How Books Work
Join award-winning non-fiction writers Julie Satow and Alice Robb as they interview editors, literary agents, marketing executives, and other publishing insiders, shedding light on the opaque book industry and revealing what experienced and aspiring authors need to know.
Episodes
Join hosts Julie Satow and Alice Robb as they talk with Anna Sproul-Latimer, founding partner and president of Neon Literary. A literary agent who has sold multiple New York Times bestsellers, and brokered major book-to-film deals, Anna dishes on recent posts from her popular Substack, “How to Glow in the Dark,” including one controversially titled, “Is Nonfiction Dead?” Julie and Alice also ask Anna ab...
Anne Dickerson, CEO of the communications training firm 15 Minutes Group, helps authors like Maggie Haberman and Christine Blasey Ford prepare for high-profile interviews on radio and TV. In this episode, she tells us about the biggest challenges authors face when it comes time to pitching their books. (Distilling years of work into a two-minute soundbite?!) She gives us tips on how to handle an unwanted question, how a podcast dif...
Take a journey into the world of book marketing as hosts Julie Satow and Alice Robb speak with Anne Jaconette, a senior marketing manager at Doubleday Books. With nearly a decade of experience, Anne shares her expertise in developing ad campaigns, social media strategies, and partnerships for a wide range of nonfiction books. We talk about the difference between publicity and marketing, what sorts of book marketing are working thes...
Publishing veteran Eamon Dolan—currently Vice President and Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster—has edited hundreds of books, including Eric Schlosser's FAST FOOD NATION, Richard Dawkins' THE GOD DELUSION, and Mary L. Trump's TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH. He makes his debut as an author next year with THE POWER OF PARTING - which draws on his own experience of physical and psychological abuse in childhood, as well as research on ...
Susan Canavan, a literary agent at Waxman Literary Agency, discusses the current state of nonfiction books, the role of AI in publishing, and how the industry is changing. She also shares insights on how important author platforms are for book deals, what makes a successful book launch, and what she looks for when working with clients. Susan also explains why she transitioned from editor to agent and the delicate balance she has to...
In this episode, Julie Satow and Alice Robb welcome five-time author Leigh Stein. From high-school dropout to memoirist, book coach, branding expert and BookTok enthusiast, Stein has experience with virtually every segment of the publishing industry. She talks about how she got hired by the New Yorker without a college degree; what she learned from her first flop; why she decided not to become an agent; and how authors can take con...
Ashley Alberico is the Sales and Marketing Director for the Crown Publishing Group, a subset of Penguin Random House. In this episode, Ashley discusses what happens behind the scenes in sales and marketing meetings, and how experts boil down your book to pithy marketing jargon that appeals to booksellers and readers.
Dive deep into the world of agenting with our guest, Cherise Fisher, who shares her unique insights from a 25-year career in publishing.
In this episode, Cherise delves into the relationship between a writer and editor, from page to bookstore shelf, dispelling common misconceptions, like whether an agent “edits” a book proposal, their role in the business side of writing, and sharing her do’s and don’ts for authors. Plus, find out ...
In this episode of How Books Work, Executive Editor at Crown, Libby Burton joins co-hosts Julie Satow and Alice Robb for an enlightening conversation about gatekeeping in the publishing industry, her passion for poetry, and important ways editors and writers can improve the system.
Libby, who has edited award-winning authors like Stacey Abrams, Katie Porter, Mariah Carey, and others, talks about her personal journey into publishing...
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