The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
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The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
This is a podcast for emerging writers who want to improve the quality of their work and learn more about the publishing industry. Your one host, Bianca Marais (the bestselling author of 'The Witches of Moonshyne Manor') interviews authors, agents, editors and just about anyone and everyone...
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Shooting the Shit: About digital first book deals and negative experiences with writers' contests.
In this episode, Carly and CeCe spill all on their latest conference adventures, dive into the fast-changing world of digital-first publishing, and ta...
Insights from Marjan Kamali and Kirsten Miller
Today’s author interview episode features two interviews! The first is with Kirsten Miller, author of The Women of Wild Hill, and the second is with M...
Shooting the Shit About External Publicity, Publishing in the age of Kickstarter, and the alleged gambling problem
They’re back! Carly and CeCe are talking about all things publishing — the chaos, the business, and the fun.
This week they dive into:
Plu...
Untangling Complex Queries: Writing with Clarity Across Timelines
In this episode of Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe break down a speculative query that juggles multiple timelines and POVs. They explore the craft ch...
September Bonus Episode
It’s bonus episode time! We’re thrilled to welcome back Emilie Sommer for her popular comps segment. But first, Bianca sits down with bestselling aut...
Plausibility: Serendipity and Kismet vs. Coincidence
Bestselling author Bianca Marais sits down with New York Times bestselling author of multiple novels, Marissa Stapley (writing as Julia McKay) to unwr...
Shooting the Shit Live From New York!
Fresh off the People of Publishing Conference in NYC, Carly and CeCe spill all the tea! From why newsletters are hotter than ever, to the high-stakes...
How to Find The Hook in Your Book
In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe chat with Leslie, winner of our flash fiction contest, about her query letter for a...
Shooting The Shit: About book blurb culture, how to sell a book in a “tough category” and the Anthropic Settlement
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 di...
Intentionality! Intentionality! Intentionality!
In this engaging conversation, Bianca interviews Danya Kukafka, the author of 'Notes on an Execution.' They discuss the inspiration behind the novel,...
Shooting the Shit: Why the industry publishes so many (too many!) books and how to spot a writerly phishing scam
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 s...
Pitch Perfect
In this episode of Books with Hooks, literary agents Carly and CeCe get nit-picky with an almost ‘Pitch Perfect’ query submission. They offer insider...
Shooting The Shit about what agents really think about writer’s conferences, how agents get good at their jobs, and what actually sells books right now
In this episode of Shooting The Shit, Carly and CeCe unpack the state of today’s publishing industry—from their latest projects to upcoming conference...
Writing a Voicey Novel
In part one of this week’s episode, Bianca sits down with bestselling author Annie Hartnett to dive into her poignant new novel, ‘The Road to Tender H...
August Bonus Episode
In part one of August’s Bonus Episode, Bianca connects with debut author Jo Morey. In this vibrant conversation,Jo opens up about her novel ‘Lime Juic...
Exploring the Critical to Compassionate Spectrum
In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe dive into a query for the historical mystery ‘A Body at Rest', exploring the impact...
Shooting The Shit: CeCe's new job, agent referrals, and what publishers try to get away with when writer's don't have agents
CeCe drops big news—she’s joining Wendy Sherman Associates! Carly and CeCe dive into what it means for her clients, how agency moves work behind the s...
Karin Slaughter and the Mystery of Character and Rachel Howzell Hall on Switching Genres
In part one of this week’s episode, Bianca sits down with the legendary bestselling author Karin Slaughter to talk about all things dark, twisty, and...
Shooting The Shit: "AI Slop" affecting books, what summers in publishing look like and hustle culture in the year 2025
This week on Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe are back with a no-holds-barred convo on everything rocking the publishing world. They dive into how hu...
From Audience to Impact: Crafting a Narrative That Connects
In this special episode of Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by debut author Bryce Thomas to dive into his query letter for ‘Barracuda and t...
Shooting The Shit: About Editors, The "Death" Of The Novel & Authors With The "It" Factor
In this episode of ‘Shooting the Shit’, Carly and CeCe dive into the juicy, unfiltered side of publishing. From the surge in dark romance to how women...
From Books with Hooks to Published Author-How Writing is Rewriting
In this episode, debut author Melissa O’Connor takes us behind the scenes of her publishing journey with ‘The One and Only Vivian Stone.’ She shares h...
July Bonus Episode
In part one of July’s bonus episode, Bianca sits down with debut author Jacqueline Faber for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation. With a rich acad...
Making Context Feel Organic
In this exciting episode of Books with Hooks, debut author Tali Shammas steps into the spotlight to share her query letter for her genre-blending nove...
Shooting The Shit
Get ready for a brand-new segment with Carly and CeCe that dives into the juiciest side of publishing! In this fun, freewheeling episode, they spill t...
How Setting is More Than Just Story Backdrop
In this week’s episode, Bianca connects with novelist Laura Resau. Laura provides an insightful outlook regarding her transition from writing for youn...
What is a familiar query letter...
In this episode of Books with Hooks, literary agents Carly and CeCe return with insightful feedback on query letters, focusing on commercial women’s f...
Replacing Plot with Emotion in Quiet Novels
In this engaging conversation, Bianca interviews debut author Lidija Hilje. Her articles and essays were published in the New York Times, and other ou...
June Bonus Episode
In part one of this month’s bonus episode, Bianca Marais chats with New York Times bestselling author Lucy Foley about her shift from historical ficti...
Emotions—But Make It Messy
In this exciting episode of Books with Hooks, Bianca, CeCe, and Carly sit down with Casey, winner of the Masana Literary Project Fundraiser, to chat a...
How Withholding Backstory and Context Can Actually Elevate A Story
In this inspiring interview, Bianca connects with debut author Aisling Rawle and dives into ‘The Compound’—a dark, gripping tale set in the twisted wo...
One of the Best Hooks We’ve Had on a BWH Segment
Pop the champagne—it’s the 200th episode of Books with Hooks! Join hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe as they celebrate this major milestone with signature...
Bianca and CeCe Discuss The Real Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing
In this special episode, CeCe Lyra sits down with our very own Bianca Marais to explore her writing journey, with a spotlight on her latest novel, ‘A...
Concrete vs. Abstract Curiosity
In this special episode of Books with Hooks, author Kate Visser joins hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe to share insights about her query letter for her YA...
May Bonus Episode
In the first part of this month’s bonus episode, Carly Watters interviews Anna Mitchael, an accomplished author and copywriter. Anna discusses her wri...
How a Books With Hooks Query Became a Buzzy Debut
In this eye-opening episode, Bianca Marais interviews Jessica Guerrieri, author of 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.' They discuss Jessica's j...
Leaning into Illustrator Notes & CeCe Not Minding a But, But
In this episode of Books with Hooks, Bianca, CeCe, and Carly dive into a YA fantasy romance query, breaking down what works—and what doesn’t—when it c...
Nuggets of Wisdom from Carley Fortune and Sue Hincenbergs
In part one of this week's author interviews, Bianca sits down with Canadian superstar writer, Carley Fortune. The authors discuss her latest novel 'O...
The Problem with the Blank Canvas Protagonist
In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, CeCe, and Carly first review a query letter for literary fiction, providing insights on emotional d...
April Bonus Episode
In the first part of this bonus episode, Bianca interviews Lauren Ling Brown, author of 'Society of Lies.' They discuss Lauren’s journey to publicatio...