Season 3, episode 2 is here!

In this conversation, poet and marketer Shelby Leigh shares her path from self-publishing to traditional publishing, the lessons she’s learned about building an audience of hundreds of thousands, and why protecting your mental health is just as important as consistency.

Shelby is honest about the lonely stretches, generous with her marketing strategies, and full of encouragement for writers figuring out how to turn words into a living.

What we covered:

- How Shelby went from anonymously posting poetry on Tumblr to selling books that attracted a Big Five publisher

- The role Instagram and TikTok played in her early growth and why she later narrowed her focus to fewer platforms

- Why consistency and personal storytelling helped her audience grow past half a million followers

- The visual and tonal elements that make a writer’s brand feel cohesive and recognisable

- How to set boundaries and build breaks into your creative life without losing momentum

- The biggest myth about marketing that holds writers back and a mindset shift to make it easier

- Shelby’s best advice for building confidence, growing an email list, and sustaining your writing career long term

Don’t forget to subscribe to Shelby on YouTube.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe