How Bestselling Author Ellen O’Clover Writes

Bestselling author Ellen O’Clover spoke with us about her career as a copywriter, her writing process, making the transition from YA to adult romance, and her latest novel IF NOT YOU. Ellen O’Clover is the acclaimed author of The Heartbreak Hotel—a BOTM selection, instant indie bestseller, and one of NPR’s 2025 “Books We Love.” She studied creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. Her latest novel, If Not You, is described as an “...honest and heartfelt love story [with] the witty, down-to-earth, timeless vibes of the classic 90s and 2000s rom-coms.”   Rachel Lynn Solomon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Extracurricular, said of the author, “Ellen O'Clover is one of my favorite writers — her books leave me in perpetual awe….The romance genre is radically lucky to have Ellen's voice in it.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Ellen O’Clover, Milena, and I discussed: Getting a blurb from our friend Jodi Picoult Why she made the shift from pantser to plotter How she crafts her emotionally driven fiction What she mined from her copywriting career for the latest Meeting your readers where they are And a lot more! Show Notes: ellenoclover.com If Not You By Ellen O’Clover (Amazon) Ellen O’Clover Amazon Author Page Ellen O’Clover on Substack Ellen O’Clover on TikTok Ellen O’Clover on Instagram Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices