Tom Mayer
Executive editor at W.W. Norton. He explains how editors value, bid on, and acquire books, and ultimately wins the auction for the Planet Money book.
Best podcasts with Tom Mayer
Ranked by the Snipd community
225 snips
Mar 21, 2026 • 43min
Inside a BOOK auction
Tom Mayer, executive editor at W.W. Norton, steps inside publishing’s secretive dealmaking. He walks through how editors price ideas, weigh risk, and chase breakout books. Then the drama kicks in: agents stir competition, bids pile up, and a tense beauty contest decides who wins the rights.
121 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 47min
Our BOOK vs. the global supply chain
Tom Mayer, a W.W. Norton editor, takes listeners inside the making of a book. They trace how edits, design choices, pricing, and deadlines shape the final object. Then the story jumps to trade wars, cargo risks, deforestation rules, and the surprise logic behind printing in Indiana instead of overseas. Even a one-inch trim change causes chaos.
