From Obscurity to Bestseller: The Mick Herron Journey

What if I told you that the world's most buzzed-about spy novelist today was once completely overlooked? Join us for an inspirational deep dive into the life of Mick Herron—the British author who turned a mind-numbing office job into a launchpad for literary stardom. From writing books that barely sold to becoming a bestselling author with a hit Apple TV Plus series, Herron's story is a compelling lesson in persistence and resilience.

In this episode, we uncover the remarkable journey of Mick Herron and the transformation of his "Slow Horses" series into a global phenomenon. Through sheer perseverance and unwavering belief in his craft, Herron found success against all odds. This episode offers valuable takeaways for anyone chasing a dream, showing that sometimes the race belongs to those who simply refuse to quit. Tune in, get inspired, and share this uplifting episode with fellow underdogs who need a little motivation to keep going.

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Episode Transcript

Dustin (00:00):
What if I told you the world's top-trending spy
novelist these days was once acomplete nobody?
That he wrote brilliant bookshardly anyone read, that he was
dropped by his publisher forabysmal sales?
This is the unlikely story ofMick Herron, the British author

(00:21):
who went from obscurity tostardom, from the literary
shadows to the limelight.
His story has it all.
Perseverance, plot twists and apowerful lesson for all of us
chasing a dream.
His tale will inspire anyonewho feels like an underdog,
anyone pursuing a passionagainst the odds, because Mick

(00:43):
Herron is proof that sometimesthe race goes not to the swift,
but to those who keep believingand persevering, even when
success seems impossible.
By day, mick Herron worked amind-numbing office job, editing
a trade journal on employmentlaw.
By night he wrote spy novels noone bought.
For years he churned out booksto little fanfare, never

(01:06):
dreaming he'd become abest-selling author.
I was only ever a hair'sbreadth away from being exactly
as much of a failure as thepeople I write about, Heron
admits.
His characters are the SlowHorses, the worst spies in MI5,
the screw-ups and rejects.
Heron could relate.

He too felt like a failure (01:26):
an author trapped in a dead-end job
writing books that collecteddust.
When his publisher dropped himfor poor sales, Heron wasn't
surprised.
He kept his day job and keptwriting, resigning himself to
obscurity.
I accustomed myself to the ideathat I was never going to be a

(01:49):
bestseller, Herron says.
I wasn't looking for anythingother than seeing my books on
the shelf really - on my shelf,if nobody else's.
But then fate intervened in theform of an American publisher
willing to take a chance on him.
Soho Press loved Heron'swriting and bought the rights to
his books.

(02:09):
Suddenly, the Slow Horses had asecond shot at the race.
Little by little, word began tospread.
A major award, a celebrityendorsement.
Each lucky break built momentum.
Heron's publisher relaunchedhis books with intriguing new
covers.
Booksellers and critics becameevangelists.

(02:30):
Fans multiplied, hungry formore.
In a few short years, heronwent from an unknown to a
phenomenon, hailed as the bestspy novelist since John le Carré
.
Today, his books have sold over4 million copies worldwide.
An Apple TV Plus series basedon his Slough House novels

(02:51):
starring Gary Oldman is now arunaway hit.
It's the kind of Cinderellastory that usually only happens
in fiction.
But for Mick Herron this dreambecame reality.
So what can we learn from thetale of Mick Herron?

Perhaps this (03:06):
never give up on your calling, even when the
world ignores you.
Never stop believing in yourgifts, even if you're the only
one who sees them.
For the time being, keep honingyour craft, keep lobbing your
ideas into the mix.
Keep the faith, even when yourdreams feel foolish, because you

(03:28):
never know what twist of fateis waiting around the corner.
The main lesson I've taken awayfrom this is that if you're only
going to be successful in onehalf of your career, make it the
second half, Heron reflects.
If it's the first half, that'sa tragedy, but the second half

(03:49):
is a happy ending.
Maybe you're a slow horse rightnow, plotting toward your
purpose, wondering if you'llever break out of the pack.
Take heart and take a page fromMick Heron's playbook.
Your day will come if you justkeep showing up and doing the
work.
One step at a time, you'reinching closer to your own

(04:11):
inspiring success story.
So don't give up.
Don't you dare give up.
The best is yet to come, andwhen it does, the wait will make
the victory all the sweeter.
After all, this race doesn'talways go to the swift and showy
.
Sometimes, it belongs to thosewho simply refuse to quit.
Now help me spread thatsentiment around the globe by

(04:35):
sharing this podcast with afellow underdog who needs a
little pep talk, and follow mefor more great content.
Until our next intelligence-gathering mission together, be
well, do extraordinary thingsand live a story-charmed life!