HeyJaredHow 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
Part of How to Write for a Living. Follow the publication for all its platforms.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
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- Sep 24, 2026
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- Jul 19, 2026
Latest episodes
You're not bad at it - you just haven’t done enough of it yet. (opens the original)
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➡️ NEW FREE TRAINING: Are you failing, or are you just early? New free 38-minute training on the six signals that show you the difference. Comes with a downloadable scorecard so you finish with a concrete number, not just a feeling. Watch it here . The Season 4 finale is here! No guest this time. Just me and a shorter solo episode to close out season four. I answered some listener questions about podcasting and going live, gave a behind-the-scenes look at where the podcast is at, and walked thro
421: A troll told her to quit - her reply brought in 190 subscribers (with Yuvika Iyer) (opens the original)
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➡️ NEW FREE TRAINING: Are you failing, or are you just early? New free 38-minute training on the six signals that show you the difference. Comes with a downloadable scorecard so you finish with a concrete number, not just a feeling. Watch it here . Season 4, episode 21 is here! Yuvika Iyer joined Substack four months ago with no niche, no plan, and a background in recruitment she wanted to leave behind. She’s now closing in on 700 subscribers, has sold a product she built almost by accident, and
415: Scrubs, self-publishing, and making the coolest thing possible (with Shea Serrano) (opens the original)
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Season 4, episode 15 is here! Shea Serrano taught middle school in Houston for nine years before freelancing turned into New York Times bestsellers, TV shows, and a Substack pulling in serious numbers. Along the way he built his own fake publishing company and figured out exactly where the money in books actually goes. This one covered a lot of ground (and a fair bit of Scrubs!). What we covered: - How Shea went from freelancing for anyone who’d have him to the moment top-tier editors told him h
414: How to pitch your novel in 2026 (with Karin Gillespie) (opens the original)
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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
413: He built a movie site to 15 million visitors a month. Then he sold it and started over (with Vic Holtreman) (opens the original)
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Season 4, episode 13 is here! Vic Holtreman started Screen Rant in the early 2000s as a hobby because he liked complaining about Hollywood. Twelve years later he sold it with 15 million monthly visitors. Now he writes for men trying to rebuild their lives after divorce or midlife upheaval, and he has a fitness book with 55 drafts behind it. This was a great conversation! What we covered: - How Vic knew Screen Rant was worth quitting his day job for, and what finally pushed him to do it. - Why he
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