The Myth of the Debut Author, Explained by an Agent | Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera

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What happens when a literary agent decides to become the author she's spent her career championing for other people? Jennifer Herrera joins us to talk genre-hopping, feminine rage, and why her new witchy fantasy almost didn't happen.

Jennifer Herrera — literary agent at the David Black Agency and author of the thriller The Hunter — is back with something completely different: Siren Says, a Celtic-Welsh botanical fantasy about power, curses, and reclaiming your humanity. If you've ever wondered what agents actually do for writers (beyond "sell the book"), or you're hunting for your next romantasy pick with real teeth, this one's for you.

📚 Books Mentioned

Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Romantasy (Celtic-Welsh mythology, botanical magic) |

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Thriller |

If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Mythology & Feminism |

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy Romance (Letters of Enchantment prequel) |

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fantasy |

⏱️ Time Stamps

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [01:00] From philosophy grad school to literary agent
• [02:00] Moving to NYC to break into publishing
• [03:00]–[05:00] Why writing rarely pays the bills — and why that's okay
• [06:00]–[08:00] The myth of the "debut author"
• [09:00]–[10:00] Why thrillers feel easy and fantasy feels hard to write
• [10:00] Elevator pitch for Siren Says
• [11:00]–[13:00] The myth of Mis, power, and reclaiming humanity
• [13:00]–[16:00] Romance, healthy relationships, and feminist themes in fantasy
• [16:00]–[20:00] What writers should expect from a literary agent
• [20:00]–[23:00] Networking, community, and building your author platform
• [23:00]–[25:00] Marketing, selling vs. giving, and how author podcasts changed
• [26:00]–[29:00] Book recs: If Women Rose Rooted, Wild Reverence, The Last Unicorn
• [29:00]–[32:00] On aging, identity, and living an interesting life
• [32:00] Where to find Jennifer online

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