The Business of Content with Simon Owens Why a bestselling author moved to Substack
14 snips
Apr 20, 2022 After decades writing for major magazines and publishing bestsellers, David Kushner turns to Substack to tell stories on his own terms. He discusses early days covering internet culture and gaming, why writers should control their intellectual property, and how newsletters can make room for serialized, multimedia reporting. Can free publishing build a loyal audience before the paywall arrives?
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
How Masters Of Doom Became A Bestselling Book
- David Kushner built Masters of Doom from magazine features after spotting videogames as an undercovered topic.
- He moved to Dallas, reported for years on Doom's creators, and turned that reporting into a bestselling narrative book optioned for screen adaptations.
Why Writers Should Protect Their Intellectual Property
- Kushner sees ownership of intellectual property as central for narrative writers because stories require deep reporting and creative effort.
- He carved out and insisted on keeping IP early, noting magazines later began claiming first-look or rights as revenues fell.
Move To Direct Publishing When Legacy Outlets Slow You
- Try publishing on a direct-to-reader platform when traditional outlets are slow or shrinking to regain control and speed.
- Kushner moved to Substack to tell stories how he wanted and avoid long pitch/assignment delays in legacy publishing.