In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe tackle some of publishing’s messiest realities with their usual mix of honesty and humor. They dig into the alarming trend of agents offering representation with 24-hour decision windows—and why that’s predatory. The conversation then shifts to the world of blurbs: pre-written pitches, the hidden economy of “I’ll blurb yours if you blurb mine,” and whether blurbs actually help sell books. They also break down the Anthropic settlement, explaining what the $1.5 billion deal really means for authors, AI, and copyright. From there, it’s a hard look at what’s selling, what’s not, and why memoirs and essay collections remain so tough to place. With insights from top editors, they emphasize that it’s not just about having a story—it’s about telling it in a way that stands out. Writers, consider this your publishing reality check and pep talk.

Note: Cece Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host ​and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

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It’s Beta Reader Match Up time again where you can be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and/or time zone, so they can critique your work as you critique theirs.

For more information and to register, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-

up.html

Sign up for CeCe’s Fall Course:

Writing Tension Creating Tension, Conflict and Stakes in a Story

Read additional insights on Alia Habib’s’ Substack:

https://aliahabib.substack.com/p/tough-categories-five-top-book-editors

In this engaging conversation, Bianca interviews Danya Kukafka, the author of 'Notes on an Execution.' They discuss the inspiration behind the novel, the evolution of its story, and the intentionality behind character perspectives. Danya shares insights into her writing process, the unique narrative style of ‘Ansel’, and the importance of exploring the lives of victims. The discussion also touches on existential themes, structural frameworks, and Danya's dual role as an author and literary agent.

Note: Cece Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host ​and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

Find us on our socials:

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing

https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author

https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/

https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

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In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe kick things off with a little post–Labor Day catch-up before diving into the big stuff: staying sane while juggling work, life, and endless TBR piles. They tackle the rise of phishing scams targeting writers, breaking down the warning signs every author should know before signing with an agent.

The conversation heats up with industry buzz—CEO shakeups, shifting sales trends, and what all this means for authors trying to stand out. Carly and CeCe pull back the curtain on book promotion, weighing in on the power of publicists, the pitfalls of a scattershot approach, and the strategies that actually move the needle.

Note: Cece Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host ​and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

Find us on our socials:

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing

https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author

https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/

https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

Bookshop.org affiliatepage: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com