The Bestseller Experiment
Karen Storey's name has become synonymous with success in short story writing. With an impressive one-in-three win rate out of over 40 competitions last year, Karen exemplifies what it means to blend passion with strategy in writing. In this episode, Karen shares the secrets of her success, including the importance of great endings. In a final twist, we surprise Karen with the Bestseller Academy All-Star Award for her outstanding achievements.
info_outline EP497: Ben Aaronovitch and the Great Bollocking…The Bestseller Experiment
Ben Aaronovitch started writing for Doctor Who and became the author of the bestselling Peter Grant series that started with Rivers Of London in 2011 and has been hugely successful, regularly hitting the Sunday Times bestsellers top ten. We were delighted to get Ben for a conversation full of fireworks.
info_outline EP495: Jacqueline O'Mahony - “Sheer Determination Beats Everything”The Bestseller Experiment
Jacqueline O’Mahony was named Young Irish Writer of the Year by the Irish Examiner when she was fourteen. After a BA, MA and PhD she worked at Condé Nast, Vogue and Associated Newspapers as an arts editor. Her debut novel, A River in the Trees, was nominated for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and the Not the Booker Prize in 2020. Her latest book Sing, Wild Bird, Sing is set during the Irish Famine, and is a story about the indomitable will to survive—and to flourish—against nearly impossible odds. It sold over 40,000 copies in its first 5 days and has over 17,000 reviews on...
info_outline EP495: Joe Abercrombie - “The Best Writing Advice Ever”The Bestseller Experiment
Joe burst onto the fantasy scene in 2003 with his debut The Blade Itself. His books have climbed high up the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and he had some unusual advice for writers when we spoke to him at GollanczFest. Joe is best known for the First Law Trilogy – The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings – and the stand-alone novels in the same world – Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country. He has also written the Shattered Sea trilogy for young (and old) adults – Half a King, Half the World, and Half a War. The world of the First Law...
info_outline EP494: Rachel Lynch - “Speed Drafts, PTSD & The Rich”The Bestseller Experiment
In this episode, we dive into the world of Rachel Lynch. Rachel Lynch is a renowned crime fiction author whose work has captivated over a million readers. Rachel is best known for her gripping Kelly Porter series of 12 books, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Lake District. She began writing full time in 2016 and Canelo signed her first three novels in 2018. The Rich is Rachel’s latest book and first standalone psychological thriller.
info_outline EP493: Bryan Cranston on... Writing, Breaking Bad and Donald TrumpThe Bestseller Experiment
Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston tells us about his life and new bestselling memoir, A Life In Parts. Oscar-nominated, with two Golden Globes, two Tony Awards and 6 time Emmy winner, he’s best known for roles in Malcolm in the Middle, Seinfeld and most famously, Walter White. Few people know that he is also an accomplished writer having written a number of screenplays, plays, and his autobiography. We began our conversation by asking to speak to Bryan Cranston the writer…
info_outline EP492: Lucinda Halpern - “Get Signed! How to Pitch to an Agent”The Bestseller Experiment
In this interview, listen in as Mark Desvaux pitches his forthcoming book to NY literary agent Lucinda Halpern, who has been securing book deals with all major publishers over the last 15 years. Lucinda represents a range of New York Times and internationally bestselling authors in nonfiction or fiction, and her new book “Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author” which was released last week and already has that coveted Amazon bestseller flag.
info_outline EP491: Lucinda Halpern - “Get Signed! Why You Need an Agent”The Bestseller Experiment
Lucinda Halpern is a literary agent with over 15 years' experience securing book deals and working with all major publishers. She represents a range of New York Times and internationally bestselling authors in business, health, lifestyle, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. Lucinda worked for HarperCollins on New York Times bestsellers including Freakonomics. She later worked as a marketing consultant for Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project), before launching her career as an agent. Her new book is Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a...
info_outline EP490: Shari Lapena - “The Debut That Sold Four Million”The Bestseller Experiment
SHARI LAPENA is the #1 internationally bestselling author of seven suspense novels including A Stranger in the House and The Couple Next Door, her debut which was a runaway global bestseller, with 4 million sales worldwide. It was WHSmith’s “Book of the Year” in 2016 and the #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017. All of Shari’s novels have been New York Times, UK Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers. In this episode, Mark Stay interviews Shari about her new page-turner “Everyone Here is Lying”.
info_outline EP489: Joe Hill ...On Never Giving Up, Beatles & Carving His Own Path from Dad, Stephen KingThe Bestseller Experiment
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Heart-Shaped Box, and Strange Weather. Joe, son of Stephen King, is a powerhouse storyteller from an incredible family of writers. Much of his work has been adapted for film and television. His second novel, Horns, was made into a cult horror-comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe; his third novel, NOS4A2, was adapted for television by AMC. The six books in the Locke & Key saga formed the basis for a hit TV series on Netflix
info_outlineVeronica Henry returns to the podcast with her latest bestseller The Impulse Purchase, where a mother, daughter and grandmother run a pub together. Veronica talks about writing across the generations, whether or not to include Covid in her novel, and — after over twenty novels — if she’s getting the hang of writing yet.