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 outsourcing your thinking can cost you your creative power. They tackle a common query dilemma (can you comp a book you don’t even like?), break down why small manuscript tweaks won’t fix deeper story issues, and remind writers to stop chasing the “right answer” and start trusting their own voice. Carly and CeCe also talk about tough industry realities—from agents parting ways with clients to the truth about book tours (who gets them and why most don’t)—offering a candid look at how publishing really works behind the scenes.
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.
Mentioned on today's episode:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2026-04-16/reese-witherspoon-authors-book-club-learn-ai-chatgpt
https://open.substack.com/pub/unsolicitedmanuscript/p/author-tours?r=h5j0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web (edi
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 Chime: https://chime.com/TSNOTYAW
* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/tsnotyaw
* 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
