Available to Book — In Person & Virtual
Stories That Thrill.
Talks that move.
Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, and author coach — helping writers at every level get out of their own way and build a sustainable indie publishing career.
International Bestselling Author
Award-Winning Podcaster
Author Coach & Mentor
CEO, Devil's Rock Publishing
As Seen On
ABOUT DANIEL
A Speaker Who Has Lived the Work.
Daniel Willcocks started writing in 2015 and went full-time in 2019 — not through luck or a viral moment, but through relentless consistency, sustainable productivity, and a willingness to confront the mental barriers that stop most authors before they ever get started.
He has published over 70 books across horror, post-apocalyptic fiction, urban fantasy, thriller, and non-fiction — building his career from the ground up in one of fiction’s harder genres, which makes everything he teaches about productivity, mindset, and audience-building more credible, not less. Along the way he has also built his own brand, platform, and digital presence entirely independently, giving him a practical understanding of what it takes to stand out in a crowded market.
As an author coach, Daniel’s focus is on the psychological side of the writing life — the self-doubt, the procrastination, the perfectionism, the fear. His talks are practical, honest, and built on hard-won experience.
Whether you're hosting a writers' conference, an indie publishing summit, or a creative industry event, Daniel gives your audience the tools — and the mindset — to actually use them.
At a Glance
- International bestselling author — fiction and non-fiction
- Co-founder of The Other Stories fiction podcast (multi-million downloads)
- CEO of horror imprint Devil's Rock Publishing
- Author of The Self-Publishing Blueprint
- FrightFilm Competition Judge, 2024 & 2025
- Helped 80% of his author community beat NaNoWriMo
- Available in-person (UK & international) and via Zoom
- Book club appearances welcome
Available to Book — In Person & Virtual
What Daniel Speaks on.
Daniel’s talks are rooted in indie publishing, sustainable productivity, and the psychology of the writing life — lessons that apply across every genre and experience level. Each talk can be tailored to your audience and delivered as a keynote, full-day session, panel contribution, or virtual presentation.
Making It as a Self-Published Author
From starting out in 2015 to going full-time in 2019, Daniel shares the honest, practical roadmap of what it actually takes to build a sustainable career in indie publishing — the strategies, the mindset, and the hard-won lessons.
Productivity for Authors
How do you go from publishing one book a year to over twenty? Daniel breaks down the systems, habits, and thinking that drive extraordinary creative output — without burning out.
Writing Horror Fiction
Craft meets commerce. Daniel explores what makes horror work on the page, how to build tension and dread, and how to find and grow a dedicated audience around dark fiction.
Finding the Right Readers
Traffic means nothing without connection. This talk dives into how to identify, attract, and build an engaged, activated readership — people who buy every book and tell their friends.
The Self-Publishing Blueprint
Based on his bestselling book, Daniel walks through the full road from market research to publication — what to write, how to position it, and how to launch it effectively.
Hitting Big Word Counts
Daniel has helped over 80% of his author community beat NaNoWriMo — five times the international average. This talk reveals the mindset shifts and techniques that turn writing goals into results.
Podcasting for Authors
As co-founder of a podcast with millions of downloads, Daniel knows what it takes to build an audio audience — and how authors can use podcasting as a platform, community builder, and marketing tool.
The Author Mindset
The biggest barrier most authors face isn’t the market, the craft, or the time — it’s themselves. As an author coach focused on psychology and mental barriers, Daniel helps writers identify what’s really getting in the way and gives them the tools to move past it for good.
Building Your Author Brand & Platform
Daniel built his own brand, website, and digital presence from scratch — entirely independently. This talk covers what authors actually need to build a platform that works: how to present yourself online, attract the right audience, and create a professional presence that opens doors.
Bespoke Topics
Don’t see exactly what you’re looking for? Daniel is happy to develop a custom talk tailored to your event’s theme, audience, and objectives.
WHY BOOK DANIEL?
Proven Experience. Real Results.
A prolific author across multiple genres, with the track record to back up every piece of advice he shares from stage.
From The Creative Penn to Draft2Digital, Daniel is a trusted, consistently invited voice in the indie author community.
Over one hundred thousand books sold across independent and traditional publishing — proof that the strategies Daniel teaches are the same ones that built his own career.
Readers don’t just buy Daniel’s books — they finish them. 4.5 million Kindle Unlimited pages read is a measure of genuine audience engagement, not just sales.”
His author community beats NaNoWriMo at more than five times the international average — a testament to the real-world impact of his approach.
Co-founder of The Other Stories — a multi-million download fiction podcast demonstrating his ability to build and sustain a large audience.
Past Appearances
Where Daniel Has Spoken.
2025
British Fantasy Society
Creating Darkness, with Daniel Willcocks — October 2025
The Author Next Door
Exploring the Depths of Dark Fiction — September 2025
2024
FrightFilm Competition
Judge — “Best Screamplay” Category (2024 & 2025)
The Way We Word
Interview with Daniel Willcocks — November 2024
Stark Reflections
2023
Draft2Digital
Overcoming Author Hurdles with Daniel Willcocks — August 2023
The Creative Penn
The Writer’s Mindset
Writing Ghost Stories — April 2023
Write Better Fiction
The Author Mindset with Daniel Willcocks — April 2023
The Indy Author
Don’t Stake Everything on Your First Book with Daniel Willcocks — February 2023
Food Freedom with Bekka
How to Form Sustainable Habits in 2023 — January 2023
2022
Storytellers Faceoff
Daniel Willcocks on The Writer’s Mindset — October 2022
Coffee & Words
Panel Discussion with Award-Winning Horror Authors and Podcasters — October 2022
Author Powerhouse Summit
Activated Authors
The Pursuit of Creative Freedom — May 2022
Total Body Reset
Productivity and Habit-Building — May 2022
Coffee & Words
To Fail Is Not To Try — April 2022
This Is Horror
Indie Author Mastermind
2021
Creator Dad
Building A Creative Life As A Single Dad — December 2021
Children’s Book Mastery Conference
“Writing As A Passion vs As A Career” November 2021
MiblART Instagram Takeover
Live Q&A — November 2021
Turning Readers into Writers
The Benefits of a Connected Community with Daniel Willcocks — October 2021
Be A Bestseller 2.0: The Roadmap to Resilience
“The Power of Community” — October 2021
Scribbler
Exclusive Live Q&A — September 2021
This Is Horror
This Is Horror Awards 2020 — September 2021
The Writer’s Mindset
Self-Publishing 101 and the Horror Genre (with Daniel Willcocks) — September 2021
The Rebel Author
Luke’s Massive Storytelling Podcast Thing
Persistence and Passion W/ Daniel Willcocks — June 2021
Unstoppable Authors
Katlyn Duncan
Unstoppable Authors
PenPodcast
Episode 156: Daniel Willcocks — May 2021
Wish I’d Known Then
The Stephen King Podcast
Bonus Ep 33 – Writer/Podcaster Daniel Willcocks — March 2021
The Douglas Coleman Show VE
with Daniel Willcocks — March 2021
The Douglas Coleman Show VE
2020
iWriterly
Co-writing: How to co-write fiction and non-fiction — December 2020
IndieFire Conference
Collaboration for Authors — November 2020
Writing with Jenna Moreci
Writing Horror — October 2020
Turning Readers into Writers
Ep 62: Daniel Willcocks on Short Stories and Serialized Fiction — September 2020
iWriterly
Self Publishing Q&A — September 2020
Big Gay Author Podcast
The Self Publishing Show
Big Gay Author Podcast
Ep 52: Collaboration with Daniel Willcocks — July 2020
The Self Publishing Spotlight
038: Daniel Willcocks — March 2020
University of Lincoln, Creative Writing BA (Hons) Students
“Going Indie – Making a living from self-publishing” (6 March 2020)
Unstoppable Authors
Co-Authoring and the Writing Community with Daniel Willcocks — January 2020
2019
How Do You Write?
Ep. 157: Daniel Willcocks on Writing Fast and Getting into Flow — December 2019
The Rebel Author
002 – Co-writing for Indie Authors with Dan Willcocks (25 Sept 2019)
The John Crinan Podcast
Daniel Willcocks — August 2019
University of Lincoln, Creative Writing BA (Hons) Students
“Going Indie – Making a living from self-publishing” — March 2019
2018
How Do You Write?
Ep. 157: Daniel Willcocks on Writing Fast and Getting into Flow — December 2019
The Rebel Author
002 – Co-writing for Indie Authors with Dan Willcocks (25 Sept 2019)
2017
Self Publishing Podcast
SPP277 Being Fiercely Indie with Hawk and Cleaver (11 Aug 2017)
Paul Teague’s Writing & Marketing Podcast;
SPJ088 Dan Willcocks, Horror and Thriller Author (6 Nov 2017)
Book Daniel
Let's Talk About Your Event.
Whether you’re organising a writers’ conference, an industry summit, a podcast interview, or a book club session, Daniel would love to hear from you. Fill in the form and he’ll be in touch promptly to discuss how he can best serve your audience.
All talks can be delivered in person across the UK and internationally, or virtually via Zoom. Bespoke topics and formats are always welcome.
- Available UK-wide and internationally
- In-person and virtual (Zoom) events
- hello@danielwillcocks.com