Read the Acknowledgments

Executive Director of the National Book Foundation and author Ruth Dickey and Rob Arnold, essayist, poet, and Executive Director of Poets House, join Randy to discuss the National Book Foundation and its annual awards ceremony and benefit, Poets House, deciding on the next book to read, and writers as leaders.

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Highlights include why book award lists matter, executive role misconceptions, writing while supporting writers, the importance of book readers, and much more.

Author, filmmaker, and artist Jade Song and Ling Ling Huang, author and Grammy award-winning violinist, join Randy to discuss the origin story of I LOVE YOU DON'T DIE, the beginnings of IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONS, writers finding agents, and the collaborative nature of book publishing.

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Highlights include why Jade and Ling Ling write, various elements of the writing process, writing a screenplay v writing a novel, and much more.

Zando Project's Publishing Director and Deputy Director of Marketing, Nancy Trypuc joins Randy to discuss The Black List's new fiction initiative with Evil Twin. The Evil Twin Manuscript Initiative is a new partnership created to identify an unpublished or self-published horror novel to enter into a $25,000 publishing deal with Zando imprint Evil Twin. Deadline is November 20, 2026.

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Highlights include tips for writers interested in participating in the new fiction program, upcoming titles from Evil Twin, industry thoughts for emerging writers and published authors, and much more.

Founder of Debutiful, Adam Vitcavage and Emma Copley Eisenberg, nationally bestselling author, join Randy to discuss Emma's new collection FAT SWIM, writing community support, writer career moves, and book industry business surprises.

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Highlights include dungeons and dragons, the impact of Debutiful, what Emma's learned over the course of writing three books, and much more.

Author Isabel Booth and Marcia Markland, Crooked Lane Books' Editor-at-Large, join Randy to discuss how the unpublished manuscript THEN HE WAS GONE was discovered on The Black List platform, why an editor uses The Black List, writing with empathy, the impact writing has on community, and how to celebrate a win.

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Highlights include books that inspire more writing, what an editor is looking for in a manuscript, deciding what to write next, book recommendations, and much more.

New York Times bestselling author, and President and founder of Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, Dhonielle Clayton and Caroline Tung Richmond, award-winning author and Executive Director of We Need Diverse Books, join Randy to discuss the intersection of YA and children's books x literacy in America, what emerging writers should consider when looking for an agent, community building, and life for writers beyond the page.

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Highlights include how the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books is shifting the landscape for marginalized writers and readers, why Children's books are essential, authors and their agents, how trends affect the writing process, and much more.

Author and Temple University Assistant Professor of English Laura McGrath and Alia Hanna Habib, Vice President and Literary Agent at The Gernert Company join Randy to discuss what debut book sales say about the ever-changing landscape of book publishing, the agent-writer-editor relationship, and query letters.

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Highlights include building an audience beyond social media, the volume of queries agents receive, books to buy right now, and much more.

Storehouse Voices' Associate Publisher Porscha Burke and Yahdon Israel, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster join Randy to discuss the how books are acquired, the author-editor relationship, how books are sold, and the acquisition to publication timeline.

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Highlights include how editors rest, books editors read for leisure, the power of stories and much more.

Founders Matt Trinetti and Parul Bavishi are on a mission to build the world’s most encouraging and engaging writing community, and help every human to realize their creative potential through writing; they discuss how with Randy Winston.

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Highlights include how to support a growing community, How the London Writers' Salon works, writing advice for writers, and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

COSTANZA by Rachel Blackmore

ASK ME HOW IT WORKS by Deepa Paul

THE NOTORIOUS VIRTUES by Alwyn Hamilton

THE GOLDEN HOUR by Kate Lord Brown

Award-winning novelist Nicole Dennis-Benn and Leslie Shipman, Founder of The Shipman Agency, join Randy to discuss the author-speaking agent relationship, how The Shipman Agency works, professional boundaries, and the importance of a strong writing community.

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Highlights include the difference between a book agent and a speaking agent, what an author learns from book one to book three, negotiating terms and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode: