Meetup Chat 12-12-23
Geoffrey Golden
https://meetup.substack.com/p/this-week-substack-writer-meetups-c8e/comment/45261244#comment-45262126?utm_source=activity_item
Amran Gowani
Hey Friends, Amran Gowani: agowani.substack.com.
Erica Phillips
ericaphillips.substack.com
Chris Deliso
Niccolo Hilgendorf
Hi everyone, first time here, happy to meet you all!
Elliot Toman
Hi, everyone! I'm at
Carissa Steefel
Hi all; I'm in Kent, WA. Good Humor
Meg Oolders
Hiya! Meg O. stockfiction.substack.com
Jon Delp
Hello, everyone. I'm Jon Delp. I write Stomp Roams wild spec fiction at www.stomproams.substack.com
Geoffrey Golden
I hope you feel better, Jackie!
Carissa Steefel
csteefel.substack.com
Meg Oolders
Hold up, I mean.
Geoffrey Golden
I'm Geoffrey from LA.
https://adventuresnack.com
Judith Klinger
Hello. First timer here.
Niccolo Hilgendorf
Geoffrey: I'm moving to LA in Jan. :)
Meg Oolders
Welcome, Judith!
Amran Gowani
Easy link:
Meg Oolders
And welcome, Niccolo!
Dan Schaefer
Hello! I'm Dan Schaefer, living near St. Louis, Missouri. This is my first time here!
Geoffrey Golden
Ayyy! Message me through my Substack and we'll "do lunch," Niccolo.
Meg Oolders
Woot! Hi Dan!
The Hartebeast
Hey all! I have 2 publications that deal with fiction - fantasy:
and not fantasy - currently historical 80s: https://bellanthebeastie.substack.com/s/fiction
Dan Schaefer
:-)
Niccolo Hilgendorf
Thank you Meg and Geoffrey :) will do!
Jeff Harrison
I’m Jeff from Salt Lake City. This is my first time. Nice to meet you all
Meg Oolders
Welcome, Jeff!
Jon Delp
My first time, as well. Nice to meet everyone. (Writing out of Philadelphia)
Meg Oolders
Hi, Jon. Awesome to have you here!
Amran Gowani
This business clinic is scheduled for this Friday and looks interesting: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vRV0iWeaSvOkVH27v_aUhQ#/registration
I did a business clinic with Jane in November and it was extremely valuable.
Meg Oolders
🥂
Jackie Dana
Thanks Amran!
Geoffrey Golden
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Deliso
I agree with Meg- bridging the gap between substack and trad publishing is a main concern...
Jackie Dana
One thing I think is true is that Substack doesn't believe there is $ in fiction so they don't invest time or resources in what we need or to promote what we do
I would like to see how we can change that
Amran Gowani
Agree, Jackie. We need to keep leaning on management.
Here's the link to my business clinic with Jane:
Learn from my mistakes!
Amran Gowani
Yes, Mary! This is the way.
Meg Oolders
🔥
Carissa Steefel
awesome, mary!
Jackie Dana
If anyone here wants to pitch a guest post, feel free to reach out to fictionistas@substack.com
Meg Oolders
That's awesome, Erica!
Mary Louisa Locke
I would be glad to write a guest post at some point.
Amran Gowani
Congrats, Erica! Focusing on the work first is always the right approach.
Jackie Dana
@Amran would you be interested in doing a guest post on the question of "can fiction succeed on Substack - and what is success, anyway?" ??
thinking of drawing on the Jane Friedman convo
Amran Gowani
Sure! But not until some time in 2024. I'm really jammed up the rest of the year -- not even writing on my own newsletter!
Jackie Dana
Oh I didn't mean in the next 2 weeks! :D
Mary Louisa Locke
I agree with Meg as well, both that advice can be overwhelming, but also that I think that the most important priority for the substack should always be what works for you. I spent 30 years in writers group because it helped me work on my craft, both as a beta reader, and as I kept trying to improve the draft I had. back when there was no where else to put up my writing at that point but in a drawer. I love the idea that substack can give Erica a place to practice her craft and not feel alone.
Meg Oolders
We got you, Alexx
You can make this what you wish, baby!
💜🔥
Amran Gowani
Co-signing Meg's point. The beauty of these platforms is you can make them whatever you want. One of the biggest considerations is defining your metric for success.
Meg Oolders
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thinking outside the box!! Let's do!!
Geoffrey Golden
Me either
Meg Oolders
I read ONE daily Substack, but it's not fiction. And admittedly, I miss them sometimes.
Elliot Toman
@Amran Yeah, it's weekdays, so five a week. Still, a lot.
Jackie Dana
Another idea would be to write daily but compile and only publish 2x or 3x a week
N.V. Rivera
back in my blogging days I did daily posting during the month of April because of the blogging A through Z challenge. It was a month when the blogosphere was THERE FOR IT, but the rest of the year, it was too much and we all scaled back to less frequent.
Robin Reardon
I"m experimenting now with publishing 3 chapters of a novel free and then putting the rest behind a paywall.
Dan Schaefer
Hey Robin, I'm doing the same thing. I just started. How is it working out for you?
Robin Reardon
Just getting started, actually. This weekend will be my first paid post. You?
Jon Delp
I think it gets difficult for fiction writers to avoid the anxieties as they work on their craft, because there are so many voices saying "produce content consistently" to be successful. But it already starts to feel off-putting when the language is "content" versus "art" or "stories." So, it's affirming to hear that other writers are going to write at their own pace, and as Amran said, being able to establish your own success without having the standards of others be your standards.
Erica Phillips
yes!
Dan Schaefer
I don't have any paid subscribers yet, except for a few close friends that I've comp'd.
Erica Phillips
yes!
Dan Schaefer
I don't have any paid subscribers yet, except for a few close friends that I've comp'd.
Robin Reardon
Yeah, my first ones will be comped. Then... we'll see.
Mary Louisa Locke
I do a daily, and I would never ever suggest anyone else do this, but I had established this with my fans, and with 40% open, I feel like I need to keep this up. But I have been trying to figure out how to do this without burning out. So again, depends on what works for you, and sometimes your audience.
The Hartebeast
100% this is how I consume - I mute all email notifications because I don't like to read it there. My main readers are all bingers, not read as I post, and this is how I originally wrote everything, but...for new ones, most people aren't like me. So because of the newsletter aspect, I actually have begun to doubt that Substack will work for me and have no idea what might.
Meg Oolders
Woot!
Erica Phillips
i have no paid, and have a paid sub set up, but since I have a day job (working right now, lol) $ is not my focus. i kinda don't care about stats and the increasing line on the graph. yet, people are subscribing everyday lately, so something is happening! I also turned off email newsletters, it was stupidly overwhelming to see it flow in constantly. i just have my notifications on my phone and i can click on it if I want to .
Jackie Dana
Meg this is a good point to raise in the recap - ask people what their goal is for having a Substack and to define what success looks like. Is the goal really to make money on Substack or something else? Why are they on the platform? This could be a good year-end reflection activity.
Jeff Harrison
Amran I’m curious how you were able to get a publisher for your book? Did you have an agent? This process feels super scammy to me based on my experience
Erica Phillips
since I am still technically "on the clock" at the day gig, I have an actual work meeting. hopping off. nice to see all of you. this group is fantastic
Meg Oolders
Talk soon, Erica!
Geoffrey Golden
Thanks for coming Erica!
Amran Gowani
Hey Jeff, I just signed with an agent and I went through the traditional querying process. I haven't published my book, but hopefully that'll be something on the near-term horizon.
Meg Oolders
No need for FOMO there will be a recap!
Niccolo Hilgendorf
@Jeff: I'm currently in the middle of the querying process. It's a drag and very difficult but I wouldn't say it feels "scammy" to me :)
Jeff Harrison
Ok cool thx for the answers. I’ve had a couple groups show interest but they all want $$ to go through the process
Jon Delp
These are the questions mentioned in your November email:
How do we attract our “ideal” readers and keep them engaged? How can we make the Paid Subscription model work for us?
The Hartebeast
Jeff - I got mine by pitching live at a writer's conference. A bunch of my other author friends also did it this way
Jeff Harrison
Great idea. I’ll have to look into that. Thx
Amran Gowani
NEVER pay money to an agent!!!!
That's a scammer.
An agent takes 15% of domestic sales and 20% of international. They never make money unless you do.
The Hartebeast
woot. And TRUE.
Amran Gowani
If anyone in publishing asks you for money, they're scamming.
Jeff Harrison
Thx!
N.V. Rivera
Can you make a post that is a table of contents where you link the chapters in order? That's what I did
Niccolo Hilgendorf
gotta run - thanks for having me and nice to meet everyone :)
Elliot Toman
I'm glad I joined today. Thanks, everyone!
Carissa Steefel
I number my chapters
Jackie Dana
Also creating an index page with links to each chapter really helps
Meg Oolders
I would recommend bopping around looking at how other fiction writers are setting up their novels. If someone has a set up you like, you can reach out to them and see how they did it!
The Hartebeast
Nicole - same. And I pin the ToC to the top.And yup, I create the link at the top to ToC and a link at the end to the Next Chapter
The Hartebeast
Dan - this is how I do it: https://alexxhart.substack.com/s/greek-gods
N.V. Rivera
and knowing is half the battle
Geoffrey Golden
Amen
Dan Schaefer
Thanks!
Jeff Harrison
What a great group! Thanks so much for the chat. See you all next time
Geoffrey Golden
Take care, Jeff