The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

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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435 episodes
Updated Thursday
Explicit

Episodes435

Newest first

March 12 · 44 min
When Characters Collide with Conflict
Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and Cece
March 9 · 41 min
Shooting the Shit About Sending The Elevator Back Down And Paying It Forward With Blurbs
Shooting The Shit
March 5 · 25 min
Insights from Lisa Unger
Author Interview with Lisa Unger
March 2 · 47 min
Shooting the Shit About Memoirs That Sell and The Publicity Delusion
Shooting The Shit
February 26 · 42 min
Double Hooks & Power Imbalances
Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and Cece
February 23 · 1 hr 19 min
February Bonus Episode
Bonus Episode
February 19 · 28 min
The Anatomy of an Opening
Author Interview Mara Williams
February 16 · 46 min
Shooting The Shit About Our Publishing Pet Peeves and What To Do When Your One “Yes” Is A “No”
This week’s Shooting the Shit is pure publishing chaos — in the best way. CeCe and Carly swap hilariously relatable publishing pet peeves (reply-all disasters, missing phone numbers, email thread nightmares), answer listener DMs about agent offers, beauty contests, and what to do when your “yes” doesn’t feel right, and dive into real talk about author marketing budgets and industry expectations. They also unpack big publishing news — from Spotify’s new audiobook partnership to a fiery debate on AI-generated books that has the writing world talking. Plus: behind-the-scenes updates on what’s coming next for the podcast. Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.co Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/tsnotyaw for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com * Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
February 12 · 48 min
How to Make Agents Curious While Also Impressing Them With Your Line Level Writing
Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and Cece
February 9 · 42 min
Shooting the Shit About Editors Quiet Quitting and the Unpaid Labour of Agents
Carly and CeCe are Shooting the Sh*t About what’s driving them crazy (and cracking them up) in publishing this week — from “quiet quitting” on option books and editors who ghost, to why a brilliant nonfiction expert ultimately chose not to write a book. They unpack a refreshingly transparent breakdown of what authors really make (and spend), defend why authors deserve to promote their work without backlash, and talk about how writers should actually learn publishing in 2026 — starting with craft. Plus, they react to a viral post about the financial risk agents take on! Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/tsnotyaw for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com * Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
February 5 · 53 min
The Long Game of Publishing
Author Interviews
February 2 · 40 min
Shooting The Shit About Auctions, *That* Post, and The Right Resources
Shooting The Shit
January 29 · 30 min
When the Past Won't Stay Buried: Building Dark Psychological Thrillers
Author Interview Leodora Darlington
January 26 · 54 min
January Bonus Episode
Bonus Episode
January 22 · 44 min
The Infinite Options of Where to Begin
Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and Cece
January 19 · 52 min
Shooting the Shit About What Carly and CeCe Want To Fix In The Publishing Industry and (of course!) Heated Rivalry
Shooting The Shit
January 15 · 58 min
The Mechanics of Great Storytelling
Author Interviews
January 12 · 40 min
Shooting the Shit About The Easiest Genres to Sell and How Agents Impact The Outcomes of Book Deals
Shooting The Shit
January 8 · 43 min
Perfecting the Page One Experience
Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and Cece
January 5 · 32 min
Shooting the Shit About Your Deepest and Darkest Book Money Questions PART TWO
The money talk continues. In Part Two of this no-BS publishing deep dive, Carly and CeCe tackle what really happens after you sign a deal—from how advances are actually paid (spoiler: it takes a while), to whether two-book deals are a smart move, how much authors should spend on marketing and PR, and if believing your book has million-dollar potential is confidence or delusion. They break down genre trends, celebrity “promotions,” agent income realities, and why publishing is equal parts strategy, risk, and skin in the game. Candid, sharp, and full of industry truth bombs—bookmark this one. Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/tsnotyaw for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com * Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

When Characters Collide with Conflict

Shooting the Shit About Sending The Elevator Back Down And Paying It Forward With Blurbs

Insights from Lisa Unger

Shooting the Shit About Memoirs That Sell and The Publicity Delusion

Double Hooks & Power Imbalances

February Bonus Episode

The Anatomy of an Opening

Shooting The Shit About Our Publishing Pet Peeves and What To Do When Your One “Yes” Is A “No”

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

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

The Long Game of Publishing

Shooting The Shit About Auctions, *That* Post, and The Right Resources

When the Past Won't Stay Buried: Building Dark Psychological Thrillers

January Bonus Episode

The Infinite Options of Where to Begin

Shooting the Shit About What Carly and CeCe Want To Fix In The Publishing Industry and (of course!) Heated Rivalry

The Mechanics of Great Storytelling

Shooting the Shit About The Easiest Genres to Sell and How Agents Impact The Outcomes of Book Deals

Perfecting the Page One Experience

Shooting the Shit About Your Deepest and Darkest Book Money Questions PART TWO

Shooting The Shit About Auctions, That Post, and The Right Resources