Becoming a NYT Betseller is the dream for many authors but…
What does it take to become one?
That’s exactly what I talk about in this 45-minute chat with Michelle Richmond, author of 6 novels and 2 story collections, winner of multiple literary awards, and Substack Bestseller for her publication, The Caffeinated Writer.
If you are an author, aspire to write a book, or want to take your writing career to the next level, grab your favorite drink and watch the replay.
What we talk about:
- From childhood dream to successful author: how a girl with zero literary connections became a NYT bestselling novelist.
- Normalizing rejection as redirection and the humble beginnings.
- The random way she got her first novel published without an agent.
- The importance of building relationships in the industry: independent booksellers, fellow authors, local literary scene (and how bringing brownies can help ;)
- Why starting local (San Francisco for Michelle, Hong Kong for me) is still the #1 secret to breaking through.
- The surprising truth about the New York Times Bestseller list: why volume isn’t enough.
- Book festivals & literary fairs around the world: how to get invited (and sometimes even paid to fly!) to Singapore, India, Bali, and beyond.
Check out 10 literary festivals that sponsor travel expenses.
- How publisher advances work for authors and how she got an advance of…125K US$ (!).
- Economics: brutally honest talk on tiny royalties and why Substack is changing everything.
A down-to-earth chat with practical tips you won’t find in any “how to get published” manual.
We left this session 100% FREE to support our community and peers because it’s a tough world out there and authors support authors ❤️
It would be incredible if you could help us share it with your network ✨
Lemons & Lemonade 🍋
The theme for December at The Lemon Tree Mindset is inspiration and I’m thrilled to bring you interesting voices and fresh perspectives from my community!
In case you missed the previous stories:
📝 A Guest Post by my Founding Member Urmila Menon/ Human🌻: From Misfit To Amazon Bestseller
🎬 A live session with Substack Bestseller Amy Suto on growing a 7-figure business as a ghostwriter (35-min recording)
Ready to turn your Substack from a hobby to a sustainable business?
Upgrade now to watch the recording of my Substack Live Series: 4 sessions to help you grow, scale and monetize your publication:
Session 1: Getting the basics right (28 min)
Session 2: Tools to grow organically (36 min)
79 US$ only for an annual membership = 1 coffee a month ☕️
*** PS: prices go up on January 1st ***
