Shooting the Shit About How Much Agents Share

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Episode: Shooting the Shit About How Much Agents Share

Hosts: Bianca Marais, Carly Watters, CeCe Lyra
Date: December 15, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the behind-the-scenes of literary agenting, specifically how much agents share with each other about submissions, queries, and client projects. Hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe discuss the nuances of agent communication, confidentiality, the dynamics of querying agents who represent your comps, and how writers can best interact with agents, especially via DMs. They also address listener questions, clear up misconceptions about the podcast’s dual agent/educational roles, and share advice for writers hoping to stand out in the querying process.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Agent Banter: Winter Blues & Sweet Treats

• Winter Sadzis: The hosts commiserate over seasonal depression ("winter sadzis") and the northern/winter experience.
• Brigadeiros Saga: CeCe passionately defends her integrity after “fake pre-recorded” accusations about opening an Advent calendar of authentic Brazilian brigadeiros, highlighting her love for sharing cultural treats.
  • "Brigadeiros are about sharing love, and I'm obsessed with them." – CeCe (05:12)

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2. Industry News: Female-Led Publisher Growth

[09:00 - 11:20]

• Sherman Group invests in Entangled Publishing:
  Entangled, led by Liz Pelletier, is now valued at $400M, joining Sourcebooks and Xando as fast-growing, independent, female-led publishers rivaling the Big Five for market share.
• Discussion on Female Leadership in Publishing:
  • CeCe references David Steinberger’s Open Book interview with Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks, who notes the difference between being hired for a CEO role and creating one as a founder.
  • “You’re not gonna get a seat at that table, then make your own table. You come to my table.” – CeCe (11:08)

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3. Main Topic: How Much Do Agents Share About Queries?

[11:32 - 19:53]

Listener Question (Anonymous):

Do agents talk with each other about queries/offers? Does this help or hurt writers?

Carly & CeCe’s Responses:

• Neither Agent (Carly or CeCe) regularly shares queries with agents outside their agency.
  • CeCe: Prefers to “keep her cards close to her chest.” Considers taste highly individual and doesn’t want competition:
    • “If no other agent is going to bid on the thing that I want, I just like it. Doesn't make me want it less—not even a little bit less.” (13:05)
  • Carly: Sees “courting competition” as odd, likens it to “telling your friend about a house you're bidding on.” Expresses discomfort for confidentiality reasons:
    • “It feels kind of icky from a confidentiality point of view, to be perfectly honest with you.” (15:41)
• Complexity and Both Sides:
  Sometimes sharing may help writers (more eyes on their work), but can also create complications (e.g. taking away an author's choice about whom to query).
• When Might Agents Share?
  • Only with explicit author permission, especially if they personally want to “go to bat” for a project they love.
  • “I have done that, but only with full consent and only when I feel compelled to help someone specifically.” – Carly (19:41)

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4. Querying Agents Who Represent Your Comps

[22:30 - 27:45]

Listener Question:

Should you query agents who already represent one of your comps, or will the agent see your project as competition?

Key Points:

• Carly:

  • It depends: If you’re comping to one of the agent’s “iconic” books, it raises the bar significantly for your submission (“That book… has to be as good as that book”).
  • If the comp is older or the agent is more of a generalist, it may be less of an issue.
  • “Just because I’ve sold a book in your space doesn’t mean I’m always looking for another—but sometimes I am!” (23:47)

• CeCe:

  • Notes that agents face similar dilemmas when submitting to editors who bought their comps.
  • It comes down to “whether the comp is really on-point and if the new project brings something fresh enough.”
  • Warns against using comps inauthentically (e.g., comping a book not yet published or apparently just to flatter):
    • “Please don’t do that. Seriously.” (26:32)

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5. Submitting to 'Books with Hooks' and Querying the Hosts

[28:48 - 32:52]

Listener Question:

If my work has appeared on 'Books with Hooks,' should I still query you? Or is that a waste of time?

Responses:

• “Querying us is totally unrelated to the podcast… We’re always looking for our next bestseller. If the story has evolved, absolutely submit!” – CeCe (30:10)
• Both agents share queries internally within their agencies if a project seems fitting for a colleague.
• Bianca: “Just because you don’t hear me say, 'send it,' doesn’t mean you can’t send it to me… it can evolve into something else.” (32:31)

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6. Guidance for Submitting Listener Questions to the Podcast

[35:22 - 48:39]

Good vs. “Bad” Questions:

• Good questions:

  • Not easily googleable.
  • Show the writer has researched or listened to prior episodes.
  • Invite strategic, nuanced answers—not binary or creative decisions only the author can make.
  • “I like questions that are more complex… strategy questions, behind-the-scenes questions, something agent-specific.” – Carly (36:38)

• “Bad” Questions:

  • Repetitive, have already been covered, or are too general (“Should I write in first or third person?”).
  • Look for external validation about purely creative decisions.
  • “No one can answer these questions, people. If I were to answer you, it would be completely irresponsible.” – CeCe (39:17)
  • Writers should build their decision-making ‘palette’—train their critical thinking.

• CeCe:

  • “When in doubt means you’ve already researched, and you actually hit a wall… you haven’t turned on that critical thinking that I think you need to.” (42:48)
  • Encourages aspiring authors to write and reflect before seeking external advice.

• Carly:

  • Warns that expecting agents to answer general questions isn’t realistic, especially as most agents are not as publicly accessible as podcast hosts.
  • “How I help is up to me… Sometimes I respond, sometimes I don’t, and that’s about time and job preservation.” (45:23)

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Notable Quotes

• “You’re not gonna get a seat at that table, then make your own table. You come to my table.” – CeCe (11:08)
• “It feels kind of icky from a confidentiality point of view, to be perfectly honest with you.” – Carly (15:41)
• “Please don’t do that. Seriously.” – CeCe, on misusing comps (26:32)
• “No one can answer these questions, people. … If I were to answer you, yes, you should write… I would be completely irresponsible.” – CeCe (39:17)
• “I like questions that are more complex… strategy questions, behind-the-scenes questions, something agent-specific.” – Carly (36:38)

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Memorable Moments & Lighter Notes

• Brigadeiros Advent calendar escapade, ASMR-style cookie unwrapping, and CeCe’s “justice for me!” thread (05:01 - 06:47)
• Bianca and CeCe joking about playing a drinking game every time they say “nuance” or “layered” (31:22 - 31:33)
• CeCe’s metaphorical Grinch hat moment when outlining “bad questions” (39:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Brigadeiros/Cultural Banter: 04:23 – 07:40
• Female-Led Publisher News: 09:00 – 11:20
• Do Agents Share Queries?: 11:32 – 19:53
• Querying Agents Who Represent Your Comp: 22:30 – 27:45
• Books with Hooks Querying Guidance: 28:48 – 32:52
• Listener Questions: What Makes a “Good” Question?: 35:22 – 48:39

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Final Takeaways

• Most agents do not openly share active queries with agents at other agencies; process is individualized and rooted in both strategy and confidentiality.
• Querying an agent who represents your comp is situational—be authentic in comp usage and understand the nuanced implications.
• Writers should craft thoughtful questions after research and reflection—critical thinking is essential. Podcast DMs are open, but the best questions reflect effort and strategy.
• Above all, respect in the author-agent partnership remains paramount, as does a sense of gratitude and enthusiasm for the creative work on both sides.

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Next Week’s Teaser:
Bianca and CeCe will tackle all things MONEY in publishing. Submit your anonymous questions for a deep-dive on finances, advances, agent fees, and more.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi there. We've got a lot we're really excited to tell you about, but I'm going to make this real quick so you can get to the episode. The Deep Dive is coming up at the end of January. The lineup of speakers is incredible and the range of topics is mind blowing. You do not want to miss out on the last deep dive ever. Then the beta reader matchup is open once again, with the matchups going out early in February. Sign up to kick your creative year off with a bang. Lastly, there's an amazing writer's workbook available which will make the perfect gift for you or the writer in your life. Head to our website the Shit About Writing to find out more.

[B]

Welcome to another episode of Shooting the Shit with Literary Agents Carly Waters and Cece Lira, where we dissect publishing gossip, discuss book industry trends, and the overall state of the book business. If you've ever wanted to grab a coffee with two literary agents, grab your mug and pull up a chair. Hello everybody. We are so glad to see you once again. We hope you're watching us on YouTube so you can see I'm wearing my funky glasses. I also haven't figured out like my winter lighting for my zoom calls. It's very dark in here and I'm like, I don't know, you guys on YouTube gotta let me know what you think about my lighting situation because it's a battle. It gets dark a little early here in the northern hemisphere right now and contributes to my winter sadzis. Do you get winter sadzis, Cece?

[C]

I don't think I get winter sad seas.

[A]

It's.

[C]

It's interesting because I grew up in the southern hemisphere and that's where some like at the end of the year you have summer, right? And yet we talk a lot about how the sad Z's happen when you're like in the new year situation, like a new year beginning anxiety. So I think that in like in the States, in Canada, people attribute that to winter, which I'm not saying there's isn't a component to that, but actually I know from experience that a lot of people just experience, you know, new year. It's not even fazies, but it's more like introspection coming inward. And that's when summer is. And some of the biggest parties happen in the new year. You know, like some of the biggest, wildest parties, people are out, it's hot, people are, you know, around people. But. But it's not. So I don't get. I don't get winter blues. I quite like winter. I quite like being indoors. People are asking me all the time, like, oh, my God, as a Brazilian, how do you survive? I'm like, I survive by being happy. My body doesn't like it, though. I have, like, Raynaud's disease, so my hands are always cold, my feet are always cold. I have allergies because of the cold. Like, my body doesn't like it, but my mind does because I love staying in and I feel like in winter time it is socially acceptable to stay in. People don't pressure you to go out as much.

[B]

Fair.

[C]

You know, I'm an introvert. I want to stay in and read a good book. Like, you want to see me happy? Give me a good book. You know, yummy food. Yeah. How about you? Do you get it?

[B]

I do. I mean, I. I don't know if it's like a clinical analysis or a clinical diagnosis. I call it winter sadzis. I call it sadzis. Kind of to make fun of it, you know, Obviously it's. I shouldn't make fun of it. It is obviously a real illness, a real disease. So that's not my intention. It's more for myself to give it some levity because, yeah, I do. I think I do. I think it's a combination of the cold, like, the feeling I almost feel. And I know you guys can't see outside my window or anything like that, but I feel like we're getting so much snow. We get a lot of snow in Ottawa, where it almost makes me feel a little bit claustrophobic, Like, I feel closed in. I feel like the snow is coming and the piles. And I feel like. Whereas you're like, I can't wait to be bundled inside. I'm like, I am feeling boxed in on all sides. So I feel a bit of that. But I try to lean into it, you know, in terms of reading more, being cozy, all of that stuff. But I do try to do, like a warm weather vacation so that I can escape.

[C]

You're such an active person. Like, you know, I feel like that must be a challenge, like, given that you're an active person and I know you ski and stuff, but, like, it can't be the same. Like, when you're an active person, it must be hard to. I am not an active person. So for me it's quite, quite easy.

[B]

Yeah, you want to move your body. So, yeah, we have lots of fun things to talk about today. There's been a big kind of publishing investment news.

[C]

No, we're not Talking about that first.

[B]

Oh, we're not talking about that first.

[C]

What are we talking about? You're not looking at the order of our shared doc.

[B]

Oh, you're not. Oh, I see it now. No, I see it now.

[C]

Oh, yes, yes. Sorry, sorry. We're not doing that. We are going to kick off this episode by clearing my name. As you guys know, I'm a fan of Brigadeiros. Brigadeiros. If you don't know what brigadeiros are, they are a delicious sweet treat made with sweetened condensed milk. They are very popular in Brazil. You know, if I love you, I have sent you brigadeiros. If I have not sent you brigadeiros yet, they are on their way. Unless you're like, lactose intolerant or something. My point is, brigaderos are about sharing love, and I'm obsessed with them. And as a Brazilian, I wanted to like. It's my mission to spread the word on this amazing sweet treat. I have sent them to Carly multiple times, and she either is a very good liar or she enjoys them. Now this is the thing. Mary's Brigaderos, which is a brand of authentic brigadeiros. Very important that your brigaderos be authentic people. Mary's Brigadeiros, she ships worldwide. She has physical stores, too, but again, she ships to most places in the world. This is not an ad, by the way. There's no sponsors situation happening. I just want to actually share my honest opinion. Mary Brigadero, I want to go in.

[B]

And say it's more like CC is sponsoring them. That's by. By investing in them. By buying so many brigadeiros.

[C]

Okay, that's fair. Yeah, that is fair. Okay, so I love Mary Sprecaderos. And I got an Advent calendar that I have been sharing every day in my stories. Every day I open a treat, and I've received multiple DMs accusing me of faking the videos, telling me that I've opened all the doors already, all the doors to all. All the days, and saying you're just posting videos that you pre recorded. I am offended. I'm really not. But I am a fake offended by this accusation. And I want to show my Advent calendar because Carly is a very honorable person. Carly's a terrible liar. Guys. You guys just need to know this about Carly. She's very bad at lying. She's very honest, very transparent to an annoying degree. You guys should know this about her. So she wouldn't lie. She wouldn't lie for me. She just wouldn't. Okay, this is the calendar. Do you see how the Days are still closed.

[B]

Most of them, yes.

[C]

This is one side of the calendar. And then. Sorry, it's really big. So I'm being like, this is huge.

[B]

This is huge.

[C]

Yeah. And, like, this is the other side of the calendar. Okay.

[B]

Some days are open.

[C]

Yeah, like, these are also open. But, like, I managed to keep these little doors. Now we're gonna open the 10th.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And there's a cookie in the center.

[B]

Oh, she hasn't even eaten 10, guys. It is halfway through the day, and she hasn't even eaten this. See?

[C]

See?

[B]

So, like.

[C]

And, like, the 11th, that's tomorrow. I know that by the time this airs, it will not be tomorrow, but as today is the 10th, so that's tomorrow. I haven't opened it yet. See? Not open. Not open. Okay, now, justice for cece. Sorry, there's a lot of noise here. I'm sorry, guys.

[A]

This is probably.

[B]

I feel like this is like an ASMR episode where it's like.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, but like a bad asmr. Like, torture asmr. I'm sorry, but this is my cookie. I will be having it after we record, because I'm not going to make you guys, you know, watch me eat. There are people who do watch on YouTube. But, yeah, I just want to say, justice for me. I'm actually opening a treat a day, and it's not that big of a deal because I have other cookies and other brigadeiros in my.

[B]

I was gonna say you have two of these sets. You know, that's your show set. And that.

[C]

Everyone keeps accusing me. I do not have two sets. I just have extra brigadeiras and extra cookies. But that would actually be really smart.

[B]

As I said, cece keeps them in business. And I have had the brigaderos, as cece said, she has sent them to me. And they're delicious, and they're lovely and so thoughtful. And, yeah, Cece's a great gift giver. Okay, so as I said, we got lots of things. We got publishing things to talk about too. This might be our longest just little, like, banter session that we've ever had. We've had lots to. Lots to debrief on. Okay, so we have some businessy stuff to talk about, and then we have some kind of DM stuff that you guys have sent us. So, yeah, we got some stuff to get into. So I wanted to start by just breaking some news. I mean, as you guys know, we record ahead of time, but this came out today. The investment group, the Sherman Group, has purchased a minority stake in Entangled Entangled Publishing. So Entangled co founder and CEO Liz Peltier still retains a majority ownership and maintains full creative control. But the Wall Street Journal reported that this currently will value entangled at $400 million. And that means that it now puts Entangled in league with Source Books, which the goal I think is to kind of break into this large structure of publishing with some newer ventures. Obviously, publishing has been around a long time. Entangled has been around, I want to say maybe 12 years, just over a decade. So, you know, obviously they've built that from the ground up, which is incredible. And this Publisher's Lunch article says that Entangled is joined by Xando and Sourcebooks as a trio of independently running female led publishers growing at high rates. So I wanted to highlight the female led portion of the three independent publishers that are kind of coming up on the heels of Big Five. So shout out to female led businesses.

[C]

I love that. I love that shout out. It's really awesome to see women in power in publishing. I will never forget Carly and myself at the popcon conference. That's the people of the Publishing conference organized by the association of American Literary Agents. And all the CEOs on stage were men, which, you know, it's, it's nice to see representation. I'm actually thinking of an episode I listened to. It was actually Wendy who recommended this podcast to me and I loved the recommendation. So it's a podcast called Open Book with David Steinberger. And all the interviews are awesome. I've been binge listening to them. But I actually really, really love the interview with DAV Dominique, who is the CEO of Sourcebooks. And a question that David asks of her is, you know, you're the only woman CEO in publishing. And she responds in a way that I thought was very smart, very honest and very astute, which was, I don't think that's empowering for other women because I didn't, I didn't get the role. I created the role. Like she founded this company. Now it's still empowering, of course, and she didn't mean it in, it's not empowering in any way. But when you look at like the other publishers, right, like the Big five, and you're like, all those other men got hired versus Dominique's role. She didn't get hired. And I think that's a really important distinction to make here. And so I appreciated her honesty and I feel like, you know, it's a conversation that we need to keep having. We need to keep having this conversation. It's, it's Complicated.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And these other two publishers were also founded by these women. Right? So the women who are at the head of these founded these. Right. They created these jobs and created these roles just to underscore what you were saying.

[C]

So.

[B]

So, yeah, that's super empowering from the perspective of women just doing what they gotta do.

[C]

Yeah. Creating their own table. Right. Like, you're not gonna get a seat at that table, then make your own table. You come to my table.

[B]

They're getting huge investments. Right. And growing. And that's all really good for the book business, so I love that. All right, so next, we had a few things to chat about. So we got a really good dm. I'm just gonna pull it up so I have it handy. But, Cece, do you wanna run through this really good DM that we got?

[C]

We got this dm, and I thought it was one of the most interesting questions that we've ever gotten. So shout out to this person for asking such an interesting question. I'm going to keep you anonymous because you made it clear that you want it to be anonymous, but I am going to read your question because there's nothing identifying in the question itself. Hi, Cece. I'm not sure if this is the right place to DM you. Related to questions for shooting the shit, which I love and religiously listen to in case it is. Here it goes. I was reading Jenna Staderwaite's podcast, Love Love, Meaning she loves the podcast and she wrote the following about being close to queries. Quote, I have to admit, I have an extremely acute case of fomo. For the past many months in my agent discord, my agent friends will pop in and be like, hey, who else has the silly goose? Or of Duck Hall I might offer. Or anyone else considering my query inbox. A dark romance reading and loving so far, End quote. So my question anonymously is, do agents do this all the time? Talk about our queries, asking each other if they like or thinking of offering in chats and forums with other agents. Does this work for or against querying authors in your view? Thanks for considering this question for your podcast. So, again, this is among the top most interesting questions we've received, and I. I have strong feelings about it because it's hard to find something I don't have strong feelings on. But, yeah, I do. You want to go first, Curly? It's up to you.

[B]

No, you seem like you have a strong. I have strong feelings too. You go first. Okay.

[C]

I personally do not do that. I do not. Go on. I Mean, we're not talking about with. Between my colleagues at my agency. Right. Because that's not what the question is. I want to make that clear. I talk. I talk about queries with my colleagues. We share a query inbox. But, like, I personally don't do this. I don't go on my agent slacks, and I do belong to a few agent slacks with agents from various agencies. Lovely, lovely agents who are my friends. And we talk about many things, but we do not talk about queries. I would never say, hey, has anyone received such and such query. I'm thinking of offering. Like, I just wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that because, you know, just being super transparent here and I guess really honest. I feel like this is a situation where I have to keep my cards close to my chest. You know, I don't want to be. I don't want to be sharing the stuff I'm interested in. Like, it, I guess, you know, each person has their own way of doing things. But I don't think it's in my best interest to be sharing. I have my own process. I like what I like. If no other agent is going to bid on the thing that I want, I just like it. Doesn't make me want it less, not even a little bit less. Like, I want what I want. And I feel very strongly that my taste is my taste, and I know a good story when I see one. So, yeah, I just don't talk about it at all. What has come up before, this is a different thing, is I. I find out that another agent signed someone or sold a book and therefore signed someone that I had offered on. And then I might mention that to the agent. If we're friends, I might say, oh, you know, so great that you got that project, because I, you know, I was also an offering agent on that. That's fine. But that happens way down the line, not, like, while the query's still active. So I wouldn't do it. I don't think it's in our best interest as agents, to the point of whether it's in the author's best interest or not. Honestly, I think it's like most things in life where it can help. It can get more people interested, depending if people suffer from fomo. But it could also hurt because it could also. I don't know. What if an agent decides not to offer because their buddy is offering? Maybe there's an agent who would do that. I just feel like there's a lot of variables to that part of the equation. And it can be good, it can be bad, but I've never done it. And I honestly did not think that it was such a common thing. I had heard of about it before, but I didn't think it was such a common thing. What about you, Carly?

[B]

So I agree with everything you said because I am also of the, you know, constitution, where I feel like I gotta keep my cards close to my chest. Why would I tell other people that I'm competing for the same? It's like, you know, if you want to go buy a house and you're like, hey, friend, you're also looking for a house. Let's just go in and bid on this. I know it's different because there's money, but you know what I mean? Like, why would you create more competition for yourself? And not in a way where it's like, I don't want the author to have competition, but why would I, like, go out courting competition, I guess, is what I would say. So I agree with you there. I actually. You didn't bring this up and we can talk about it. I actually feel kind of icky from a confidentiality point of view, to be perfectly honest with you. I don't know if that, like, flagged for you at all, Cece. Like, you know, I think most authors assume if they are querying an agent to their agency, to that email to that inbox, that query manager, or however they're sending it in, that there's the assumption that this is for you. Yes. Obviously, it's kind of within your agency system, so it could be shared around there, but I wouldn't really take it upon myself to send it to other agencies, because what if that author was like, oh, well, that agent's in my next round, and then you sent it to so and so agent, and now I can't send it to another agent at that agency because you usurped me by sending it there. And now it looks like old hat because I didn't query that agent. You don't understand. I just feel like we're taking that agency away from that author to make those their own decisions about their career. On the flip side. So, like, the counterargument to that would just be most authors just really want to get their books in front of agents. And so, you know, if that. If somebody heard me say that, they're like, well, Carly, you have so many agent friends, I would love it if you just said, like, hey, other agent friend, like, great book. You know, So I think it's very situational, but you know, on my most business hat point of view would be confidentiality issues. And on my most like, you know, what do authors want point of view had it would be they probably just want more agents to look at their material. So I can see both sides of this. I don't do this though, for the competition reason though.

[C]

Yeah, that's a really interesting point you bring up and I think that's really fair. Is there an expectation of strict confidentiality? I know there's an expectation of confidentiality, but how strict is it? What are the boundaries? There's obviously the angle which you mentioned of the authors wanted, but there's also the angle of. And I mean, it's actually building on what you said. Authors often ask us, if you read something and you think it's really good, but it's not for you, will you please share it? And again, sharing it among our agencies different. But is it okay to share? It's just so complex. I feel like it's really complex because if you also get back to the author and say, I know an agent who might want this. Can I share?

[B]

Are you getting her?

[C]

I'm going to be. You're getting their hopes up, but also going to be super honest here. I don't know that I would be down for doing that kind of admin work. We're talking about a whole bunch of emails, a whole bunch of matchmaking. It might seem silly, but our days are already full as it is. I don't have time to be checking with an author, checking with an agent, making sure they're both okay, and then connecting people. I just don't have time to do that. So I'm really interested in hearing from you guys. You're watching this, you're listening to this. What do you feel? Let us know on the comments. I've been looking at the comments more, more often and I really love hearing from you guys. It's. It's a complex issue. I don't think there are clear, clear boundaries when it comes to what's okay to share and what's not.

[B]

I just want to give an example of when I have done this because I think maybe that can provide some context. So there is an author who. And she's going to know if she's listening to this. Who? She has queried me before. We follow each other on Instagram. She's written a memoir and any agents actually that are listening to this, feel free to DM me about this person. But like, she's such a beautiful writer. Incredible story. I've read her memoir twice. And I'm still like, I just don't think I can sell this. And so she's somebody where I actually have reached out to off. And with her permission, I have reached out to other agent friends to be like, you know, I don't ever do this. That's the other thing is, like, I don't do this. Right. Like, if I. I'd never do this. But, like, you know, there is this really talented memoir author. If you're looking for a memoir author. I think she's really talented. You know, it's not for me, but I just kind of wanted to get you the heads up because I think she's really talented. So I go to bat like that for, you know, non clients very infrequently. There's just certain people sometimes in your life where you just feel like, I just really want to help this person. Like, we just feel like that as humans and as agents. And so I have done that, this author. And yeah, if I can somehow surrogate her an agent, I would love to do that because she's so talented and she has a great story. But, yeah, she just hasn't found an agent yet. So anyway, I just wanted to give that one example because that would be a context in which full consent.

[C]

I know who you're talking about. I think.

[B]

Do you? Okay.

[C]

I think so. I don't know. I'm gonna ask you once we're done.

[B]

Okay, ask me after.

[C]

Yeah, okay. That was a fun one.

[B]

That was a fun one. Okay, let's break, throw to sponsors, and let's get back into the rest of the question. Hey, everybody. Guess who's back from France. I was thinking of you guys listening to me talk about getting ready for the trip and practicing my French while I was doing my best to order a francais at the cafes. It went well. I was a bit nervous, but when we were in the countryside and I could take my time thinking about what I wanted to say, I was able to say it. Being a bilingual family is high on my list of things that are super important to me as a parent and a mom. If we're going to show them the world, we also need to appreciate and respect the language and culture by learning it. Imagine how much richer your travel experience could be if you could speak the local languages. When you travel with Rosetta Stone, you'll gain the confidence to have real conversations and create deeper connections wherever you go. 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It fits with your lifestyle with the flexible on the go learning style desktop or mobile app. And there's incredible value. A lifetime membership gives you access to all 25 languages so you can learn as many as you want whenever you want. Don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential. Now the shit about writing. Listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit Rosetta Stone slash. Visit RosettaStone.com today to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to Rosett St. And start learning today. Okay, so our next question we are going to tackle was another one sent into CC and this person says, I'm a big fan of the show. Would love to hear you guys discuss on the topic of whether or not it's a good idea to query an agent who represents one of your comps. I read a comment somewhere that indicated an agent might not want to take on a project that's too similar to something that's already represented. I was wondering your opinion on this. Thank you so much for all the information you share. To me there's so many layered factors. I feel like I'm laughing because I'm like, I say this every time. There's so many layers and nuances to every answer that we have to say. The reason this one is really nuanced to me is it depends on which of my books it is because I have represented some books that are kind of iconic in their space. And so I often feel like when people query me about some of my more iconic titles, I'm like, what are you comping to? Like, do I need another one of those? And I've said this before, I don't know if I said this on the podcast, but one of the things I feel tension around when people comp and query me with books that I've sold. Is that that book that you are querying me with has to be as good as that book. And like, with all comps, right, we always want the book that the person is pitching to be as good as that comp. And so if I've sold a really top title in a category and you're comping to that, and I'm like, okay, is. Is that book as good as that comp, you know, as that client book? So it doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means, like, I have incredibly high standards for who's going to be on my list to begin with, let alone how they fit in with some of, again, the more iconic books that I've represented. So there's that piece. The other piece is that it kind of depends on if the agent is a generalist or not. If somebody is a, you know, romance agent, for example, or, you know, there's a certain agent that's best, you know, work really specifically in certain categories, they're going to represent a lot of your comps. You know, they're just, you know, I can think of a couple agencies when I think of romance, it's like, well, you're going to query them for your romance, you know, and those are going to be comps. And so it just kind of makes sense. You know, the thing is, you know, that agent can sell in that category, so they are potentially a good fit for you. You also. It kind of depends on the time between how much time has passed between when I sold that comp and now, because if I sold that comp a long time ago, then I maybe do actually have a gap for that one. Or if you're comping to something that just came out, I might still be pitching that for sub rights and film and TV and all that stuff. So then you're kind of in competition with that title in a certain sense. So I think it's very layered. To me, it just depends on which of my books you're comping to, which I know doesn't really help answer the question, but. Cece, what do you think?

[C]

Yeah, I. When I got this dm, what I most loved about it and why I chose to include that in our. Our episode today. Because I'll be honest, guys, we've been sending us a lot of DMs. We it. That's okay, keep sending them, but there's no way we can answer all of them. But why I really wanted to address this one is because it's Actually a question that we as agents also have to answer and decide when we are choosing editors. So if one of my clients comps is book X and book X, you know, belongs to this editor, and I thought, think, huh, Should I submit to that editor? Like, do they already have that kind of book? Would they want more? Maybe the book did so well that they would want another one. That's what I love about this question. And I actually think this highlights an interesting reality of being an agent, which is that we face many of the same challenges that you guys face. It might not sound like it, but, you know, you have to find a way to write a really compelling pitch that's going to grab someone's attention. In your case, querying writers and agents in 300 words. So do we. When we pitch editors, we face the same challenges. And I'm always like, I can never do this. It takes me so long do it. And then when I finally do it, I'm like, yes, we have to figure out whether, you know, we can submit to an editor who bought the book that we're accompanying it to. We have to figure out sales comps. Like, we have to figure out so many of the things that you guys also have to figure out, but then on a different, different stage of the process that, you know, it's one of the reasons why agents have a lot of empathy, I think, for. For the challenges and the hurdles that querying writers face. And it's another reason why agents still keep a high bar, because if we are subject to that high bar, then you need to be subject to that high bar, too. I never mind when someone uses one of my comps ever, as long as I go, oh, yeah, it makes total sense. This is a very applicable comp. What I mind, and it happens sometimes, is when the book is clearly not a comp, you're just choosing it because you think it's going to please me that you mentioned my books. That's the part that I go, please don't do that. Seriously.

[B]

So I've got queries before where authors have comp to a book that hasn't come out yet. And I was like, you just went on Publisher's Marketplace or my Instagram, saw what I sold, and were like, oh, I'm gonna comp to this future book. I'm like, this book doesn't even exist yet. Like, it's. The galleys aren't even out. So, like, how are you comping? Because it doesn't exist. You know, I'm just like, I've had.

[C]

That yeah, that's what I mind. I think. I think that, you know, whether something. I just feel like there's so many ways to make a story original. As long as, like, let's say the comp is the comp, that the author's choosing is something that, you know, it's on my list, it's recent, it's fresh. I might not be looking for another one quite yet, but then there's such an original angle that it just makes it such a different book. I would still be excited. So I would. Never mind. Again, unless we're talking about that situation where it's, like, clearly manipulation, like, don't do that situation. But I would. Never mind. I would. Never mind. It wouldn't bug me. But I'm also not saying it's going to make your query stand out more. You know, like, I think it's really just about finding the perfect comp. And then. And then, if I am the agent that you want to submit to, I don't think that the fact that I have represented a book that's similar in the past should stop you. I just don't. I don't think that that should be the one thing that is making you want to. To sign with me. I think there should be other, more important variables.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. I want to plug an upcoming episode. While I have you guys, I want to plug. Cece and I are going to record an episode all about Money. And you guys might have heard me talk about this on socials, so I'm going to plug it here as well. If you're listening to this on the day it comes out, which is a Monday, we're recording the Money episode on Wednesday, so comment on this one or check out my socials, because I'm going to post a little question box. You could obviously ask it publicly as well on the reels or on YouTube, but if you want to ask it anonymously, I'm putting together a little question box where you can ask your questions. And honestly, I've gotten some really good questions. I haven't shared them with you yet, Cece, but I've got some. I got some good ones because I just. I know there's so many, like, big, hairy money questions where you're like, I don't know how to ask this or where to ask this, or, you know, what. What is real? What is realistic? How does this actually work? And even if you've listened to us for a long time, there's still stuff that you might not know. So we're doing our big money Episode recording in a couple days. So, yeah, just make sure you send in your. Your big hairy money questions, because I'm looking forward to recording that one next week. That's next week's recording, and that will come out in two weeks.

[C]

I'm excited for that one. It's gonna be a lot of fun. And now very curious about the questions. Okay, so now we're going to answer a DM that when I first started reading it, I was like, oh, my God, this person's asking a question that's already been answered, but that's not true. They actually highlighted at an original angle. And I stand corrected. So the writer is essentially asking if I've submitted to books with hooks. Okay, should I still query you now? As you guys know. And the writer knows this, the writer who asked this question knows this. The podcast is an educational resource. Carly and I are also open to queries in our jobs as literary agents, but that is a totally separate thing. The podcast is not affiliated. Has never been affiliated with any literary agency. If you want to query Carly or myself and. Or myself, you are welcome to do so. But it is totally unrelated to this podcast. We have said this multiple times. And the writer in her DM said, I know you've shared this. You've shared the podcast as an educational resource, but this was an interesting. But I've also seen you get really excited when you read really good pages and say, you know, I would be open to getting this. I would be thrilled to get this. And then the author goes on to say, I don't want to waste your time? And probably she doesn't want to waste hers either, though she doesn't highlight that because she's polite, but she's like. Like, should. Like if. If you're not enthusiastic, should I just be smart and be like, I'm gonna pick a different agent and I'll share my own take on that? I think that it comes down to a few things. One, I might not have been like, oh, my God, send this to me now. But I might have enjoyed several elements of it, and I might have given you notes that resonated, and then you might have been gone and done edits that change the story substantially, and now I might actually quite love it. So if. If I did not fall in love with it immediately, but you have made changes, and this is a very important factor, and I am the agent you want within my agency, then yes, I personally think it's not a waste of time to query me at all. It sounds smart. But if other factors are true. Like, you've changed it. It's different. But there's another agent at my agency that you think would be a better fit, then please query them. I promise I also will not be offended. You know, like, I want people to. Like, if you're querying me, I think you need to want to work with me with my own unique, special blend of aging tank. That's very, very unique to me. And if that's. That's you, I'm so honored. Like, I'm so honored to get all your queries, but there's also no expectation, you know, and I think that's really important to highlight. I don't think it's a waste of time as long as all of these variables are. Are present. And I. And I appreciate the question. How about you, Carly? How do you feel?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think she's getting at some of the nuance here. Oh, my God. I'm in, like, can we play a drinking game where every time Carly says nuance, or it's layered or it's vague, let's do it. Let's just do it with water so.

[C]

I don't get drunk.

[B]

The reason this one has some layers to it is because as agents, like, it's our job to be like, oh, that's interesting. What about that? Oh, you know, like, we have to kind of be on our toes about things that are interesting. So even if things are half baked and they come into the podcast half baked, or again, because it's an educational platform, there is an educational piece happening there. We still might be like, oh, that's interesting, because it's just our natural jobs and our natural instincts. I can't turn that piece of me off. Even when I'm trying to, you know, educate you guys. Sometimes I'm better at it than others. Some days I'm better at than others than wearing my education hat and wearing my agent hat, because they're. In a lot of ways, they're the same. So, yeah, so sometimes things do jump out at me right away. I also, you know, I'm. I've been doing this long enough where I'm trying to mentor some younger agents at the agency. So sometimes I'll be like, hey, guys, you know, read something interesting at the podcast today. And so I'll, you know, communicate that internally and just be like, hey, you know, here's you to submit it to a P.S. literary and try to kind of foster that as well. So I'm always on the lookout for good stuff. That's my job. And I Agree with everything cece said, which is just because you don't hear me go, send me, that doesn't mean you can't send it to me because of all the reasons. You can edit it, you can take my notes. It can evolve into something else. Yeah. And it can come in to me or anybody else agency. So lots of, lots of options there.

[C]

And I feel like, you know, in both our cases, like, we all share internally, you know, and so there's that advantage, too, I think. I don't know. I, I think I, I. It still baffles me. This thing is never going to get old for me. You know, I'm going to be very honest. I don't know what this says about me, but the fact that thousands of people who are writing books choose me and query me, it is such an honor. And I'm still in awe of it a little bit. I'm still in a state of disbelief. I review queries searching for my next bestseller. I review queries going, ooh, which one of these queries is going to be the one I fall in love with? There's this level of excitement. And so I think that when you're choosing the agent that you're going to submit your query to, there's a lot of factors that you should consider. And don't forget that you are sending it to someone who is quite likely very, very honored and very, very happy to even be considered and to have a chance to read your work, because it is so much work that you guys put into writing your stories. And we're all mindful of that.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, one of the things that was really drilled into me at my very first publishing job, which was being an assistant at a Literary Agen, was just the level of respect that we had for authors. Like, they were, they're our customers, essentially, because we felt so driven and motivated by being at our best. Because if we have to work on, if we want to work on the best books, we have to attract the best clients. And in order to do that, we have to treat them with the absolute respect of being our business partners. And so I worked at a very established agency called the Darlie Anderson Agency, where they represented Lee Child, Tana French, and, you know, just a really, really great commercial agency. And I, I, you know, just love the team there, and just the amount of care and thoughtfulness that went into everything of, like, logging things and the way we communicated and from top down, it was very much like, don't let a query slip through the cracks, you know, and It's. It's hard sometimes when back then it was like, physical things, but even with emails, like, not letting things slip through the cracks, because what you're letting through slip through the cracks, if you let something slip through the crack, is a human being who's, like, great art piece could be the one that, like, quote unquote, slips through the cracks. Like, to us and to me, that's just unfathomable. And I. I just feel so strongly about that level of care and attention to the artwork that you guys are putting into the world. So it never, ever, you know, is something that I ever take for granted either.

[C]

100%. And that's what makes our jobs so magical. Okay, so our last order of business, I think. I think it's our last one. I kind of wanted to take some time to address questions that you guys are sending our way. As you can see, especially based on this episode, we usually take a few minutes, sometimes a lot of minutes out of each shooting the shit episode to address certain DMs. And I think it might make sense to talk about the fact that, yes, our DMs are open. Please DM us. This is what this podcast is all about. At the same time, we should probably talk about what, maybe what makes for a good question. You know, a question that's likely to get selected and that we will talk about what, conversely, makes for a bad. I'm using air quotes here. Question. Maybe talk about some examples. Respectfully, of course, like, not calling anyone out and then discussing things like, what is the harm of an actual quote unquote, bad question? Like, is there harm? Like, why not just throw your question out there? And then if it gets picked up, it gets picked up. Like, I don't think that's a good strategy, and that's something we'll get into. And then also, like, maybe some recommendations that we could share. So I don't know, Carly, do you want to kick it off or do you want me to?

[B]

Oh, yeah, let's. Let's start with good question. Maybe that's where I will be at my strength. So, yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Part of this, I'm going to be honest with you guys, is a little bit selfish, because I want to talk about things that I feel like I can contribute to the conversation on. And if I guess this is kind of the counterpoint of a bad question, quote unquote, you know, loosely describing this as a bad question is like, is the thing Googleable? You know, is the thing something that you can find in a way where you don't have to, you know, write us a dm. There's a lot of things, a lot of resources out there where you can find things that are straightforward. I like questions that are a little bit more complex. You know, whether it's something that feels like there's some layers to it or some nuance, or it's a specific to me question. Just because I've been doing a lot of talking for a lot of years about this business, and so I've heard everybody's questions about how do I stand out in the marketplace and, you know, what makes a good query and all of these things. So I want to talk about things that I think are interesting. And one of the things that cece and I both really liked about the first question that we talked about today was because it intersected with a lot of interesting things. It was like it was a strategy question. It was an agent specific question. It was a behind the scenes question. It was, you know, it was something I could argue both sides, building off a different.

[C]

A different podcast or, like, vehicle, you know, like she.

[B]

A different media hit or article or link. And I like when I can also argue both sides of it too, because it's, you know, that's something where we can explain to you guys about what are some of the strategy pieces. So I'm at my best to help you guys answer your questions when you give me a bit of a strategy to work with. And it's not something that's easily googleable.

[C]

Yeah, I agree. I agree with everything that you just said, and I take your point when you say that's a selfish reason. But I also think there's a second piece to that, I guess. First. First I should describe what I think is a bad question. Bad quote, unquote. There are questions that we get. I feel like there's two categories. One is, yes, googleable, but also covered before this podcast has several episodes. Are you allowed to DM us without having listened to a single one? Yes. There's no jail. I can't put you in jail. Do I think it's a smart strategy? No. I think that listening to several episodes and seeing what we've already covered will not only enlighten and inform you, hopefully, if we do our jobs, but also will allow you to probably not even have that question in the first place. And then you can actually ask the smart question that lives inside of you that you haven't gotten to yet because you just haven't done the part of the research that you can do on your own. So Stuff that's been covered, stuff that we have talked about, stuff that other really great podcasts and other mediums have talked about. And then the other side to this.

[B]

Is.

[C]

I, like, in the last month alone, I counted. Okay? It's part of why I want to talk about this. I've received 17 questions in the vein of, like. Again, I'm not going to get super specific, but things like, I write in English, but my book has certain words in a different language. And, you know, the way I'm doing it now is. Is I'm worried it's over. Explaining. I am including the words in the different language, and then I'm including what that translation means. And at first I liked that, but now I don't know that I like that. And I've heard that readers don't like that, but I've heard that readers do like that. And while I'm deciding, I also don't know if I should write this in first person or third person. And here's again, I'm probably going to sound like a big jerk. Where's my Grinch hat? Hold on. Grinch hat. Okay, no one can answer these questions, people. No one. Okay, If I were to answer you, yes, you should write, you know, the words in the language that you mean X way, or you should choose third person point of view, or I would be being completely irresponsible. Okay, I have not read your work. Even if I had read your work, I probably would need a little bit more specificity in your question to be able to offer you an opinion. Because what you're essentially saying is, hey, I'm figuring out this aspect of storytelling. For example, which POV to write the story in. First, second, third. And you're asking me for any insights. The questions always ask with any insights would be greatly appreciated. Which, yes, is sweet. I hear you. As a human. I hear you. But it's not a smart question. It's not a good question. It's a question that. And this is where I wanted to talk about. What's the harm? What is the harm of asking that, Cece? Is it because you're annoyed to get the DMs? I promise you it's not the DMs. Do not annoy me at all. It's fine. The harm is twofold. One, just being very honest. You are making an impression. When I see a question like this, I assume that this person is probably not ready yet to be a creator because they are trying to outsource decisions that they cannot outsource. They are Creative decisions that come down to you two. I think that you're being mean to your brain. Your brain. In order to become an author, you need to go through a paradigm shift where you realize that you are working in a highly subjective industry and artistic decisions are yours and yours alone to make. Yes, you will gather intel from various sources, beta reader critique partners, articles, books on creative writing, among others. You will gather intel. But the creative decision is yours and yours alone. And the ability to make that decision should be something that you can do. And if you can't do that yet, that's okay. But go work on developing your palette so you're able to make that decision. And by asking these questions, I think you're keeping your brain in a space of, I have to go to someone else on the outside to get those answers. And I don't think you should be doing that. I think you should be training your brain to come up with these answers yourself. I think that a lot of people, when they send me these questions, what they're actually doing and so much empathy, they're looking for emotional validation. They're looking for me to go, oh, my God, you're working so hard. Thank you so much for working so hard during your story. I'm sure you'll figure this out. You're looking for a cheerleader, you know, which is okay. A lot of people need cheerleaders.

[B]

Let's face it.

[C]

That's not why you should be DMing me. Because, I mean, sure, I can give you that rah rah pep talk, but you probably have people in your life who can do that for you too, you know, and then you can save your DMs and save your questions for something that I can actually add value to. I know that there's that saying, when in doubt, ask, right? But when in doubt means you've already researched, you've already gone out and done the work, and you actually hit a wall. And I don't think that that is necessarily being done by everyone. And I just want to encourage you guys to do that. I want to encourage you to use your own critical thinking, your own research skills to do a lot of that heavy. And then you will come across a question like the ones that we've covered before, especially the great first one that'll be like, oh, my God, that's really interesting. We should talk about that. And you will come up with better questions. Another recommendation I have, in addition to, like, read, read, read and research on your own, is whenever you have a question, let's say your Question is, should I write my book in first person or third person? Or, I don't know, something like, should I begin my book with an action scene or with an introspective scene? Whatever your question is, I recommend you trying to answer it. Pretend that you're someone else. Pretend that you're the agent that you're dming, whether it's me or someone else. And pretend that you're someone else. And try answering that question. And imagine that you get, like, a cookie. Where's my cookie? Imagine that you get a cookie if you get it right, so that you'll be, like, really motivated to get it right. Try answering the question for yourself, because if you have no idea what the answer could even be, that's a sign that the question is not fully formed and fully developed yet. I think. I think that you haven't turned on that critical thinking that I think you need to. Honestly, this is hard. I want to say that talking about the subject is hard for me because we are an educational podcast, and I want this podcast to be a safe space for everyone. I want everyone to feel safe. At the same time, I want to be realistic and honest about how high the bar is in traditional publishing. And if most of our listeners are querying writers who want to make it in traditional publishing, I would not be doing them any favors by not sharing certain things. Like, hey, these questions. We gotta talk about these questions. You know, like, I. I hope that we can foster a safe space while also encouraging you guys to really, really use your creative, imaginative, smart brains to up your question game. Like, I promise I'm not trying to call anyone out, okay? If anyone's offended, hey, tell me. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings, but. But I. I think that both things are possible, and I hope that I can do that.

[B]

I also think this speaks to a couple things, which is just because we are people on the Internet, we're people with a podcast. People have a parasocial relationship with us. Some of you met us in person, obviously taken our courses, been around us in that virtual sense, been around us in the personal sense, that there is an open door. And Cece and I are very open books, as you can see. And, you know, being a person on the Internet for 15 years, there's a lot of information that you can kind of find out that I've been able to share. There's also other agents. Most agents are not like us in that open book sense. You also can't think like, oh, cece and Carly answer questions and dm. Sometimes or on their podcast. You also have to remember other agents aren't like that. So you also can't apply what you were doing in this parasocial relationship to other agents either, because they don't function like that. Because it isn't actually my job to answer your DMs. My job is to be a literary agent, and my job is also to run this podcast. But how we kind of run this podcast is up to us, you know, and so there's a lot of times I don't answer questions. I. I just. I. I look at them and I don't respond because I can't, because they're really specific, and I just don't have time. Right. And so that's the piece that I've always grappled with as a person on the Internet of, like, what do I have the capacity to answer today or any other day? You know, is this. How is this part of my job? How is this not part of my job? How does this make me a better agent? How does this serve my clients? So I grapple with all of that on a daily basis with how I interact just as a person on the Internet. So, as I said, it's always a little bit different. But I want to help, and that is why this podcast. I wouldn't do this if I didn't want to help. It's just how I help is up to me. And so that's why I'm like, some questions I'll answer, some I won't. Sometimes I respond to your dm, sometimes I don't. But it's really just ahead of time preservation and job preservation. So I don't want you to read anything else into it.

[C]

Yeah, but I think that you said a line that you just said, it's up to me, and if I am a writer, I'm listening to that. I'm going, okay, but can you tell me how you make that decision, if you're able to? And I think that's what we're doing here, right? Like, we're going through, you know, criteria for, like, hey, if you want your question to be answered, these are the questions that we are really keen on taking because we would not be spending. We spend so much time on this podcast, which is so much fun. Like, I have the time of my life, but it's also a lot of work, you know, and, like, literally today, there's something that I can't talk about that I should be doing, but I'm here, and, like, I had to push the other thing I have to do. Because we record from. From noon to 1. Like, that's. That's when we record. And I had to send an email to be like, I'm not available. My point is, our time is super valuable. Yes. But also, how can you then stand the best chance of getting that time? And I think again, it comes down to asking questions that show me that you've done the work. Show me that you've turned on your critical thinking and show me that you are not expecting me to be a cheerleader or a rah rah person. Because again, that's just. Don't send me a question, send me a comment, share. Be like, cece, here's an update on my situation. That's awesome. That's fine. And that also show me that you are not expecting me to make creative decisions for you because I can't, or even to weigh in on them without having read your work, because that would be irresponsible. Anyway, that is my rant. I need a cookie. I'm gonna eat my.

[B]

That was a good rant. I think you've earned your cookie. Yeah. So we have lots of fun things to to cover in future episodes. We look forward to your questions. I really am very keen on our money episode we're recording next week, so just a reminder. Yeah. You don't have the rights to that song. Stop singing it.

[C]

I can sing it. I can still sing it. We can't play it, but I can sing it.

[B]

I'm just teasing you. Go have your cookie. You earned it. Everybody, we will see you again next week.

[A]

Cece Lira is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you'd like to query CC, please refer to the submission [e-mail]. carly Waters 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 agencies.

[C]

See?

[A]

Hi there. We've got a lot we're really excited to tell you about, but I'm going to make this real quick so you can get to the episode. The Deep Dive is coming up at the end of January. The lineup of speakers is incredible and the range of topics is mind blowing. You do not want to miss out on the last Deep Dive ever. Then the beta reader matchup is open once again, with the matchups going out early in February. Sign up to kick your creative year off with a bang. Lastly, there's an amazing writer's workbook available which will make the perfect gift for you or the writer in your life. Head to our website the Shit About Writing to find out more.