The Bestseller Experiment

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 have a special request for our listeners Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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 telling you you’re rubbish should not hold you back from success! Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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 the first fifteen minutes of your day can be the most creative - How collaboration with an artist in another medium can unlock untapped talents Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

  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's and Parragon) as well as an expert in intellectual property. In this episode you will discover: - How children’s series are commissioned - The importance of plot in children’s books - How to start planning your career as a writer - The importance of respecting your readers Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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 talking to strangers can make you characters more interesting - The importance of trusting your instincts - How to know when your book isn’t working and how to fix it Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com      

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 your readers. Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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 goals are Why you should formulate a five year plan to achieve those goals How you can make your advertising budget a revenue generator and not a cost# And the importance of newsletters such as Bookbub Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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, and financial ruin! In this episode you will discover: - Why tenacity may be one of the best traits of any writer - Why you don’t necessarily have to write a series to be a bestselling author - Why the only marketing that matters is the marketing you can measure - How changing your book’s description copy can double your sales! Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com

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 will discover… The most effective ways to use structure in your story How to create compelling characters Quick fixes for conveying exposition The importance of a good cliffhanger

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 hurt and why you shouldn’t worry about them Get your free ebook with advice and tips from million-selling authors at: http://www.bestsellerexperiment.com