Episodes

An all-new investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Across its eight-episode debut season, Missing Pages uncovers the power struggles, mistaken identities, and unfathomably bad behavior within the secretive world of book publishing. Each episode brings in authors, experts, publishing insiders, and a circus of NYC media elites to tell the real story; unfit for print.

At the start of 2006, 19-year-old Kaavya Viswanathan seemed to have it all. From a high profile six-figure book deal to good standing at Harvard University, the world was at her feet. But by the end of the year, her name was only brought up in conversations about "cautionary tales." How did she end up on a national television apology tour? Bethanne speaks to experts to set the story straight— and conducts a revelatory and exclusive interview with Kaavya herself.

A.J. Finn — also known as Dan Mallory, former Executive Editor at William Morrow and Co. — overcame tragedy and illness to publish "The Woman in the Window", a huge bestseller and the inspiration for a Netflix film. But the story of the talented Mr. Mallory has more twists and turns than the book that made his reputation. Bestelling Pulitzer finalist Luis Alberto Urrea is a featured guest.

Raw, transgressive, and true: Praise for hard-hitting books like Sarah and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things made Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy the talk of the town. But was J.T. who he said he was? Follow our winding journey as we parse good intentions and messy outcomes in one of the book world’s most complicated stories and biggest hoaxes.

They say that being too online will mess with your head, and no one was more online than Caroline Calloway, the mega-influencer who is known for botching not one but two books deals. Bethanne follows her trail of obsessed superfans, betrayed friends, and abandoned book deals across Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and even OnlyFans.

Some stories are too big, or at least too entertaining, to fit into a single episode. In part two, Bethanne speaks to authors, publishers, and NYC night life reporters to find out what Caroline Calloway might have up her sleeve next. Make sure to listen to part one if you haven't yet.

In this short bonus episode, Bethanne chats with Missing Pages Executive Producer Jeff Umbro about a new Apple Books collection of books and authors featured in the podcast. You can explore the collection at apple.co/booksmissingpages.

Bethanne doesn’t just talk about scandals after the fact: Sometimes she’s embroiled in them as they happen. In this episode, Bethanne spills the tea on the story of “Anna March,” a notorious figure who racked up big bills in the service of literature — and left others to pay them.

In writers’ dreams, every published author is a millionaire, every title sells at auction, every editor is brilliant and attentive, and every book hits the bestseller list. Alas, writers’ dreams and the publishing industry’s reality don’t always mesh. Bethanne breaks down the lifespan of a book and the overworked and underpaid workers who make the industry (barely) run.

He enlightened millions with his writings and built dozens of schools in the Middle East. But despite his praiseworthy deeds, author-philanthropist Greg Mortenson suffered an immense fall from grace. Was Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, a manipulative scammer or an idealist in over his head? Bethanne delves into a story of good intentions and very bad bookkeeping.

In Kaavya Viswanathan: The Full Package, we looked back into "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," and the plagiarism scandal that brought everything down. As we unearthed new details about the fiasco, we thought it was important to talk to Viswanathan herself to find out what really happened. In this extended interview, previously only available in our premium feed on Apple Podcasts, "Missing Pages Unabridged," and Viswanathan's first about the YA novel in 15 years, we talk about everything from her experience on the Today Show, what it was like writing for a book packager, and what she's been up to in the years since. If you haven't listened to Kaavya Viswanathan: The Full Package yet, we recommend you listen to that first.

Missing Pages Unabridged: Constance Grady on How the Book World Works

Book bans are on the rise across America. With the rise of social media, book publishers are losing their power as the industry gatekeepers. More and more celebrities and influencers are publishing books with ghostwriters. Writing communities are splintering because members are at cross purposes about their mission. An all-new season of the investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Season 2 of Missing Pages premieres on October 23rd.

Colleen Hoover created a book empire through self-publishing, in part due to the power of social media. Is her career a sign of a changing landscape where publishing gatekeepers are losing power while readers are gaining power? We speak with Laura Miller, Books and Culture columnist at Slate, Jim Milliot, Co-Editorial Director at Publishers Weekly, and Jennie Young, an Associate Professor of Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, to find out.

Are fanfiction communities becoming stronger than traditional publishers? In this episode, we’ll look at how fans, publishers, and creators are (or aren’t) working together, examining a fanfiction lawsuit between former fanfic writers Zoey Ellis and Addison Cain. We speak with Elizabeth Minkel, co-host of the Fansplaining podcast. Did we mention the fanfiction is about the highly specific subgenre of... wolfkink?

As an extension of our last episode on the paradigm shifts in the fanfiction community, we take a look at the complicated history of Dungeons and Dragons and how the game’s creators have had a rocky relationship with the game’s fans. We talk to Ben Riggs, author of Slaying the Dragon, about Dungeons and Dragons’ sordid fan history.

With Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House barred from merging, are publishers losing substantial power as gatekeepers to the industry? What is the current state of publishers, and did this decision take into account the readers or the authors?

When it comes to books, America has had the same cultural arguments since its founding. One group perpetually focused on the moral ramifications and societal threats a story poses, while another group argues that questioning morals and societal norms makes for a healthier individual, and democracy. Today, however, local has become national. Historically, what's taught in public schools has been by and large a local issue, not a crusade. But our current moment is impacting people at a grand scale. We talk to SUNY Binghamton professor Adam Laats and historian Gillian Frank to get the full perspective on America’s history of banning books.

In episode 1 of this series, we looked at the history of banned books in America. Today, we look at its current state. Is there more nuance to book censorship than is at the surface? We speak with two people on opposite sides of the spectrum: A parent, who seeks to explain why she wants more control over the stories her children are exposed to, and best selling author Jodi Picoult, who has written many books that have been banned across the country. We also speak with a librarian and a parent in Texas to round out the conversation.

If you listened to our episodes about the rise of book banning, you heard about the efforts around the U.S. to censor books on sexual or racial grounds. However it seems there's a lot more going on than that. One of the guests that we spoke with – NYTs Bestselling author Jodi Picoult – has firsthand experience with book banning. Picoult's book, 19 Minutes, has been banned in school boards across 24 states, and she was kind enough to join us for an interview. While only some of it made it into our episode, we now present the full Jodi Picoult interview.

Bans & Violence: Bonus - Gaby Wood Interview

This week we're excited to share an episode from Nerdette, a fun weekly interview show produced by our friends at WBEZ. In this episode, fellow professional book lovers Miwa Messer and Andrew Limbong joined Nerdette host Greta Johnsen to discuss their top picks for the year.Here are the books mentioned in the episode. For pictures, links and more details, head to their website!

In this episode of Missing Pages we examine the lucrative culture of non-fiction ghostwriting and all its thorny edges, with a focus on what the elusive and often secretive practice means for a publishing industry ever on the brink of combustion. We talk to ghostwriting veterans like Daniel Paisner, Jon Sternfeld, Daniel Gerstein as well as cookbook author JJ Goode to get insight into how the world of ghostwriting for non-fiction.

We explore what ghostwriting looks like for fiction. For genres like spy novels and fantasy, how does book publishing capitalize on ghostwriters to unlock lucrative IP extensions on streaming? We talk to Jeff Rovin, who has written Tom Clancy novels, and Andrew Crofts, who wrote the memoir Confessions of a Ghostwriter, to get the scoop.