First Draft Episode #327: Benjamin Dreyer

Read the Transcript

Benjamin Dreyer, vice president, executive managing editor and copy chief of Random House, and New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style and Dreyer’s English (Adapted for Young Readers): Good Advice for Good Writing.

Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode:

“Meet the Guardian of Grammar Who Wants to Help You Be a Better Writer,” by Sarah Lyall in The New York Times
Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum (hear Courtney weigh in on the traditional publishing process in Track Changes: Publishing 101)
#1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, author of Olive Kitteridge, Olive Again, and the recent release Oh William!
Shirley Jackson, author of The Haunting of Hill House, The Lottery, and more

🎙️ Enjoy this episode? Check out…

Track Changes Bonus: Publishing From Every Angle A conversation between an author, agent, and editor to cover the ins and outs of the publishing process. The panel features Abigail Hing Wen, debut author of Loveboat Taipei; agent Joanna Volpe, president and literary agent at New Leaf Literary & Media; and Alvina Ling, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers (and co-host of the Book Friends Forever podcast). Listen here!
Arthur Levine, legendary children’s book editor, including of series such as Harry Potter and The Golden Compass. Formerly President and Publisher at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, Arthur founded independent publishing house Levine Querido.
Amanda Maciel, executive editor at Scholastic as well as author of YA novels Tease and Lucky Girl, talks about how writing books made her an author-friendly editor, staying emotionally available during revisions, and the trouble with accepting that you have an impact on other people. Listen to the episode here!

Thanks for Listening!

🏆 Support the Show

Join the First Draft Patreon, or make a monthly or one-time donation via PayPal or Venmo

🤳 Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

📫 Sign up for the First Draft Newsletter

👕💯 Get First Draft merchandise

✍️ Track Changes Learn how the traditional publishing industry works in the Track Changes podcast mini-series.

👍 Rate, Review, and Recommend

Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you!