Book Riot - The Podcast: "Deals Deals Deals for May 2025 [Teaser]" Summary

Release Date: May 23, 2025

In this teaser episode of "Deals Deals Deals for May 2025," hosts Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Schinsky delve into the latest book deals shaping the publishing landscape. The conversation offers listeners a sneak peek into upcoming releases, industry trends, and notable agreements that may influence readers' choices in the coming months.

1. Transition to Quarterly Deal Announcements

Jeff O'Neal initiates the discussion by reflecting on the podcast's shift from annual to quarterly deal announcements:

"I feel like we do this all the time now. I know it's only quarterly, but we went from yearly to quarterly. But there's still plenty of deals. I just like, oh, I have to do this. Yeah, the task is here again."
(00:23)

Rebecca Schinsky adds humor to the transition, noting the accelerated pace of time:

"I think it's just that time is passing faster now because we've done it quarterly for a few years now, my friend."
(00:33)

The hosts also briefly touch upon their Patreon dashboard's amusing message about tier repricing after three years of inactivity, emphasizing their return to discussing book deals.

2. Approach to Selecting Notable Deals

Jeff explains the methodology behind selecting which deals to highlight:

"I break out a Google Doc that I've been keeping of notable deals that have been announced since the last time we did this... The heuristic for this is only that in the looking at the matrix of looking at a butt of deals, something about it stuck out to me either that I was interested in, I thought it was notable writ large, I thought listeners might be interested. Or just for Rebecca's to get a kick out of or say that's weird."
(01:15 - 01:43)

Rebecca concurs, emphasizing the fresh nature of these deals and the anticipation for future releases:

"And since these are freshly announced book deals like you can't pre order, these books don't even exist yet... So just have to make a mental note and then in somewhere between 18 months and 3 years, look forward to the book you heard about coming out."
(01:43 - 02:04)

3. Current Publishing Trends and Genres

Jeff highlights an uptick in books penned by TikTok influencers and the rise of specific genres:

"Feels like a lot of tiktokers got books. I mean we've seen this, but it seemed like there was more than usual... the men's rights are nothing genre is really kicking."
(02:04 - 02:31)

Rebecca humorously suggests compartmentalizing these genres into specialized imprints:

"Can we just shovel them all to that new imprint that's only doing this."
(02:31 - 02:35)

Jeff continues by discussing the diversification within the publishing marketplace, noting the expansion into debut fiction, literary horror, and especially romance:

"Not all of them, but a lot of them. They've broken into like debut fiction, literary horror, romance. Romantic. It's getting its own breakout now."
(03:01 - 03:21)

Rebecca adds that romance is no longer lumped together with other genres, allowing it to receive focused attention:

"They get their own story now."
(03:27)

4. Spotlight on Upcoming Book Deals

a. Elizabeth Flocks: "Earth 7 to Gray Wolf"

Jeff introduces Elizabeth Flocks' upcoming non-fiction work, describing it as a "true life dark fairy tale":

"Emmy award-winning journalist Elizabeth Flocks, the woman who talked to animals. Pitched as a true life. This is non fiction, a true life dark fairy tale. In the spirit of the Brothers Grimm..."
(04:12 - 04:37)

Rebecca relates the concept to familiar literature, referencing Barbara Kingsolver:

"I'm thinking I'm in prodigal summer mind now thinking about Barbara Kingsolver."
(04:40 - 04:59)

Jeff elaborates on the book's premise—a near-apocalyptic love story involving two women striving to salvage planet Earth:

"A binary situation love story about two women who... a luxury resort bartender who may or may not be a robot... salvage planet Earth."
(05:32 - 05:57)

b. Deb Owen Unferth: Upcoming Title

Jeff briefly mentions Deb Owen Unferth's new book, characterizing her as a literarily inclined writer with intriguing narratives:

"Deb Owen Unferth has a new book coming out... a true life dark fairy tale is not a thing under the sun Yet."
(05:15 - 05:32)

c. Kathy Leonard CZ E P I E L: "A Family Memoir in Five Forests"

Jeff introduces Kathy Leonard's forthcoming memoir, which intertwines family history with natural landscapes:

"Kathy Leonard CZ E P I E L. It's probably Krzyzewski. I don't know how you say that... Kathy tangled a family history in five forests. So a family memoir in five forests."
(05:58 - 06:16)

5. Conclusion and Call to Action

The teaser concludes with a prompt for listeners to join their Patreon for full access to premium content and the complete discussion on these deals.

"Great. Thanks so much for listening. Join us@patreon.com bookriotpodcast to hear the rest of this episode and get access to our full back catalog of premium content."
(06:16)

Notable Quotes:

• "I feel like we do this all the time now... the task is here again." — Jeff O'Neal (00:23)
• "They get their own story now." — Rebecca Schinsky (03:27)
• "A binary situation love story about two women who... perhaps salvage planet Earth." — Jeff O'Neal (05:32)

Key Takeaways:

• Regular Deal Announcements: Transitioning to quarterly updates allows for more timely discussions of new book deals.

• Diverse Genres on the Rise: Increased representation of TikTok influencers, men's rights literature, and a focused expansion in romance and literary genres.

• Highlighted Upcoming Books: Elizabeth Flocks' "Earth 7 to Gray Wolf," Deb Owen Unferth's new release, and Kathy Leonard's memoir are set to be significant additions to their respective genres.

This teaser episode serves as an enticing glimpse into the dynamic world of book deals, setting the stage for more in-depth analysis and discussions in the full premium content of the Book Riot Podcast.