Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Splintered Harmony has just become the fastest-selling adult fantasy novel in UK history. Jamie Greenwood and Melissa Welliver unpack what that means for publishing, romantasy and the industry's bottom line, plus the rest of this week's book news.

In this episode:

• Is it important to name disability representation in fantasy? After a listener explained that Violet in Fourth Wing has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), we discuss whether representation needs to be named on the page.

• Why are Sarah J. Maas books selling so well? Record-breaking sales figures, midnight release parties, and how romantasy keeps publishers funding riskier books.

• Why is BookTok mostly women? Why men often hide their love of reading, and how creators like Luke Bateman are changing that.

• Publishing news: Pan Fiction wins Romance Publisher of the Year, the Baillie Gifford Prize and Goldsmiths Prize winners, the Cheshire Schools Book Award shortlist, and the end of the Books on the Bag Readers' Awards.

• Unbound's collapse: Author Tom Cox warns readers about unauthorised copies of his books still being sold, and what happens to your stock and rights when a publisher goes under.

• Adaptations: Sunrise on the Reaping previews and Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.

Listener question: What should you do when your literary agent takes months to read your manuscript? How long is too long to wait, how to pitch your own book to your agent, which book fairs to avoid when sending work, and how to talk honestly with your agent when you feel stuck.

The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes is a weekly podcast about writing, publishing and books. Follow us on Instagram: @writeandwrongpodcast, @melliver and @naomigwrites.

Send us your writing questions and we'll answer them on air.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro and this week's hosts

02:13 Fourth Wing, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and naming disability representation in fantasy

08:43 Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Splintered Harmony breaks UK sales records

20:55 Publishing news: awards, prizes and the Cheshire Schools shortlist

33:45 Unbound's collapse and Tom Cox's warning about unauthorised copies

41:51 BookTok, young readers and why men hide their love of reading

53:17 AI copyright and adaptation news: Sunrise on the Reaping and Narnia

59:50 Listener Q&A: my literary agent hasn't read my book in months

1:08:25 How to pitch your own book to your agent

1:19:50 Outro and where to find us

Thank you so much for supporting the show, it genuinely keeps us going. Tell us in the comments: have you ever waited months to hear back from an agent, and what did you do? We read every reply. And if you have a writing or publishing question, send it our way and we'll answer it on air.

With Melissa away at YALC, Jamie and Naomi tackle the week's biggest publishing controversies, industry trends, and adaptation news.

Episode Breakdown:

• James Patterson's Co-Author Contracts: Author Gina Maxwell alleges Patterson offered a flat $10,000 with no royalties for a romance novel and contractually threatened to remove her name if he significantly edited the manuscript.
• Baldur's Gate 3 Fandom Outrage: T. Kingfisher's Astarion prequel novel faces intense online backlash over IP-mandated backstory changes and narrator Neil Newborn's jarring third-person audiobook delivery.
• The "Trad Wife" Literature Trend: Exploring the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist and the sudden wave of fiction deconstructing traditional housewife communities, driven by hits like Yesteryear.
• Sarah J. Maas Formatting Drama: Fans express frustration that Bloomsbury printed the highly anticipated Splintered Harmony noticeably taller than previous books in the series.
• David Walliams Industry Fallout: The children's author is dropped from a major animated movie and loses independent bookshop shelf space as misconduct allegations continue to impact his backlist.
• Hollywood's "Safe" Adaptations: Discussing upcoming screen versions of Dolly Alderton's Pride and Prejudice, Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun, and John Gwynne's completed epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen.
• Bridget Jones Prize: Helen Fielding launches a £2,000 Northern Comedy Writing prize to support unpublished writers from the North of England.
• Publishing Q&A: Advice on navigating the mental toll of losing literary representation multiple times and how to successfully leverage past agency experience when querying new agents.

@naomigwrites - Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

@melliver - Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

@writeandwrongpodcast - Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

With Jamie away modelling for romance book covers, Melissa and Naomi take the reins to break down the biggest publishing news, fantasy adaptation castings, and industry controversies of the week.

In this episode:

• James Patterson Enters Romantasy: Discussing Patterson's unexpected genre shift co-authoring "Fire Dance" with Hazel McBride, slated for a June 2027 release.
• HarperCollins' "Wild Lit" Imprint: A look at the new New Adult imprint and the AI-generated art controversies already sparking backlash around its launch.
• Society of Authors AI Backtrack: Unpacking the SoA's withdrawal from an ethical AI charter and the impossible task of keeping the writing process completely air-gapped from AI tools like Grammarly and Copilot.
• Fantasy Adaptations: Reacting to Francis Lawrence directing the Red Rising movie and the Fourth Wing casting announcements featuring Ewan McGregor's daughter as Violet and Emilio Sakraya as Xaden.
• Sally Rooney's UK Distribution: Why UK distribution of Rooney's books was paused over her support for Palestine Action, and how readers are bypassing this by ordering from Irish indie bookshops.
• YouTube Audiobooks: Breaking down YouTube Premium's planned 2027 move into the audiobook market and how royalty payouts might compare to platforms like Audible and Spotify.
• Social Media vs. Creativity: Exploring Leigh Bardugo's comments on how algorithms, echo chambers, and direct reader expectations stifle the author creative process.
• Publishing Q&A: Is it a red flag if a literary agent refuses to "nudge" editors while a manuscript is out on submission?

@naomigwrites - Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

@melliver - Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

@writeandwrongpodcast - Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

Jamie, Melissa and Naomi are back. Naomi's shares her first FantasyCon experience before they get into the publishing news, which this week features curious revenue increases, political red tape and AI controversies.

In this episode:

Book Sales vs. Revenue: Fresh data shows UK book market revenue increased by 1.5% in the first half of 2026, but the actual volume of books sold fell by 1.1%. The hosts discuss how expensive special editions are driving profits and debate whether buying books and reading books have become two completely separate hobbies.

Playing It Safe in Publishing: With Hachette UK attributing a 4% revenue growth largely to mega-authors like Rebecca Yarros and Freida McFadden, the hosts explore how publishers are abandoning the "shiny debut" in favour of risk-averse, established IP. They also look at how this trend is bleeding into retail, with Waterstones increasingly opting for older, proven hits for their Book of the Month.

Defining "New Adult": Following Grace Walker's win of the inaugural New Adult Book Prize for The Merge, the hosts try to pin down exactly what the "New Adult" genre actually is. They explore how it differs from YA and whether it serves as a "second coming of age" for characters navigating independent life.

AI Accusations & The Caine Prize: A prestigious African short story prize has instituted human-centered vetting after its recent winner faced high-profile AI accusations. Melissa highlights the near impossibility of proving AI usage and the danger of these accusations being weaponised for racial profiling.

The Sally Rooney & Faber Controversy: The hosts untangle the complicated bureaucratic mess surrounding Faber ceasing the UK distribution of Sally Rooney's books. They discuss the anti-terrorist charter that sparked the mutual decision after Rooney pledged financial support to Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government.

Author Q&A - Are Writing Courses Worth It?: A listener asks for the hosts' collective opinion on paid writing courses like Curtis Brown Creative. Naomi and Melissa share their experiences, concluding that while courses are wonderful for building community and finding structure, they are absolutely not a mandatory expense for securing a traditional publishing deal.

@naomigwrites - Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

@melliver - Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

@writeandwrongpodcast - Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

This week, Jamie and Melissa hold down the fort while Naomi attends FantasyCon. They dive straight into a massive week of publishing industry news, exploring how the balance of power is shifting for modern authors.

In this episode:

• The Self-Publishing Boom: Recent industry analysis from the Frankfurt Book Festival reveals that top UK self-publishers now rival the largest traditional publishing houses in scale. The hosts discuss how heavy-hitters like Matt Dinniman and Susie Tate are using their massive platforms to secure traditional print deals while retaining their lucrative eBook rights.
• The UK's First AI Book Certification: The UK Intellectual Property Office has registered the "Books by People" certification mark to formally stamp books as completely human-authored. Jamie and Melissa debate the mechanics of checking manuscript metadata and why generative AI still lacks the vital ingredient of a unique authorial voice.
• Surviving "Super Thursdays": October and November are historically dominated by legacy authors and massive consumer spending. The hosts explore how release slates packed with names like Ian Rankin, V.E. Schwab, and Sarah J. Maas make it incredibly difficult for debut authors to break through the noise.
• The NetGalley Sale: Firebrand Group, which includes the popular early-review platform NetGalley, was recently sold for just 1.07 times its annual revenue. The hosts break down why this low valuation is raising eyebrows about the platform's long-term profitability.
• Goodreads Adds Half-Stars: Goodreads has officially introduced half and quarter-star rating options. The hosts explain why this highly requested feature is likely to pull average book ratings down, and share the surprising reminder that Amazon has actually owned Goodreads for years.
• Author Q&A: A listener wonders if it is a red flag for a traditionally publishing debut author to work with an agent who specialises in transitioning indie authors. Melissa explains why an agent's success is ultimately a win for all their clients and why writers need to stop viewing each other as competition.

Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

The podcast returns with a new weekly, news-led format as we get into whether Booker Prize books are brilliant or just intimidating, why Amazon has slashed KDP upload limits, and whether fixed book prices would actually protect authors and indie bookshops. We also round up some publishing oddities, from Netflix library donations to a pair of shoes that plays audiobooks for some reason.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

A deep dive into literary agents, meeting them, signing with them and the continued relationship.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

We are chatting about book covers, being asked to make mood boards, cover art "leaking" early online and Naomi gives an exclusive reveal about which of her covers she really doesn't like!

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast