The Bestseller Experiment

Samantha King is a bestselling debut novelist, and her book The Choice taps into parental fears. Sam has also worked in publishing and has a unique perspective on the process of writing, editing, publishing and promoting a bestseller… In this episode you will discover:   - How you can discover your story's true intent through rewrites - The subject you should study to become a better writer (and i...

A very special episode with an amazing opportunity for writers. Find out more here:  https://gingerbread.org.uk/content/2454/One-in-four-new-writer-competition   In this episode you will discover:   - How sharing your story can change social stigma - Tips on finding time to write - How to find the courage to tell your own story - And tips from editor Sam Eades on writing second drafts Get your fre...

As the two Marks gear-up for publication, it's suddenly dawned on them that they will have to market and sell their novel! Who better to turn to for advice than the folk at Bookbub, whose newsletter can boost a book up the bestseller charts? And we also bust a few myths and misconceptions about this game-changing mailing list…   In this episode you will discover:   - How a book's metadata will aff...

The two Marks have met with their editor. Sit in on one of their story sessions as they go through their notes, and discover the huge change that they will have to make to improve their chances of marketing a bestseller with less than two months to go! In this episode you will discover: - How you can make the most of an editor's notes and feedback - How a synopsis, blurb and shout line can help yo...

In the second part of this conversation between the two Marks before their book goes to their editor, they wonder if it will survive the edit, or does the experiment end here? In this episode you will discover: - Why you should try and make scenes work harder before discarding them - Why giving ideas time to marinade is so important - Some tips on how to generate a title for your book - The import...

The two Marks are recording in the same room! Will universes collide? Will they reveal any more about their damn book? They talk about research, reconnoitring locations, and more in the first of a two-parter... In this episode you will discover: - Tips for speaking to experts for research - The importance of a critical path and the consequences of missing deadlines - The benefits of actually going...

Katherine May is an award-winning writer, blogger and the programme director of creative writing at Canterbury, Christ Church University. She is an extraordinary talent, makes a mean gin cocktail, and has an incredible series of books coming in the next year… In this episode you will discover: - The pros and cons of writing under a pseudonym - The importance of celebrating milestones - Top tips fo...

Martina Cole is the undisputed queen of British crime fiction. She's sold over 14 million books and her novels regularly top the Sunday Times bestsellers. She's come a long way from being told 'Women don't write these kinds of books.' We were delighted to speak on the eve of publication of her new paperback Betrayal. In this episode you will discover: - How writing for yourself and not an audience...

Jennifer Niven is a phenomenally successful YA novelist. All The Bright Places was a Goodreads Choice Award winner and is now being adapted for film starring Elle Fanning. We spoke to Jennifer not long after her tour of Australia and New Zealand… In this episode you will discover: - How bravery and honesty can only improve your writing - How your characters can teach you about the story - How to s...

We've done it, we've finished our first draft! After months of writing — and that outline — we discuss what it means to reach this milestone, and what we can expect from the next draft, and we reveal more about our novel… including its working title! In this episode you will discover: - Why it's okay for your first draft to be imperfect - The importance of a deadline - Rewrite techniques - And we...

Deon is a bestselling thriller writer from South Africa whose books have been translated into 20 languages, but with his latest book Fever. he has written a post-apocalyptic epic with a big heart.. In this episode you will discover: - Why struggle is a positive not a negative - Why genre shouldn't matter when you're writing - Why finishing your first draft is so important - And why your brother te...

Laura Barnett's 2015 debut The Versions Of Us was a smash hit, a number one bestseller, and translated into 23 languages. Now she faces that difficult second album syndrome, but Laura has come up with an ingenious solution and a unique piece of fiction. In this episode you will discover: - How music can inspire your writing - The balance between respecting the reader and writing for yourself - How...

  A children's fiction special. We talk with Karen Ball who has published some of the bestselling children's series of the last twenty years, including the Beast Quest which has sold over 11m copies. Recently featured as a 2017 Rising Star in the Bookseller, Karen is the former Little, Brown for Young Readers publisher. She is now a consultant at Speckled Pen  (working with OUP, Hachette Children'...

How do you touch the heart of your readers? We get emotional over tea and cake with bestselling author Erica James. Erica has sold over 5 million copies of over twenty books, is winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and she never fails to break her readers' hearts. We discover how she does it… In this episode you will discover: - Why it's so important to write from the heart - How talkin...

In the second part of our interview with Susan Kaye Quinn , we talk about how to launch your book, pre-orders, fan-service, promoting your books, the dark art of blurbs, the power of tropes and mythology. In this episode you will discover: -The ideal model for debut pre-orders. - How long you should promote your book for. - How to make your blurbs work harder. - And how to use tropes to satisfy yo...

Susan Kaye Quinn is not only a genuine rocket scientist, but she's also a bestselling indie author in fiction and non-fiction. She runs the incredible For Love Or Money Facebook group, a resource for indie authors to get help with all those questions you might otherwise be afraid to ask. This is Part One of a special two-parter. In this episode you will discover… Why you should be clear what your...

Mark Edwards is the bestselling author of over two million psychological thrillers such as The Magpies. Mark is an author who has been self-published, traditionally-published, and is now one of Amazon's 'Thomas & Mercer' imprint's bestselling authors with five number one bestsellers. His extraordinary story will be an inspiration to any writer who's ever faced rejection, bad publishing, bad agents...

John Yorke is one of the world's leading lights in the art of storytelling. As former head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and head of Company Pictures, he has worked on shows like Shameless, Life On Mars, and the UK's most popular soap opera EastEnders. He is also the author of Into The Woods, one of our favourite books on the craft of storytelling. In this episode you w...

The two Marks discuss the progress of their novel so far, and Mr. Stay recalls a piece of advice he received from Julie Cohen after he finished recording his interview with her… In this episode you will discover: - The best strategy for when you get stuck with your writing - Why stepping out of your comfort zone will improve your story - If you should ever give up on a project - Why bad reviews hu...

We get lawyered-up in this fascinating episode where we talk to a pair of top entertainment lawyers: Keith Mathieson is an expert in defamation and privacy law, and Paul Joseph specialises in intellectual property cases and we quizzed them on the pitfalls authors should look out for when writing. In this episode you will discover: - If you can include song lyrics in your book - If you can use prod...

Julie Cohen is the author of over twenty novels, including the Richard & Judy bestseller Dear Thing . She also teaches creative writing workshops and is a goldmine of writing wisdom.

David Shelley is the CEO of Orion Publishing and the Little, Brown Publishing Group, he started as an editor, working with some major talents including Iain Banks, Val McDermid and JK Rowling, and he talked to us about the future of the publishing industry. In this episode you will discover: - The personality traits and habits of successful authors - What major publishers look for in an author and...

Kate Harrison is a rare breed. A fiction and non-fiction award-winning author who used her insight experience with the BBC to produce a huge bestselling series of non-fiction diet and lifestyle books. We discuss with Kate about her phenomenally successful 5:2 Diet series, how she straddles the life as both a fiction and non-fiction author, and how her experience on shows like Panorama have shaped...

We answer one of the most common questions we get on our quest: What is a bestseller? We spoke to Sara Mulryan of Nielsen Bookscan, the people who gather the data for the UK charts and made some fascinating discoveries. In this episode you will discover: - How book sales data feeds into different charts - Why you should pay close attention to your book's genre, and which ones are the most popular...

Jo Ho is an award-winning screenwriter and director, best known for creating the BBC TV series Spirit Warriors, but she has recently turned her hand to self-publishing with great success. In this episode you will discover: - How Facebook groups can help guide you through your writing and self-publishing - How to cold-call editors and publishers successfully - How you can react to reader feedback a...