London Writers' Salon

#146: Alda Sigmundsdóttir — How Blogging Changed My Life, Indie Publishing 101, Memoir, Writing About Culture With Integrity

Episode Summary

Alda Sigmundsdóttir, journalist, writer and independent publisher on moving from blogging to indie publishing, finding an audience on Substack (Letter from Iceland and The Recovery Salon), and writing her memoir.

Episode Notes

Alda Sigmundsdóttir is a journalist, author, and independent publisher who has built a thriving literary life outside the traditional system. From blogging about Iceland to launching her own press, Alda has published over 11 books and grown a loyal global readership—while staying in full control of her creative work.

We discuss: 

• Alda’s early writing career and transition to self-publishing
• What she learned from being traditionally published
• The freedom and responsibility of going indie
• How she built and nurtured a global readership
• Her approach to writing about people, culture, and the past
• Lessons from promoting across genres and writing memoir
• Mindset shifts and skills that supported her success
   

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ABOUT ALDA SIGMUNDSDÓTTIR
Alda Sigmundsdóttir is a writer, speaker, and independent publisher based in Reykjavík, Iceland. She’s the author of over 10 books exploring Icelandic culture and society, and the memoir Daughter. She writes two popular Substack newsletters (Letter from Iceland and The Recovery Salon), runs her own publishing house (Little Books Publishing), and teaches a course on going indie.

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RESOURCES & LINKS:

• 📑Interview Transcript
• Alda's 'Going Indie' course  - LWSAUTHOR for $100 off (Valid until the end of June)
• Free webinar - Building an Audience for your Books
• Alda’s Substack Post - Women on Top
• Living Inside the Meltdown
• The Little Book of the Icelanders in the Old Days 
• Daughter - Alda’s Memoir 
• The Recovery Salon - Alda’s Second Substack 
• Alda’s Website