London Writers' Salon

Poet, novelist and founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors , Orna Ross, on her career from traditional to indie publishing and what it takes to succeed as an indie author. We talk about the benefits of self-publishing, marketing tips, reaching income goals, the '20 Books to 50k' goal, and why pushing past the 1st book is critical. She also tells us why paying yourself first is so important,...

Debut novelist Cecile Pin author of Wandering Souls (nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction, 2023), on her choice of using a fragmented structure, having multiple narrators and why she chose to fictionalise a story that was inspired by her mother’s past. Plus, lessons from working in publishing and what all first-time authors should know. * ABOUT CECILE PIN: Cecile Pin grew up in Paris and Ne...

Jasmine Richards, editor, writer, and award-winning founder of StoryMix Studio talks to us about the business of children’s publishing and how she generates and sells her ideas to publishers and works with writers to create commercial fiction for children.  * ABOUT JASMINE RICHARDS  Jasmine Richards is the author of over a dozen children's books ranging from picture books to teen fiction. Her most...

Writer Huma Qureshi on how you know you’re ready to write a memoir. Plus, the importance of role models, writing about grief, loss and love and how she wrote and edited her memoir: How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures . This episode was recorded during  the global lockdown in 2021. * ABOUT HUMA QURESHI  Huma started her career at The Observer and The Guardian, working as a reporter...

Bestselling author Oliver Burkeman @oliverburkeman on his process for writing impactful articles plus how he wrote his popular book Four Thousand Weeks : Time Management for Mortals . We chat about reevaluating our relationship with time, the truth about perfectionism, why it’s liberating to know that we are insignificant in the cosmos, and how we might use this reality to lead happier and more cr...

Award-winning writer and historian Rebecca Stott @rebeccastott64 on how she immersed herself in 6th-century history for five years for her latest book Dark Earth, a historical story set in Londinium. We talk about how she balances researching and writing, accuracy in historical fiction and the importance of the 'history of emotions'.  * ABOUT REBECCA STOTT Rebecca Stott is the author of fifteen bo...

Authors and writing coaches Bec Evans ( @eva_bec ) and Chris Smith ( @beprolifiko ) on techniques that have helped thousands of writers get unblocked and write. We talk about banishing procrastination, dealing with imperfect environments and why it’s so important to be present in your writing and not compare yourself to a past version of yourself. We also talk about their process of writing, editi...

Jay Clouse ( @Jay Clouse ), entrepreneur, writer and host of The Creative Elements Podcast, on how to find your niche, become a professional creator and build your creative platform. We discuss the role of a creative platform and how to charge for your services without guilt. Plus, the importance of experimentation, finding and succeeding in your creative niche and leveraging platforms like Linked...

Author and co-founder of Banshee Press, Eimear Ryan ( @eimear_ryan ) on her 13-year journey to writing her award-nominated debut book, the importance of creative resilience and a behind-the-scenes look at Banshee Press & Banshee Literary Journal. * ABOUT EIMEAR RYAN Eimear Ryan is a co-founder of the literary journal Banshee and its publishing imprint, Banshee Press. She was shortlisted for the Ne...

Award winning novelist and screenwriter Tom Rob Smith (Child 44 Trilogy & American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace) on his writing journey from Cambodian soap operas to screenplays and novels, why creating a treatment is integral to his planning process and how he thinks about writing quick-paced high-stakes stories,. We dive into his latest novel Cold People, a sci-fi thriller se...

Novelist Laura Kay (@lauraelizakay) on her writing journey from journalism to novels, how her writing career was launched from Penguin WriteNow programme, queer visibility in fiction, writing sex scenes and how Laura writes and edits her romantic comedies. Laura also talks about tackling writer’s block with an ‘ideas walk’, the reality of forging a career as a full-time writer and her approach to...

Christy Lefteri, the international-best selling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds on finding inspiration from real life, how she brings her characters to life, and what it means to her to tell other people’s stories with compassion. We also chat about Christy’s writing, research, and plotting process. * ABOUT CHRISTY LEFTERI Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypri...

The award-winning novelist Jean Kwok talks about her writing journey from poverty to becoming a bestselling author, how she drafts and plans her novels, why she uses Writers’ Hour to write her novels, and the importance of conflict in her writing. Also how she has overcome continual rejection throughout her life.  * ABOUT JEAN KWOK Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international b...

Award-winning writer and the founder of The Good Agency, Nikesh Shukla  (@nikeshshukla), on the journey to becoming a writer, running a Literary Agency, crowdfunding The Good Immigrant   and the process for writing his memoir.  ABOUT NIKESH SHUKLA Nikesh Shukla is a novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of Coconut Unlimited (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award), Meatspace, and the cr...

Entrepreneur, publisher and writer Derek Sivers ( @sivers ) on giving away $22 million, breaking rules, why “If it’s not a hell yeah, it’s a no.” Plus how to stay focused, why he sells directly to his readers and what it means to live a good life.  * ABOUT DEREK SIVERS Originally a professional musician, Derek created CD Baby in 1998. It became the largest seller of independent music online with $...

New York Times Bestselling author and ghostwriter Daniel Paisner on how he landed his first ghostwriting job, how the ghostwriting process works, working with celebrities like Serena Williams and Whoopi Goldberg and what it takes to unearth the real story of a person’s life. Also, how his ghostwriting work helps him with his own creative work including his latest book Balloon Dog.  * ABOUT DANIEL...

In this episode we talk with Professor Prayga Agarwal about her writing journey from academia to commercial non-fiction, how to tackle difficult and complex subjects, and what it takes to research, write and publish 'big idea' non-fiction books. We also discuss overcoming procrastination, writing within small pockets of time, her writing and research process and how she brings together the hard re...

In this episode we speak to bestselling children’s author Soman Chainani about working in the film industry, overcoming failure and rejection, working as a tutor to make ends meet and how he wrote and pitched his first book series 'The School For Good And Evil' that sold 3 million copies and is now a Netflix film. Plus how he balances deep creative work with life and the power of myth and fairytal...

In this interview we speak with Bonnie MacBird, a screenwriter and author ( @macbird ), about writing Sherlock Holmes mystery novels, lessons from Hollywood and screenwriting, how Bonnie’s Sherlock Holmes novels came from a personal NaNoWriMo, and why Sherlock Holmes has stood test of time. * ABOUT BONNIE MACBIRD Bonnie MacBird is an American writer, actress, and producer. She is the writer of the...

In this interview we speak with bestselling independent author Joanna Penn ( @thecreativepenn ) about what it means to be an indie writer today, the mindset needed to live a creative life, and what writers need to know about Web 3.0 and the bleeding edge of publishing. We discuss contracts and what all authors should look out for, and how we can utilise AI tools to help us with our creative projec...

Internationally renowned poet David Whyte ( @whytedw ) on his life and craft as a poet, writer, and speaker. We explore poetic imagination, how we might use poetry as a tool to engage more deeply with the world and balancing soul vs survival work. David reads his poems: Blessing of the Morning Light, Song for the Salmon, Your Prayer and Start Close in. * ABOUT DAVID WHYTE David Whyte is an interna...

In this episode we speak to Bestselling author Beth Kempton ( @bethkempton ) about her journey into writing, from her first published book Freedom Seeker to her latest The Way of the Fearless Writer, her process for writing and pitching her bestselling non-fiction books, and her philosophy for leading a fearless and authentic writing life. Beth shares with us why we can't think our way into writin...

How can we escape the trap of overworking and spend more time on our creative work? In this interview with Harriet Minter – journalist, coach, and author of WFH (Working From Home): How to build a career you love when you’re not in the offic e – we chat about the practicalities of setting daily and monthly goals, structuring your day while working from home, navigating our writing careers and our...

In this episode we talk with Sunday Time bestselling author Stacey Halls (@stacey_halls)  - author of Mrs England , The Foundling and The Familiars on how she approaches her first draft, how she tricks herself to write 2000 words a day, her planning, plotting, and researching process, and what it takes to build a life around your writing. * ABOUT STACEY HALLS Stacey has worked as a journalist at T...

In this episode we talk with bestselling author and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal @nirandfar on what it means to be ‘Indistractible’, and how we as writers can master our internal and external triggers, make time for our writing, and build more productive, successful, and creative writing lives. Nir also shares how he built his audience and his email list, why he crowd-edited his book with ov...