Episodes
Monday May 06, 2024
An Insider's Journey with Leigh Stein
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
In this episode, Julie Satow and Alice Robb welcome five-time author Leigh Stein. From high-school dropout to memoirist, book coach, branding expert and BookTok enthusiast, Stein has experience with virtually every segment of the publishing industry. She talks about how she got hired by the New Yorker without a college degree; what she learned from her first flop; why she decided not to become an agent; and how authors can take control of their book’s trajectory—years after the pub date.
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Behind the Scenes with Ashley Alberico, Sales Marketing Director at Crown
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Ashley Alberico is the Sales and Marketing Director for the Crown Publishing Group, a subset of Penguin Random House. In this episode, Ashley discusses what happens behind the scenes in sales and marketing meetings, and how experts boil down your book to pithy marketing jargon that appeals to booksellers and readers.
Having worked with the likes of Michelle Obama and Ina Garten, Ashley explains how Amazon categorizes books, the difference between Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and what you should tell friends when they ask you "Where should I buy your book?" (The answer: it's complicated!) Ashley also dishes about the role of authors in the marketing and sales process, and the calendar for when important decisions are made. Also, learn practical advice like the difference between announced print runs and actual print runs, and what can of ads or publicity actually sell books.
Sunday Mar 24, 2024
Sunday Mar 24, 2024
Dive deep into the world of agenting with our guest, Cherise Fisher, who shares her unique insights from a 25-year career in publishing.
In this episode, Cherise delves into the relationship between a writer and editor, from page to bookstore shelf, dispelling common misconceptions, like whether an agent “edits” a book proposal, their role in the business side of writing, and sharing her do’s and don’ts for authors. Plus, find out how she became an agent to New York Times bestsellers, like Sadiqa Johnson and Tia Williams, and what attributes she looks for in clients.
She also talks about her career, from graduating college to her first job in publishing, how she became an acquiring editor at Simon & Schuster, and eventually Editor in Chief of Plume, an imprint of Penguin Random House. And what prompted her to change her career trajectory and leave the editorial side of publishing to become a literary agent.
In addition to sharing personal anecdotes and inside stories, Cherise dispels common misconceptions in the non-fiction market and discusses the economics of publishing. Learn the various strategies publishers utilize to maximize profit amidst slim margins, what are 'comp titles', and the calculated exaggeration of print runs, not to mention what it really means to ‘earn out’ your advance. If you're a seasoned author, an aspiring writer, or even just a curious reader, this episode will enrich your perception of the book publishing world.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
In this episode of How Books Work, Executive Editor at Crown, Libby Burton joins co-hosts Julie Satow and Alice Robb for an enlightening conversation about gatekeeping in the publishing industry, her passion for poetry, and important ways editors and writers can improve the system.
Libby, who has edited award-winning authors like Stacey Abrams, Katie Porter, Mariah Carey, and others, talks about her personal journey into publishing, and how being a poet influences her editorial role. She also discusses what types of writers appeal to her, and her mission to create a more inclusive industry. The conversation also delves into the importance of authors' platforms, the relevance of publicity, marketing, and sales in corporate publishing, and the influence of public opinion on platforms like Goodreads.
Libby also advises Julie and Alice about how authors need to balance their careers and writing, the importance of choosing the right agent, understanding the market for their work, and the critical role of meeting deadlines in the publishing process. It’s a comprehensive dive into the changing landscape of the publishing industry that will provide invaluable insight for aspiring writers, industry enthusiasts, and avid readers alike.
JULIE SATOW | ALICE ROBB
When we sold our first books, we didn’t know the difference between a marketer and a publicist; the proper etiquette around asking for blurbs; the necessity of hiring our own fact-checkers; or the number of books we’d need to sell to “earn out” our advance. Publishing is an arcane, often incomprehensible industry, and most writers work in isolation. This is particularly true for non-fiction authors like us, who typically don’t have MFAs or writing groups to rely on. We aim to pull back the curtain and find out how this industry works.
JULIE SATOW
JULIE SATOW is the award-winning author of “The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel” and the forthcoming “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion,” to be published in June 2024 by Doubleday.
ALICE ROBB
ALICE ROBB is the author of Why We Dream (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2018), which was translated into fifteen foreign languages, and Don't Think, Dear: On Loving and Leaving Ballet (HarperCollins 2023), a "beautiful, difficult and compelling memoir" (Vanity Fair) which was the subject of a New York Times Styles profile. Her journalism and essays on dance, culture, and books have appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the New Statesman, the Times Literary Supplement, and elsewhere.