PLOT TWIST

Soman and Victoria disagree over whether trigger warnings are inherently a problem. Also they discuss how loopholes in contracts can affect your career, plus the initial spark that helps them land on an idea. Victoria has officially bunkered into edits, and Soman is deciding whether he needs peptides.

Theme of the Week (11:18)

Goals of the Week (20:16)

Industry Nonsense (32:04) 

Reader Mailbag(53:51)

Plot Twists in Real Life (58:59)

To order a signed copy of Tempest, go here!

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Soman and Victoria do a deep dive on the recent cancellation of a mainstream book due to AI concerns — and debate what it means for the rest of publishing. They also discuss sex in marketing and the best way to find an agent. Soman wants young people to run for office and Victoria is just trying to make it to Italy.

Theme of the Week (08:39)

Goals of the Week (16:35)

Industry Nonsense ( 22:56) 

Reader Mailbag(48:00)

Plot Twists in Real Life (52:07)

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Soman and Victoria make the link between Timmy Chalamet’s comments about ballet and opera — and fanfiction IP. Also they discuss the pros and cons of writing groups and how to become a lead title in traditional publishing. Soman is trying to decaffeinate and Victoria wants to be shameless. 

Theme of the Week (08:33)

Goals of the Week (17:38)

Industry Nonsense (35:44) 

Reader Mailbag(55:27)

Plot Twists in Real Life (01:00:55)

Sponsors:

Monster Claw Ranch

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Soman and Victoria take you behind the scenes of book tours and give you all the insider secrets. Also they discuss the importance of trade reviews and how much social media should give away when it comes to spoilers. Soman is headed to Austin for South by Southwest and Victoria has plans for a giant themed RV.

Theme of the Week (12:46)

Goals of the Week (17:18)

Industry Nonsense (28:31) 

Reader Mailbag(53:48)

Plot Twists in Real Life (59:11)

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Soman and Victoria pinpoint what gives you the ‘ick’ when looking at book covers. Also they reveal a general strategy for managing film/tv adaptations and the best way to buy a book to ensure the author gets compensated. Victoria needs a teleportation button, and Soman gets candid about his history dating Mormons.

Theme of the Week (11:44)

Goals of the Week (23:42)

Industry Nonsense (36:23) 

Reader Mailbag(55:35)

Plot Twists in Real Life (61:10)

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Victoria and Soman stake out different positions on the question of whether authors are too sensitive to survive in today’s industry. They also explain how libraries factor into book sales and dive into the ways to dilute the loneliness of an author’s job. Soman is drowning in AI slop, and Victoria wants that slop to be legislated by the US government. 

Theme of the Week (08:55)

Goals of the Week (13:12)

Industry Nonsense (28:13) 

Reader Mailbag(49:28)

Plot Twists in Real Life (54:08)

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Soman and Victoria lay out a clear path for how new – and established – authors need to approach their work to survive a future of AI and slop. They also discuss the importance of voice and how to develop it, as well as the qualities of a great retelling. Victoria is trying to avoid a meltdown, and Soman has some belated advice for Ilia Malinin. 

Theme of the Week (09:14)

Goals of the Week (16:48)

Industry Nonsense (33:07) 

Reader Mailbag(53:18)

Plot Twists in Real Life (57:20)

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A new New York Times article about AI-powered authors has set off a firestorm – Victoria and Soman are here to cover the fall out. They also discuss how audiobooks are made and try to pin down their desired daily word count. Soman has some hazardous Young World swag, and Victoria wants to vicariously live in the Olympic village. 

Theme of the Week (08:09)

Goals of the Week (17:45)

Industry Nonsense (30:07) 

Reader Mailbag(52:36)

Plot Twists in Real Life (57:47)

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Soman and Victoria tackle the tricky question of how artists respond to our current political moment. They also reveal how to deal with taxes as authors and how far ahead they knew the ending of their book series. Victoria needs to find out if her car is totaled, and Soman thinks he would make a pretty good eighth-string Elphaba.

Theme of the Week (04;24)

Goals of the Week (13:13)

Industry Nonsense (27:34) 

Reader Mailbag(52:46)

Plot Twists in Real Life (57:17

SPONSORS 

This week’s sponsor is Bold-and-Bookish.com. Are you a writer who is looking to grow their skills and connect with others who share your passion? 

Join the Bold & Bookish virtual writers retreat on Feb 28th. With skill-building activities, critique circles and built in bursts of writing time you’ll leave feeling motivated, connected and ready to conquer your writing goals.

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Soman and Victoria discuss the nuances of supporting yourself as an artist — and how to structure your advances and royalties to work for you. They also reveal what makes an idea “flawed at conception” and whether they get control over their book covers. Soman has a billion dollar business idea (think monkeys!) and Victoria is contemplating writing on a walking pad.

Theme of the Week (05:50)

Goals of the Week (15:10)

Industry Nonsense (27:56) 

Reader Mailbag (47:28

Plot Twists in Real Life (54:02)

Pup Twist (56:51)

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