The Bestseller Experiment

We speak to Cavan Scott, an extraordinary writer who writes on licence, meaning that he is hired to write for licenced intellectual properties such as Star Wars and Doctor Who. If you've ever written fan fiction and dream of writing for a big franchise then you'll find plenty of inspiration in this week's episode. In this episode you will discover… How the world of tie-in and licensed fiction work...

Audiobooks with Paul Stark Here are some clips of what is happening over on the Deep Dive at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

We speak to Roz Morris, a writer whose books have sold over 4 million copies, but until recently you won't have seen her name on the covers because she is a ghost writer. Roz has written for members of the SAS, rockstar bodyguards, children's fantasy authors and more. In this episode you will discover… - How ghostwriters work with their authors - Why the story is in the struggle - How you can appl...

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We speak to Richard Morgan about his novel Altered Carbon and its long journey through development hell before it went on the become the biggest show on Netflix. And we look back on his incredible career, which includes fantasy fiction and comic books, and we look forward to his long-awaited forthcoming novel Thin Air. In this episode you will discover… The perils of selling the TV and film rights...

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In the latest of an occasional series of reports from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, we speak to bestselling children's author and illustrator Alex T Smith… and Mr. D makes a big declaration! In this episode you will discover… How themes help with story ideas for series characters How your personality will make your book unique How the most unexpected influence...

A special episode where Mr. Stay catches up with Sam Eades on the Gingerbread writing competition launched in episode 50, and speaks to the shortlisted authors, and we discover what it was about their writing that got them shortlisted...   In this episode you will discover… How targets and deadlines are essential for any writer How writing for competitions with a theme can help you dig deeper How...

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Braving snowmageddon, our monthly live show was recorded in London and Vancouver, with our audience of Patreon supporters. Featured listener questions include the secrets of metadata, author blogging, outlining, and crowdfunding. And there's an update on Mark Stay's book The End of Magic, which you can support here: bestsellerexperiment.com/endofmagic. To join us as an audience member at our next...

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Mr. Stay has a new book coming! And it's being published by Unbound Books who use a crowdfunding model. We discuss how it all works and how you, dear listener, can get involved at https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/   In this episode you will discover… How crowdfunding works in publishing Strategies for effective crowdfunding The discount code exclusive to our listeners And updates from our li...

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We speak to the completely charming Catriona Innes, Senior Editor of Cosmopolitan, the UK's best selling glossy magazine. Working on the features desk she writes, edits and commissions the long reads, fitness and career sections of Cosmopolitan, as well as heading up the books content. She's currently working on Hearst's inaugural books prize, Big Book, as well as writing her first fiction novel....

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We speak to Cass Green, bestselling author of The Woman Next Door and In a Cottage In a Wood who told us how a quick swim led to a change in direction for her career... In this episode you will discover… How writing for children can help writing for adults Strategies for writing for a living The "Therefore, but…" rule for outlining What a writer-in-residence actually does! To hear more of this epi...

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We speak to Jen Williams, writer of charismatic characters and founder of the Super Relaxed Fantasy Club.   To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out patreon.com/bestsellerexperiment Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Behold, the highlights of this month's YouTube Live show for our Patreon supporters In this episode you will discover… How to make your characters feel relevant to as many readers as possible How visual flowcharts can help outline your story Liz's tips for coping with writers' block and artists' block and the value of "faffing time" The common traits of bestselling children's authors And how The S...

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In the first of an occasional series of reports from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, we speak to bestselling children's author and illustrator Liz Pichon about the secrets of the success of her multi-million copy Tom Gates books... In this episode you will discover… How to make your characters feel relevant to as many readers as possible How visual flowcharts ca...

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We caught up with fantasy bestselling author and super nice dude Brandon Sanderson and in a jam-packed episode he answered our listeners' questions and let us in on some of his inspirational top tips for productive writing... In this episode you will discover… The secret to Brandon's productivity How you can stay excited about the project you're working on Why there's no "should" in writing And wh...

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We talk to novelist Lara Dearman about her debut book The Devil's Claw and the importance of place, location, myths and folklore in her fiction and much more. In this episode you will discover… How a community college course can spark a career in writing Strategies for writing when you're a full-time parent Tips for choosing an agent and a publisher The importance of accuracy when writing a real l...