Nancy Sheed, host of HAYVN Hubcast talks with author Betsy Lerner, and she takes us from blue pencils and slush piles to BookTok and bestsellers. She shares how she moved from editorial roles at major houses to agenting for the flexibility publishing didn’t offer at the time, and how that entrepreneurial leap paid off.
We get her “discoverability” playbook (from magazine racks on the streets of New York to TikTok), candid advice on today’s path to publication, the backstory of Shred Sisters, and her refreshingly practical mindset on rejection: don’t dwell on no, keep looking for the yes.
Nancy’s conversation with Betsy covers:
Breaking into publishing (then vs. now): The traditional path runs through a literary agent, and today, platform, credentials, or media access often matter (especially in nonfiction). Fiction still benefits from strong pedigree and publication credits.
From editor to agent: Betsy left editorial for agenting to gain flexibility while raising a child. She brought authors she’d developed as an editor, pairing editorial instincts with a builder’s mindset.
Talent discovery, old-school and new: Pre-internet, she scoured magazine racks to spot compelling voices, famously writing to “Merlin” (Neil deGrasse Tyson) after seeing his cosmos cartoons. Today, she finds serious experts on TikTok and checks longer-form writing (e.g., Substack) to validate voice.
TikTok is not just “kids dancing”: BookTok (and STEM talk) hosts passionate, informed communities that genuinely move book sales these days. Consistency and a clear “lane” matter; think of it as your own channel.
Creating Shred Sisters: After an intensive nonfiction collaboration with Temple Grandin, Betsy unexpectedly drafted her novel over seven months during COVID, then spent two years revising. The story was fueled by profound personal losses and deepened bonds with her sisters.
Thick skin required: Even as a well-known agent, Betsy got rejections on her novel and emphasizes not getting mired in the “no.” You only need the right “yes.”
