The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Shooting the Shit About Professional Development and the Power of the Agent "Fit"
10 snips
May 11, 2026 They dig into how “fit” shapes agent-author relationships, list-building, and which projects agents make time for. They spotlight networking and festivals as unexpected classrooms for learning readers and market instincts. They debate anti-AI disclaimers and unpack the legal storm over AI training on books. They explore mentorship, professional development, and the messy measures of agent success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Stay Close To Real Readers
- Agents and editors must regularly be readers and consumers to understand real reader reactions.
- Carly describes attending the Ottawa Writers Festival as a non-panelist and learning from audience responses and questions.
Use Conferences For On The Job Training
- Go to conferences and informal offsite events and join mixers to learn industry practices through conversation.
- CeCe and Carly stress that hallway chats and drinks teach auction methodology, pitching tactics, and market instincts you can't get elsewhere.
Success Varies By Deal Quality Not Tenure
- Agent success varies widely despite similar tenure because deal size and list composition differ.
- CeCe shares anonymized data showing one agent with fewer deals earned far more due to larger advances.
