Episodes

  • From Writer to Publishing Business: Biba Pearce on Indie Publishing, Making Books Pay and AI - ep 37

    From Writer to Publishing Business: Biba Pearce on Indie Publishing, Making Books Pay and AI - ep 37
    Sep 28 2026
    Can you really make a living from writing. What changes when you start treating your books as a business? In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I talk with award-winning crime author and indie publisher Biba Pearce about the business behind a writing career. Biba writes across crime, thriller and romance, publishes through traditional and independent routes, and runs her own imprint, Mortlake Press. She shares how she moved from experimenting with self-publishing to building multiple series, working with publishers including Joffe Books and Liquid Mind Media, and developing a publishing model designed to generate long-term income. We talk about writing five or six books a year, building a backlist, Kindle Unlimited, rapid release, advertising, translations and international markets — as well as the growing role of AI. Biba also explains how she uses technology and AI within her publishing business while protecting the part she considers uniquely human: her authorial voice. We explore: • how Biba moved from a technology career into full-time authorship • traditional, independent and hybrid publishing • why backlist and read-through matter • whether authors can genuinely make money from books • KDP, Kindle Unlimited and international publishing • AI-assisted translation and audiobook possibilities • what happens to editors, designers and narrators as AI develops • why human voice may become even more valuable • using AI for research, analysis and publishing workflows • GEO and how AI is changing online search • how writers can prepare for a publishing industry that is changing fast This is a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, technology, publishing and what it takes to build a sustainable career around your work. Find Biba Pearce via her website and social channels. Website: https://bibapearce.com/ Instagram: @author_bibapearce Facebook: @authorbibapearce TikTok: @authorbibapearce Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibapearce Subscribe to Talking Tech with Creatives for conversations about how technology is changing the way creative people work, build and create. Stella Oni — Author | Speaker | Lecturer | Podcast Host 🌐 Website: StellaOni.com⁠ 🎤 Speaking: Speaking engagements⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: [Stella Oni on LinkedIn] 📸 Instagram: [@stellaoni_official] 🎵 TikTok: [@stellaoni_official] X: [@soni_official2] TRANSCRIPT STELLA: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives, a podcast where we talk about creativity, technology, culture and all the different ways technology connects with creative work. Thank you so much for listening consistently. Every time I post, you listen, and I really appreciate that. If you’ve been listening regularly, or if you’re new, remember to subscribe wherever you’re listening or watching. I have an exciting conversation for you today, especially for authors. My guest is Biba Pearce, and she is a powerhouse when it comes to writing, publishing and the business of being an author. I’ve wanted to have her on the podcast for a long time, and we’ve finally made it. Biba, welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives. BIBA: Thank you so much for having me on, Stella. It’s a pleasure to be here. STELLA: I’m so happy we finally got you here. For those listening, this is going to be particularly interesting if you’re a writer or author and you want to understand the business of publishing, marketing and building a sustainable career. Biba, I want people to know a little bit about your background first. Give us your origin story. How did you start? BIBA: I started like most writers, I think, reading everything I could get my hands on as a child. I loved genre fiction right from the beginning: romance, crime and fantasy. When I grew up, I did a couple of writing courses, and it was during those courses that I realised I loved the process and that writing was something I wanted to do one day. It took a while to get to that point, but I kept learning, writing, practising, doing courses and building my craft. Eventually, when COVID hit and I wasn’t working anymore, I was able to concentrate full-time on being an author. That was when I really got my opportunity. STELLA: Fantastic. I’m going to dig a little deeper. I detect an accent, so let’s start there. You’re South African. You write across thrillers, crime thriller series and romance, so you have quite a broad spectrum of experience. That doesn’t come from nowhere. What were your influences growing up? BIBA: I think growing up in Africa is a very particular experience. There are a lot of contradictions. Things are rarely black and white. There are positives and negatives. It’s stunningly beautiful. It’s wild. It can be dangerous. All those things have influenced my subconscious over the years, and I think they come out in my writing. I’ve also travelled a lot. South Africa is quite far away from the rest of the world, so when we travel, ...
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • From Rock Bottom to Harrods: Toks Aroture on Luxury, Resilience and Technology - ep 36

    From Rock Bottom to Harrods: Toks Aroture on Luxury, Resilience and Technology - ep 36
    Sep 13 2026
    What happens when the business you built is caught in a financial crisis — and you have to begin again? In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I speak with Toks Aroture, founder of The Baby Cot Shop, a luxury nursery and children’s interiors brand whose journey has taken her from Atlanta to London’s King’s Road, Harrods and international clients. Toks shares how she survived the 2008 financial crisis, returned to the UK having lost almost everything, and rebuilt from the ground up — teaching herself web design and SEO, finding European craftspeople and eventually developing her own furniture collections. We also talk about luxury, expertise in business, mentorship, resilience, entrepreneurship and her belief that there are many forms of currency beyond money. And we get into technology: Toks explains how she is now using AI and digital tools across the business, from nursery design and marketing to HR, project management and productivity. A conversation about losing, rebuilding, luxury and using technology to imagine what comes next. Subscribe to Talking Tech with Creatives wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit talkingtechwithcreatives.com. Reach to Toks on social media @toksaroture W: thebabycotshop.com Showroom: 408 King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW10 0LJ Harrods, 4th Floor, Knightsbridge, London Stella Oni — Author | Speaker | Lecturer | Podcast Host 🌐 Website: StellaOni.com⁠ 🎤 Speaking: Speaking engagements⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: [Stella Oni on LinkedIn] 📸 Instagram: [@stellaoni_official] 🎵 TikTok: [@stellaoni_official] X: [@soni_official2] TRANSCRIPTION Stella Oni in Conversation with Toks Aroture, Founder of The Baby Cot Shop STELLA ONI: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives, the podcast where we talk about the intersection of technology and creativity. I always like to have different guests on the podcast, and you’ve seen quite a few from all kinds of backgrounds. I’m quite excited about my guest today. I’ve got Toks Aroture of The Baby Cot Shop. She’s a founder working in an area that fascinates me and that I really want to delve into: the luxury nursery space. The Baby Cot Shop creates bespoke nurseries for high-end clients. I deliberately didn’t want to know too much beforehand because I wanted to come to this fresh. I got the barest minimum, so we’re going to discover Toks and what she does together. The Baby Cot Shop serves high-end customers from a beautiful part of London, has a presence in Harrods, and has also worked on the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital. For those who follow the Royal Family, the Lindo Wing is where several members of the Royal Family have had their babies. So we’re in for a treat. This is a bit of a departure from some of my filmmakers and writers, because we’re looking at luxury spaces, which I love, particularly because I’ve got my own fiction series coming that is very much about luxury. Toks, welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives. First of all, tell us about yourself and your background, and then we’ll start delving deeper. TOKS AROTURE: Amazing. Thank you so much for having me, Stella. I am super excited. It has been such a long time coming. STELLA: It has been. TOKS: Our schedules just haven’t aligned, but here we are finally. I was born in Scotland, but I didn’t grow up there. I grew up in Nigeria, specifically Benin City. STELLA: Like me. TOKS: Yes. We share that in common. I had the most wonderful childhood in Benin. Compared with somewhere like Lagos, which is more cosmopolitan, Benin is quieter even though it’s a city. I had this peaceful, beautiful, warm childhood surrounded by a lot of love, familiar faces and trust. I think that formed the foundation for who I am today because I was raised by parents who were very confident in their children. Whether they actually felt confident or not, they certainly told us they did. My dad would brag about me. He would say, “My daughter is going to win Miss Nigeria.” Then my mum would say, “Not my daughter. She’s not going to parade in anything she shouldn’t be wearing.” They’d go back and forth. But more importantly, it was always, “You’re so intelligent. You can do anything.” When you hear that often enough, you eventually believe it. So I genuinely believed I could do anything. I grew up in Benin and then went to school in northern Nigeria, in Kaduna. STELLA: How did you end up going from Benin to Kaduna? TOKS: Boarding school. It was a military school. My dad was in the military, so I didn’t really have a choice. STELLA: Secondary school? TOKS: Yes, secondary school. That’s where the discipline came from, although sometimes I think the discipline stayed within the gates of the school and didn’t follow me outside. But I learned a lot of lessons there. I remember my mum coming to see me during the middle of my first term. Benin and Kaduna are very far apart, almost like London to ...
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • AI, Authorship And The Human Creative - ep 35

    AI, Authorship And The Human Creative - ep 35
    Aug 25 2026
    In this solo episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, Stella Oni steps back from her guest conversations to ask a question that increasingly sits at the heart of the creative industries: As technology becomes more capable, where does the human sit in the creative process? From music and entrepreneurship to publishing, podcasting and professional work, technology is making it possible to create, produce and distribute work faster than ever. But greater access also brings new questions about originality, discoverability, authenticity, ownership and creative rights. Stella looks at the writing world and recent controversies surrounding alleged generative-AI use in publishing. She asks: How should publishers establish whether a work is human-authored? How reliable are accusations of AI use? And could some writers and writing voices face greater suspicion than others? The episode also explores the work being done by organisations including the Society of Authors, ALCS, the Authors Guild and the Alliance of Independent Authors, and why Stella believes consent, licensing and compensation must remain central to the conversation about AI and creative work. She also reflects on her own boundaries as a novelist, technical writer, lecturer, speaker and podcaster — and why the difficult, imperfect process of creating fiction herself remains something she wants to protect. Plus, there are updates from Stella’s writing world, the Lara’s Detective Agency stories, the Toks Ade Mystery series and her University of Cambridge PACE crime-writing course. The question isn’t simply what technology can do. It is what we want technology to do — and who we choose to be alongside it. Links & Resources Short Story: Case No. 1 Stella Oni — The Case of the Missing Body Just days before Christmas, Lara Ayodele is given forty-eight hours to locate the missing body of a powerful chief before his family arrives and a scandal erupts. It is a gripping story of power, silence, and buried secrets. https://books2read.com/u/3LPav7 https://amzn.eu/d/0ea2opSD https://a.co/d/03GDtVb5 Breaking the Case: Crime Writing — University of Cambridge PACE https://www.pace.cam.ac.uk/courses/breaking-case-art-and-craft-crime-fiction Tim Ferriss Has AI Already Killed How-To Nonfiction? Sales Trends, My Personal Data, and What It Might Mean for the Future https://tim.blog/2026/06/12/has-ai-already-killed-nonfiction/?utm_source=chatgpt.com The Creative Penn Podcast https://www.thecreativepenn.com/the-creative-penn-podcast-for-authors/ Society of Author https://humanauthored.co.uk/ Author Licensing Collection Agency (ALCS) https://www.alcs.co.uk/ Authors Guild https://authorsguild.org/ Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/ Professor Jason Arday — Great and Unfortunate Things https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Great-and-Unfortunate-Things/Jason-Arday/9781398542747 About Stella Oni Stella Oni is the author of Deadly Sacrifice, an SI Leeds Literary Prize shortlisted novel and an Audible Crime & Thriller Pick. She is a speaker, Guest Lecturer at the University of Cambridge PACE, and host of Talking Tech with Creatives. Connect with Stella Website: www.stellaoni.com Instagram & TikTok: @stellaoni_official X: @soni_official2 Talking Tech with Creatives www.talkingtechwithcreatives.com Follow or subscribe wherever you listen to Talking Tech with Creatives.
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    31 mins
  • She Turned Her Pain into Music: Kemy Music on Her Debut Single African Woman - ep 34

    She Turned Her Pain into Music: Kemy Music on Her Debut Single African Woman - ep 34
    Jul 28 2026

    In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I speak with singer-songwriter Kemi Obafemi, known professionally as Kemy Music, about her debut single, African Woman.

    Kemi shares how her love of music began through listening before she started singing in church, leading a choir and writing songs. She also speaks openly about experiencing an abusive marriage and explains how music became her safe space, gave her purpose and helped her find the strength to move forward.

    That experience became an important part of the story behind African Woman. Kemi explains why she insisted on releasing the song as her first single, though others in the music industry advised her to begin with something more commercial.

    For Kemi, African Woman represents the beauty, courage, resilience and strength of women, particularly African women who continue to pursue their dreams despite the obstacles placed before them.

    We also discuss the influence of Fela Kuti, the challenges facing female artists in the African music industry, the importance of remaining authentic and the realities of building a career as an independent musician.

    Kemi talks about her previous experience of being signed to a record label, what emerging artists should consider before signing a contract and why having money is not enough if a label does not have the right team or a clear plan for the artist.

    We explore the role of technology and artificial intelligence in music. Kemi explains how she uses AI tools to experiment with melodies, sounds, instruments and arrangements, while maintaining that technology should assist the artist rather than replace human creativity.

    We talk about community, music distribution, preserving the legacy of African musicians and Kemy’s advice to young creatives: understand your purpose, remain original and use technology to amplify who you already are.

    Listen to African Woman by Kemy Music on the major streaming platforms.

    Listen to African Woman: Songdis

    Follow Kemy Music:

    Instagram: @kemymusic

    Youtube: @kemymusicofficial

    Content note: This episode includes a non-graphic discussion of domestic abuse.

    Follow me: @stellaoni_official
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • AI, VFX and the Future of Filmmaking with Anthony Rubinstein - ep 33

    AI, VFX and the Future of Filmmaking with Anthony Rubinstein - ep 33
    Jun 16 2026

    What happens when anyone can generate beautiful images?

    In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I speak with London-based director and VFX artist Anthony Rubinstein about AI, filmmaking, visual effects and the future of creative work.

    Anthony describes AI as a third way of making pixels. First, we captured images with cameras. Then we built worlds through CGI and VFX. Now, we can generate visuals through AI.

    But the deeper question is not just what AI can produce.

    It is what happens to mastery, taste, intention and the human creative process when the tools become this powerful.

    We also talk about commercial creativity, working with global brands, celebrity campaigns, social media overwhelm, China and America’s AI race, and why real-world human experience may become even more valuable in the age of AI.

    Listen to the full episode of Talking Tech with Creatives wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.
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    59 mins
  • Dilman Dila on Myth, Film, AI and Telling African Stories Outside the Gatekeepers - ep 32

    Dilman Dila on Myth, Film, AI and Telling African Stories Outside the Gatekeepers - ep 32
    May 30 2026

    In this episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, Stella Oni speaks with Ugandan writer and filmmaker Dilman Dila about storytelling, African folklore, speculative futures, filmmaking, and creative independence.

    Dilman shares how oral storytelling, Ugandan myths, night dancers, African knowledge systems and self-taught filmmaking shaped his work. He also discusses why he prefers independent platforms, crowdfunding, open-source tools and direct audience connection over traditional gatekeepers.

    The conversation explores art, technology, AI, African spirituality, visual storytelling, YouTube, PeerTube, Patreon, and what it means to build a sustainable creative life on your own terms.

    Dilman Dila

    Website

    https://www.dilmandila.com/

    Mastodon

    https://mograph.social/@dilmandila

    Youtube

    https://www.youtube.com/dilstories

    Connect with me: https://stellaoni.com/ Social media - stellaoni_official

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • From Music Producer to Tech Founder: Melody Nehemiah on Building Songdis for African Artists - ep 31

    From Music Producer to Tech Founder: Melody Nehemiah on Building Songdis for African Artists - ep 31
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode, I speak with Melody Nehemiah, CEO and founder of Songdis, a platform helping African artists and labels get their music onto global streaming services and collect royalties. Melody shares how he sold CDs as a child, produced beats, and managed artists before identifying a major gap in the music ecosystem. He experienced how hard it was for African artists to distribute music, withdraw royalties, and navigate payment systems not designed for them. That frustration drove him to start Songdis. We discuss what it means to build a tech platform from lived experience, how African founders bootstrap ideas into reality, and why infrastructure, community, and trust help creatives grow. Melody describes the differences between record labels and distribution platforms, outlines how Songdis supports artists at different levels, and explains why Africa should build more of its own technology systems rather than rely on the rest of the world. Whether your interest lies in music, technology, African innovation, creative independence, or the future of digital infrastructure on the continent, this conversation offers unique insights. Highlights
    • Melody’s journey from music producer to founder
    • The real problems African artists face with royalties
    • Why Songdis was created
    • Record labels versus distribution platforms
    • Payments, ownership and control
    • Building African tech for African creatives
    • AI, infrastructure and the future of music on the continent
    Songdis was recognised by the NBA (National Basketball Association) through its accelerator programme, highlighting its innovation in music rights and payments. Connect with Melody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodysongzz/ Connect with me: https://stellaoni.com/ Social media - stellaoni_official
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • AI, Authorship and Discoverability: What I Learned at London Book Fair 2026 - 30

    AI, Authorship and Discoverability: What I Learned at London Book Fair 2026 - 30
    Mar 24 2026

    In this solo episode of Talking Tech with Creatives, I share what stood out to me from attending the London Book Fair, especially around publishing, technology, discoverability, and the future of books.

    I reflect on the UK government’s controversial AI copyright proposal, the strong pushback from the creative industries, and why this matters so much for writers and anyone building an audience.

    I also talk through some of the most interesting ideas I picked up from the fair: why print is still holding strong, why readers are moving back towards more physical and comforting experiences, and why authors now need to think about General Engine Optimization (GEO) and beyond SEO and pay attention to how AI-driven search is changing discoverability.

    This is an episode for writers, creatives, and publishing watchers who want to understand where things are going and how to stay visible in a changing landscape.

    Episode 13 - Navigating the digitak shift - Insights on writing seo and ai with Abidemi Sanusi

    https://talkingtechwithcreatives.com/episode/navigating-the-digital-shift-insights-on-writing-seo-and-ai-with-abidemi-sanusi

    Schema.Org

    https://schema.org/

    ISSN 2978-8307
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    24 mins