Johnny B. Truant's favourite book above all others is Dune. So when he met Kevin J. Anderson, who's continued the Dune franchise with Brian Herbert since Frank Herbert's death, he told him. Kevin's reaction was not what he expected. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Have you caught this week's episode with Clare Sager? Quickfire round highlights: His Dark Materials for a fantasy vacation, a teal dragon, one cyclops over a thousand pixies, and a citrus curveball instead of lemons or limes. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Clare Sager built an audience so strong that publishers came to her — now she's the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of King of Ravens. New episode on how she did it, out now. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

New episode out now. Clare Sager, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of King of Ravens, on being crowned "Queen of Edging" by her readers — intense emotional wreckage, slow-burn tension, and characters who actually grow. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Johnny B. Truant: you're not selling a book, you're selling an experience. The whale reader wants endless stories fast and cheap. The conference reader wants to meet you. Two legitimate experiences — know which one you're actually offering. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

@catcavendish.bsky.social tried plotting every chapter in advance once. Didn't work — ended up writing a completely different book. Her real process: the first draft IS the outline, except it's 70-80k words long. That's where the story comes together. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Have you caught this week's episode with Johnny B. Truant? We asked him to pick between his podcast co-hosts, Sean or Dave. He refused, then answered anyway. Listen to find out >>> danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

🚨 NEW EPISODE! 🚨 In today’s show, I’m talking to Johnny B Truant about writing 1.5 million words per year, how he writes in pretty much every genre without worrying about a pen name, and who he loves the most (is it Sean or Dave)? 🎧 Listen now: danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

"There's no algorithm in you that I have to hit." Johnny B. Truant on why book marketing comes down to finding the right reader, not manipulating anyone. New episode out now. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Alex Hunter got a brutal beta reader review at 11pm — "nothing happened, it's so boring, you've completely got this wrong." He took it as a compliment. He wasn't trying to repeat the same gory formula. Six indie publishers wanted the book anyway. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Eric LaRocca on what actually made Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke go viral — not luck, but a cover, a title, and a format all pulling their weight at exactly the right moment. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Catherine Cavendish on the advice from her old English teacher that's stuck for decades: "Be positive. Even if you're wrong, be wrong positively. Read everything — even pornography — but read it critically." Worth catching this week's episode. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

@catcavendish.bsky.social's "Ghosts of Chanterlands" is out 18th August via Flame Tree Press — and it started with two otters at a wildlife centre, a fascination with WWII, and a couple of properties spotted in Country Life magazine. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

New episode out now. @catcavendish.bsky.social on writing a novel a year — 2,000 words a day, no outline, and the ruthless willingness to cut a character she loved because lovely was all he ever did. Ghosts of Chantelands out 18th August via Flame Tree Press. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

@thisishorror gets biblical on The Writers Chair podcast. Michael David Wilson of "This Is Horror" shares insights on finding opportunities, as well as the workings of his latest novel "Daddy's Boy." Always a pleasure talking to you, sir 😎

Axl Malton this week: rejection is just part of the process. The best writers have hundreds of them. His advice — put everything into the work, don't send out a half-arsed manuscript, take the time to get it right. Simple. True. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

New episode out now. Axl Malton's "Caelum Lake" has one of the most powerful origin stories we've heard — written during one of the most uncertain periods of his life, out of hours of waiting and quiet hope. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Matt Serafini on that first blurb from someone you admire — it's not really about validation from others. It's relief. Proof to yourself that you did something. That you're here. That you've got the chops. Worth revisiting. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Just launched a new author website for D.E. Smith and their fantasy series, The 13th Tide. Really happy with how this one turned out. Get your new site here >> danielwillcocks.com/author-websi... Check out D.E.'s site here >>> the13thtide.com/

"I realised I needed to stop being pretentious." Alex Hunter on cutting a 2,000-word prologue and learning to chase the finish line instead of perfecting chapter three on a loop. Worth a listen. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

New episode out now. Alex Hunter on deliberately leaning into every horror trope — the psychic, blood from the taps, all of it — as a setup to subvert reader expectations entirely. Breadcrumbs included, catch them early or catch them late. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Happy Goat Horror shares Joe Hill's word... "Even the nihilistically ending ones are a bit more hopeful than some real world scenarios." Kayleigh Dobbs on why horror comforts her more than reality does — structure, reason, rules. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

Not sure where to start with Twisted Tales? Thaw is a free short story — isolation, buried dread, and something that shouldn't have surfaced. Perfect entry point. Completely free. Get it here: twistedtalesbooks.com/books #TwistedTalesBooks #FreeHorror #IndieHorror

Ten years of ebook, Amazon, paperback, Amazon, market, market, market. I'm pulling back and asking if there's a better way — premium book boxes, physical experiences, conference sales. There are other ways to sell books than giving money to Zuckerberg. danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

📣 24 HOURS REMAIN! GET YOUR SUBMISSIONS IN! 🚨 We're in the final days of gathering stories for our charity anthology, "Hatching Season." Submissions close TOMORROW at midnight. 👉 devilsrockbooks.com/submissions

📣 24 HOURS REMAIN! GET YOUR SUBMISSIONS IN! 🚨 We're in the final days of gathering stories for our charity anthology, "Hatching Season." Submissions close TOMORROW at midnight. 👉 devilsrockbooks.com/submissions

🚨 NEW EPISODE TODAY! ft Rob Howley! 🚨 Today, we dive DEEP into the behind the scenes of Devil's Rock Publishing, covering our marketing strategies, where our heads are with our books, and what it really takes to rocket a book to success in 2026. 🎧 danielwillcocks.com/thewritersch...

CRACKIN' little read. Sat on my bookshelf for too long. Now I'm a @davidmbarnett.bsky.social convert. GIVE ME MORE. #amwriting #amreading #bookstagram #amreadinghorror #folkhorrorreads

Three days left. Hatching Season submissions close June 28th. Charity anthology supporting Mind — all proceeds donated. If you've got a story, send it now. devilsrockbooks.com/our-books/su... #WritingCommunity #HatchingSeason #IndieHorror

🪰 5 days left. Hatching Season — a charity horror anthology for Mind — closes submissions 28 June. Theme: infestation. We want fiction that gets under the skin. Submit: devilsrockbooks.com/submissions #HorrorWriters #OpenSubmissions #HatchingSeason #DarkFiction