<p>You have a book idea. Maybe you&#39;ve had it for years. But here&#39;s what nobody tells you — <strong>the idea is not enough.</strong> Before a literary agent finishes reading your pitch, they&#39;re already Googling you. And if what they find doesn&#39;t back you up, that email gets closed.</p><p>In this episode of Unknown to Known, Jamie Maglietta sits down with Sally Ekus — literary agent, founder of The Ekus Group, and author of the Substack newsletter The Not So Secret Agent — to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to land a traditional book deal. Sally has placed authors with Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon &amp; Schuster and more, and she is one of the most transparent voices in publishing today.</p><p>In this conversation they cover the full road to becoming a published author — from comp research at your local bookstore to building a platform before you ever send a pitch. Sally also breaks down the difference between traditional, hybrid and self-publishing, explains what the 1-3% audience conversion rule means for your follower count, shares the behind-the-scenes story of how The Lao Kitchen came to be, and delivers a serious warning about using AI in your query letter — because she can spot it immediately and it&#39;s an automatic pass.</p><p>This one is for every person who has ever said &quot;I should write a book.&quot; Today we figure out what&#39;s standing between you and that deal.</p><p>🔗 Sally&#39;s Substack — Not So Secret Agent: <a href="https://substack.com/@sallyekus">https://substack.com/@sallyekus</a>The Ekus Group: <a href="https://ekusgroup.com">https://ekusgroup.com</a>⚠️ Writers Beware (author scam resource): <a href="https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/">https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/</a></p><p>Connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sallyekus/</p><p>Proposal Guide: https://notsosecretagent.substack.com/p/cookbook-proposal-guidelines?r=6lue7</p><p>Mentioned: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) - https://www.ibpa-online.org/</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Jamie:</strong></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamie_maglietta/">https://www.instagram.com/jamie_maglietta/</a></p><p>Show Clips: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/get_oncamready/">https://www.instagram.com/get_oncamready/</a></p><p>Linkedin: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-maglietta/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-maglietta/</a></p><p><br><strong>Website &amp; Visibility Program:</strong><br>Visibility Program: <a href="https://www.oncamready.com/"><strong>https://www.oncamready.com/</strong></a></p><p><strong>Resources + Links:</strong><br>(ON CAM) Ready Equipment: https://shorturl.at/Ca5tg</p><p><strong>Substack:</strong><br>Newsletter: <a href="https://oncamready.substack.com"><strong>https://oncamready.substack.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Riverside (Affiliate):</strong><br>Record your content with Riverside:  <a href="https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrE">https://riverside.sjv.io/09VWrE</a></p><p>Discount Code: OCR15</p><p><strong>VidIQ (Affiliate):</strong> <a href="https://vidiq.com/oncamready">https://vidiq.com/oncamready</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>