Using Substack for Science and Gatekeeping

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.

New episodes weekly.

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