The Bestseller Experiment

Matthew Reilly self-published his first novel when he was 19, selling copies from the back of his car. Now with 8 million books sold he tops the bestseller charts worldwide and continues to thrill readers with his epic adventures. We spoke to him about his amazing career and we got answers for your listener questions. To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Joanna Nadin has written over 70 award-winning books for children and adults and recently inspired Mr. Stay to completely re-write his middle-grade children’s book. She shares a flood of amazing writing tips with us and tells us why she loves to make readers cry.   To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Ramsey Campbell is a legend of horror fiction who has been terrifying readers for over six decades, so who better to headline our Halloween special? He reveals the book that was too grim to publish, how working in a bookstore inspired a story, and the changes he has seen in the genre through his incredible career.   To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

RJ Barker combines the page-turning thrills of a whodunnit crime thriller and the world-building of fantasy in his Wounded Kingdom series, the first of which was written in just six weeks! RJ tells us why he gets explosions of joy while writing, and this is the only episode of the podcast to cover the important issues of antlers and stuffed weasels. To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s first book was published when she was still in college, since then she has had more than 80 novels on the New York Times list, and more than 70 million books in print. We talk to Sherrilyn about her rise from childhood poverty to eBook pioneer and a bestselling phenomenon.  To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

An essential guide to bloggers and blog tours with Gollancz’s Publicity Manager Stevie Finegan. You will discover how to find bloggers, how to work with them, how to create a campaign, top tips for blogger content, and we discuss the dos and don’ts of a blog tour. Hear more at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

Mr. Stay overcomes his suspicion of writing retreats and joins award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick on his retreat in the Alps and, in a podcast first, interviews him in a hot tub! To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

A special episode where we talk to Clare Christian from RedDoor Publishing about their hybrid model of publishing where  the authors underwrite the production costs, but also have great control over every aspect of the process and take the lion’s share of commercial returns. So yes, the author pays up front! But it’s not vanity publishing and has resulted in brilliant books. Hear more at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

We speak to bestselling author Rowan Coleman about why she heckled Mr. Stay at the RNA conference, how to make readers cry, how copy editors can save your life, how a chance encounter at a supermarket checkout led to a hit novel, we play backlist bingo and Rowan’s teenage daughter makes a cameo, and more! To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Mr. Stay reports from YALC, the Young Adult Literature Convention in London and speaks to author Dhonielle Clayton about her book The Belles and how it all started with a conversation overheard in a shopping mall, and how every kid can be the hero of their own story. To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality