Open Book with Narratively Academy

Epizodai

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  WATCH: Brendan O’Meara on Demystifying Pitching + Publishing 12.09.2026

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comOur Open Book chats here at Narratively Academy are all about trying to pull back the curtain on some of the more elusive areas of the literary world. So, when we came across Brendan O’Meara’s work with The Creative Nonfiction Podcast and his newsletter Pitch Club, both with similar missions to ours, collaborating seemed like a no-brainer. On his pod, Brendan has inspirational conversations with literary powerhouses about the craft of writing, and his newsletter features real pitches from real writers with their added commentary on how they came to their ideas, found the right editor to email and more. Did we mention he’s also an author who has written two standout books about sports, and that his latest, The Front Runner, was nominated for the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting for Best Sports Book category?We get into it all in our conversation, from how to build a lasting platform, to how to reframe rejection on small and big scales, the truth behind six-figure advances and so.much.more. If you missed it live, be sure to check the recording of this one. And if you’re not already a paying subscriber to Narratively Academy, I can’t think of a better reason to join than to get to listen to conversations like this one (and to get 20% off every Narratively Academy class, and to check out all our informational craft posts, join our write-together-apart community, and…)
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  WATCH: How to Get a Literary Agent 10.08.2026 1min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comOf all the things writers want to know about, the one that often feels the most mysterious — even if you know something about the process — is how to find an agent. Probably because what agents are looking for is always changing, so much of it is about taste and preference, (i.e., what you feel like spending oodles of your time working on), because it’s a bit harder than we want it to be… But this is not meant to discourage. After all, we’re here to help demystify the things we all have questions about.Here helping us do that this week was Kate McKean, longtime agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, author of the book Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life, and creator of the wonderfully informative and eye-opening newsletter Agents + Books. We talked about where to start when looking for an agent, the ways in which platform does matter (but is not as scary as you think!), what she’s looking for personally and much more. Paid members can watch the full conversation above. And thank you to everyone who joined us live — what a fun conversation!Not a member yet? Sign up now to access our full library of “Open Book” videos, read all our StoryCraft articles, and get 20% off every Narratively Academy class. ❤️
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  WATCH: How Book Reviews Really Work 03.08.2026 57min

  There’s so much to know about book publishing and the world surrounding it, that it can feel hard to have a firm understanding of it all. Take book reviews, for instance. Have you ever wondered why some books get reviewed and others don’t, how libraries know which books to stock their shelves with, how to break into reviewing yourself and what the process really looks like? Us too.Which is why, for our latest Open Book chat, Creative Nonfiction founder Lee Gutkind had Booklist editor-in-chief, Donna Seaman, on to answer these questions and more. Click play above to watch a recording of the whole conversation.Become a paid member today to watch our entire archive of Open Book video conversations, get 20% off writing classes, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  A Deep Dive Into Flash Essays 22.07.2026 45min

  If you’re a fan of flash nonfiction, there’s no way you haven’t heard of — and most likely are a huge fan of — Dinty W Moore. After almost 30 years as the lead editor at Brevity, Dinty recently announced that he would be stepping down from his perch. Have no fear, he will be succeeded by the inimitable Zoë Bossiere, Brevity’s former managing editor, and Dinty will remain on the editorial team at The Brevity Blog. If this news finds you needing an immediate Dinty W. Moore/flash essay fix, well, us too. And so we’re re-sharing our excellent interview with Dinty, conducted by none other than Lee Gutkind, in which they talk about — among other things, like Dinty’s garden and their long history together — what the heck a flash essay is! If you’re wondering yourself, this one’s for you. Open Book recordings are usually for paying subscribers, but we’re making this one free for a limited time so everyone can check it out. If you feel inclined to become a paying subscriber to support all the independent content we create, we would so greatly appreciate it. Thank you for considering! 🙏❤️ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  WATCH: Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger on How to Navigate the World of Book Publishing 20.07.2026 46min

  A few days ago, Creative Nonfiction founder Lee Gutkind sat down with Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild and the Authors Guild Foundation, for a robust conversation about the forces reshaping the writing world—and what writers can to protect ourselves.Mary and Lee talked about how the Authors Guild helps writers navigate contracts, legal disputes, copyright questions and other challenges that arise throughout a writing career. Click play above to watch the full video.Become a paid member today to watch our entire archive of Open Book video conversations, get 20% off writing classes, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  Open Book With the Writer of the Latest 'Modern Love' 07.07.2026 48min

  The New York Times’ Modern Love column is an institution. It falls at the top of many writers’ bucket lists, and there are even classes — several! — about how to write your own. So, when someone writes two Modern Loves, well, that feels like a huge feat. And when that someone is a writer who you have worked with before and whose essays you love, well, even better. Yes, we’re talking about Elizabeth Laura Nelson and her recent Modern Love — about meeting her current boyfriend through her best friend, brief lover and, ahem, the subject of her first ML — you can read here if you haven’t already. And if you want to read the piece she wrote for us — exploring similar themes and people! — you can head here for that. With her piece top of mind, we wanted to re-share our interview with her in which she talks all about her first Modern Love journey. Watch above to find out Elizabeth’s tricks to submitting, what the whole process was like and more. Open Book recordings are usually for paying subscribers, but we’re making this one free for a limited time so everyone can check it out. If you feel inclined to become a paying subscriber to support all the independent content we create — and that we’ve been creating since 2013! — we would so greatly appreciate it. Thank you for considering! 🙏❤️🥳 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  WATCH: "How to Report on Family Secrets" with New York Times Contributor Susan Saulny 06.06.2026

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comHappy weekend, writers! What did you work on this week? Don’t forget to share your #WeeklyWins over in the Narratively Academy Chat.The best thing I did this week was my chat with Susan Saulny, the writer behind one of the most impressive feature articles I’ve read this year, the epic story, “A Family Secret No More,” published in The New York Times a few weeks ago.In her story, Susan explores the dual life stories of her grandfather, George, who lived in the Jim Crow South as a Black man, and his lighter-skinned brother, Edward, who moved to Chicago and “crossed the line” to live as White. It’s a remarkable reported essay that I can only imagine took an immense amount of researching, reporting, and navigating complicated family dynamics to put together.If you haven’t had a chance to read Susan’s story yet, here’s a gift link for you to catch up this weekend. Click play above to dive into our full conversation about how Susan put this incredible piece of storytelling together.
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  WATCH: Melissa Petro on How to Write a Hybrid Memoir 02.06.2026 30min

  This Open Book conversation with Melissa Petro, author of Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, is one that has been particularly helpful for a lot of writers in our community. So many of us have lots of material for a memoir but no firm concept about how that material comes together into a marketable book.Melissa chatted with us about how she re-conceptualized her memoir into a hybrid book that feels very of-the-moment — and got a publisher’s attention with her new proposal. Give it a watch by clicking play above.BTW, we have just a couple seats left in Melissa’s Nonfiction Book Development Boot Camp, which starts next week. If you’re ready to take on a full-length book—memoir, narrative nonfiction, or something in between—but you’re not totally sure how it takes shape, this two-day workshop is designed to help you transform your idea into a structured, strategic vision you can confidently pitch, write and publish.To make sure you never miss a post, become a free or paid subscriber to Narratively Academy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  Writing + Publishing My Memoir at 75 30.05.2026 25min

  This was such a fun one! It was so inspiring to hear Laurie Garnier’s story of how, at age 40, she decided to change everything in pursuit of a better life—and how, at age 75, she finally wrote that life story and got it published.The book is And Then There Was Paris and for those who didn’t have the chance to join us live, we’re making the recording free for everyone. Here’s to always chasing your dreams.Happy weekend! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  Inside the Book Launch: How Hybrid Publishing Works 26.05.2026

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comHello, writers! Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing long weekend—or at least a not-so-miserable Monday if you weren’t lucky enough to have yesterday off. On Thursday we had a fantastic conversation with Amy Gabrielle, author of the just-published memoir Widow in the City: A Memoir of Heartbreaks and Hookups.We recently published an adapted excerpt of Amy’s memoir over on Narratively.com, and we wanted to chat with Amy to learn more about how she finished and published her book. Her memoir comes via She Writes Press, an award-winning hybrid publisher for women authors. Many of you have questions about how this model works, and Amy was kind enough to open up and chat about everything.
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  The Secret Life of an Obit Writer 05.05.2026 57min

  This week’s Open Book was one of my favorite yet. The great Lee Gutkind keeps reeling in fascinating guests, and the latest is veteran New York Times obituary writer Michael Roswenwald, who told us all about the craft of obituary writing—how he decides what to include, what to leave out, and how this work shapes the way we think about narrative, memory, and meaning. Paid subscribers can watch the full conversation above. (Not a subscriber and want to try it out? Drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll give you a free week’s access so you can watch this and our entire archive of Open Book videos.)Watch more Open Book episodes from Lee Gutkind and Narratively Academy:* Jane Friedman on Finding Balance in the Writing Business* Kim Cross on How to Write Great Dialogue in Nonfiction Stories* Dinty W. Moore on What the Heck is a Flash Essay?And if you’re new to Narratively Academy—or if you’re not!—a quick reminder that tomorrow is Writers’ Room, a virtual session we facilitate each Wednesday morning — at 8 a.m. on both the East and West coasts — in which writers of all genres gather to write together. We share what we plan to work on at the top, spend a majority of the time typing away and then check back in at the end to share how it all went. If you’re looking for accountability, inspiration or some semblance of a writing routine, this might be just the thing for you.(If you are asked for a passcode, enter: 824784)Want to receive text message alerts each week when we’re about to begin Writers’ Room, or add this weekly event to your calendar?8 a.m. ET Writers’ Room: head here to (very easily) sign up for text alerts, and here to add the 8 a.m. ET Writers’ Room to your calendar.8 a.m. PT Writers’ Room: head here to sign up for text alerts and here to add the 8 a.m. PT Writers’ Room to your cal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  How to Be a Successful Freelancer With Amelia Edelman 26.04.2026 1min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comEveryone likes to fancy themselves a freelance writer, but the reality of it can be kind of intimidating. Can you actually earn real money, where do you even begin, and once you do, how do you keep track of all your projects? We had a lot of questions. Lucky for us (and you!), one of our favorite successful freelancers, Amelia Edelman — whose work has appeared on/in The New York Times’ T Brand Studio, NPR, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Parents, and Gloria — agreed to join us for an Open Book chat so we could pick her brain about all of it. We learned about the importance of anchor clients and tapping your network, how to keep track of your finances and save for taxes (the fun part!) and how to get to work on things you want to work on. It was truly a delight of a conversation in which we learned so much. Click play above to watch the whole thing! P.S. Just a reminder that all of our live videos are free, and the recorded versions of them are available to all paying members. Learn how to become one below!
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  'A Better Literary World Is Possible': How to Get a Book Deal Without an Agent 22.03.2026 2min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comAny writer knows that if you plan to work on a book — even if you’re just thinking about it — at some point the matter of whether to get an agent or not (or at least to try!) will come up. Some writers forego the whole agent-querying process altogether. With that in mind, we spoke to authors Bonnie Chau and Kristi D. Osorio about their experiences doing just that.
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  Finding Balance in the Writing Business 21.02.2026 52min

  As many of you know, Jane Friedman is a leading voice in the publishing industry. Her newsletter, The Bottom Line, provides nuanced, transparent market intelligence to thousands of authors. This week, Lee Gutkind chatted with Jane about the state of the publishing industry and how writers can find the right balance of focusing on writing and focusing on business. Jane also answered your questions bout book proposals, building a platform and more. Click play above to watch the full thing.Want more expert writing advice and guidance? Don’t miss our upcoming Narratively Academy classes!Memoir With Magical Realism: Starts Feb. 2431 Days, 31 Revision Prompts: Starts March 1Verifying Family Lore: March 12The Power of Visual Language: March 19Launching a Book Without a Big PR Budget: March 28Speculative Nonfiction Workshop: Starts April 7Want to be the first to know about new live videos and class announcements—plus get 20% off every class you join? Sign up as a paid member of Narratively Academy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  How to Blend Magical Realism + Memoir 18.02.2026 30min

  Thanks to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s live interview with Jasper “Jaz” Joyner about magical realism and memoir. If you weren’t able to join, just click play above to watch the full interview.And if you’re ready to dive into this world, don’t miss Jaz’s upcoming class, How to Write a Memoir with Magical Realism, an intensive six-week workshop in which students will learn how to shape an effective (and true!) memoir using fantastical elements borrowed from this beloved genre.Get full access to everything we publish at Narratively Academy—plus 20% of all classes—by becoming a paid member. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  How to Write an Autobiographical Novel 14.02.2026 30min

  In this week’s episode of “Open Book” author Rafael Frumkin tells us why they decided to write an autobiographical novel instead of a memoir—and explains how nonfiction writers can get started with turning their true experiences into fiction.If you didn’t get the chance to join us live, just click play above to watch the whole thing, or listen in your favorite podcast player. We’re making this episode free to all.And if you’re ready to make the leap into fiction yourself, don’t miss Rafael’s class—From Essays to Novels: Fiction Writing for the Nonfiction Writer—which kicks off this coming Thursday, February 19.Subscribe to Narratively Academy to make sure you never miss an episode of Open Book. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  How to Turn Your Essays Into a Collection With Nicole Graev Lipson 08.02.2026 1min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comI’m still pinching myself that I got to chat with the brilliant Nicole Graev Lipson yet again, this time for our Open Book series about one of my favorite topics, the essay collection, or more specifically, the memoir-in-essays. Nicole wrote one of my favorites, Mothers and Other Fictional Characters, which was published last year. As promised, Nicole was a true open book about her experience, sharing how she started getting back to writing after having children, at what point she realized she might want to expand her standalone pieces into a collection, when she decided to look for an agent, what went into her book proposal and so.much.more. If you haven’t read her memoir-in-essays yet, I can’t recommend it enough — please buy a copy today. And if you’ve ever thought about penning an essay collection yourself, you won’t want to miss our recorded chat, which is available to all paying members. (See how to become one below if you aren’t already.) Enjoy!
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  How I Turned My Nonfiction Article Into a Book 30.01.2026 1min

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.narrativelyacademy.comWe love seeing writers expand their Narratively articles into published books! In this week’s episode of our Open Book video/podcast series, Ethelene Whitmire shares how she leveraged her article, The Gay Black American Who Stared Down Nazis in the Name of Love, to land a significant book deal with a major publisher. Paid members can watch the full video above. Be sure to order a copy of Ethelene’s The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram, set to be published by Penguin Random House next week.
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  New York Times Features Writer Steven Kurutz on the Fine Art of Story Hunting 18.01.2026 57min

  Thanks so much to everyone who joined our live chat on Friday with Creative Nonfiction founder Lee Gutkind and New York Times features writer Steven Kurutz. Steven has written so many fantastic articles over the years, and it was incredible to get his insight into how to find great stories—and figure out how and where to tell each one. (We had a few technical difficulties which meant Steven had to be off-camera, but we rolled with it!) Click play above to listen to the full conversation. We’re making this video free to all. If you like it and want to see/read more from Narratively Academy, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe
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  How to Juggle Multiple Creative Projects at Once 09.01.2026 31min

  What an honor it was to chat with Caroline Rothstein and hear all about how she handles the logistical, creative and emotional complexities of working on multiple writing projects at once. Even if you’re not an essayist-poet-performer-educator-filmmaker-screenwriter-playwright-novelist like Caroline is, if you always wish you had more time and energy to get creative, her insights here are gold. We’re making the full video free—click play above to watch, or listen in your favorite podcast player.If you’re inspired to get even more insight from Caroline, her signature class, Deeply Personal: Writing First-Person Essays on Raw and Difficult Topics starts next week. It’s been so wonderful to see the writers in this small workshop class develop close relationships while they explore writing *those* kinds of pieces — the ones you always want to write but that require a push to figure out how to tell them in the right way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narrativelyacademy.com/subscribe