Print Run Podcast
174 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 284 ratingsPrint Run is a podcast created and hosted by Laura Zats and Erik Hane. Its aim is simple: to have the conversations surrounding the book and writing industries that too often are glossed over by conventional wisdom, institutional optimism, and false seriousness.
We’re book people, and we want to examine the questions that lie at the heart of that life: why do books, specifically, matter? In a digital world, what cultural ground does book publishing still occupy?
Whether it’s trends in the queries from writers that hit our inboxes or the social ramifications of an industry that pays so little being based in Manhattan, we’re here for it. Probably to laugh at it and call it names, but here for it nonetheless.
Print Run is the happy-hour conversation after a long day at a catalog launch; it’s the bottle of wine you drink most of on a Tuesday when the manuscripts are no good. We’re for writers, for publishers, for anyone who’s opened a book and wanted to know—really know—what goes into getting the damn thing made.
Join us. We’ll talk about the worst sex scene we’ve ever read and wonder aloud about how millennials will affect the books of the future. We’ll figure out why Jonathan Franzen wants to replace your child with a penguin and whether or not that penguin will be buying hardcovers when he grows up.
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Episodes
Episode 169—We’re Just a Bunch of Guys
March 19, 2024 18:46 - 48 minutes - 67.4 MBIn light of yet another round of agent chaos over the weekend, we got together to talk about the information climate in publishing at large, the ways in which even well-intentioned agents can contribute to gatekeeping and access issues for writers. In an age when there are more agents, writers, and information about agents and writers than ever before, everyone could stand to examine whether they’re making publishing a less anxious and more transparent place that’s open to all types of people...
Episode 168—You Don’t Have To Sit There
February 29, 2024 18:50 - 44 minutes - 62.2 MBThis week we get a little bit mad at the Forced Waiting that publishing imposes on all of us, and it builds to a call to arms: you–writers, agents, editors, whoever–don’t just have to wait quietly for progress to happen to you. No matter your situation in publishing, you can get out there and make something happen as a person with agency and the owner of your own career and path. We address the flipside too, of course: agents (including us!) need to adjust our habits so that there’s less sile...
Episode 167—Dread, But Make It Fashion
January 24, 2024 16:18 - 53 minutes - 74.1 MBIn our first episode of 2024, we take a look at the publishing landscape for the year ahead. We believe that there could be several culminating moments of rupture or change in the near future, in everything from AI’s implementation in the industry to how workers in publishing choose to respond to their own working conditions. We get a little rowdy and we have a good time–come join us!
Episode 166—Give ‘Em What They’re Owed
October 04, 2023 17:29 - 56 minutes - 77.8 MBThis week’s theme, across multiple topics, is that workers in publishing deserve to be paid and supported in all the ways required for them to live well and do their jobs to the best of their abilities. We start with a chat about the Half Price Books Union’s contract negotiations, and finish with a look at the recent survey data from AALA. Join us!
Episode 165—Private Equity, AI, and the Techification of Publishing
August 16, 2023 16:27 - 48 minutes - 67.8 MBThis week we use two recent stories–the acquisition of Simon & Schuster by the investment firm KKR and the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence usage in various book-related shenanigans–as a way of talking about something big and broad: publishing looking more and more like the tech world each day. Why might the Silicon Valley approach to business not work in publishing, and why do these recent trends alarm us for reasons big and small, aesthetic and substantive? Join us and we’ll talk th...
Episode 164—Level Drain
July 27, 2023 14:44 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBIn the wake of what feels like an endless round of layoffs, restructurings, consolidations, and any other corporate terms for “good people losing their jobs,” we talk about how this constant reshuffling affects the industry as a whole and specifically our jobs as agents. Spoiler alert: it’s not great! But we talk through it and let the feelings out, and do our best to express some solidarity along the way. Join us.
Episode 163—The Annual Summer Vibe-isode
June 09, 2023 19:49 - 34 minutes - 48.1 MBWe’ve had a lot of Serious Content lately and it’s a summer Friday, so come take a break with us while we chat about what we’ve got going on this summer, in terms of book stuff and otherwise. One of our more vibey episodes rather than a big heavy topic, so come hang out!
Episode 162—Turning Over the Same Leaf
May 23, 2023 16:48 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBThis week in the wake of a LOT of agency shakeups, we asked an extremely basic question: what if the publishing world treated writers like they were professionals? This frame lets us talk about the discourse from the past few weeks, all which shares the common theme of “treating writers really poorly.” Come vent with us, come laugh with us, come imagine a better way of doing things with us.
Episode 161—Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss
May 12, 2023 16:48 - 1 hour - 84.1 MBThis week we talk about everyone’s favorite publishing topic that never gives anyone anxiety: gatekeeping and access! We explore how agents can do better jobs of creating an equitable and open playing field for writers trying to break into publishing, even while inherently positioned as a “gate” between the writers and the publishers. The conversation gets to some other places too–we call conferences scams again (oops), we talk about different approaches to finding clients, and much more.
Episode 160—What is Love
March 29, 2023 18:38 - 46 minutes - 64.1 MBWe’ve heard it so many times in so many places: editors falling in love with books, agents loving manuscripts from the first page, deal announcements centered on how much every party involved LOVES the book and working with each other. To put it lightly, “love” as a publishing concept in acquisitions can be crazy-making to try to understand, anticipate, or even manufacture. This episode we talk through, in the realm of signing projects and getting book deals, what we talk about when we talk a...
Episode 159—All the Strange Silences
March 14, 2023 13:55 - 51 minutes - 71.8 MBAt many different moments in the publishing process, we are asked to stay quiet about news, or keep certain developments secret, or not post the thing we’re dying to share on social media. How come? This week we talk about the different silences in publishing–everything from etiquette during the query process to not doing a cover reveal before marketing says so. Some silences are helpful for writers, some are not, and we try to sift through what all of it means.
Episode 158—The Books That Made Us
January 31, 2023 15:35 - 54 minutes - 75.8 MBThis week we gave each other a prompt: which books have been the most transformative or influential in shaping our book careers? It’s an open-ended question and we took it that way–in this episode we talk about books we worked on, books that changed our working categories, books we loved, hated, and more. It’s a wide-ranging show that gets into all the different ways individual titles can alter how we do our jobs.
Episode 157—Fresh Off the Picket Line with Rachel Kambury
December 08, 2022 18:42 - 1 hour - 122 MBThis week we were lucky enough to have HarperCollins associate editor Rachel Kambury on the show, and we talked to her all about her union’s strike, what about their working conditions led them to this historic moment, and how the industry might change in light of this watershed moment in publishing-worker solidarity. We thought it was important for folks to hear directly from the HarperCollins workers, and we’re very grateful for Rachel joining us to talk about her experience firsthand.
Episode 156—Welcome to Decembo
December 01, 2022 16:32 - 41 minutes - 57.7 MBFolks, it is that time of year once again. As we set off on our yearly month of holiday memes and other nonsense, we’re adding in some real reflection on the truths that a strange, volatile year of publishing and (and life) has taught us. This episode we get a little personal and talk about the year that was, and set us off on a month of taking stock of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. It’ll be fun too, we promise!
Episode 155—Tweets and Strikes
November 21, 2022 15:42 - 46 minutes - 64.1 MBThis week we take a look at the HarperCollins Union’s strike for better working conditions, discuss the possible destruction of Twitter, and in general share how we navigate the strangest part of the book calendar–the holidays. It’s a lively grab-bag with a healthy dose of pro-labor sentiment to get your Thanksgiving week started right.
Episode 154—Object Lessons
October 07, 2022 14:36 - 1 hour - 94.6 MBThis week’s convo starts out as a discussion of our relationships with books as physical objects and ends up… everywhere? We talk about how we associate meaning and memory with books, our reading habits, when a book actually becomes a book and not a manuscript or a draft, and plenty else. We pick at all the seams of how people interact and place value on the concept of a book, and it ends up being one of our more personal episodes. Join us!
Episode 153--A New Achilles Heel
August 19, 2022 17:02 - 45 minutes - 63.5 MBThis week we talk about Barnes & Noble’s decision to stock fewer hardcover titles, especially in YA and MG categories. How will this affect debut writers and marginalized creators, why might they make this choice in the first place, and how will publishers respond?
Episode 152--Show Trial
August 12, 2022 17:29 - 58 minutes - 80.5 MBThis week we talk about–what else–the court case involving the DOJ vs. PRH, regarding their attempted merger with Simon & Schuster. Specifically, we analyze how the executives testifying have been talking about the industry at large, and what it reveals about corporate publishing strategy, and how it affects authors who aren’t celebrities or politicians. If you’ve been seeing chatter about this case, this is the episode that gets you caught up. Join us!
Episode 151—The Pettisode
June 02, 2022 15:41 - 49 minutes - 68.2 MBPettiness! Jealousy! Stop lying, you’ve felt it as much as the next person, especially in an industry like publishing. So have we, and here we present a full, honest episode on how we process those feelings in a (hopefully) productive way. Folks, it’s time to let the darkness in–join us!
Episode 150—No Thoughts Just Toucans
May 27, 2022 14:03 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MBThis… is one of our more loose episodes ever. We sit down and catch up on everything from what we’re reading to how Laura avoids death while foraging in the woods, from an analysis of what makes a good children’s board book to how we’re carrying on during a moment of intense national trauma. Also we talk about book advances for a minute. Also we talk about toucans for a minute. At one point we get distracted by Oreos on a shelf. Come join the vibe–you’ll like it here, we promise.
Episode 149–Critique, Awards, and Subjectivity
April 12, 2022 13:59 - 46 minutes - 89 MBThis week, in light of recent heated discourse around what awards like the Lambda are “for,” we thought we’d break down why awards and indeed all literary criticism are not meant to be objective signifiers of quality, but are rather reflections of individual critical perspectives and the context that surrounds them. To be clear: we prefer it that way! Come listen and find out why.
Episode 148—All the Wrong Lessons
March 14, 2022 15:00 - 50 minutes - 70.1 MBThis week we talk about Brandon Sanderson’s wildly successful Kickstarter campaign for his next novels, a move so bold and unique that we simply have to ask: what wrong and/or inapplicable lessons will traditional publishing learn from this isolated incident? We break down why the Sanderson plan worked for him, why it won’t on a mass scale for others, and which observations we hope publishing DOESN’T make in response to it. Join us!
Episode 147—Publishing’s Great Resignation
March 01, 2022 16:22 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBWOW it is nice to be back in the recording studio! In our first episode this side of Erik having a child, we talk about the recent trend of editors leaving their jobs and even outright leaving the industry. What does it mean for publishing when its talent is burning out or choosing other paths at this rate? How does it affect publishing houses, our work as agents, and writers? Join us for the beginning of a new era of Print Run–we’re here, we’re energized, and we can’t wait to get back in tou...
Episode 146—The Baby Hane-isode
September 27, 2021 14:46 - 56 minutes - 78.6 MBOn the “season finale” episode before Erik goes on paternity leave for a few months, we talk about the many swirling feelings around going on leave in the publishing industry, artistic anxiety in the face of looming parenthood, how we’ve thought about our professional goals in relation to the actual fabric of our lives, and the ways we’ve tried to create sustainable ways of making sure our work and art flow from our actual life, and not the other way around. It’s a personal episode on the (po...
Episode 145—RWA Madness, or: What Should Literary Institutions Actually Do?
August 18, 2021 15:22 - 45 minutes - 63.3 MBAfter another RWA mess surrounding their recent issuing of the Vivian Award, we use the occasion to ask a fundamental question: what’s the point of these organizations, and how can we make them do what we actually want them to do? We talk about how institutions like RWA--or really any big literary collective--could be used to do what we actually need: supporting writers who wouldn’t otherwise have the networks they need, get its members useful information and opportunities, and push publishin...
Episode 144—The Summer To Loon-isode
August 18, 2021 15:17 - 50 minutes - 69.4 MBThis week, we made the whole plane out of To Loon It May Concerns. We spent the episode answering your most burning and specific publishing questions, from all corners of the writing and publishing world. Come hang out for a free-flowing advice session!
Episode 143—Irreplaceable
June 22, 2021 15:52 - 49 minutes - 68.8 MBIt’s summer, and in publishing that means one thing: we’re all getting each other’s out-of-offices. In this episode we talk about how, actually, that’s a good thing--it underscores that people in the industry are irreplaceable, that so much of what we do is built on real and lasting connections we have with other specific colleagues, and how as much as the powers that be would like us to believe that they could find someone else to do any of our jobs, it simply isn’t true. What would publishi...
Episode 142—Change the Frame
June 02, 2021 19:54 - 58 minutes - 81.1 MBThis week we take a look at the far too slanted battlefield on which people who want change in publishing are forced to fight--and how, rather than responding to each new publishing injustice on a case by case basis, we might try instead to change the terms of engagement in our favor. On the heels of the deceptive phrase “we came to publish, not to cancel,” we argue that even in accepting the implied definitions of either word we’re ceding crucial ground. Join us for a wide-ranging episode th...
Episode 141—Science, Fake Science, and Publishing
April 12, 2021 16:03 - 57 minutes - 79.3 MBThis week we talk about the state of nonfiction publishing amidst the changing conditions of both the industry and the wider world--how has a pandemic and political turbulence affected our relationship to “truth” and “expertise” in books? We talk through the new moment of popular science publishing, as well as how it might follow the arc we saw over prior years in more explicitly political publishing. Then, to finish, a To Loon It May Concern about how to manage trope fatigue in genre fiction...
Episode 140—Speculation on the Speculative
April 06, 2021 16:00 - 53 minutes - 73.6 MBThis week we take on a term we all love but can never quite pin down: speculative fiction. What do industry people--and readers--mean when they say “speculative,” and what does the distinction between aesthetics, genre, and prestige with regard to the term say about the market at large? What are we talking about when we, as book people, talk about speculative fiction? Come help us work through it.
Episode 139— Taste and Agency
March 15, 2021 15:22 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBThis week we take a look at Laura McGrath’s fascinating paper on how literary agents shape the acquisitions landscape. It’s got a lot of insights we agree with and some things we push back on a bit, but overall the conversation ends up being a close look at what “taste” actually is, how people in our position exist in relation to corporate power, and much more. Join us! The paper we discuss is here, for your reference: https://academic.oup.com/alh/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/alh/aja...
Episode 138—Literary Survival
March 09, 2021 16:05 - 53 minutes - 73.5 MBThis week, we unpack a fascinating essay about the ways in which Philip Roth managed his authorial image and career, and the various questions it raises about what “success” is, how to be a good literary citizen, and what happens when an author’s “brand” becomes a part of their writing itself. It’s a conversation about moving and shaking in the modern literary landscape, how social media changes that thinking, how it all relates to power, and how it connects to the art that gets made in this ...
Episode 137—THE BACKISODE
February 22, 2021 15:46 - 43 minutes - 60.8 MBWe’re back! In our first episode since going on leave in late 2020, we talk about how our approach and views toward the industry may have shifted since our time of last recording. This transitions into a conversation about the public performance of “working” on social media, and leads to a conversation about the interplay between social media posturing and power in the industry--spoiler alert: that power dynamic needs some fixing. It’s great to be back, and we’re so glad you’re joining us again!
Episode 136—Thinking Small
September 15, 2020 15:14 - 55 minutes - 77 MBAfter updating our discussion on the ethics of “news” books in light of Bob Woodward’s new controversial book, we use the occasion of Headwater’s first birthday to talk about the state of modern publishing, where boutique presses and agencies fit in, how the industry could survive and sustain itself moving forward, and much more. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about how, contrary to common wisdom, publishing may need to “think smaller” in order to be the most effective version of itself.
Episode 135—The Publishing Binary
August 26, 2020 15:23 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBIt’s great to be back! This week we catch up on some recent discussions in the book world, by way of first talking through why IP projects can be so beneficial for everyone involved, and then about various events that all revolve around the faulty ways that publishing sees gender. Join us!
Episode 134—The Letter
July 14, 2020 15:40 - 1 hour - 84.2 MBThis week we talk about the open letter published in Harper’s that supposedly advocates for free speech and open debate--we think it’s actually an argument for something far more pernicious, and on this episode we talk through why. It’s a conversation on power, platform, censorship, and related issues, and we think you’ll find it useful! Special episodes for the month coming soon. You can submit work for those or just write to us at [email protected]. Thanks as always for your support!
Episode 133—Weird, Weird Summer
June 23, 2020 16:32 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MBWell, it’s summer. Typically that’s a slow period in publishing, but this year feels different for a variety of reasons we try to work through in our discussion, along with some thoughts on how our work might change when the supposed “busy season” hits this fall. How has this pandemic changed the way we see our own working lives and those of our clients? All that and more, including an update on Erik’s new foray into science fiction, and a To Loon It May Concern.
Episode 132—Pressure Points
June 10, 2020 17:24 - 56 minutes - 78.2 MBThis week, on the heels of what feels like a whole slew of notable publishing stories in response to heightened discussions on race and privilege in the industry, we talk about whiteness. This is a crucial moment in our industry (and of course in the country at large), and it is going to require white people being willing to engage in substantive self-criticism and action that gets beyond the usual expressions of allyship or “correct opinion.” We talk through the need to not shy away from dis...
Episode 131—Welcome to the OmergerdVerse
May 27, 2020 18:56 - 47 minutes - 65.4 MBThis week, we’re talking about a fascinating copyright case involving two authors working within a larger fanfiction universe known as the Omegaverse. It’s . . . a lot, as you’ll soon find out, but it’s also potentially a precursor for how large media corporations could move in on lucrative open-source writing projects. Then we have a quick discussion about shmagencies, and draw a key distinction: agencies that are bad for writers, and agencies that are bad for the agents working at them. Joi...
Episode 130—The Bookstore at the End of the World, featuring Genay Jackson and Wynne Kontos
May 12, 2020 16:36 - 50 minutes - 70.2 MBThis week we are excited to have an interview with Genay Jackson and Wynne Kontos, two booksellers who are a part of the Bookstore at the End of the World. They tell us about their experience being laid off at the start of the pandemic, how publishing can treat its booksellers with the respect and value they deserve, and how bookselling is about people and community more than any physical location.
Episode 129—VAMPIRES BACK
May 05, 2020 17:11 - 42 minutes - 58.7 MBThis week, with the announcement of Stephenie Meyer’s forthcoming book, we take on a question as old as time itself: are vampires back? It’s a conversation about how trends are formed, what they mean, and how publishing responds to them, and it ends up transitioning into a discussion on switching categories as a writer too. Join us! Also, we realize that the audio quality is worse now that we are recording remotely during quarantine. Thank you for bearing with us as we work on a better solut...
Episode 128—“Am I Good Enough?”
April 21, 2020 13:54 - 46 minutes - 64.5 MBAs a means of trying to be more uplifting than recent weeks, we take on that everpresent fear all writers have: in relation to publishing, are you good enough? Obviously craft and skill matter, but here we reframe the question to one of constantly changing conditions and markets, rather than anything you can control--this should feel liberating, because no one has a good prediction for what’s “on trend” or will be, or how acquisitions might look even a few months from now. Just write!
Episode 127—Publishing’s Pandemic Response
April 07, 2020 15:33 - 56 minutes - 78.9 MBThis week, we talk about the ways in which publishing has, has not, and could respond to the new conditions presented by the pandemic, and why certain choices made well before 2020 have set up current difficulties. We also take a look at a very topical coronavirus book, and debate whether this sort of quick, reactive publishing is a good strategy in a time like this.
Episode 126—Socially Distanced
March 24, 2020 14:11 - 56 minutes - 78.7 MBFrom our own respective isolations, we do a nice little wellness check on each other, and talk about how coronavirus has affected our work, the publishing industry, and even how we and other book people might view concepts like “productivity” moving forward. How will such a massive disruption affect the industry? No one knows, but we talk through a few ideas and in general just catch up.
Episode 125—Print Run Live, featuring Eric Smith!
March 10, 2020 14:25 - 55 minutes - 77.2 MBThis week’s episode is a recording of our live show from last week at Subtext Books here in Saint Paul, where we talked with Eric Smith about his new novel DON’T READ THE COMMENTS, how he balances agent and author life, being a positive internet presence in an age of cynicism, and much more.
Episode 124—Publishing About Publishing
February 25, 2020 15:07 - 57 minutes - 80 MBWe talk about the announced deal for the novel The Other Black Girl, a great-sounding book set within the publishing industry that will surely generate all sorts of discussion. We then discuss how publishers themselves might do a better job of investing in indie bookstores, and other infrastructure they rely on to succeed. This week’s To Loon It May Concern centers on deciding between experienced agents versus newer ones. Join us!
Episode 123—Work Life
February 18, 2020 15:12 - 58 minutes - 81.7 MBWe’re back! Laura recently transitioned to agenting full time, and now that the dust has cleared it gives us the chance to talk about the strange calculations in work-life balance nearly everyone in publishing is making, why so many agents have second jobs (and why that’s not something often discussed), and how this culture of broadcasting how busy we all are creates a paradox with the fact that we never talk about our work outside the field.
Episode 122—American Dirt
January 28, 2020 16:13 - 1 hour - 88.5 MBThis week, in addition to singing some sweet 90s pop, we talk through the many facets of the mess surrounding the novel American Dirt. What does this whole saga reveal about publishing’s biases, how review coverage intersects with promotion, or what gets prioritized by publishers in media at the expense of other projects? We discuss all that and more. Join us!
Episode 121—Every Item on the Menu
January 14, 2020 15:25 - 47 minutes - 89.8 MBAfter a quick RWA update, we try to do a segment on resolutions and predictions for 2020, and while we do end up getting there after some deft transition work, we somehow end up talking about the St. Paul cafe scene? Anyway, we talk about interrogating one’s own taste, why SF/F might become more “literary” this year, a new outlook on reading submissions, and a lot more. Join us!
Episode 120—RWA, and What Writing Institutions Should Be
December 31, 2019 15:14 - 57 minutes - 80.1 MBIn the wake of the still-unfolding RWA mess, we share our perspectives on what’s gone so badly wrong, and why we feel these problems are--at least in part--intrinsic to the sort of writing institution that RWA has become. From there, we talk about what large writing associations should pay careful attention to as they build, so as to root out the sorts of problems we’re seeing now.