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The Bestseller Experiment

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.
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Now displaying: Page 7
Nov 1, 2021

Katie Khan is the author of the bestsellers Hold Back the Stars and The Light Between Us, and now she’s a tutor at the Novelry, bringing her experience from both the film world and the book world to her students. Katie talks about inspirational teachers, writing around a day job, how getting feedback too soon can be counterproductive, and the lessons she’s learned from working with the likes of Paramount and Warner Bros.

Oct 30, 2021

Award-winning horror author Adam Nevill answers our listener questions on setting the mood, balancing gore and terror to find the right tone, research into the supernormal, getting into the minds of perpetrators of evil, the biggest lessons he has learned in his extraordinary career, how screenwriting has helped his novel writing, and how he’s conditioned himself to write in any place at any time . This is an essential listen for authors of all genres.

Oct 27, 2021

Welcome to the latest of our occasional Academy All-Stars mini episodes, where we talk to writers who have joined our academy and have done something extraordinary. 

How long would it take you to write 400,000 words? Mark Hood has an unbroken writing streak of nearly two years and writing an average of 600 words a day he’s written 419,000 words and counting. Mark tells us what changes he made to his writing routine to make it happen, how he has kept it going (especially on the days when he’s not in the mood), and how it has helped him as a writer.
Oct 25, 2021

Alan Gillespie & Emma Grae are writers from Scotland who both have unique and distinct voices. Alan wrote The Mash House dialogue without punctuation, and Emma wrote Be Guid Tae Yer Mammy in Scottish vernacular. We talk about finding your voice as an author — and the voices of characters — who might otherwise have been overlooked by traditional publishing.

Oct 18, 2021
The Two Marks celebrate five years of the Bestseller Experiment and answer listener questions on favourite moments, best writing advice, how their writing has changed and how much of Mr D’s woo-woo had rubbed off on Mr Stay and why semi colons are the work of Satan. We’ve also added some birthday messages from guests and listeners that weren’t featured on the live show!
Oct 11, 2021
Felix Francis has continued the legacy of his father Dick Francis’s literary success, selling over 80 million novels in 40 languages. Felix tells us how the books were always a family business, and why the continued success owes so much to knowing the reader wants, and how he works really hard to make the books easy reading. And we announce the winner of the Joe Abercrombie giveaway!
Oct 4, 2021

Elise Valmorbida’s new book The Happy Writing Book is a unique guide for writers at all levels with 100 prompts to help you develop your writing and wellbeing. We discuss show not tell, success, engaging the senses and why we are all a work-in-progress. Also, the Two Marks launch a new hashtag upon an unsuspecting world… #LooBooks

Oct 1, 2021
Jenn T. Grace is the founder of Publish Your Purpose, a hybrid publishing company that helps first-time authors get their books written and finds them an eager audience. Jenn takes us through the first steps of writing non-fiction and memoir, the essential elements of a book proposal, and how to make your books stand out from the crowd.
 
You can discover more about Publish Your Purpose here… https://publishyourpurposepress.com/ 
Sep 27, 2021

Awais Khan returns to the podcast after the publication of his second novel No Honour, which has been getting the most extraordinary acclaim. Awais tells us about the lessons he’s learned since the publication of his debut, In The Company of Strangers, not least what he did at times when he felt like giving up.

Sep 22, 2021

PublishingPush.com help publishers and authors publish and promote their books, and Patrick runs us through the ten most common mistakes made by authors when launching their books, and he answers our listener questions on book launches.

You can discover more about Publishing Push here: https://publishingpush.com  

Sep 20, 2021

Abi Silver is a lawyer and the author of Burton & Lamb courtroom thrillers, including the latest The Midas Game, which dives into the world of online gaming and Youtubers. Abi also wrote an article on why writers write and she tells us why your writing matters. And the two Marks get nostalgic for early computer games.

Sep 17, 2021

Bestselling book coach Jennie Nash has inspired hundreds of novelists, and in her new book Blueprint for a Book she makes the case for writers defining the foundational elements of their story before writing. She also answers listener questions on self-editing, first drafts, second drafts, getting an agent, writing stand-alones and series, and how to decide which idea is the one to turn into a novel.

Sep 14, 2021

Bestselling book coach Jennie Nash has inspired hundreds of novelists, and in her new book Blueprint for a Book she makes the case for writers defining the foundational elements of their story before writing. She also answers listener questions on self-ed

Sep 13, 2021

Sarah Denzil is the million-copy bestselling author of Silent Child, and its sequel Stolen Girl is premiering on audio first. We discuss writing at work, writing in notebooks, how feedback boosted her confidence, and recording and releasing audiobooks in various formats, including multi-voice recordings and dramatisations.

Sep 6, 2021

We celebrate international bestselling fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie's return to the podcast with The Wisdom of Crowds, which brings his Age of Madness trilogy to a thrilling climax. As always, Joe is a treasure trove of amazing advice for writers and he answers our listener questions on outlining, symmetry, POV and much more. We also ask him if he still dances naked in the rain… and his answer might surprise you.

Aug 30, 2021

Sunday Times bestselling thriller writer Steve Cavanagh returns triumphant to the podcast. When we last spoke to him he was on the verge of a great breakthrough. Today he’s an award-winner and international bestseller and with his new thriller The Devil’s Advocate he’s done it again. Steve reveals how he works hard to engage the reader straight away.

Aug 27, 2021
Lisa Rogers has been copy editor to some amazing authors including Joe Abercrombie, Terry Pratchett, Iain Banks, Tad Williams and some bloke called Mark Stay. She answers listener questions on the role of a copy editor, common mistakes made by authors, style guides, timelines, differences in style between UK and US publishers, Oxford commas, point-of-view, head-hopping, and why hyphens keep her up at night.
Aug 23, 2021

Piers Torday is the award-winning author of the extraordinary The Last Wild trilogy for children, and he’s back with an amazing prequel The Wild Before. Piers’ writing comes from a lifelong passion for wildlife and for giving voice to characters that might not otherwise be heard. He also tells us about the Paul Torday prize for debut novelists over 60 and why it’s not age that matters when writing.

Aug 20, 2021
Dr Jen O’Ryan the author of “Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for ‘Accidental’ Diversity Experts”. Designed for anyone thinking about Inclusion and Diversity. She answers our listener questions on writing diverse characters, the kinds of research and due diligence to explore when writing outside of your own experience, the changes needed in publishing for diversity to work and much more.
Aug 16, 2021

Kia Abdullah’s latest novel Next of Kin is not just a page-turning thriller, but Kia is using its publication to support the Trussell Trust charity. Kia talks about writing difficult subjects, cultural appropriation, diversity in publishing, and her writing habits. The Two Marks discuss the writer’s commitment to the reader, and are excited to announce that the Bestseller Academy is once again open for applications.

Aug 9, 2021

Mick Finlay is the author of the Arrowood series of crime novels set in 1890s London, and in his latest book Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders, he explores the dark side of human psychology, and tells us how teaching psychology has helped him as a writer. And this week’s digression from the Two Marks is on the joys of car boot sales and Beanie Babies.

Aug 2, 2021

Matthew Ralph is best-selling children’s author whose books celebrate diversity and inclusivity. Matthew takes us through his extraordinary career that started with an idea in an airport to his latest book Family Means, which evolved from the close connection he has with his readers. Matthew gives us tips on marketing, and shares his dream to create a community for his readers. The Two Marks also digress about the mysteries of books in airports.

Jul 26, 2021

Nicola May is the bestselling author of a dozen romantic comedies, all of which have topped the UK Kindle charts, and now she’s back with her new book Welcome To Ferry Lake Market. In a jam-packed interview, Nicola answers listener questions on the essential elements of a romcom, tenacity, blog tours, self-belief, asking for help, and writing in bed!

Jul 19, 2021
RJ McBrien’s career as a screenwriter saw him writing for Spooks, Wallander and The Bill, and now he’s delivered his debut novel Reckless, a page-turning thriller of marriage and betrayal. He takes us through the lessons he’s learned in the transition from scripts to novels, why doing something every day is essential, and how to tackle the “then what?” phase of writing.
Jul 12, 2021
Adam Simcox is a filmmaker whose debut novel The Dying Squad is published by Gollancz. Adam takes us through his journey to publication — “A leisurely stroll barefoot over broken glass for twenty years” — and we discuss writing for the screen and novels, mood boards, writing to music, commissioning reader reports, self-belief, and writing with your significant other (his partner Kirsty Eyre has already been a guest on the podcast).
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