In a bonus anniversay episode, Tom Pepperdine reflects on the past three years and explains how the podcsast started, how he picks his guests and what he hopes happens in the future.

If you'd like to submit an author for consideration as a guest, please email therealwritingprocess@gmail.com

And you can find more information about episodes of this podcast on the following links:

https://www.threads.net/@realwritingpro

https://www.instagram.com/realwritingpro

Hello, and welcome to The Real Writing Process.

I'm your host Tom Pepperdine, and this week, there is no guest.

This is just a little bonus nugget until our next episode next week.

The reason for this episode is that I realized it's exactly four years

since the first episode of this podcast, and I thought it'd be nice

to have a little birthday recognition.

Give a little background on why this show started, how I get guests, how you can

submit people for consideration, what my criteria is for a guest to be on the

show, a real behind the scenes look.

If none of that interests you, no problem, new episode next week.

But if this is of interest to you, then let's do a jingle and really get into it.

So how did this podcast start?

Well, a few years ago, and some of you may already be aware, there was

a global pandemic that restricted the movement of quite a lot of people.

You may not be aware, but I'm a professional portrait photographer when

I'm not doing this, specialising in black and white headshots for authors.

A job that requires you to be in close proximity to lots of

people, and they can't wear masks because their photos would be shit.

So I did what a lot of people did, and I took up day drinking

and listened to podcasts.

As many of my former clients are quite successful authors, I'd

like to listen to their interviews and hear how they're getting on.

And I started to form opinions about the types of interviews I would hear.

Now there's three broad areas that I found.

The first being a host who had no knowledge or real interest in the guest.

Often a regional radio show, or a show that was famous for

the host doing their schtick.

Guests are merely content fillers, and you'd often hear Something

awful along the lines of, Tell us who you are and why you're here.

Which I believe is just one of the most fucking vile things

you can say to a person.

Justify your existence for being on my show?

Not only is it obnoxious, but unless you're an American, you're going

to be really self deprecating.

Oh, me?

I'm a worthless bag of shit.

I'm so sorry I'm here promoting my book and career.

I write trash.

Please don't waste your time reading it.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

So no, it's awful.

It got me thinking that if I had a podcast, I would hype up the

guests in a separate introduction.

Not have the guests feeling self conscious as I hype them up in

person or force them to do it.

Do it separately.

It's the best way to do it.

Then, the second group of interviews I'd hear were interviews by less successful

authors getting bigger names to, in quote Marks, learn what makes them so great.

Now, I was initially going to spout a long opinion piece about this,

but all I need to say is how many successful authors are aware of what

it is that makes them so great and have a concise piece of advice that is

transferrable to every other writer?

Also, I just felt that these writers were using it as a

platform to promote themselves.

So, I really did not want to be a host that spoke about themselves a lot.

So, I'm just doing it in a completely separate episode rather

than doing it on a day to day.

And In my whiskey induced haze of the pandemic, I felt what was needed was

a catalogue of authors, all explaining their process, that other writers

could then listen to and pick and choose what parts resonate with them.

Some parts would be enormously validating, as they'd find an author who writes in

a similar way, but other parts could be enormously inspiring, as they'd hear a

method that was different to their current style, but sounded very achievable.

And, as a non writer, I wouldn't be biased over which advice

was more valid than another.

Each listener would just take what they needed.

And then the third area of interview were the mutually successful writers.

Writers on writing where they had achieved such success that their

topics of interest were very niche.

International publishing rights, film options, changing narrators on audiobooks.

Things that admittedly are interesting, but I felt only applicable to

a very few number of people.

I felt that broad interest for people wanting to understand what their

favourite authors do and how they do it would be how they plan and research.

How do they stay motivated during the writing of the main manuscript?

What working hours do they keep, and what's their editing process like?

And the more I listened to interviews, the more and more

I found these things lacking.

Now, I could have just written snotty comments and bad reviews on other

podcasts, but I chose the different route.

Be the change you want to see.

Also, I'm a middle aged, white, middle class male.

It's almost mandatory I develop a pandemic podcast.

So I bought a microphone, watched some YouTube videos on how to set up a

podcast, set up a Twitter account and an Instagram account, and asked the

question, Who would be a great guest on a show about an author's writing process?

And that's pretty much how I got half of season one, just

responses to that question.

I then asked previous clients and authors I admire, and a shocking number said yes.

And I think after about six episodes had gone out, I started getting

publishers and PR people sending me messages saying, Would you consider

our author as a guest for the show?

So I would say send me a book of theirs to read, if I like it I'll

interview them, because I knew I had to like the author and their

style of writing to interview them.

If you're not passionate about the guest, you can always tell, and I wanted the

audience to trust that my guests are people definitely worth their time.

So that's how it started, and now thousands of you have

listened and subscribed, which is insane, but I'm very grateful.

And I'd like to also let you know how to get on the show

now and what my criteria is.

So my first and most important criteria is that the guest has

written more than one book.

It doesn't have to be traditionally published, but the more books

published the more interested I am.

14 self published books can be better than two traditionally published

ones, But at the same time, if you're still self publishing after

14 books, is there something about your writing that's stopping you

getting traditionally published?

Also, and I hope this isn't a surprise to you, I'm very much woke.

I could probably be more awake, but stories that have poor representation

on race and gender or have quite toxic views on masculinity are not getting on.

I'm sure some people will have a tantrum about that, but this is my show, and

I only have books on that I like.

Rejection is part of the job, and I reject many, but trust me that I

give each submission a fair reading.

Which is in part why I don't post that many episodes.

I'm reading what you sent.

I'm proud of is that I have guests from all genres and literary fields.

A good writer shines through.

I don't read romance in my spare time, but I've had a few romance writers on

because it's a big part of book sales and there's a lot of it out there.

But I only have on the ones that are really good.

And there is so much that is bad.

Have people act like people.

Don't have characters do stuff just for the sake of story.

Have a story that's worth telling and enjoyable to read.

And it breaks my heart to say no to debut novelists.

So I say, not yet.

Yes, I've had debut authors in the past, but often they come from

a different writing field, like successful journalists or award

winning poets and short story writers.

I've had to shut that down now, though, because there's just so many submissions.

If a debut novel is really stunning, sizzling, or a TikTok sensation, then

I can't wait to read their second book.

But I will wait.

Because writing a second book is a very different experience, and it's

one that's useful to a lot more people.

Everyone's first book journey is unique, but their second is where

you start finding common ground.

So that's my criteria.

Be good, be woke, don't be a debut.

If you don't like that criteria, don't worry.

There's plenty of other white male hosted podcasts that will have you on.

And if not, create your own.

Be the change you want to see.

I wish you the best of luck.

Now, those that do fulfill the criteria, the email address for submissions

is therealwritingprocess@gmail.

com.

A PDF copy of your latest book is preferred, but I'll be getting a PO

Box soon for proof copies and such.

So, we'll stick to the email for now.

It's been working so far.

So, where does the podcast go from here?

Certainly, I hope for four more years.

I often say to guests that the podcast is a snapshot in history.

If I interviewed them five years ago, or five years in the future, their

writing process would be very different.

So I'm hoping in a year or so I can start having some old guests back on.

Some have unfortunately stopped writing, but others are doing very

well, so we can see who we can get.

I'd also like to meet more authors in person, potentially do live

episodes at book festivals.

And I've got a stack of debut authors that I've read and I can't

wait for a second book to come out.

I also look forward to discovering new authors.

One of my favourite things that come out of doing this

is discovering new favourites.

There's so many talented authors out there and it's genuinely an

honour and a privilege to help shine a spotlight on these incredibly

talented and creative people.

A big thank you to all of my guests and listeners who really

make this show a joy to make.

If you're not a writer, but know of some that are great, that I should

take a look at, send me an email or leave a message on social media.

Most won't get on, but I promise to take a look at everyone sent my way.

And I hope this was an insightful episode for those that chose to listen to it.

I hope this podcast validates and inspires your own writing.

I'm excited to interview listeners of the show as you start your careers.

I'm rooting for you, and it's why I always sign off with a

genuine message of support.

Keep writing, until the world ends.