London Writers' Salon #146: Alda Sigmundsdóttir — How Blogging Changed My Life, Indie Publishing 101, Memoir, Writing About Culture With Integrity
14 snips
May 25, 2025 Alda Sigmundsdóttir, a journalist and independent publisher from Iceland, shares her remarkable journey of self-publishing and blogging. She discusses how blogging transformed her life, especially during Iceland's financial crisis, fostering deep community connections. Alda explores the nuances of indie vs. traditional publishing, emphasizing the freedom of self-publishing while navigating its challenges. She also reflects on the emotional journey of writing memoirs versus travel books and highlights the significance of storytelling in building readership.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Early Blogging Beginnings
- Alda started blogging in 2004 for the joy of writing without strategic goals.
- It was a creative outlet that later became central during Iceland's financial crisis.
Blog Became Crisis Resource
- Iceland's financial crisis revealed a lack of accessible English info about local impacts.
- Alda's blog became a key resource for international readers trying to understand the crisis.
From Blog to Self-Published Books
- Alda self-published her first book on the meltdown as a simple PDF responding to readers' questions.
- She taught herself to code ebooks to sell subsequent titles independently.
