Margs & Manuscripts
The book world is bigger than any one corner of it. Margs & Manuscripts brings it all together — writers, authors, agents, editors, bookstore owners, and readers — for real, unfiltered conversation about writing, publishing, and the reading life. Hosted by Cait and Jenna, two writer friends who pour a drink and let the conversation flow.
Episodes
33 episodes
She Wrote a Sexy Retirement-Home Romance. And Nailed It | Julie Murphy
What if the retirement home wasn't the end of the story, but the beginning?This week, we sit down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy — of Dumplin fame — to talk about Vera Stein Is Fine, her...
She Scrapped a Finished Manuscript to Write Yes, Chef | Grace Reilly
What do you do when the book you're supposed to publish next is one you can't stand behind?This week, on release day for Yes Chef, romance author Grace Reilly tells us about the book she almost had to publish instead — ...
Season 2 Starts Now: Bigger Guests, Bigger Plans & Jenna's Book Update
Season 2 is officially here.After 30 episodes of interviewing authors, learning the publishing industry alongside our listeners, and accidentally building an incredible community, we're kicking off a brand new season with a behind-the-s...
Why Indie Authors Feel Set Up to Fail | Bitty Balducci
A conversation about publishing quickly turned into something bigger.After discussing author scams, we sat down with Bitty Balducci to talk about indie publishing, traditional publishing, BookTok, gatekeeping, and why so many auth...
The Scams Targeting Indie Authors Right Now | Bitty Balducci
What happens when the scam emails stop looking like scams?This week we're joined by author Bitty Balducci to talk about the increasingly sophisticated scams targeting indie authors. From fake HarperCollins editors and fraudulent b...
Discovery Writing, Outlining & Trusting Your Characters | Lauren Okie
What happens when your characters know the story before you do?This week, we sit down with romance author Lauren Okie to talk about discovery writing, outlining, second drafts, and learning to trust your creative instincts. From w...
She Turned a Situationship Into a Bestselling Book with Author Alissa DeRogatis
What happens when a five-year situationship finally ends and leaves you wondering what comes next?For author Alissa DeRogatis, the answer was writing the book she couldn't find on the shelf.In this episode, we chat with Alissa abo...
Places We'll Go Book Launch | Margs & Manuscripts LIVE
Episode SummaryWhat started as an Instagram friendship turned into a podcast, a publishing journey, and now a live book launch celebration.In this special first-ever live recording of Margs & Manuscripts, Jenna...
Sara Ney Unfiltered: 50 Books, Tropes, & Romance Writing Chaos
Romance author Sara Ney joins us for one of the funniest and most unfiltered conversations we’ve had on the podcast yet. From writing 50+ romance novels and navigating BookTok-driven publishing trends to hockey romance, favorite tropes, spicy s...
Mom-fluencers, Motherhood & Midwest Family Chaos | Claire Swinarski
Mom influencers. Midwest family dynamics. Wisconsin supper clubs. Postpartum anxiety. Parenting pressure. Somehow, Claire Swinarski wrapped all of it into one of the most emotionally honest books we’ve read this year.In this episode, we ...
We Need to Talk About Abigail Adams with Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray
What if the story we’ve been told about the American Revolution is only half the picture?In this episode, we sit down with bestselling authors Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray—the powerhouse duo behind America’s First Daughter<...
The Fantasy Series That Made It Out of the Group Chat | Cozy Fantasy with E.B. Asher
What happens when a group chat turns into a published fantasy series?This week, we’re joined by E.B. Asher—aka Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka—the trio behind one of the most fun, chaotic, and genuin...
The AI Conversation in Publishing Has Gone Off the Rails
AI in publishing is getting loud—and not always helpfulEveryone has an opinion about AI right now, especially in the publishing and writing world. But instead of thoughtful conversations, what we’re seeing is a lot of noise, fear-based t...
Sex Scenes Are Just Another Scene: How to Write Them Without Making It Weird
Let’s just say it: writing sex scenes is weird… until it’s not.In this episode of Margs & Manuscripts, we sit down with author Susan Ferber to talk about how to write sex scenes, why they matter in storytelling, and w...
Why No One Warns You About Book Launch Anxiety | ft. Meg Rosenthal
What happens when you finally finish your book… and then immediately spiral?In this episode, we sit down with Meg Rosenthal to talk about the very real anxiety that comes with putting your work into the world. From 2am pa...
Nightmares, Plot Twists & Writing Psychological Thrillers | ft. Calvin Naraghi
What happens when a nightmare turns into a full-blown thriller novel?This week on Margs & Manuscripts, we’re joined by Calvin Naraghi, indie author of House Rules, to talk all things thriller writing, horror inspira...
The Indie Author's Playbook with Debut Author Jourdana Webber (pt. 2)
In Part 2 of our conversation with author Jourdana Webber, we go deeper into the reality of building an author career from the ground up—no gatekeeping, no shortcuts, just figuring it out as you go.We talk about what it actually looks li...
How an Indie Author Landed in Time Square: ft. Jourdana Webber (Pt. 1)
In this episode, we’re raising a glass (literally) to indie author success with bestselling author Jourdana Webber, whose debut novel Unconventionally, Elle has taken the indie publishing world by storm.Jourdana jo...
What It’s Really Like to Be a Literary Agent | ft. Tali & Lauren of The Prose Pros
What is it actually like to be a literary agent?In this special collaboration episode, we’re joined by Tali and Lauren from The Prose Pros for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about agenting, publishing, querying, and wha...
YA Books are Booming: What’s driving the surge + what’s trending now, with literary agent and owner of the Reading Chamber, Jess Taylor
In this engaging conversation, Jess Taylor shares her journey of opening an online bookstore dedicated to young adult literature and her role as a literary agent. The discussion explores the evolution of YA fiction, the importance of addressing...
Choosing Indie Publishing as a Debut Author (Self-Publishing Without Gatekeeping) with Alyssa K. Burns
In this episode of Margs & Manuscripts, we’re joined by Alyssa K. Burns—journalist, author, MBA, elder emo, and one of the most supportive humans in the writing community. Alyssa’s debut novel releases April 1, and she’s sharing the real st...
Female Main Characters We Love and the Ones We Can’t Stand
We got put in Instagram jail… then spiraled into a Galentine’s deep dive on FMCs: agency, tropes, and ACOTAR takes.We got put in Instagram jail (for extremely writer reasons)… and then pivoted into a Galentine’s Day episode about female ...
Marketing Yourself as an Author Is Exhausting (4 Authors, No Filter)
Four authors sit down to say the quiet part out loud: marketing yourself as an author is exhausting. We talk social media pressure, algorithm burnout, batching content, comparison spirals, and how to promote your book when you don’t even have a...
Rage, Resistance and Writing When Everything Feels Wrong
This week, we’re not airing our scheduled episode.We couldn’t.In this unfiltered, off-schedule conversation, we talk honestly about why continuing as normal felt wrong and how writing, reading, and storytelling ha...
What It’s Really Like to Get a Literary Agent
Getting a literary agent is supposed to feel like the moment—but no one really talks about what it’s actually like when it finally happens.In this bonus episode, we sit down with Crystal to talk through her real querying journey: nearly ...
