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Planet Money
Planet Money

Inside a BOOK auction

March 21, 2026 • 43m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

Planet Money embarks on an ambitious journey to publish a book, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the mysterious world of book publishing. The episode chronicles the entire process from conception to acquisition, revealing how literary agents pitch ideas, how book auctions work, and the economic forces shaping what books get made. It's a story of corporate consolidation, strategic gamesmanship, and the tension between art and commerce in the publishing industry.

The Genesis of a Planet Money Book

Planet Money's executive producer Alex Goldmark initially receives an unexpected pitch from two literary agents representing NPR about turning the podcast into a book. Though lukewarm at first since Planet Money projects typically lose money, Alex meets with agents Laura Nolan and Jane Von Maron who convince him there's a real opportunity. They point to Planet Money's successful merchandise sales and live events as evidence of an engaged audience willing to pay for content beyond podcasts.

  • Literary agents Laura Nolan and Jane Von Maron approached Planet Money about creating a book, retained by NPR to identify properties that could work as books
  • Alex Goldmark was initially lukewarm because Planet Money projects historically lost money, but agreed to meet with the agents
  • The agents cited Planet Money's sold-out live musical and successful merchandise as evidence of audience engagement
  • They brainstormed at the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan to find the right book concept
" We are always thinking, is this idea a book? Is this article a book? Is this conversation I'm having with this random cousin of my husband a book? I mean, everything is processed through this lens of, is this a book or not? "
" If people are going to pay money to get the comic book and go to the show, this really bodes well for a book. "

Crafting the Proposal and Finding a Writer

After settling on a "field guide to the global economy" concept with broad mass-market appeal, the team needed to create a book proposal and find a writer. Fortunately, Alex Mayasi, who had previously worked with Planet Money and had book writing experience, reached out at the perfect time. Over the next year, the two Alexes worked with the agents to develop an extensive proposal including sample writing, a detailed outline, and a compelling business case for why the book would succeed.

  • They landed on a broad concept: a field guide to the global economy covering work, relationships, investing, and more
  • Alex Mayasi fortuitously reached out offering to write a Planet Money book, bringing both podcast experience and book writing credentials
  • The proposal took over a year to develop, passing back and forth as a massive Google Doc
  • The proposal included sample writing, a complete outline, and business justification for the book's potential success

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