CeCe drops big news—she’s joining Wendy Sherman Associates! Carly and CeCe dive into what it means for her clients, how agency moves work behind the scenes, and the one question every querying writer should be asking. They also pull back the curtain on what publishers try to sneak into contracts when authors don’t have agents (spoiler: it can stall your career), debate whether “referrals” in query letters really help, and unpack shocking sales figures that reveal how publishing runs on a venture-capital-style model. It’s a candid, gossipy, and eye-opening episode about power, publishing, and why writers need to think like entrepreneurs.
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 affiliatepage: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting
To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com
It’s Beta Reader Match Up time again where you can be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and/or time zone, so they can critique your work as you critique theirs.
For more information and to register, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-
up.html
Sign up for CeCe’s Fall Course:
Writing Tension Creating Tension, Conflict and Stakes in a Story
Read additional insights on Helen Lewis’ Substack:
https://helenlewis.substack.com/p/the-bluestocking-379-the-economics?mc_cid=0c2de47626&mc_eid=f61c809461
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com
Advertising Inquiries:
https://redcircle.com/brands
