Fantastic, again. Loved it. Great insights, Ben, and enjoyed reading this after having been reading your work for so long.
"I think my instincts have gotten much sharper as a result of the regular repetition that’s required to publish every single week." -- absolutely this. (And many other things you said 😆)
“I look at my non-fiction posts as a gateway drug to my fiction.” This is such a great perspective. My essays take far less time to write than my fiction, so I have to remember not to undervalue that writing. It’s what most of my subscribers signed up for. So glad to have connected, Ben, and I look forward to SWDS 2!
I enjoyed this interview, Ben. And I'm looking forward to participating in your writing prompt this summer, as I will have more time for writing. ☺️ It's very generous of you to organise this and I hope that there's another ZOOM call so that we can all get to know each other.
I'm looking forward to participating in "Same Walk, Different Shoes" again. It's a very different experience, writing a story from someone else's prompt.
In a sense, everyone on Substack is published. The downside is that everyone on Substack is published. In other words, there is more out there than we can read/listen. In simple economic terms, the supply exceeds demand, and that makes it difficult to make a living here. Or anywhere, when it comes to writing. The reason to be here is to breathe the same air as all the other artists. And if you make some money, good.
The main reason that people like Taylor Swift have the success they do is marketing. She's good enough, but there are many like her. But without a machine behind her that knows how to manipulate the media (that IS the media, to a large extent), she would not be such a big deal. I wish her well, but I have no desire to be part of the crowd.
If I may make a plug for Ben, his music is well worth listening to. It's focused and engaging.
"Putting everything behind the paywall means you will be dramatically limiting the potential audience" Yes. And a lot of 'stackers aren't making clear exactly what's paywalled. For instance, some posts will be free, but then you have to pay to comment. This should be made clear at the beginning of the post, not when the reader attempts to comment.
Another fantastic interview! The part about publishing and letting go “Catch and Release” style is something I’ve been feeling but haven’t been able to articulate, but it’s what led me start writing on Substack in the first place, I think. Thank you both for sharing and for the insight!
Fantastic, again. Loved it. Great insights, Ben, and enjoyed reading this after having been reading your work for so long.
"I think my instincts have gotten much sharper as a result of the regular repetition that’s required to publish every single week." -- absolutely this. (And many other things you said 😆)
It is packed with wisdom.
“I look at my non-fiction posts as a gateway drug to my fiction.” This is such a great perspective. My essays take far less time to write than my fiction, so I have to remember not to undervalue that writing. It’s what most of my subscribers signed up for. So glad to have connected, Ben, and I look forward to SWDS 2!
I enjoyed this interview, Ben. And I'm looking forward to participating in your writing prompt this summer, as I will have more time for writing. ☺️ It's very generous of you to organise this and I hope that there's another ZOOM call so that we can all get to know each other.
Great interview series, Eleanor!
Thanks, Claudia!
I'm looking forward to participating in "Same Walk, Different Shoes" again. It's a very different experience, writing a story from someone else's prompt.
In a sense, everyone on Substack is published. The downside is that everyone on Substack is published. In other words, there is more out there than we can read/listen. In simple economic terms, the supply exceeds demand, and that makes it difficult to make a living here. Or anywhere, when it comes to writing. The reason to be here is to breathe the same air as all the other artists. And if you make some money, good.
The main reason that people like Taylor Swift have the success they do is marketing. She's good enough, but there are many like her. But without a machine behind her that knows how to manipulate the media (that IS the media, to a large extent), she would not be such a big deal. I wish her well, but I have no desire to be part of the crowd.
If I may make a plug for Ben, his music is well worth listening to. It's focused and engaging.
Thanks for the plug, Chip!
"Putting everything behind the paywall means you will be dramatically limiting the potential audience" Yes. And a lot of 'stackers aren't making clear exactly what's paywalled. For instance, some posts will be free, but then you have to pay to comment. This should be made clear at the beginning of the post, not when the reader attempts to comment.
Excellent interview as always. Thanks Eleanor and Ben.
Such a beautiful point about the majority of people paying because they love the work and they want to see it continue. Thank you, both ❤️
Thank you, dear Chloe.
Community, community, community. 🩵
So much here resonates, Ben! Keep going. Your work is so wonderful to read/hear and it sounds like it’s good for you, too. :)
Thanks, Kate. It is indeed good for me. ❤️
I'm looking forward to reading Ben's novels!
Harmony House is insanely good, you're in for a treat
Another fantastic interview! The part about publishing and letting go “Catch and Release” style is something I’ve been feeling but haven’t been able to articulate, but it’s what led me start writing on Substack in the first place, I think. Thank you both for sharing and for the insight!
Thanks, Stephanie! Glad some of this resonated with you.