I go back and forth thinking that I write for myself and thinking I write to share thoughts, photos and insights with others. Truth is I write for both of those reasons. I started in January 2000 with a weekly newsletter to members of an organization I was running and just never stopped. I started on Substack with a few hundred readers and the numbers grow every month. Most of all, I like the discipline of getting thoughts written down....good for the mind and soul!
The discipline of writing regularly and having somewhere to put them is really rewarding. It's the literary equivalent of going for a morning run, or building a healthy exercise habit.
I can publish online, here and elsewhere, and know I can do it without being turned down. Some of the editors of magazines have such high standards that I don't know if I can give them what they want.
I think for me, it's always been that there's no need to *wait* for editors and others. By all means pursue those routes as well, but to do that without publishing anything anywhere else would be quite soul destroying over time.
Having a route to readers that YOU control helps to build the writing habit, which makes us all better writers, and ultimately improves the chances of success in any form - be it here, or in magazines and elsewhere.
For me it’s the promise (whether fulfilled or not) of instant connection with readers and the fact that I don’t have to necessarily wait until it’s all done to start getting it out there in the world.
Definitely both of those for me as well. Having to complete the entire manuscript ahead of time I always struggled with: ‘a novel’ is so monolithic, and massive respect to people who write that way.
For me, breaking it down into hundreds of micro-published segments flicks a switch in my brain that makes it much more achieveable.
I like the creative control I have here and that there is more opportunity to connect with readers and build a community. I enjoy reading online anyway, partly for the convenience and partly because I love reading other people's thoughts on a story I'm reading at the same time. It makes reading a little more like a shared activity, and I really like that.
Agreed, and when other forms of entertainment have become quite fragmented in terms of community discussion, it's satisfying that reading is finding news ways to build community.
When I started on Substack almost 18 months ago, I was looking for a newsletter platform to promote my novels. Over time, I've come to realize more benefits to publishing online:
- Constant production. Each week, I am writing a story, a reflection on a quote, talking to other writers or sharing what's interested me. This cadence keeps away "writers block."
- Short Story Sandbox. I've been able to fill out characters in my novels, use it to flesh out my characters in my WIP, try new genres, and flex the creative muscle through flash fiction.
- Meet new people. Through flash fiction zooms, meeting people, hearing their takes on a prompt is so inspiring and makes me want to publish more.
Simon, thanks for all that you do. Your serials and your advice are so helpful and provide me with a perspective that allows me to stretch.
I wonder how often writer's block is due to the publishing process rather than the writing process? Whether getting everything to be perfect for agents / editors / publishers applies so much pressure to a writer that it can very easily cripple their creative instincts; whereas publishing online on your own terms keeps that at bay.
Very subjective, of course, and it's different for everyone, but it does make me wonder!
Mostly because I write what I want to read, so what I write doesn't have a large audience or a market to appeal to a publisher. I like writing what I want than trying to agonize over trying to appeal to an audience or hope I'm lucky and for the wheel of trends to work in my favor.
It never does because I don't follow trends. Not because I'm a contrarian, but it's the way my mind spins. Very rarely does popular inspire me. I usually see a popular idea and I go a different way than everyone else goes. And I just want an opportunity to share my different pathing.
I keep saying I do this for fun and to write what I want to write with it not being geared to any particular market or line (as I was originally published in the romance field) but this morning, this morning my answer is: I’m retired, look how productive I’m being! Never mind that I was giggling to myself this week while writing a short story. So the answer is I write because it’s life giving and gives me joy. I share it online to show I’m still a productive member of society.
I find it interesting that you ask "why do you publish online" rather than "why do you publish on Substack." With that in mind, and before I attempt to answer, one should keep in mind that the only real alternative is print.
Okay, so I'll start by stating the obvious: one doesn't negate the other. You can (and I do) publish both online and in print. So the question (at least in my case) becomes why do online at all?
It's funny, because in the early days of the internet I was quite opposed to the notion. I've always wanted to have something concrete, ie a physical object I could hold and wave around. Not so much to boast, but I guess in those days, the web was so new it felt immaterial, unreal to an extent. A book in my hands would have felt more like an accomplishment.
The world since has changed quite a bit, of course, and with it perceptions and there's been a strong cultural shift. And with that a mind shift too as I now don't perceive it quite the same way anymore. Quite the opposite.
The thing is that everyone now reads on their phones or tablets. I keep hearing people complaining that people don't read anymore. But that's not true, is it? What they mean to say is that people don't read *books* anymore. Which isn't exactly accurate either, but the point here is that there are A LOT of people reading online. Websites, blogs, news, social media, etc etc.
So why wouldn't I post online? It just seems to make sense to me. If this is where the readers are, then this is where I need to be. Plus I love the internet anyway ;)
Besides, how else is an author going to find readers? If you stick to only print it'd be so much harder. You'd have to count on magazines and trad publishers, and then it could take years to get a deal.
Online just felt like a quicker solution to build an audience/readership and start selling books.
Interestingly, there's been a shift with books too as any fiction author who's published on Amazon can attest: ebooks sell better than print. Doesn't stop me from doing print versions as well, if only for my own satisfaction LOL.
That cultural shift towards digital is interesting; as is the apparent slight shift back the OTHER way, with an interest in more analogue forms with vinyl, fancy versions of books, the Remarkable tablets and so on - niche and somewhat hipstery, but with some of these things there's a balance emerging, rather than a push in a single direction.
In non-fiction, my print books way out-sell their digital versions. But the fiction-obsessed "whale readers" have alwsys driven Amazon's (digital) profits.
Interesting. Non-fiction are sometimes more like reference books, with the reader hopping in and out at different points rather than reading in a linear fashion - which is a lot easier to do with print. I wonder if that's part of it?
Really good non-fiction can be as spellbinding as the greatest fiction. Gladwell's Tipping Point was on the NYT bestseller list for years. And like a treasured classic, non-fiction greats can be restudied to gain new insights.
How-to books are often better in print, as you can prop them open for reference. Cookbooks are this type.
Another is the compelling narrative based on actual events, but dramatized.
It's the quality of the book's writing, as well as functional reference-use, that drives these print sales.
I dunno man, there's some high quality fiction out there and it still sells mostly digital. I don't think quality is a factor. I suspect it may have more to do with the age of the reader. It'd be interesting to see a study of who buys non-fiction, but I suspect you'd have more folks above 40-50, folks who are more used to reading print. I'm sure there are other factors as well though.
Also possibly that there is far more competition to produce volume fiction for the whales that drives those sales.
The rising sales figures of Gens X and younger buying more print tends to point toward a cyclical buying process. Print is more real in a more unreal world. More reassuring to read Emma in print for the umpteenth time.
I started as a way to connect with readers and share the drawing side of my creativity alongside the books! Now, its also where I like to test ideas for new projects and experiment.
I've always thought of you as an illustrator before being a writer, because that's how I first encountered you on here, I think. I should check out your books!
I enjoy connecting with writers and readers. It also keeps me productive because I'm working toward something. I still submit to magazines, but getting rejection after rejection would be much harder if I didn't have my newsletter to share my work
My foray into online writing came when the publisher of planeta.com walked into my bookstore in Mexico and asked if I’d like to do occasional posts for him, about Mexico and/or the Maya. This was around 2000. Our pueblo sits within 100 miles of 4 major pyramid sites, plus I’m a self-taught Mayaphile. I named the blog within his site Tales from the Yucatán and readers loved it. Unfortunately I was sporadic in posting so lost some of the momentum, but 2004 published my first book, a travel memoir of moving to MX and opening a bookstore. That began my re-entry into articles for Mexico papers and then eventually blogging again. Then nonfiction book on the Maya 2012 calendar-facts not fiction . And then 2 narco noir Yucatán thrillers -in print and e-book. And after a rather unfulfilling period on Blogger, here I am, 10 months into Substack and loving it. Quite ‘round the world’ to get here, but so glad I am. Book 3 of Yucatán thriller trilogy in the works and am condense- serializing my memoir on MX/ Where the Sky is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya on my stack, at chapter 18 (and with some good advice from you, Simon, thanks)! In a nutshell?
Thanks Simon. Yes, had several or more years to add to the list! On my Maya calendar book I was going to just go w/ an e-book, but a couple friends really wanted it also in p/b, so I acquiesced. I really enjoy blogging. I admire that you can keep up writing fiction AND blog. Whew. A tall order but you certainly pull it off, kudos and again, thanks for your writing help.
I suspect that what I would have written at the beginning of the year (when I started on Substack), what I would write now, and what I might write a year from now, are all different.
I think, when I started, it was a place where I could publish a novel I was writing. I've had books published by publishers, I published one myself, but, while I loved that when it was happening, I didn't want to go through either route this time. Substack seemed a nice third option.
It very soon morphed into something different for me. Why not do an audio version of a couple of my published books? Then why not bring over all those blog posts from years past? And then, as I was enjoying myself so much, why not revisit all the writing I've done over the 60 years of my professional life and republish what seems still to resonate with me in some way? Tick. Tick. Tick. So that's what I've been doing this year. I've loved doing it.
But in a year from now? I think the project for me is morphing into a kind of looking back and reflecting freshly on a life and a career. So I'm beginning to post new thoughts about that career, not just republish old writings.
I think one of the pleasures of Substack is the way it suits so many different kinds of projects.
I've done FanFiction... then when I moved to "fiction" I went to Wattpad because I didn't think it was worthy enough to ask people to pay for it but was good enough to for people to read. When I finally jumped into self-publishing, it was great... but one of the things I missed about posting a chapter at a time was the live interaction - I like seeing who is reading and what they have to say. BUT... I also love seeing my name on Amazon & Goodreads with reviews (good or bad). So... I need a happy medium between the two.
My reasons are no different from most: 1. I need readers for accountability. Not only for keeping deadlines, but I’ve also found that I work harder at getting it right when I know someone is going to be reading it in real time. 2. Knowing that the process of publishing a book takes a few years even once you have convinced an agent you will perform, killed my self-motivation. 3. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to fit into mainstream trends. But I don’t believe that means there aren’t plenty of people who are interested in what I’m writing. This is a way to find out who’s interested.
I'm not generally an impatient person, but the immediacy of serial publishing is a major factor for me. Writing silently on my own for years, then waiting years to (maybe) get published doesn't really appeal. Especially as my stories are exploring themes and ideas that interest me at the time, and which are happening in the real world - the idea of those stories only appearing for readers YEARS later seems a bit nonsensical.
I go back and forth thinking that I write for myself and thinking I write to share thoughts, photos and insights with others. Truth is I write for both of those reasons. I started in January 2000 with a weekly newsletter to members of an organization I was running and just never stopped. I started on Substack with a few hundred readers and the numbers grow every month. Most of all, I like the discipline of getting thoughts written down....good for the mind and soul!
The discipline of writing regularly and having somewhere to put them is really rewarding. It's the literary equivalent of going for a morning run, or building a healthy exercise habit.
I can publish online, here and elsewhere, and know I can do it without being turned down. Some of the editors of magazines have such high standards that I don't know if I can give them what they want.
I think for me, it's always been that there's no need to *wait* for editors and others. By all means pursue those routes as well, but to do that without publishing anything anywhere else would be quite soul destroying over time.
Having a route to readers that YOU control helps to build the writing habit, which makes us all better writers, and ultimately improves the chances of success in any form - be it here, or in magazines and elsewhere.
Or that they would give your readers what they want, I hope. That's a solid reason.
For me it’s the promise (whether fulfilled or not) of instant connection with readers and the fact that I don’t have to necessarily wait until it’s all done to start getting it out there in the world.
Definitely both of those for me as well. Having to complete the entire manuscript ahead of time I always struggled with: ‘a novel’ is so monolithic, and massive respect to people who write that way.
For me, breaking it down into hundreds of micro-published segments flicks a switch in my brain that makes it much more achieveable.
I like the creative control I have here and that there is more opportunity to connect with readers and build a community. I enjoy reading online anyway, partly for the convenience and partly because I love reading other people's thoughts on a story I'm reading at the same time. It makes reading a little more like a shared activity, and I really like that.
Agreed, and when other forms of entertainment have become quite fragmented in terms of community discussion, it's satisfying that reading is finding news ways to build community.
No one else will have me. :-)
Also a valid reason. 🤣
When I started on Substack almost 18 months ago, I was looking for a newsletter platform to promote my novels. Over time, I've come to realize more benefits to publishing online:
- Constant production. Each week, I am writing a story, a reflection on a quote, talking to other writers or sharing what's interested me. This cadence keeps away "writers block."
- Short Story Sandbox. I've been able to fill out characters in my novels, use it to flesh out my characters in my WIP, try new genres, and flex the creative muscle through flash fiction.
- Meet new people. Through flash fiction zooms, meeting people, hearing their takes on a prompt is so inspiring and makes me want to publish more.
Simon, thanks for all that you do. Your serials and your advice are so helpful and provide me with a perspective that allows me to stretch.
Ah, thanks Vince!
I wonder how often writer's block is due to the publishing process rather than the writing process? Whether getting everything to be perfect for agents / editors / publishers applies so much pressure to a writer that it can very easily cripple their creative instincts; whereas publishing online on your own terms keeps that at bay.
Very subjective, of course, and it's different for everyone, but it does make me wonder!
That’s a good explorative topic. Acknowledging that the first draft is horrible is very liberating.
Mostly because I write what I want to read, so what I write doesn't have a large audience or a market to appeal to a publisher. I like writing what I want than trying to agonize over trying to appeal to an audience or hope I'm lucky and for the wheel of trends to work in my favor.
It never does because I don't follow trends. Not because I'm a contrarian, but it's the way my mind spins. Very rarely does popular inspire me. I usually see a popular idea and I go a different way than everyone else goes. And I just want an opportunity to share my different pathing.
I keep saying I do this for fun and to write what I want to write with it not being geared to any particular market or line (as I was originally published in the romance field) but this morning, this morning my answer is: I’m retired, look how productive I’m being! Never mind that I was giggling to myself this week while writing a short story. So the answer is I write because it’s life giving and gives me joy. I share it online to show I’m still a productive member of society.
Nice: I like the idea of writing being a way to stay connected to society in a meaningful way.
I find it interesting that you ask "why do you publish online" rather than "why do you publish on Substack." With that in mind, and before I attempt to answer, one should keep in mind that the only real alternative is print.
Okay, so I'll start by stating the obvious: one doesn't negate the other. You can (and I do) publish both online and in print. So the question (at least in my case) becomes why do online at all?
It's funny, because in the early days of the internet I was quite opposed to the notion. I've always wanted to have something concrete, ie a physical object I could hold and wave around. Not so much to boast, but I guess in those days, the web was so new it felt immaterial, unreal to an extent. A book in my hands would have felt more like an accomplishment.
The world since has changed quite a bit, of course, and with it perceptions and there's been a strong cultural shift. And with that a mind shift too as I now don't perceive it quite the same way anymore. Quite the opposite.
The thing is that everyone now reads on their phones or tablets. I keep hearing people complaining that people don't read anymore. But that's not true, is it? What they mean to say is that people don't read *books* anymore. Which isn't exactly accurate either, but the point here is that there are A LOT of people reading online. Websites, blogs, news, social media, etc etc.
So why wouldn't I post online? It just seems to make sense to me. If this is where the readers are, then this is where I need to be. Plus I love the internet anyway ;)
Besides, how else is an author going to find readers? If you stick to only print it'd be so much harder. You'd have to count on magazines and trad publishers, and then it could take years to get a deal.
Online just felt like a quicker solution to build an audience/readership and start selling books.
Interestingly, there's been a shift with books too as any fiction author who's published on Amazon can attest: ebooks sell better than print. Doesn't stop me from doing print versions as well, if only for my own satisfaction LOL.
Agree on all those points. :)
That cultural shift towards digital is interesting; as is the apparent slight shift back the OTHER way, with an interest in more analogue forms with vinyl, fancy versions of books, the Remarkable tablets and so on - niche and somewhat hipstery, but with some of these things there's a balance emerging, rather than a push in a single direction.
I've been wondering though, with the vinyl thing, if it isn't just a phase / trend. I guess time will tell.
In non-fiction, my print books way out-sell their digital versions. But the fiction-obsessed "whale readers" have alwsys driven Amazon's (digital) profits.
Interesting. Non-fiction are sometimes more like reference books, with the reader hopping in and out at different points rather than reading in a linear fashion - which is a lot easier to do with print. I wonder if that's part of it?
Really good non-fiction can be as spellbinding as the greatest fiction. Gladwell's Tipping Point was on the NYT bestseller list for years. And like a treasured classic, non-fiction greats can be restudied to gain new insights.
How-to books are often better in print, as you can prop them open for reference. Cookbooks are this type.
Another is the compelling narrative based on actual events, but dramatized.
It's the quality of the book's writing, as well as functional reference-use, that drives these print sales.
I dunno man, there's some high quality fiction out there and it still sells mostly digital. I don't think quality is a factor. I suspect it may have more to do with the age of the reader. It'd be interesting to see a study of who buys non-fiction, but I suspect you'd have more folks above 40-50, folks who are more used to reading print. I'm sure there are other factors as well though.
Also possibly that there is far more competition to produce volume fiction for the whales that drives those sales.
The rising sales figures of Gens X and younger buying more print tends to point toward a cyclical buying process. Print is more real in a more unreal world. More reassuring to read Emma in print for the umpteenth time.
Yep, I did notice that about non-fiction (I also published a few of those). Weird, ain't it?
I started as a way to connect with readers and share the drawing side of my creativity alongside the books! Now, its also where I like to test ideas for new projects and experiment.
I've always thought of you as an illustrator before being a writer, because that's how I first encountered you on here, I think. I should check out your books!
Thanks Simon! The trad pub ones are mostly middle grade but the ones available on substack are more YA!
I enjoy connecting with writers and readers. It also keeps me productive because I'm working toward something. I still submit to magazines, but getting rejection after rejection would be much harder if I didn't have my newsletter to share my work
My foray into online writing came when the publisher of planeta.com walked into my bookstore in Mexico and asked if I’d like to do occasional posts for him, about Mexico and/or the Maya. This was around 2000. Our pueblo sits within 100 miles of 4 major pyramid sites, plus I’m a self-taught Mayaphile. I named the blog within his site Tales from the Yucatán and readers loved it. Unfortunately I was sporadic in posting so lost some of the momentum, but 2004 published my first book, a travel memoir of moving to MX and opening a bookstore. That began my re-entry into articles for Mexico papers and then eventually blogging again. Then nonfiction book on the Maya 2012 calendar-facts not fiction . And then 2 narco noir Yucatán thrillers -in print and e-book. And after a rather unfulfilling period on Blogger, here I am, 10 months into Substack and loving it. Quite ‘round the world’ to get here, but so glad I am. Book 3 of Yucatán thriller trilogy in the works and am condense- serializing my memoir on MX/ Where the Sky is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya on my stack, at chapter 18 (and with some good advice from you, Simon, thanks)! In a nutshell?
That’s a really fascinating range of writing and spaces, Jeanine!
Thanks Simon. Yes, had several or more years to add to the list! On my Maya calendar book I was going to just go w/ an e-book, but a couple friends really wanted it also in p/b, so I acquiesced. I really enjoy blogging. I admire that you can keep up writing fiction AND blog. Whew. A tall order but you certainly pull it off, kudos and again, thanks for your writing help.
Freedom to write what I want, how I want, when I want, with the bonus of being visible to readers.
I suspect that what I would have written at the beginning of the year (when I started on Substack), what I would write now, and what I might write a year from now, are all different.
I think, when I started, it was a place where I could publish a novel I was writing. I've had books published by publishers, I published one myself, but, while I loved that when it was happening, I didn't want to go through either route this time. Substack seemed a nice third option.
It very soon morphed into something different for me. Why not do an audio version of a couple of my published books? Then why not bring over all those blog posts from years past? And then, as I was enjoying myself so much, why not revisit all the writing I've done over the 60 years of my professional life and republish what seems still to resonate with me in some way? Tick. Tick. Tick. So that's what I've been doing this year. I've loved doing it.
But in a year from now? I think the project for me is morphing into a kind of looking back and reflecting freshly on a life and a career. So I'm beginning to post new thoughts about that career, not just republish old writings.
I think one of the pleasures of Substack is the way it suits so many different kinds of projects.
The key difference between Substack and social media is that Substack seems to adapt to ME, rather than the other way around.
I've done FanFiction... then when I moved to "fiction" I went to Wattpad because I didn't think it was worthy enough to ask people to pay for it but was good enough to for people to read. When I finally jumped into self-publishing, it was great... but one of the things I missed about posting a chapter at a time was the live interaction - I like seeing who is reading and what they have to say. BUT... I also love seeing my name on Amazon & Goodreads with reviews (good or bad). So... I need a happy medium between the two.
It's excellent that we have all these options to choose from!
My reasons are no different from most: 1. I need readers for accountability. Not only for keeping deadlines, but I’ve also found that I work harder at getting it right when I know someone is going to be reading it in real time. 2. Knowing that the process of publishing a book takes a few years even once you have convinced an agent you will perform, killed my self-motivation. 3. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to fit into mainstream trends. But I don’t believe that means there aren’t plenty of people who are interested in what I’m writing. This is a way to find out who’s interested.
I'm not generally an impatient person, but the immediacy of serial publishing is a major factor for me. Writing silently on my own for years, then waiting years to (maybe) get published doesn't really appeal. Especially as my stories are exploring themes and ideas that interest me at the time, and which are happening in the real world - the idea of those stories only appearing for readers YEARS later seems a bit nonsensical.
4. It’s really fun and fulfilling!
How could you forget #4??? :D