PinnedWhat I’ve learned from one year writing a Substack newsletterAnd how I plan to earn a living doing it. — It was one year ago that I finished researching my article No One Reads Books (and other truths about publishing), and determined that my best hope as an author was to create a platform for my writing. At the time, I had no social media accounts and had just emerged…Substack7 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·PinnedYou Won’t Make a Living as a Fiction AuthorBut maybe that’s changing — The New York Times caused a stir recently when, in an article about pandemic book sales, it disclosed that “98 percent of the books that publishers released in 2020 sold fewer than 5,000 copies.” Though this statistic was shocking to many, it is not new information. People don’t read books…Writing11 min read
Published in The Novelleist·9 hours agoObscurity, The Thirty-Eighth ChapterIn which we learn the secrets of the third Marie. — We last read The Thirty-Seventh Chapter, in which the philanthropist met his fate. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. We have mentioned slightly the third of the Maries, who traveled with the widow from France, was interred into the convent, and was discovered to be missing…Fiction Friday10 min read
Published in The Novelleist·Jun 17Obscurity, The Thirty-Seventh ChapterIn which the philanthropist meets his fate. — We last read The Thirty-Sixth Chapter, in which things went awry at the philanthropist’s wedding. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. The governor returned to his study and settled himself at his bureau. The wedding had been a lavish scene, the aspirations of that groom most…Fiction10 min read
Jun 14I miss the pandemicA poem I wrote for TikTok — I starting writing an article about how I miss the pandemic, but it came out as a poem. Here it is spoken: Here it is written: I miss the pandemic Life’s so full It’s systemic Every moment with friends Calendar’s full when will it end I feel guilt, a pressure that I built Answering every text and message Without checking my own perspective I…Poetry1 min read
Published in The Novelleist·Jun 10Obscurity, The Thirty-Sixth ChapterIn which things go awry at the philanthropist’s wedding. — We last read The Thirty-Fifth Chapter, in which a gentle haunting awaited the widow. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. The wedding was stunning. The bride’s gown immaculate upon the alter, the priest holding his hand over them in blessing, the open air hung with boughs…Fiction8 min read
May 31I wrote a rap about my self-publishing journeyAnd performed it on TikTok — A couple of years ago, I got really burnt out sitting at my computer. I still wanted to write, but it was starting to be summer and I just wanted to go outside. At the time, I was listening to a 2Chainz album when I had an epiphany — what…Self Publishing2 min read
Published in The Novelleist·May 27Obscurity, The Thirty-Fourth ChapterIn which the widow’s retinue prepares for her return. — We last read The Thirty-Third Chapter, in which the town descended into hysterics. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. In that town, there was painter who rented out a portion of a more prominent man’s home. The painter was a yet unaccomplished man though there were…Fiction7 min read
Published in The Novelleist·May 20Obscurity, The Thirty-Third ChapterIn which the town descends into hysterics. — We last read The Thirty-Second Chapter, in which the philanthropist prepared for his pending nuptials. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. In the days following the widow’s imprisonment, a series of perfectly explainable, if we must be curt, occurrences drew the town into hysterics. First, despite…Fiction8 min read
Published in The Novelleist·May 13Obscurity, The Thirty-Second ChapterIn which the philanthropist prepares for his pending nuptials. — We last read The Thirty-First Chapter — in which we spent a sleepless night in the care of those left behind by the widow. If you have recently joined us, start with The Prologue. The Christmas season was upon them, and the philanthropist’s wedding hung suspended above it as the…Fiction7 min read
