Shows / How to Write for a Living
How to Write for a Living
Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen.
thedavidmcilroy.substack.com
Episodes
How to Write for a Living215: How to find your true newsletter niche and get paid for it (featuring Ciler Demiralp)
Season 2, episode 15 is here! In this episode, I chat to Ciler from Newsletter Circle about the realities of building a sustainable newsletter business from…
How to Write for a Living214: How to close the recognition gap as a writer (featuring Alex Mathers)
Season 2, episode 14 is here! In this episode, I chat to Alex Mathers about how writers can use clear positioning, consistent messaging, and audience trust to…
How to Write for a Living213: How (and why) to treat Substack like a business (featuring Yana G.Y.)
Season 2, episode 13 is here! In this episode, I chat to Yana G.Y. about how and why to treat Substack like a business and generate real, sustainable income on…
How to Write for a Living212: Start and Grow on Substack
Season 2, episode 12 is here! In this episode, I chat to… myself… about why Substack is the best place to be right now as a writer, and what I’d do if I was…
How to Write for a Living211: Growing a writing business with purpose and consistency (featuring Derek Hughes)
Season 2, episode 11 is here! In this episode, I chat to Derek Hughes about how he’s built a thriving online writing business on Substack and Medium. You’ll…
How to Write for a Living208: Perfecting your offer as a solopreneur (featuring Michael Lim)
Season 2, episode 8 is here! In this episode, I chat with Michael Lim, who’s currently living the sweet creator life in Bali and can’t believe he’s almost 30…
How to Write for a Living207: How to create and launch digital products that your audience actually want (featuring Jari Roomer)
Season 2, episode 7 is here! In this episode, I chat with Jari Roomer, who expertly walks us through the process of creating and lauching digital products…
How to Write for a Living206: Going behind the scenes with a Ghostwriter (featuring Emma Nelson)
Season 2, episode 6 is here! In this episode, I chat with Emma Nelson, who shares some fascinating insights on what it’s like to be a professional ghostwriter…
How to Write for a Living205: Positioning yourself effectively as a writing-based solopreneur (with Scott Perry)
Episode 5 is here! In this episode, I chat with Scott Perry, who’s on a mission to help seasoned solopreneurs build their ideal lifestyle. We covered a lot…
How to Write for a Living204: What I'll do more and less of in 2025
Episode 4 is here! In this episode, I share what I’m doing more and less of in 2025, and why. I also answer a handful of questions from subscribers (listen out…
How to Write for a Living203: How to grow your online audience (with Ana Calin)
Episode 3 is here! Today, I chat to Ana Calin about the best ways to grow an online audience, particularly here on Substack (where she’s absolutely flying!)…
How to Write for a Living202: Growing a writing-based business from scratch (with Claudia Faith)
Episode 2 of Season 2 is here! Today, I chat to Claudia Faith about how she grew a sustainable writing-based business on Substack, where she helps other…
How to Write for a Living201: Becoming a Minimalist Side Hustler (with Jamie Northrup)
Welcome to Season 2! In the very first episode of the second season, I chat to Jamie Northrup about what it means to have a “minimalist” approach to writing…
How to Write for a Living117: What I've learned about Substack in 2024 (Season One Finale)
The season one finale is here! In today’s episode, I chat to you about my main takeaways from my first full calendar year on Substack. It’s been a fascinating…
How to Write for a Living116: Building a Writing Business (with Derek Hughes)
Episode 16 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Derek Hughes, a self-proclaimed “old bloke with no writing experience” who’s now making five figures a year…
How to Write for a Living115: Travel Writing (with Lizzie Mulherin)
Episode 15 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Lizzie Mulherin about all things travel writing (because who wouldn’t want to do that for a living?!). ✈️ BUT…
How to Write for a Living114: Mini Book Publishing (with Chris Stanley)
Episode 14 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Chris Stanley about… well, you guessed it… mini books! What are mini books, I hear you say? Why should I use…
How to Write for a Living113: Storytelling with Daily Emails (with John Bejakovic)
Episode 13 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to John Bejakovic about how he effectively uses a daily email approach to nurture trust and loyalty among his…
How to Write for a Living112: Hyping Yourself (with Lucy Werner)
Episode 12 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Lucy Werner about how to hype yourself as a writer without feeling the dreaded “ick” of self-promotion…
How to Write for a Living111: Serial Fiction (with Simon K Jones)
Episode 11 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Simon K Jones about publishing serial fiction on Substack and why you should consider giving it a go as an…
How to Write for a Living110: Book Funnels (with Renee Puvvada)
Episode 10 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Renee Puvvada about book funnels, landing pages, reviews, and how to maximise your chances of avoiding…
How to Write for a Living109: Michael Thompson on Gentle Book Promotion, Authenticity in the Age of AI, and Storytelling on Notes
Episode 9 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Michael Thompson about the power of gentle book promotion and effective storytelling in online writing. This…
How to Write for a Living108: Sinem Günel on Medium Mastery, Scroll-Stopping Content, and Making Money as a Writer
Episode 8 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Sinem Günel about what’s working on Medium right now and how writers can go the extra mile, content-wise. We…
How to Write for a Living107: Philip Hofmacher on Community, Entrepreneurship, and a Meaningful Approach to Substack
Episode 7 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Philip Hofmacher about all things entreprenurship - this is a great one for anyone hoping to build a…
How to Write for a Living106: Anna Vatuone on TikTok, Taking Chances and the Power of Personal Branding for Writers
Episode 5 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to the Smarter Solopreneur herself, Maya Sayvanova! This was a really fun conversation about what it’s like to…
How to Write for a Living105: Maya Say on Smarter Solopreneurship, Substack Growth and Writing Clarity
Episode 5 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to the Smarter Solopreneur herself, Maya Sayvanova! This was a really fun conversation about what it’s like to…
How to Write for a Living104: Claire Venus on Substack Sustainability, Kickstarting a Book, and Staying Creative in the Digital Realm
Episode 4 is here! In today’s episode, I chat to Substackian extraordinaire Claire Venus about her upcoming book co-authored with Russell Nohelty (you should…
How to Write for a Living103: Evelyn Skye on Substack, Storytelling and Sustainability for Writers
Episode 3 is here! In this edition of the podcast, I chat to New York Times best-selling author Evelyn Skye about her approach to storytelling, why she decided…
How to Write for a Living102: Veronica Llorca-Smith on Book Deals, Solopreneurship, Public Speaking, and the Power of Community on Substack
In this first EVER guest episode, I speak to Veronica Llorca-Smith of The Lemon Tree Mindset about solopreneurial life, what it’s like to be an introverted…
How to Write for a Living101: Welcome to the Podcast!
Welcome to the How to Write for a Living podcast! In this brief opening episode, I introduce the podcast, explain how it’ll work going forward, and provide…