All Your Book Trends Questions, Answered

GOD THIS EPISODE IS GOOD. I absolutely love talking about the publishing industry with Alyssa Morris: she has such a sharp eye for what makes people feel things (and what does and does not make people buy books). Every time we talk I swear we could go another two hours, but this time we try our best to limit ourselves to just over one. We talk about the feeling that "high-concept" books are everywhere, Yesteryear and its siblings, cozy fantasy, Dungeon Crawler Carl's Audible exclusive deal (and what the author is doing to make it more accessible), why SO MANY NOVELS take place in WORLD WAR II, how Theo of Golden went big with boomers, and, of course, the slow burn success of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. It's such a fun ride.

Also: when we recorded, I'd only read the first Emma M. Lion — I am now fully obsessed, on Volume Five, and can't wait to do a whole pod on the series when Volume Nine comes out in February. I have also been apprised by ex-Mormon/Mormon pop culture expert Meg Conley that Brower is absolutely Mormon, so take this as an update to our uncertain discussion of Brower's religion.

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTUREGet $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE.Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order.Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box!Show Notes:Follow Alyssa on Instagram hereLearn more about her work as an agent hereGO SUBSCRIBE TO ROMANCING THE PHONE (and read the most recent piece on ACOTAR's very curious period panty partnership)We talk about The Poison Daughter (which hit #1 on the NYT Bestseller List and Alyssa agented)Beth Brower's Substack is a must for Emma M. Lion fans — a real treasure trove of sidequestsA transcript for this episode is available hereWe're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!WOMEN