Best Querying Agents Podcasts (2025)

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Literary Agent Lori Galvin Talks Going From Query to Deal: What Agents Need to See Before They Sign You 22:13

Play Pause

3d ago22:13

22:13

Send me a Text Message! Literary agent Lori Galvin reveals exactly what makes a query letter irresistible. She breaks down the specific elements that make agents request materials, and the common mistakes that lead to instant rejections. Whether you're crafting your first query or your fiftieth, this episode delivers the agent perspective that ever…

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The Complete Guide to Querying Literary Agents (Season 7 Recap) 32:52

7d ago32:52

32:52

In this bonus episode, we’re wrapping up Season 7 with a stitched-together master episode featuring all five segments from our Querying Literary Agent series. Whether you're just starting your submission journey or navigating the silence after sending your pitch, this complete guide has you covered. 🛋️ Overthinking Couch Topics: Part 1: Big Five Dr…

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7 Hard SEO Questions CMOs Are Finally Asking — And What to Do About Them | Ep. 25 7:48

8h ago7:48

7:48

On this solo episode of Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal takes on seven of the toughest SEO questions she hears every week from CMOs, VPs, and growth leaders across SaaS, e-commerce, and multi-location businesses. With no fluff and all tactics, Ruchi lays out why flat traffic with falling conversions signals an intent mismatch, what real…

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The A.I. Debate 1:09:24

2d ago1:09:24

1:09:24

As promised, we take out our hoops and smear vaseline on our cheeks to battle. Kayla is pro ChatGPT in helping her. Rachel thinks it's cheating. Rachel is scared of ChatGPT. Kayla is scared of dolls coming to life and taunting her. Who will be victorious? (ChatGPT refused to help me with this description! Seriously. I think it's hurt. - Kayla) Trig…

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Rewriting Motherhood: Real Stories on Memoir, Identity, and Connection with Nicole Graev Lipson | Ep. 75 46:39

3d ago46:39

46:39

Send me a text! What happens when you stop performing the “perfect mother” role and start telling the truth? Nicole Graev Lipson shares how writing about the raw, unpolished sides of motherhood not only shaped her memoir but also built a genuine connection with readers. If you’ve ever wondered how to write your personal stories without oversharing,…

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Did Chat GPT 5.0 try to make us cry? 48:01

9d ago48:01

48:01

After a summer hiatus, Kayla and Rachel are back—and ready to get into a new writing flow. Rachel shares her progress on Dinner for Eight, including how she’s realizing her protagonist’s marriage needs more depth (or maybe more dysfunction). Kayla talks about experimenting with feeding her dystopian novel The Woman Tree into ChatGPT for a Save the …

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The VOLT Framework: How SEO Visibility Really Drives Revenue | Ep. 24 7:09

9d ago7:09

7:09

Performance SEO Unpacked with Ruchi Pardal explores a simple yet powerful framework for connecting search visibility with real business growth. In this solo episode, Ruchi introduces VOLT — Visibility, Outcomes, Leads, Transactions — a model designed to close the gap between “we are ranking” and “we are growing revenue.” ㅤ She explains why most SEO…

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141 Literary Agent Vicky Weber on Why Most Writers Aren't Agent-Ready (And How to Fix It) 29:37

10d ago29:37

29:37

Send me a Text Message! Ever wondered why it feels nearly impossible to land a literary agent these days? In this episode, I had a chat with Vicky Weber, a literary agent, bestselling children's author, and marketing strategist, who pulls back the curtain on the harsh realities facing today's publishing industry. Vicky reveals why the bar for getti…

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Amazon Ads: Choose Keywords + Categories Boost Book Sales with Jai Heer | Ep. 74 50:40

10d ago50:40

50:40

Send me a text! What if you could sell more books on Amazon without spending a fortune or wasting hours learning ads? Amazon ads strategist and founder and CEO of AMSPPC.com, Jai Heer, shares the exact steps nonfiction authors can take to boost discoverability, grow book sales, and make their book stand out in a crowded marketplace. You’ll learn ho…

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What to Do While Waiting to Hear Back from Agents 8:18

15d ago8:18

8:18

Querying literary agents and not hearing back can feel like shouting into the void. In this episode, recorded mid-recovery from a concussion (yes, really), we’re turning that creative purgatory into purposeful progress. If you’ve sent out queries and find yourself obsessively refreshing your inbox, this is your antidote. 🛋️ Overthinking Couch Topic…

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Build autonomous agents in Copilot Studio | Your MCPs, your models & multi-agent 8:36

17d ago8:36

8:36

Build AI agents to automate complex workflows—like project planning and go-to-market strategies—without writing code, all with Microsoft Copilot Studio. Use triggers to launch processes from signals like approval emails, connect to the right data with Model Context Protocol (MCP) for faster, more accurate responses, and coordinate multiple agents t…

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How to Turn Your Advocacy Into a Book that Demands Attention with Meg Stone | Ep. 73 42:01

17d ago42:01

42:01

Send me a text! What if your advocacy work could become the book that shifts the conversation? Allison talks with Meg Stone about transforming advocacy into authorship that drives real change. Meg shares how she turned decades of violence prevention work into a book that calls out false safety advice and redefines empowerment. If you’ve ever wonder…

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Stress Recovery with Nicholas Hool 1:04:56

17d ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Text us a review. Ep#243: Host, January Liddell and co-host, Sharett Miller with guest, Nick Hool, P.h.D. Founder and CEO of Hoolest Performance Technologies, Inc. You can now ‘Text Us a Review.’ Or leave us a review on any of our audio and video platforms. Thank you for listening. If you would like to support our show, click the links below. Discl…

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Loxley Browne - The Charms Series 15:39

19d ago15:39

15:39

Author and entrepreneur Loxley Brown discusses her Charms book series, teaching young people about dreaming big and taking action to make those dreams real.By Terry Shepherd

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AI or Not, Authority Wins: Structuring Enterprise Content for Search and Sentiment | Ep. 23 20:28

26d ago20:28

20:28

Enterprise SEO can get messy fast — five business units, hundreds of stakeholders, and AI reshaping what shows up in search. On Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal sits down with Joe Bare to unpack what it really takes to build authority when visibility doesn’t always mean clicks. ㅤ Joe, who has led strategy across industries from travel to…

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Tom Epperson - Baby Hawk 52:41

24d ago52:41

52:41

Tom Epperson, the screenwriter behind One False Move—the cult classic crime thriller co-written with his childhood friend Billy Bob Thornton. He's the author of the Edgar-nominated The Kind One and the haunting noir Sailor. But today, Tom Epperson is here to talk about something entirely different. His new book, Baby Hawk, is a bold, breathtaking d…

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Brian Cranley - The Call of Wonder 20:43

24d ago20:43

20:43

Brian Cranley is a biomedical engineer turned theologian, whose new book The Call of Wonder invites readers to rediscover awe at the intersection of empirical discovery and spiritual truth. From the Big Bang to the human brain, from ancient wisdom to quantum theory, Cranley reveals how the mysteries of science may not oppose belief—but illuminate i…

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How to Become the Go-To Voice in Your Niche Using Podcasting with Victoria Meyer | Ep. 72 30:44

24d ago30:44

30:44

Send me a text! Think you need a huge audience or perfect setup to make podcasting work for your book? Think again. Allison Lane is joined by Victoria Meyer, host of The Chemical Show and founder of Progressio Global, who reveals how niche podcasting can boost your visibility, expand your platform, and open unexpected doors, including paid speaking…

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Save the Cat! 1:17:06

1M ago1:17:06

1:17:06

After a little summer hiatus (camping, in-laws, a spiral-bound manuscript from FedEx…), Kayla and Rachel are back in the podcast saddle and diving deep into the storytelling structure that screenwriters love and novelists love to hate: Save the Cat. Rachel reveals she finished a whole-ass book (?!), and together they break down Blake Snyder’s iconi…

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Developmental Editor and Former Literary Agent, Mary Kole Shares Her Top Revision Strategies 28:33

1M ago28:33

28:33

Send me a Text Message! Developmental editor and former literary agent Mary Kole breaks down the exact process that transforms manuscripts from "just okay" to "must-read." In this episode, you'll learn why most writers approach feedback and revision completely wrong. You’ll discover the important difference between revision and editing. And you’ll …

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What Makes You Mention-Worthy? Winning Search Visibility in an AI-First World | Ep. 22 48:13

1M ago48:13

48:13

In this episode of Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal sits down with Derek Woo, Director of Search Engine Optimization and App Store Optimization at Albertsons Companies. Derek’s deep SEO experience dates back to the early days of the internet, even before the term SEO was coined, giving him a unique perspective on the evolution of search.…

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How to Use LinkedIn to Build Your Brand Without Playing the Algorithm Game with Kate Paine | Ep. 71 51:11

1M ago51:11

51:11

Send me a text! Does LinkedIn feel like a corporate maze or worse, a place where everyone’s shouting but no one’s listening? Allison Lane is joined by visibility and personal branding expert Kate Paine to unpack how authors can turn their LinkedIn presence into a powerful personal brand without chasing the algorithm, faking expertise, or posting bl…

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Leslie Rasmussen - When People Leave 24:20

1M ago24:20

24:20

Leslie A. Rasmussen—award-winning author, former TV comedy writer, and a voice of sharp wit and emotional depth—joins us to talk about her latest novel, When People Leave. It’s a compelling exploration of sisterhood, grief, and the secrets that live just beneath the surface of the stories we think we know. Get the Book: https://www.lesliearasmussen…

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Editor Turned Literary Agent, Shelly Romero Shares Important Insights on Traditional Publishing 27:42

1M ago27:42

27:42

Send me a Text Message! Former Scholastic editor Shelly Romero just made the leap to literary agent. And she's spilling the industry secrets most writers never hear. After eight years of editorial experience and now with an agent's perspective, Shelly reveals… What really happens when agents read your opening pages Why manuscripts need to be more p…

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Beyond Search Volume: SaaS Keyword Strategy That Fuels Real Business Results | Ep. 21 15:51

1M ago15:51

15:51

What if your keyword research could shape product development, uncover revenue potential, and spotlight entire user segments your product team never considered? ㅤ On Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal is joined by Jennifer Long, Lead SEO Manager at SolarWinds, who brings a radically strategic lens to keyword research. She calls it “off-lab…

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Hot Takes on the Writers' Luncheon 47:00

1M ago47:00

47:00

This week, we attend a virtual "lunch and learn" hosted by the Women’s National Book Association and featuring legendary San Francisco literary agent Andy Ross—and yes, we actually lunched. While the rest of the Zoom played it cool, we munched focaccia and dished about querying, rejection, and whether you can ever send your manuscript to another ag…

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Crafting a TEDx Talk That Showcases Your Big Idea with Anna Goldsmith | Ep. 70 39:04

1M ago39:04

39:04

Send me a text! What if one short talk could launch your book, amplify your message, and land you media coverage? In this episode, we’ll explain exactly how to get selected for TEDx, how to pitch your idea, and how to use a TEDx talk to grow your visibility and book sales. Allison Lane sits down with Anna Goldsmith, executive producer of TEDxPortsm…

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New data lake in Microsoft Sentinel 9:22

1M ago9:22

9:22

Centralize, retain, and query high-volume, long-term security data across Microsoft and third-party sources for up to 12 years using Microsoft Sentinel’s new unified data lake. Correlate signals, run advanced analytics, and perform forensic investigations from a single copy of data—without costly migrations or data silos. Detect persistent, low-and…

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New Surface Laptop 5G for Business, Copilot+ PC 4:37

2M ago4:37

4:37

The Intel® Core™ Ultra (Series 2) processor powered Surface Laptop 5G for Business is a Copilot+ PC. Integrated Intel® AI Boost supports up to 48 TOPS with Foundry Local for on-device AI inferencing. Stay securely connected with rearchitected 5G design—including six smart-switching antennas, eSIM and Wi-Fi 7—without relying on hotspots. As the firs…

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Querying Literary Agents, Part 4: What Happens After You Hit Send 15:18

2M ago15:18

15:18

In the final installment of our four-part series on querying literary agents, we break down what to expect when a literary agent replies to your email. From form rejections and useful feedback to the coveted request for more materials, today’s episode is all about helping you navigate agent responses. Plus, in publishing news: A $44 million scam ta…

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Turn Your Manuscript into a Page-Turner Using The Central Question Framework with Julie Tyler Ruiz 21:27

2M ago21:27

21:27

Send me a Text Message! Every thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime writer faces the same dilemma… How do you craft a story that keeps readers turning pages? In this episode, Julie Tyler Ruiz reveals a simple framework that separates forgettable genre fiction from the stories readers obsess over for years. You'll discover… How to identify the one …

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Brandon Sanderson Mansplaining, The Next Big Story, The Bonnie Blue of Agents, and Rachel's Muse is Murderous 1:13:00

2M ago1:13:00

1:13:00

Kayla and Rachel share juicy updates on their newest writing projects—Rachel’s twisty, spicy dinner party murder mystery (with a murder mystery game inside!) and Kayla’s speculative dystopian novel idea, recently submitted to The Novelry’s “Next Big Story” contest. They discuss the thrill and terror of writing fast, sending before revising, and nav…

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What to Do If Your Brand Is Not Being Picked Up — And How Long Recovery Takes | Ep. 20 10:52

2M ago10:52

10:52

Nothing stinks quite like realizing your brand isn’t showing up in Google’s AI Overview, ChatGPT answers, or Perplexity snippets while competitors bask in the glory. In this solo session of Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal strips away the mystery and lays out why AI engines ignore some brands and how to win back visibility. Drawing on tr…

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Burnout-Proof Your Visibility: Energy, Focus, and Longevity with Dr. Partha Nandi | Ep. 69 36:59

2M ago36:59

36:59

Send me a text! Are your book goals being crushed by burnout or brain fog? What if the missing piece isn’t time management—but biology? In this episode, Dr. Partha Nandi, bestselling author, physician, and host of the syndicated show Ask Dr. Nandi, reveals how energy, focus, and health directly fuel long-term author success. Your energy, not your p…

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BIPOC Awareness Month with January Liddell 11:34

2M ago11:34

11:34

Text us a review. Ep#242: Host, January Liddell discusses the significance of BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, which was established by BB Campbell to raise awareness about mental health issues within the BIPOC community. She emphasized the need for increased support and understanding of these mental health challenges. You can now ‘Text Us a Re…

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Querying Literary Agents, Part 3: Writing Your Query Letter 11:04

2M ago11:04

11:04

In today’s episode of Writing Break, we’re dog-sitting, dodging deadlines, and diving deep into the dreaded query letter. 🛋️ Overthinking Couch Topics: The classic 3-part structure of a fiction query letter What makes a strong nonfiction pitch A breakdown of the 7 essential parts of a book proposal The 5 most common query mistakes 🎧 Catch up on the…

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Author Liz Alterman Reveals Her Weekly Writing Ritual That Transforms First Drafts Into Gold And How to Know When Your Story Idea Is Worth Writing 19:16

2M ago19:16

19:16

Send me a Text Message! Liz Alterman joins the podcast to discuss her latest novel, "You Shouldn't Have Done That", and reveals the unconventional strategies that have shaped her successful writing career. From her unique character development process involving weekly read-aloud sessions to her bold decision to switch from traditional publishing to…

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How to Turn Life Experience Into a Book Deal (at Any Age) with Lori Hellis | Ep. 68 38:56

2M ago38:56

38:56

Send me a text! Is it ever too late to write your book and get published? Lori Hellis proves it’s not. Allison Lane and Lori Hellis explore how she transitioned from a career in law to becoming a recognized voice in the true crime genre with a successful book launch, a thriving YouTube channel, and a dedicated readership. You’ll hear how she revers…

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NEW Conditional Access Optimization Agent in Microsoft Entra + Security Copilot in Entra updates 8:52

2M ago8:52

8:52

Troubleshoot identity issues, investigate risky users and apps, and optimize Conditional Access policies using natural language—with built-in AI from Microsoft Security Copilot in Microsoft Entra. Instead of switching between logs, PowerShell, and spreadsheets, Security Copilot centralizes insights for faster, more focused action. Resolve compromis…

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Thomas Cullen - Charlie Man 15:48

2M ago15:48

15:48

This week, we welcome Thomas Cullen—federal trial judge, former U.S. attorney, and now debut novelist—to discuss his powerful new book, Charlie-Man. Set in Richmond, Virginia during the sweltering summer of 1994, Charlie-Man is a poignant coming-of-age novel that explores teenage love, identity, and the emotional challenges of growing up in the Ame…

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Querying Literary Agents, Part 2: Where the Lit Agents Are and How to Find Yours 16:28

2M ago16:28

16:28

Today we’re (finally!) continuing our four-part series on querying literary agents. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, querying without doing your homework is like picking a random person off a dock and asking them to captain your boat across the ocean. In this episode, I'm sharing how to research literary agents and find the ones most l…

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Storytime 2 - Stories that were too good for Reedsy. MJ’s “Clouds,” The Flamingo Poem and love for Chuck Palahniuk 55:36

2M ago55:36

55:36

Episode 7: Storytime – The Ones We Never Submitted This week on Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel read the stories they didn’t submit to the Reedsy contest—and wow, you’re in for a ride. Kayla's story, “The Muse,” features a moody writer, a mysterious muse, and an ex-fan with unsettling cinnamon energy. Rachel shares “An Extra Scoop of Revenge…

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Structure for the future: Schema, entities and search impact with Nick Pustay | Ep. 19 23:39

2M ago23:39

23:39

On this episode of Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal sits down with Nick Pustay, Head of SEO at Scholastic, to tackle one of the most pressing topics in modern search: schema markup and entity optimization in the age of AI Overviews. With schema evolving from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have,” Nick offers a real-world look at what it take…

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How to Write Emails that Turn Subscribers into Book Buyers with Abby Combs | Ep. 67 45:37

2M ago45:37

45:37

Send me a text! Are you still relying on social media to promote your book? You’re missing the moment. Algorithms don’t build relationships… email does. Allison sits down with email marketing expert Abby Combs to unpack exactly how authors can create authentic connections, build visibility, and launch successful books using email. From simple campa…

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Pushing Through the Quit 35:21

2M ago35:21

35:21

Text us a review. Ep#241: Join hosts, Helen Edwards and January Liddell for a vulnerable episode as Helen decides to take a break for the rest of the year and January will be taking over to keep Sexy Freedom Media Podcast going. Witness two hosts and friends helping each other carry on through difficult times. Plus, hear Helen read from her first b…

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Jenny Dandy - The Brownstone on E. 83rd 27:12

2M ago27:12

27:12

Jenny Dandy bursts onto the crime fiction scene with The Brownstone on E. 83rd—a sharp, twisty mystery praised by Carter Wilson and William Boyle. We talk undercover agents, dangerous secrets, and why it’s never too late to start writing. With her second book on the way, Jenny Dandy is just getting started. #CrimeFiction #MysteryBooks #JennyDandy #…