Trad Publishing as Vanity Press

Hans Schantz is not your typical author; he is a literal scientist with a background in antenna technology who believes modern physics took a wrong turn over a century ago. Today he joins us to share how he uses his Hidden Truth series to reintroduce the lost principles of 19th-century electromagnetism to a new generation, effectively using alternate history to teach real-world physics.

We also dive deep into the reality of “cancel culture” in publishing. Hans reveals how being de-platformed by Kickstarter for his controversial courtroom drama actually led to him doubling his funding elsewhere. From the mechanics of organizing 300+ authors for the “Based Book Sale” to why he believes traditional publishing has become the “vanity press” of the 21st century, this episode is a masterclass in defying gatekeepers.

In This Episode

* Real Science in Fiction: Why Hans believes the standard model of the photon is contradictory (simultaneously a wave and a particle) and how he uses fiction to propose a consistent model based on Fields and Energy.

* The Cancellation Bonus: The story of how The Wise of Heart was booted from Kickstarter, only for Hans to double his funding revenue by moving to a competitor platform.

* Steelmanning the Opposition: Why writing effective political or courtroom drama requires creating logical, consistent arguments for the side you disagree with, rather than relying on “strawman” caricatures.

* The Based Book Sale: How to organize a massive, grassroots marketing event with over 300 authors to bypass algorithm suppression and cross-promote directly to readers.

* Bypassing Academic Gatekeepers: Hans explains why he moved his scientific research to Substack after academic journals refused to peer-review his work, finding a hungry audience of students and free-thinkers instead.

* Trad Pub is the New Vanity: Why seeking validation from a “Big 5” publisher is an ego trap, and why indie publishing is the only path for authors who want to find their true audience.

* Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack: A look at why serialization often fails for novels but thrives for educational content, and how to structure your writing to keep subscribers opening every email.

Guest Links

Hans Schantz

* Read The Hidden Truth series: https://amzn.to/3Yj03e1

* Based Book Sale Substack: https://basedbooksale.substack.com/

* Hans on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/36446731-hans-g-schantz

* Hans on X: https://x.com/AetherCzar

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com

* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to NFK

00:21 - Meet Hans Schantz: Scientist and Indie Author

00:45 - The Cancellation Controversy

01:48 - Hans’ Writing Journey and Projects

03:00 - The Kickstarter Fiasco

05:44 - Navigating Indie Platforms

08:35 - The Based Book Sale

10:58 - Challenges and Strategies in Indie Publishing

15:42 - Hans’ Physics Substack

21:29 - Writing Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack

26:13 - The Hidden Truth Series

29:12 - The Wise of Heart: A Courtroom Drama

39:51 - Advice for Indie Authors

43:15 - Where to Find Hans’ Work

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

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