The Secret Library Podcast

Farewell, Secret Library Podcast

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast was made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show and future projects, please cons...

Enchantment in Fog with Laura Pashby

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at memb...

Find Your Reading (& Writing) Kink with Petya Grady

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at memb...

Scrumptious Murder with Orlando Murrin

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at memb...

From Cooking to Cold Water with Anna Brones

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at memb...

The Novel Journey with Emma Gannon

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your s...

Tiny Experiments in Writing with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your s...

Is a Good Story Worth Paying for? with JP Watson

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscr...

Read Yourself Happy with Daisy Buchanan

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscr...

Intro Ep: Novel Possible

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s almost my favorite time of year: Novel Possible time!For the past two years, I’ve run a challenge every November with a few simple guidelines...

No Perfect Time to Write with Sonal Champsee

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.So many of us take soul-sucking jobs for a living, while we promise ourselves t...

The End of an Era with Jacqueline Winspear

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.I can’t think of anyone more fitting for our penultimate episode of the seaso...

Soothing Your Nervous System with Sonya Brewer

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.Approaching the topic of money can be hard because it not only brings up feelin...

Moving from a Big 5 Publisher to a Smaller Press with Judith Lindbergh

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.There’s historical fiction, then there’s pre-historical fiction. Judith Lin...

Profit Equals Permission with Carl Richards

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.My guest this week is Carl Richards, who is the author of the One Page Financia...

Attracting Your Best Readers with Billy Broas

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Billy Broas. He is the author, along with Tiago Forte, of the forthcoming Simple Marketing for Smart People. Before you panicabo...

The Cauldron of Emotional Soup with Erika Rasure

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.Summary:Today’s episode of the Secret Library is such a treat – we are join...

Working Together in a New Way with Heidi Fiedler

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com.Summary:What if book franchises were as extensive as movie franchises? Would yo...

The Thriving Writer with Kern Carter

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SummaryThis week on the Secret Library podcast, my guest is Kern Carter. Kern Carter, based in Toronto, Canada, is an author, educator, and mentor cel...

The Art of Money with Bari Tessler

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SummaryMy first guest this season is Bari Tessler, author of The Art of Money, The Art of Money Workbook, and the creator of the year long Art of Mone...

What Do You Want from Writing?

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to the Secret Library podcast! In season 10, we are switching up the show in more ways than one, the first of which is starting with a so...

Wrap Up: Publishing in 2023 | Solo Episode

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the final episode of season ninth season of the Secret Library. In this episode, there's no guest, it's just you and me to take a final look a...

Writing Dreams for the Screen | AL Berggren

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got a repeat guest this week on the podcast to give us such a fun update! AL Berggren was on the show in season six to share about her self-pu...

Children’s Book Publishing Now | Jo Loring-Fisher

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve had a lot of amazing authors on the show to date, but something we haven’t highlighted as much are the authors of children’s books. So wit...

The Emotions of Publication | Huma Qureshi

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s always such a treat to read a novel that has a main character who is a writer, but writing a main character who is a writer is a whole differen...

For the Publishing Reluctant Out There | Craig Mod

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I’m delighted to have Craig Mod, book producer and author, on the show today. In our conversation, he shares how he created his own press after rece...

Writing a Sure Thing | Jennifer Herrera

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What a rare moment to have the perspective of literary agent and author on the podcast. Jennifer Herrera is on the Secret Library today and she’s sh...

The Shadow Side of Writing and Publishing | Joanna Penn

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes of the Secret Library I’ve shared so far. Joanna Penn joins and shares why she’s chosen to publi...

Writing for Right Now | Kerri Maher

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it feels like authors are psychic, right? The books they write are published in the exactly right historical moment which makes their work i...

When Librarians Get Murderous! | Laura Sims

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween will be here before we know it, and to get into the spirit I’m excited to share this episode with Laura Sims, author of Looker and her new...

Humor and Bittersweetness in Fiction | Steven Rowley

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the newest season of The Secret Library! We have an amazing line up in store for you these next few weeks that I can’t wait for you to he...

The Gifts of Writing | Caroline Donahue

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

And here we are — the final episode of season eight. I'm surprised that we're here already. We've had so many exciting conversations during the seas...

[Replay] Why We Need Writers Over 40 | Kusi Okamura

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that ...

[Replay] We're All Real Writers | Greta Solomon

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that ...

The Delight of Genre Fiction | Tamsin Woodward

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Tamsin Woodward who discovered the Secret Library podcast during lockdown in 2020 and has loved it ever since. Along with the podcas...

Finding Wonder in Self Publishing | Kali Patrick

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Kali Patrick, a sleep and well being coach who wrote a #1 best-selling book as an independent publisher. I’m so excited to hav...

Everything as a Possibility | Tara Calihman

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Tara Calihman, a comedian, screenwriter, producer, essayist, teacher and facilitator. In our episode, we chat about how writing ...

Making Space for Stories to Be Told | Lena McCullough

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Lena McCullough, whose passion for writing started in early childhood, but she didn’t allow herself the time to write until re...

Letting Writing Transport You | Anna Schroeder

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week on the SLP is Anna Schroeder, who has been writing stories as long as she can remember and is now an author of multiple novels. On ...

Wonder not Control | Aleksandra Merk

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Aleksandra Merk, a proud graduate of the first cohort of Dream to Draft! I’m very excited to have her on the show because she ...

Finding Enchantment in Exhaustion | Katherine May

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to episode one of season eight of the Secret Library Podcast. I can think of no better guest than Katherine May who will start us in this jour...

Stone Soup: Murk Middle Advice | Sonal Champsee

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I am really excited to have Sonal Champsee on the podcast today where we are taking her concept of writer therapy and accepting questions from The Sec...

NaNoWriMo and the Murky Middle | Hannah Dennison

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Show veteran Hannah Dennison is joining me this week. As the author of 17 books, I know she’s no stranger to the murky middle and finding her way th...

Draft to Draft | Danny Ramadan

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There will be many stories similar to yours, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put yours on the page! Today on the podcast, Danny Ramadan, autho...

Letting Your Characters Guide You | Richard Osman

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve completely fallen in love with Cooper’s Chase, the setting in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club Mystery book series, so much so that my ...

Going There | Emerson Whitney

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My guest this week is Emerson Whitney and I had so much fun recording this interview, it felt like one of those episodes where you get to play. His up...

Writing Your Way Through | Jasmine Guillory

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The romance genre is going through a revolution — more and more books include deeper storylines that people are clamoring for (and publishers and bo...

Hitchhiking through the Murky Middle | Thomas Kearney

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thomas Kearney, the author of Thumbs Up: A Hitchhiking Irishman and 25,000 Kilometres from Patagonia to the Arctic, is joining me on the podcast today...

Writing from Personal Experience | Courtney Zoffness

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The murky middle during memoir writing is one that deserves it’s own episode because you’re quite literally writing about your own life, so it can...

Peeling Back the Layers | LaToya Watkins

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you start your novel without fully knowing the depth of the story that you’re telling. LaToya Watkins, author of Perish, is joining me tod...

The Messy Middle | Chloe Benjamin

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m so excited to have SLP veteran, Chloe Benjamin on the show to kick off the seventh season of the podcast. Chloe is sharing what life has been li...

Evelyn Steinthaler | Austrian Publishing Lessons

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we discuss Austria‘s approach with author and editor, Evelyn Steinthaler. Evelyn has worked for and with multiple independent publishing house...

Mary Laura Philpott | Publishing from the Bomb Shelter

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m so excited to have another friend of the show on the podcast again this week, Mary Laura Philpott. In our conversation, you’ll hear about the ...

Renée Belliveau | Publication, Canadian Style

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to believe that the publishing model in the US and UK are the only models out there, given how much coverage they get. Renée Belliveau jo...

Jacqueline Winspear | Publishing a Series

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can you imagine writing 17 books with the same characters? Jacqueline Winspear is the queen of series writing and she’s on The Secret Library podcas...

Danielle Lazarin | Writing in the Dark

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to believe that when we send our book off to publishers that we’ll receive at least one, or maybe multiple offers. But what happens when...

Melissa Fu | Transformation via Traditional Publication

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the best things about The Secret Library is getting to be in relationship with writers from the time their book is just an idea to getting to s...

A.L. Berggren | The Publication Project

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It can take a lot more than courage to bring your writing to life. This week on the Secret Library, A.L. Berggren (Louise) is joining us to share a pa...

Kemi Nekvapil | Empowered Publication

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m so excited to have Kemi Nekvapil back on the podcast to kick of season six of The Secret Library Podcast. Kemi has found herself on the side of ...

Rewards of Writing

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are at the end of season 5 of the podcast where we've focused on making a writing life. Today we're discussing the topic that has changed my l...

Being Comfortable With Risk

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking about an obstacle, but also a force that you need to get comfortable with in order to take all of the steps that are necessary...

Letting Writing Go

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back, today on episode eight we are going to talk about not writing. This is a somewhat surprising topic, but I think that by the end of the e...

The Corona Effect

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few weeks of this podcast, I've been able to reflect a lot on my own writing life. Because of that, I've begun to realize I can't talk a...

Teaching

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to the Secret Library! Today we'll be covering the relationship between teaching and building your own writing life. Teaching is one of t...

Boundaries and Burnout

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm bringing in today's theme as a pair: boundaries and burnout. These two obstacles in the creative writing life have a cause and effect relati...

Creative Fuel

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to episode four, in which we're moving on to the concept of creative fuel. Writing is not so different from driving a car or an athlete runnin...

Mindset

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're talking about the third obstacle that I faced when constructing a writing life over the past number of years. This one is a little bit les...

Time

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the podcast we're going to talk about one of many obstacles I've faced while trying to put writing at the center of my life. This obstacle is...

Day Jobs

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to season 5 of The Secret Library Podcast, Making a Writing Life. This season is a little bit different because each episode will be a solo sh...

Caroline Donahue | Balancing Visibility

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How does visibility change your relationship to writing? How much of your process do you make public? How soon do you share your work after it’s wri...

Panel Discussion | How I Wrote a Novel in 2020

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We didn't expect to share this panel as an episode. But it was so incredible that I couldn't resist.In this heartfelt conversation, I chat with seven ...

Mia P. Manansala | Visibility and Community

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mia P. Manansala won multiple awards for her writing before her first novel sold. She wrote a book she was proud of, found an agent, but that book has...

Nikka Karli | Honoring the Magic

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What a gift I have for you this week! We began this season by questioning the need to be online in order to be visible, and now we discuss another vie...

Raynor Winn | Becoming a Visible Writer

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While it was a joy to speak with Raynor Winn when she first came on the podcast to discuss The Salt Path, her bestselling memoir, this episode has me ...

Claire Harnett-Mann | How You Share the Story

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Claire Harnett-Mann is a brilliant poet and author, and I couldn't be happier to introduce her to you as the first D2D alum with a publishing deal. in...

Natalie Goldberg | Three Simple Lines

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was such an honor to speak with Natalie Goldberg, whose work I've admired for years. In discussing her most recent book, Three Simple Lines, I was ...

Alexandra Franzen | The Many Ways to be Visible

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As writers, we often prefer hiding away in our private worlds, but eventually we need to share our work to make the impact we dream of. But... this do...

Caroline Donahue | The Boat Explosion Principle

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout this season, I've been amazed at the depth of these discussions. I originally planned for a less intense season this go-round, given the ye...

Sarah Selecky | Going Through the Portal

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I hadn't planned to have Sarah on this season, since we've had so many episodes together, but when it came time to wrap recording, it felt wrong. We ...

Helen Redfern | Writing and Boundaries

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I must confess: I was dying to post this episode the second we finished recording it.Many of you have heard me recommend Helen's helpful YouTube video...

Amy Cooper-Wright | The Fancy Notebook Challenge

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This summer, I started challenging writers to get out the fancy notebook they've been saving and start writing in it. We called it #fancynotebookchall...

Amie McNee | Staying Inspired to Write

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amie McNee has been speaking up about the creative process for years.She's boosted many of us with her gentle-yet-fierce handwritten messages on insta...

Jacqueline Winspear | This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Has there been another title this fitting to the moment released this year?I doubt it. And how perfect that it was decided years in advance, as a favo...

Greta Solomon | We're All Real Writers

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I'm so grateful to welcome Greta Solomon back to the show. With her bright approach to life and incredible insight into the writing process, I always ...

Emily Nagoski | Writing and Burnout

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's entirely possible that I've recommended Emily and Amelia Nagoski's book Burnout to every student I've had in the last 18 months. As someone who'...

Tana French | Hope In Hard Times

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tana French finished her last book in February 2020As we discussed, this was a brilliant stroke of luck, finishing right before everything turned upsi...

Kemi Nekvapil | Asking For What We Need

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If we want to write, we must learn to ask for what we need.Thankfully today's guest, Kemi Nekvapil, has written a beautiful book called The Gift of As...

Rachael Stephen | Containing the Story

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, Rachael Stephen taught a workshop called The Story ToolkitIn this presentation, she thoughtfully did away with one of the biggest h...

Esmé Weijun Wang | For Ambitious Writers Living with Limitations

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Esmé Weijun Wang was the second-ever guest on this podcast.Her novel, Border of Paradise, had recently come out to great acclaim and we had a delicio...

Sarah Von Bargen | Efforts Not Outcomes

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We often avoid talking about money when we talk about writing. I have loved Sarah Von Bargen for years, as her blog Yes and Yes has been an ongoing so...

Trina O'Gorman | Writing For Self vs. Other

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many people have shared the challenges of transitioning from writing for themselves to writing pieces they hope will find readers and an audienceAs I ...

Season 3 Teaser

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Secret Library Podcast Season Three begins September 17th. The theme this season is: The Nourished Writer. In crazy times, I couldn't think of any...

Caroline Donahue | My Next Draft

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

And so, we come to the end of Season 2.It has been quite an adventure releasing this season in such a crazy time, but I've never been more grateful to...

Susannah Conway | Revision and Memory

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Memoir presents a tricky twist on the revision process: the challenge of memory.Susannah Conway is back on the show this week to discuss revision and ...

Simon van Booy | Approaching the End

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Van Booy has been, since late 2018, my editor and mentor for this novel. I first met him when he appeared on the podcast and I knew he understoo...

Sue Monk Kidd | Following Your Characters

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What a gift to have Sue Monk Kidd on the show.Even with decades of experience, and numerous bestsellers to her name, Sue Monk Kidd was so intimidated ...

Stephanie Scott | Finding Fiction in Facts

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Years ago, Stephanie Scott read a news story about a woman who had been murdered in a case that involved a marriage breakup agent. This industry, and ...

Julie Parker | Priestess of Revision

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Parker is quite the force: author, podcaster, and creator of the Beautiful You Coaching Academy.On this episode, we talk about everything from t...

Hannah Dennison | The Secrets of Revision

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I fell in love with Hannah Dennison the moment I met her.And I had had to take the Underground, two trains, a taxi, a tiny plane the size of a bathtub...

Tasha Harrison | Revise like an Editor

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Revise like an editor.When considering revision, I knew we had to bring in an editor to speak to the nuances of editing vs revision, as well as the pl...