Indie Author Interview - AudraKate - Horror Author

72 agent queries, 64 rejections, and a Christian horror writer who isn't slowing down. Indie horror author Audra Kate joins us to talk Tomato Juice, her querying manuscript Festering Shadows, and writing horror as a person of faith. Audra Kate has 10 books out across self-publishing and indie presses, and she's querying her first adult novel, a zombie horror romance. She walks us through the query package, Query Tracker, comp titles, manuscript wish lists, and why agents now ask for your Instagram numbers. Then we get to the hard question: how a Christian writes possession horror, and why she sees horror as the genre best built to show light beating darkness. She also covers writing Tomato Juice through her family's grief, bridging the gap between R.L. Stine and Stephen King, and how to review a book you didn't like without gutting its author. Audra Kate Instagram: @lets.get.lit.literature TikTok: @lets.get.lit.literature (00:00) - Intro: A Christian Who Writes Horror (03:28) - From Poli-Sci Major to 10 Books (09:44) - Festering Shadows, a Zombie Romance (12:26) - 72 Queries, 64 Rejections (16:00) - Indie vs. Trad: Who Gets Respect? (17:47) - Build Your Platform Before You Query (21:19) - Publishing Is a Business (24:19) - Manuscript Wish Lists and Comp Titles (26:55) - Why Duologies Took Off (28:52) - Seven Years, No Finished Draft (32:04) - What Goes in a Query Package (34:07) - Query Tracker and Indie Press Calls (37:17) - How to Get an Agent's Attention (40:27) - The One-Star "Elder Abuse" Review (45:41) - How a Christian Writes Possession Horror (52:40) - Why Christian Fiction Feels Preachy (57:55) - Tomato Juice: Writing Through Grief (01:05:54) - When Her Grandpa Read Tomato Juice (01:07:55) - Folklore and Mythology in Her Horror (01:10:49) - Side Quest: Slava's Space Horror Pick (01:14:11) - Working-Class Monsters (01:16:43) - Side Quest: Struggle Meals (01:21:08) - Building a Bookstagram Without Burnout (01:24:53) - How to Write a Kind Book Review (01:28:25) - Bookstagram Needs to Touch Grass (01:34:11) - Where to Find Audra Kate — 📺 SUBSCRIBE New episodes every week. 🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION All platforms: https://linktr.ee/asidequest 🌐 JOIN THE GUILD Official website / Quest Log: https://www.thesidequestpodcast.com/ 💬 FOLLOW OUR ADVENTURES Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesidequestpodcast TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@sidequestpodcast Discord: https://discord.gg/WAPRX9Hbq 🎬 CREDITS Hosts: Slava and Jonathan Editing: Wellerson Clemer — https://www.behance.net/wellersonclemer123 Distribution: Transistor.fm — https://transistor.fm/how-to-start-a-podcast/?via=slava Side Quest Book Club is a podcast about books, the people who write them, and the tangents in between. Some links above are referral links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. #SideQuestBookClub #AudraKate #HorrorBooks