This week we take a look at the far too slanted battlefield on which people who want change in publishing are forced to fight--and how, rather than responding to each new publishing injustice on a case by case basis, we might try instead to change the terms of engagement in our favor. On the heels of the deceptive phrase “we came to publish, not to cancel,” we argue that even in accepting the implied definitions of either word we’re ceding crucial ground. Join us for a wide-ranging episode that covers everything from appropriation to publishing’s role as a producer of culture.

This week we talk about the state of nonfiction publishing amidst the changing conditions of both the industry and the wider world--how has a pandemic and political turbulence affected our relationship to “truth” and “expertise” in books? We talk through the new moment of popular science publishing, as well as how it might follow the arc we saw over prior years in more explicitly political publishing. Then, to finish, a To Loon It May Concern about how to manage trope fatigue in genre fiction, especially as an author of a marginalized identity.

This week we take on a term we all love but can never quite pin down: speculative fiction. What do industry people--and readers--mean when they say “speculative,” and what does the distinction between aesthetics, genre, and prestige with regard to the term say about the market at large? What are we talking about when we, as book people, talk about speculative fiction? Come help us work through it.

This week we take a look at Laura McGrath’s fascinating paper on how literary agents shape the acquisitions landscape. It’s got a lot of insights we agree with and some things we push back on a bit, but overall the conversation ends up being a close look at what “taste” actually is, how people in our position exist in relation to corporate power, and much more. Join us!

The paper we discuss is here, for your reference: https://academic.oup.com/alh/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/alh/ajab005/6161353?redirectedFrom=fulltext#230638685

This week, we unpack a fascinating essay about the ways in which Philip Roth managed his authorial image and career, and the various questions it raises about what “success” is, how to be a good literary citizen, and what happens when an author’s “brand” becomes a part of their writing itself. It’s a conversation about moving and shaking in the modern literary landscape, how social media changes that thinking, how it all relates to power, and how it connects to the art that gets made in this environment.

We’re back! In our first episode since going on leave in late 2020, we talk about how our approach and views toward the industry may have shifted since our time of last recording. This transitions into a conversation about the public performance of “working” on social media, and leads to a conversation about the interplay between social media posturing and power in the industry--spoiler alert: that power dynamic needs some fixing. It’s great to be back, and we’re so glad you’re joining us again!

After updating our discussion on the ethics of “news” books in light of Bob Woodward’s new controversial book, we use the occasion of Headwater’s first birthday to talk about the state of modern publishing, where boutique presses and agencies fit in, how the industry could survive and sustain itself moving forward, and much more. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about how, contrary to common wisdom, publishing may need to “think smaller” in order to be the most effective version of itself.

It’s great to be back! This week we catch up on some recent discussions in the book world, by way of first talking through why IP projects can be so beneficial for everyone involved, and then about various events that all revolve around the faulty ways that publishing sees gender. Join us!

This week we talk about the open letter published in Harper’s that supposedly advocates for free speech and open debate--we think it’s actually an argument for something far more pernicious, and on this episode we talk through why. It’s a conversation on power, platform, censorship, and related issues, and we think you’ll find it useful!

Special episodes for the month coming soon. You can submit work for those or just write to us at [email protected]. Thanks as always for your support!

Well, it’s summer. Typically that’s a slow period in publishing, but this year feels different for a variety of reasons we try to work through in our discussion, along with some thoughts on how our work might change when the supposed “busy season” hits this fall. How has this pandemic changed the way we see our own working lives and those of our clients? All that and more, including an update on Erik’s new foray into science fiction, and a To Loon It May Concern.