As a means of trying to be more uplifting than recent weeks, we take on that everpresent fear all writers have: in relation to publishing, are you good enough? Obviously craft and skill matter, but here we reframe the question to one of constantly changing conditions and markets, rather than anything you can control--this should feel liberating, because no one has a good prediction for what’s “on trend” or will be, or how acquisitions might look even a few months from now. Just write!

This week, we talk about the ways in which publishing has, has not, and could respond to the new conditions presented by the pandemic, and why certain choices made well before 2020 have set up current difficulties. We also take a look at a very topical coronavirus book, and debate whether this sort of quick, reactive publishing is a good strategy in a time like this.

From our own respective isolations, we do a nice little wellness check on each other, and talk about how coronavirus has affected our work, the publishing industry, and even how we and other book people might view concepts like “productivity” moving forward. How will such a massive disruption affect the industry? No one knows, but we talk through a few ideas and in general just catch up.

This week’s episode is a recording of our live show from last week at Subtext Books here in Saint Paul, where we talked with Eric Smith about his new novel DON’T READ THE COMMENTS, how he balances agent and author life, being a positive internet presence in an age of cynicism, and much more.

We talk about the announced deal for the novel The Other Black Girl, a great-sounding book set within the publishing industry that will surely generate all sorts of discussion. We then discuss how publishers themselves might do a better job of investing in indie bookstores, and other infrastructure they rely on to succeed. This week’s To Loon It May Concern centers on deciding between experienced agents versus newer ones. Join us!

We’re back! Laura recently transitioned to agenting full time, and now that the dust has cleared it gives us the chance to talk about the strange calculations in work-life balance nearly everyone in publishing is making, why so many agents have second jobs (and why that’s not something often discussed), and how this culture of broadcasting how busy we all are creates a paradox with the fact that we never talk about our work outside the field.

This week, in addition to singing some sweet 90s pop, we talk through the many facets of the mess surrounding the novel American Dirt. What does this whole saga reveal about publishing’s biases, how review coverage intersects with promotion, or what gets prioritized by publishers in media at the expense of other projects? We discuss all that and more. Join us!

After a quick RWA update, we try to do a segment on resolutions and predictions for 2020, and while we do end up getting there after some deft transition work, we somehow end up talking about the St. Paul cafe scene? Anyway, we talk about interrogating one’s own taste, why SF/F might become more “literary” this year, a new outlook on reading submissions, and a lot more. Join us!

In the wake of the still-unfolding RWA mess, we share our perspectives on what’s gone so badly wrong, and why we feel these problems are--at least in part--intrinsic to the sort of writing institution that RWA has become. From there, we talk about what large writing associations should pay careful attention to as they build, so as to root out the sorts of problems we’re seeing now.

It’s a pretty loose one this week. We talk about where we’re at as we draw toward the end of the year, share some memories from the year, give a delicious recipe for Oreo balls, it’s a whole thing. Come hang out; pretty easy listening today.