Print Run Podcast

Happy new year! In the first Print Run of 2017, we talk about our holiday break and Milo Yiannopoulos's controversial book deal with Simon & Schuster. We break down the backlash, the backlash to the backlash, and discuss what this deal reveals about most free-speech arguments as well as what we can expect to see from mainstream commercial publishers moving forward.

In addition to spending way too long breaking down Sara Gruen's Hatchimals scheme, we discuss the supposed "censorship" argument made by Abrams Books in light of their controversial release of Bad Little Children's Books. We also analyze the movie Elf, because it has publishing in it and it's the holidays. Stop judging us, I can see you judging us.

In the latest episode of Print Run, we talk about the horrors of recommending books to others, because giving gifts with subtext is what the holidays are all about. Also, we offer some alternative author theme parks to try, rather than the planned Harper Lee tourist spot in Alabama. There's a listener mailbag, a chat about the various dictionaries' words of the year, and Erik reads the winning passage of the 2016 Bad Sex Award. I'm sorry, mom.

In this episode of Print Run, we talk about Penguin Random House's decision to start helping its employees pay off student loans, and what the could mean for the candidate pool for publishing jobs. Then Laura tries to get verified on Twitter while Erik gets nostalgic about star-bellied sneetches. Also discussed are the results of National Book Awards and an update on Erik's flailing #NaNoWriMo campaign.

In the November First Pages episode of Print Run, we take a look at three different novel openings and talk about the best ways to get your story started right from the opening page. We discuss establishing narrative perspective and creating an inciting conflict, as well as deciding which details you should include and leave out as you get your story started.

In this episode of Print Run, we discuss what a Trump presidency could mean for the publishing industry, and how publishing might affect Trump. How will Trump interact with the free press, and what role will book publishing play in the normalization of such an extreme political movement? Also discussed: conservative publishing, what constitutes counterculture, and more.

In the latest episode of Print Run, Laura and Erik talk about the national nightmare facing America this November: NaNoWriMo. Also discussed are all the books George R.R. Martin isn't currently writing, and a chat about coming changes to BEA, which are good in that they make BEA closer to nonexistence. Plus, a savage argument over the #writetip!

In their first dedicated query show, Laura and Erik read three real queries and break down what's working and not working in each. The conversation focuses on things like using a strong lede, showcasing the essential details of your story as efficiently as possible, and finding the right voice for your pitch.

In this week's Print Run, Laura and Erik use the current election cycle—No politics, we promise!—to discuss how book publishing fits within a fast-paced reading world geared toward shorter articles and thinkpieces. What will books on the 2016 election look like, and will they have an impact? Then, Laura pays off losing the Man Booker bet with a dramatic reading of her favorite author, artist, and style icon, Jonathan Franzen. It's—well, it happened, we'll say that. Enjoy!

In this episode, Laura lets Erik sit near the gong and immediately regrets it. We discuss climbing the book-podcast charts and declare war on the NYTBR podcast, which surely has them shaking in their fine designer boots. In honor of Halloween we break down what scares us in books, as well as our favorite scary books of all time, and also litigate whether or not Laura is crazy for wanting her obituary to appear in Publisher's Lunch (spoiler alert: she is).