I’ll Probably Delete This

Robinson Crusoe was an instant bestseller in 1719, yet Daniel Defoe never became rich from it. Why not? In this episode, we look at how authors made (and failed to make) money in the early 18th century, and how printers like William Taylor profited far more than the writers themselves.

Books Discussed

Robinson Crusoe (1719) — Daniel Defoe
The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719) — Daniel Defoe
Serious Ref...

Piatkus Books started as a small U.K. publisher focused on supplying books to libraries. Judy Piatkus founded her second publishing company in 1978, while still in her 20s. This episode tells the story of the company's founding and early days, up through its growth into fiction, international sales, and  £10M in revenue before selling in 2007, just ahead of the global financial crisis.

People Discussed

00:00 | Judy Piatk...

The author of Robinson Crusoe, started his professional life as the 1700s equivalent of a blogger and a hot-take merchant. Daniel Defoe’s satirical pamphlet The Shortest Way with the Dissenters landed him in the pillory. Listen to learn about the early career of the author of one of the great early English novels, why Queen Anne’s government treated political criticism as treason, and how a booming London led to a vibrant ...

This episode tells the story of how Ingram transformed from a regional schoolbook depository into the go‑to wholesaler for U.S. trade books. Learn about how Harry Hoffman and Ingram expanded the company's reach in books and prepared the way for Amazon and its business model. 

Books Discussed

The Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books (2021) by Keel Hunt
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Business-Ingram-Tr...

Learn about how a family owned oil company came to run one of the most important companies within book publishing. Here the story of the start of Ingram Books.

People Discussed

03:32 | Laura Ingalls Wilder – Author of the Little House series; covered in Episodes 3 & 4
03:54 | Orrin Henry Ingram – Lumber-baron patriarch  (1850s-1890s)
04:24 | Orin “Hank” Ingram Sr. – Orrin’s grandson; shifted the family wealth int...

James Patterson has built a publishing juggernaut. His publishing success all started with Little, Brown publishing Along Came a Spider in February 1993. In this episode we look at how he marketed his breakout hit.  From cover design to targeted TV advertising, Patterson brought his expertise as CEO of a major advertising firm to book publishing.

Listen to Episode 7 to hear the begining of the story.

Bibliography

Along ...

It took James Patterson seven attempts before he found the right formula for a successful thriller. In this episode, we focus on Patterson break out commercial success, Along Came a Spider and answer the question of how he changed his writing, to find commercial success in his seventh book.

Bibliography:

Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Along-Came-Spider-Alex-Cross/dp/031606637X

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Michael Crichton had his first hit book in 1969 when he was in his 20s. But 20-years later he was in a rut. Jurassic Park got him out of is rut, and his friend Michael Ovitz helped turn it into a Steven Spielberg directed Hollywood blockbuster.

Hear the story of the creation of Jurassic Park, both the book and the movie that made Crichton one of the wealthiest writers in publishing and Hollywood. 

Bibliography:

Th...

Robert Gottlieb started in publishing in 1955. Just 10 years later he became editor-in-chief at publishing house Simon & Schuster. Following that, he went to Alfred A. Knopf, where he was again editor-in-chief. Over the course of his more than 60 year career, he became the most important editor in publishing, and edited hundreds of books. By his estimate, he edited more than 700, including books from Michael Crichton, ...

Overview

Follow Laura Ingalls Wilder’s journey from rejected memoir to successful first novel. To get there she needed the unsung help of editor Marion Fiery and then Virginia Kirkus. In this Part 2, finish the story of how Wilder wrote and got the first of the Little House books published.

What You’ll Hear

| Time | Topic
| 00:00 | Cold‑open & Intro
| 01:30 | PioneerGirl origins and rejections<...

Episode Overview

At age 63, Laura Ingalls Wilder sat down with a No. 2 pencil and wrote a memoir she called Pioneer Girl. Following the stock market crash of 1929, it was her effort to preserve her stories and provide for her family. This episode tells the first part of the story of how, with the help of her daughter, she turned that rejected memoir into a seminal work in children’s literature Little House in the Big Woods.

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Episode Overview

The start of the partnership between Dr. Seuss and publisher Random House. CEO  Bennett Cerf wooed little known children’s author Theodor “Ted” Geisel. Beginning with a lunch at the 21 Club in NYC, Cerf showed Ted unwavering publisher support despite early flops like The Seven Lady Godivas. Cerf’s long bet on Geisel illustrates the importance of recognizing creative talent and the economic value of ...

Judith Jones, long-time editor for Alfred A. Knopf, persuaded the publisher to take a chance on a French cookbook that no one knew they wanted. That book and TV made Julia Child a surprising star. Learn about three themes that helped make Mastering the Art of French Cooking a publishing success: counter positioning, fascination with the Kennedys, and the rise of TV.

Bibliography

For more on Judith Jones and her work with Ju...