The publishing episode! Ash and Katie discuss their querying journeys, the importance of artistic chemistry with your agent, and the inherent conflict between the art of writing and the business of publishing. Comes with a men's hair retrospective, and a discussion of some of the most ridiculous and/or annoying form rejection language Ash and Katie have seen.

Thanks to all our listeners so far! We've been thrilled to hear that people are enjoying us be unhinged about writing. Feel free to rate and review wherever you listen!

As a treat: do you have a burning publishing question/issue you'd like addressed in our surprise bonus episode?? Submit it here.

Find Ash's work and sign up for her newsletter at https://ashsmash.com/

Find Katie's work and signs up for her newsletter at https://www.kmveohongs.com/

Find Sid Jain, who wrote our theme music, at https://sidjain.info/

Ash has a class coming up! One with Metrowest Writers Guild called Character Driven Worldbuilding (with the Enneagram and other archetypes), is on March 24 and 31, 2026.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Querytracker

MSWL

Katie's querying handout (includes copies of three different successful query letters)

Book mentioned: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

AKA The Friends We Made Along the Way, in which Ash and Katie discuss writing community -- how they found theirs, how they benefit, and some of the worst critiques they've ever had. Also, they admit to hugging their dogs.

Find Ash's work and sign up for her newsletter at https://ashsmash.com/

Find Katie's work and signs up for her newsletter at https://www.kmveohongs.com/

Find Sid Jain, who wrote our theme music, at https://sidjain.info/

Both Ash and Katie are teaching online classes through Metrowest Writers Guild. Katie's class, Sometimes It's OK to Tell: How to Bend (and Break) Writing Rules, is on Feb 28, 2026 (tomorrow!) and Ash's class, Character Driven Worldbuilding (with the Enneagram and other archetypes), is on March 24 and 31, 2026.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Viable Paradise (applications currently open for the Oct 2026 workshop)

Futurescapes (applications currently open for the virtual workshop March 2026)

Periplus Collective

McCormack Writing Center (formerly known as the Tin House Workshop)

Mimi Lok

Join Ash and Katie as they dig into how they take their first drafts to the next level, and why trust is so important in the revision process. Plus, find out the newest and somewhat perplexing toy craze in Ash's household, and how the Real Housewives gave Katie this episode's title. They also both complain about writing braided novels.

Find Ash's work and sign up for her newsletter at https://ashsmash.com/

Find Katie's work and signs up for her newsletter at https://www.kmveohongs.com/

Find Sid Jain, who wrote our theme music, at https://sidjain.info/

Both Ash and Katie are teaching online classes through Metrowest Writers Guild. Katie's class, Sometimes It's OK to Tell: How to Bend (and Break) Writing Rules, is on Feb 28, 2026 and Ash's class, Character Driven Worldbuilding (with the Enneagram and other archetypes), is on March 24 and 31, 2026.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Revision Sensitive Dysphoria

Good Things in Small Packages: Writing Short Stories

Matt Bell's Refuse to be Done