🎙 INTERVIEW: Breaking the Publishing Mold: Going Indie & Serialising Fiction on Substack w/ Eleanor Anstruther
​** This is a LIVE interview with author Eleanor Anstruther about the craft of writing and reality of building a writing career. Attendees will be sent a recording after the interview. **
​How do you find an audience for your work when traditional publishing says no? What can serialisation teach us about storytelling, creative freedom, and reader engagement?
​Eleanor Anstruther is an acclaimed novelist who, after publishing her debut A Perfect Explanation with Salt Publishing, faced years of rejection for her next novel. Instead of giving up, she chose a different path—embracing indie publishing, serialising her work on Substack one post at a time, and building a dedicated readership in the process.Â
​Join us for a conversation with Eleanor as we discuss the shifting landscape of publishing, the power of serialisation, and the realities of building an audience beyond traditional routes.Â
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We’ll explore:
​Her move from traditional to indie publishingÂ
​The rollercoaster of rejection—years of declines and how she kept going
​How and why she revived her novel on SubstackÂ
​The rise of serialized fiction—why Substack is a game-changer for novelists
​How to build an audience for your work outside traditional publishing routes
​About Eleanor AnstrutherÂ
​Eleanor Anstruther was born in London, educated at Westminster School and studied History of Art at Manchester University where she was distracted from finishing her degree by a trip to India. She was lost and found for the next twelve years, starting a commune and travelling the world before finally settling down to write.
​Her acclaimed debut novel, A Perfect Explanation, (Salt Books) was long listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the 2019 Not The Booker Prize. Since then Eleanor has grown a significant following on Substack, concentrating her new work there where she serialises her novels ahead of publication, as well as running a hugely successful interview project called 8 Questions.
​If you’d like to connect directly with Eleanor, come on over to The Literary Obsessive on Substack, and get in touch.
​Your London Writers' Salon Hosts:
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​Parul Bavishi and Matt Trinetti are the co-founders of the London Writers' Salon, creators of the webby-nominated Writers' Hour daily writing sessions, and hosts of the London Writers' Salon podcast.
​Parul Bavishi has been an editor for over a decade. In addition to running LWS she helps thriller, YA and non-fiction writers level up their craft and get published. She writes and edits for the Story Grid. She has worked as an editor and literary scout at Random House, Quercus & Eccles Fisher. She analyses TV hit shows (Killing Eve, Ozark, Game of Thrones) on the Story Grid Showrunners Podcast.
​Matt Trinetti is a writer, publisher, TEDx speaker, and facilitator. In addition to running LWS, Matt designs programs to help unfulfilled professionals pursue creative work, start businesses, and reinvent their careers. Matt's work has appeared in Quartz, Observer, Creative Mornings, and on his blog GiveLiveExplore.
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