Rephonic
Artwork for How to Write for a Living

How to Write for a Living

David McIlroy
Substack
Writing
Substack Growth Sessions
Personal Branding
Youtube
Monetization
Personal Brand
Write Build Scale
Storytelling
Newsletter
Sendowl
Audience Growth
Live Video
Solopreneur
Public Speaking
Income Generation
Personal Brand Development
Capitalism
Trust
Growth In Reverse

Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen. thedavidmcilroy.substack.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes77Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
How ToEducationBusinessEntrepreneurship

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for How to Write for a Living

Latest Episodes

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 thei... more

Season 4, episode 12 is here!

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.

This was a warm, funny, really honest conversati... more

Season 4, episode 11 is here!

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 figur... more

Season 4, episode 10 is here!

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 disapp... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with TylerMercatus Center at George Mason University

Recent Guests

Michelle Ray
Writer and writing coach on Substack; creator of Story Discovery
Substack / Story Space
Episode: 412: Story discovery as the pathway to success (with Michelle Ray)
Bobby Umar
Motivational speaker, personal branding expert, TEDx coach and author
Self-employed / TEDx coach
Episode: 411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
Fleur Hull
Founder of The Substack Bookstore and indie author marketing specialist
Substack Bookstore
Episode: 410: Building a bookstore for the little guys (with Fleur Hull)
Karen Salmansohn
Bestselling author and behavioral change expert
Episode: 409: "I've been blessed by Madonna!" (with Karen Salmansohn)
Laurie Marbas
Family medicine physician and lifestyle medicine advocate, Substack creator
Substack publications (The Habit Healers, Healing Mindset/Habit Healers)
Episode: 408: She drew cartoons through medical school - now she has over 90,000 Substack subscribers (with Laurie Marbas)
Kern Carter
Author and creator of Writers Are Superstars on Substack
Author / Publisher (Canada)
Episode: 407: He wanted to be an author at eight - now he writes for Penguin (with Kern Carter)
Nathan Baugh
Writer, World Builders newsletter author
World Builders / Substack writer
Episode: 406: Becoming a world builder (with Nathan Baugh)
Seth Werkheiser
Founder of Social Media Escape Club
Social Media Escape Club / Substack
Episode: 405: He deleted every social media account and built a thriving community anyway (with Seth Werkheiser)
Ana (Not Exactly Ana)
Writer on Substack focused on mental health and personal stories
Substack/magazine project Not Exactly a Magazine
Episode: 404: Telling stories about the things no-one wants to talk about (with Not Exactly Ana)

Host

David McIlroy
Host and interviewer; operates Substack and related publishing ventures.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 10 ratings
  • I Love David’s Work

    I discovered David is on Substack and started listening to his podcast. He offers tons of practical ideas and inspiration for writers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wakingupwell
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great Start David!

    I follow David on Substack and am very excited to see he’s started a podcast so I can listen while I take my morning bike ride.

    David provides actionable information on how to “write for a living” particularly on Substack where I have just started my new fiction series.

    I enjoy hearing what David has to say and will learn from him each week, here in his podcast and on Substack.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tucsonpots
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Host delivers actionable guidance; great for writers starting Substack newsletters.
Practical ideas and inspiration for writers, especially around Substack growth.
Candid discussions on building communities beyond social media make the content feel usable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#62
Finland/Education/How To
Apple Podcasts
#111
South Korea/Education/How To
Apple Podcasts
#136
Norway/Education/How To

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
Q: What final advice would you give business owners about monetizing content and sales?
Monetize content strategy and improve sales; content should support client acquisition, not replace it; consider joining a community or coaching program to optimize brand and sales processes.
411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
Q: How important is TEDx coaching and leveraging the talk for brand authority?
TEDx is a powerful acceleration tool for authority and trust; it's essential to craft a meaningful, story-driven talk and to actively leverage the talk afterward through networking, content, and ongoing messaging.
411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
Q: What is your approach to vulnerability in storytelling and how should people decide what to share?
Share based on objective and comfort; build a life-story database, distinguish private from personal, and always consider the audience and intention, using vulnerability to deepen trust and drive impact.
411: What happens when you finally stop settling (with Bobby Umar)
Q: Bobby, tell us about yourself and what you do.
The guest describes his multi-decade career across engineering, brand marketing, teaching, performing, and as a TEDx speaker and branding consultant who helps high-level clients build authority through TEDx talks and storytelling, while also supporting small business owners with branding and strategy.
218: What no one tells you about going solo as a writer (with Erica Schneider)
Q: How can writers develop a personal brand that helps them monetize their writing in the face of AI?
Diversify beyond referrals, build a public reputation, and articulate a clear point of view through consistent, emotionally resonant writing. Use a public-facing strategy—notes, Substack articles, newsletters—to demonstrate expertise, while ensuring your voice remains authentic and differentiated.

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 to Write for a Living

What is How to Write for a Living about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on turning writing into a sustainable, paid career, with deep dives into Substack, newsletters, publishing, and creator-driven monetization. Episodes frequently cover building audiences, authentic storytelling, and practical systems for long-term growth—often through collaborations, live formats, or community-building. A standout theme is treating writing as a profession with repeatable workflows, from craft to marketing, while exploring monetization strategies beyond traditional publishing. The format leans entrepreneurial and hands-on, making it helpful for writers seeking actionable steps and for brands or sponsors looking to reach creator-minded audiences.

Where can I find podcast stats for How to Write for a Living?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for How to Write for a Living. 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 to Write for a Living and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does How to Write for a Living get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for How to Write for a Living, 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 to Write for a Living?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for How to Write for a Living, 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 to Write for a Living have?

To see how many followers or subscribers How to Write for a Living 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 to Write for a Living?

These podcasts share a similar audience with How to Write for a Living:

1. The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.
2. Conversations with Tyler

How many episodes of How to Write for a Living are there?

How to Write for a Living launched 2 years ago and published 77 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 to Write for a Living?

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 to Write for a Living?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for How to Write for a Living 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 to Write for a Living?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of How to Write for a Living. 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 to Write for a Living?

Recent guests on How to Write for a Living include:

1. Michelle Ray
2. Bobby Umar
3. Fleur Hull
4. Karen Salmansohn
5. Laurie Marbas
6. Kern Carter
7. Nathan Baugh
8. Seth Werkheiser

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days