Substack Writers Salon

For writers with a tight budget, will you consider creating a book cover with AI? Listen to this conversation with the founder of BeYourCover This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit natashatynes.substack.com/subscribe

When Dale L. Roberts Roberts joined me live, I told him I felt like I was talking to a celebrity. I’ve been following his YouTube channel — Self-Publishing with Dale — for years. He’s a best-selling author, a self-publishing advocate, and one of the few people online who talks about this business without trying to sell you a fantasy. So when he agreed to come on, I did what any good host does: I a...

This week on the Substack Writers Salon , I sat down with Amjad Tadros , four-time Emmy-winning investigative journalist, CBS News’ Middle East producer for over 30 years, and author of the new memoir The Fixer . I won’t give it all away. But I will tell you this: In 1993, Amjad s urvived a US cruise missile strike on his Baghdad hotel. He was covered in glass, alone, certain he was going to die....

When Jane Friedman said yes to my Substack Live invitation, I didn’t expect it. She’s been called “the most trusted voice” in publishing. She’s been reporting on this industry for 25+ years. And me? I’m a small fish swimming in a very big pond. But Jane is the kind of person who supports the underdog. And as it turns out, this was her very first Substack Live, ever. I got to be the one to break he...

Last week, I sat down with a pioneering Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab who’s been shaping conversations about media freedom in the MENA region for over four decades and has authored multiple books. Our conversation was a masterclass in how radically different the publishing landscape is depending on where in the world you happen to be sitting. And, surprisingly, it made me appreciate KDP in a...

It’s not every day you get to chat with someone who’s been doing what you do—but at a much higher level—for 15 years straight. This week on Substack Writers’ Salon , I sat down with Brad Listi novelist, founder of Deep Dive writing courses, and the creator/host of Otherppl with Brad Listi —a literary podcast that has racked up over 1,300 episodes and interviewed hundreds of leading writers, includ...

I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been putting off recording an audiobook for years. My excuses were plentiful: I don’t have a studio. I have an accent. It’s too expensive. I don’t know the technical side. Then I sat down with Gunnar Habitz , a 28-time published author, course creator, and Substack writer from Sydney, Australia, for an episode of the Substack Writer’s Salon. And within an hour, he dis...

This week on the Substack Writer’s Salon, I sat down with Carrie Loranger , a Substack strategist who helps creators and solopreneurs turn one newsletter into multiple income streams. What followed was one of the most practical conversations I’ve had about building a real business on this platform. Carrie Loranger didn’t come to Substack with a grand plan. She came to it after losing everything. A...

When I invited author David W Litwin Litwin to join me on the Substack Writers Salon , I set a very specific benchmark for our conversation: I wanted to leave inspired and liberated (well, at least that’s what he promises in his bio). Good news, I did. David is a designer, writer, speaker, and the author of multiple books, including Creative Success and The Blueprint . He runs a creative agency ca...

This interview is part of my podcast “ The Substack Writers Salon” . You can watch or listen to the complete interviews here. I met Terry Brock a couple of weeks ago at PodFest in Florida, and I knew immediately I had to get him on the Writer’s Substack Salon. Terry is the kind of person who makes you feel both excited and slightly behind. He’s a speaker, author, interviewer, coach, and founder of...

If you’ve ever wondered why posting on Substack Notes feels like shouting into the void, or why managing replies can quietly eat your entire day, this conversation was for you. I went live on The Substack Writer’s Salon with Orel , a full-time solopreneur building WriteStack , a SaaS designed specifically for busy Substack creators who want consistency without burnout . What followed felt less lik...

Happy holidays, friends. I know you’re probably in the middle of holiday chaos (wrapping, cooking, traveling, parenting, all of it). But I’m going to interrupt your festive to-do list for something that might genuinely reinvigorate you for the new year: Automation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit natashatynes.sub...

I went live on the Substack Writers Salon with someone who lives up to his nickname: Gunnar Habitz , the Busy Book Builder . Gunnar has published 28 books so far. He’s also a strategic networker, a course creator, an MC, and a public speaker based in Sydney, Australia. And yes, his latest book is (perfectly) titled Happy Habits . I wanted to know the obvious thing: how does one human publish that...

This interview is part of my podcast “ The Substack Writers Salon” . You can watch or listen to the complete interviews here. “We’re live.” That’s how it always starts. And within 20 seconds, I’m already making a joke at my own expense, because the moment David McIlroy appears on screen, people flood in . “I can’t keep up. I’m sure they’re not joining for me. They’re joining for you, David.” He la...

When Claudia Faith started on Substack last year, she had zero audience. Now she’s sitting at over 11,000 subscribers, teaching writers how to grow their newsletters, build communities, and use AI tools to 10x their output, all while running a healthcare startup. I sat down with Claudia for another episode of the Substack Writers’ Salon to unpack her journey and get practical advice for writers tr...

➡️ Before we dive in, if you want to learn the exact mindset and habits that turn aspiring writers into published authors, you can download it free: The Author’s Code: 10 Proven Mindset Shifts and Daily Habits That Transform Aspiring Writers Into Published Authors In the latest episode of the Substack Writer’s Salon , I sat down with Renee Puvvada who helps successful entrepreneurs build what she...

➡️ Before we dive in, if you want to learn the exact mindset and habits that turn aspiring writers into published authors, you can download it free: The Author’s Code: 10 Proven Mindset Shifts and Daily Habits That Transform Aspiring Writers Into Published Authors If you hang out in the online world of alternative careers and “off the beaten track” life paths, you’ve probably heard of Paul Millerd...

➡️ Before we dive in — If you want to see the exact message that landed me a $20K memoir client, you can download it free : The 5-Minute Memoir Ghostwriting Pitch A few days ago, I hosted a Substack Live with someone I have been following and learning from for a while. Maya Say , a monetization strategist who has worked one-on-one with  two thousand  solopreneurs. She has: * 10+ years of soloprene...

When a prolific creator Anfernee joind me from Singapore for a live conversation last night, I thought I’d get some tips on selling digital products. What I got instead was a complete business model overhaul and a challenge I couldn’t refuse. Anfernee is a full-time solopreneur who earns 90% of his income selling digital products on Gumroad. Let that sink in! Not through his paid newsletter. Not t...

I had the pleasure of hosting Veronica Llorca-Smith for a raw and honest Substack Live conversation about what it really takes to turn creativity into a thriving business. Veronica is a writer, author coach, and public speaker who recently published The Anti-Procrastinator with Penguin Random House. What made this conversation special? We committed from the start to being completely transparent—no...

Most writers never make it past “publish” to a real paycheck. Derek Hughes did just that. Starting from zero and in two years, he built thousands of Substack subscribers, converted 100+ paying readers, and turned templates and tools into a steady income. In this conversation, we unpack the system behind his results: the platform he focused on, the cadence he keeps, and the products that actually s...

Most freelance writers dream of hitting six figures. But what does it take to scale beyond that milestone to seven figures? In a recent live conversation, bestselling author and seven-figure memoir ghostwriter Amy Suto shared the exact strategies that transformed her business, and they might surprise you. The Branding Breakthrough That Changed Everything Amy's most dramatic income jump didn't come...

What does it take to build a writing community with over 6,000 subscribers and that coveted verified checkmark on Substack? I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Smock , co-editor of Mid Story Magazine and co-founder of the Her Stories Project , to find out exactly how she and her partner built their thriving community for midlife women writers. The Power of Long-Term Community Build...

This post is based on my recent Substack Live conversation with book marketing coach and bestselling author Fleur Hull , who has helped nearly 100 authors successfully launch their books. As authors, we often think the hardest part is writing the book. But as Fleur Hull , a bestselling author with over 25 years of marketing experience, revealed in our live conversation, the real challenge begins a...

In a recent Substack Live session, I had the pleasure of chatting with Talyn Simmonds, a former college teacher turned full-time ghostwriter and content marketing expert. Taylin shared his journey into ghostwriting, strategies for client acquisition, and how to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Below, I’ve distilled key takeaways from our conversation to help aspiring ghostwriters b...