Print Run Podcast

With the return of Game of Thrones to TV, it’s the right time to talk about the many fascinating writing and publishing aspects of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. How has the series managed to become such a phenomenon, and what about it is innovative or truly special, from a writing standpoint? We look at George’s (slow) history of writing books, his relationship with the HBO TV series (and his fans), and the strange dynamics of having your story told by someone else.

This episode has it all: a recap of Laura’s time at a SF/F convention; a bad article about old-school publishing; a Fiction Author Under FBI Investigation, of the Week; and a discussion on prison literature, focusing on the newly released collection of stories The Graybar Hotel, written by Curtis Dawkins. Join us!

This holiday week, we're joined by author, agent, and corgi owner extraordinaire Eric Smith. We talk about balancing his writing life with agenting, how both roles inform each other, and most importantly, why his corgi sometimes receives book queries. He even gives the #pubtip for the week! Plus, some other stuff too.

This week, we’re thrilled to have an interview with New York Times bestselling author Shea Serrano. We ask him about his experience with the book-publishing process this time through, whether “experience” and “exposure” can pay bills for emerging writers or unpaid publishing interns (lol no), and of course, about his famous connection with his readers, the FOH Army. Separately, we also lead the show with a quick convo about TSA’s new policy of examining books in carry-on luggage.

What’s in a blurb? This week we talk about one of the more opaque processes in the book world: getting endorsements from other others. Who’s it for, and does it matter? Also, if Gary Shteyngart loves blurbing everything so much, why hasn’t he blurbed Print Run yet? We also debut a new weekly feature titled “Fiction Writer Under FBI Investigation, of the Week,” and no we’re not changing the clunky name, that’s the name of it. Oh, also: should publishers feel responsible for being green?

Summer Fridays: they’re fun, people love them, and they’re a well-established publishing tradition. But where do they come from, and why does publishing slow down in the summers? We get into the history of the summer Friday, and how it might tie into book culture far more than you might think. We also discuss author estates, in light of the new Harper Lee graphic novel, and apparently PRH bought a shirt company? Anyway, join us!

It’s safe to say that most people are feeling something strange in our current historical moment: disenchantment, paranoia, anxiety, or a whole host of other emotions. But current events aside, how do the strange traits of our age affect the way we read? Does this fraught era of information overload change how we consume books, and later on, will it change the books that someday get written during and about this period? We speculate on how this specific moment might affect all of our relationship with books, and how those books might change as a result.

After last week’s big, heavy episode, we’re more fun this week. We get into the “unwritten rules” of the book world, both real and imagined, both petty and substantial. We also do a quick check-in on Amazon Charts, per our chat last week, and spend a few minutes on Amazon’s physical stores (they’re good, unfortunately). Listener mailbag, as well!

It’s time. This week, we discuss by far the most influential entity in the book industry: Amazon. Bigger than everyone else, more ruthless than everyone else, and yet, completely indispensable to modern book culture. We go through Amazon’s history as it relates to publishing, highlighting its many innovations and its fights with publishers throughout the last decade, and try to get a handle on what Amazon could mean for books, publishing, and the written word.

This week, we discuss the levers of power that are at play in a book’s acquisition and publication, all of which end up determining that book’s fate and prospects. How does the size of a book’s advance payment affect how it’s published? What about author clout, or precedent, or expectation, or a pushy agent? It’s a chat about who ends up on the hook for what, and how all these factors come together (or don’t). We also do a quick BEA galley preview, in which we beg attendees to grab us books. Please … grab us the books.

This week’s show is on maybe the most fundamental thing any of us do outside the whole eating/sleeping thing: reading. How has the role of reading changed in our lives as we’ve gotten older? Is it the same experience reading as an adult as it is as a child or even a student? We unpack that, and also discuss the NYT slashing some of its bestseller lists, the new James Patterson/Bill Clinton collaboration, and books in your dating profiles.

This week we talk about the seemingly surface-level elements of books that seem to periodically rise and fall in popularity: things like the vampire in paranormal/YA books, or the cupcake shop in romance novels, or the word “Girl” in EVERY SINGLE LITERARY FICTION TITLE. Who’s driving these trends, and how and why do they change over time? Also included is a JP book of the week and a word on recent layoffs in the industry.

Just the two of us again this week. We discuss the supposed reader experience known as “escapism”—what does it mean, why do people seek it out, and are people actually “escaping” like they think they are when they pick up a good book? Also included is a brief discussion on Henry Holt’s decision to stick with Bill O’Reilly as his publisher, and the debut of a new segment, The Only Good Books!

In light of NYC’s new law forbidding employers from asking job candidates their previous salaries, we talk to editor Allyson Rudolph (@allysonrudolph) about the many issues surrounding pay in the publishing industry. Spoiler alert: there are tons, and it ends up hurting people AND the books. Allyson and Erik also tell a couple stories from their time on an editorial staff together and … hoo, boy. It’s a fun, honest, and wide-ranging interview we think you’ll like!

This week, we discuss what it means to engage in honest critical discussions about writing, why it’s difficult, and how it’s essential to the advancement of the good-faith publishing conversation. Why do people, especially authors, have such a hard time criticizing other books? What does it mean to read critically, versus reading for enjoyment, and has the digital age changed the way books are reviewed? We also talk about why certain books draw criticism and why others seem immune. We also recap this year’s Pulitzer announcements, as well as this weird thing where a guy claims all old Penguin books smell like biscuits. … You tell us, man.

This week, we take a look at how writing and publishing have become separate conversations, and how this divide isn’t good for anyone in any part of the writing world. Why is there such an oversized emphasis on query formatting, pitch elements, and the “myth of the checklist?” We talk about how to reclaim a more natural place when discussing the writing process, allowing all of us to get back to thinking about what we love in this field: the writing and the books.

Description: This week, dear listener, is about regrets. What books did we let go or pass on, that ended up doing well in other hands, and what does that say about the nature of professional and subjective taste? Other than that, the regrets are… Really something. A dude lighting books on fire and burning down his neighborhood. James Patterson blurbing himself, which more fills us with regret, because he’s clearly got life figured out way better than we do. And lots more!

This week, we tackle a seemingly simple question that no two people seem to have the same answer to: what does “literary” mean? Is it a genre, or the lack of one? Does it imply sophistication or prestige, or is it shorthand for pretentious or privileged? Does it mean different things to different people in the book world? Does it mean whatever we want it to mean? We try to arrive at a definition. And discuss how the term functions in both art and publishing conversation.

This week, we examine the phenomenon of THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas, and break down why exactly it was able to debut at the top of the bestseller lists. Then, in light of Laura being mad at some tweets, we have a spirited discussion about whether or not getting an MFA “matters” for writers. We even fit in some listener questions at the end!

On the occasion of Erik finishing a manuscript he's been dragging his feet on for five years, we talk about the strange and naive myths we believed about publishing before entering the industry, and the ways expectations have not matched up with reality. What's unexpectedly good about working in publishing, and what unexpectedly sucks? Also, we talk about the novels we wrote as children, including Laura's quest narrative in a fancy notebook, and the fact that Erik didn't understand typesetting as a child and thought every finished book was handwritten. He's ... well folks, he's not very bright.

This week we're joined by Carly Silver, an assistant editor at Harlequin Books! We talk about what it's like to work as an editor at a romance publisher, whether any of the meetings get a little awkward, and the ins and outs (um, phrasing) of how romance novels are acquired and discussed in house. Plus, we discuss commissioning books as agents, and how that approach differs from the query process.

This week, we take a look at some of the trends and tropes in social media in the book world, from writers, agents, editors, and publishing houses. Why can't anyone on writer Twitter make a good joke? Are hashtags like #ownvoices mostly used for shallow virtue signalling and brand building? We debate this stuff and more. We also respond to the op ed from Milo's agent in Publisher's Weekly. This bit is especially funny in hindsight, since Simon & Schuster cancelled the book about half an hour after we finished recording. Owned.

In our latest episode, we bring to you the first-ever Print Run interview, a conversation with author and librarian Lily Anderson (@ms_lilyanderson). We talk about her upcoming book, her experience in the publishing process, how her work as a school librarian gives her unique insight into children’s publishing, what she’d change about the industry, and more. The show also has the standard Tom Cruise news and a #pubtip at the end, of course.

This week, we look at the strange and often hilarious ways that women's bodies get described in fiction, and talk about how that descriptive tradition weighs on writers even today. Then, Erik decides to apply to be James Patterson's coauthor, and his sample chapter is ... well, it's really something.

This week, we talk about some of the sillier allusions to 1984 happening right now in media (in light of the book becoming Amazon's top seller). We break down Roxane Gay pulling her book from Simon & Schuster, and discuss the complications she might face in finding another publisher. Also included: proposed book laws that failed this week, the potential defunding of the NEA, and a listener mailbag!

This episode features a crazy publishing story from Erik, along with a discussion on the apparently booming industry of dumbing down literary classics for toddlers. We also talk about our best bookstore ideas (spoiler alert: the best idea is cinnamon rolls, as is always the case). Basically, we were Very Serious the last couple weeks and wanted a fun episode this time. Enjoy!

This week, we tackle a pretty big, speculative question: if you were to start a publishing company, what would it look like? We discuss a wide range of facets to this, from editorial vision, publishing models, acquisitions strategies, building a brand, how to cut costs, and more. It's a fun episode; our hope is that more than just making some hypotheticals, we also do some spotlighting of where we feel publishing is really working, where it isn't, and what we would change. Tell us what you think!

In this episode, we discuss ways that modern publishing should address the literary canon's diversity problem. We also fight about whether or not audiobooks count as reading, because frankly we're both petty as hell. At one point we end up talking at length about mice in apartments, which Erik tries pretty hard to make relevant to books but he'll tell you, dear listener, he may not have succeeded. Anyway, it's a fun episode. Join us!

Happy new year! In the first Print Run of 2017, we talk about our holiday break and Milo Yiannopoulos's controversial book deal with Simon & Schuster. We break down the backlash, the backlash to the backlash, and discuss what this deal reveals about most free-speech arguments as well as what we can expect to see from mainstream commercial publishers moving forward.

In addition to spending way too long breaking down Sara Gruen's Hatchimals scheme, we discuss the supposed "censorship" argument made by Abrams Books in light of their controversial release of Bad Little Children's Books. We also analyze the movie Elf, because it has publishing in it and it's the holidays. Stop judging us, I can see you judging us.

In the latest episode of Print Run, we talk about the horrors of recommending books to others, because giving gifts with subtext is what the holidays are all about. Also, we offer some alternative author theme parks to try, rather than the planned Harper Lee tourist spot in Alabama. There's a listener mailbag, a chat about the various dictionaries' words of the year, and Erik reads the winning passage of the 2016 Bad Sex Award. I'm sorry, mom.

In this episode of Print Run, we talk about Penguin Random House's decision to start helping its employees pay off student loans, and what the could mean for the candidate pool for publishing jobs. Then Laura tries to get verified on Twitter while Erik gets nostalgic about star-bellied sneetches. Also discussed are the results of National Book Awards and an update on Erik's flailing #NaNoWriMo campaign.

In the November First Pages episode of Print Run, we take a look at three different novel openings and talk about the best ways to get your story started right from the opening page. We discuss establishing narrative perspective and creating an inciting conflict, as well as deciding which details you should include and leave out as you get your story started.

In this episode of Print Run, we discuss what a Trump presidency could mean for the publishing industry, and how publishing might affect Trump. How will Trump interact with the free press, and what role will book publishing play in the normalization of such an extreme political movement? Also discussed: conservative publishing, what constitutes counterculture, and more.

In the latest episode of Print Run, Laura and Erik talk about the national nightmare facing America this November: NaNoWriMo. Also discussed are all the books George R.R. Martin isn't currently writing, and a chat about coming changes to BEA, which are good in that they make BEA closer to nonexistence. Plus, a savage argument over the #writetip!

In their first dedicated query show, Laura and Erik read three real queries and break down what's working and not working in each. The conversation focuses on things like using a strong lede, showcasing the essential details of your story as efficiently as possible, and finding the right voice for your pitch.

In this week's Print Run, Laura and Erik use the current election cycle—No politics, we promise!—to discuss how book publishing fits within a fast-paced reading world geared toward shorter articles and thinkpieces. What will books on the 2016 election look like, and will they have an impact? Then, Laura pays off losing the Man Booker bet with a dramatic reading of her favorite author, artist, and style icon, Jonathan Franzen. It's—well, it happened, we'll say that. Enjoy!

In this episode, Laura lets Erik sit near the gong and immediately regrets it. We discuss climbing the book-podcast charts and declare war on the NYTBR podcast, which surely has them shaking in their fine designer boots. In honor of Halloween we break down what scares us in books, as well as our favorite scary books of all time, and also litigate whether or not Laura is crazy for wanting her obituary to appear in Publisher's Lunch (spoiler alert: she is).

In Episode 3 of Print Run, we discuss Laura's recent trip to a Romance Writer's convention, as well as the romance genre as a whole: what's the difference between the romance genre and women's fiction, or romance and erotica? We talk about our best "romance outtakes," the plots and features of romantic writing that will never see the light of day. A sex-themed #writetip is included, as well as a brief chat about Bob Dylan's Nobel win!

In which we discuss the New York Review of Books' outing of Elena Ferrante's identity, identify the end of all publishing, touch on neuroscience, and announce some super special Special Content for writers!

This is the first full-length episode of Print Run. In it, you will find some illegal literary betting on the winner of the Man Booker, talk of Erik's plants, and what GRRM is most likely not working on this week. Enjoy!

In the week before the first official episode of Print Run, Laura and Erik discuss James Patterson's cancelled novel "The Murder of Stephen King," how Patterson has been Mad Online for six years and counting, and the many benefits of putting a fictional hit out on your literary rivals.