Hannah Sward’s publishing journey reads like a masterclass in persistence meets divine intervention.
After years of writing short stories for underground literary journals, she stumbled into a free writer’s group at a library—complete with homeless people sleeping on the sidelines.
That’s where she met Jill Sherry Robinson, an 80-year-old bestselling author who essentially kidnapped her and mentored her until she finished her book.
Through a comedy of errors involving three different agents (one retired three months after signing her), Sward eventually sold her book for a whopping $500 advance.
But here's the kicker: by the time her book Strip came out in 2022, Sward had built such authentic relationships in the recovery community that the book found its audience organically. No Instagram strategy needed—just good old-fashioned showing up. Now she's chronicling her sexual adventures after 50 on Substack, where she’s learned that—guess what?—vulnerability pays off when book deals may not.
Episode Highlights:
- How Hannah's 14-year friendship with Anna led to confessing literary jealousy at an AA meeting
- The serendipitous connection with 80-year-old mentor Jill Sherry Robinson at a free library writers group
- Hannah's unconventional memoir structure: 75 short chapters designed for non-readers
- The grueling agent search: 100 rejections and three failed agent relationships before going solo
- Publishing with a small press for a $500 advance while her father was dying in hospice
- How building authentic community relationships over years created organic publicity opportunities
- The launch of "Summer of Men" Substack about sex after 50 that had readers paying to find out what happens next
- Why Hannah refuses to repeat the traditional publishing process for her next book
Key Takeaways:
- Jealousy among writers is normal and can be processed healthily through honest conversation
- Mentorship can appear unexpectedly - stay open to guidance from unlikely sources
- Persistence pays off: Hannah's father modeled being "the king of rejection" as a badge of honor
- Community building matters more than platform building for authentic book promotion
- The publishing process can be an "integrated experience" when you work through disappointments internally
- Small press publishing with low advances can still lead to meaningful success and readership
- Leading with credentials (blurbs from Nobel Prize winners) gets manuscripts read, not just good writing
- Writing partnerships and accountability groups sustain creative work over years
- Success doesn't fill the internal "hole" - there will always be compare and despair moments
- Sometimes the journey to publication teaches more than the publication itself
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com