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London Writers' Salon: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Parul Bavishi, Matthew Trinetti
A deep dive into the habits, mindsets, tools, craft secrets and creative practices bestselling writers use to write novels, plays, poetry, and articles. Hosted by the co-founders of the London Writers' Salon, Matt & Parul.
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- 2 days ago1h 11m
#219: Christine Tyler Hill — Noticing as a Creative Practice, Making Art From the Ordinary, and Not Waiting for Permission to Create
Artist, naturalist, and crossing guard Christine Tyler Hill on turning a daily practice of noticing into The Cloud Report, how constraints and play sustain her work, accepting support as an artist, using social media without letting it steer the art, and not waiting for permission to create.You'll learnWhy ordinary, overlooked places reward those who keep returning to them.How attention can become a creative practice, and a way of changing how you see the world.What a strict format and a monthly deadline can do for an overwhelmed creative mind.The role of play, experimentation, and feeling lost in making new work.A case for sincerity over polish when sharing your work.When accepting support for your art feels uncomfortable, and why it matters to let people help.What Leonard Woolf's irises can teach us about making art in dark times.How to use social platforms without letting them dictate the direction of the work.Writing about the things you love without worrying about being twee.Why it pays to start the project you need now, even when others don’t understand it.Resources & LinksInterview Transcript (unedited)The Cloud Report: Christine's monthly printed newsletter, posted out each monthTender Dispatches: her weeklyish newsletter on what she's reading, loving and thinking aboutchristinetylerhill.com: Christine's website and shopBulletins from the Everyday: October's Writers' Hour Magazine contest, inspired by Christine's workQuilt Study, Christine's art book with Directangle EditionsAbout Christine Tyler HillChristine Tyler Hill is a multidisciplinary artist, naturalist, cyclist, and crossing guard based in Burlington, Vermont.She is the creator of The Cloud Report, a monthly printed newsletter featuring drawn and written observations from the intersection, the woods, the studio, the garden, and beyond, and Tender Dispatches, her weeklyish newsletter sharing three things she's reading, loving, or thinking about. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
- 1 weeks ago46 min
#218: Behind the Scenes With the UK’s Top Literary Agents — Madeleine Milburn, Abigail Bergstrom, Juliet Mushens on Playing the Long Game, Turning Ideas Into Author Brands, and Bouncing Back From Rejection | Compilation
Three of the UK’s leading literary agents — Madeleine Milburn, Abigail Bergstrom and Juliet Mushens — on what happens after an agent says yes: building a writing career that lasts, turning an idea into a distinct author brand, and moving forward after both success and disappointment.You’ll learnWhat good author care looks like, especially when the news is bad.When the biggest advance isn’t the best offer.Why a writing career is a long game, from reinventing a stalled career to surviving the pressure of a big debut.How to find the unique lens that makes your idea worth writing.What turns an author into a brand, and a simple way to stay consistent without becoming gimmicky.A literary agent’s lessons from querying her own novel under a pseudonym.The marketing questions worth asking a publisher before you sign.What really happens on the call when an agent offers representation, and how to choose between agents.Balancing passion and the market when deciding what to write next.How to move forward when a book doesn’t sell, and why success can be just as tricky to handle.Episode Links#064: Madeleine Milburn — Catching an Agent’s Eye & Building an Author-First Agency#57: Abigail Bergstrom — Becoming a Literary Agent, Building an Author Brand, Inside the Publishing Industry, Recovering From Burnout#189: Juliet Mushens — Building Bestselling Writer Careers, Decoding Agent Feedback, and Why Writing for the Market Rarely WorksResources & LinksMadeleine Milburn at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film AgencyBergstrom StudioSomething to Say, Abigail Bergstrom’s SubstackWhat a Shame by Abigail BergstromJuliet Mushens at Mushens EntertainmentAbout the GuestsMadeleine Milburn has been on the committee of the Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA). She has appeared on The Bookseller’s list of the 150 most influential people in the book trade every year since 2017. Since founding the agency in 2012, Madeleine was awarded Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2018 and was shortlisted again in 2020. She has been responsible for discovering some of the highest-selling and award-winning contemporary authors who consistently hit the bestseller lists in the New York Times, including Nita Prose (The Maid), Costa Book Award winner and multi-million copy bestseller Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine), Ashley Audrain (The Push), Elizabeth Macneal (The Doll Factory) and Holly Bourne. She represents multiple bestselling crime and thriller brands, too, including C.L. Taylor, C.J. Tudor and Mark Edwards.Abigail Bergstrom is a Welsh writer who has written for national magazines and broadsheets, including ELLE, Sunday Times Style, the Telegraph and Refinery29. Having worked in publishing for over a decade, she is an industry leader and an expert in navigating the cross-section between digital and print. She’s edited some of Britain’s most prominent feminist voices, was nominated for Literary Agent of the Year 2020, and was listed in The Bookseller 150. An intersectional feminist campaigner, she co-founded the campaign ‘This Doesn’t Mean Yes,’ which was covered in the media internationally. She founded Gleam Titles and now runs Bergstrom Studio, a literary agency and publishing consultancy, and writes the Substack newsletter Something to Say. She is the author of the novels What a Shame and Selfish Girls.<a href="https://www.m
- 2 weeks ago1h 1m
#217: Dawn O'Porter — Finding Your Voice, Writing as a Loyal Companion, Writing Memoir Without Exposing Others, and Success Beyond the Bank Balance
Novelist, memoirist and broadcaster Dawn O'Porter on trusting her own voice, writing the book she had to get out of her system, drafting without a plan, protecting the people in her food memoir Hungry Eyes, and measuring success by what you create rather than what you earn.You'll learnWhy writing can be the most loyal relationship in a creative career.The case for writing the story you're carrying before you write anything else.What immersive journalism can teach a novelist about not letting the reader down.Why some writers feel trapped by a plan, and what's worth knowing before you start instead.A simple trick for bringing a stubborn character to life.When a first draft can be far shorter than the finished book.How to know when a sentence has already said enough.How to write memoir when the people in your story don't want to be in it.The remark from a friend that became a writing mantra.What it means to measure success by what you've made, not what you've earned.Resources & Links📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)Hungry Eyes: A Memoir of Appetite, Ambition and the Odd Bag of Wotsits for Dinner by Dawn O'PorterPaper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'PorterThe Cows by Dawn O'PorterCat Lady by Dawn O'PorterHoneybee by Dawn O'PorterOranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette WintersonMy Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghThe First Bad Man by Miranda JulyAll Fours by Miranda JulyA Creative Compass by Emma Gannondawnoporter.com — Dawn's website@hotpatooties — Dawn's InstagramWriting in Community — LWS Community AnthologyAbout LuluIf you're self-publishing a book, Lulu now offers a Direct Buy Button that enables you to sell direct to your reader through a simple code. There's no cost to using it and it makes it easier to sell books directly from anywhere: your newsletter, social profile, website or podcast - and you don't have to worry about shipping or taxes. For more information head to lulu.com.About Dawn O'PorterDawn O'Porter is a bestselling novelist, memoirist, journalist and broadcaster. She is the author of several novels exploring female friendship, identity and the complexities of women's lives, including Paper Aeroplanes, The Cows, So Lucky, Cat Lady and Honeybee.Her latest book, Hungry Eyes: A Memoir of Appetite, Ambition and the Odd Bag of Wotsits for Dinner, turns to nonfiction to explore food, memory, ambition and the experiences that have shaped her life.Alongside her books, Dawn has written widely on feminism and women's lives and built a career spanning journalism, documentary filmmaking and television. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: <a
- 3 weeks ago50 min
#216: Sarah Gilbert — PR for Indie Authors, Thinking Like a Publicist, and Starting Small to Build Momentum
Lulu PR Manager Sarah Gilbert on building a reader-first publicity plan, pitching the media as an indie author, and turning small grassroots wins into lasting momentum.You'll learnWhy earned media carries more weight with readers than anything you pay for.The question every author should answer about their book before planning any publicity.How writing a press release can clarify what your book is really about, even if you never send it.When the story behind your book is more pitchable than the book itself.How to build a media list and write a pitch that offers something in return.Why starting small and local can open doors to bigger opportunities.How far ahead to start your publicity, and how long to keep it going.The difference between a media “hit” and a media “run,” and what to do with each.Ways to give your backlist new life long after launch.What to watch out for when hiring outside PR help, and the mistakes authors often make.Resources & LinksLuluThis Naked Mind by Annie Grace#033: Joanna Penn on the LWS PodcastWriting in Community — LWS Community AnthologyAbout LuluIf you're self-publishing a book, Lulu now offers a Direct Buy Button that enables you to sell direct to your reader through a simple code. There's no cost to using it and it makes it easier to sell books directly from anywhere: your newsletter, social profile, website or podcast - and you don't have to worry about shipping or taxes. For more information head to lulu.com.About Sarah GilbertSarah is the Public Relations Manager for Lulu.com, the publishing and print on demand company started in 2002 by Red Hat Founder Bob Young.With over 16 years experience in the publishing industry, Sarah is passionate about helping authors and publishers find ways to connect with their audience. In previous roles, she led author public relations campaigns and coached many in preparation for their book launches. When not in the office, she's trying to figure out her hobbies as an empty nester, gardening is in the lead. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
- Oct 10, 202655 min
#215: How to Go Indie — Joanna Penn, Orna Ross, Eleanor Anstruther on Owning Your Rights, Paying Yourself First, and Serialising Your Novel on Substack | Compilation
Indie authors Joanna Penn, Orna Ross, and Eleanor Anstruther on going direct to readers and protecting your rights, the business and money side of self-publishing, and building an audience by serialising on Substack.You'll learnWhy the writers you admire may not make their money the way you think.What separates an independent author from someone who simply self-publishes.When a traditional deal makes strategic sense, and why your book is an intellectual property asset.How a ten-poem experiment revealed what self-publishing really changes.The seven processes that make up the craft of publishing, and why production is only one of them.Where marketing connects to the book itself, and why outsourcing it too early rarely pays.A money principle every indie author should adopt from their very first sale.How years of rejection can become the foundation of an independent creative life.What a year of one-minute daily posts taught one writer about the fear of pressing publish.The non-negotiable rule for serialising a novel on Substack, and how to keep readers from losing their place.Episode Links#033: Joanna Penn — The Indie Writer Path, Web 3.0 & AI-Assisted Creativity#052: Orna Ross — How to Succeed as Indie Author, Marketing Essentials, Paying Yourself First#144: Eleanor Anstruther — The Book Industry Rejected Me. So I Built My Own Audience on Substack; Serialising Online, Writing Literary Fiction; Being an Independent Artist, Creating Your Artist DNAResources & LinksEleanor Anstruther — websiteA Perfect Explanation by Eleanor AnstrutherThe Literary Obsessive on SubstackOrna Ross — websiteAlliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)The Creative Penn PodcastWriting in Community — LWS Community AnthologyAbout LuluIf you're self-publishing a book, Lulu now offers a Direct Buy Button that enables you to sell direct to your reader through a simple code. There's no cost to using it and it makes it easier to sell books directly from anywhere: your newsletter, social profile, website or podcast - and you don't have to worry about shipping or taxes. For more information head to lulu.com.About the GuestsJoanna Penn is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She has sold over a million books across 176 countries and 5 languages. Her podcast, The Creative Penn, has been downloaded over 10 million times in 228 countries.Orna Ross is a bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction and inspirational poetry. She is also a creativity facilitator and the founder-director of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). She has been named one of The Bookseller's Top 100 people in publishi
- Oct 3, 20261h 3m
#214: Emma Gannon — Finding Your Creative Compass, Letting Go of People-Pleasing, Redefining Success, and Owning Your Work Through Self-Publishing
Sunday Times bestselling author Emma Gannon on healing burnout through play and joy, trusting your creative intuition over people-pleasing, and what she's learned from self-publishing alongside traditional publishing.You'll learnWhy burnout might be healed through play and joy rather than by pushing harder.How some books arrive in a month while others take years, and why there's no single right way to write one.The case against selling a book before it's written.A squirrel-inspired method for gathering raw material and letting a book's themes reveal themselves.What to remember when you're tempted to talk yourself out of writing a book.When people-pleasing quietly drowns out your creative intuition, and how to hear it again.How small, everyday acts of creativity keep the spark alive between big projects.What to do on bleak days, and why your younger self might hold the answer.Self-publishing from the inside, including the numbers behind one book.How judging a major literary prize can stretch you as a reader.Resources & Links📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)Emma's Substack, The HyphenEmma Gannon's websiteOur previous podcast episode with Emma: #089: Emma Gannon — The Success Myth, Substack, Self-Publishing, Productivity Dysmorphia, The Arrival Fallacy, Being A Happy CreativeA Creative Compass by Emma GannonA Year of Nothing by Emma GannonTable for One by Emma GannonBig Magic by Elizabeth GilbertCity of Girls by Elizabeth GilbertGift from the Sea by Anne Morrow LindberghHow to be Hopeful by Caitlin MoranThe Pound ProjectWriting in Community — LWS Community AnthologyAbout LuluIf you're self-publishing a book, Lulu now offers a Direct Buy Button that enables you to sell direct to your reader through a simple code. There's no cost to using it and it makes it easier to sell books directly from anywhere: your newsletter, social profile, website or podcast - and you don't have to worry about shipping or taxes. For more information head to lulu.com.In Partnership with Discoveries 2027This episode was recorded in partnership with Discoveries 2027, the Women's Prize Trust's writer development programme for unagented and unpublished women writers. Discoveries is designed to empower new voices, unlock potential, build confidence, and increase writers' skills and knowledge.Submissions for Discoveries 2027 opened Tuesday, September 15. Submit here.About Emma GannonEmma Gannon is the Sunday Times bestselling author of nine books, including A Year of Nothing and OLIVE, which was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award. Her second novel, Table for One (2025), was selected as P
- Sep 25, 202651 min
#213: Anthony Anaxagorou — Thinking Like a Poet, Pushing Past Self-Doubt, and Treating Rejection as Part of the Job (From The Vault)
Poet, publisher, and educator Anthony Anaxagorou on treating rejection as part of the job, pushing an idea to its edge without losing the reader, and ending a poem where it can keep travelling — a re-release of episode #012.You'll learn:Why walking away from writing for years doesn't necessarily mean you ever left it.How to treat rejection as part of the job rather than a verdict on your worth.What happens to your work when one stamp of validation starts to feel like an entitlement.How a restless, never-satisfied mind can become a creative engine.A morning listening exercise, borrowed from Lydia Davis, that can hand you the first line of a poem.What to do when you're stuck on a line and the answer is sitting on your bookshelf.Why “accessible” is one of the most loaded words in poetry.How far to push an idea before you lose the reader.Two ways to take a flat, literal line and make it tell the truth slant.Why your poem probably starts later and ends earlier than you think, and what the reader does with the space you leave.Resources & LinksOriginal episode: #012 Anthony Anaxagorou — Push Past Self-Doubt and Think Like a PoetAnthony's websiteHow to Write ItAfter the FormalitiesHeritage AestheticsOut-SpokenOut-Spoken Press“Tell all the truth but tell it slant” by Emily DickinsonAbout Anthony AnaxagorouAnthony Anaxagorou FRSL is a British-born Cypriot poet, fiction writer, essayist, publisher and poetry educator. His poetry has been published in POETRY, The Poetry Review, Poetry London, New Statesman, Granta, and elsewhere.His third collection, Heritage Aesthetics (Granta Poetry, 2022), won the 2023 RSL Ondaatje Prize. His second collection, After the Formalities, was shortlisted for the 2019 T.S. Eliot Prize and called a poetry book of the year by the Telegraph and Guardian. He was awarded the 2019 H-100 Award for writing and publishing, and the 2015 Groucho Maverick Award for his poetry and fiction, and in 2023 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2012 Anthony set up one of London's leading poetry nights, Out-Spoken, a monthly poetry and music night now held at London's Southbank Centre, and established Out-Spoken Press – a publishing house that looks to challenge the lack of diversity in British poetry publishing.His craft book, How to Write It, was published by Penguin's #Merky Books in 2020. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
- Sep 20, 202646 min
#212: Marti Leimbach — The Art of Writing a Novel, Why Self-Doubt Is a Good Sign, Revising Without Losing Heart, and Surviving the Highs and Lows of Publishing (From The Vault)
Bestselling novelist Marti Leimbach on the art of writing a novel, surviving early success and the long career that follows, and turning lived experience into fiction — a remastered version of episode #016.You'll learnWhy your relationship to the page has to outrank every other voice in writing and publishing.How to tell apart the voice that says you're no good and the voice that says you're not finished.The case for admitting you're not up to the task before you sit down to write.What a genuinely good writing day looks like, and why a single sentence can count as one.Why no novel is ever perfect, and what Picasso understood about original work.How enormous early success actually lands on a writer, and what the morning after looks like.A way of finding the real story inside a draft that has grown far too big.When self-doubt is a sign of talent rather than a lack of it.Why some books have to be written as fiction rather than memoir.The trick of convincing yourself you have unlimited time when you clearly don't.Resources & LinksMarti's Books on AmazonMarti's websiteMarti's InstagramGreat On The Page — Marti's SubstackOriginal episode: #016: Marti Leimbach — The Art of Writing a NovelAbout Marti LeimbachMarti Leimbach is known for her bestsellers, Dying Young, made into a film starring Julia Roberts, and Daniel Isn't Talking. She is interested in neurodiversity and has shared the stage with young inventors at the Human Genome Project (Toronto), the National Autistic Society, and the University of Oxford. Her interest in science influenced her YA thriller, Dragonfly Girl.She teaches on the Masters Programme in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford. Dragonfly Girl is her eighth novel, but her first for young adults. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
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About London Writers' Salon
A deep dive into the habits, mindsets, tools, craft secrets and creative practices bestselling writers use to write novels, plays, poetry, and articles. Hosted by the co-founders of the London Writers' Salon, Matt & Parul.
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