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#205 - Anna Dixon
281 Plays9 days ago
Literary agent and UK Managing Director of Literary, Anna Dixon joins us for the first episode of 2025! Listen in for some great insights into the publishing industry as well as Anna's day to day approach to agenting, looking at query letters and working with authors.
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Transcript
Debating Writing & Plot Holes
00:00:00
Speaker
Ooh, a spicy question. I love it. Because the writing is sort of everything. You can fix plot holes, but if the writing... So some readers love that and some readers are like, but I wanted more of this. So it's kind of a gamble.
Introducing Anna Dixon
00:00:14
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to the Right and Wrong podcast. With me today is one of the booksellers 2024 Rising Stars, a literary agent recently promoted to UK MD of YMU Literary. It's Anna Dixon. Hello.
00:00:28
Speaker
Hello, so nice to be here. Thanks so much for coming. Thank you for having me. Yeah, absolute pleasure. Great to have you on. Starting things off, um congratulations, you've very recently been promoted.
Anna's Promotion & Holiday
00:00:40
Speaker
Thank you very much. Yeah, it was only a couple of weeks ago that that got announced. So it's been a bit of a whirlwind because I then went on the best or worst timed holiday I can't decide which almost immediately. and So I've come back and and now I'm sort of, you know, getting on with it. But it's, it's great news. Really, really pleased. Yeah.
00:00:57
Speaker
So yeah that's going from literary agent to yeah UK managing director of literary. Is there a lot of new responsibilities that come with that? Oh, yeah, like lots of um sort of top, more top level stuff. And also I'll be working really closely with our new global MD, Bryony Gala, which is really exciting, because we've known each other for a long time, but haven't worked together in this way before. So it's gonna be really fun, I
YMU's Global Talent Scope
00:01:19
Speaker
think. Okay. And like you you mentioned global, YMU obviously is a international massive talent agency, literary being just one arm of that. And I wanted to ask just because most of the agents that I have on the podcast are from either like boutique agencies or agencies that are strictly like just literary agencies. Do you get to work on projects like across mediums sort of outside of literary when you work for a company of that size that represents like kind of that breadth of talent?
00:01:50
Speaker
Yeah, I think um that's actually one of the reasons why I came here is
Cross-Media Projects
00:01:54
Speaker
because when I was working at WME before here, I was doing a lot of all sort of building um more business in crossover, which is sort of a, you know, ah industry lingo thing for anything that's coming from other areas. So I was enjoying a lot of that sort of, you know, podcast books and and books from talent, quote unquote.
00:02:15
Speaker
um I always I know there's such a weird way to describe a person as like talent because it makes it sound like other people are not talented which is obviously not the case but that's sort of you know the entertainment folks so definitely a big part of what we do here so we've got a roster that spans sort of the entertainment industry from you know broadcast television to social media led talent to sports to digital sports, because that's a thing. So we have an agency called DSM in house and they do a lot of licensing deals like they did the licensing very cool for between FIFA with Ted lasso. So they're very interesting. And they have a lot of streamers and and gamers on their roster.
00:02:55
Speaker
um And we've also got a business management
Diverse Deal-Making
00:02:57
Speaker
list and they do sort of um all of the um behind the scenes work for a lot of very, very big, very, very famous people. um And we also have music. So yeah, it sort of operates in lots of different areas. And so we are the sort of um first port of call for any new signings anywhere. And also it' a lot of the existing roster work with us. um So yeah, that's a really exciting part of
Social Strategies for Authors
00:03:19
Speaker
the business for sure. we And I do get to do a lot of different deals as a result. so we don't have scripted, for example, in-house. And so when there's adaptations, we'll either use a preferred partner for book to film, but I've also dabbled in that area myself. So I get to do a couple of those too. and I did a Swedish theatre rights deal one time. That was a fun segue into something a bit different. um And we also worked really closely with our digital team on podcasting. So I get to step into that world quite often as well. So it's, um yeah, it's
Debut Authors & Audio Formats
00:03:48
Speaker
a variety, it's a spice of life here, for sure.
00:03:51
Speaker
So in terms of sort of narrowing that down to how that would affect, let's say, an author on your on your list, yeah does that mean that you're kind of encouraging them to sort of branch out and be like, well, maybe we could, you know, there's an adaptation opportunity here, or like, you could go on this podcast here, e etc, etc.
00:04:09
Speaker
Yes, certainly. I think that we um there's a couple of podcasts in-house that are sort of YMU podcasts where we sort of operate almost as a bit of a production company because we're very involved on the back end. So that's happy place podcast, high performance. um And so where those sorts of pods might move the needle for our books, we certainly try and get our clients on there where appropriate. But I think that it's more, we're able to come with a full sort of social strategy. There's one of my colleagues, Hannah Twigg,
00:04:37
Speaker
is shout out to hanway because she's honestly just dynamite, um but she is a social strategist that and she works specifically on the book side of things. So it's definitely a service that we're quite passionate about because it's just never been harder to launch a debut and we're very aware of that. So where an author is willing and keen to do um other stuff like that, like we're very much here to help and we put together sort of bespoke social strategies for our clients before they launch a book project.
00:05:03
Speaker
Whether they're honest-to-goodness author and that is their core business or if they're coming from somewhere else as well, we're very much keen to to help on that front because it's just um it's really difficult to launch somebody these days. um and
Audiobooks & Accessibility
00:05:16
Speaker
Publishers obviously have finite resources on that front, so we definitely want to pull whatever levers we have at our disposal when we can, absolutely.
00:05:26
Speaker
what What do you think is, why do you think it's so much harder now to kind of break out as a debut than it was, say like 10, 15 years ago? Well, I think like with anything, you know there's um so much so much choice now in terms of the media we consume. And so even if you are a person who self-identifies as a reader, you're also going to have a lot of different things competing for your limited amount of time every day. And so when there's such amazing things happening in all different formats, and you know you're up against TV, you're up against movies, you're up against audio. I mean, it's not up against audio really, because that's obviously a a part of our business too. But what I mean by that is more so sort of podcasts or radio shows and things like that. And so when you're thinking about how to break somebody out, it's just, um it can be difficult.
Balancing Roles at YMU
00:06:15
Speaker
theres Also, we've got the shrinking amount of space in supermarkets. with our books and so that sort of avenue for selling and promotion is shrinking. We've also got there's a limited amount of ah spread space in sort of broadsheet newspapers and um on those radio slots that are key drivers and broadcast key sales drivers around publication. When there's only so many slots that are available and an overwhelming amount of books publishing each year across all publishers, you know, it's it's difficult and you have to think about how we can innovate and how we can
00:06:47
Speaker
break things out in different and new ways. And that's something that we're always trying to consider. And i'm sure I know that everyone in our industry is always trying to consider, because like the sort of you know attempted wrangling at TikTok, TikTok is sort of ah a beast of its own, really. And I actually love it about that. Sorry, I'll rephrase.
00:07:04
Speaker
I love that fact. I love that TikTok is sort of slightly lawless in terms of when we're trying to sort of utilize it as a sales driver. um You know, the the audience really just will will pick up what they want to pick up, not what you serve them. And um I think that that organic... ah flow is is fascinating, actually. um And, you know, I kind of obviously we want to figure it out, because that would be fantastic if we could figure on exactly what makes something work. But I also sort of enjoy that we don't, we can't, yeah and to some degree, like, obviously, there are certain areas where we know things will be more successful than others. and And there's ways around it. But I do think that the things that really take off on TikTok, no one's planning that it just happens. And I love that. I think that's brilliant.
00:07:48
Speaker
Yeah, there's so much. yeah It's so true when you talk about the one of the reasons it's so difficult and not just for debut authors for for any author. and good yeah The kind of the the competition for um for your attention from all these different media, you know, phones aside, I was talking to Louis Stowell recently, very successful children's author.
00:08:10
Speaker
and we kind of had a similar discussion and the such as kind of one of the most sort of kind of blunt points that that I can't remember if she made it or I made it was that children's is like never been harder to get into as like ah in in a publishing perspective and yeah it's like well yeah but 10 years ago Fortnite didn't exist.
00:08:29
Speaker
you know Yeah, it's so true. I think that and that's the um the thing about books is that we are the oldest medium and um but we also require the most sort of like intense attention in a lot of ways apart from the only thing that sort of I would say is completely similar is gaming, because you wouldn't multitask when you're playing a game in the same way that you would multitask. Like, for example, you might have one eye on a TV series, but still be scrolling through your phone. I think that books and gaming really require your full attention in a lot of ways. And that is a challenge, which is why I think that's the big reason
00:09:04
Speaker
ah behind the big boom in audio publishing because you can multitask. like I can listen to an audiobook whilst
Authenticity in Book Projects
00:09:10
Speaker
I'm cooking my dinner and actually that suits a sort of like modern, extremely fast paced style of living, whereas it's a much more intentional thing to sit down and open a hard bag, and which is you know why there will always be an audience for those mediums because people do want to carve that time out and sit down. But for the more sort of incidental reader,
00:09:29
Speaker
That's why, in my view, why audio is such a huge area, because it's bringing people who may have been a podcast listener but weren't thinking about audiobooks, and also the sort of change in how non-fiction audio is published in that sort of more exotic way um that complements that kind of listener. I think it's ah that's that's why, because you can't you can't sit down with, it you have to really sit down and mean it. when you want to read a book, which is such a privilege to be able to carve out that time. And when you do give it to yourself, it does feel like a gift, but it is hard to do. It's definitely hard to do. And there's so many other priorities that everybody has these days. Yeah. And something like, you know, podcasts, audio books is a classic one for, I know most of my friends are doing it either while driving or at the gym. Yes, exactly.
00:10:16
Speaker
So it's, yeah, and I i think it was Brandon Zanderson did a video recently where he was talking to his agent and his agent was saying um that the the audiobook sales have gone through the roof recently. And that's partly because his book's way more than an anvil.
00:10:34
Speaker
But yeah I think you're right. It's just it's part of the culture, right? It's much easier. It's much less committal to kind of put an audio book on to put a podcast on and then I can be cooking. I can be doing laundry. I can be, you know, doing and a number of different things versus holding a book in two hands, but giving my 100% of my concentration to that.
00:10:53
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's it's much easier to to fit it in. And and so I think, um you know, some people but don't necessarily still don't necessarily believe that listening is reading, but it is and it's also makes it more accessible for people that maybe don't feel that they can sit down and just read a book that that might be more difficult for them. You know, I think people with dyslexia who prefer to listen, I think it's just it's a really accessible and amazing format. I think the
Building a Client List
00:11:20
Speaker
only thing about um it that is is tricky, is is when you have a polarizing voice. Because and I don't know if I'm just i'm i'm very specific about sort of like tones of voice and things like that, like what I can sit and listen to. um So sometimes I'll have a great book, but I just don't don't get along with the reading style. And so I have to i have to put it down. But I think, and to be fair, you should do audio reading. You have dulcet tones, my friend.
00:11:45
Speaker
Thank you. It's very good. It's all very smooth. But yeah, so that's the other thing is sort of casting is so vital. So sometimes when you have a client who's like, I really want to read my own audio, you have to have, I mean, I think for nonfiction, it often makes the most sense, but for fiction, it is a real skill to be able to read fiction and read it in a way that really honors sort of the individual voices that might be at play and all that sort of stuff. So I think that sometimes you have to have tricky conversations with a client where you're like,
00:12:11
Speaker
I love you. You are great. But I think we need to let someone do this for you. Yeah. Yeah. I had um Travis Baldry on the podcast recently. And, you know, he's someone who has narrated over like a thousand. Yeah,
Cultural Impact of Literature
00:12:27
Speaker
I was gonna say hundreds, right?
00:12:29
Speaker
would I asked him, I was like, well, it just seems like a no brainer that you were going to voice this. And he was like, well, you know, I and knew the characters better than anyone else. So it just makes very brief it does make sense. and And where it can work, it's fantastic to have you all the author do it. It's just, um it is a separate skill. It's a completely separate skill set. and um which is, you know, and it's also a battleground contractually with audio narration fees and things like that. and So you want to make sure that you're, ah you know, not sort of needlessly binding the publisher to have the the client read it unless they have the sort of proper chops to do so.
00:13:02
Speaker
Yeah, right. Yeah. And what we've we've been talking about very broad things, which, you know, you, it does very much sound like at YMU, you do become more of a jack of all trades, but do you still see yourself first and foremost as a literary agent?
00:13:18
Speaker
Oh, of course, absolutely. I think that I'm i'm very much at the school of thought that just because I can do something doesn't mean I should. So i have um I have some extraordinarily amazing and loyal clients, one in particular that comes to mind who sort of is like, well, I just want you to be my agent for everything. And that is, ah you know, an extraordinary honor to have her say that about me. But also it is, um i've I've had to figure her on multiple occasions.
00:13:40
Speaker
It would be utterly irresponsible for me to be like, yeah, I'll do that for you. And I don't, you know, ultimately, if I'm learning that world as we go, I'm just not going to be the best advocate for you in that setting. So I think that, um you know, that's that is the benefit of working where I work as well, is there's a lot of expertise in lots of different spaces in our building.
00:13:58
Speaker
and so I get to defer to brains that are greater than mine often when I need to, but also that is some you know that there are some things that you end up doing, but I'm always extremely honest with my clients. If I'm doing something for the first time, they absolutely must know that.
00:14:14
Speaker
And I'm very clear about where I'm getting the knowledge from, why I think I can do it, or why I think I can't, because I think that it's the worst type of arrogance to just sort of assume that you can close every sort of deal. like I'd love to learn that, and i'm I'm very much always learning on the job. like No two deals are the same. But when it comes to stepping into spaces that aren't my core space, I'm always very careful to make sure that I'm respectful of that, because there there are people who do that, there are departments that do that, and there's a reason that they are hired to specifically do that. It is a different job.
00:14:43
Speaker
Yeah, and I mean, it
YMU's Submission Process
00:14:45
Speaker
being someone like YMU, obviously the the most amazing thing about that is that you do have access to, YMU represents all sorts of different talent talent across all sorts of different places. So you you can, I imagine, very easily just tap someone on the shoulder and be like, oh, actually, can you help me out with this? Can you help me out with this? Yes, exactly. And that is such a huge benefit that I don't sleep on because, so like I said, i could I can muddle through, I shouldn't. And I don't think that's the best way to do my job.
00:15:12
Speaker
Yeah. I imagine it works the other way around as well. Maybe like a sports agent will say to you, oh yeah, we're looking into publishing. Can you help me out with this? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. No, we're always the first port of call for any of those sorts of conversations. It's rare that any of our managers do... There's some historic relationships that still continue, but it's rare that any of our managers do direct publishing deals at all. So they always give us a call and And it's good because so we have such great relationships with everybody and all of our colleagues that we're able to sort of say like, you know, this this feels more like a podcast idea, or this feels more like a long read than a book format, or what about this? But the thing that we're very careful of, because we have, and you know, when you're working with people from other spaces and entertainment, they are extremely time poor.
00:15:55
Speaker
And so when they come to us, ah books take a long time, longer gestation period than a baby. So you need to really be sure about it and you need to be committed. So a thing that we have a red line about is no vanity projects because the last thing anybody needs is sort of a celebrity writing something just because they can, but not because they care about it.
00:16:14
Speaker
um And so, you know, we don't have, we're we're always in a position where the idea either has to have come from the client or be something that has grown organically through various conversations between us and that they're really passionate about. Because without that passion, the project will fail. You know, the audiences are smart. They understand when something's being hand sold to them.
00:16:31
Speaker
it's there's nothing more embarrassing than watching a sort of like unboxing video of a book where the person sort of surreptitiously trying to look at the cover and remember what the title is. So you need to make sure that everything feels completely I mean, we need another word for authentic, but authentic is the word I'm looking for. um You know, because otherwise, it's just, you know, why, are why are we all here? Why are we because ultimately, the the savage truth is that we there is enough reading material world over.
00:16:56
Speaker
we actually feasibly
Anna's Comfort Book
00:16:57
Speaker
don't ever need to publish another book again. Now we will and we should because ah books are amazing and I think that they're you know vital for our culture but it's sort of the the question of why something should exist is one that I'm very particular about and that we're all very particular about here because it doesn't need to so why does it? you know If we can answer that question why then it makes it easy for the publisher to answer the question of why because that's the that's the big thing that we're doing here really is justifying ourselves effectively. And we don't take that lightly. Yeah, no, that makes sense. I mean, it's, yeah there's too many, there are enough books in the world that no one would be able to read them in their lifetime. So beside yeah checks out, you know, each book needs to modernize or they need to like, push something forwards needs to be interesting in a different way.
00:17:45
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. all it needs to I think that um there's a little bit of ah snobbery, which I do understand about sort of particularly celebrities entering our space. And so that's why, again, I'm i'm extremely careful to make sure that the people that I'm working with really, really want to do this. And the reason why they want to do it and also the reason why they are the best person to put this project out, that's also something that we very considered about because ultimately, you know, that that might be the book that the only book, the one book a year that somebody buys might be from somebody that they're a long standing fan of. And you know, I think that
00:18:19
Speaker
A really good example actually is Stephen Mulhones' publishing where the amount of messages that we've received as an agency and that his management have received about parents who the first book they ever bought their child was that book because they love Stephen. That is a huge benefit and that's something that we're really passionate about because it does help forward literacy. It does mean that children who maybe weren't getting access to reading materials ah are now getting reading books. And that's, you know, when the statistics are so damning about the amount of children that are reading now, which is really a huge shame, it's a huge benefit that we're able to and that's something that I think is is ah a really big deal and and sort of why we do it really.
Future Plans & Listener Engagement
00:18:58
Speaker
Yeah. I'd love to talk a bit about your list. Did you come to YMU with a list already or did you build a fresh one once you got there?
00:19:12
Speaker
I had a few clients that came over with me, but mainly it was an exercise and list building. And there was a lot of stuff that was sort of ready to be picked up and run with, ran with. Good Lord. English is my first language. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. Things were ready for me to pounce on when I got here as well. But yeah, it's been an exercise in sort of looking outward and thinking about different sort of clients, different sort of areas I want to be in, but it is sort of, um you know, the world is my oyster, which is is both exciting and and sometimes overwhelming, because I can sort of pick and choose anything that I want. So it's, um yeah, it's been really, really fun and really rewarding, actually, to sort of be able to think a lot about what I want that list to be and and how to shape it. And I am a bit magpie-ish, to be honest with you, I think that
00:20:00
Speaker
there's um There's a reason why I do everything that I do, but it's certainly not necessarily the same reason from book to book. um So it's it's an extremely broad roster of of people that I look after, ah which I very much enjoy, um but it is it's certainly not. i couldn't ever put a fine point on exactly what is or is not my remit. Because to be honest with you, every time I do that, I do make a hypocrite out of myself in short order. So I'll say something like, oh, I'm not going to do this sort of book again. And then the next week I'm like, well, I'm doing this sort of book again, because something that not my not my socks off has come in and I have to. Yeah, yeah. yeah So are you currently open to submissions?
00:20:41
Speaker
So we have been closed for quite a while now. We closed, um I think, God, was it midway through this year? Just because we had such an influx and we're a very you know lean, mean fighting machine, but lean all the same. um So we needed to sort of focus and take a minute to make sure because this is the other thing is because we're sort of not a huge team, what you don't want to do is sign all of the amazing things that you could sign and then be unable to perform the level of service that you need to and want to. Because I'm certainly not, ah you know, some agencies will, you'll, there'll be a deal struck and then sort of a need because of bandwidth to sort of kind of move on to the next thing and focus your attention there and sort of let the publisher take over and and run with it. And whilst obviously we trust and are, you know, in awe of the amazing work that our publishing partners do,
00:21:30
Speaker
I'm a bit more type A than that, so i kind of I'm involved in every single step of the publishing process, but partly because i I love that and I love being able to be the translator, really, because in my experience, the way that things, if things go wrong at any point, it's usually just a miscommunication, um you know, some sort of missed ah translation of lingos here or there, or sort of not not necessarily understanding what is, quote unquote, normal in the process. And so I think that I like to be involved in every step so that I can make sure that not just my clients getting what they need, but also the publisher because we are there to help the publisher as well to make sure that everything runs smoothly. so
00:22:06
Speaker
Certainly, that's the way that we do the job. So because of that, there's obviously the the time efforts on that front that need to be considered. So yeah, we did we did put a pin in opposition. We are very soon to be reopening, which is very exciting. um But for now, it's we also get a lot of referrals, which is fantastic, both from so sometimes from editors, sometimes from um yeah publishers, editors, other agents occasionally, ah clients are often referring to us. So we're certainly kept extremely busy.
00:22:36
Speaker
Okay, right. So is that I was I must confess, I was looking through the website, and I couldn't find any description or location of where you you submit Yes, so we've just got a new website and so it is it is very entertainment and very very slick and glossy and amazing but it does phase two of the website upload is going to include all of our submissions info and that's coming in the next couple of weeks so as soon as that's done we'll be able to point to a shout out about it on our socials but you are right right now that has not been on boarded but they literally just refreshed the website a few weeks ago so that is that is why but Trust me, there will be information, I promise. It will be clear, but that is coming. Okay. Okay. Because usually it's very clearly displayed, so I was confused. I know. I know. I promise it's coming. I promise. Do you guys have, is it like a one shared submissions email or are you going to do a per agent kind of thing and you submit to the appropriate agent?
00:23:41
Speaker
Yeah, so we do have a shared inbox, but we um are going to be, it's going to pivot slightly. So I think that the, and I should probably check this information for sure, but there is a um sort of form that we're going to include where you can specify which agent you're hoping will read your work. And also we do, we're going to have our bios and things and what we're looking for up there and update that as and when. So, you know, for example, sometimes you might put in your bio that you're particularly after ah one thing, um but you might then get saturated with that thing and need to need to sort of expand to something else. So I think that we're going to and we're going to be using our socials for that as well, sort of saying like we're really after XYZ this month, have you got something for us? and And just try and increase our engagement online in that way as well. So it will be clear.
00:24:28
Speaker
There will be a form where you can send us your stuff and there will also be a facility to sort of specify who you'd like to read it. And we do, just to say, we read absolutely everything. um We have a, I think our desired turnaround is six weeks.
00:24:45
Speaker
um But we do read everything and everything gets a personalized response from us. We don't like to do stock rejections ah because you know everyone's taking the time to write into us. we We want to make sure that everyone feels that they've had proper consideration from us because they really have. I promise we we read everything. We go through it once a week together as a team. Okay. okay Well, that's good to hear. and I might need to watch this space kind of thing. and then Yes, it is a watch this space.
00:25:12
Speaker
It'll all become clear soon enough. um i'm going to I'd love to talk some more about submissions in a bit, but yeah we are at the point in the episode where I i will maroon you and ask you if you were stranded on a desert island with a single book, which book do you hope that it would be?
00:25:31
Speaker
Oh, it's so hard. Do you get a lot of people sort of lamenting and asking for at least five, if not 10? Because that's certainly where my brain went there. I think that I'm going to stick with a book that I reread quite often that when I read it, I said it was my favorite book of all time. And I do think it still stands up, which is A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ezeki. Okay.
00:25:53
Speaker
I love that book. I just think it's a flawless novel. and um you know There's a lot of other books that I also adore, but it's it's the one that I always find myself pressing into people's hands. and i've actually converted One of my one my colleagues had never read Ruth Ozeki and now is a a complete stan because I was like, you need to read her. She's she's unbelievable.
00:26:13
Speaker
um so that is yeah thats That's where i'm the hill I'm going to die on. It's going to be the Ruth Ozeki hill. That's a great choice. You know, I always think it's so interesting to hear what the book is that people reread the most because there's something very telling about the rereadability of a novel.
00:26:30
Speaker
Oh, totally. And I think there's a lot that I wouldn't really I mean, to be honest, I often if I'm going to reread something, it's often things that I read as a teenager as a child. um And so you'll see me rereading Little Women. Most years, I also I a big sort of kelodry of Mendel and fan ah for anybody who's a fan of Tamora Pierce's work, because that was sort of such a quartet. It's called The Protective, of the Small Quartet. And that was my sort of, that was my childhood. I read that series over and over again. um So big fan of those. But I think, um yeah, there's something about rereading books, I think that I often return to things that I read when I was a lot younger.
00:27:14
Speaker
as opposed to things that I've read in my adult life apart from Ruth Ivecki is the one that I tend to attend to as ah as a grown-up when I first read her as a grown-up. That's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Because you understand entirely why you would reread. And sometimes I'll flick back over something that I read when I was much younger and now and I'll think, hmm, maybe I shouldn't read this again because my memory of it is much better than actually I think what it is.
00:27:39
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. And and that the same with films, really. There's certain films where I'm like, I will never rewatch that because it will have aged horribly and I don't want to know. I just don't want to know. um I like that to be a time capsule in my brain, a nostalgic time capsule. But I think um there's there's such joy in in reading something. It's sort of like putting on a weighted blanket sometimes where you sort of ah sit and it's not very taxing, but it's just it just feels quite delicious to indulge yourself in that way with rereading something that you loved.
00:28:08
Speaker
Yeah, no, exactly. And the you know the best novels, if you reread it, you find all the details that you missed the first time around. Oh, exactly, exactly. And I love re-listening to things as well, actually. um So, ah yeah, it's just ah really, when there's a really good audio edition, you keep coming back.
00:28:25
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. um Next up, we're going to go back onto submissions and I'm going to ask Anna a bit more about all of that jazz. That's all going to be in the extended episode available on Patreon.
00:28:37
Speaker
Watch this face. Give it a few decades and we'll be there, guys. Just a few decades, yeah. It will be a heart and a blink of an eye. Amazing. Well, thank you so much, Anna, for coming on the podcast and telling us everything that you've been up to with publishing and becoming managing director of the UK literary team. It's been awesome chatting with you.
00:28:59
Speaker
No, thank you so much for having me. It's been such a pleasure. um And obviously, if anyone's got any further questions, i'm I'm sure that my email address is somewhere on the internet. So, get in touch. It will be soon. Yes, exactly.
00:29:12
Speaker
once's updated If anyone listening wants to keep up with what Anna is doing, you can find her on Twitter at AnnaRDixon or on Instagram at AnnaRDixon.Agent. ah To support the podcast, like, follow and subscribe. Join the Patreon for ad-free extended episodes and check out my other podcasts, The Chosen Ones and Other Trokes. Thanks again to Anna and thanks to everyone listening. We will catch you on the next episode.