What are publishing trends really, and should writers chase them? In this solo episode, Carly Watters pulls back the curtain on how literary agents think about trends, explaining the difference between market, pop culture, technology, and social trends—and why understanding them matters more than trying to write the next big thing. Carly also answers listener questions about a literary agent's day-to-day, managing submission anxiety, and whether agents scout writers through literary journals. Plus, Carly shares an exclusive lesson from ‘The Author's Publishing Playbook’ on how trends rise, peak, and fade—and why staying in your own creative lane is still the smartest career strategy.

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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In this week’s Books with Hooks episode, Carly and CeCe critique two speculative fiction submissions—one a chilling Appalachian horror and the other a YA romantic fantasy. They discuss the importance of giving protagonists compelling reasons for their choices, balancing atmosphere with plot, and ensuring readers understand what’s at stake from the very beginning. The conversation explores how curiosity, motivation, and surprise drive strong openings, while also highlighting the power of distinctive voice, memorable imagery, and emotionally resonant stakes.

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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In this month's bonus episode, bestselling author Jenny Jackson connects with literary agent CeCe Lyra to discuss the challenges of writing a second novel, balancing reader expectations, and finding confidence in the creative process. Jenny and CeCe explore character-driven storytelling, the ethics of drawing from real life, and the themes of friendship, marriage, parenthood, and growing up that shape ‘The Shampoo Effect.’ Plus, Jenny shares insights into crafting memorable characters, revealing backstory, and why sometimes the biggest twists are the ones you can’t talk about.

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:

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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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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Author and NPR producer Haili Blassingame joins Bianca Marais to discuss her debut novel, ‘They All Fall in Love in the End', a bold exploration of love, non-monogamy, identity, and self-discovery. Haili shares how her own experience in an open relationship inspired the story, how a viral essay led to finding an agent, and why learning to revise transformed her from a writer into an author. The conversation dives into crafting complex, “unlikable” yet compelling characters, using fiction as a way to interrogate political and personal realities, and the importance of sensitivity readers when writing beyond your lived experience.

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:

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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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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

This week, on Shooting the Shit Carly and CeCe unpack their conversation with best-selling author Andi Bartz and dive deeper into the growing role of AI in publishing. They discuss a listener's candid confession about using AI during the research and drafting process, the fear and uncertainty many writers are feeling, and how transparency and trust factor into agent-author relationships. The conversation also explores new AI-powered reading tools from Google Play Books and Storytel, raising questions about whether technology can ever replace the human connection that makes reading.

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

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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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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

In this Books with Hooks segment, Bianca, CeCe, and Carly critique a memoir query about parenting a child with Down syndrome, emphasizing that while emotionally powerful, it lacks a clear hook, market positioning, and defined narrative arc—and may not yet function as a full memoir. They stress the importance of framing personal experience in a way that’s compelling to readers, with strong stakes, structure, and deeper interiority on the page. In contrast, a medical AI thriller query is praised for its sharp concept and stakes, with notes on refining the central conflict and strengthening the opening.

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

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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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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

In this special episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe are joined by bestselling thriller author and journalist Andrea Bartz for a wide-ranging conversation about publishing, AI, and the current state of the book industry. Andrea shares her perspective on the uncertainty many authors are feeling, from shifting book sales trends to the growing influence of AI, and discusses why storytelling feels more important than ever during turbulent times. The conversation explores author branding, reader trust, book discovery, publishing misconceptions, and the role of publishers behind the scenes. Andrea also weighs in on the ethics of AI in publishing, the challenges of proving authorship in an AI-driven world, and why authors, agents, and publishers need clearer conversations about technology.

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

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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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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

In part one of this week’s double author interview, Carly Watters sits down with debut author Lara Stokes to discuss her novel ‘Midsummer Nights’ — a contemporary, theater-filled spin on William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Lara opens up about querying during COVID, the memoir and “drawer novel” that came before her debut, and how writing the book “just for fun” ultimately led to her publishing breakthrough. They also dive into balancing literary and commercial fiction, writing humor and romance, Shakespeare’s lasting influence on modern storytelling, and the realities of building a writing career while juggling day jobs, rejection, and uncertainty.

In part two of this week’s double author interview, Bianca chats with author Camille Perri about writing across genres, crafting distinct multi-POV voices, and why voice can make or break a novel. They dive into the layered editing process, balancing humor with emotional depth, the challenge of writing “complex” female characters, and how setting can become an active part of storytelling. Plus, Camille shares how ‘Social Animals’ evolved from a screenplay into a novel packed with mystery, heart, and dog park drama.

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 affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

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