Podcast Summary: "Shooting The Shit About Our Publishing Pet Peeves and What To Do When Your One 'Yes' Is A 'No'"

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Hosts: Bianca Marais, Carly Watters, CeCe Lyra
Date: February 16, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra (with a brief behind-the-scenes mention of Bianca Marais) candidly explore their top publishing industry pet peeves, offer advice on tricky author/agent situations (including what to do when your only agent "yes" raises red flags), and tackle questions from listeners about book promotion spending and selecting the right literary agent. The episode also delves into the impact of AI-authored books on the publishing landscape, referencing a provocative New York Times article. The overall tone is energetic, honest, and full of practical wisdom for emerging writers.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Quick Publishing Guessing Game (02:00–03:26)

• Segment: Guess how many copies Freda McFadden's "Dear Debbie" sold its first week (BookScan figures).
• CeCe asks Carly and Bianca; guesses vary, with CeCe revealing the real total: 101,155.
• Quote:
  "Carly is way more ambitious. No. So it was 101,000. According to BookScan." — CeCe (02:36)
• Insight: BookScan numbers can be surprisingly high, but they don’t capture all sales (usually 50–80% depending on the book/category).

2. Publishing Industry Pet Peeves (03:54–15:44)

Email Etiquette

• Not replying-all in important threads:
  "When people hit reply instead of reply all. Especially if we're talking about, like, a publisher situation where, you know, it's about my client and I'm cc'd. [...] I would have prevented that thing from happening if I had been cc’d." — CeCe (04:15)
• Carly agrees, emphasizes agents drowning in emails but needing to be in the loop—even if not replying to every chain.

Lack of Contact Info

• Not including phone numbers in email signatures:
  "If any publishing professionals are listening to me, please go put your phone number in your email signature." — Carly (06:25)
• Not providing emergency contacts in OOO replies:
  "OOO with no contact for emergencies. Drives me crazy. Boundaries are good, but make it possible to reach someone!" — CeCe (07:24)

Communication Snafus

• People not calling at agreed times wrecks productivity:
  "People who say they're gonna call and then don't call at the time that they were gonna call." — Carly (08:28)
• Time zone confusion—using incorrect suffixes:
  "When we're saying a time zone, like EST when we're not on standard time, we're on daylight savings. [...] I stopped because I don't want people to think I'm being dumb." — CeCe (09:29)
• Long, convoluted email threads versus starting new threads too often:
  "When people keep starting new email chains, when we already have an existing one going, it's very chaotic." — Carly (11:24)

Manuscript Logistics

• No confirmation of manuscript receipt:
  "They don't confirm receipt after you've sent a manuscript. [...] It's not because I'm being annoying. It's because I have had a situation where, because of the attachment, it got stuck on a spam filter." — CeCe (13:35)

Memorable Quote

“CCing me is my love language. It’s in my name to.” — CeCe (04:59)

Notable Moment

• The pet peeves volley turns into a rapid, relatable back-and-forth, highlighting the daily realities of literary agents navigating mountains of communication.

3. Listener Questions—Diving Deeper Into Publishing Realities (16:14–36:36)

A. Should You Spend Advance Money On Promotion? (16:14–21:33)

• Carly: Authors sometimes invest part of their advance into ads, touring, hiring assistants, or PR, but it depends on goals and budget.
• CeCe:
  "My knee-jerk reaction was, 'Are you kidding me?' [...] But actually...when the goal is ambition, when the goal is winning, it's important to know the rules of the game." (18:05–19:48)
• Key Takeaway: The author’s money, but treating the advance as seed money (if possible) can help careers—though this is a privilege not everyone has.

B. What If Your Agent Doesn’t Fully Love Your Next Book? (21:33–27:07)

• Should an agent sub a book they’re not 100% on?
• Carly:
  "I do firmly believe that in order to be honest and do my best job, I do actually have to be absolutely passionate about it." (23:57)
• CeCe:
  "If I don't love it, I can't be the agent for it. [...] Every time I send something out to editors, I am saying, this is great. This is my taste, and I'm signaling something." (24:08–25:25)
• Advice: Honest conversation is best; sometimes better to work on something new.

C. What If Your Only Agent "Yes" Raises Red Flags? (27:12–30:15)

• Scenario: You receive a single offer of representation but research reveals concerns.
• Carly:
  "Go back to everybody else, [...] give them the two weeks to consider. At least you've heard back from those agents and you are honoring that offer." (27:56–28:50)
• CeCe:
  "No agent is better than a bad agent." (30:12)
• Practical: Don’t lie about who the offer is from, but you don’t have to lead with their name in first outreach.

D. How To Choose Between Multiple Agent Offers? (Beauty Contest) (30:23–36:36)

• What goes into the decision?
• Carly:
  "Think about how that agent made you feel when you asked those questions. That's actually what you're clocking more than you're clocking the answers." (34:22)
• CeCe:
  "Ask yourself, do I want to get bad news from this person? Do they seem patient? Soft skills matter so much." (33:30)
• Advice: Commission is standard; choose based on gut, communication style, and fit—not who offers a discount.

4. Industry News & Noteworthy Articles (36:41–45:23)

Spotify & Bookshop.org Partnership (36:41–38:29)

• Good news for indies: Spotify partners with bookshop.org, making it easier to move between formats and support independent bookstores.
• CeCe:
  "I move from audio to ebook all the time...it’s actually really, really cool." (37:41)

The AI Romance Novel Debacle—"The New Fabio is Claude" (38:29–45:23)

• NYT article stirs outrage: Profiles an author using AI (Claude) to write romance novels, keeping it secret from readers, and offering courses on it.
• CeCe (raging):
  "It's a trash article about this loser, this complete loser who uses AI to write her books. [...] If you don't like writing, what are you doing?" (38:56–39:55) "AI can't feel. AI has no childhood trauma. AI has no foundational wound...That is what makes a story special." (43:10)
• Carly (concerned):
  "The idea that it's a race to be won...There is no winning the race. And also, like, what is the purpose of art?" (41:18) "We need to talk about the falsehoods of it all, the secrecy and the lack of trust that this causes." (42:57)
• Consensus: Dishonesty about AI authorship is unethical, and AI-written fiction will never match the emotional depth of human stories.

5. Forthcoming Show Format: Guest Rant Segment (45:23–47:34)

• Carly proposes: Adopting the "I Don't Think So, Honey" rant format (inspired by Los Culturistas) for future industry guests, giving them a minute to vent on a publishing topic.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• CeCe on Agent Pet Peeves:
  "CCing me is my love language. It's in my name, too." (04:59)
• Carly on Multiple Ways to Communicate:
  "We need to be able to talk to each other. [...] Everybody should have multiple ways to contact anybody." (06:25)
• CeCe on Spending an Advance:
  "Think of the money you're getting as seed money for your business and not as a paycheck." (19:48)
• Carly on Agent Fits:
  "You are doing the hiring of the agent. [...] Trust your instincts." (34:22–36:36)
• CeCe, on AI in Fiction (full fire):
  "If you don't like writing, what are you doing? [...] There’s no way you’re a smart person if you’re doing this." (39:53–40:44)
• Carly, on What Matters in Art:
  "What is the purpose of art, right? Like, this is a question as old as time." (41:18)
• CeCe, on the Future of AI Novels:
  "AI can't feel. AI has no childhood trauma. ... It does not feel. That is what makes a story special." (43:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00 — Guessing Game: BookScan Sales
• 03:54 — Publishing Pet Peeves Begin
• 13:35 — Email Confirm Receipts/Spam Stories
• 16:14 — Listener Q: Promotional Advance Spending
• 21:33 — Listener Q: Agent Not Enthusiastic Enough
• 27:12 — Listener Q: Only 'Yes' is a 'No'
• 30:23 — Listener Q: Multiple Agent Offers/Beauty Contest
• 36:41 — Industry News: Spotify & bookshop.org
• 38:29 — NYT “New Fabio Is Claude” AI Romance Article Discussion
• 45:23 — Future segment tease: Guest Rant Format

Tone and Style

The hosts are irreverent, funny, and unflinchingly honest, balancing practical advice with relatable stories, rants, and laughter. Their industry expertise is wrapped in a conversational style, inviting listeners to tune into the realities of publishing without sugarcoating.

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring authors seeking real talk about the business side of writing, industry best practices, and the ethics of our fast-changing literary world.