The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

Episodes 421
Avg. Duration 54m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.8 (796)
Since Sep 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every Few Days
Format
Episodic
Consistency
80%
Hosting
feeds.redcircle.com

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

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.

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Recent Episodes

S31E6 Writing Dialogue That Carries the Entire Scene and How Voice Can Make or Break Your Novel

Jun 11, 2026 55m Transcript

In part one of this week’s double author interview, Carly Watters sits down with debut author Lara Stokes to discuss her novel ‘Midsummer Nights’ — a contemporary, theater-filled spin on William…

Shooting the Shit About Agent Financial Details, Imprint Mergers and Risks of a Top Heavy Industry

Jun 08, 2026 34m Bonus Transcript

In this week’s episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe chat about the ever-expanding role of literary agents—from event support and career coaching to navigating emerging challenges like AI,…

S31E5 Layers of Psychological Processing

Jun 04, 2026 46m Transcript

In this milestone 225th Books with Hooks segment , Bianca, Carly and CeCe break down two wildly different submissions to dissect what’s working (and what’s not). First up is a high-concept Western…

Shooting the Shit About Agent Financial Details, Imprint Mergers and Risks of a Top Heavy Industry

Jun 01, 2026 48m Bonus Transcript

In this week’s Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe tackle some of the biggest conversations shaping publishing right now. They discuss the recent consolidation of Simon & Schuster and what fewer…

S31E4 Successfully Pitching at Conferences

May 28, 2026 28m Transcript

Landing a book deal isn’t about one manuscript—it’s about persistence, growth, and strategy. In this week’s author interview, Emma White shares how writing three novels, facing nearly 90 rejections,…

May Bonus Episode

May 25, 2026 1h 15m Bonus Transcript

In part one of this month’s May Bonus episode, Steven Rowley joins Bianca Marais to discuss his latest novel and return to magical realism. Together, they explore identity, grief, reinvention, and…

S31E3 Sneaky Prologues That Sizzle

May 21, 2026 44m Transcript

This week on Books with Hooks, Carly, Bianca and CeCe dive into a satirical body horror query with a killer premise: an aspiring influencer’s transformation takes a dark—and literal—turn. CeCe…

Shooting the Shit About Agent Scams and When A Book Is Truly Ready To Go

May 18, 2026 23m Bonus Transcript

In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe dive into the rise of publishing scams targeting hopeful writers, sharing major red flags to watch for and why scammers are preying on authors’…

S31E2 Taking Big Risks That Pay Off & Breaking the Rules With Intentionality

May 14, 2026 58m Transcript

Debut author Alessandra Ranelli joins the show to share the wild, real-life story behind Murder at the Hotel Orient — from a disastrous week that sparked the idea, to turning a legendary Vienna love…

Shooting the Shit About Professional Development and the Power of the Agent "Fit"

May 11, 2026 40m Bonus Transcript

In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe dive into the power of “fit” in publishing — from finding the right agent-author relationship to understanding how passion, advocacy, and instinct…

S31E1 The Craft of Specificity: Why Vague Kills Queries

May 07, 2026 39m Transcript

On this week’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe talk about TWO standout queries hit the table this week—and the bar is high. One delivers a polished, compelling YA pitch with strong writing and…

Shooting The Shit About Expectations in Agent Author Relationships and Who Gets To Go On Book Tour

May 04, 2026 49m Bonus Transcript

In this week’s episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe dive into a viral story about ChatGPT allegedly derailing a $50M deal and unpack what it means for writers relying on AI—warning that…

S30E10 Author Insights from Mai Nguyen, Lindsay Wong and Laurie Frankel

Apr 30, 2026 1h 39m Transcript

In part one of this week’s triple author interview, literary agent Carly Watters sits down with Mai Nguyen to discuss her deeply personal novel ‘Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead’. Mai shares the…

April Bonus Episode

Apr 27, 2026 1h 24m Bonus Transcript

Debut author Canwen Xu joins Bianca to talk about ‘Boring Asian Female’—the dark, addictive novel that began as women’s fiction and evolved into a razor-sharp psychological thriller. They discuss,…

S30E9 When Intrigue Turns Into Confusion

Apr 23, 2026 30m Transcript

This week on Books with Hooks, Bianca CeCe and Carly unpack what makes a query actually work—and where things quietly fall apart. From a gripping friends-to-lovers premise with a dark past to a…

Shooting the Shit About What Agents Do All Day

Apr 20, 2026 38m Bonus Transcript

What do literary agents actually do all day—and what does that mean for you as a writer? This episode pulls back the curtain on the reality: constant code-switching, shifting priorities, and a job…

S30E8 How to Build a Protagonist Who Actually Makes Sense

Apr 16, 2026 45m Transcript

Debut author Miranda Shulman joins literary agent CeCe Lyra to talk about turning a childhood dream into her literary suspense novel ‘Harmless’—and why the stories we tell ourselves about adulthood…

Shooting The Shit About Changes to the NYT Bestseller List and Editors Allegedly Using AI

Apr 13, 2026 37m Bonus Transcript

This week, Carly and CeCe dive into major shifts in publishing—from quiet updates to the ‘New York Times’ bestseller list to growing concerns about editors using AI behind the scenes. Carly and CeCe…

S30E7 Plugging in Mental Modules

Apr 09, 2026 38m Transcript

This week on Books with Hooks, Bianca, CeCe and Carly break down two query letters—and pull no punches. From missing plot lines to overstuffed author bios, they highlight the biggest mistakes writers…

Shooting the Shit About Cancelled Books and the Shy Girl AI Discourse

Apr 06, 2026 38m Bonus Transcript

It’s chaos in publishing—and Carly and CeCe are breaking it all down. From the AI controversy behind Shy Girl to growing fears around trust, authorship, and what readers actually want. They get real…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Shit No One Tells You About Writing have?

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing has published 421 episodes since September 2020, covering topics in Arts, Books.

Is The Shit No One Tells You About Writing still active?

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing is currently highly active with new episodes every few days. Average episode length is 54m.

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