Best Writing Bids Podcasts (2025)

1
'Lost Marvels No. 1: Tower of Shadows' restores a lost chapter of comic book history 6:41

3h ago6:41

6:41

In the 1950s, horror comic books – featuring at times gory depictions of violence – were rising in popularity. But these comics triggered a moral panic, ultimately leading to the Comics Code Authority's decision to outlaw werewolves, vampires and even the word "horror." Now, journalist Michael Dean is out with an anthology of these long-forgotten M…

1
Honor Jones' 'Sleep' explores how our childhoods influence who we are as parents 6:41

21h ago6:41

6:41

In Honor Jones' new novel Sleep, the protagonist Margaret grows up in a verdant suburban world with her family and a best friend who follows her through life. But when something disorienting happens to her, Margaret isn't protected – and so she grows up learning to protect herself instead. As a mother, she becomes concerned with how to raise her ch…

1
Karen Hao's new book is a skeptical look at Sam Altman and Elon Musk's AI empire 12:09

2d ago12:09

12:09

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit meant to conduct artificial intelligence research that would benefit the general public. In the company's early days, reporter Karen Hao arranged to spend time in OpenAI's offices and noticed the culture there was incredibly secretive. That secrecy raised questions for Hao that ultimately resulted in her new book, …

1
With new novel, Ocean Vuong says he wants to reframe America as a place of salvage 14:20

5d ago14:20

14:20

Ocean Vuong's debut novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous placed him in an elite club of American writers. He teaches at NYU and is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, among many other honors. But before all this, the author was raised by working-class Vietnamese immigrant parents in Hartford, Connecticut. Vuong's new novel The Emperor of Glad…

1
'Little Bosses Everywhere' looks into the Wild West of multilevel marketing 8:11

6d ago8:11

8:11

Multilevel marketing – or MLM – first became popular in the period that followed World War II. Since then, millions have tried their luck as salespeople for companies like Amway, Mary Kay, Cutco and Herbalife. MLMs offer themselves as low-cost paths to entrepreneurship, but very few of their participants are able to earn a living wage. A new book L…

1
3 Hidden SAM.gov Features Can Replace $1,000 GovCon Tools 10:56

8h ago10:56

10:56

Before you spend another dollar on third-party GovCon tools, watch this. SAM.gov has powerful built-in features that most people ignore—but they can completely change how you find and win federal contracts. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through 3 hidden features in SAM.gov that will: • Automate your market research• Save your searches • Send you …

1
A new biography of Rafael Nadal focuses on the tennis star's domination on clay 10:40

5d ago10:40

10:40

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal retired last year after a record-breaking career, one that included winning every major championship. In a new biography, Christopher Clarey – former tennis correspondent for The New York Times – considers the player's life and career, with particular focus on Nadal's domination on clay courts. In today's episode, Clarey …

1
'Original Sin' argues Biden aides enabled his reelection bid, despite mental decline 12:15

8d ago12:15

12:15

Original Sin recounts a number of moments during which former President Joe Biden allegedly struggled to recognize the people around him, like close aide Mike Donilon or longtime donor George Clooney. The new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson argues that there were two versions of the former president, one "functioning" and one "no…

1
In 'Class Clown,' humorist Dave Barry embraces both the funny and hard parts of life 9:21

9d ago9:21

9:21

Pulitzer Prize-winner Dave Barry wrote a humor column for 22 years. In his new book Class Clown, he tells the story of the first 77 years of his life, spent embracing comedy – but also some difficulties. One focus of the book is his relationship with his parents. Barry writes that his mom was a kind of comedic mentor who possessed a uniquely dark, …

1
Proposal Writing: 5 Fatal Errors To Avoid 33:25

3d ago33:25

33:25

If you're submitting government proposals in 2025, this Government Contract Proposal Checklist could be the difference between winning and losing. In this exclusive interview, GovClose graduate Desmond Daniels breaks down the 5 biggest mistakes companies make on federal RFPs — and how to avoid them. Whether you're new to government contracting or l…

1
'The Golden Road' and 'The Lucky Ones' examine India's ancient and recent history 17:47

3d ago17:47

17:47

In light of the latest conflict between India and Pakistan, today's episode focuses on two books that examine India's ancient and recent history. First, ancient India was home to the exchange of goods and ideas that transformed the world, including the number system, heliocentrism, and Buddhism. In his book The Golden Road, historian William Dalrym…

1
A new biography tells the twin stories of James Gandolfini and Tony Soprano 9:28

4d ago9:28

9:28

James Gandolfini starred in The Sopranos for six seasons. The show, which ended in 2007, was considered an instant classic and permanently linked Gandolfini to his character, Tony Soprano. Gandolfini died in 2013, but a new biography tells the story of his life. In Gandolfini, Jason Bailey portrays the actor as an unlikely star who struggled after …

1
High Salary BD Job In 3 Steps 14:23

5d ago14:23

14:23

Most people think the only way to get a government contracting job is by applying online. But that’s exactly why they never hear back.In this video, former DoD acquisitions officer Richard C. Howard reveals a step-by-step strategy for how to get a government contracting job in 2025 — without filling out a single application. Get My Free Training On…

1
'The Lost and the Found' takes an intimate look at homelessness in San Francisco 10:26

14d ago10:26

10:26

As a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Kevin Fagan embedded with the city's unhoused population. Now retired, he's written a book built around two of the people he got to know through his reporting. The Lost and the Found zooms in on the lives of Rita and Tyson, who ended up chronically homeless in San Francisco through a cascade of circums…

1
In 'Julie Chan Is Dead,' former influencer Liann Zhang takes a swipe at the industry 7:55

15d ago7:55

7:55

Julie Chan has an average life working as a cashier at a grocery store. But she's constantly getting mistaken for a famous influencer, her estranged identical twin Chloe. One day, Julie receives a mysterious phone call that results in her decision to swap lives with her sister, adopting Chloe's followers and the glamorous lifestyle that comes with …

1
Isabel Allende's latest historical novel draws from her time at a women's magazine 10:26

16d ago10:26

10:26

While crafting her latest novel, Isabel Allende says she wanted to tell the story of the Chilean Civil War of 1891 from the perspective of a neutral party. She decided to make her protagonist a female writer who uses a male pen name and convinces an editor to hire her as a war correspondent. In today's episode, Allende joins Here & Now's Deepa Fern…

1
In 'Romantic Friction,' 'The Fact Checker' the publishing world is fodder for fiction 18:47

19d ago18:47

18:47

In their new novels, authors Lori Gold and Austin Kelley draw from personal experiences in the publishing and magazine industries. First, Gold's Romantic Friction follows Sofie Wilde, a popular fantasy romance author and self-proclaimed outcast. At a book event, she finds out about a new author who's billed herself as "the next Sofie Wilde" – and i…

1
'Personhood' argues fetal rights are the next frontier of the anti-abortion movement 11:11

11d ago11:11

11:11

Mary Ziegler is a law professor at UC Davis and a leading scholar on the abortion debate. In her new book Personhood, she argues that the anti-abortion movement's ultimate goal is fetal personhood, which would give fetuses and embryos the rights of people under the Constitution. Ziegler's book makes the case that the history of this movement is cru…

1
CMMC in 2025 – What Small Businesses Need to Know Before Bidding on Federal Contracts 53:16

16d ago53:16

53:16

GovClose is the fastest way to break into federal sales — or scale it. Whether you're starting out or already selling, our certification gives you the system, tools, and training to win contracts now.Start here: ⁠https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification⁠ The federal government is about to enforce CMMC at scale, and most businesses aren't ready.…

1
The new novel 'Fair Play' is a self-aware take on the golden age of detective fiction 7:50

21d ago7:50

7:50

In the new novel Fair Play, Abigail is hosting a murder mystery party at an Irish country house on New Year's Eve. She's also in deep mourning for her brother. The story's opening reads as a typical setup for a crime novel. But Irish author Louise Hegarty's debut novel honors the golden age of detective fiction while simultaneously turning the genr…

1
Loryn Brantz's 'Poems of Parenting' gives parents permission to laugh out loud 11:37

13d ago11:37

11:37

Parenting young children can be extremely taxing, but also beautiful – and hilarious. That nuance is at the core of Loryn Brantz's new poetry collection, Poems of Parenting. The illustrated poems are based on Brantz's popular series of Instagram posts that give parents permission to laugh. In today's episode, the artist and author shares a selectio…

1
In her new memoir, Tina Knowles, mother of Beyoncé and Solange, tells her own story 7:33

15d ago7:33

7:33

Tina Knowles intended to write a behind-the-scenes look at her career in the music business. But she says that when she began writing, her own story flowed onto the page instead. In her new memoir Matriarch, the entrepreneur and mother of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles shares the story of how she helped her daughters become cultural ico…

1
New cookbooks from Sarah Ahn and Roy Choi take different approaches to Korean cuisine 19:20

26d ago19:20

19:20

Two new cookbooks take different approaches – one modern and one more traditional – to Korean cuisine. First, Roy Choi is the co-founder of Los Angeles' Kogi BBQ food trucks, which put Korean-Mexican fusion on the map. He rose to fame cooking meat, but his first full cookbook The Choi of Cooking focuses on vegetables. In today's episode, Choi speak…

1
How to Work Remotely After the Military | Lessons from a Veteran CEO 32:08

19d ago32:08

32:08

Start a remote consulting business: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationIn this video, we break down step-by-step how veterans and transitioning service members can build remote careers, consulting businesses, and financial freedom after leaving active duty. Learn from Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur David Pere --he shares real lesson…

1
With 'Rabbit Moon,' Jennifer Haigh chooses Shanghai as the backdrop to family tragedy 10:24

27d ago10:24

10:24

Jennifer Haigh's latest novel Rabbit Moon opens with a hit and run accident in pre-dawn Shanghai. The victim is a 22-year-old American woman named Lindsey. Her parents immediately fly into Shanghai while Lindsey's sister awaits news from a New England summer camp – and the accident scars an already-fractured family. In today's episode, Haigh speaks…

1
In 'Putin's Revenge,' Lucian Kim traces the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine 11:32

28d ago11:32

11:32

For more than 20 years, Lucian Kim covered Russia and Ukraine as a journalist. Now, the former NPR reporter is out with a new book that aims to explain the confluence of personal and geopolitical motivations that led to Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin's Revenge identifies key moments in the decades leading up to the invasion, in…

1
Katie Kitamura's 'Audition' is a puzzle, but she says it's not meant to be solved 9:07

29d ago9:07

9:07

In a Manhattan restaurant, the narrator of Audition meets a young man for lunch. Everyone has a different understanding of the pair's relationship, including the narrator herself. Katie Kitamura says she got the idea for the story after coming across a headline that said, "a stranger told me he was my son." That headline turned into the premise for…

1
Emily Henry's latest novel 'Great Big Beautiful Life' explores love beyond romance 9:18

30d ago9:18

9:18

Known for books like Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry is the patron saint of millennial romance. But for her latest novel, the author says she wanted to challenge herself in a new way. Great Big Beautiful Life is a story within a story about two journalists who are competing to write the biography of a fictional media heiress.…

1
Zadie Smith looks back at her debut novel 'White Teeth' 25 years after its release 14:59

1M ago14:59

14:59

Zadie Smith's White Teeth marked its 25th anniversary in January. The now canonical novel tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a shy Englishman named Archie Jones and his friend Samad Iqbal, a devout Bengali Muslim. Both men are trying to pass on their religious and moral beliefs to their children. In today's episode, we revisit a conv…

1
'Happy Land' was inspired by a real-life kingdom of formerly enslaved people 7:41

25d ago7:41

7:41

When Nikki travels to visit her grandmother in western North Carolina, she expects answers about her family's history. But instead, she uncovers her connection to the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a community of formerly enslaved people. Dolen Perkins-Valdez's new novel Happy Land follows Nikki as she delves deeper into family secrets. The author says…

1
The GSA Contract Wave Is Here: Why Most Companies Will Get Wiped Out 54:03

26d ago54:03

54:03

GovClose is the fastest way to break into federal sales — or scale it. Whether you're starting out or already selling, our certification gives you the system, tools, and training to win contracts now. Start here: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification The federal government is overhauling how it buys from businesses — and GSA Schedules are be…

1
3 Government Contracting Secrets They’re Not Telling You 0:28

29d ago0:28

0:28

In this exclusive short preview, I reveal 3 secrets that top contractors know (and most businesses miss) about breaking into government sales. Want the full breakdown? 👉 Watch the full interview with former GSA official Kevan Kivlan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@govclose/?sub_confirmation=1 🎯 Or get certified now: https://www.govclose.com/sa…

1
'Paper Doll' documents trans TikTok creator Dylan Mulvaney's journey through girlhood 8:52

1M ago8:52

8:52

Three years ago, trans content creator and actor Dylan Mulvaney posted a video on TikTok documenting her first day of girlhood. Though she didn't expect to turn the post into a series, Mulvaney says the videos became a way to track both her journey and her experience of trans joy. Now, she's out with a memoir called Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bl…

1
How Is Writing A Bid Like Baking A Cake? S2E3 8:54

1M ago8:54

8:54

How is writing a bid like baking a cake?In today’s episode of the UK Bid Writer Podcast, Lyndsey Wray tortures an analogy to make a silly, but useful, point: Anyone can write a basic bid, but to turn that bid into a real showstopper takes a little bit extra.Sweet!-----------------------------------------------Links and timestamps:[01:44] S1E6 Respo…

1
An early biography paints Pope Francis as 'The Great Reformer' of the Catholic Church 6:39

1M ago6:39

6:39

Pope Francis died Monday, leaving behind a legacy as "Pope of the People" and a change agent within the Catholic Church. Austen Ivereigh's The Great Reformer was published just a year into Pope Francis's papacy. But already, the biography argues, the pope had solidified his position as a radical reformer, both in his approach to hot-button issues a…

1
Aided by new sources, Clay Risen's 'Red Scare' brings McCarthyism back to life 7:42

1M ago7:42

7:42

Journalist Clay Risen is out with a new narrative history of the Red Scare, based in part on newly declassified sources. In Red Scare, Risen depicts McCarthyism as a cultural witch hunt against all kinds of people, not just potential communist spies. And he argues that the Red Scare was part of a broader cultural backlash against New Deal progressi…

1
Two new children's books view the natural world as a site of personal growth 15:56

1M ago15:56

15:56

Two new picture books explore how the outside world can transform our relationships with our communities and ourselves. First, Kiese Laymon is out with a children's book about three Black boys who connect during a transformative summer in the South. With City Summer, Country Summer, Laymon says he wanted to explore the experience of getting lost as…

1
Government RFP Writing: 5 Fatal Errors to Avoid 33:25

1M ago33:25

33:25

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification If you're submitting government proposals in 2025, this Government Contract Proposal Checklist could be the difference between winning and losing. In this exclusive interview, GovClose graduate Desmond Daniels breaks down the 5 biggest mistakes companies make on federal RF…

1
A new cookbook by Darjeeling Express chef Asma Khan was inspired by seasonal cooking 9:10

1M ago9:10

9:10

Asma Khan grew up in India, where late summer means monsoon season. But it wasn't until she moved to England in the '90s that she learned how to cook. At 45, after earning a PhD in constitutional law, she opened Darjeeling Express. The London restaurant made her into a celebrity chef and an authority on Indian food. Now, Khan is out with a new cook…

1
Rex Ogle's 'When We Ride' is a novel-in-verse about a best friendship under pressure 9:18

1M ago9:18

9:18

Seventeen-year-old Benny is studying hard and working as a busboy, hoping to attend college. Meanwhile, his childhood best friend, Lawson, is on a different path, dealing drugs – and is always in need of a ride. Rex Ogle's When We Ride is a novel-in-verse about their relationship, which becomes strained as differences between the two young men come…

1
'Adventures in the Louvre' will teach you how to fall in love with the famous museum 8:46

1M ago8:46

8:46

Elaine Sciolino has one mantra: "Never go to the Louvre on an empty stomach or with a full bladder." The former Paris bureau chief of The New York Times has written a guide filled with her best advice for enjoying the world's most-visited museum. Her new book, Adventures in the Louvre, is part journalism, part memoir and part art history. In today'…

1
An obituary writer makes a grave error in John Kenney's 'I See You've Called in Dead' 8:47

1M ago8:47

8:47

John Kenney's I See You've Called in Dead is about an obituary writer named Bud Stanely. One late night after a particularly bad date and too many glasses of Scotch, Bud drunkenly writes his own remembrance – and hits publish. The newspaper where he works wants to fire him, but can't legally terminate a dead person. But the error sets off a change …

1
Big Scary AI E2S2 12:38

1M ago12:38

12:38

AI is a big and scary thing. It’s especially controversial when it comes to if, when and how to use it when bidding for public and private sector contracts.In today’s episode of the UK Bid Writer Podcast, Lyndsey Wray flags concerns about data security and suggests that, while AI for bid writing seems inevitable, there are other ways that implement…

1
Two new novels explore a world where technology has even greater access to our minds 19:25

2M ago19:25

19:25

Two new novels explore technology's increasing access to our most intimate thoughts. First, the protagonist in The Mechanics of Memory can't remember her last year. Hope has found herself in a too-perfect mental health facility where she participates in questionable treatment, some involving virtual reality. Audrey Lee's novel follows Hope as she s…

1
A new oral history of Lollapalooza recalls the alt-rock music festival's wildest days 8:20

2M ago8:20

8:20

Lollapalooza is a popular music festival that takes place in Chicago's Grant Park each year. But it was conceived as a farewell tour for the band Jane's Addiction, kicking off with a series of chaotic performances across the United States in the summer of 1991. Lollapalooza, a new oral history by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour, documents the wi…

1
Start Selling To The US Military: Massive DoD Spending in 2025 8:42

1M ago8:42

8:42

Senator JD Vance just announced a $1 Trillion Department of Defense (DoD) investment to enhance military readiness, advanced technology, cybersecurity, software development, and manufacturing. But here’s the catch: Not everyone will benefit.The DoD is accelerating contract awards through Other Transaction Authority (OTA) and GSA Schedules—two pathw…

1
Emma Pattee's 'Tilt' imagines the aftermath of a life-changing earthquake 8:44

2M ago8:44

8:44

Annie is 37 weeks pregnant. She's shopping at IKEA in Portland, Oregon, when everything around her begins to shake. It's an earthquake – the big one. Unable to get in touch with her husband or anyone else, she starts to walk. This is the setup for Emma Pattee's new novel Tilt, which the author says was inspired by the major earthquake predicted to …

1
In the wake of a sexual assault, astronaut Amanda Nguyen turned to activism 8:48

2M ago8:48

8:48

In 2013, Amanda Nguyen was a Harvard senior interested in pursuing a career at NASA or the CIA. But she says those plans were temporarily derailed when she was raped just a few months before graduation. Nguyen went on to become an advocate for survivors of sexual assault – and her advocacy resulted in federal legislation that changed the way law en…

1
In 'Everything Is Tuberculosis,' John Green turns his attention to a deadly disease 12:01

2M ago12:01

12:01

Tuberculosis is one of the oldest diseases in human history – and it still kills more than a million people every year. In a new book, The Fault in Our Stars author John Green argues the infection persists only because we allow it to. Everything Is Tuberculosis takes on the history of the human response to and treatment of tuberculosis. The book, G…

1
Authors of two new novels draw inspiration from history in wildly different ways 17:15

2M ago17:15

17:15

Today on the show, we hear from authors who were inspired by history in wildly different ways. First, when Emma Donoghue encountered a famous photo of the 1895 Montparnasse derailment, she says she couldn't believe no one had written a novel about it. Donoghue's The Paris Express imagines what life was like for passengers on the old-fashioned steam…

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