The Bestseller Experiment

Latest Episodes:

EP410: Jenny Ashcroft — “Self-Perpetuating Support." Oct 23, 2022

Show notes

Jenny Ashcroft has always been fascinated with the past and how extraordinary events can change the lives of ordinary people. With her new novel, The Echoes of Love, Jenny takes us to Crete in 1936, and she reveals her best resources for researching and writing historical fiction. And Jenny talks about finding your writing peers and supporting one another (and why your family probably won’t understand what you’re doing!). And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss the relationship between authors, agents and publishers, writing for the fun of it, how research can unearth unexpected nuggets and much more! Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP409: Sixth Birthday Special — How to Make a Podcast Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

The two Marks celebrate six years of the podcast by giving their listeners a peek behind the scenes to see how a weekly podcast is made, and our editors Dave and JD offer tips for anyone who’s thinking of starting their own podcast, and they spill the beans on what doesn’t make it into the show. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP408: Deep Dive — ADHD and Writers with Kim Raine Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Kim Raine is a High-Performance ADHD Coach, and the founder of ADHD Brains In Business, and she's the author of the Amazon bestseller Square Pegs: A book of Self-discovery for women with ADHD. Kim answers our listener questions on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how it affects creatives and offers strategies on how to work with your brain rather than against it. Deep Dives are normally exclusive for our Patrons and Academates, but we’ve made this one available to all. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP407: CL Taylor — “Trust Your Gut" Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

We welcome Sunday Times bestselling author CL Taylor back to the podcast with her new novel The Guilty Couple. In an interview packed with amazing advice, she takes us step-by-step through her creative process, from first idea to finished novel. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss wants, needs and flaws, fear of the first page, tips for using notebooks and much more! Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP406: Scott Turow — “Plot is a Species of Character." Oct 02, 2022

Show notes

Scott Turow is a master of suspense fiction. He returns with his new thriller, Suspect, and tells us about the challenges of taking a minor character from a previous novel and putting them front and centre of their own story. He also describes how he uses plot to test and reveal his characters. Scott also takes us through his extraordinary career, from writing Presumed Innocent on his commute, to fighting for the rights of authors as President of the Authors Guild. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss plot as a species of character, political writing, social media, being different to our parents, working with editors, and why authors need to value themselves more than they do, and much more! Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP405: Deep Dive — TikTok with Suzie Edge Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

Ian W Sainsbury is the award-winning author of the Jimmy Blue series of thrillers. Ian has just started editing the fourth book in the series and he was kind enough to let us get a sneak peek at his editing process. He fires up ProWriting Aid and shares his screen with us as he gets forensic with his edit. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP404: EP404: Aggie Blum Thompson — “I Had No Plan B" Sep 25, 2022

Show notes

Aggie Blum Thompson sent us an email in 2019 detailing her dream to see her book on a table in a bookstore. Aggie’s second novel, ALL THE DIRTY SECRETS, is out now and she tells us how she made that dream a reality. This is a hugely entertaining interview and Aggie reveals how she bounced back when things didn’t turn out as planned. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP403: Luan Goldie — “There’s Always Time" Sep 17, 2022

Show notes

Luan Goldie won the Costa Short Story Prize in 2017, and her debut novel Nightingale Point was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel, These Streets, touches on issues of homelessness, mental health, and single parent families, and is full of warmth, wit and life. Luan tells us how she's balanced working as a teacher and a writer and how she’s developed a discipline to write, no matter what real life throws at her. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP402: Lesley Thomson — “Stay Inside Your Story" Sep 11, 2022

Show notes

Lesley Thomson's latest book The Companion continues a bestselling streak that’s been inspired by some remarkable places and people, and she shares with us her writing routines and tells us why writers should stay within their own story. And the Two Marks give listeners a peek behind the scenes of their recent live show and how it all nearly went horribly wrong. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

EP399: Elissa Soave — “My Story is Worth Telling" Sep 04, 2022

Show notes

We celebrate over 400 episodes of the podcast with a special live show from Waterstones in Canterbury with guest authors Rowan Coleman, Pernille Hughes, Nadine Matheson and Julie Wassmer. We discuss how authors can sustain their careers beyond the advance and publication date. This was a fun and lively conversation that demystifies a lot of the myths around the life of an author. Please note: the sound has been expertly remixed by our editor JD, so if the Youtube version made your ears hurt, this version is much more pleasing on the ears. Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

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