Being a writer is one of the world's most desired careers. It’s the second most popular career search in the world.
Want to know how to start writing your book and make a living from it?
This week’s podcast guest is
and she has all the answers. She's gone from zero to New York Times bestselling author, number one Netflix film and literary collaborator with Damsel (one of the most watched Netflix films ever).“It's really important for aspiring writers not to look at where a successful author is now and think: “I need to jump from point A to point M.” There are so many steps along the way.”
She’s an incredible example of what you can build when you wholeheartedly believe in your vision. I bet you'll be totally inspired after this interview that you can write the book that’s inside you.
Before our conversation, Evelyn told me that she would be happy to talk to me about “really anything”.
So here are my top #3 highlights from our interview:
Evelyn’s own magical bookstore love story
I asked Evelyn about her magical first date with her husband Tom in a bookstore which most people don't know about, but which was every book lover's dream come true.
Their love story began with a blind date set up through an app. They planned to meet at a cafe next to Kepler's, a local bookstore. Before their date, Evelyn was hosting an author event at the bookstore. He, being a huge book lover, decided to attend the event to see her.
As she walked onto the stage, she spotted him in the audience before he noticed her. That was the first time they saw each other, and it felt special.
After the event, Evelyn had some work to finish, so she told him she would be back soon. When she returned, he stood up with a big bag full of books and admitted, "I can never leave a bookstore without buying books."
She thought:
Who is this guy? Like, is he for real? So yeah, it was a wonderful first date. Obviously it worked out. 18 months later, he proposed.
A few weeks later, Evelyn almost lost the love of her life, Tom, a man who had always lived life with a certain curiosity, as if there was a miracle to be discovered at every moment.
In her 30s, Evelyn started writing with a kid in the house and quit her job as a lawyer
Evelyn is 45 years old.
As I’m also in my thirties, it was very inspiring to me that Evelyn started her writing journey in her thirties when her daughter was still in the house.
She was on maternity leave from her job as a lawyer in a giant international firm when she rediscovered her love for books. With some help from her parents, who babysat her daughter, Evelyn started writing her first novel—a young adult (YA) fantasy about a time-traveling Russian prince. Although she loved the story, her writing skills weren't quite there yet, and she faced many rejections from agents.
Determined to improve, Evelyn decided to learn as much as she could about writing. She read everything she could find online and bought books about writing techniques. Over time, she wrote more manuscripts, each better than the last. She faced setbacks, but she never gave up.
Finally, Evelyn's perseverance paid off. Her ninth manuscript, The Crown's Game, caught the attention of a new agent, and she landed her first big book deal with a major publisher.
This book led to more opportunities. Evelyn continued to write more YA novels and brought a new princess for Disney to life.
Evelyn cracked the code of how to become a New York Times bestselling author
Many writers dream of becoming an author and if they dare to dream even bigger, they wish they’d be on the New York Times bestseller list.
For this, traditional publishing is usually the way to go. It's almost impossible for a self-published author to get on that list because of how the New York Times selects books. They use a special formula that isn't just about how many books are sold.
Success means different things to different writer.
For Evelyn, success meant aiming for big goals, like a six-figure deal and becoming a New York Times bestseller. But she knows this isn’t everyone’s dream. Some writers are more focused on the joy of creating and sharing their stories, no matter how many people read them. For those writers, self-publishing might be a better fit.
For Evelyn knowing your Ennegream type is key
Evelyn also told me about the different paths writers can take: traditional publishing, self-publishing, or a mix of both called hybrid publishing.
Each path has its own challenges and rewards and her’s where the Ennegram types come to play. They help you find out more about your personality.
Evelyn encourages you to think about what drives you and to choose the path that aligns with your personal goals and values.
It's all about knowing what makes you happy and sticking to that. Whether you're aiming for a bestseller list or just want to share your story with the world, there’s a place for everyone.
Of course we talked about so much more.
In this week’s interview you’ll find an A to your Qs:
Is Evelyn Skye her real name?
What to wear on the red carpet?
Is preselling books still worth it?
How to celebrate a launch party for my book?
Can I quit my job if I get a 6-figure book deal?
Self-publising vs. traditional publishing - what’s better?
Is it true that Evelyn wrote “The Hundred Loves of Juliet” for her hubby Tom?
If you say: Let me listen to the interview!
You can listen to it as Substack podcast and/or watch our interview on YouTube:
✅TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:07 Evelyn’s Love Story with Her Husband
00:04:26 Who is Evelyn Skye?
00:05:41 Evelyn’s Story of Being an Author
00:20:52 How Evelyn Uses Real Stories in her Books
00:26:38 Backstory Behind “One Year Ago in Spain” Book
00:29:15 Self Publishing vs Traditional Publishing
00:44:40 Evelyn’s Marketing Strategy
00:47:15 The Reality of Making Money as an Author
00:53:11 Does Evelyn Have other Income Streams?
00:55:24 Evelyn’s Opinion on Pre-Selling Books
01:01:08 Does Evelyn Have a Book Club?
01:03:25 How Evelyn Hosted Her Recent Book Launch
01:07:57 What Was It Like Being on the Red Carpet?
01:11:35 Evelyn’s Magic Superpower
01:14:01 How Evelyn is Using Substack
01:21:35 Importance of Guest Posting
01:26:33 How Evelyn Uses Substack Notes
01:32:28 Evelyn’s Goals for 2024 and 2025
01:34:26 Advice to Someone Wanting to Start a Writing Business
01:40:29 What’s the Deadline for Writing a Book?
01:42:24 What's Evelyn's Favourite Thing To Do With Her Daughter and Hubby on a Date Night
🥳You don’t have to be 100% ready to take the first step
Want to start writing your first book or need help promoting it?
Don’t waste your time.
Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and your dreams is that first small move. Let’s do this together!
Inside my “Online School Membership” you can connect with 250+ other like-minded writers in our “community of family”, find an accountability buddy, share your dreams, failures and wins and learn from book authors, freelance writers and other successful writers who have gone before you in our LIVE sessions.
⭐Win a signed book from Evelyn Skye!
Today’s interview is already included in Evelyn Skye’s Google Knowledge Panel, which is amazing.
Amazing is also the feedback we already received:
🙏🏻🙏🏻Thanks for being such an amazing and supportive community 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Surprise! For the first time in my Online Writing Club show you can win a signed book.
How to win a signed book of “Last Year in Spain”?
You can win Evelyn’s fiction for adults book by…
⭐ Leaving a thoughtful comment here and/or on YouTube*⭐
❤️🔥Your feedback is just a spark but it’s enough to keep me, a part-time writer, going.❤️🔥
Want to win a signed book? Then jump in the comments.
Keep believing in yourself and never give up,
P.S. Liked it? Please share, like, and let me know what you think about my new show 💗 Your feedback is important and can spark many ideas. Thanks sooooo much!
🥳🥳🥳WINNERS!! 🥳🥳🥳
- Jeanette Martin
- Daphne Pena
This was such a helpful interview for up and coming writers! Which is the category I fall into. Thank you so much ladies! ❤️
Loved this interview with Evelyn 💕
It really resonated when she said: "I am an incorrigible optimist!" This is so me :-)
Her questions that we should think about are super helpful!
"Who are you?
What motivates you?
What will make you happy?
Evelyn's story of her writing journey is both practical and inspiring! Thanks Kristina, I learnt so much listening to you and Evelyn chat about writing.
Great interview. So inspiring on many levels. It’s always great to get the back story of successful writers and authors. Biggest takeaway, don’t give up. Keep improving your craft and stay focused.
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tracy. For sure, just keep going and doing what you love to do!
What an inspiring story…well, stories really.
Perseverance is so important. These reminders along the way are hugely helpful.
Thanks to both of you for a great podcast ep.
Thank you so much for watching, Daphne!
Loved it!
👋 Daphne
So nice hearing from you.
I'm glad Evelyn's hubby is fine again.
She shared so many surprising things about becoming a Bestseller and how she said "not yet".
Perseverance really helps. On Medium for instance you just have to try to get published in the pub of your dreams multiple times and then at some point
I believe that if you self publish and/or try to write the best story you can one day as Evelyn, you can get a book deal with a top publisher.
Wonderful that Evelyn could inspire you ❤️
Do you also write a book or have already some in your portfolio?
One tip: I'd change the title of your Substack
Thanks Kristina. That is a great tip. So obvious, yet so important. I'm still getting my head around substack.
I do have a book in the works but right now it's all in journal format. I'll be working on chapters little by little as I go through all my previous journals.
Evelyn's a true powerhouse. Loved hearing how she can walk away when something's not working for her. A superpower right there.
And an interesting angle to check your Ennegram to see which publishing path is best suited to your personality.
Great insight about. sharing on Substack what you already are talking about with your friends and colleagues!
Am looking forward to many more interviews here with writers of all types, including nonfiction, which is quite a different challenge.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely comment, Jeanette. I'm thrilled that a lot of this conversation resonated for you!
Hi Jeannette, interesting. Often people are especially interested in fiction as they say the industry is so hard.
I'll cover more non fiction for sure.
I checked the Ennegream types and now understand a bit more how I tick and who I am.
I also love her perseverance and resilience.
Do you have any specific ideas for future podcast episodes, Jeanette?
I truly enjoyed this podcast and post. I love to hear about writers pursuing their dreams despite adversity.
thank you so much, Susie. Glad you enjoyed it!
👋 Susie
Wonderful to hear. And you're on the list and can win a signed book 📚
The replays with recommendations and Jamie will drop today and tomorrow I think
That's interesting about the ennegram charts and a gold tip!
I'm glad the enneagram information was interesting and helpful for you, Natalie!
Hi Natalie, was great chatting with you. Fingers crossed for your book. Let me know how I can help you. The book launch club is a great start for sure.
I also love the ennegream types to see which writing path is best suited to your personality 💜
Turns out I am type 3: the achiever (even if most days it does not feel like it(
Loved this interview, may be my favourite one yet. I liked the part where Evelyne was able to say "not just yet" with her drafts. Takes courage to put something aside even if you really really want it!
aww thanks, Sophie! I'm glad that resonated with you. Happy writing!
Loved this part too, Sophie.
It takes courage and a vision to say: not just yet. And keep writing
I've learned that self publishing is the way to go because I'm more the practice in public and pump it out before it's too late type of writer.
Still I also wait until I publish my first love novel. Not because I would be seeking for an agent or thinking it's the best story I could tell, but because I want it to be a great and not a good read.
It's inspired by the loss of my granddad ❤️
Saw your story is performing super great here on Substack again.
Awesome. Keep going my dear.
Thanks for the comment. You can now ein a signed 📚 that I'd ship to NZ
Oh didn't know you're writing a novel, that's very cool. Self publishing does sound like the way to go.
Well, I started when I was pregnant and after by granddad's death then life got in the way... but I try to spend at least SOME time of the week writing a few lines. Having one week or more just for writing would be better ^^ as novel writing is different from newsletter/online posts writing.
How about you and your stories?
I see this book that's inside you. You too?
I started writing it! I'm getting up early a couple days in the week to start some work on it. Probably averaging a couple hours each week so it'll take a while but that's ok 😊
Kristina. it was a really good interview and I learned a lot! she's not only a great writer but a great verbal storyteller and funny! I really enjoyed watching it on YouTube and the article that you wrote.
There was one book and particular that she spoke about that really hit home with me and gave me some insight with her just describing the book that I think will help.
It was encouraging to see how with each situation and hurdle. She overcame it and persisted to where she is now.
Thanks for doing the interview🙏
Thanks so much for your kind comments, Kathleen! I'm glad the interview was insightful for you!
it really was and I was just meeting you for the first time via the interview . Your story is amazing and you never gave up ! I'm like that too 😉
I haven't read any of your books, but don't take offense to that. I've been busy taking care of my mom and my stepfather which is why I resigned from working in the hospital as an RN in 2021
What really hit in my spirit and moved me was when you were talking about your book- The million loves of Juliette
I feel that way about my mother! she's actually my soulmate 💕 some type of miracle will have to happen for me to go on without her😢.
Your story behind the book really hit home with me and brought up a lot of emotions. Hey, isn't that what good stories do? And sometimes in the process we heal 🙏
thank you for sharing your story
.
God bless you and your family ,
Kathleen
Hey Kathleen, you were the first to comment on YT before I even send this newsletter. So you're definitely on the list and can win a signed book 📚
Love your encouragement and taking the time to comment here and on YT.
Glad you enjoyed the interview. We talked for more than two hours. She's so inspiring and lovely 😍 im reading Lat Year in Spain and can't put it away but have to because because of the kids.
Thanks for participating in our lives too and your wonderful feedback last week.
Looking for testimonials (posted this in the community) would love to get one from you. Ideal in video format 😂 or just audio of that's better
Kristina, I'm just seeing this and wow this is fantastic just to be on the list 🎉🎉🎉
Of course, I'm here to learn and participate and not just recieve the teaching and trainings but offer something back in return. Let me know where I can offer a testimony (Audio or video- it will depend on how I look that day.. lol)
A very interesting lady
Hi Jeanette, I mentioned you in our recommendations session..will share the replay Sun/Monday.
I talked with Evelyn for more than two hours. Couldn't stop.
She's really an inspiring personality and writer.
Didn't know about Damsel before but I will watch and read it soon.
Currently reading Last Year In Spain.
Thanks for your comment, now you can win a signed book from Evelyn 🎉
Thankyou, I viewed the video before I saw this! Many many thanks. I have received som followers since your recommendation. No subscribers. I am not quite sure what the difference is . I have followed some back.