Substack Live Podcast

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. Happy Tuesday!Please read the intro as I forgot to record one!This interview is a concise rundown of the realities of being an author in a publicity-driven world. Courtney Maum is quite possibly the only person who could bring it to us.You might think of there being two eras: BCM (before ) and ACM (after Courtney Maum). Before Courtney and her game-changing publishing guide, Before and After the Book Deal, authors and writers were pretty much left in the dark as to what to expect when they went to sell a book and what would happen during and after. Courtney changed that. Her book and her amazing Substack have changed writers’ lives and empowered us all.Courtney is also a stunning novelist and memoirist. She’s the author of The Year of the Horses, which was chosen by The Today Show as the best read for mental health awareness. A nominee for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the host of the monthly Beyond Fiction conversation series at Edith Wharton's.The Mount, Courtney's essays and articles on creativity have been widely published in outlets like The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian and her short story, “This Is Not Your Fault,” was recently turned into an Audible original.I’m so happy to be able to interview her for you and (I hope) ask her some of the questions you have about writing and publishing on Substack and beyond.Listen or read the transcript below and enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

Sophia Efthimiatou, Head of Writer Relations at Substack, discusses the importance of authenticity on the platform, embracing creative freedom, and writing personally for subscribers. The conversation also explores potential growth areas on Substack, category selection strategies, and the platform's rising popularity internationally.

Learn how personal coaching can help writers succeed on Substack, with stories of subscribers doubling and tripling in numbers. Find out why Substack is the best platform for writers financially, professionally, and artistically.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. On the go? Listen to the audio.If you aren’t a subscriber, become one (!) to master the art and business of being on Substack.On to the reason why so many writers feel bad about promoting their work and why they shouldn’t…For many creative writers, publicity is something to be avoided lest someone accuse them of “self-promotion.” (By “creative,” I mean anyone who’s not a journalist—not that journalism isn’t creative.) The tacit belief is that “real” writers shouldn’t need to promote their work. “Good” writing magically publicizes itself or is promoted by others, i.e., gatekeepers—agents, publishers, critics, the media, celebrity authors, Substack writers with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, etc.I can’t overstate how damaging this has been to writers. It’s brainwashed us into believing 1) all promotion is self-promotion and 2) publicizing our work means slumming and a lack of literary or artistic credibility. More than that, it’s created a culture of dependency and entitlement and a whole lot of professional writers who can’t make a living from their profession.Writers—especially creative writers—seem to think publicity isn’t or shouldn’t be part of our job. Guess what? It is. It’s not the reader’s responsibility to find us. And not just on Substack. You can get the best agent and a big book deal and you’re still expected to sell your own books. (Sorry to pop that fantasy bubble, but it’s true.)Yes, there’s the whole art-versus-commerce angst, which I’ve never understood. The idea that commerce taints art is one that I’d love for us all to question. Maybe it has more to do with reaching people. Art that sells speaks to the buying public; art that doesn’t, well, doesn’t. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. A bonus for you for the weekend! If you’re serializing or thinking about serializing your book (or possible book), I go through the entire process and what to consider on the Become a Writer Today podcast with Bryan Collins. Bryan is great.We talk about all things serialization and “becoming an author,” including my trajectory from* interviewer at The Paris Review to* MFA-in-creative-writing grad to* PhD-in-English grad to* HarperCollins author to* devoted Substacker serializing my new memoir Cured and helping creative writers everywhere come into their own and make a living as a writer.I hope it inspires you and gets you thinking about serialization on Substack. Listen and enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe