 |
How to Write for a LivingWriters should get paid for doing what they love. Subscribe now to get my FREE 7-day email course, Substack Launchpad. Author: David McIlroy
Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen. thedavidmcilroy.substack.com Language: en Genres: Business, Education, Entrepreneurship, How To Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
414: How to pitch your novel in 2026 (with Karin Gillespie)
Episode 14
Sunday, 26 July, 2026
Season 4, episode 14 is here!Karin Gillespie got her first book published by Simon & Schuster in 2004, and has spent the two decades since working across traditional publishing, small presses, and self-publishing. She’s studied publishing deals obsessively, teaches writing, and now breaks it all down on her Substack.This was packed with genuinely useful advice, especially for anyone who wants to pursue the traditional publishing route.What we covered:- Why Karin says getting published is not the finish line most authors think it is, and the sobering statistic about debut novelists that proves it.- What publishers are really doing for your book behind the scenes, and the parts of marketing that quietly fall on you.- Whether the size of your audience actually matters when a publisher decides to take you on.- The honest pros and cons of traditional publishing, small presses, and self-publishing from someone who’s done all three.- The exact structure of a query letter that works in 2026, and the one sentence that agents often read before anything else.- How many queries you should really expect to send, and why obsessively personalising each one might be a waste of your time.- The self-published book that sold 170,000 copies on its own before a publisher paid millions for it, and what made it work.You can find Karin at Pitch Your Novel on Substack. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe
