In this revisited episode of the True Fiction Project, Traci DeForge is back on the podcast as we discuss my new novel, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mother a Life and a Man. I also invited my publisher, Dr. Morissa Schwartz to join the conversation. Dr. Schwartz is the Founder and CEO of Dr. Rissy’s Writing & Marketing and GenZ Publishing, LLC and was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list. We converse about current trends in publishing and how Dr. Schwartz is making strides to increase diversity and representation among writers. We discuss the power of strong female characters and cultural representation in modern fiction and later in the episode, I share a short excerpt from my new book, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mother a Life and a Man. 
 
IN THIS EPISODE: 

[03:55] Dr. Schwartz’s journey into publishing from a career in BioSciences 

[08:52] Operation Mom and GenZ Publishing’s partnership and how Operation Mom connects with American young adult audiences 

[12:58] Representation of strong female characters and diverse cultural backgrounds 

[20:25] Diversity in publishing and GenZ’s commitment to storytelling for young adults 

[26:10] Future plans and dreams for Operation Mom  

[32:51] Book excerpt: Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mother a Life and a Man written and read by Reenita Hora 

 
KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

Podcast listenership for comedy podcasts and narrative fiction podcasts grew exponentially during and since the pandemic. 

Over 60% of books are still published by men over the age of 45 – and most publishers are white men. GenZ Publishing is making strides to change this statistic by publishing more diverse writers.  

Representation and cultural diversity is so important in modern fiction. Not only does Operation Mom give readers a strong female lead, it also represents a cultural experience located outside of the U.S. 

  
Fiction Credits:  
An excerpt from Operation Mom - My Plan to Get My Mother a Life and a Man written and read by: Reenita Hora 
https://www.facebook.com/ReenitaMalhotraHora 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reenita/ 
@reenymal