Shooting the Shit: About the hidden side of best-of-year lists, AI worries, and the "midlist bestseller"

Dec 8, 2025

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In this week’s Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe dive into the chaos that is publishing in December—best-of-year lists, midlist “bestsellers,” AI anxiety, and the eternal question: Are books becoming luxury items?! They unpack fresh sales stats, why returns matter more than you think, real talk about authors’ AI fears, and the emotional rollercoaster of watching everyone post their “Best of 2025” wrap-ups. Plus: industry gossip, beauty-episode fantasies, and a viral Instagram carousel that EVERY writer needs to see.

New week, new tea. Press play.

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.

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