How Books Work

Jane Dystel, has been a literary agent since 1986, and, as the president of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, represents bestselling writers like Colleen Hoover and Samantha Young. Jane spoke to us about what she looks for in a new writer; why she sometimes advises her clients not to take the biggest advance; and what she reads for fun.

Ada Calhoun is the bestselling author of several nonfiction books and now her first novel, Crush. She told us about what she’s learned about structure from writing- ghostwriting- over 30 books; how she avoids the “fallow field mode” that some writers (e.g. Alice and Julie) experience between books; and the feedback that helped her make Also a Poet such a success.

Julie Satow and Alice Robb sit down with Laura McGrath, the author of Middlemen to tell the surprising story of how literary agents went from magazine brokers to the most powerful figures in American publishing. Through archival sleuthing, vivid fieldwork, and data that brings catalogs and auction-room drama to life, this episode traces pivotal moments — from the first auctions to the birth of the super agent — and the intimate, sometimes fraught relationships that shape what readers get to see on shelves. Listen as they weave anecdotes about deals, loyalty, and gatekeeping with sharp reporting on today’s shifts: agents as editors, agents on Substack, and the ways technology and consolidation are rewriting old rules. It’s a fast-moving, character-driven narrative that reveals not just how books get made, but who gets to decide.

Have you ever wondered about speakers' bureaus and how they work? Or wondered  whether they might make sense for you? Speakers' bureaus can be controversial, with some authors adamant that they are not worth the cost, while others are big believers in the benefit of increased visibility.  Join Alice and Julie as they talk with Christie Hinrichs, the Director & Events Agent at Authors Unbound, a full-service literary speakers bureau that represents more than 300 authors and manages nearly 1,000 events every year. Christie, who lives with her partner and teenage son in Bend, Oregon, managed several Visiting Author Series and worked as an independent booking agent before founding Authors Unbound in 2018. She talks with Alice and Julie about what sorts of authors are a good fit for her company, what authors can do to book more speaking gigs, and what Authors Unbound brings to the table.

For our inaugural episode of Season 2 of How Books Work, Julie and Alice delve into the obtuse world of foreign rights, perhaps one of the least understood aspects of the publishing industry. Did you know, for instance, that half of all books published in Germany are translations, while only 3% of US publications are? Or that UK publishers are now booking their schedules so far in advance that some editors can't take on anything new until 2027? Have you ever had the surreal experience of finally selling a book, then hearing from your agent that it also sold abroad, then months later, getting sent your book, but with a completely different cover and in a language that you don't understand? How do these deals actually happen? And what determines whether your book finds readers in Italy versus Japan versus nowhere abroad at all? To get answers to these mysteries, Julie and Alice speak with Allison Malecha, Director of Foreign Rights at Trellis Literary Management. Allison explains the hidden world of foreign scouts and shares stories of authors who flopped in America but became bestsellers in France. Whether you're curious about advances abroad or wondering why American narrative nonfiction still has such cachet internationally, then this conversation is for you.