Podcasts about literary agents

In this inspiring episode, Carol McLeod sits down with bestselling author and literary agent Lynette Eason to explore the intersection of faith, storytelling, and purpose. Lynette shares her journey through the publishing world, offering wisdom on current trends in Christian fiction and romantic suspense, as well as practical insights into her writing process and life as a literary agent. Together, they dive into the themes of her latest book, Serial Burn, touching on trauma, healing, and the power of resilience. Lynette speaks candidly about the importance of discovering your “sweet spot” in life through prayer, community, and self-reflection. Whether you're a writer, a dreamer, or someone seeking hope in everyday moments, this conversation will leave you encouraged to live significantly and pursue your God-given calling. Order Lynette's books at https://lynetteeason.com/ Connect with Carol at https://www.carolmcleodministries.com/ or email her at carolmcleod@carolmcleodministries.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolmcleodministriesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolmcleodministriesYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQE6z9U5VR9tjoJB1NAsgMw

Send me a Text Message!Storyteller's Society Sneak Peek: This Creative Silos method can make you way more efficient in your writing practice.Creativity coach Cindy Cisneros reveals why traditional productivity advice fails creative writers, her game-changing "Silos" method that stops the destructive cycle of switching between writing and querying, and the "cross-modality" technique that breaks through even the most stubborn creative blocks.What You'll Learn:The "Creative Silos" strategy that lets you batch writing and other tasks for maximum flowWhy waiting for natural motivation beats forcing daily word counts every timeThe real reason creative people need "incubation time" and how to use it strategicallyClick here to learn more about Cindy Episodes I think you'll love...1. Time Pockets: Could This Tip Revolutionize Your Writing Process?2. Writing Your Series & Developing Dynamic Characters with Author Stephen Spotswood3. 90% of Writers Make THESE Writing Mistakes Interview with Ex-Literary Agent Karyn Fischer4. Literary Agent Jessica Berg Shares How to Catch an Agent's EyeGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Okay, so the title of this episode is teasing a bit near the end. Most of the episode is about the fourth part of Sherlock & Co.'s fourth part of their "Scandal in Bohemia" adaptation, which we sure hope you're listening to. But Watson's literary agent did tell some Canadians a big fat fib some one hundred and eleven years ago. Ooo, they must have been so mad! 

Leah Paulos of Press Shop PR joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about 2 things writers can do right now to help launch their book successfully, how to find your targeted readers and effectively reach them through media, the dedicated focus required to promote a book,tapping into your storytelling chops to help you with marketing, tools for positioning your book with media and journalists, the lead time we need to promote our books and when to pitch, selling journalists on covering your book, finding the story and the audience for your book, the cost of publicity, your job as your own publicist, being proactive, and the classes she offers at Book Publicity School.   Also in this episode: -using spreadsheets -building a media contact list -working with in-house publicity teams   Books mentioned in this episode: -The Sounds of Life by Karen Bakker -The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korellitz -Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall   Leah Paulos is the Founder and Director of Publicity at Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School, and has worked at the intersection of books and media for over 25 years. Twice named a top PR firm by the Observer, Press Shop PR has worked on many notable books and #1 bestsellers including MARCH by Rep. John Lewis and ON TYRANNY by Timothy Snyder, as well as books by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil deGrasse Tyson, James Kirchick, and Pulitzer-finalists Samuel Freedman and Louise Aronson. Leah has spoken on book publicity at Columbia School of Journalism, CUNY Graduate Center, and as part of her regular workshop series, Book Publicity for Literary Agents.  Book publicity 101 Leah began her career as a magazine editor at a NYC-focused glossy magazine in 1998. She later worked as an editor at Conde Nast and as a freelance writer for dozens of national magazines. She made the shift to book publicity in 2006 and launched Press Shop in 2012. She graduated from Cornell University and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.   bookpublicityschool.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahpaulos/ https://www.facebook.com/PressShopPR/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090936998502 https://x.com/PressShopPR   www.PressShopPR.com www.BookPublicitySchool.com – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Send me a Text Message!Your opening page has 30 seconds to hook an agent or it's as good as a rejection.Literary agent Amy Nielsen reveals the cliché openings that kill manuscripts, the scene structure 90% of authors get wrong, and her "General-Specific-Personal" formula that eliminates info-dumping while building irresistible voice.What You'll Learn: - How to avoid cliché openings that scream "amateur"- A literary agent's simple test to tell if your opening is actually a scene - The inciting incident strategy that finds your perfect entry point Episodes to Check Out Next- 2 Literary Agents & an Author Weigh in on How to Write Your Opening Pages- Agent C.L. Geisler Reads a Submission & Shares How Agents Evaluate Opening Pages- Literary Agent Amy Nielsen on How to Write a Query Letter that Gets Attention- 90% of Writers Make THESE Writing Mistakes Interview with Ex-Literary Agent Karyn Fischer

Page Turner Awards is an inclusive writing and book awards with one goal – to change the lives of as many writers as possible. The team at Page Turner Awards passionately believes that talented writers can be from any background, age, race, religion, or interest. To find out more and enter the awards go to https://bit.ly/Kat-Caldwell-2025 If you decide to enter use the discount code: 25KATCALDWELL10 And let me know! I would love to cheer you on!Link to the contest guides that Paula talks about in the interview: https://pageturnerawards.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=4Paula's writing boot camps: https://ipaulasheridan.com/authors-binge-factorCheck out the bonus episode with my audiobook teaser: https://katcaldwell.com/teaser-AECSign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletterWant more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I'm reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @katcaldwell_writing

In the spotlight is Melissa Edwards, literary agent and executive vice president at Stonesong, the New York-based literary agency. She also acts as a contract consultant for authors and agents under the business MLE Consulting. We discuss: >> Traditional versus self-publishing >> Handling incoming manuscripts >> Importance of the query letter >> Standard agent/author agreements >> Expectation of the author/agent relationship >> Etc. Learn more about Melissa Edwards here: https://www.stonesong.com/melissa-edwards To learn more about Melissa Edwards work as a contract consultant for authors and agents, go here: https://www.melissaedwardsesq.com/ Novelist Spotlight is produced and hosted by Mike Consol. Check out his novels here: https://snip.ly/yz18no   Write to Mike Consol at novelistspotlight@gmail.com

This week Erin M. Evans B. Dave Walters and Treavor Bettis are joined by Erin's agent - Bridget Smith! Together they talk about the Publishing Industry and Query Letters.Special Guest:Bridget Smith: https://awfulagent.com/agents/bridget-smith/ Join our Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Starring:Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels)https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society)https://bsky.app/profile/bdavewalters.bsky.social Treavor Bettis (Difficulty Class, Champions of Lore)https://bsky.app/profile/thetreavor.bsky.social Join the Discord!https://discord.gg/MdSVsfpTzu Buy Relics of Ruin!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Relics-Ruin-Books-Usurper-2/dp/031644104X Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/relics-of-ruin-erin-m-evans/1143299833?ean=9780316441049 Check out B. Dave's Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/bdavewalters Enroll in B. Dave's 14 Day Writer:https://www.theundisputedacademy.com/14-day-writer-home-page

Sometimes I think the commentary on the Sherlock & Co podcast protects this podcast from listeners who would find "The Literary Agent's Ten Percent" an insult to Watson's literary agent. But this week's Sherlock & Co. was so on the money for "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" that they might make it through. (Also, we're getting Sherlock Holmes's cousin before his brother? What?!?)

Querying Authors, you won't want to miss our brand new episode with Senior Literary Agent and all round superstar THE Amanda Orozco!Amanda Orozco is a senior literary agent at Transatlantic based out of Los Angeles. She graduated from NYU with her Masters of Science in Publishing: Digital and Print Media. Before joining Transatlantic, she worked in Subsidiary Rights at Little, Brown and at Park & Fine Literary and Media. While at NYU, she interned at the National Book Foundation, Shreve Williams Public Relations, and The Gernert CompanyFind Amanda:Agency website profile: https://transatlanticagency.com/portfolio/orozco-amanda/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oczoro.adnama/ #OfthePublishingPersuasion⁠ ⁠#podcast⁠ ⁠#writing⁠ ⁠#Publishing⁠ ⁠#bookstagram⁠ ⁠#literaryagent⁠  #amandaorozco #transatlanticliteraryagency ⁠#author⁠ ⁠ ⁠#podcastsforwriters #writingpodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#writersofinstagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#writerspodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#writeradvice⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#podcasting⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#podcastersofinstagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#Query⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#querying⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠#WritersOfInstagram⁠#podcasts #books #bookish #TransatlanticAgency

Welcome to the first installment of a four-part series on querying literary agents. In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of publishing with a Big Five publisher versus an independent press. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, traditionally publishing or submitting directly to publishers, this episode will help you clarify your publishing goals.Plus: A roundup of the latest publishing news, including the growing backlash against tech giants using books to train AI.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Lori Steel, Literary Agent and Founder of SteelWorks Literary, about launching a literary agency amid concerns (from some) surrounding the health of the children's book industry; what she looks for in a children's book creator; what Henry David Thoreau can teach illustrators; and more.To learn more about Steelworks Literary, visit steelworksliterary.com.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Yuko Shimizu, Anoosha Syed, Vera Brosgol, and Alex T. Smith If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration, on Substack. Among other benefits, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.

Bestselling speculative sci-fi author, Nicholas Binge is on the podcast chatting about his latest novel, Dissolution as well as his unusual writing process and going from blanket rejections to a five way auction with publishers!

We had the best chat with the Aussie icon that is THE Lisa Fuller ⁠@lisasfuller⁠ 

In this episode, we'll talk about what authors should look for in an editor, when it makes sense to work with a ghostwriter, and how the matchmaking process works behind the scenes at a publisher. Today we're joined by Rose Friel, a publishing consultant at Foreword Literary Consulting. With a background working with literary agencies and hybrid publishing, Rose has helped countless authors refine their publishing strategies and bring their stories to life with tailored introductions to ghostwriters, editors, publishers, and more. She knows exactly what goes into a great publishing partnership and how publishers match writers with the right professionals to shape their work. 

Literary agent, Liza DeBlock joins us this week to tell us about how she got into publishing and literary agency, what she is looking for in authors to add to her list and something to do with horrifying unicorns in Scotland.

In this episode, I'm joined by Brianna Summers, literary agent assistant with Holloway Literary. Brianna also works as an editor with Of Metal and Magic Publishing.Brianna shares her wisdom after spending several years working in the literary agency field. She tells us what it's like for agents on a day-to-day basis and the main reasons she rejects submissions.We also take a deep dive into query letters and Brianna shares her ideal structure for what a query letter should contain. If you're thinking about querying literary agents or want to learn more about it, this episode is a must-listen!GET BOOKS AND CLASSES ON WRITING FANTASYhttps://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshedJOIN OUR DISCORD COMMUNITY⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠⁠⁠ABOUT BRIANNA SUMMERShttps://www.instagram.com/brianna.summers.338/https://hollowayliterary.com/https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/GET IN TOUCH⁠⁠⁠https://richiebilling.com/⁠⁠⁠RESOURCESDiscover more ⁠⁠⁠⁠writing tips⁠ and guides⁠⁠⁠ here -⁠⁠⁠⁠https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/⁠⁠⁠⁠And learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠writing fantasy⁠⁠⁠⁠ here -⁠⁠⁠⁠https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/adjectives-that-start-with-th

Bestselling author and literary agent Betsy Lerner spoke with me about being a “late bloomer,” what 35 years in publishing has taught her, and portraying mental illness in her debut novel SHRED SISTERS. Betsy Lerner is the author of the popular advice book to writers, The Forest for the Trees, and the memoirs Food and Loathing and The Bridge Ladies. With Temple Grandin, she is the also co-author of the New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions. Her debut novel, Shred Sisters, is described as “... an intimate and bittersweet story exploring the fierce complexities of sisterhood, mental health, loss and love.” The book was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a New York Times Notable Book of 2024, and a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and Best Book of the Year So Far, among many other accolades. Betsy received an MFA from Columbia University in Poetry and was selected as one of PEN's Emerging Writers. She also received the Tony Godwin Publishing Prize for Editors. After working as an editor for 15 years, she became an agent and is currently a partner with Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Betsy Lerner and I discussed: Getting kicked out of film school How "No Bad Dogs" inspired her to write The Forest for the Trees about writer personalities Working with punk rock icon Patti Smith The secrets behind her writing process Why she wants to have dinner with filmmaker Greta Gerwig And a lot more! Show Notes: betsylerner.com Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner (Amazon) The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner (Amazon) Betsy Lerner Amazon Author Page Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigate the complex world of book publishing with industry veteran Terry Whalin, author of over 60 books and contributor to more than 50 magazines. In this episode, Terry debunks common publishing myths that hold entrepreneurs and aspiring authors back, drawing from his new book "10 Publishing Myths: Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed." Learn why expecting significant profits from your first book might be unrealistic and how to build marketing assets you actually control rather than relying on "rented platforms" like social media. Terry shares the inspiring story of Chicken Soup for the Soul's 160 rejections before finding success through their "Rule of Five" daily marketing approach. Whether you're considering self-publishing, seeking a literary agent, or exploring independent publishers like Morgan James, Terry's practical insights will help you develop the persistence needed to successfully bring your book to market and play big faster with your publishing goals.

Send me a Text Message!Learn more about the Storyteller's SocietyLearn more about Amy NielsenHaving reviewed thousands queries in the past two years, literary agent Amy Nielsen shares exclusive writing tips specifically tailored for thriller writers on the traditional publishing route. This agent interview with Amy dives deep into query structure, comp titles, and how to craft a pitch that perfectly matches your opening pages. Whether you're writing thriller, mystery, suspense, or crime fiction, Amy's professional insights will help you avoid common pitfalls and significantly improve your chances of catching an agent's attention with your query. Learn how to write query letters that stand out from the slush pile with practical advice from one of the industry's most approachable literary agents.The exact structure of a winning query letter, including where to place metadata, how to craft a personal introduction, and how to keep your word count tight at 300-350 wordsWhy comparative titles are crucial to query success, with a real-life example of how changing just one comp title led to representation and publication offersHow to ensure your query pitch accurately reflects your opening pages (especially if you have a prologue), and why this alignment is essential for thriller writers working with agentsBio:Amy Nielsen spent nearly 20 years as a youth librarian. Daily immersion in story took root and she penned her YA debut WORTH IT behind her circulation desk. In addition to being an author, Amy is an editorial literary agent at The Purcell Agency. She is also a freelance editor and runs Mayflower Media where she helps authors make book trailers and other video marketing materials. Click Here to learn more about the Storyteller's SocietyClick Here to Learn more about the Storyteller's Society

In this episode, I sit down with my literary agent Abby Saul for a deep dive into the querying process, the realities of an agent's role, and what makes a submission stand out. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of querying, you won't want to miss her top advice for catching an agent's eye in a crowded inbox.We also debunk common myths about what agents actually do, break down what grabs their attention in a query letter, and explore current market trends—plus, how to balance industry awareness with staying true to your unique voice. And for writers facing rejection, Abby shares words of encouragement to help you keep going.Whether you're just starting to query or refining your pitch, this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate the path to representation with more confidence!For more on Abby Saul, visit larkwords.comFor help with agent query strategy, visit bookworks.co

Delanie Fischer is joined by Literary Agent and Best-Selling Author, Lindsey Smith, to respond to your questions about the publishing and podcasting industries, share their experience with creative entrepreneurship, and offer a peak behind the curtain of their new book, MockTales: 50+ Literary Mocktails Inspired by Classic Works, Banned Books, and More. They're Addressing Questions Like:+ How To Find A Lit Agent, Self vs. Traditional Publishing, and More+ Making Money As A Podcaster, Streamlining Processes, and More+ Navigating Fluctuating Finances, Prioritizing Projects, and MoreMockTales is now available on Barnes & Noble, Target, Amazon, and most places where books are sold: https://www.delaniefischer.com/Vote on topics, submit questions for guests, and more: https://www.patreon.com/selfhelplessYour Host, Delanie Fischer: https://www.delaniefischer.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's behavior, we discuss how seeking prestige can be dangerous for writers, specifically in the form of MFA degrees and literary agents. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, Book #1 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: SQUIRE50 The coupon code is valid through March 14, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 240 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February the 20th, 2025, and today we are discussing how to escape the trap of prestige that can sometimes catch writers, specifically in the form of MFA degrees and literary agents. Before we get into greater detail with that, we will start with Coupon of the Week and then an update on my current writing projects and then also a Question of the Week before we get to the main topic.   But first, let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, Book One of the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. And that coupon code is SQUIRE50. The coupon code is valid through March 14th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook as we head into spring, we have got you covered.   Now let's have an update on current writing projects. I am 94,000 words into Ghost in the Assembly. I had two 10,000 word days this week, which really moved the needle forward. We'll talk about those a little bit more later. I'm on Chapter 18 of 21, I believe, and if all goes well, I should hopefully finish the rough draft before the end of the month because I would like to get editing on that as soon as possible. For my next book, that will be Shield of Battle and I am 8,000 words into that and I'm hoping that'll come out in April. Ghost in the Assembly will be in March, if all goes well.   In audiobook news, recording for Cloak of Dragonfire (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is finished and also recording on Orc-Hoard, the fourth book of the Half-Elven Thief series (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward). Both of those should be coming out sometime in March, if all goes well. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects.   00:01:45 Question of the Week   And now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question, if you have off work or school because of a snow day or extreme cold or other intense weather, what do you do with the day? No wrong answers. We had a number of responses to this.   Surabhi says: Ha, jokes on you! It never snows where I live. We do sometimes bunk school on rainy days, though. What I mostly do then is catching up on homework or listening to the rain.   Justin says: We're having a snow day here; schools and many businesses are closed. So Lord of the Rings Extended Edition movie marathon! Popcorn popped, hot cocoa and cold soda prepped. I have to admit, that seems like a very good idea.   Mary says: Read, write, watch the snow fall, try to exercise inside.   Michael says: That hasn't happened to me since about 1985, but I seem to recall it was on my birthday and boy was I happy to miss school on my birthday! I think I read fantasy books, drank tea, and played video games.   Juana says: curl up with a book and hot chocolate or tea.   John says: Haven't had a snow day since I was a child, but I did either play in the snow or read a book (at that age, Andre Norton, Lester del Rey, or Ben Bova). I'm relocating later this year back to colder climes, but since I now only work remotely and have for the past six years, sadly my days change very little.   Jenny says: Usually shovel snow, make a pot of warm food, more snow removal, watch movies or shows. Bob says: I'm retired now, so probably not much different than any other day, but when I was working, I'd probably be out shoveling snow so I can get to work whenever the roads were clear. Of course, that necessitated more shoveling when the snowplow dumped its load across the end of my driveway and that's why I moved south, where I rarely see snow.   Yes, if you live in a colder climes and you have a driveway, you know that you'll shovel the driveway and then immediately when you're done, these snowplow will come and block up the end of the driveway.   Finally, Dan says: For myself, I enjoy a free day. However, soon the home duties encroach on this free time.   For myself, the answer is clearly that I write 10,000 words on the first snow day and then again on the second day because I just had two days in a row where it was too cold to leave the house. So what I did was stay home and wrote 20,000 words of Ghost in the Assembly.   00:03:54 Main Topic: Escaping the Trap of Prestige, Part I   Now onto our main topic of the week, Escaping the Trap of Prestige, Part I-as it pertains to MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degrees and agents. I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not looking to knock anyone who has a MFA or who has a literary agent, especially if it's working out for you and you're happy with it. What I'm trying to do here is warn younger writers who are just starting out about the potential consequences of these things, which can be very severe if you choose wrongly. So that is my goal with this episode, to help writers escape the potentially bad consequences of the prestige trap because newer writers in particular want validation. I mean, we all want validation, but writers especially want validation and new writers are very vulnerable to wanting validation to the point where it's been well known for years that there's a large scam industry of various things that take advantage of newer writers looking for validation such as vanity publishers, scammy agents, and a wide variety of other online publishing scams. This isn't to say that MFAs and literary agents are scams, though some literary agents have committed serious crimes (as we'll discuss later), but again, to warn against the danger of wanting prestige too badly and the bad decisions that can lead you to make. And some of this comes from the idea of success in life, especially in the United States and large parts of the Western world, is hitting certain milestones in a specific order. Like you graduate from college, you get a good job, you get married, you buy a house, you have your first kid, and if you don't do these things in the right order, there's something wrong with you and you have made mistakes in life, which isn't necessarily true, but is something that people can fall fall prey to and use to make destructive decisions. In the writing world, some of those measures of success have until fairly recently been getting a Master of Fine Arts degree, finding an agent, getting traditionally published, and hitting the New York Times list. As of this recording, I have sold well over 2 million books without following that normal route to writing success. In fact, I think it's closer to 2.25 million now, and I mention that not to toot my own horn, but to say that there are routes outside of the potentially dangerous prestige paths I'm talking about. And despite that, many aspiring writers feel they must follow that specific route to writer success, otherwise they aren't real writers. They've got to get the MFA, the agent, traditionally published, and then the New York Times list. The quest for prestige can keep writers from succeeding in two ways that are more significant, getting their work in front of readers who want to read it and deriving income from writing. So today in the first part of this two part episode series, we're going to talk about two of those writing markers of prestige, MFAs and literary agents. Why are they no longer as important? What should you devote your energy and focus to instead?   So number one, the Master of Fine Arts trap. The Master of Fine Arts in writing has often been seen as a marker of writing ability, especially in the world of literary fiction. And I think the big problem, one of the big problems with MFA, first of all is cost. Getting a Master of Fine Arts degree is expensive, especially if you are not fortunate enough to receive scholarships or assistantships and so have to rely on student loans. The average cost of an MFA program is in the mid five figures when all is said and done, not even counting living expenses and textbooks and so forth. If you have to take out student loans to pay for that, that is a considerable loan burden, especially if you already have loans from your undergraduate degree.   Even the people who get their MFA paid for (usually in exchange for teaching introductory writing classes to first year university students), the opportunity cost of taking two to three years to get this degree means you're sacrificing other things in your personal and professional life in order to get this MFA. It's a huge outlay of time and energy, especially if you're moving across the country for a residential program. And what are you getting in exchange for this massive outlay of time, money, and effort?   You probably aren't going to learn the practical non-writing skills that you need in the modern writing world like marketing, data collection and analysis, and publication strategies (all of which I do on a fairly regular basis in addition to writing). All of these skills are important for writers now, even if they are traditionally published. The problem with many MFA programs is that they rarely, if ever teach these skills. It seems that what MFAs train their students to do is to become adjunct faculty professors with semester to semester contracts, which can pay around $2,000 to $4,000 USD per writing or literature course at most small to mid-size colleges and universities in the United States. Being an adjunct professor does not confer any benefits like health insurance or retirement funds.   I was talking about this episode with my podcast transcriptionist and she mentioned once she was at a faculty meeting where an adjunct professor in English with an MFA did the math and realized based on her hourly wage (based on all the actual hours she put into a semester), if she worked at the local gas station chain, she would be making $7 per hour more at the local gas chain and she would be only working 40 hours a week. That can be a very dismaying realization, especially after all the work you have put into getting an MFA and teaching. Many defenders of the MFA degree will say that the real value of the degree is learning how to take criticism and learning to edit. But if you're writing in a genre outside of literary fiction, poetry, and memoirs, you are not likely to find a lot of useful advice. To return to my transcriptionist's tales from her time inside academia, she once told me of meeting a faculty member who confessed that he never read a fantasy book and had no idea how to critique or help these students, and he was a writing professor. He meant well, but he's not even remotely an outlier in terms of MFA instructors and their familiarity with mysteries, romance, and science fiction works and fantasy, which is what most genre fiction is nowadays. Also, the quality of advice and help you receive varies wildly based on the quality of your cohort and instructors and their willingness to help others. It's a steep investment with very, very uncertain returns.   So in short, an MFA takes a huge outlay of time and money with very few tangible benefits, especially with genre writers. In all frankness I would say an MFA is the kind of degree you should not go into debt to get and you should only get if you can have it paid for through scholarships or assistantships or so forth. So what should you do, in my opinion, other than an MFA degree? I think you should write as much as possible. You get better by practicing. You should read extensively. You will learn about writing by reading extensively, ideally in more than one genre. If you read enough and write enough, eventually you get to the moment where you read something and think, hey, I could do a better job than this. This is a major boost in confidence for any writer.   It might be a good idea to join a local or online writing group if you'd like critique from other writers. A warning that writing groups can vary wildly in quality and some of them have a bad case of crab bucket syndrome, so you may have to try more than one group to find one that works for you.   Another thing to do would be to listen to advice from successful writers. I saw a brief video from an author who recently pointed out that many people online giving writing advice aren't current or successful writers. One of the downsides of the Internet is that anyone can brand themselves an expert, whip together a course, and sell it online for a ridiculous fee. And people like this, their successes in creating methods or courses that turn writing into something more complicated to make aspiring writers reliant upon that process. Aspiring writers may end up spinning their wheels following all of these steps instead of getting to the actual work of churning out drafts. They may be spending money they can't afford in order to learn ineffective or even damaging strategies.   Many successful writers offer sensible advice for free, such as Brandon Sanderson posting his writing lectures for free on his YouTube channel. If you're looking for writing advice, you could do a lot worse than watching those lectures. And if you're going to take advice from anyone you read on the internet, it's probably better to take advice from successful writers who have demonstrated that they know what they are doing.   And finally, this may be more general advice, but it's a good idea to be open to learning and observing new experiences. It's probably a good idea to go to museums and cultural events, read about the latest developments in science and history, go on a hike in a new place, and observe the world around you. New writers often ask where writers get their ideas come from, and they very often come from just serendipitous things you can observe in the world around you. And that is also a good way to get out of your own head. If you're worried too much about writing, it's probably time to go for a long walk.   So why are agents potentially dangerous to writers? For a long time (for a couple decades, in fact), from I'd say from maybe the ‘80s and the ‘90s to the rise of the Kindle in the 2010s, the only realistic way to get published for most writers in terms of fiction was to get a literary agent. Publishers did not take unsolicited submissions (most of them did not), and you had to go through an agent to send your manuscript to a publisher. The agents were very selective for a variety of reasons. Because of that, a lot of newer writers still idealize the process of getting agents. You'll see this on Twitter and other social media platforms where new writers will talk constantly about getting agents and what they have to do. And the ones who do get a request from an agent to send in the full manuscript after sending a few query chapters are just besides themselves with joy. And those who do get agents can sometimes sound like they're showing off their new boyfriend or girlfriend, like my agent says they like my book, or my agent says this or that. And as you can probably imagine from my description, this is an arrangement that has a lot of potential danger for the writer.   The traditional first step in this time period I was mentioning after finishing a book has been to get as prestigious of an agent as possible to contact publishers and negotiate deals on their behalf. The agent takes 10 to 20% of what a publisher pays a writer, but in theory can get a writer a better deal and are acting in their best business interests. And as I mentioned before, most significantly, most publishers are not willing to read submissions that are not submitted by an agent. If getting traditionally published is the goal, an agent is the crucial first step. I mean, that's the ideal that we've been talking about. In reality, traditional publishing is as cautious and risk averse as it has ever been. Agents have followed suit. It takes industry connections and/or a significant social media presence to even get an agent to look at your book.   Writing query letters and trying to get an agent also takes away from writing and is a completely separate skillset, as is the networking and social media work that is part of this process. Some people have spent months or even years working on query letters and getting an agent when they could have finished another book or more in the same time. Alright, so that is the practical and logistical reasons it's a bad idea for a writer to seek out an agent, and I frankly think you'd be better off. And now we get to the potentially criminal ones.   The thing about literary agents is there's no licensing or requirement or anything of that nature. You can set up a website and call yourself a literary agent. If you consider something like a lawyer, by contrast, I'm sure those of you who are lawyers in the United States will have many complaints and stories about your state bar, which is in charge of licensing lawyers. But the point is that the state bar exists, and if a lawyer is behaving in an unethical or unscrupulous matter, that can be brought as complaint to the state bar. Nothing like that exists for literary agents at all. And because of that, scammy agents are everywhere. Some try to get writers to pay a fee upfront or other made up fees, or they get cuts from scammy book publishers or book packaging services. Or in general, they just try to squeeze every penny possible from aspiring writers. And this is often sadly very easy to do because as we've mentioned, many newer writers still think getting an agent is a major mark of prestige and humans crave prestige. And even if you get a prestigious and seemingly legitimate agent, that can potentially lead to life ruining problems because many of the legitimate agents are very sticky fingered.   Several years ago, the firm of Donadio and Olson, which represented Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, Godfather author Mario Puzo, and Catch 22 author Joseph Heller found out that one of their accountants had been stealing millions from their authors for many years. Although the accountant was sentenced to two years of prison, it's unlikely those authors will receive the money back fully. As Palahniuk put it in a blog post, “the legal process will be long and offers an iffy reward.” Mr. Palahniuk also lost out on money from touring to promote his books because of this crisis and said he was unable to support himself financially as a result of these stolen royalties.   By not filtering your royalties and earning statements through a literary agency that can falsify reports about these documents (as the accountant in question did), you have a full sense of what you are earning and what amounts you should be receiving. Amazon is open to many criticisms because of its decisions, but they pay monthly and they send a very detailed spreadsheet monthly to any Kindle authors of what books sold and what they expect to earn. It's sometimes almost too much data to process. The traditional publishing world would never even consider showing that to writers and agents often keep that from their writers. Palahniuk trusted his agency and accepted the explanations that rampant piracy and financial difficulties in the publishing world were keeping over a million dollars in royalties from him. He even later found out that this accountant was keeping non-financial correspondence from him. Returning to the topic of Brandon Sanderson, I recently saw an interview between him and a podcaster Tim Ferris. He made the interesting point that the power centers in publishing have shifted from traditional publishing agents to the platform holders and the writers, the platform holders being people like Amazon, Apple, and Google who have the platforms that sell the books and the writers who bring the books to those platforms. The power is shifted away from agents and publishers to the platforms and writers. And because of that, in my frank opinion, literary agents are obsolete for those wishing to publish independently.   And my frank opinion is also that you should be independently publishing and not trying to get an agent or go with a traditional publisher. There's no reason to give someone 15% when you can upload the files to a service like KDP yourself. An agent will not be able to get you a better royalty from KDP. Amazon does not negotiate royalty rates at the agent level, and you have to be a writer on the scale of J.K. Rowling or maybe Dean Koontz to get any kind of special deal from Amazon.   So what should you do instead of seeking out an agent? Publish independently or self-publish. Be wary of excuses and explanations that prey upon emotional responses or a sense of loyalty to individuals, such as the case of Chuck Palahniuk, where they preyed on his fears of piracy and the instability of the publishing industry, as well as sympathy for someone who claimed to be taking care of a family member with a terminal disease. That was one of the excuses they used for why the records weren't right. Ask for facts and verify everything regularly. Publishers and agents are not your friends and not your family, and do not accept that approach in your business relationship with them. Learn how to read and interpret any financial statements you receive. Don't trust a third party to do this for you, or if you must do that, make sure they're being audited regularly by a third party, not from just someone else at their firm.   So the conclusion is that in my opinion, the prestige of getting an MFA and an agent are currently not worth the trade-off and there are considerable risks that you take if your main goals are to build a following and sell books. Prestige is not going to put food on the table. And in fact, if you have five figures of student loan debt from an MFA, it may be keeping you from putting food on the table. So if you want to be a writer, I think both seeking out an MFA and seeking out an agent would be a waste of your time and possibly counterproductive.   Next week in Part Two, we'll discuss two more prestige traps in writing: getting traditionally published and hitting the New York Times Bestseller List.   That is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backup episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

Literary agent, Jade Kavanagh joins us this week to chat about her career in publishing, what she is looking to add to her list and which genres might be on the up this year!

Send me a Text Message!Learn more about Karyn FischerJessica Berg Literary Agent InterviewWant to know what literary agents really think when they read your submission? In this interview, former literary agent and current book coach and writing expert Karyn Fischer shares insider knowledge on how to write a novel that stands out. Discover the top mistakes writers make, why 90% of submissions aren't ready, and the essential writing tips you need to elevate your work.Whether you're preparing to query or refining your first 10 pages, this episode will help you improve your craft and increase your chances of landing an agent.The top 10 writing mistakes that make agents reject manuscripts—and how to fix themHow to hook a literary agent in the first 10 pages of your novelWhat stakes really mean in thriller writing and why they're critical to successClick Here to Learn more about the Storyteller's Society Free Webinar - How to Write a Synopsis with Amy Nielsen

This week Andrew talks with national bestselling author Erika Robuck. Erika's career as a novelist started when she self-published her first novel — after being rejected by 100 literary agents. From there, Erika continued to develop her craft and went on to become a bestselling author. In this conversation, Andrew & Erika explore many of the philosophies, tools, & techniques that have powered her journey. You'll hear actionable ideas on the creative process, learning from rejection, storytelling, communication, & so much more. ** Follow Andrew **Instagram: @AndrewMoses123Twitter/X: @andrewhmosesSign up for e-mails to keep up with the podcast at everybodypullsthetarp.com/newsletterDISCLAIMER: This podcast is solely for educational & entertainment purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.  

Send me a Text Message!Storyteller's Society WaitlistLearn more about Jessica BergListen to Daria White Osah's EpisodeWant to write a thriller that stands out in today's crowded market? In this episode, literary agent Jessica Berg shares expert insights into what makes a manuscript irresistible to agents and publishers. We dive into essential thriller writing techniques, including...The power of a strong character voiceThe importance of genre mashupsHow to balance plot, tension, and stakes. If you're looking for writing tips, querying advice, or an insider's perspective on how to write a gripping thriller, this is a literary agent interview you won't want to miss!We cover...How a compelling character voice can make or break your manuscript – and why agents will forgive other flaws if your character shines.Why genre mashups are the future of thriller writing – and how blending suspense with horror, mystery, or humor can make your book more marketable.What agents really look for in a query and full manuscript – plus, the biggest mistakes authors make when pitching their books.Click Here to learn more about the Storyteller's SocietyClick Here to Learn more about the Storyteller's Society

Renee Fountain is president of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Lit Mgmt. She's been in the publishing industry for more than 30 years. She's worked at Harcourt and Simon & Schuster with some of the best writers and illustrators in publishing, has managed iconic classics like Raggedy Ann and Nancy Drew, and brokered film and television options. Renee also spent five years with the CW Television Network as a book scout and story analyst for scripted television. Renèe represents fiction and non-fiction, from YA to adult but doesn't represent picture books, middle grade, or previously published work. She attends writers' conferences where she provides manuscript critiques, fields author pitches, and teaches masterclasses. She offers free resources for writers at Reneefountain.com/podcastjumpstart and on her Substack page. In addition to agenting, Renèe helps writers hone their craft and books with developmental editing and coaching through her company Gryphon Quill and as a faculty member of The Manuscript Academy. Renee joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to talk about what she wishes a writer would send her, how she finds her clients, how the words on the page are more important than MFAs and a writer's age, query letters, what to do about your bio if you have no writing credits, comps, the state of the publishing biz, social media, and so much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can find hundreds upon hundreds of past interviews on our website. If you'd like to support the show and indie bookstores, consider buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We've stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find to an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! (Recorded on January 31, 2025) Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Host: Marrie Stone Music: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

How do our personal lives influence the art we make?JIM SHEPARD (Author of The Book of Aron, Project X, & The World to Come starring Casey Affleck, Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston · Winner of the PEN New England Award, The Story Prize) explores historical human dilemmas, the emotional imagination and literature's role in extending empathetic understanding. He discusses the importance of self-education and curiosity.LAURA EASON (Emmy-nominated Producer, Screenwriter, Playwright · Three Women · House of Cards · The Loudest Voice) on how we can live multiple lives through the arts. She highlights the significant role the arts have played in her upbringing and daily life, emphasizing the value of listening to others. As a showrunner, Laura discusses how her work in the theater, where she often adapted literary classics, prepared her for working in the writers' room of House of Cards, adapting the creator's vision.BENOIT DELHOMME (Award-winning Cinematographer · Artist · Director · At Eternity's Gate · The Theory of Everything ·The Scent of Green Papaya) talks about the intrinsic pleasure found in art and cinematography. He likens operating a handheld camera to playing an instrument and emphasizes the importance of personalizing one's craft to imbue it with soul and freedom.JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Academy Award, Tony & Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer/Director · Doubt · Moonstruck · Danny and the Deep Blue Sea · Joe Versus the Volcano) recounts his personal journey from The Bronx to becoming a writer. He emphasizes the importance of embracing one's life experiences, even the seemingly ordinary ones, as gold for storytelling. Shanley reflects on his collaborations with actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep and their dedication to their craft.MARK GOTTLIEB (Vice President & Literary Agent at Trident Media Group) explores storytelling as a timeless art form, comparing books to the oil paintings of new media. He comments on the transformative power of stories, which he believes can manifest in various forms—from books to movies and TV shows.ANTHONY WHITE (Artist) reflects on the role of visual arts in democracy and civil disobedience. Historical events like the Eureka Stockade, with its spirit of rebellion, have inspired his art.MICHAEL BEGLER (Showrunner · Writer & Executive Producer of Perry Mason and The Knick) discusses the importance of storytelling in understanding our history and emotions. He stresses that the arts, drawing from personal experiences, help us connect on a deeper level beyond hard news.To hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

This week, we have our first new Bound + Determined episode of 2025, and it's not to be missed! I sat down with literary agent Cherise Fisher to unpack this incredible and sometimes maddening process of bringing a book to the world.

Why does Sherlock & Co. keeping giving us such lovely characters, even if they're just regular blokes like Mark Merrilow? And why the heck does our Watson's literary agent researcher think that there is a hidden Moriarty novel out there? Not all of these questions will be answered this week!

Rachel and Simon speak with the literary agent Clare Alexander. For the first portion of her career she worked in publishing, starting out in 1973 in the rights department at Penguin; after stints at Hamish Hamilton and Viking she became editor-in-chief of Macmillan and Picador. Clare published first novels by Helen Dunmore, Alex Garland, Amitav Ghosh, Haruki Murakami and Donna Tartt. In 1995, while at Viking, she was the editor of the winners of the Booker Prize, the Orange Prize (now the Women's Prize) and the Whitbread Award (the erstwhile Costa Book Awards) - the first editor ever to achieve this hat-trick. In 1998 Clare became a literary agent. Her client list includes Diana Evans, Helen Fielding, Armando Iannucci, Nicholas Shakespeare, Rory Stewart and Colin Thubron. We spoke to Clare about her early career as an editor, becoming an agent in the late 1990s, and working with authors including Pat Barker, Mark Haddon and Sebastian Faulks. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠. You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/alwaystakenotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

In this episode we talk with history professor Robin Judd of the Ohio State University about writing her most recent book, Between Two Worlds: Jewish War Brides After the Holocaust. Figuring out how to write up her research as a book appealing to a broader audience was a challenge that required new skills and a willingness to edit, while staying true to her sources' voices. Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/writingitpodcast Contact us with questions, possible future topics/guests, or comments here: https://writingit.fireside.fm/contact

Have you ever wondered why Publishing seems to take so much longer than any other industry? We posed this question to agent Stefanie Molina, Ladderbird Literary--and discuss what it means for agents, editors, and - most of all - writers. Want to talk about your work with Stefanie? Schedule a time here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/stefanie-molina We discuss: Current Trends in Publishing (00:03:57)
 What Makes A work “Fresh”? (00:05:01)
 The Importance of BIPOC Voices in Literature (00:06:32) Communication Challenges in Publishing (00:08:33)
 Literary Agents of Change (00:10:52) Advice for Writers in the Querying Process (00:15:48) Agents' Constant Thoughts on Clients (00:28:56)
 Hope for Industry Change (00:39:31) Scholarship Opportunities (00:44:47)

If we're honest, we're still reeling from the ultra BIG MAGIC, BIG ENERGY chat we had with Rosecliff Literary Agent THE Jessica Berg ⁠@jesssica__berg⁠ 

The usual topic gets hard to talk about, but if you hold out long enough, you might get to hear questions about why Watson's Literary Agent visited the neighborhood of 221B Baker Street in 1903.

As owner and President at BookEnds, Jessica Faust is honored to spend every day with some of the most talented authors and agents in the business. From BookEnds' inception in 1999, Jessica works tirelessly to advocate for those she works with from clients to the team at BookEnds. In addition to growing BookEnds in new and innovative directions, Jessica represents many bestselling and award-winning authors. Her focus is on bringing more underrepresented and marginalized voices into publishing and her areas of expertise include mystery, suspense, upmarket, literary, speculative, and women's fiction. In nonfiction, she's seeking books and authors who will make her a better person and a better leader. Jessica began her career as an acquisitions editor at Berkley Publishing, Macmillan, and Wiley. In addition to nearly 15 years of blogging, Jessica has a regular role on the BookEnds YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Tiktok; has taught at New York University's Continuing Education Program; written a publishing column; and has been honored by a number of different publishing organizations. Jessica hosts workshops and speaking engagements throughout the world and is a member of AALA.While her heart will always be in Minnesota, Jessica now lives in New Jersey with her family. Outside of BookEnds, Jessica's passions include kettlebell lifting, walking Olive, skiing, paddle boarding, cooking, baking, reading other people's books, and generally laughing with friends and family.  Learn more at bookendsliterary.comIntro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table:On Twitter/X: @writingtablepcEverywhere else: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Victoria spills the tea on what books are coming up in the future, talks about the changing publishing industry, and we even read her our queries LIVE and she gave us amazing advice on how to improve them! If you're about to start querying, this is the episode for you! If you're a reader and want to know more about the industry, this is the way to do it! But seriously, we can't thank Victoria Marini enough for sharing her time and talent with us! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/novelboundpodcast/support

Lilly Ghahremani knew from her first day of law school that she had made a mistake, but like so many lawyers, she kept going, earning her degree and even passing the bar. What came next wasn't the traditional legal path but an unexpected journey into the publishing industry. Today, Lilly is a literary agent with over 20 years of experience, co-founder of Full Circle Literary, and an advocate for authors navigating the complex world of publishing.In this episode, Lilly shares how her legal background helped her thrive in a nontraditional career and why so many lawyers are drawn to publishing. She talks about the realities of life as a literary agent, the skills that truly transfer from legal practice, and how lawyers can tap into their creative passions. Whether you're dreaming of leaving law or simply curious about the publishing world, Lilly's story will inspire you to explore new possibilities.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/250

You want to get published, right? You want to see your book in bookstores, you want to hit a bestseller list, and maybe you want Reese Witherspoon to pick your book for her bookclub. Well, before any of that can happen you need an agent and an outstanding query letter is the key to getting one. That's why I developed my brand new course, THE ART OF THE QUERY. It includes everything you need to know and I even show you a super simple way to tackle the hardest part of the pitch. Grab the course now through Cyber Monday for only $27!  Visit valeriefrancis.ca/blackfriday BLACK FRIDAY SALE! The Art of the Query online course is 89% off until December 2, 2024. Grab it now! It's just $27.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francisFollow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

In this episode of Your Path to Publish, we dive into a crucial question for authors pursuing the traditional publishing route: How much do you pay a literary agent? We'll explore not only the cost but also the value that literary agents bring to the table, the benefits of working with them, and how to ensure you're getting a good fit for your book and career.By the end of this episode, you'll know:What a literary agent does and how they help you land a traditional publishing dealThe typical commission structure for literary agents (hint: it's usually on both of your advance and royalties)The red flags to watch out for when evaluating agents, especially when it comes to feesKey questions to ask when deciding if a literary agent is a good fit for youHow to find the right literary agent for your genre and goalsSubmit a Question. Ask a question to be featured on the podcast. Ask HereLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Is there anyone out there that will listen to an hour of raving reviews of Sherlock & Co.'s adaptation of Sign of the Four just to get to "The Literary Agent's Ten Percent"? Because those are the two things you're getting this week. Just wait until January when we have multiple Watsons to go on about! You might get THREE different things in an episode. "Might."

Penny Wincer, an author, writer and non-fiction book coach on how writers can think deeply about their living spaces, what makes a house a home and we dive into her expertise around creating engaging non-fiction and creating a non-fiction book proposal to send to agents.*ABOUT PENNY WINCERPenny Wincer is an author, freelance writer and non-fiction book coach based in London. She is the author of Home Matters: How our homes shape us, and we shape them and Tender:The imperfect Art of Caring. Penny hosts the podcast Not Too Busy To Write.*RESOURCES & LINKS

Hi Friends! Although the podcast is still paused, I'm dropping into the feed this week and next with two very special conversations :) Today is a bonus episode from February for paid subscribers with Todd Sattersten, publisher and owner of Bard Press, and next week features Seth Godin and his new book, This Is Strategy. If you haven't already listened, check out part one here (episode 261) first. Todd is so committed to helping his authors succeed that he only publishes one book each year. Today he's sharing how to investigate and possibly reposition a book when a launch isn't gaining traction, his three-sentence problem statement to attract ideal readers, and why the Table of Contents and first chapter are essential parts of the marketing process.