Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen. <br/><br/><a href="https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">thedavidmcilroy.substack.com</a>
How to Write for a Living
Claim This Podcastby David McIlroy
76 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
32
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality52
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement32
Podcast Overview
Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen. <br/><br/><a href="https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">thedavidmcilroy.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
8/1/2024
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32
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality52
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement32
6
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3
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10
Growth Opportunities
excellent
Episode Length
39 minutes
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Every 10 days
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Recent Episodes
June 28, 2026
412: Story discovery as the pathway to success (with Michelle Ray)
<p><strong>Season 4, episode 12 is here!</strong></p><p>michelle ray spent 15 years teaching abroad in Ecuador, Bahrain, and Dubai before coming back to the States, having a kid, and eventually sitting down to write a memoir.</p><p>This was a warm, funny, really honest conversation about writing and what stories actually do for us.</p><p><strong>What we covered</strong></p><p>- How Michelle stumbled onto Substack just to tick a box for a writing conference and ended up building something she genuinely loves.</p><p>- The technique she uses to help writers access memories they didn’t know they still had, and why people rarely remember in words.</p><p>- Why going back to old journals, emails, and documents can unlock parts of a story you thought you’d forgotten completely.</p><p>- What happened when Michelle found a journal from her first year in Bahrain after 15 years, and why reading it felt like reading someone else’s life.</p><p>- The vulnerability sweet spot she thinks most writers miss, and why you’re probably sharing less than you think you are.</p><p>- What her paid Story Discovery sessions actually involve, and why having your key story properly shaped changes everything about how you use it.</p><p>- Why she thinks finding a writing community matters more than almost anything else if you actually want to finish something.</p><p>You can find Michelle at <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/michelleray70">states of matter</a> on Substack.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe</a>
June 21, 2026
411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
<p><strong>Season 4, episode 11 is here!</strong></p><p>Bobby Umar has done a thousand keynotes across four continents, spoken at TEDx five times, and built half a million followers on Twitter. But it took multiple job redirections before he finally stopped waiting and figured out what he was actually all about. This was a really fun chat!</p><p><strong>What we covered:</strong></p><p>- Why Bobby thinks the difference between a personal story and a private story is the most important line any creator needs to understand.</p><p>- What actually happened when he posted about his body image and binge eating disorder on LinkedIn, the last place anyone expected that kind of honesty.</p><p>- The three things most people get wrong when they try to land a TEDx talk, and why the idea is usually the biggest problem.</p><p>- What a TEDx talk actually does for your authority that no other single thing can replicate as quickly.</p><p>- The red flag Bobby uses to know when someone is ready to pivot out of a job or a business, and why most people ignore it for years.</p><p>- Why he thinks 90% of business owners are making the same two mistakes with their content right now.</p><p>- What Bobby 2.0 looks like, and why he’s now working 30 hours a week instead of 60.</p><p>You can find Bobby on Substack at <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/bobbyumar">The 1% Brand Brilliance</a>, where he writes for small business owners.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe</a>
June 14, 2026
410: Building a bookstore for the little guys (with Fleur Hull)
<p><strong>Season 4, episode 10 is here!</strong></p><p>Fleur Hull has spent years working with authors on the hardest part of writing a book (which is everything that happens after you finish it!). She built the Substack Bookstore because she kept watching good books disappear without readers, and she decided to do something about it. This was a really good one.</p><p><strong>What we covered:</strong></p><p>- How Fleur went from losing her job during COVID to launching a podcast, writing a bestselling book, and eventually building one of the most distinctive communities on Substack.</p><p>- Why she believes authors should think about their audience before they write a single word, and why most of them do the complete opposite.</p><p>- The cover design mistake she sees constantly that immediately signals to readers something they probably didn’t intend to signal.</p><p>- What actually happens to a book’s visibility on Amazon in the weeks after launch, and why so many authors are caught completely off guard by it.</p><p>- The surprisingly simple thing most authors neglect on their Amazon page that is costing them readers every single day.</p><p>- Why she tells authors to delay their launch by at least a month from when they think they’re ready, preferably three.</p><p>- What she’s building next and why she thinks a much bigger competitor could show up at any moment.</p><p>➡️ You can find Fleur at <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/buybooks">The Substack Bookstore</a>.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe</a>
76 total episodes available
Recent guests on How to Write for a Living
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Dina Marais
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Ciler Demiralp
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Alex Mathers
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