I loved this. I started publishing on my substack only a week ago and I'm writing because I love it. Your anxieties and observations are so real. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Such a beautiful, authentic and optimistic piece.
You know those tears that come from recognition, from reading something that makes you feel seen? That’s how I felt as you talked about running in front of the train. And if I feel like I’m doing something that you’re doing, I must be doing something right. Thank you, thank you for this list of questions and answers.
I’m far more of a creative nonfiction writer than a fiction writer. If you ever open these questions up to CNF writers, I’ll hit you up. They’re wonderful. I can’t wait to read more answers from more writers! ♥️
I too am tired of publishers and their lack of adventure slash thrall to lazy marketing - all high concept and no knickers - but let's not forget the market is made up of readers, and we know there's no accounting for taste, judging by what people buy and gush about. Each to their own, BUT!
(At least I enjoy hatering in private about said books and said fools who rave about them 🤣)
We do of course look for leadership among our publishers. But we can't even get that from our elected officials.
I'd like to think new reading habits could be fostered in these new places, though I'm not yet convinced that readers in Substack are all *that* different either.
The readers are the same, they must be, with no accounting for taste, etc, but at least us writers get to engage with them head on, at least we are the architects of our fortune. That is the essential difference. Did you see that piece in the Bookseller this week, about editors beginning to sit up and take notice of the original fiction being published here? https://bit.ly/3wrTUkK
My immediate thought is that I feel a lot of focus on writers and writing here, but not so much on readers and reading. Reading needs (not exclusively) a quiet space and there is a lot of noise on Substack.
I do some pretty careful pick and choosing as to what I read, and by that I mean setting aside time and reading properly, not just skimming about. There is a lot, and it takes focus. It will never replace silence with a book, but it does give platform to voices otherwise unheard.
Personally I joined substack to read Patti Smith's archive. I then slowly tried to set time aside to learn how to form my own substack. In my history with the internet things often appear lost or deleted over time as platforms rise and fall. Recently I read a line about these electrical devices being meaningless in our ancestors attics, sorry I don't know where I read it so cannot cite exact words, but it made me think about the viability of online archives over and above, actual books, photos, and paintings etc etc. Now I have been posting for a year, I know I can learn a lot from your experience too, but it seems a lot of emphasis is being placed on new material, yet we can create our own archive here too, and when to archive and reuse archived material must be a factor? Do you often arrange your archive posts or reuse/revisit them?
All readers are writers, or is it the other way around? Its a bit like listening and speaking, hearing and being heard? I can't even process mentally beyond your question 4 and I guess it took you some time to answer all of those too? Technically ought we produce professional standards of writing if we are not being paid?, so that's me beginning to consider question 5. You seem to be taking publishing as a bull by the horns. I had given up on the concept of publishing again until I found Substack.
I would understand why the publication process is so difficult, theoretically it would be so that books that actually get to be books are of great quality. But really, that’s not the case. If you walk into Waterstones or Chapters/Indigo these days, apart from the classics, there are so many nonsense cancerous smooth brained books with heaps of smut in between. At the end of the day, it’s whatever sells. These publications just want novels that they know will sell according to the algorithm. Even the book covers are the same. It’s like how youtube is just filled with Mr. Beast copy-cat videos.
We can no longer put our faith in publication companies, at least, not anymore. Which is why we look for good writing on substack so that we can make our own judgements.
Thank you for sharing your courageous self. And I love the concept that writing in Substack has had a seismic result. I’m a true newbie here. The publish button still sets off warning lights in my periphery, and I hope to hit it more often.
You’ve articulated your/our/my experience here with such intelligence and self-awareness there’s nothing to add but thanks for getting your perspective on “paper.”
I owe the opening of my creative life to Julia Cameron some 28 years ago and to Substack just over a year ago. Curiously, I owe the closing of my commitment to being published traditionally to Cameron’s agent who messed me about for a year. After that final aborted hope I gave up. I’ve always written primarily for joy and sorrow let’s say, but it’s only here I’ve reached anyone unknown to me or felt truly Read. That I bemoan my subscriber counts is honestly shameful - and I know it.
Your work has inspired me because it made clear that sophisticated, poetic writing was here. You are the real deal, Eleanor, and your work is deeply inspiring to me even if I find serialized fiction is still a work in progress on Substack and I’m too far behind on your work and several other works of serialized fiction.
When I woke up this morning I committed curiously to writing a thank you to Substack post. There haven’t been enough testimonials to this platform. This is one. In my own way I will contribute mine.
I’m making some fundamental changes to how I’ll work with Substack in the coming weeks. The love letter to Substack and the coming changes may all go together.
But enough of the me me me. You are one of the pillars of this community, and I’ve taken delight in watching your flower open here. It’s been very clear to me that that is what has been happening. A joy to watch, even behold. It is far easier to do the same when you’re not alone.
In a strange way that you may neither reciprocate or be aware of you are a personal friend.
I feel the same way about you, Adam. You have become my friend. Isn't it strange how these things happen. yet they do. I don't suppose you feel like answering the 8 questions, too, while you're in the middle of a million other things including writing your own substack love letter? Maybe it will clash with your own plans, in which case, I'll understand.... I tried to email you before but for some reason I can't find your substack email (or any other one). Do you have mine? Email me if you do, and let me know you have, so I see it. And all those things you just said. This is me feeling very happy about them. x
Some great insights here. My reasonably new Writing Talk Substack is about creativity and craft advice, but there is an urge I’ve yet to scratch around using Substack as a place for my own fiction or creative non-fiction work. Your Substack gives me more food for thought. Ken.
I've been writing in one capacity or another for some 60 of my +75 years. My work has appeared in small, some now defunct, literary magazines; and later, as a PR flack in various publications such as trade magazines. Still later, I was a writer and editor at a research and teaching institute in academia. Since retiring, I write for me and share what I write.
Why am I on Substack? Hopefully to find more readers, especially for my forthcoming novel, "The Writer of Unwritten Books." Publishing has evolved greatly during the last 50 years, perhaps longer. As you correctly wrote, it's more about salability than it is about quality. After having my ms. rejected enough times to see the writing on the wall, I decided to go the self-publishing route. My novel will be published overseas. Why not? Whatever works?
As long as I'm in Substack, I will not charge subscribers to read my work or to comment. At this stage of my life, I'm not interested in financial gain. I have what I need. How long will I participate on Substack? To paraphrase Mick, "Time ain't on my side."
I love this!! I’m just starting on Substack (like a week and a half in) without any previous publishing experience and reading this really helps me feel like I’m going in the right direction with getting my writing put into the world!!
I do have a question for anyone who reads this, how often should one publish? I worry about bothering the people who subscribe and adding too much to their inbox, but I really want to share more of my writing. It’s a balance and I would love to hear some thoughts!
I loved this. I started publishing on my substack only a week ago and I'm writing because I love it. Your anxieties and observations are so real. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Such a beautiful, authentic and optimistic piece.
Thanks, Hanna.
You know those tears that come from recognition, from reading something that makes you feel seen? That’s how I felt as you talked about running in front of the train. And if I feel like I’m doing something that you’re doing, I must be doing something right. Thank you, thank you for this list of questions and answers.
I’m far more of a creative nonfiction writer than a fiction writer. If you ever open these questions up to CNF writers, I’ll hit you up. They’re wonderful. I can’t wait to read more answers from more writers! ♥️
Thanks, Holly, and I will at some point so I’ll keep you posted.
I too am tired of publishers and their lack of adventure slash thrall to lazy marketing - all high concept and no knickers - but let's not forget the market is made up of readers, and we know there's no accounting for taste, judging by what people buy and gush about. Each to their own, BUT!
(At least I enjoy hatering in private about said books and said fools who rave about them 🤣)
We do of course look for leadership among our publishers. But we can't even get that from our elected officials.
I'd like to think new reading habits could be fostered in these new places, though I'm not yet convinced that readers in Substack are all *that* different either.
The readers are the same, they must be, with no accounting for taste, etc, but at least us writers get to engage with them head on, at least we are the architects of our fortune. That is the essential difference. Did you see that piece in the Bookseller this week, about editors beginning to sit up and take notice of the original fiction being published here? https://bit.ly/3wrTUkK
My immediate thought is that I feel a lot of focus on writers and writing here, but not so much on readers and reading. Reading needs (not exclusively) a quiet space and there is a lot of noise on Substack.
I do some pretty careful pick and choosing as to what I read, and by that I mean setting aside time and reading properly, not just skimming about. There is a lot, and it takes focus. It will never replace silence with a book, but it does give platform to voices otherwise unheard.
PS and I say that as a *writing* teacher - I know, I know. I guess it’s balanced by the editor = reader in me too.
Loved these and are you inviting us to answer them too? This is the hope we need in these lines and I agree with tour answers.
Hi there, if you're a published fiction writer, you're welcome to join the conversation. Please email me, and I'll send you the form. Thanks.
Done! Thx
Thanks for sharing all this. I find myself agreeing with everything—although it’s taken me a lot longer to find my groove. ❤️
I agree on every point… maybe there are more than one grooves?
Thanks, Alice. Can I tempt you to answer the 8 questions, too? I’d love to hear your experience. Say the word and I’ll email you….
Thanks for sending that over. I plan to get to work answering in the next week or so.
Wonderful.
For sure. That sounds fun. And writerly (which is what I need in my kids’ break week!)
Great. I’ll email you .
WOW! Powerful stuff Eleanor! Thanks for starting the 8 Questions! I hope it gains momentum!
Thank you, Eveline 😊
Hi Eleanor a 9th question arises in my mind. How valuable is the archive?
Yes, and I don't know the answer to this. What's your take?
Personally I joined substack to read Patti Smith's archive. I then slowly tried to set time aside to learn how to form my own substack. In my history with the internet things often appear lost or deleted over time as platforms rise and fall. Recently I read a line about these electrical devices being meaningless in our ancestors attics, sorry I don't know where I read it so cannot cite exact words, but it made me think about the viability of online archives over and above, actual books, photos, and paintings etc etc. Now I have been posting for a year, I know I can learn a lot from your experience too, but it seems a lot of emphasis is being placed on new material, yet we can create our own archive here too, and when to archive and reuse archived material must be a factor? Do you often arrange your archive posts or reuse/revisit them?
I don't pay any attention to my archive here. I let the algorithm arrange it. I do, however, keep a copy in my own records of everything I publish.
All readers are writers, or is it the other way around? Its a bit like listening and speaking, hearing and being heard? I can't even process mentally beyond your question 4 and I guess it took you some time to answer all of those too? Technically ought we produce professional standards of writing if we are not being paid?, so that's me beginning to consider question 5. You seem to be taking publishing as a bull by the horns. I had given up on the concept of publishing again until I found Substack.
I am glad you're here. This place makes me very happy. I'm writing more frequently, going deeper. It's nourishing.
I'm glad you're here, too.
I would understand why the publication process is so difficult, theoretically it would be so that books that actually get to be books are of great quality. But really, that’s not the case. If you walk into Waterstones or Chapters/Indigo these days, apart from the classics, there are so many nonsense cancerous smooth brained books with heaps of smut in between. At the end of the day, it’s whatever sells. These publications just want novels that they know will sell according to the algorithm. Even the book covers are the same. It’s like how youtube is just filled with Mr. Beast copy-cat videos.
We can no longer put our faith in publication companies, at least, not anymore. Which is why we look for good writing on substack so that we can make our own judgements.
So true. And also, "there are so many nonsense cancerous smooth brained books with heaps of smut in between." - lovely line, that.
Thank you for sharing your courageous self. And I love the concept that writing in Substack has had a seismic result. I’m a true newbie here. The publish button still sets off warning lights in my periphery, and I hope to hit it more often.
I stand beside you in courage.
This was a lovely read, Eleanor.
I'd love a shot at your eight questions. I've sent an email to the someone I think is you. 🙂Do let me know if you didn't receive it. 🥂
Got it! Have replied this morning....
I'm in !
💃🏻 I'll email you x
You’ve articulated your/our/my experience here with such intelligence and self-awareness there’s nothing to add but thanks for getting your perspective on “paper.”
I owe the opening of my creative life to Julia Cameron some 28 years ago and to Substack just over a year ago. Curiously, I owe the closing of my commitment to being published traditionally to Cameron’s agent who messed me about for a year. After that final aborted hope I gave up. I’ve always written primarily for joy and sorrow let’s say, but it’s only here I’ve reached anyone unknown to me or felt truly Read. That I bemoan my subscriber counts is honestly shameful - and I know it.
Your work has inspired me because it made clear that sophisticated, poetic writing was here. You are the real deal, Eleanor, and your work is deeply inspiring to me even if I find serialized fiction is still a work in progress on Substack and I’m too far behind on your work and several other works of serialized fiction.
When I woke up this morning I committed curiously to writing a thank you to Substack post. There haven’t been enough testimonials to this platform. This is one. In my own way I will contribute mine.
I’m making some fundamental changes to how I’ll work with Substack in the coming weeks. The love letter to Substack and the coming changes may all go together.
But enough of the me me me. You are one of the pillars of this community, and I’ve taken delight in watching your flower open here. It’s been very clear to me that that is what has been happening. A joy to watch, even behold. It is far easier to do the same when you’re not alone.
In a strange way that you may neither reciprocate or be aware of you are a personal friend.
I feel the same way about you, Adam. You have become my friend. Isn't it strange how these things happen. yet they do. I don't suppose you feel like answering the 8 questions, too, while you're in the middle of a million other things including writing your own substack love letter? Maybe it will clash with your own plans, in which case, I'll understand.... I tried to email you before but for some reason I can't find your substack email (or any other one). Do you have mine? Email me if you do, and let me know you have, so I see it. And all those things you just said. This is me feeling very happy about them. x
Some great insights here. My reasonably new Writing Talk Substack is about creativity and craft advice, but there is an urge I’ve yet to scratch around using Substack as a place for my own fiction or creative non-fiction work. Your Substack gives me more food for thought. Ken.
Good to hear! Thanks, Ken.
I've been writing in one capacity or another for some 60 of my +75 years. My work has appeared in small, some now defunct, literary magazines; and later, as a PR flack in various publications such as trade magazines. Still later, I was a writer and editor at a research and teaching institute in academia. Since retiring, I write for me and share what I write.
Why am I on Substack? Hopefully to find more readers, especially for my forthcoming novel, "The Writer of Unwritten Books." Publishing has evolved greatly during the last 50 years, perhaps longer. As you correctly wrote, it's more about salability than it is about quality. After having my ms. rejected enough times to see the writing on the wall, I decided to go the self-publishing route. My novel will be published overseas. Why not? Whatever works?
As long as I'm in Substack, I will not charge subscribers to read my work or to comment. At this stage of my life, I'm not interested in financial gain. I have what I need. How long will I participate on Substack? To paraphrase Mick, "Time ain't on my side."
I love this!! I’m just starting on Substack (like a week and a half in) without any previous publishing experience and reading this really helps me feel like I’m going in the right direction with getting my writing put into the world!!
I do have a question for anyone who reads this, how often should one publish? I worry about bothering the people who subscribe and adding too much to their inbox, but I really want to share more of my writing. It’s a balance and I would love to hear some thoughts!
Hi Ava, and welcome to the stacks. Mary's right, once a week is a good rhythm to start off with.
Shoot for once a week--as general advice to start.