Your voice, your story, your narration
Why self-narrating your audiobook is the smartest move for authors in 2025
7 unconventional ways to succeed as a writer
Beyond the usual tips to ignite creativity, foster deeper connections, and get you seen by the right readers.
How to Hook Readers by Stealing Television’s Binge-Worthy Secrets
Learn how to make your novel unputdownable by borrowing binge-worthy storytelling secrets from television, including five essential scenes that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.
Yes, writing a great book people read is marketing, too
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not too cool for marketing just because you "only wanna write the next book". You just love a different kind of marketing.
Always sell the transformation
No wonder everyone hates sales and marketing. The ways writers think about self promotion is deeply flawed. I would hate it if I did it their way, too.
Down and dirty character tricks
I don’t talk about craft much, but I’ve written over 40 novels, plus produced over 1,000 pages of comics, so I do understand a lot about story.
The era of rapid trend cycles in publishing
AI's Impact on rapid releasing, a decreased ability to find category arbitrage, and the shift in the balance of Author Ecosystems dominance in publishing.
Should you "write short"?
Ever since I joined Substack, the best practice I have heard was to “write short”. It started as shorter than 1,500 words, and then it reduced to 800-1,100 words. Is that good advice, though?
How to compile your blog into a book
I’ve released multiple solo nonfiction books up to this point in my career and most of them were compiled almost exclusively or primarily through repurposing blog articles and Facebook posts.
Objectively good and subjectively your jam...
People ask me often how I get over bad reviews and keep going even when people are unimaginably cruel. It all goes back to a simple parsing of semantics we aren't taught in school.
How can we survive and thrive in the new media landscape?
The same things that saved us in the old media environment will save us in the new media environment.
The things you cannot influence
How creating your own podcasts, events, and publishing ventures can rapidly grow your audience and supercharge your creative career.
Why (and how) to do a roundup
The point of a roundup is to create community and highlight other people on Substack that your readers should also read to help you grow your network and your publication.
The bullseye method for growing an audience
How I've been able to write very weird books AND sell enough to thrive.
My 38 favorite books of 2023
No, these aren't all books that were released in 2023, but they are all books I read in 2023.
