# Joanna Penn

> Joanna Penn is a British author, podcaster, and entrepreneur who turned a miserable IT consulting career into a multi-six-figure independent publishing empire. Writing thrillers as J.F. Penn and teaching the business of writing as Joanna Penn, she has sold over a million books across 176 countries, runs one of the world's top 1% podcasts (10.6M+ downloads), and is among the most prominent voices on ethical AI adoption in the creative community. Based in Bath, England, she competes in powerlifting, pursues a Masters in Death, Religion and Culture, and embodies her own mantra: measure your life by what you create.

- **Role:** Author-Entrepreneur at The Creative Penn / Curl Up Press
- **Organizations:** The Creative Penn, Curl Up Press, Books and Travel
- **Nationality:** British
- **Education:** Masters in Death, Religion and Culture, University of Winchester
- **Known for:** New York Times Bestselling Author (2014, via Deadly Dozen anthology), USA Today Bestselling Author (2014 and 2016), Publishing Commentator of the Year, Digital Book World (2018)

## Career timeline

- **2006** — Wrote on a yellow card while an IT consultant in Brisbane: 'I am creative. I am an author.'
- **2008** — Published first book: How to Enjoy your Job or Find a New One; launched TheCreativePenn.com and YouTube channel
- **2009** — Launched The Creative Penn Podcast; joined Twitter as @thecreativepenn
- **2011** — Published first novel Pentecost (later Stone of Fire); left corporate job to become full-time author-entrepreneur
- **2013** — Named in The Guardian UK Top 100 Creative Professionals (Publishing)
- **2014** — Multi-author anthology Deadly Dozen hits NYT and USA Today bestseller lists; 100,000+ copies
- **2015** — Reached six-figure annual income; husband Jonathan officially joins the business
- **2016** — Reached multi-six-figure annual income; ARKANE boxset hits USA Today bestseller list
- **2017** — Destroyer of Worlds nominated for International Thriller Writers Award for Best Ebook Original
- **2018** — Named Publishing Commentator of the Year, Digital Book World
- **2022** — Launched CreativePennBooks.com direct store; early adopter of ChatGPT
- **2023** — Launched JFPennBooks.com; announced 15-year business pivot toward fiction and AI
- **2024** — Pilgrimage wins Best Non-Fiction/Memoir, Selfie Awards at London Book Fair; podcast surpasses 10M downloads
- **2025** — Celebrated 50th birthday in Iceland; competed in British Powerlifting; enrolled in Masters degree; published multiple books
- **2026** — Kickstarted Bones of the Deep (tall-ship thriller); podcast reaches episode 837+; 10.6M total downloads

## Achievements

- New York Times Bestselling Author (2014, via Deadly Dozen anthology)
- USA Today Bestselling Author (2014 and 2016)
- Publishing Commentator of the Year, Digital Book World (2018)
- Best Non-Fiction/Memoir, Selfie Awards, London Book Fair (2024, for Pilgrimage)
- International Thriller Writers Award Finalist for Best Ebook Original (2017)
- The Guardian Top 100 Creative Professionals in Publishing (2013)
- Writer's Digest Top Writing Website (TheCreativePenn.com)
- Top 1% podcast globally - The Creative Penn Podcast with 10.6M+ downloads
- Over 1 million books sold across 176 countries in 5 languages
- 47+ published books under two pen names
- Competed in British Powerlifting (M2, 63kg, 190kg total) at age 49
- 14+ years as a full-time independent author-entrepreneur

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Launched Bones of the Deep Kickstarter campaign (tall-ship thriller); podcast at episode 837+, 10.6M total downloads
- **2026-01** — Published 2026 creative and business goals; industry predictions for indie authors; Jonathan undergoing radiation for throat cancer
- **2025-12** — Reviewed 2025 goals; Patreon reached ~1,400 members; uploaded full audiobook catalog to YouTube
- **2025-10** — Published Blood Vintage (folk horror) and The Buried and the Drowned short story collection via Kickstarter
- **2025-06** — Published Death Valley standalone thriller via Kickstarter; competed in British Powerlifting
- **2025-03** — Celebrated 50th birthday in Iceland; enrolled in Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at University of Winchester
- **2025-01** — Published updated editions of How to Write Non-Fiction and Successful Self-Publishing

## Links

- Website: https://www.thecreativepenn.com
- LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joannapenn
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/thecreativepenn
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thecreativepenn
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfpennauthor/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joanna-penn
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-28