PLOT TWIST

Re-Run: Should Authors Want To Make Money?

This week on the podcast Victoria and Soman discuss the tension between the love of making art and the need to make money. Also they discuss questions about using sensiti

Re-Read: Did We Ruin Fandom?

Soman and Victoria debate whether fandom is good for society or the sign of deeper decline. They also reveal what they talk about with readers at the signing table and ho

Re-Read: Is Your Idea Worth A Book - And A Book Deal??

Soman and Victoria debate the difference between a good idea and a great one that’s worth writing. They also sort through the different kinds of characters and ways to av

Re-Read: When Does Fan Fiction Cross A Line?

Soman and Victoria discuss when fan fiction crosses the line into grift. Also they answer questions about whether authors really need to be on social media and whether th

Re-Read: Can You Like The Book and Hate The Author?

Soman and Victoria discuss the paradox of loving the book -- and rejecting the author. Also they talk duologies vs. trilogies and the hazards of publishing under your leg

What Happens if Kids Stop Reading?

Today on the show, Soman is joined by guest co-host Veronica Roth to talk about their (optimistic!) take on the future of literacy.  Also they talk about what they do on

What Is the Future of AI Publishing?

Soman and Victoria offer solutions to the generative AI crisis and how authors can prove their work is human made. They also talk about the writers whose careers they lik

Are Authors Lying About Using AI?

Soman and Victoria discuss the arms race between the authors who are using AI to write and the ones that still write honestly. They also cover the difference between mark

Are We In A Book Bubble?

Soman and Victoria assess whether the book market is perched atop a giant bubble waiting to crash. Also they discuss which books have impacted their writing the most and

Your Book Is Being Made Into A Movie…How Should You Behave?

Soman and Victoria debate the best way to handle the politics of Hollywood when your work is adapted. Also they discuss the pros and cons of retelling a classic story and

Has It Become Legal To Steal Your Work?

Live from LA, Soman and Victoria discuss the rampant explosion of piracy, plus the use of generative AI to write fanfiction and play the lottery for a rich publishing dea

Does Sex Make a Book 'Adult?'

Victoria and Soman go straight at the big question of the moment – do all adult books need sex? And what has made our brains so… horny? They also answer questions about t

Can a Book Be Popular…and Still Not Sell?

Soman and Victoria try to figure out what’s more important for a book – sales or a fandom? They also answer questions about galleys and ARCS being sold online and how to

Is Ambition The Key To Success Or A Curse?

Soman and Victoria discuss whether ambition is an asset or a hindrance in today’s marketplace. They also discuss the ins and outs of their writing routines plus whether s

Do Writers Compete With Each Other?

Soman and Victoria discuss whether competing with other authors is healthy and if it detracts or fuels their own work. They also answer questions about how to deal with o

What Happened To YA? (with Veronica Roth)

This week Soman is joined by Veronica Roth to trace the rise and fall of the Young Adult genre, from Twilight to today’s more muddled market. They also talk about how to

How Do You Become A Bestseller?

Soman is back this week and he and Victoria decode the mysteries and magic by which a book becomes a best-seller. They also debate how readers “self-inserting” has become

How Do You Survive Social Media? (with Veronica Roth)

Victoria and guest Veronica Roth discuss how they’ve survived the evolution of social media from the fun of unfiltered chatting on Twitter to the algorithmic nightmare we

Are We In A Time Loop? (with Veronica Roth)

Victoria and special guest Veronica Roth discuss how audiences are craving familiar stories at difficult times and what it means for them as authors who have left some of

Is Release Week the Best Week for an Author… or the Worst?

It’s YOUNG WORLD release week!! Soman and Victoria discuss the glories and stress of putting out a new book and surviving the first 7 days. Also they talk about writing c