We get a lot of questions as agents — but they all circle back to the same core one: What am I doing wrong? Why hasn't my query made it out of the slush pile? In this episode, host Jen Babakhan is joined by Barb Roose, Cynthia Ruchti, and Debbie Alsdorf for a candid round of agent hot takes. No judgment, no gatekeeping — just an honest peek behind the curtain at the things that are actually keeping queries from moving forward.

What if some of the things making you miserable as a writer are actually habits you've picked up along the way?

In this episode of the Books & Such Literary Podcast, Barb Roose, Jen Babakhan, and Cynthia Ruchti have a candid (and slightly cheeky) conversation about four common habits that can make the writing journey harder than it needs to be.

This episode covers:

• Taking rejection and critique personally and you'll be encouraged to remember that your identity is not your manuscript.

• Assuming that if writing is hard, you must be doing it wrong. We'll talk about how to recognize when hard is actually where growth is happening.

• Ignoring genuine encouragement from agents and editors can be detrimental. Listen to why receiving well is a skill worth practicing.

• Using advances, royalties, and sales numbers as a measure of your worth is a fast track to a miserable writing career. Jen shows you how to find a different scoreboard for a sustainable writing journey.

Whether you're a published author, an aspiring writer, or somewhere in between, this conversation will encourage you to separate your identity from your work, stay grounded through difficult seasons, receive encouragement, and remember that your worth as a writer isn't found in a number.

Watch the episode on YouTube and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.

Subscribe to the Books & Such Podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Find the complete podcast archive on the Resources page at Books & Such.

New episodes drop the first Wednesday of every month. Until then, keep writing!

We spend a lot of time on our Books & Such podcast talking about craft, proposals, platform, and all the serious things and all of that matters. But this month, we're having a little fun. Host and Literary Agent, Jen Babakhan is joined by three Books & Such Literary Management agents, Barb Roose, Cynthia Ruchti, and Debbie Alsdorf for a conversation about movie quotes that could have been written about publishing. Because sometimes a single line from a movie captures something about this industry better than any writing conference session ever could.

Each agent chose two quotes — and the wisdom tucked inside them is real.

Listener challenge: What's your movie quote that feels like publishing wisdom? Tag us on Instagram @booksandsuch — we would love to see what you come up with!

🎧 New episodes drop the first Wednesday of every month.

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