The Bestseller Experiment

In this episode you will discover… How the problems in your life can make for great stories later on. How you can stay authentic and honest. How to cope with artistic frustration. What Bryan looks for when taking on a character, and how you can apply that to your writing. And how you can apply CAPS - the Cranston Assessment of Projects, Bryan's own system of selection - to your project to make it stand out. And how to avoid being a 'Sneaky Pete'!

In this episode you will discover… That NaNoWriMo is a community: and you can be part of it. How it can benefit your writing: it's not about critiquing, but more like a worldwide support group. Embrace the fear of the fist draft: all the books we loved started as first drafts, and NaNoWriMo gives you permission to write that rough first draft. A goal and a deadline are a creative midwife: give yourself permission to do it!

Best known for her novel Chocolat, which sold well over a million copies and was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, Joanne has written over twenty books, including Runemarks and Gospel of Loki, which were based on Norse legend. We spoke to her at GollanczFest about writing, aspiration and sheds. In this episode you will discover… How to find your voice: it's what will make you a better writer. Prepare for success: not failure! Writing for Twitter: Joanne's shed has changed how she writes. Could it work for you? Are you an aspiring writer? Joanne has some excellent advice for you…

In this episode you will discover… How to earn a living from writing: It can be done, and Shannon shows you how. Spoiler: it involves a lot of hard work! Agents: do you need one? Training: Train yourself to learn your craft and how the industry works. Develop a work ethic: This is not a hobby and you'll need to work around the day job. Your muse is your bitch! Don't wait for creativity to show up. Editors: You need one. Yes, you do. And Shannon tells you where to find one.

In this episode you will discover… What does a commission editor do? It's not just correcting your spelling! What's changed in publishing? And how you can make the most of these opportunities. The most common mistakes by writers: And how you can avoid them. Don't cheat your reader: And how to have a longer career as a writer.

As we begin our epic quest we need to know what kind of person buys bestselling books. We turn to Hachette Book Group consumer insight expert Vics Tranter, who shares her experience and wisdom with us and we discover just who will be reading our book… and it's a bit of a shock, to be frank.

Join author and screenwriter Mark Stay with coach and entrepreneur Mark Desvaux, as they discover the secrets to writing a bestseller and challenge themselves and you to write, market and self-published a bestselling book in just one year. Each week, they are guided by and interview million-selling, chart-topping authors, publishers on the inside, editors, agents, social media specialists, and many more big names who play a part in the bestseller process. From the writing to marketing, plotting to publishing, learn the secrets to help you write your way to the top of the charts.