Writing It!
The Podcast About Academics & Writing
Displaying all 4 Episode of Writing It! with the tag “literary agent”.
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Episode 59: When dissertations do not become tenure books & research becomes NYT Op-eds with Miriam Udel
September 22nd, 2025 | 58 mins 2 secs
dissertation, fellowships, literary agent, literature, modernity, publicist, tenure, translation, yiddish
We’re talking with Emory Professor Miriam Udel about lessons from a career full of writing highs and challenges, beginning with the realization that the dissertation will not become the first book. We talk about learning how to understand the gradations of rejection letters; the value of pitching editors in person; why spending time on works of translations may be highly worthwhile even when they do not count for tenure and promotion; when hiring a book publicist is useful for academics; writing Op-Eds; mentoring younger scholars; and having a memoir-in-progress in the drawer.
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Episode 40: Finding courage to write the broader story
December 30th, 2024 | 51 mins 12 secs
book publishing, history, holocaust, literary agent, survivors
In this episode we talk with history professor Robin Judd of the Ohio State University about writing her most recent book, Between Two Worlds: Jewish War Brides After the Holocaust. Figuring out how to write up her research as a book appealing to a broader audience was a challenge that required new skills and a willingness to edit, while staying true to her sources’ voices.
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Episode 25: The Book Seminar with Sam Freedman
June 3rd, 2024 | 57 mins 18 secs
academic press, book promotion, book proposal, columbia university, journalism, literary agent, trade press
Today, we’re speaking with the award-winning author, columnist, and professor Sam Freedman, of Columbia Journalism School, and the author, most recently, of Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights (winner of the 2024 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism), about his class at Columbia School of Journalism, The Book Seminar. We talk about what Sam teaches his lucky students (this very successful Columbia seminar has been offered for over 30 years, and has resulted in over 100 published books), and about his own decades-long career as an author, and the view of the publishing industry it has provided him. We address what it means to craft a good book proposal; the importance of making the case for your book’s readership; the benefits of landing in an academic press, even if you were aiming for a trade press; how to think about the “comp. titles/authors” section of your proposal; pre-publication blurbs; pitching an agent; planning your own book promotion; and finally, why timing is sometimes everything.
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Episode 18: “Why is this a must-read book?” How to show a literary agent/editor that your book is important: a conversation with literary agent and former editor, Susan Rabiner
February 26th, 2024 | 1 hr 27 secs
academic press, book proposal, editor, literary agent, narrative non-fiction, publishing, publishing trends, table of contents, trade press
In this episode we speak with Thinking Like Your Editor author and agent, Susan Rabiner about how academics can best present their book project to an agent or editor. We talk about what a strong book proposal, cover letter, and sample chapters need to do. We also talk about what it means to write your academic book with strong narrative; the significance of the table of contents; why academic writers cannot rely on facts alone to make a point; the importance of figuring out your “core audience”; understanding your book’s central questions; what to expect (and not expect) from a literary agent and from a trade press; why an academic press might be a better fit for your book; and why it’s okay not to earn out your advance.