The Storyletter - Going Lean, Staying Dedicated
Need fuel to get through your writer’s block? We’ve partnered with Coffee Brand Coffee! Follow the link and use code STORIES5 to get 5% off your entire order. We adopted the view that our job was to find a synthesis between our vision and what customers would accept; it wasn't to capitulate to what customers thought they wanted or to tell customers what they ought to want. ~ Eric Ries, The Lean Startup Substack has changed the way I think about publishing. It was the reason I created my company. I treat writing online like a business, which can be “taxing”, so to speak, as it can take a lot of time, money, and creative energy. There are also benefits too incorporating, but that will be a separate newsletter entirely. I recently went to a writer’s meetup here in SLC—a literary salon, if you will—and explained the concept of my company. I told the group that I didn’t want to create just another publishing company, that I wanted writers to retain all of their publishing rights and most of, if not all, their royalties while also becoming a trusted place to assist writers along on their independent journeys. Then someone said, “But isn’t that Substack?” I’ve been pondering that ever since. I know the answer, which is why I’ve been re-imagining my approach in a way that makes sense and fits with my goals. I have very little desire to manage and operate a large publishing company. My passion is in writing and helping others write. Whatever comes of that will be determined by the success brought on by major companies like Substack. This realization has mostly been a relief. I’ve suffered from burnout over the last few months trying to juggle too many things. I hope that you’re on board with these upcoming adjustments, and are as excited about what the future holds as I am. Going LeanIn the beginning, I had this desire to fill the days of the week with material to keep people engaged. This worked in the sense that I was able to build up a backlog of stories and articles to read, but the quality could have been better. I cast a wide net in my attempt to figure out what people would be interested in. I actually encourage this for people starting out as it helps to find your own voice and vision. The decision to post less is merely to refocus my energy. In this vein, I’m turning the monthly free newsletter (what you’re reading now) into a quarterly one as a way to allow myself more creative writing time. I’ve loved writing monthly as it has kept me on schedule, however, I don’t want it to become something I do just for the sake of doing it. The format will likely remain the same, so I’ll still include writing events, prompts, and open calls for submissions. The monthly paid newsletter won’t be affected; in fact, it should be improved because of this. The next thing being put on hold is the SRA Podcast. I had a lot of fun last year learning the ropes of voice recording. I still have a desire to do it, but the recording and editing process eats up a ton of time. It would need to be a live recording type-thing and I’m just not there yet. I’ve had a lot of fruitful discussions with people I admire and believe this may be an opportunity to shift focus to something more tangible, more unique. A New VisionIn the coming weeks I’ll be providing the details of a new vision for The Storyletter. It’s actually not totally new, it’s more of a relaunch of an event that I hosted last year. Some of you may remember it as the S6 Contest. I had a lot of fun with it last summer and got to read some amazing stories, but due to my relatively limited reach at the time, only half of the goal had been achieved. This time, with the influx in subscribers, I believe we have a real shot at manifesting the ultimate vision I had for that contest: an anthology. The biggest and most rewarding way I can think of platforming other indie and emerging writers is to get them published and their stories in front of more readers. So I’ll be dedicating my efforts into making this a reality. There’s a special feeling when you hold a book in your hands that has your story in it. And with so many talented writers on this platform, I can see it really being something amazing. Thank you to those that have stuck around this long, and a big welcome to those of you who have just joined. I appreciate each and every one of you. If you ever need to talk, or have something on your mind you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here: storyletter@protonmail.com. ~ WM What’s Happening
We host quarterly writing events. Writers can either post the story on their own Substack and we’ll cross-post it to our audience, or the story can be submitted for publication consideration as a Storyletter Original. Storyletter Originals are automatically eligible for inclusion in the Storyletter Anthology (volume one currently in the works). For more information, check out the post below: Entries:Indie Promo - Halcyon HorrorTips & Tricks - Storycraft: The ForestLearn more about how The Forest can be used in fiction to greater effect! Open Calls
Contests
Gift of the Month - MAMA MugUp NextI’m currently working on the announcement post for the big summer event. That should be out next month. Stay tuned! For XPress members, I’ll be releasing “To Build a Business” for May’s paid newsletter. I waited until post-tax season in order to gather as much information as possible on my first year running Storyletter XPress Publishing LLC. I’m gearing up to release the first Tales of Havek serial called The Angel of War. 4 years in the making. Wow. Time flies. The first chapter will be free, with the rest behind a partial paywall. In Case You Missed It*If you’d like to promote something in The Storyletter’s monthly newsletter, send me your pitch in an email to storyletter@protonmail.comThank you for being a free subscriber to The Storyletter. If you’d like to support us further, consider becoming a paying subscriber. Want to buy books and support independent writers? Check out The Storyletter Book Shop. |
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Including Famous Brands in Fiction
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
The Storyletter cross-posted a post from Fictionistas Winston MaloneApr 19 · The Storyletter Dear Reader, A few weeks ago, Fictionistas published an article I wrote on using brand names in fictional
Storyletter M&G: What is one thing you've learned since joining Substack?
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Welcome to the Storyletter Meet & Greet. Please introduce yourself, your Substack, and your current project! You don't have to be a writer to pa…
The Watch
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
A short story by Cameron Scott | Storyletter Original
Sword of the Sky
Saturday, April 8, 2023
Steampunk Fantasy | Lunar Awards Entry | Storyletter Original
Showcase: Lunar Awards
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
A new fiction society giving back to writers
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