The Gatecrashers Podcast

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STORM THE GATES OF PUBLISHING with VP and literary agent Amanda Luedeke and novelist Charis Crowe. Teaming up to talk about both sides of publishing (self-publishing and traditional), Amanda and Charis share their combined twenty years of experience in t

Amanda Luedeke and Charis Crowe


    • Dec 19, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 113 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Gatecrashers Podcast

    156 Things We Learned in 2022

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 13:41


    The Gatecrashers reflect on lessons learned in 2022. Aaron Schlegel donation fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/schlegelfamilydonation Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    155 A Literary Agent Enters a Writing Contest, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 18:59


    Literary agent Amanda Luedeke entered a writing contest. Hear about what happened. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    154 A Literary Agent Enters a Writing Contest

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 20:05


    Literary agent Amanda Luedeke entered a writing contest. Hear about what happened. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    153 Query Tips for Authors

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 15:53


    Things to keep in mind when sending out book queries. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    152 Reshaping Your Daily Writing Goals (plus NaNoWriMo encouragement)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2022 17:47


    Writing goals are hard. The Gatecrashers discuss tips and tricks to make them less hard. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    151 Final Verdict! Penguin Random House Anti-Trust Trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 9:49


    The Gatecrashers discuss the final verdict of the Penguin Random House anti-trust trial. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    150 Men in Publishing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 7:42


    Something's rotten in the state of publishing. Women make up most of the work force yet hold fewer high-level positions. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    149 Charis Crowe Writing Update!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 5:43


    Charis gives an update on her indie author journey! Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    148 Will Robots Narrate Audiobooks?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 12:47


    As AI improve, authors and publishers are wondering when we can expect AI-narrated audiobooks. The Gatecrashers discuss. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    147 AI Book Covers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 10:15


    Can computers create good book covers? The Gatecrashers discuss this new technology. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    146 I Landed My Own Book Deal

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2022 10:57


    Amanda shares how she landed her own book deal and what that process looked like.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    145 Publishing Industry News!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 14:56


    Read all about it! The Gatecrashers discuss how recent publishing-related tech news affects authors. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    144 How Many Marketing Dollars Do Publishers Spend? Notes from the antitrust trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2022 15:49


    How many marketing dollars per book do publishers spend? The Gatecrashers discuss this and more from the antitrust trial. Source: https://mailchi.mp/hotsheetpub/bn-backlist?e=d650b3b0a0 Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    143 Do Agents Only Care About Big Advances? Notes from the anti-trust trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 9:27


    One takeaway from the big antitrust trial seems to be the thought that agents only care about getting big book advances, and that if they can do that, then they've done their job. Is this true? The Gatecrashers discuss. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    142 Is it true that 50% of books sell 12 copies or less?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 13:37


    It was the tweet heard round the publishing world, but is it true? Do 50% of books sell 12 copies or fewer? The Gatecrashers weigh in.  https://twitter.com/aprilhenrybooks/status/1566230658766503937 Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    141 Co-Authoring Tips with Sofia Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 23:45


    New York Times bestselling authors Sofia Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman give tips for a strong coauthoring relationship. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    140 The Art of Bookselling - Interview with Elisa Saphier

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 34:43


    Why do bookstores choose to carry one book over another? Why do some books perform better in certain areas of the country? The Gatecrashers sit down with bookstore owner and literary agent Elisa Saphier to discuss the art of bookselling. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    139 Bestselling Author Mel Todd

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 28:03


    The Gatecrashers interview author Mel Todd, owner of Bad Ash Publishing. Mel is a Bestselling Amazon author in Urban Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy with over 30 titles to her name, plus stories in multiple anthologies.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.   The LLC resource we mention can be found here: https://www.llcuniversity.com/llc-annual-fees-by-state/   Bad Ash publishing and Mel's books can be found here: https://badashpublishing.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Todd/e/B07CW41H8X/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

    138 Tell the Story You Want to Tell - Interview with Piper Huguley

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 33:51


    The Gatecrashers sit down with award-winning novelist Piper Huguley and discuss the importance of fighting to tell the story that you want to tell. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    137 Updates and Announcements on Our Publishing Journeys

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 20:09


    The Gatecrashers share updates and announcements about their publishing journeys! Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    136 First Page Review, Vol. 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 9:25


    The Gatecrashers read first-page submissions and offer comments and critiques.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    135 Press Releases for a Book

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 16:51


    Yes, authors can write and pitch their own press releases. The Gatecrashers discuss how. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    134 Create Your Story Bible

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 13:57


    Create your very own story bible! Free story bible templates found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yq5ncpjcevpjfleuwcwfd/h?dl=0&rlkey=cjfh2b3bmkmelqav2qu02213b Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    133 First Page Review Vol 3

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 14:08


    The Gatecrashers read first-page submissions and offer comments and critiques.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    132 Getting Your Book Translated -

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2022 10:55


    The Gatecrashers share a tip on an easy way to get your book translated. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    131 First Page Review Volume 2

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2022 16:43


    The Gatecrashers read first-page submissions and offer comments and critiques.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    130 Newsletter Tips for Authors

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2022 18:17


    What content should you put into your author newsletter? The Gatecrashers have some tips. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    129 First Page Review, Vol. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2022 18:35


    The Gatecrashers read first-page submissions and comment on the craft.  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009.  Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.  

    128 Atomic Habits for Writers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022 14:21


    The Gatecrashers discuss James Clear's Atomic Habits and how it can help writers. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    127 Quick Self-Pub Tip

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 8:23


    The Gatecrashers discuss a simple omnibus tip to generate sales. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    126 Let's Talk Crypto

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 5:05


    The Gatecrashers chat about their favorite cryptocurrency. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    125 How to Have a Successful Writers Conference Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 11:01


    Conference season is upon us! The Gatecrashers give four tips for a successful conference experience. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    124 Free First Page Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 21:29


    The Gatecrashers want to see your first pages!  Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    123 Agents Uncensored, Volume 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2022 12:42


    Ever wondered what literary agents REALLY think? The Gatecrashers offer a glimpse into their uncensored thoughts. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    122 Brandon Sanderson Is Disrupting Book Publishing

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2022 17:02


    Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson has raised over $23M in 4 days on Kickstarter. The Gatecrashers discuss how this move is disrupting the book industry. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    121 Agents Uncensored Volume 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 10:14


    Ever wondered what literary agents REALLY think? The Gatecrashers offer a glimpse into their uncensored thoughts. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    120 Agents Uncensored Part 3 - Fiction Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 16:15


    Ever wondered what literary agents REALLY think? The Gatecrashers offer a glimpse into their uncensored thoughts. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    119 When Authors Are Stuck in Creator Mode

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 8:05


    Most authors think they are marketing when they are actually creating. Listen in as the Gatecrashers unpack the dangers of creating more things. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    118 Building a Community as an Author

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 15:15


    Forget followers. Authors need to build communities. The Gatecrashers dive into what this means and how to do it. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    117 Agents Uncensored Volume 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 12:23


    Ever wondered what literary agents REALLY think? The Gatecrashers offer a glimpse into their uncensored thoughts. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    116 Agents Uncensored Volume 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 12:07


    Ever wondered what literary agents REALLY think? The Gatecrashers offer a glimpse into their uncensored thoughts. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    115 How Authors Can Use Tiktok to Sell Books and Grow a Platform

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 18:44


    From #booktok to #authortok, the Gatecrashers talk about how authors can use TikTok to their advantage. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    114 TikTok Best Practices for Authors

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 14:41


    What are the rules of thumb when trying to grow a platform on TikTok? The Gatecrashers give a few tips. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    113 TikTok Basics for Authors

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2022 18:43


    What is TikTok and why should authors be on the platform? The Gatecrashers discuss. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    112 Let's Talk Audiobooks

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2021 11:05


    How much does it cost to produce an audiobook? Should you narrate? The Gatecrashers give a crash course on audiobooks. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    111 Let's Complain About Book Pricing

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 10:39


    No, it's not always a good idea to price your ebook at $2.99. The Gatecrashers discuss the psychology and strategy behind book pricing. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    110 The Pros and Cons of Whale Readers, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 11:00


    Part two! Our apologies for the dreadful audio. The Gatecrashers discuss how whale readers make and break careers. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    109 The Pros and Cons of Whale Readers, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2021 10:41


    Our apologies for the dreadful audio. The Gatecrashers discuss how whale readers make and break careers. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    108 Three Approaches to Book-Release Marketing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 8:56


    The Gatecrashers discuss three different approaches to book-release marketing, as originally presented by Elana Johnson at the 20Booksto50k conference. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

    107 20Booksto50k Conference Recap - You're Not Doing It Wrong

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 9:57


    Charis discusses her main takeaways from the 20Booksto50k 2021 indie publishing conference in Vegas. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.  

    106 The Importance of Slow and Steady Book Sales

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2021 14:01


    Slow and steady book sales are better than that two-day spike on Amazon. The Gatecrashers discuss why. Amanda Luedeke is literary agent and Vice President at MacGregor & Luedeke, where she has agented since 2009. Charis Crowe is a marketer and freelancer who spent nearly ten years at the gates of publishing before deciding to launch her own self-publishing career.

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