Jonathan Whitelaw is a Scottish author and journalist now living in Canada who wrote his first novel at the age of 17. He’s since published several books in the cozy crime genre, including Morbid Relations and the popular Bingo Hall Detectives series.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Jonathan about the cozy crime genre, why he’s drawn to it and the genre’s emphasis on humor, character, and setting. Plus, they discuss his publishing journey, from his first horrible book to being published by a small independent publisher to getting an agent and taking the plunge to become a full-time author. They also explore the differences and similarities between the publishing industry in the UK and Canada and how Jonathan has adapted his marketing to reach a North American audience while still appealing to his loyal UK readers.
In this episode, Lynne and Jonathan discuss:
Why you can write at any age
Audience differences between Canada and the UK
Genre talk
The expansiveness of writing and publishing
The popularity of cozy crime during times of crisis
The challenge of writing humor
Inspiration from in-law relationships
The need for luck and endurance in the author journey
Writing practice & daily routine
Juggling writing, parenting and income-earning
Importance of a supportive family and the "village" of the publishing industry
Book cover differences between countries
Lynne’s writing sabbatical in Nova Scotia
Finding your audience in different geographical locations
Links and Resources:
The Hobbit
Die Hard
Lynne’s Writing Classes & Programs
Nova Scotia Retreat
When Words Collide
Cozy Mystery
Agatha Christie
Terry Pratchett
The Bingo Hall Detectives
Ringwood Publishing
Harper North
Harper Collins
The Village Hall Vendetta
LJ Ross
Indigo
Colleen Hoover
Find Jonathan Whitelaw:
Website
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
Episode 158 – Suzanne Nugent – On Character Development
Episode 149 – Anne-Marie Oomen – Writing Through Family
Episode 134 – Andrew McDiarmid – Simply Scottish
Episode 132 – Merryn Glover – Literary Fiction about Place
Episode 70 – Elena Reads – How to Stoke a Love of Reading in Kids
Episode 125 - Gramps Jeffrey - Leaving a Legacy
Episode 124 - Dorit Sasson - On the Many Meanings of Home
Episode 123 - Karen Baum Gordon - On Surviving the Surviving
Episode 122 - Valoree Gagnon and Karena Schmidt - On the Food & Culture of Indigenous Gardens
Episode 121 – Stephanie Steinberg - On Personal Passions & Creating Communities
Episode #120 - Jacqueline Suskin - A Poem Every Day
Episode #119 - Roots - Israeli-Palestinian - Toward True Peace in the Middle East
Episode #118 - Elizabeth Gowing - How to know a place by living its stories
Episode 117 - Steven Wingate - How to find your voice again & again
Episode 116 - Jake Neher - Telling Stories & Planting Seeds
Episode 115 - Dean Stark - Why Purpose is Needed to Succeed in Competitive Sports
Episode 114 - Nancy Sharp - How to Turn Tragedy into Opportunity
Episode 113 - Ramona Pintea - How to Make Art a Path for Serving Others
Episode 112 - John Wynn - The art of creating an entertainment empire
Episode 111 - Rebecca Jeffreys - How to change careers after 35 years
Episode 110 - Margaret Trimer - How to Define & Live by your Core Values
Episode 109 - Michael Ziman - How to change a business you love to protect the environment
Episode 108 - Lynne & Dan Golodner and Alisa Peskin-Shepherd - The pandemic's impact on relationships
Episode 107 – The Hon. Jan Tinetti – How to eliminate period poverty
Episode 106 - Nancy Marshall - How to love PR
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