Silvana Clark

speaker

77 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Jul 2026 last heard 28 Jul

Silvana Clark’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

Trend

recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 1.

newest first · ▶ plays the moment

The Moth · Feel Good: The Moth Radio Hour · 28 Jul 2026 podcast

I'm in Manhattan, meeting with my literary agent.

Now, this sounds very hoity-toity, but she has just said to me, I've been an agent for 12 years.

I've never had an author with such dismal book sales as you.

Very encouraging.

I'd written 10 books.

I can write the books.

I just can't sell the books.

One publisher gave me a two-book contract, gave me an advance, and the day I turned in my manuscript was the day he went bankrupt.

Another publisher was so excited that my book was going to be a big bestseller, he told me to get an accountant to handle all my money.

And my royalty check for the first year was $36.24.

J.K.

Rowling had nothing to worry about.

And I left that office feeling pretty discouraged, and I decided to put my pathetic book-writing career on the back burner.

I started applying for real jobs.

I tried and tried.

Nobody wanted to hire me.

And I was feeling pretty depressed.

But I heard there was a shoe charity looking for some volunteers for one morning to help out at this homeless shelter.

So I thought, I'll go even though I'm depressed and I don't want to.

So there were 15 volunteers.

Showing 1–20 of 77 · page 1 of 4