Emily Kimelman is a bestselling thriller author whose Sydney Rye series has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.

Her adventurous spirit shines through both her writing and her life – from sailing the seas on a houseboat to roaming the US in an Airstream trailer while building a thriving author‐entrepreneur business.

‘I could do better than that’ – Emily Kimelman on the moment she decided to become a writer (and it turned out she could).

Episode summary

Emily Kimelman

Travel writer turned thriller author, Emily Kimelman has crafted a global career by writing from India’s beaches, Costa Rica’s jungles and even her own Airstream trailer. Her Sydney Rye novels pair unflinching heroines with exotic locales for pulse-pounding adventure.

After overcoming childhood dyslexia, Emily embraced self-publishing on Kindle, leveraged ebook marketing tactics to build a loyal readership and later scaled her operation by delegating business tasks – all while embracing a life of travel.

Big ideas in this conversation

• Write the books you want to read – creating fiction driven by your own passions ensures your work remains fresh and authentic.


• Embrace self-publishing – Kindle’s early algorithms and promotional tools let authors connect directly with voracious readers and build sustainable income.


• Blend travel and writing – working from boats, jungles or trailers can feed both your creativity and your narrative detail.


• Delegate to protect your art – bringing on a business partner frees you to focus on writing while keeping the enterprise moving forward.


• Treat obstacles as adventures – view every interruption as a creative challenge rather than a barrier to your work.

Advice worth hearing in full

• Learn to dictate – training yourself to speak your first drafts makes it possible to write anywhere through headphones or handheld recorder.


• Create Plan Bs for every excuse – list each condition you think you need to write and devise an alternative method to keep going when it fails.


• Forgive your stumbles – a graceful mindset shift from self-criticism to self-compassion helps you bounce back faster.

Where next?

Discover Emily’s globe-spanning thriller adventures and dive into her Sydney Rye series at emilykimelman.com – the perfect gateway to kickstart your own creative expedition.

About The 21st Century Creative podcast

Hosted by creative coach and award-winning poet Mark McGuinness, The 21st Century Creative podcast helps you succeed as a creative professional amid the demands, distractions and opportunities of the 21st century.

Each episode features insights from Mark and interviews with outstanding creators – including artists, writers, performers, commercial creatives, directors, producers, entrepreneurs and other creative thought-leaders.

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