our mission

In 2022, two authors debuted in the same genre, with the same publisher, in the same year. Yet each of their books, and subsequently each of their careers, went in very different directions. That pattern repeats itself throughout the industry, over and over. Why does this happen, and what does it mean?

In THE PUBLISHING RODEO podcast, we aim to answer those questions and many more, using collated experiences from ourselves, friends, colleagues, and a slew of industry professionals in an attempt to deconstruct what makes or breaks a book, along with how to build–and maintain!–an author career.

Facts matter. Truth is power. Get your boots on, and let’s ride.

#PublishingRodeo

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16 – Surviving a Series 'Death Spiral' with Peter McLean – Publishing Rodeo: The Good, The Bad, and the Bloody Ugly

Today we're joined by Peter McLean, a fantasy writer who clawed his way to authorhood through an indie publisher slush pile, despite not being agented at the time. Pete talks to us about his publisher imploding, his first series getting canned, and the perseverance that saw him land another book deal–this time with one of the Big 5. Seven books and ten years later, he's still in the game, with a wide range of experiences and insights to share. And a few laughs along the way.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, & More!

The Hosts

Sunyi Dean

…is a biracial autistic author who was born in Texas, grew up in Hong Kong, and now resides in North England. She writes speculative fiction with a weird slant, and has both too many books and too many children. Her poetry and short fiction has been published in places like Tor Dot Com, Aurealis, Prole, FFO, and other magazines. Her debut novel, THE BOOK EATERS, launched Aug 2022 and was an instant #2 Sunday Times Bestseller.

Scott Drakeford

…is a fantasy and historical fiction author with a deep love for meaningful stories in all genres and formats. His debut novel, Rise of the Mages ,was published in 2022 by Tor Books. At present, Scott is a stay-at-home dad, dogfather, writer, outdoorsman, and maker of various things. He is a recovering corporate stooge, a former mechanical engineer, and an ex-Mormon. He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and now resides in the Pacific Northwest.

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