Read the Acknowledgments

Riverhead Books' Publicity Director Ashley Garland and Assistant Director of Publicity Glory Anne Plata join Randy to discuss the author-publicist relationship, book tours, the role of a publicist, and the importance of author websites.

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Highlights include book jacket decision-makers, keys to publicity campaigns, the never-ending book publicity cycle and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

Mỹ Documents by Kevin Nguyen

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Best selling author Zakiya Dalila Harris and writing professor Sincere Brooks join Randy to discuss advocating for writers, writing pain points, and book-adjacent writing inspiration.

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Highlights include how to protect your craft, writing scenes, empathy in story and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Best selling and critically acclaimed authors Maura Cheeks and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and Summit Books Associate Publisher Josefine Kals join Randy, live at Liz's Book Bar in Brooklyn, NY to discuss the importance of craft, relationships in and outside of the book world, and how to navigate the business of publishing.

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Highlights include the value of indie booksellers and librarians, book advances, publicity strategies and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

FRIDAY BLACK by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

CHAIN GANG ALL-STARS by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

ACTS OF FORGIVENESS by Maura Cheeks

Spotify’s Henna Silvennoinen, Casey Acierno, & JED’s Courtney Knowles join Randy to discuss how fiction writers can participate in the Spotify x JED Impact Award: A Mental Health in Fiction initiative. 

Spotify x JED Impact Award Submission Page

Spotify’s Mental Health Resource Hub for Writers

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Highlights include what makes an unpublished manuscript eligible, how many projects will be selected for $50K in grants, helpful mental health resources for writers, mental health misconceptions, Spotify and JED’s history of work in the mental health space, and much more. 

News on this initiative

Variety

Spotify For The Record

JED: News and Views

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Highlights include the origin of Unicorn Authors Club, the importance of writers supporting writers, how to pitch your project, and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

Bountiful Instructions for Enlightenment by Minal Hajratwala

Leaving India: My Family’s Journey From Five Villages to Five Continents by Minal Hajratwala

The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh

More from The Black List: Check out our opportunities for fiction writers!

2025 Unpublished Novel Award: a $10k Grant opportunity

Spotify x JED Impact Award: A Mental Health in Fiction Initiative

The Genre Films Manuscript Partnership

ONYX Collective Manuscript Initiative

Kate McKean, literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, and Maris Kreizman, author and columnist for Lit Hub, join Randy to discuss the importance of newsletters and what agents and authors learn from each other. 

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Highlights include how to craft newsletters, recommended books, writing groups, and much more. 

Books mentioned in the episode:

Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life by Kate McKean

I Want to Burn This Place Down: Essays by Maris Kreizman

Slaughter House 90210 by Maris Kreizman

The Bestseller by Olivia Goldsmith

Anagrams by Lorrie Moore

Thomas Gebremedhin, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday, and Jackson Howard, Senior Editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and its imprints MCD and AUWA, join Randy to discuss all things discovery and editing.

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Highlights include what editors look for in authors and manuscripts, how editors find their next book, and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode:

STAY TRUE by Hua Hsu

DARK LABORATORY: ON COLUMBUS, THE CARIBBEAN, AND THE ORIGINS OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS by Tao Leigh Goffe

BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Zach Williams

Traci Thomas, Creator and Host of The Stacks, and Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List, join Randy to discuss The Black List's Inaugural Adaptation List. 

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Highlights include surprise titles on the list, titles that should have made the list, what makes for a great adaptation, and much more. 

Books mentioned in the episode: 

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe 

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon 

New People by Danzy Senna 

Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson 

See Now Then by Jamaica Kincaid 

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw 

Frederick Douglas: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight 

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton 

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi 

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi 

Come & Get It by Kiley Reid

Book Scout Erin Edmison and Sterling Lord Literistic Foreign Rights Director and Author Szilvia Molnar. 

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Highlights include why book scouting is important for writers, things writers should know about foreign rights, what book scouts are looking for in a book, foreign rights advances and royalties, and much more. 

Books mentioned in the episode: 

The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar 

Middlemarch by George Eliot 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 

I Don’t Care by Ágota Kristóf

Author A.E Osworth and author and Electric Literature Editor-in-Chief Denne Michele Norris join Randy to discuss education, writing groups, and staying true to who you are. 

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Highlights include the importance of writers advocating for writers, how writing instruction impacts writing, and much more.

Books mentioned in the episode: 

Awakened by A.E. Osworth 

When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris 

skin & bones by Renée Watson 

Aggregated Discontent: Confessions of the Last Normal Woman by Harron Walker 

Stag Dance by Torrey Peters 

The Favorites by Layne Fargo 

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses