How I Write
David PerellBefore book sales and PR buzz, your favorite writers began with two things: the blank page and an idea. Each week on How I Write, we go behind-the-scenes with today’s top writers to uncover the meta-mechanics of writing and the lifestyle behind it. You’ll be the first to hear writers deconstruct their creative process: from banging their head on the keyboard to marking the last period of their fin... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 139 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationArtsBooks | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Learn more about Alpha School at https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite
Francine Prose has written more than 30 books and taught at both Harvard and Bard College. If you ask her how to become a better writer, she'll tell you to start by reading like a w... more
Learn more about Alpha School at https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite
Harlan Coben has written 38 books. If you want to write thrilling and suspenseful stories, he's the guy to learn from. His vibe is like a tough-love basketball coach who tells you w... more
Learn more about Alpha School at https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite
R. F. Kuang came on the show to talk about her love for language and what it means to live like a writer. She has written seven books, won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and train... more
Learn more about Alpha School at https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite
Matt Haig sold more than 10 million copies of his book, The Midnight Library. I just checked on Amazon, and it has over 288,000 reviews. This book was a total hit, a smashing succes... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Great show, great advice
Hi David, just one thing: there's a clicking noise throughout the episodes. Sometimes it'll be every few seconds, and sometimes every few minutes. I hear it every episode. I don't hear it on other podcasts, so I assume it's an audio-engineering problem for How I Write. It sounds somewhat like a clicker used to train dogs, but add to it the winding of a wind-up doll.
Apple Podcasts5Dajie93
United States3 months ago - Keep the female writers coming
Great insightful
conversations about the world of writing. David is a great interviewer. Appears he has also listened to reviews and is smartly interviewing more female writers. Keep the
female writers coming!
Apple Podcasts4bookjacketsandjeansUnited States4 months ago - Thank you
I stumbled upon this podcast by accident and it has since become my main source for writing inspiration✨ Thank you David for your deeply thought provoking interviews with world class writers I love each and every episode!
Apple Podcasts5Tehla Jane✨
Australia4 months ago - How men write
2026 to date:
15 men, 0 women
2025:
37 men, 7 women.
Tells me all I need to know.
Apple Podcasts1B Ryan O'MearaUnited States5 months ago - Where are the women writers?
Some good content, but the host’s seemingly total disinterest in featuring the perspectives of women make this an unfollow for me.
Apple Podcasts1wolex17894United States5 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #100 | United States/Education |
Apple Podcasts | #64 |  United Kingdom/Education |
Apple Podcasts | #133 |  Canada/Education |
Apple Podcasts | #44 | Australia/Education |
Apple Podcasts | #26 |  Ireland/Education |
Apple Podcasts | #46 |  South Africa/Education |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About How I Write
What is How I Write about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A craft-focused interview series where acclaimed writers and creators unravel the mechanics of writing, storytelling, and the creative lifestyle. Episodes typically explore how language, voice, structure, and observation shape work across fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting, often with practical takeaways on editing, pacing, and building an author platform. Notable is the range of guests—from novelists and essayists to screenwriters and comedians—plus thoughtful sponsor integrations that feel like part of the dialogue rather than interruptions. The conversations tend to blend rigorous craft discussion with personal anecdotes about discipline, travel, and career evolution, making it useful for aspiring writers and content creators seeking... more
Where can I find podcast stats for How I Write?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for How I Write. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to How I Write and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does How I Write get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for How I Write, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for How I Write?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for How I Write, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does How I Write have?
To see how many followers or subscribers How I Write has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to How I Write?
These podcasts share a similar audience with How I Write:
1. Essential Guide to Writing a Novel
2. Writers on Writing
3. Writer's Routine
4. Otherppl with Brad Listi
5. Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
How many episodes of How I Write are there?
How I Write launched 3 years ago and published 139 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact How I Write?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for How I Write?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for How I Write from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for How I Write?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of How I Write. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on How I Write?
Recent guests on How I Write include:
1. Francine Prose
2. Harlan Coben
3. R.F. Kuang
4. Matt Haig
5. Robert Macfarlane
6. Andrew Sean Greer
7. Jack Carr
8. Scott Dikkers
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.