. Based on years of...

Sometimes the best creative advice comes from the most unexpected teachers. In this episode, Mary shares three powerful insights about artistic confidence and creative decision-making—learned from watching her...

How do you motivate yourself to work toward big, overwhelming goals when gratification feels impossibly far away? In this episode, Mary shares her summer reality check: facing an entire house to organize, French lessons...

Ever started researching for your novel only to get so overwhelmed by everything you learned that you couldn't write at all? In this episode, Mary introduces the "marginalia method"—a simple but powerful technique that...

What happens when a bestselling author annotates her own 25-year-old novel? In this episode, Mary shares what she discovered reading Ann Patchett's newly annotated edition of "Bel Canto"—and why it taught her something...

Let's settle this once and for all: Can novelists use AI ethically? In this episode, 3x HarperCollins novelist Mary Adkins shares exactly how she's integrating AI into her writing process WITHOUT letting it do the...

Ever wondered if you could write your novel while taking a walk? In this episode, Mary shares her honest experiment with dictation writing—how she wrote nearly half of her latest manuscript (around 50,000 words) using...

In this episode of The First Draft Club, Mary shares the best advice she’s ever heard about balancing writing with parenting, courtesy of Nora Ephron. If you've ever felt like you're constantly dropping the ball—on your...

In this episode of The First Draft Club, Mary Adkins dismantles the elitist myth that plot is somehow “lowbrow” or optional in literary fiction. Drawing from her own experience and actual Big 5 rejection letters, she...

There’s one mistake I see writers make over and over again—and it’s the reason so many great books never get finished. It’s called premature optimization, and while it’s a term from computer science, it applies...

BIG NEWS! ---------- Kickstarter: Third Rail Press:

How much can you actually make from your book? Should you consider foreign rights or just stick to the US? What can you expect to make after your advance? In the season finale, Mary gets personal and answers your...

Mary invited two fellow novelists and colleagues in The Book Incubator, Harrison and Autumn, to join her for a game she made up! Meet The Feedback Game: What would you do with X feedback? Revise? Move on? Freak out?...

In this episode, Mary breaks down her two best tips for making the revision process as fun as the writing process. ---- Watch on YouTube at

Have you wondered why you have trouble making revisions even when you know it's necessary? Mary explores this phenomenon and shares her own struggles with loss aversion. --- S08 E03 How to Fix an 80% Good Book Getting...

In the first episode of 2025, Mary reveals that the best way to write a timeless book is to not try to make it timeless. ---- Watch on YouTube at

What are the actual sales numbers for authors who get book deals versus authors who self-publish? Mary gets into the data—yep, hardcore math—to help you weigh the pros and cons (financially) of the two major publishing...

Mary shares the novels and memoirs that came out in 2024 that left her with the memorable reading experiences from a craft and writing perspective—ones that taught her something about writing or showed her something new...

In the last episode, Mary talked about how a 90% great book will get rejections 100% of the time. How do you make up the difference? Whether it's a 40% gap you need to close or a 5% gap, Mary shares her recommendations...

Mary talks about why a 90% great book will get rejected 100% of the time...and how to tell if that's what's happening from the rejections you're getting. She: - Shares a sample (real) rejection letter - Discusses...

We're back for Season 8! Mary talks about a newcomer to publishing—The Black List—and shares costs, benefits, and how it could potentially save you months (or even years) in your publishing journey. If you dream of...

Don't fall for anyone offering you "global copyright" for a bunch of money. Here's what you need to know about copyright as an author and how to file. ------ Alessandra Torre Ink:

Authors are hiring their own publicists—but how do you know if a publicist is worth the cost? Mary shares the questions she'd ask. --- PublicityxChristina:

Mary takes on the recent buzz around "Big 5" publishing being a waste of time for authors by sharing her own story and how she views authorial success. --- Mary's Blog: The Elysian Article:

How do you find the right literary agents or publishers to query? There's one resource that's worth every penny (and this isn't sponsored content): Publisher's Marketplace. Here's why, and how to use it.