Susan Coll on the Nonsensical Business of Publishing
September 28, 2026
Episode Description
Susan Coll sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new novel Word Salad, a bookish comedy about former economics major Matilda who finds herself working at her hometown bookstore where she must navigate the nonsensical business of publishing and the people in it.
Susan talks about teaching herself to write, structuring each chapter as a scene, the remarkable literary community in Washington, DC, and her endless fascination with the publishing industry.
She also shares her own background as a bookseller, the determination that kept her writing after her first novel died on submission, and using different parts of her brain at work versus while writing.
Learn more about Susan here https://susancoll.com and follow her on Instagram @susan_keselenko_coll.
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