Join me and Jeremy Szal, who was born in the outback of Australia and raised by wild dingos (it says here!). He is the author of the Common trilogy, a dark space opera, and was a guest of honour at the 81st Worldcon in China. We’ll be discussing writing epic science fiction, forging a career as a writer in an uncertain world and much more!
Join in the conversation live on TUESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY, 8PM GMT
Or join us on Youtube…
This promises to be fun! I’ll be chatting to Ben Aaronovitch about Stone Sky at the actual British Library on 30th March. Get your tickets here.
As part of the Escalate Arts Literature Festival, I’m going to be interviewing bestselling author and screenwriter JULIE WASSMER at the Staines Library Hub on Saturday 14th March, 2026 from 3-4pm… and we’re recording it for the Creative Differences podcast! And you can join us live!
Julie wrote for Eastenders for over 20 years and is the author of Whitstable Pearl mysteries, which is now a hit TV series starring Kerry Godliman, and I can tell you from past experience that Julie is a brilliant guest, so generous with advice and very funny: you don’t want to miss this!
Join us in person…
Who is this Mark Stay person, anyway? A quick hello/introduction to any news followers after that libraries vid went a bit popular…
Did you know that every time someone borrows a book from a library in the UK or Ireland that the author gets money?! Guess who just got his PLR statement!
Here’s a tour of my “live” notebooks…
Those little dedications authors put at the start of their books: why do we do it? What do they mean? Here’s a quick tour of my Witches of Woodville books…
You can find all these books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/the-village-bookshop/
Caimh McDonnell is the author of the Bunny McGarry trilogy (not a trilogy) and the Stranger Times series (definitely a series) and his latest RING THE BELLS is one of my favourite books of the year.
In this festive special, we discuss:
How travel triggers story ideas
The value of short stories
Why calling something a trilogy is a bad idea
And why it’s crucial to take note of when you’re writing good stuff, and much more!
Or watch it on Youtube…
LINKS
Caimh’s website
Pre-Order The End of Gods paperback
Joe Abercrombie backlist
Down Cemetery Road
Raye: Where is my husband?
Scriptnotes book
Death by Lightning
Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary
A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the jingle.
Support the show:
Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there’s more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/
Gavin G Smith writes gripping science fiction and his latest is ALIEN CULT, a terrific murder mystery noir set in the ALIENS universe.
We Discuss:
Writing for other people’s IP, including games and film novelisations
The crucial difference between a consistent universe and fan service
Why he might enjoy research too much
And why it’s more important than ever for authors to value their work…
Or watch it on Youtube…
Gavin’s website
Pre-Order The End of Gods paperback
Mark’s comic con playlist
WHAT’S GIVING US JOY
Baldur’s Gate 3
Where Eagles Dare
Bond
Paddington
The Holiday
Die Hard
Young Sherlock Holmes
Roofworld: (I earn commission if you buy via this link)
A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the va-jingle.
I’m Mark Stay, author of the Witches of Woodville series and The End of Magic trilogy and I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned from doing 42 comic cons in 2025.
Missed the previous episodes? Click on the buttons below…
There have been four episodes so far and that was supposed to wrap things up, but I’ve had a couple of people ask about the logistics of doing comic cons overseas, starting with…
KATHERINE FRANKLIN
If you go abroad, how much of a pain is transport and customs/tax?
MORGAN DELANEY
My wife often suggests I try conventions but I live in Foreign*. If I wanted to do a convention I’d have to also pay for flights on top of all the other costs. That’s an extra 200-300€ at least. Do you reckon that’s still worth it? Oh, and I’d need to pay for somewhere to stay as well if I wanted to visit more than one day, which I assume is the goal?
*That’s a Discworld reference before you write in!
I’ve never sold overseas and so I asked a couple of writer friends who have, starting with…
ELINOR TAYLOR author of The Fisher Girl and The Balloon Hunter: www.elinortaylor.co.uk
Talking about selling at a comic con in NY: I can get a flight and hotel for under a grand and I’d be surprised if I didn’t get that back.The Americans are crazy for their books and you can charge more as they think we sell them cheap in the UK!
I have been talking about possibly splitting hotel costs with other authors
I sent my books to someone I know over there. But I don’t want to bother them again so checked with the hotel and they accept delivery and will store them until I arrive. Or you can arrange delivery to the venue much like you would for a London Con if you didn’t drive them there yourself.
It’s surprisingly not difficult.
ALEXANDER LINTON, author of A SONG FOR NIGHTFALL and THE WANDERING OF UMBRA: https://alexander-linton.com
Offers this advice…
Reach out to other attendees ahead of time:
For me, not knowing anyone is what made me feel the most out of my element. Just saying hi to other attendees ahead of time makes the whole ordeal a lot less daunting. It also opens up sharing logistics with others, like sharing vehicles for deliveries, and working out accommodation options
Sign up for opportunities during the event:
Whether it be attending/hosting panels, giving workshops or any other opportunities during the event, I recommend signing up for whatever you’re able to (including things that may make you nervous!), since the experience makes the step of attending abroad feel all the more worthwhile, and will introduce you to all the more people
Region-specific landing pages
If you have a website or Linktree, I suggest having links to pages specific to the region you’re attending, if possible. For example, if you have a QR code to purchase a product, it’s worth having a region-specific version with you to make the process easy for customers. We’re also more likely to have purchases if customers don’t have to find their local currency or wonder if it is available for purchase in their region at all!
Local printing
Whether printing art or books, I find it far easier to research local printers who can print close to the event, rather than arranging shipment from my own region. This has also been far cheaper for me. The caveat to this is arranging a place to store the books until you arrive in the country. There are typically warehouses that charge per day and per package (and again, this is a cost that other attendees would likely be happy to share).
Have fun!
Bit of a different one, but equally important in my opinion. The whole experience of travelling to another country for your passion is incredible if we allow it to be. Between arranging logistics and all the work during the event, take some time to enjoy the country itself through the food, sights and general novelty. It’s too easy to get so lost in the experience that it goes by like a blur and feels like it never even happened by the end of it. Don’t forget to stop and “smell the roses” on the way!
My thanks to Elinor and Alex for those insights!
For questions about tax: it’s a minefield. Consult a professional. This is where my expertise expires. If you’re running this like a business, then get an accountant.
And that’s it: all that I’ve learned from doing 42 comic cons in a year. And I’ll certainly be doing more in 2026. Find me at markstaywrites.com for updates or sign up to my newsletter. I hope you’re found these videos helpful and if you see me at a comic con do please say hello… and buy a book or two… or three. I’ve got ten. Happy reading!
You can also support me by popping a few quid in my direction at Ko-Fi…
Mark Stay Writes 