Mark Stay's Blog, page 22
November 6, 2023
Healing Through Writing with Mira V Shah (and we won an award!)
I first heard of Mira Shah after reading her excellent blog on how to manage the expectations of debut authors (read it here), which ended up on The Bookseller and on pretty much every bit of writers’ social media. She’s spot on when it comes to how the industry is great when it comes to the big deals and ad campaigns, but can be lacking when it comes to the rest of us and how the launch days for our books can be a bit of a damp squib.
We also discuss how her writing came about through grieving, but if all that sounds a bit heavy for a Monday, don’t be put off. Mira is a delight and this is a really uplifting chat…
And at the end of the podcast, I tell Mr D all about my night in London’s glittering King’s Cross where I was honoured to collect our award for Best Books Podcast at the inaugural Independent Podcast Awards. It was an amazing night celebrating the terrific indie podcasts and I’ve added a whole bunch of them to my pod catcher. You can find out more about the award and the evening here.
With Esther Manito at the Independent Podcast Awards
October 30, 2023
Michael R Miller is Epic
I did a panel with Michael R Miller at the MCM Comic Con yesterday and was once again struck by how generous he is with his advice. He’s done incredibly well since I met him at an Eastercon a few years ago, selling over 350,000 copies of his fantasy epic, but he’s always been the first to suggest new ideas and strategies for selling books and you would do well to heed his advice! It was great to get him back on the Bestseller Experiment to catch up on what he’s been up to, including getting Broken Binding editions of his books, having a D&D campaign based on his new series, and how he’s taken his experience with cystic fibrosis and used it in his fantasy world building…
And in the extended version for podcast supporters we discuss how you decided if you should write a series, trilogy or standalone, how to launch your audiobooks, and the differences between USA and UK editions of books. You can support the podcast here.
Happy 100th Birthday to Faye Bright
Today is Faye Bright’s 100th birthday. Yes, Woodville’s youngest witch was born the day before *Halloween* in 1923. This illustration is by Emily Stewart and you can see more of her work in the limited edition comic book The Wish Demon available from the Woodville Village Bookshop here.
October 23, 2023
Getting Emotional with Ivy Ngeow
Ivy Ngeow is a powerhouse of creativity. A musician, a novelist and writer of cookery books, diet books, interior design, she’s done it. Her new novel is The American Boyfriend and she talks about how she studied bestsellers before writing it to better understand what makes a smash hit and it’s paid off as she now has an international hit and is signing books at places like Singapore airport!
Then in the extended edition for our Academy members and Patreon supporters, me and Mr D discuss the different routes to market for your novels, including airports, supermarkets and gift boxes and loot crates! You can support the podcast and get hundreds of hours of extra material here.
October 19, 2023
Ashford Library – Author Talk – Gabby Hutchinson Crouch & Mark Stay
Join Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (Darkwood) and Mark Stay (The Witches of Woodville) as they discuss the challenges and joys of writing humorous fantasy fiction and their influences!
Gabby Hutchinson Crouch is a regular writer on Radio 4′s THE NEWS QUIZ and THE NOW SHOW. Her first novel, DARKWOOD, was published in 2019 by Farrago Books, followed by the second in the series, SUCH BIG TEETH, a year later, and the third in the series, GLASS COFFIN, published in 2021.
Mark Stay got a part-time Christmas job as a bookseller back in 1993 and worked in publishing for over 25 years. He would write in his spare time and sometimes those writings would get turned into books and films, including the Witches of Woodville series from Simon & Schuster, and the 2023 Warner Bros. horror movie Unwelcome.
For more information and for bookings, please contact Ashford Library
This event complements the Living Knowledge Network exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination at Ashford Library between Friday 27 October – Saturday 11 November. Visit our Fantasy hub for more information about the Living Knowledge Network exhibition.
October 18, 2023
Robert Rankin in conversation with Mark Stay at Horley Library
Robert Rankin will be discussing the influence of The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke and other art on his writing with author Mark Stay. After the discussion, there will be a time for audience questions, then meet the authors for book sales and signing. BOOK TICKETS HERE.
Roots of Fantasy Panel with Authors Mark Stay, A.Y. Chao and Jen Williams
Come and join authors Mark Stay, A.Y. Chao and Jen Williams as they take a fascinating look at the fantasy fiction that has inspired their writing. After the panel discussion, there will be a time for audience questions, then meet the authors for book sales and signing. BOOK TICKETS HERE
October 16, 2023
Heather Morris says Shut up and Listen…
This week we celebrate seven years of the Bestseller Experiment podcast and I can’t think of a better way to mark the occasion than with Heather Morris, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and more who returns with a new novel, Sisters Under the Rising Sun, whichtransports the reader to the women in Japanese POW camps in WWII and is another incredibly powerful story.
Heather’s writing and her attitude to life and her work embodies everything we love about writers and it was such a privilege to speak with her.
And if that wasn’t enough, as a special little treat this episode includes the extended version of the podcast for free (normally reserved for podcast supporters and folk int he Bestseller Academy) and this week includes me giving tips for writing emotions and getting an emotional response from readers…
October 9, 2023
The Tiny, Weird Obsessions of Writers with Julie Owen Moylan
There’s a lovely bit in this week’s Bestseller Experiment podcast with novelist Julie Owen Moylan where she talks about writers wanting approval, ‘We want to get our homework marked.’ And it’s true, we set out as writers with dreams of our work getting great reviews and being loved by all… But one of the lessons you learn as soon as people start reading your stuff is that you can’t please everyone. It’s a fool’s errand and you’re much better off writing to please yourself first. And that can start by leaning into what Julie calls her ‘tiny, weird obsessions’. These are the things that you think no one will get. The thoughts, jokes and peculiarities that you think are completely unique to you. And they probably are, but that doesn’t mean others won’t understand. Because all those strange little idiosyncrasies are your voice. That’s what makes you unique and will make you writing unlike any other. Some people won’t get it, but those who do will absolutely love it. Be true to yourself. Be weird.
October 2, 2023
Being Positive with Gareth L Powell
Great to get Gareth back on the podcast as so much has happened since we last had him on, but the thing I admire about him the most is his ability to stay positive in the social media sewer! He talks about that and more — including working with Peter F Hamilton, how starting a commercial thriller led him to writing his most personal book and how he wrote a book on writing almost by accident.
There’s also a fun coda to the episode as I read an extract from SC Gowland’s new book Delusions and Dragons in which there’s a cameo from two familiar shopkeepers called Mark. That delight comes at the 1:06:59 point here…
