Podcast Summary: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Episode: Shooting the Shit: Why the industry publishes so many (too many!) books and how to spot a writerly phishing scam

Hosts: Carly Watters & CeCe Lyra
Date: September 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid and engaging episode of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra dive deep into contemporary publishing industry trends and perils for writers. They discuss the overwhelming volume of books being published each year, the impact this saturation has on both authors and agents, and share firsthand stories about publisher changes, phishing scams targeting writers, and the realities of book promotion. Alongside practical tips, they offer honest insights and lively banter that demystify the publishing world for emerging writers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Personal Side of Agenting and Reading

[02:24–06:19]

• Both Carly and CeCe love their work and willingly spend weekends reading manuscripts.
• Carly reflects on blending family life with work by reading in front of her kids to set a positive example.
• They discuss recent reads, notably The Compound by Aisling Raleigh (“Love Island meets Lord of the Flies”), and The Haves and the Have-Yachts by Evan Osnos, highlighting compelling nonfiction glimpses into billionaire culture.

Memorable Quote
"I do feel like a unicorn in the sense that I do like my work." — Carly, [03:48]

2. The Origin Stories: Signing New Clients

[09:51–11:58]

• CeCe excitedly shares the journey of signing a new historical fiction author, a process that spanned years of patient development since the author first submitted pages to the podcast.
• The importance of having a strong editorial vision before offering representation.

"Sometimes I read things and I go, okay, it's so good. I know it needs work, but I don't know what kind of work it needs...in this case, I know exactly what needs to be done." — CeCe, [11:18]

3. Scams & Phishing Threats in the Writing World

[11:58–16:21]

• Carly and CeCe warn about the proliferation of writer-focused scams, including impersonators and fake conferences.
• Red flags include agents or agencies asking for money, unusual email addresses, and dubious contests.
• AI and deepfake technology have compounded the risks, including misuse of their voices or images found online.
• Carly shares a personal story of someone impersonating her online, even using pictures of her family — highlighting the dangers for agents and vulnerabilities in the digital age.

"If an agent's asking you for money, that is concerning." — CeCe, [13:20]
"Somebody made a fake Twitter account of me, impersonating me...It freaked me out to no end." — Carly, [14:53]

4. Representation Scams: Red Flags & Advice

[16:21–21:32]

• The hosts read and respond to a listener’s concern about receiving an offer of representation with only 24 hours to accept—a major red flag.
• They stress that reputable agents give writers the time they need to make decisions, and refusing unfair deadlines is crucial.
• CeCe and Carly encourage writers to trust their instincts and not to be rushed into significant career decisions.

"There's just no reason why an agent would only give someone 24 hours. It takes so long to read a book...this industry moves slower than a glacier." — CeCe, [18:06]
"If they're willing to kind of, you know, back you into a corner with this offer, what does this rep agreement look like?" — Carly, [19:49]

5. Industry Shifts: Publisher Leadership & Too Many Books?

[21:37–30:47]

• The hosts react to the surprising news that Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp is stepping down to helm a new imprint, “Simon Six,” publishing only six books a year.
• They interpret this move as a pointed commentary on industry-wide overproduction and the real limits of editorial attention, even at the highest levels.

"To go from managing this huge list...now in my next act, I want to focus on six books a year. Clearly, was he seeing all these books he was publishing, how hard it was maybe to make noise for all of these books...really interesting." — Carly, [25:16]

• The hosts question whether publishing fewer titles could better serve authors and the market.

6. Publishing Data: What the 2024 Sales Figures Mean

[31:02–37:07]

• Review of industry stats: nearly $9 billion in trade sales, a 2.2% increase from 2023.
• Digital audio sales have outpaced eBooks; trade paperbacks remain the strongest format.
• The significance of these figures: publishing is robust and profitable, despite perceptions of scarcity.
• Authors shouldn’t allow the “poor little publisher” narrative to undermine their confidence or expectations.

"I love that you always remind us all the time...it's important to remind authors that publishing is a very lucrative business." — CeCe, [31:33]
"Sales is different from profit, but...trade sales totaled almost 9 billion." — CeCe, [32:29]

7. The Realities of Book Promotion

[37:12–45:25]

• Discussion of Michael Castleman’s article “The Cruelty and Possibilities of 21st-Century Book Promotion.”
• The scale of annual output: from 45,000 books in 1980 to over two million today (including self-published).
• Shocking stat: 79% of new releases sell fewer than 100 copies; only 6% sell 1,000.
• Debate over the effectiveness and purpose of blurbs in the modern marketplace.
• Author investments in external publicists: careful targeting is crucial; don’t just “throw money at the problem.”

"No wonder it's so hard to break out. No wonder it's so hard for people to stand out among all these titles." — CeCe, [39:01]
"The bottom line is not a lot of authors are moving a lot of copies." — Carly, [41:20]
"For authors, find somebody who can work on exactly what you want to do. Because a lot of writers will think, like, I just need to hire a publicist. This will solve all my problems. And it's like, okay, what is your problem? Let's start with that." — Carly, [45:25]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Put your ambition before your anxiety." — CeCe, [18:06]
• "We are, we are in the billions here with a B. Somebody is getting paid. Guess what? That somebody could be you." — Carly, [33:14]
• "I feel very strongly, actually, that we are publishing too many books in publishing. It's so hard..." — Carly, [30:47]
• "This is a healthy, healthy market. And I get happy...we need more readers, not just people reading more books, but non-readers becoming readers." — CeCe, [35:46]
• "Blurbs used to make such a big difference and now ... as a reader, I have to be honest. No, it doesn't make me buy a book. It's impressive, but it doesn't make me buy a book." — CeCe, [43:25]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment Description | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Intro & Weekend Reads, Joy of Agenting | 02:24–06:19 | | CeCe’s New Client Origin Story | 09:51–11:58 | | Scams & Writer Phishing Warnings | 11:58–16:21 | | Red Flags: 24-hour Offer Pitfalls | 16:21–21:32 | | Simon & Schuster CEO News, Industry Volume Concerns | 21:37–30:47 | | Publishing 2024 Sales Figures & Industry Health | 31:02–37:07 | | Discussion: Book Promotion Realities | 37:12–45:25 |

Tone & Style

Bianca is absent from this episode, but Carly and CeCe’s trademark mix of practical advice, industry savvy, and a touch of playful sarcasm is very much present. Both agents are openly supportive of emerging authors, unfiltered when it comes to industry shortcomings, and never shy about calling out scams or poor practices. The episode is peppered with personal anecdotes, genuine laughter, and encouragement for writers to stay informed, cautious, and ambitious.

Final Takeaways

• The publishing industry publishes more books than ever — consider both the opportunity and challenge this creates.
• Writer beware: scams targeting authors are proliferating and increasingly sophisticated. Don’t ignore red flags, and trust your gut.
• Personalized attention from agents and editors is rare; don’t settle for high-pressure tactics.
• Blurbs and publicity matter, but their value is context-dependent; know what “moves copies” for your genre and readership.
• Publishing is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Don’t let a scarcity mindset dominate your writing or submitting.
• Despite the flood of books, robust sales figures signal a healthy industry, especially in audiobooks and trade paper formats.

The hosts invite listeners to share their own blurb stories, scam encounters, and experiences with publicists for future episodes.