What I Would Tell My Younger Self
About halfway through my first year as a yearbook adviser, I got a sinking sense of loss: why hadn’t
Writing Books for Netflix, Disney, Lucasfilm, and More
How to get paid for writing stories about pop culture's most beloved worlds, from the New York Times bestselling author of DAMSEL
Why I'm Kickstarting my new book
It's not about money. It's about playing a bigger and better game.
“My Name Is Satya And I Am A Substackaholic.”
How to get the best out of Substack without falling into compulsion
Memoirs have tropes?! Trope lessons from Maria Bamford's Sure, I'll Join Your Cult
In praise of Maria Bamford's Sure, I'll Join Your Cult's use of tropes to develop an effective message around your memoir and bring your readers into the story quickly.
How to quiet down your negative self-talk
My 2024 goal is to better manage my negative dialogue. Here are some strategies to amplify your inner critic and quiet the doubts
How to launch an $80,000 Kickstarter for a single issue comic
Beast & Snow has been an absolute roller coaster ride of a campaign, and the creators break down how they raised over $80,000 for the first issue.
A technologist's perspective on whether AI will replace writers
Today I’m thrilled to bring you the first of what I hope are many columns by my friend, publisher,
Building a brand from the ground up
Making sense of branding is helpful for anyone aspiring to establish a meaningful and memorable online and offline presence.
Answering the need to tell your story
My grandmother was a writer. She never went to college, never got an English degree or a BFA or a fellowship at a major university, but she was still a writer.
Kickstarter publishing category growth in seven charts
Working with Stat Significant, we were able to break down the history of the Kickstarter publishing category between 2013 and 2021.
How to write about trans people with respect
A guide to help you support and attract LGBTQ+ readers
Exposing Yourself For Fun and Profit
There's a trick to gaining True Fans...but it'll scare you to death.
Growth, (online) engagement, and the diamond ring
10x growth on Substack in just over a year with Claire Venus
Lessons in Chemistry: Crafting 2023's Most Popular Read
What are some reasons why this book resonates with this breakout hit? We'll give you a hint. It has to do (at least partially) with tropes.
How (and why) to build a personal brand to keep your books selling
Would you rather readers buy your book when it launches, or have many continued sales throughout the years?
How I grew my Tiktok to 130,000+ #booktok readers before the release of my newest book
For the longest time, I was stuck at only a couple of thousand followers on TikTok, but once I discovered the niche that works for me, my account exploded. Here's how I did it.
Scale your author business like a startup
Call me delusional, but I really do believe that writers can build brands and businesses on par with any other industry out there.
One cannot be a great writer if one does not read.
Writing is breathing out, but reading is breathing in. You can’t have one without the other.
A Sustainable Substack
How to be successful and not kill yourself in the process
7 Reasons Why All Authors Should Use Universal Book Links
Universal book allow authors to intelligently detect a reader's location and send them to the correct storefront for their country.
We're Entering the Age of the Iconoclast Writer
If you're tired of the rapid-release book-publishing game, I hear you. Fortunately, there's another way.
May December: Tabloids, Trauma and Tolstoy in the Age Gap Trope
I admit it: I love uncomfortable dramas—Ordinary People, The Squid and the Whale, and Buffalo 66 are a few of my favorites.