The Takeover: from poetry to prose with Christine Shamista

In this episode of the Book Deal Podcast, Natasha Rai hosts Christine Shamista, a poet of Sri Lankan Tamil ancestry living in Sydney. Christine shares her journey to publishing her debut poetry collection, 'Soft Side of Red,' released in November 2023 by Gazebo Books. She discusses the unexpected path her collection took, the importance of feedback, and her ongoing efforts in writing fiction novels. Christine also delves into the challenges of the writing and publication process, offering insights on how she navigates disappointment, maintains her passion for storytelling, and manages the business aspects of being an author.   00:00 Introduction to the Book Deal Podcast 00:39 Meet Christine Shamista: Poet and Writer 01:41 Christine's Poetry Journey 06:30 The Path to Publication 08:34 Navigating the Writing Process 17:08 Balancing Business and Creativity 21:58 The Challenge of Receiving Feedback 23:02 Introducing Lisa Torreno and Her Novel 23:46 The Journey of Prince of Fortune 24:28 The Importance of Traditional Publishing 25:36 Overcoming Writing Challenges 26:53 The Joy of Storytelling 31:51 Managing Disappointment and Perseverance 35:23 Knowing When to Submit Your Work 39:29 Final Tips for Aspiring Writers 42:47 Conclusion and Farewell Join our Patreon community (  / thebookdealpodcast  ) for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videos (  / the_book_deal_podcast  ) You can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos (  / td_strachan  ) Tina Strachan children's book author (https://www.tinastrachan.com/about-ti...) Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos (  / madeleineclearywrites  ) Madeleine Cleary | Author (https://www.madeleinecleary.com.au/) Natasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videos (  / raiwriting  ) Natasha Rai | Author | Mentor (https://www.raiwriting.com.au/) If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here (https://madeleinecleary.substack.com/...) ...