The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

390 episodes · 3 with AI analysis

This is a podcast for emerging writers who want to improve the quality of their work and learn more about the publishing industry. Your one host, Bianca Marais (the bestselling author of 'The Witches of Moonshyne Manor') interviews authors, agents, editors and just about anyone and everyone who's involved in bringing a book to market. She's joined by her cohosts, literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra from P.S. Literary Agency, who read and critique query letters as well as opening pages in their Books with Hooks segment. Expect good advice, honest insights, and a few laughs along the way.

AI Intelligence · across all analyzed episodes

People · top 19

Carly Waters×3 Cece Lira×3 Bianca Marais×2 Alicia Fox Annabelle Monaghan Olivia Jackson Ashley Bennett Elizabeth Strout Sarah Miller Adams Rebecca Traister Laura McCowan Emmeline Reeves Sarah T. Dubb Eleanor Shearer Sharice Fisher Marisa Waltz Sarah Canton Josie Lloyd Yahdon Israel

Companies · top 17

Wendy Sherman Associates×3 Barnes & Noble×2 PS Literary Agency×2 Walmart Target Rosetta Stone Amazon PS Literary Atlanta Writers Club Federal Reserve Simon & Schuster One More Chapter The Strand Georgia Romance Writers St. Martin's Press Foxtail Bookstore HarperCollins

Topics · top 10

Literary agent querying and rejection managementBook death on submission and emotional resilienceDigital-first publishing models and distributionAuthor-publisher communication and contract negotiationsManuscript revision and line-level writing craftHybrid second-person narrative perspectiveBook marketing and publicity strategy for debut authorsSocial media comparison and mental health for authorsCritique partners and writing community buildingPrint-on-demand vs. traditional paperback release timing

Analyzed Episodes

Feb 5, 2026

The Long Game of Publishing

Literary agent querying and rejection managementBook death on submission and emotional resilienceDigital-first publishing models and distribution

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Feb 9, 2026

Shooting the Shit About Editors Quiet Quitting and the Unpaid Labour of Agents

Option clauses and contractual timelines in publishing agreementsEditor ghosting and quiet quitting in publishingBook advance structures and payment schedules

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Feb 12, 2026

How to Make Agents Curious While Also Impressing Them With Your Line Level Writing

Query Letter Structure for Multi-POV NarrativesCharacter Introduction Strategies in Query LettersOpening Scene Construction in Literary Fiction

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