I’ll Probably Delete This

Will Jauquet

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Telling stories of authors, storytellers, and people and companies important to publishing. From historically important authors to modern best sellers, from editors and agents to publishers and the companies that make up book publishing, join us for the stories that shed light on the business of books.

28/10/2025

#14: Mary Shelly Mother of Gothic Horror

In honor of All Hallows Eve (Halloween), learn about Mary Shelly, the mother of Frankenstein's monster.

39 phút
19/08/2025

#13: Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe was an instant bestseller in 1719, yet Daniel Defoe never became rich from it. Why not? In this episode, we look at how authors made (and failed to make) money in the early 18th century, and how printers like William Taylor profited far more than the writers themselves. Books Discussed Robinson Crusoe (1719) — Daniel Defoe The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719) — Daniel Defoe Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1720) — Daniel DefoeJournal of the Plague Year (1722) — Daniel Defoe Moll Flanders (1722) — Daniel Defoe Frankenstein (1818) — Mary Shelley The Martian (2014) — Andy Weir People Referenced 00:16 - Daniel Defoe — Author of Robinson Crusoe, pamphleteer, journalist, and one of the early writers of the novel 00:55 - William Taylor — London printer and bookseller who published Robinson Crusoe 01:25 - Nathaniel Mist — Printer and publisher of Mist’s Weekly Journal, for whom Defoe worked while secretly reporting to the government 13:15 - Mary Shelley — Author of Frankenstein 15:30 - Charles Dickens — 19th-century novelist who published many works as serials 15:35 - Louisa May Alcott — Author of Little Women, also serialized before book publication 15:20 - Rose Wilder Lane — Daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who targeted serialization markets in the 1930s 15:40 - Andy Weir — Author of The Martian, first published as a serialized story on his blog Episode Links Episode 11: Defoe, the Pillory, and Seditious LibelEpisode 3: Laura Ingalls Wilder (part 1)Episode 4: Laura Ingalls Wilder (part 2)

25 phút
12/08/2025

#12: Startup Publisher Piatkus Books

Piatkus Books started as a small U.K. publisher focused on supplying books to libraries. Judy Piatkus founded her second publishing company in 1978, while still in her 20s. This episode tells the story of the company's founding and early days, up through its growth into fiction, international sales, and £10M in revenue before selling in 2007, just ahead of the global financial crisis. People Discussed 00:00 | Judy Piatkus — Founder of Piatkus Books; author of Ahead of Her Time 06:42 | Edwin Buckhalter — Co-founder with Piatkus of Severn House (sold to him in 1978) 13:14 | V. C. Andrews — Bestselling Gothic/romance novelist 13:19 | Danielle Steel — Prolific romance novelist and perennial bestseller 16:51 | Mary Berry — British baking icon; author of multiple Piatkus cookbooks 19:25 | Nora Roberts — American author and perennial bestseller 19:25 | J. D. Robb — Nora Roberts’s pen name for the “In Death” series 14:33 | James Patterson — Thriller writer, covered in Episode 7 and Episode 8 Bibliography Ahead of Her Time (2021) by Judy Piatkus: https://www.amazon.com/Ahead-Her-Time-Judy-Piatkus/dp/1786785315 The Great Crash 1929 (Piatkus 2008 edition) by John Kenneth Galbraith: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Crash-Market-Plunged-Depression/dp/0749909870 “Marketing James Patterson” (2002) — Harvard Business School case by John Deighton: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/505029-PDF-ENG Episodes Referenced Episode 9 - Covering Ingram Book's start as the Tennessee Book DepositoryEpisode 8 - Covering James Patterson's Marketing on Along Came a Spider, including Patterson's view of book clubs.

25 phút
05/08/2025

#11: Publishing and Pillory (Daniel Defoe)

The author of Robinson Crusoe, started his professional life as the 1700s equivalent of a blogger and a hot-take merchant. Daniel Defoe’s satirical pamphlet The Shortest Way with the Dissenters landed him in the pillory. Listen to learn about the early career of the author of one of the great early English novels, why Queen Anne’s government treated political criticism as treason, and how a booming London led to a vibrant press despite political crackdowns. Books/Works Discussed The True-Born Englishman (1701) by Daniel Defoe:https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30159/30159-h/30159-h.htm The Shortest Way with the Dissenters (1703) by Daniel Defoe: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?cc=ecco;idno=004844761.0001.000;node=004844761.0001.000:2;rgn=div1;view=text Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Daniel Defoe: https://www.amazon.com/Robinson-Crusoe-Wordsworth-Classics-Daniel/dp/1853260452 Daniel Defoe: His Life (1989) by Paula R. Backscheider: https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Defoe-Paula-R-Backscheider/dp/0801845122 People Referenced 00:48 | Daniel Defoe — Prolific English pamphleteer, satirist, and later author of Robinson Crusoe. 02:56 | John Baker — London printer who paid Defoe per 500-copy pamphlet run, giving the author an unusually high royalty share. 06:24 | Queen Anne — British monarch (1702-1714) whose ministers prosecuted Defoe for seditious libel. 12:44 | William III (William of Orange) — Took the English throne after the 1688 Glorious Revolution, shaping the political landscape Defoe inherited. 15:36 | Jonathan Swift — Tory-leaning contemporary satirist and author of Gulliver’s Travels.

27 phút
29/07/2025

#10: Expansion of Ingram Books - Part 2

This episode tells the story of how Ingram transformed from a regional schoolbook depository into the go‑to wholesaler for U.S. trade books. Learn about how Harry Hoffman and Ingram expanded the company's reach in books and prepared the way for Amazon and its business model. Books Discussed The Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books (2021) by Keel Hunt https://www.amazon.com/Family-Business-Ingram-Transformed-World/dp/1682753124 Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry (2023) by Dan Sinykin (Columbia University Press) https://cup.columbia.edu/book/big-fiction/9780231192958/ People Referenced 04:07 | Bronson Ingram — Ingram family leader who backed the book venture; introduced in Episode 9. 04:14 | Jack Stambaugh — Early partner in the Tennessee Book Depository; featured in Episode 9. 04:20 | Harry Hoffman — CEO who built Ingram’s trade wholesaling and spearheaded the microfiche program. 27:51 | Ben Thompson — Analyst and writer behind “Aggregation Theory” (Stratechery) 31:12 | Jeff Bezos — Founded Amazon in 1995; early operations benefited from proximity to Ingram’s Eugene, OR warehouse and deep title catalog.

33 phút
22/07/2025

#9: Birth of Ingram Books - Part 1

Learn about how a family owned oil company came to run one of the most important companies within book publishing. Here the story of the start of Ingram Books. People Discussed 03:32 | Laura Ingalls Wilder – Author of the Little House series; covered in Episodes 3 & 4 03:54 | Orrin Henry Ingram – Lumber-baron patriarch (1850s-1890s) 04:24 | Orin “Hank” Ingram Sr. – Orrin’s grandson; shifted the family wealth into oil refining, barge transport, and textiles between the 1930s-60s 05:45 | E. Bronson Ingram II – Took control of the family firm at 31 (1963); bought half of the Tennessee Book Depository in 1964, seeding Ingram Book Company 11:22 | Jack Stambaugh – Former Eisenhower aide; co-owned the Tennessee Book Depository with Bronson Ingram 16:40 | Harry Hoffman – Publishing executive; CEO of Ingram Books and Walden Books 21:37 | Keel Hunt – Nashville journalist; author of The Family Business, the episode’s principal source Bibliography The Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books (2021) by Keel Hunt: https://www.amazon.com/Family-Business-Ingram-Transformed-World/dp/1682753124 Interview with Jack Stanbagh, Eisenhower Presidential Library:https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/oral-histories/oral-history-transcripts/stambaugh-john-372.pdf

23 phút
15/07/2025

#8: James Patterson Markets a Bestseller

James Patterson has built a publishing juggernaut. His publishing success all started with Little, Brown publishing Along Came a Spider in February 1993. In this episode we look at how he marketed his breakout hit. From cover design to targeted TV advertising, Patterson brought his expertise as CEO of a major advertising firm to book publishing. Listen to Episode 7 to hear the begining of the story. Bibliography Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/along-came-a-spider-james-patterson/1100307468?ean=9780316693646 The Bridges of Madison County (1992) by Robert James Waller: https://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Madison-County-Robert-Waller/dp/0446364495 The Client (1993) by John Grisham: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/72156/the-client-by-john-grisham/ Jurassic Park (1990) by Michael Crichton: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jurassic-park-michael-crichton/1100400615 Marketing James Patterson (2002) Harvard Business School case by John Deighton: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/505029-PDF-ENG James Patterson by James Patterson (2022) by James Patterson: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/james-patterson/james-patterson-by-james-patterson/9780316397537/ “The James Patterson Business” (2002) by Jeff Zaleski, Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20021104/21533-the-james-patterson-business.html People Discussed 00:15 | James Patterson – Best-selling thriller author; also covered in Episode 7 01:16 | Bill Clinton – 42nd U.S. President; co-author with Patterson 13:21 | Robert Gottlieb – Famed book editor, former editor-in-chief at Knopf, covered in Episode 5 16:00 | John Grisham – Legal-thriller novelist, author of The Client16:30 | Michael Crichton - Scientific thriller writer, author of Jurassic Park, covered in Episode 6 17:47 | John Deighton – Harvard Business School professor; author of the HBS case on Patterson 21:20 | Burt Manning – Former CEO of J. Walter Thompson 22:31 | Jeff Zaleski – Publishers Weekly journalist; wrote “The James Patterson Business” article

23 phút
08/07/2025

#7: James Patterson Writes a Better Thriller

It took James Patterson seven attempts before he found the right formula for a successful thriller. In this episode, we focus on Patterson break out commercial success, Along Came a Spider and answer the question of how he changed his writing, to find commercial success in his seventh book. Bibliography: Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Along-Came-Spider-Alex-Cross/dp/031606637X The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Berryman-Number-James-Patterson/dp/0316473528 Season of the Machete (1977) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Season-Machete-James-Patterson/dp/0446600603 The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Jackal-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0425276116 The Exorcist (1971) by William Peter Blatty: https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-40th-Anniversary-William-Peter/dp/0061007226 The Silence of the Lambs (1988) by Thomas Harris: https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Lambs-Hannibal-Lecter/dp/0312924585 Mrs. Bridge (1959) by Evan S. Connell: https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Bridge-Evan-S-Connell/dp/1619027349 The Day America Told the Truth (1991) by James Patterson & Peter Kim: https://www.amazon.com/Day-America-Told-Truth-Shocking/dp/0446516383 James Patterson by James Patterson (2022) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/James-Patterson/dp/0316274001 People Discussed: 00:35 | James Patterson – best-selling thriller author and focus of the episode 03:50 | Francis Greenburger – literary agent who sold Patterson’s debut novel 06:45 | Stephen King – horror writer who was once critical Patterson’s work 12:10 | Richard Pine – agent who negotiated the million-dollar Along Came a Spider deal 12:20 | Larry Kirshbaum – then head of Time Warner Book Group backing the acquisition 12:25 | Charles “Charlie” Hayward – publisher leading Little, Brown 12:40 | Fredi Friedman – Patterson’s editor on Along Came a Spider 15:50 | Peter Kim – co-author of The Day America Told the Truth and J. Walter Thompson colleague

20 phút

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Telling stories of authors, storytellers, and people and companies important to publishing. From historically important authors to modern best sellers, from editors and agents to publishers and the companies that make up book publishing, join us for the stories that shed light on the business of books.

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Will Jauquet
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