Margs & Manuscripts

Cait & Jenna
  • 5.0 (9)
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The book world is bigger than any one corner of it. Margs & Manuscripts brings it all together — writers, authors, agents, editors, bookstore owners, and readers — for real, unfiltered conversation about writing, publishing, and the reading life. Hosted by Cait and Jenna, two writer friends who pour a drink and let the conversation flow.

  1. 1d ago

    "I'm the Magic Here": Cara Alwill on Girl Code, Pink Ink, and Never Waiting to Be Chosen

    Cait has been trying to get Cara Alwill in a room with us for ages, and she finally said yes. This one is a masterclass in building your own universe instead of waiting for one of the Big Five to hand you a key. Cara is the 10-book author behind Girl Code, the founder of Pink Ink Press, and the host of Cara Says It All. She started blogging into the void in 2008, wrote for MTV News for free at 5am before her day job, got rejected by 19 publishers, self-published anyway, sold close to 100,000 copies of Girl Code on her own, signed the Penguin Random House deal she'd always dreamed of, and then walked away from all of it to build something better. We get into the real math of a traditional book deal (spoiler: you pay the advance back, and then some), why "getting picked" is a trap, the ethics of writing memoir about people you actually dated, how literary salons are quietly changing publishing, and the moment that gave this episode its name. If you are an indie author, a memoirist, a Substack writer, or anyone sitting on a book you keep not writing, this is the pep talk and the reality check. What we get into: How one line in an email from author Marianna Pease sparked Pink Ink Press three days later. The MTV News origin story Cara says she's never told on a podcast (yes, she was in the pit at that VMAs). Why she started her Substack, House of Her, to hide in plain sight and write unhinged dating stories. The case for keeping 100% of your rights and 100% of your royalties. And how being seen means being willing to be misunderstood. Timestamps: 00:00 The intro that turned into a millennials-don't-wait TED talk 04:30 Finally meeting Cara + the law of attraction of cool people 06:40 Blogging into the void in 2008 (RIP The Champagne Diet) 07:20 The MTV years, writing for free, and a front-row seat to VMAs history 11:00 Blog to book, 19 rejections, and going indie 17:10 Literary salons and The Tortured Bloggers Department 19:55 The ethics of writing memoir about the men you dated 28:00 Visibility, personal brand, and learning to talk about your art 32:30 Handling the haters and letting go of people-pleasing 34:20 Book break: Liar, Liar by Lucy Lee 35:20 Pink Ink, the name she's had since 17, and Girl Code blowing up 36:10 The Penguin deal and why trad publishing broke her heart 40:50 Mentorship and what Pink Ink actually gives authors 42:40 Indie vs trad, and why you shouldn't give it all away to get "chosen" 50:40 "I'm the magic here" (put it on a sweatshirt) Find Cara: Substack (House of Her): caraalwill.substack.com Website + podcast (Cara Says It All): carasaysitall.com Pink Ink Press: her boutique publishing imprint for bold, feminine, rebellious storytelling Books: Girl Code, Like She Owns the Place, The Champagne Diet, and Don't Do Anything I Would Do Instagram: @caraalwill This episode's book break: Liar, Liar by Lucy Lee, a steamy fake-dating debut romance from a Florida sister duo. Broke, jobless, and accidentally the winner of a $100k love-story contest, Lena talks her favorite banter buddy into fake-dating her to claim the prize. Fake dating, forced proximity, secret pining, roughly three chili peppers. Content notes for mental health, food insecurity, and references to abuse and loss. Grab it: https://books2read.com/u/mVEQg2 Send this to the writer friend who keeps saying "someday" about their book. Books featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors. #indieauthor #selfpublishing #writingcommunity #bookpodcast

    "I'm the Magic Here": Cara Alwill on Girl Code, Pink Ink, and Never Waiting to Be Chosen

  2. Aug 11

    This YA Debut Reads Like Her Tenth Book | Jasmine Smith

    Featured Guest: Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith is the author of Death Card, a witchy YA fantasy set in New Orleans. A former English major with a love of women's and gender studies, Jasmine writes stories that put teen readers first while quietly threading in tarot, generational family bonds, and the politics of the world her characters actually live in. What does it take to sell a debut on just ten chapters? This week, we sit down with debut author Jasmine Smith to talk about Death Card, her New Orleans-set YA fantasy, and the three-year road from first chapters to release week. From writing on deadline for a book packager to bracing for a banned books list, Jasmine shares an honest look at what it means to build a home in a genre she loves. Jasmine Smith didn't set out to write Death Card. The idea came from a book packager, and she had to earn it with a writing sample and the first ten chapters. In this episode, Jasmine joins Jenna and Cait to talk about how that proposal sold to editors, why the finished book reads nothing like a first novel, and how tarot, gentrification, and a grandmother's love all found their way onto the page. The conversation covers the difference between IP and work-for-hire, why her YA contemporary "book of her heart" stalled while Death Card flew, and where she thinks the genre is headed. For writers, this episode is a candid look at deadlines, developmental edits, and what it actually takes to keep a complex timeline from falling apart. For readers, it's a behind-the-scenes tour of a debut with gold foil, sprayed edges, and a whole lot to say. In This Episode How Death Card sold on proposal, based on only the first ten chaptersWhat writing IP really means, and how it differs from a flat-fee dealWhy her YA contemporary novel stalled on submission while Death Card soldWriting the full manuscript in three months, then three rounds of developmental editsThe New Orleans-rooted mother and grandmother relationships at the story's heartWhy she writes for teens first, and where she thinks YA is goingTarot, spooky season, and reading for the vibesThe cover reveal: Helena Elias, Caitlin Yang, gold foil, and a surprise sprayed-edges emailWhy paperback-first releases are becoming the norm in YABracing for a banned books list, and the AI-inspired idea already in her notes app The Book Death Card by Jasmine Smith In this witchy YA fantasy set in New Orleans, a young practicing witch navigates tarot, demons, and a city being reshaped by tourism and gentrification, all while confronting loss, love, and the female generational bonds that hold her family together. Grounded, current, and unafraid of its own politics, Death Card announces a debut voice that reads like anything but a first book. Out now in paperback. Audiobook narrated by Andia Winslow.

    This YA Debut Reads Like Her Tenth Book | Jasmine Smith

  3. Aug 6 ·  Bonus

    The Extra Shot: Just Be a Good Hang

    Welcome to The Extra Shot, our bonus episodes where it's just Cait and Jenna, no guest, and the inside thoughts fully become outside thoughts. This one started with an Amy Poehler Good Hang clip about TV writing and spiraled into our whole theory of everything: talent is a dime a dozen, so the thing that actually sets you apart is being someone people want in the room. Easy to work with. Cool. Chill. A good hang. We talk about why that's true for authors, editors, podcasters, honestly anyone in the arts, and why we'll bump a book to the top of our TBR the second we fall in love with the human who wrote it (hi, Julie Murphy). We also get into: The good hang thesis, and why moderate talent plus kindness beats brilliance plus bad vibesLimelight and Book Break episodes: what they are, why they're booking up fast, and how to grab a spot (yes, they can be about your editing, PR, cover design, or illustration services too, not just books)Trad vs indie, and why you're allowed to do both. Cait's querying this fall AND indie publishing the next one. Diversify the portfolio, figuratively and literallyThe great editing debate: dev edit vs copy edit, when a manuscript is actually ready to hand off, and why a high-expectations genre like fantasy might call for a developmental editor from the startOur ever-growing TBR guilt, reading on 2x speed, and the impossible task of finding time to read for fun when every book we feature is genuinely that goodWhether you went trad and came back to indie, or went indie and are eyeing trad, we want the tea. Slide into our DMs. Booking a Limelight or Book Break is also, apparently, how you get Jenna to make your content. That's the whole secret.

    The Extra Shot: Just Be a Good Hang

  4. Aug 4

    She Wrote a Rom-Com That Starts Where Romance Books End

    What if the happy ending is where the real story begins? This week, we sit down with debut author Lavanya Lakshmi to talk about Leave and Come Back, the rom-com that had us wanting to book a flight to an Indian wedding. Lavanya joins Jenna and Cait to talk about the book's central hook: instead of a will-they-won't-they, this is a how-do-they, opening on a couple who's already together and has to figure out the harder part. We get into her genuinely wild backstory (an Eloise-style childhood living in hotels, over a decade inside Penguin Random House, and a fanfiction origin that connected her to close friend and fellow author Jessica Joyce), why she built the whole book around her favorite Bollywood movie, and how she layered in Easter eggs that reward superfans without leaving newcomers behind. We also talk green flag men, writing every side character like the lead of their own novel, and why the specificity of a story is what makes it feel authentic. For romance readers, this is a look behind one of the summer's most refreshing debuts, full of color, sass, and a groom you'll want at your own wedding. For writers, it's an honest conversation about elasticity in the genre, trusting a niche obsession for two and a half years, and the discipline it takes to finally finish the book. In This Episode Why the book starts where most romances end, and the "how do they" trope we coined liveLavanya's Eloise-style childhood living in luxury hotels in Beijing13 years inside Penguin Random House and working on the Dolly Parton Imagination LibraryHer Twilight fanfiction origin story, and why fanfiction was the real training groundBuilding an entire novel around a beloved Bollywood movie without over-explaining itThe cover art Easter eggs, and the iconic DDLJ scene hidden in plain sightWhy writing green flag men felt a little revolutionaryTreating every side character like the main character of their own bookWhy specificity is what actually makes a story feel authenticWhat's next: a book centered on female friendshipFeatured Guest: Lavanya Lakshmi Lavanya Lakshmi spent 13 years on the business side of book publishing at Penguin Random House, working in sales and business development and on special projects like the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, before making the leap to author herself. Born in India and raised largely in luxury hotels across Beijing thanks to her dad's job in hospitality, she got her master's in publishing from NYU and cut her teeth writing Twilight fanfiction long before her debut. [Book Title] is her first novel: a warm, joyful, DDLJ-loving rom-com about family, an Indian wedding, and two people who start where most romances end.

    She Wrote a Rom-Com That Starts Where Romance Books End

  5. Jul 30 ·  Bonus

    In the Lime Light with Rebecca Gould Baeurle

    This bonus episode's Lime Light shines on Rebecca Gould Baeurle, author of The Secrets Trilogy — a love-story-with-a-criminal-twist series following two sisters through hardship, betrayal, and danger in Philadelphia. We talk about writing a full first draft in two months, why she almost didn't publish at all, and the real-life roots behind her very fictional sisters. About Rebecca Rebecca Gould Baeurle spent her career in the nonprofit sector as an executive director and fundraiser before turning to fiction. She's the author of The Secrets Trilogy, a series that blends romance, suspense, family drama, and mystery — all anchored by the bond between two sisters navigating love, dangerous secrets, and life-changing choices. The Books Six Weeks of Love and Larceny — the debut. Two sisters in their early twenties, Lauren and Nikki, are dealing with life's ups and downs together in Philadelphia. Lauren is a cub reporter chasing an investigative story; Nikki's unexpected romance leads to confusion, betrayal, and danger.Twelve Weeks of Love and Loss — the sequel, out July 28th. Picks up three years later, offering a second chance at romance that takes a hard, sinister turn.Sixteen Weeks of Love and Lies — closes out the trilogy, releasing next year.All three novels are set in Philadelphia, where Rebecca lives — the books lean into local color, from Philly cuisine to sports fandom. What We Talked About How a "pet project" turned into a full trilogyWriting a complete first draft in two months (and what came after)Getting stalled by fear of the publishing world — and how she got unstuckThe real sisterhood behind her fictional sistersWhy agents are hungry for sister stories right nowNarrating her own audiobook (harder than it sounds)Writing what you know: Philadelphia, University of Delaware, and pulling from a real life"That's what makes it real. I mean, I know it's true." — Rebecca, on drawing from her own life for the books Where to Find Rebecca Buy the books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or wherever books are soldWebsite: https://www.rebeccagouldbaeurle.com/ Instagram: @beckybaeurleLoved this episode? Send it to the sister-story lover in your life. This is a sponsored Lime Light episode. Rebecca paid to be featured, but our thoughts and laughter are genuinely ours.

    In the Lime Light with Rebecca Gould Baeurle

  6. Jul 28

    She Wrote a Sexy Retirement-Home Romance. And Nailed It | Julie Murphy

    What if the retirement home wasn't the end of the story, but the beginning? This week, we sit down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy — of Dumplin fame — to talk about Vera Stein Is Fine, her first "adult, adult" solo romance. The idea started with a random fact about David Attenborough starting a retirement home for actors, spiraled into a synopsis Julie sent her agent back in 2016, and spent years becoming the book it needed to be. Julie joins Jenna and Cait to talk about writing across categories when publishers weren't used to authors jumping between them, what it took to finally finish this book, and the wild, true story of how the Dumplin movie almost didn't happen — until Jennifer Aniston and Dolly Parton stepped in. We also get into why every book is a handmade heirloom of who you were when you wrote it, and why more women need to be talking to each other about their health. For romance readers, this episode is a look behind one of the summer's most talked-about books — a Palm Springs retirement home full of scandal, second chances, and characters you won't want to leave. For writers, it's an honest conversation about trusting an idea for a decade, writing through the hardest years of your life, and coming out the other side with the book you're most proud of. In This Episode The real David Attenborough fact that sparked Vera Stein Is FineWhy Julie sent the first synopsis to her agent back in 2016Publishing across categories before it was common to jump between themWhat made this her first "adult, adult" solo romanceThe full story behind the Dumplin movie almost not happeningHow Jennifer Aniston and Dolly Parton both saved the dayWhy every book feels like a handmade heirloom of a specific version of yourselfThe reader review that became this book's unofficial taglineWhy Julie thinks women need to talk to each other more about their healthThe line from the book everyone's already quotingVera Stein Is Fine by Julie Murphy Vera Stein is forty, stuck in a dead-end job, and pretty sure her big life has already passed her by — until a visit to her grandmother's retirement community in Palm Springs turns into a fresh start she never saw coming. Funny, tender, and full of scandalous seniors, this is a story about second chances at every age.

    She Wrote a Sexy Retirement-Home Romance. And Nailed It | Julie Murphy

  7. Jul 21

    She Scrapped a Finished Manuscript to Write Yes, Chef | Grace Reilly

    What do you do when the book you're supposed to publish next is one you can't stand behind? This week, on release day for Yes Chef, romance author Grace Reilly tells us about the book she almost had to publish instead — 80,000 words she wrote, hated, and walked away from — and the restaurant-world romance that came out of starting over. From Kitchen Confidential and The Bear as research material to what it actually looks like to tell your editor "no," Grace gets honest about a year most authors don't talk about publicly. Grace joins Jenna and Cait to unpack the real timeline behind Yes Chef: a scrapped manuscript, a full year without a release, and the fear of being forgotten in a publishing landscape that rewards volume. From there, the conversation moves into the food-world research that shaped Fable and Jack's character, the real Treasure Coast restaurant that inspired the book's setting, and the specific tension of being both the artist and the marketer of your own work. For writers, this episode is a candid look at what it means to protect your name from a project that isn't working. For readers, it's a peek behind Yes Chef's grumpy-chef, forced-proximity romance and the real restaurant that inspired Fable. In This Episode Why Grace scrapped 80,000 words of a finished manuscriptTelling her editor she didn't want to publish the bookKitchen Confidential, The Bear, and researching restaurant cultureThe real Treasure Coast restaurant that inspired FableWriting Poppy and Jack's dynamic: the artist vs. the marketerWhy "content" and "art" are two different modes for authorsHow romance readers use trope labels to set expectationsBalancing multiple projects and subgenres at onceTrusting that a book's reception isn't a verdict on its qualityWhat it's like to release a book you have zero regrets about Yes, Chef Grace Reilly A disgraced chef returns to his hometown to save his family's restaurant — and finds himself forced into proximity with the sharp-tongued marketer determined to save it her way. Grumpy sunshine, found family, and a love letter to the misfits who find belonging in a kitchen.

    She Scrapped a Finished Manuscript to Write Yes, Chef | Grace Reilly

  8. Jul 14

    Season 2 Starts Now: Bigger Guests, Bigger Plans & Jenna's Book Update

    Season 2 is officially here. After 30 episodes of interviewing authors, learning the publishing industry alongside our listeners, and accidentally building an incredible community, we're kicking off a brand new season with a behind-the-scenes conversation about everything that's changing. From bigger author interviews to new ways to spotlight indie books, we're sharing where the podcast is headed, where Jenna is in her publishing journey, and why we're more excited than ever about what's next. If you've been with us since Episode 1—or you're just finding the show—welcome. In This Episode  Celebrating 30 episodes and launching Season 2  What publishing Cait's debut taught her about the industry  Why every book truly has its own publishing journey  Jenna shares a major update on her debut romantasy  How author confidence impacts marketing more than algorithms  Why no one will ever market your book better than you  Introducing Book Breaks—our new indie author book commercials  Announcing The Limelight, our Thursday mini-release interviews  Why we're saying no to traditional podcast advertising  Bringing more indie authors into the spotlight  The surreal experience of booking bestselling authors for Season 2  Why we're launching a community Discord  Our plans to moderate author events around the country  Everything we're excited about for the next season What We Mention  Book Breaks  The Limelight episodes  Indie author marketing  ARC campaigns  Author events  Discord community  Character art  Launch parties  Book merch  Spooky season reads Listener Call-to-Action If you're enjoying Margs & Manuscripts, we'd love your support.  Follow the show  Leave a rating and review  Share this episode with another writer or reader  Follow us on social media  Visit our website to learn about Book Breaks, The Lime Light, and everything coming in Season 2.

    Season 2 Starts Now: Bigger Guests, Bigger Plans & Jenna's Book Update
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About

The book world is bigger than any one corner of it. Margs & Manuscripts brings it all together — writers, authors, agents, editors, bookstore owners, and readers — for real, unfiltered conversation about writing, publishing, and the reading life. Hosted by Cait and Jenna, two writer friends who pour a drink and let the conversation flow.

Information

  • Creator
    Cait & Jenna
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Margs & Manuscripts
  • Show Website
    Margs & Manuscripts

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