Valentine’s Day is coming up, so it’s the perfect time to find new love or reaffirm your affection with… a fellow writer. We’re thinking about creating a matchmaking program that will pair up fiction writers with other fiction writers. Building off the monthly prompts, this will be another step toward turning Fictionistas into Substack’s biggest fiction community and support network.
We really want this to work, so we’d love your input.
Let’s start a discussion. You can answer any or all of the following:
What are you looking for in a matchmaking program? (Cross-promotion, writing partner, an editor/mentor, etc.)
If you’ve been a part of something similar before, what has or hasn’t worked?
If you find it hard or intimidating to reach out to others, why is that? Would you like a Fictionistas editor to help with the matchmaking?
Feb 10, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Sam Colt, Chevanne Scordinsky
First of all, I liked this idea a lot. I suppose I would be looking for either 1) someone who is a relatively experienced indie author like myself who writes in one or more of my genres to possibly swap beta reading and advice about marketing. 2) mentoring someone who is interested in becoming self-published or hybrid (ie is already traditionally published but interested in also looking into self-publishing.) While I have had relationships with both kinds - equal partners and being a mentor, I think it would be particularly rewarding to be matched up with writers who are also invested in making substack work.
Great idea! I would look for someone who has a similar level of experience along the writing journey who writes in a similar genre in order to swap ideas and beta read for one another.
Hello! What a great idea. I'm most interested in partnering with a group of other fiction writers who are on Substack for cross-promotion. The trickiest part would be finding people whose work align so for example it would be really challenging for me to partner with someone who writes fantasy because I write historical fiction set in the 1950s and 1960s, and vice versa. :) But thanks for thinking of all of us writers out there!!
Love the matchmaking idea! An editor/mentor would be awesome for me, especially one that’s experienced with self-publishing. Happy to beta read/edit for others, fantasy/sci-fi preferred, but open to most genres.
Very good idea! Like others, I would love to partner with a fiction author in a similar genre. Ideally this would be someone whose substack is more personal essay driven and less fiction oriented.
My difficulty with such arrangements has always been that it’s really hard for me to produce fiction outside whatever book I’m working on. (Okay, it’s hard for me to produce that fiction, too. 😂) So - someone who writes fiction but also explores similar themes in their essay/nonfiction writing.
I'd like to be matched with someone who could give me feedback. I feel comfortable reaching out on my own for cross-promotion, but I've ended every chapter of my serialized fiction with a request for feedback and rarely get it. I haven't been part of anything like this before.
Love this idea! I would be interested in finding writers for cross promotion! I write and illustrate mostly fantasy and comics for young audiences. I'm super shy so a matchmaker would be a huge help!
Love this! 1. I would love a Critique Partner/editor for the long haul. I write fantasy/dystopia. Mostly I do self editing and send a version to alpha readers. 2. Yes, I've done these in Facebook groups and found people on both twitter and Facebook. 3. It's intimidating to do a cold-call approach but if a bunch of authors are all in the same place, looking for the same thing, that makes it easy to reach out.
I agree with a lot of what's been said! I would love to find someone who could help with cross promotion, but I'm also very interested in giving feedback and partnering with someone who could help keep me accountable. I think it's great some people love to write with a partner, but I personally like to discuss and pitch solutions with people once I can see some pages in front of me. However you choose to do this matchmaking it seems like a very fun exciting idea!
Hi, I'd love to find a beta reader. You can check out my books on Amazon ("Inventing the Future" and "The Big Bucks", author Albert Cory).
My third book is well underway, set in the early 90s at the very moment where the Internet was not QUITE happening yet, but it was close. I think it isn't really "historical fiction" anymore; it's just "fiction set in Silicon Valley 30 years ago."
1. I'd be interested in a writing partner or a mentor. I've been writing for years, but have kind of been slacking the last couple years or so. I'm trying to get more serious about it this year.
2. I haven't even seen this kind of thing before.
3. I don't prefer reaching out to others, but I think I could do it. I would prefer help, though.
I’d love to be matched with someone who writes for children who lives outside of the UK as I write place based fiction so would be interested in hearing from folks who are fresh to my locations. 🍂🙏. I’m not too fussed about publishing anything just yet just love the creative process of writing something different to my regular content here. ✍️
Feb 10, 2023Liked by Sam Colt, Chevanne Scordinsky
Very cool idea! Love it. I’m interested in potentially doing a guest post (me on yours, you on mine) or cross-posting etc. I write everything from cultural criticism to literary auto-fiction to memoir. My voice and style is raw, gritty, and very honest. I’m a deep, realistic, rational writer and thinker.
1. Someone with similar interests and genres of writing. This would help the cross-promotion (it's really hard to find people to work with on Substack), but also to find a kindred spirit with matching goals, topics, etc.
2. I have done something similar a few times. Common introduction questions to answer and help others orient themselves about you were helpful. Too random pairs were not.
3. It's hard, cause there is no list or a place to go to look for writing partners/people who would like to do the best of Substack like letters, cross-posting etc.
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a writer. Find me a catch!
1) All three! Is there a superbeing that can be a crosspromoter-partner-mentor-icon?
2) I had a noice writing crew that helped with critique and was encouraging - but we didn't always know how to help elevate each other in our careers.
3) It's not super intimidating, but finding a match takes time, and building relationships takes even more of that nonfungible substance - any help is appreciated!
Add me to the list of the interested ... though I have to say, I think I’ve already had some success including with members of this group (Brian Reindel, Meg Oolders, Amran Gowani). The hardest part is finding someone who 1) gets my voice and what I’m trying to accomplish and 2) thinks they can see more there. And vice versa.
Great idea. I'd be looking for cross-promotion and exchange of ideas. This recent experience may be interesting: I reached out to a SS author about something not connected to their writing. Their content has little in common with mine - they're concerned with wellness; I write fantasy fiction. When they proposed writing something together, I first said, Nah, it won't work. But in our conversation, we discovered a common interest: foraging. I realized that we could write something valuable together. I could abandon fiction for a post or two on their newsletter, or we could write a fictionalized foraging trip focused on the seasonal wild plants growing in our area. I'm looking forward to our first effort.
I love this idea. Writing can be a very lonely pursuit, so I think it would be great to be paired up with someone who has similar interests and is good at providing meaningful feedback. I would also be keenly interested in cross-promotion and collaborating on ideas to expand readership. I’m psyched to be a part of this community.
I’m wondering about the best way to match people up. Maybe we could create some type of survey that would help?
Critique group of up to 6 other serious psychological/thriller/crime writers would be my perfect match up. Do you write like Rachel Cusk, Lee Child or Jennifer Egan? By serious I mean seeing writing as a craft, always improving
I would be willing to try this. Substack is fairly unknown to the other people I know in the writing community, even though I mention it whenever I can as an opportunity. I could use some support in whatever form that would take to write serialized fiction since no one else I "know" is doing that. While I've tried and tried, I am just not a novel writing kind of gal...yet. My past negative experiences in reaching out to other writers has caused me quite a lot of anxiety to try again, but I've not had that experience repeated here so I am getting braver.
Great and generous idea, Fictionistas! 👏🏼 I'm interested too - mostly to pair up with another writer for feedback/edits and possibly accountability too.
I write literary fiction/memoir and non-fiction essays about women's experience in today's world, and living one's best life.
First of all, I liked this idea a lot. I suppose I would be looking for either 1) someone who is a relatively experienced indie author like myself who writes in one or more of my genres to possibly swap beta reading and advice about marketing. 2) mentoring someone who is interested in becoming self-published or hybrid (ie is already traditionally published but interested in also looking into self-publishing.) While I have had relationships with both kinds - equal partners and being a mentor, I think it would be particularly rewarding to be matched up with writers who are also invested in making substack work.
Great idea! I would look for someone who has a similar level of experience along the writing journey who writes in a similar genre in order to swap ideas and beta read for one another.
I think it’d be great to have a matchmaker specifically for cross promotion to help break the ice and find new authors to work with.
Hello! What a great idea. I'm most interested in partnering with a group of other fiction writers who are on Substack for cross-promotion. The trickiest part would be finding people whose work align so for example it would be really challenging for me to partner with someone who writes fantasy because I write historical fiction set in the 1950s and 1960s, and vice versa. :) But thanks for thinking of all of us writers out there!!
I support this idea! 💯🙌🏻
Love the matchmaking idea! An editor/mentor would be awesome for me, especially one that’s experienced with self-publishing. Happy to beta read/edit for others, fantasy/sci-fi preferred, but open to most genres.
Hate to ask but are there any Conservatives out there ?
Very good idea! Like others, I would love to partner with a fiction author in a similar genre. Ideally this would be someone whose substack is more personal essay driven and less fiction oriented.
My difficulty with such arrangements has always been that it’s really hard for me to produce fiction outside whatever book I’m working on. (Okay, it’s hard for me to produce that fiction, too. 😂) So - someone who writes fiction but also explores similar themes in their essay/nonfiction writing.
I'd like to be matched with someone who could give me feedback. I feel comfortable reaching out on my own for cross-promotion, but I've ended every chapter of my serialized fiction with a request for feedback and rarely get it. I haven't been part of anything like this before.
Love this idea! I would be interested in finding writers for cross promotion! I write and illustrate mostly fantasy and comics for young audiences. I'm super shy so a matchmaker would be a huge help!
Love this! 1. I would love a Critique Partner/editor for the long haul. I write fantasy/dystopia. Mostly I do self editing and send a version to alpha readers. 2. Yes, I've done these in Facebook groups and found people on both twitter and Facebook. 3. It's intimidating to do a cold-call approach but if a bunch of authors are all in the same place, looking for the same thing, that makes it easy to reach out.
I agree with a lot of what's been said! I would love to find someone who could help with cross promotion, but I'm also very interested in giving feedback and partnering with someone who could help keep me accountable. I think it's great some people love to write with a partner, but I personally like to discuss and pitch solutions with people once I can see some pages in front of me. However you choose to do this matchmaking it seems like a very fun exciting idea!
Hi, I'd love to find a beta reader. You can check out my books on Amazon ("Inventing the Future" and "The Big Bucks", author Albert Cory).
My third book is well underway, set in the early 90s at the very moment where the Internet was not QUITE happening yet, but it was close. I think it isn't really "historical fiction" anymore; it's just "fiction set in Silicon Valley 30 years ago."
1. I'd be interested in a writing partner or a mentor. I've been writing for years, but have kind of been slacking the last couple years or so. I'm trying to get more serious about it this year.
2. I haven't even seen this kind of thing before.
3. I don't prefer reaching out to others, but I think I could do it. I would prefer help, though.
I’d love to be matched with someone who writes for children who lives outside of the UK as I write place based fiction so would be interested in hearing from folks who are fresh to my locations. 🍂🙏. I’m not too fussed about publishing anything just yet just love the creative process of writing something different to my regular content here. ✍️
Very cool idea! Love it. I’m interested in potentially doing a guest post (me on yours, you on mine) or cross-posting etc. I write everything from cultural criticism to literary auto-fiction to memoir. My voice and style is raw, gritty, and very honest. I’m a deep, realistic, rational writer and thinker.
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
1. Someone with similar interests and genres of writing. This would help the cross-promotion (it's really hard to find people to work with on Substack), but also to find a kindred spirit with matching goals, topics, etc.
2. I have done something similar a few times. Common introduction questions to answer and help others orient themselves about you were helpful. Too random pairs were not.
3. It's hard, cause there is no list or a place to go to look for writing partners/people who would like to do the best of Substack like letters, cross-posting etc.
I have nothing really productive to add other than to suggest this article is paired with “Matchmaker Make Me a Match” from Fiddler on the Roof.
Just kidding.
This is a great idea. Hopefully we can watch some great pairings.
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a writer. Find me a catch!
1) All three! Is there a superbeing that can be a crosspromoter-partner-mentor-icon?
2) I had a noice writing crew that helped with critique and was encouraging - but we didn't always know how to help elevate each other in our careers.
3) It's not super intimidating, but finding a match takes time, and building relationships takes even more of that nonfungible substance - any help is appreciated!
Add me to the list of the interested ... though I have to say, I think I’ve already had some success including with members of this group (Brian Reindel, Meg Oolders, Amran Gowani). The hardest part is finding someone who 1) gets my voice and what I’m trying to accomplish and 2) thinks they can see more there. And vice versa.
Great idea. I'd be looking for cross-promotion and exchange of ideas. This recent experience may be interesting: I reached out to a SS author about something not connected to their writing. Their content has little in common with mine - they're concerned with wellness; I write fantasy fiction. When they proposed writing something together, I first said, Nah, it won't work. But in our conversation, we discovered a common interest: foraging. I realized that we could write something valuable together. I could abandon fiction for a post or two on their newsletter, or we could write a fictionalized foraging trip focused on the seasonal wild plants growing in our area. I'm looking forward to our first effort.
I love this idea. Writing can be a very lonely pursuit, so I think it would be great to be paired up with someone who has similar interests and is good at providing meaningful feedback. I would also be keenly interested in cross-promotion and collaborating on ideas to expand readership. I’m psyched to be a part of this community.
I’m wondering about the best way to match people up. Maybe we could create some type of survey that would help?
Critique group of up to 6 other serious psychological/thriller/crime writers would be my perfect match up. Do you write like Rachel Cusk, Lee Child or Jennifer Egan? By serious I mean seeing writing as a craft, always improving
I would be willing to try this. Substack is fairly unknown to the other people I know in the writing community, even though I mention it whenever I can as an opportunity. I could use some support in whatever form that would take to write serialized fiction since no one else I "know" is doing that. While I've tried and tried, I am just not a novel writing kind of gal...yet. My past negative experiences in reaching out to other writers has caused me quite a lot of anxiety to try again, but I've not had that experience repeated here so I am getting braver.
Great and generous idea, Fictionistas! 👏🏼 I'm interested too - mostly to pair up with another writer for feedback/edits and possibly accountability too.
I write literary fiction/memoir and non-fiction essays about women's experience in today's world, and living one's best life.
Who's a match? 😄