In this episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe dive into the rise of publishing scams targeting hopeful writers, sharing major red flags to watch for and why scammers are preying on authors’ dreams. They also unpack the heated debate around whether too many books are being published in the age of AI-generated content, what it means for writers trying to stand out, and the evolving role of agents and publishers in today’s market. Plus, a thoughtful conversation about how much editorial work agents really do before a manuscript ever reaches an editor.Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host ​and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.As mentioned on today’s episode:Some scammers are getting caught:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/defendant-pleads-guilty-48-million-nationwide-book-publishing-scam-targeting-hundredsMac Barnett Quote:https://www.instagram.com/p/DX_zF8CjG2A/?img_index=1AI Slop graph: https://www.threads.com/@alexandbooks_/post/DX7obC7Cckh?xmt=AQF0AaPrabf6PyV8vq0I5niJh_8d4K6p-k6RzlZayeX0mAThis week’s substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/notesfromasmallpress/p/are-agents-now-the-real-publishers?r=h5j0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=webFind us on our socials:Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writinghttps://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_authorhttps://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agentInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.comOur Sponsors:* Check out Chime: https://chime.com/TSNOTYAW* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/tsnotyaw* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands