Podcast
Kelly's Writerly Q&A
Hosted by Kelly Sgroi · EN
A monthly podcast featuring authors and their books. Established in 2025, Season 1 of Kelly's Writerly Q&A is complete at 23 episodes and season 2 is set to be even better!
With the introduction of Pictures and Pages, a spin-off series brought to you by Amy Freund, that focuses on industry professionals, Kelly's Writerly Q&A has double the content to share in 2026!
Thanks for tuning in!
From Kelly and Amy xx
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S1E3 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Mary Anastasiou on Marketing
Mar 2600:15:13Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy Freund's 3rd episode where she chats to Mary Anastasiou, marketing extraordinaire, children’s author, and publishing mentor.This episode is all about: MarketingWhat actually helps sell your book?What should authors stop spending time on?How can creators build a sustainable publishing career beyond one book?With over 20 years’ experience in branding and creative marketing, Mary shares practical, honest insights into what really works for authors, from marketing strategies that move the needle to how much support publishers actually provide. As the author of 13 picture books and the creator of the Marketing Matters framework, she brings a commercially grounded approach to helping authors grow their audience and career. Whether you're launching your first book or looking to refine your strategy, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won’t want to miss.Thank you for listening!
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S1E2 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Amy Lee on Illustration
Feb 2700:18:10Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy Freund's 2nd episode where she chats to Amy Lee, Taiwanese-Australian illustrator and SCBWI member who illustrated Amy Freund's debut picture book, Amigo the Capybara!This episode is all about:Illustration How do you get noticed as an illustrator? What's the process from sketches to final art? Answering these questions and more, meet Amy Lee, better known as Kooky Chooky. Amy Lee's first picture book was Amigo The Capybara, published in 2024 by Five Mile Books and she continues to delight the publishing industry with cracky characters and her hand drawn aesthetic.Thank you for listening!
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S2E2 Jan 2026 Q&A with Cassie Stroud on Iluka
Feb 1900:30:59Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 25th episode where I chat to Cassie Stroud, writer, editor and book lover. Her debut novel, just came out with HQ Books at Harper Collins Australia, and she’s an absolute beauty inside and out. Purchase a copy of Iluka via my Booktopia affiliate link. We discuss:What Iluka is about and what makes it a beautyThe way Cassie writes with brevitySetting and POVWhat's impacted Cassie the most during her journey to beocming an authorCassie's first yesHer next novelAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S2E1 Jan 2026 Q&A with Jo Dixon on A Disappearing Act
Jan 2900:30:05Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 24th episode where I chat to Jo Dixon, best-selling Tasmanian-based author of twisty, suspenseful stories, such as her multi-award-winning debut, The House of Now and Then. Purchase a copy of her latest, which came out in October 2025, A Disappearing Act via my Booktopia affiliate link.We discuss:How Jo refers to this book as the one that nearly broke herImposter syndromePitchingHow to write multi POV and dual timeline storiesAnd more!Thank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
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S1E1 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Andy Warren on Cover Design
Jan 2200:25:34Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy's 1st episode where she chats to Andy Warren, the award-winning book designer of The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams and Affirm Press and many more books published by Hardie Grant Books, Bonnier Publishing Australia, Five Mile, and Harper Collins Australia. He's the designer behind so many books for all ages across a wide range of genres.This episode is all about:How a book actually gets made.How much say an author really has in their book design.If we should we judge a book by it's cover.Thank you for listening!
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Feb 2024 to Dec 2025 with Donna M Cameron and a medley of authors!
Dec 2300:37:28Tap to summarizeFROM THE ARCHIVES 🎙️ Welcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a monthly blog series that is now a podcast!Listen to my 23rd episode where I chat to Donna M Cameron, an AWGIE-nominated radio dramatist, award-winning playwright and short film writer. Her first novel, Beneath the Mother Tree, was published in 2018. Her second novel was published in 2024 and was shortlisted in the 25th Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards. An important read! Purchase a copy of The Rewilding from Booktopia via my affiliate link.Then I take a look back on some key tips on courses and comps, rejection, and writing and feedback from Amy Freund, R.W.R. McDonald, Deb Jordan, Casey Nott, Emma Mugglestone, Camille Booker, Clare Griffin, Kylie Orr, Shaeden Berry, and Valerie G Miller. Thank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay
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November 2024 Q&A with Kim Ulrick on Bad Country
Dec 1900:17:12Tap to summarizeFROM THE ARCHIVES 🎙️ Welcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a monthly blog series that is now a podcast!Listen to my 22nd episode where I chat to Kim Ulrick, supernatural writer inspired by life growing up in the courntry and working with law enforcement and national agencies. Her debut novel will appeal to fans of Picnic At Hanging Rock. Purchase a copy of Bad Country via my Booktopia affiliate link.We discuss:POVKim's writing processHow it feels to get an agent and not be able to land a big five publishing dealKim's next bookWhat has influenced Kim's writing the mostThank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay
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May 2024 Q&A with Liz Foster on The Good Woman's Guide to Making Better Choices
Dec 1200:22:08Tap to summarizeFROM THE ARCHIVES 🎙 Welcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a monthly blog series that is now a podcast!Listen to my 21st episode where I chat to Liz Foster, women's fiction author of The Good Woman's Guide to Making Better Choices.We discuss:What it's like to have a book come out in DecemberHow Liz manages to get words down while she's at workPOVThe Australian Writers Centre coursesThank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please consider buying me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay
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December 2025 Q&A with Emma Mugglestone on In The Long Run
Dec 500:36:06Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a monthly podcast!Listen to my 20th episode where I chat to Emma Mugglestone, contemporary romance author of In The Long Run. A fake dating rom com that will make you hungry to excercise and then have you eating a crossiant afterwards.We discuss:Signing with Penguin!How this book is making readers hungry.What's the book about?The opening scene that drew me in immediately!All the layers and charcter details that make this book shine.Emma's amazing publication story!Pressure and how Emma managed to write this book after it was sold.Emma's first yesBooks that have inspired usRejectionThe importance of entering writing compsWriterly merchAnd what's next for EmmaThank you for listening!Want to be a guest on Kelly's Writerly Q&A or Pictures and Pages with Amy Freund in 2026? Fill out an EOI*If you enjoy this podcast, please consider buying me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay
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December 2025 Q&A with Clare Griffin on Author Interviews
Dec 100:36:31Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a monthly blog series that is now a podcast!Listen to my 19th episode where I chat to Clare Griffin, historical fiction author and the fabulous host of her Instagram Live Sunday Sessions. These author interviews are full of bookish insight and warm conversation!We discuss:What Clare is currently writingRejectionHow Clare started interviewing authorsWhat technical difficulties we encounter recording interviewsHow we find guestsWhat we have learned by interviewing authorsOur advice for aspiring author interviewersWhether we memorise our intros or notWhether we send our questions in advance or notWhether Clare is considering turning her Sunday Sessions into a podcastAnd we finish with 8 book recs for you to add to your Christmas list!Thank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please consider buying me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay
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