Very insightful and inspiring as usual. You are truly a visionary, Elle. Looking forward to read your novel. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot and got very excited about the future. Thomas J Bevan’s Soaring Twenties are real.
P.S. I have started thinking of novelising a screenplay I have been writing for some time, which I had never thought of before. Thanks for this also.🙏
I finally got a chance to read this in full. Your ideas for immersing readers in your story's aesthetic is so goddamn brilliant. Not once have I even considered that my story isn't just words on a page or a Netflix adaptation. It's an experience. One that readers probably want to immerse themselves in (just as much as you do)! :> You've somehow brought back that imaginative, child-like aspect of storytelling and I'm 100% freaking onboard.
P.S.: Guess I could find a way for readers to fight off my assassin-sibling-MCs in some sorta Virtual Reality simulation... Time to deep dive. Thanks again, Elle. I love your mind! <3
I explored Reedsy's publishing platform a while ago and it looks like they've cracked the code - from a developmental point of view, at least. Reedsy lets you write your story in their environment and then find editors and other important people through the same platform, merging the process. If they could integrate a publishing/reader view, I think they could really take off.
Oh hey, I'm just here to be called the example of the future of fiction. Great work as always, Elle. See you at the haunted mansion on a dark and stormy night for the writing contest.
I've learned so much from your work, Elle. Thank you. It will be interesting to see how whatever models emerge work across genres and older audiences or if this will remain a dream that best fits a younger reader of particular kinds of fiction. In any event, I agree with Terrell. I have not seen the level of detailed analysis combined with very readable prose anywhere else. Again, thank you!
This was fascinating! I would love if the future of these platforms also included 'agents' or 'editors' who watch out for and guide authors on the platform. I feel like these collaborations can make all the difference in a work's longevity.
Another fascinating article, Elle, my mind is blown with all the possibilities that are/may be coming our way - the question is how best to direct our energies, as writers, to make the most of the different platforms etc - where to begin 🤷🏼♀️😂
Brilliant, as usual. You are absolutely correct. There are a lot of apps and websites that have a piece of the puzzle, but no one has made it all into one cohesive, easy-to-manage experience/product. I believe direct support of creatives is the future, but it has to be far easier for both the supporter and the creative. We are not there yet. It is still way too hard. Let's hope someone with your extraordinary vision reads this and decides to create it. And writers embrace it.
I especially like the idea of sharing research irt with potential readers, although there would be a great possibility of overload and fatigue. For both the writer and the reader. And also meeting the readers' expectations once the book is written. And it sounds like the book would need to be written quickly. Or maybe this "we're fulltime buds" is just what writers need to finish their books. Certainly this might work for more extraverted writers. Keep thinking because the future is you.
I have many thoughts on this, but have a hard time condensing them into a coherent proposition, but I’ll try. I think traditional publishing, like all aspects of culture, has been politicized in such a way that the industry has hindered its ability to take risks on talent. It prefers absolute adherence to narrow genre codes with little to no parallel with the world we experience. It’s Harry Potter or Hail Mary (good books in their categories) for all and in all. That is to say, formulaic genre is all. This would be fine if it weren’t ubiquitous. All of the apps in the world will only marginally improve content. I don’t like the idea that narrative must adapt to technology, (mainly because the technology we are expected to use seems to truncate narrative), but I understand that this is the new world order. I’ve given up the idea of being an indie success. I’ve seen the biases within the publishing and agenting worlds to know that who I am and what I’m offering does not fall within their interests. I do like your idea of serializing a novel again, and Substack seems a great forum for that. I might do it with my next book. I appreciate your insights and heroic attempt to figure out this system. It is the only way, I believe, but I’m too disillusioned at this point to keep searching for the rivulet into the stream.
This is visionary, Elle! It makes me dream new possibilities. Maybe I'll stop chasing traditional publication and serialuze my current book series instead. I have 3 of the books written already...
Your dad is right: you DO think differently than other folks, and I, for one, love it. I love the ideas, love love love the wholesale embrace of a future that personally terrifies me, and love the fact that you express the possibilities of that future so passionately. I'm a huge fan, and my fingers, eyes, and knees are crossed that you are right, and at long last, we can excise the cancer of traditional publishing.
My only concern about this future is that high concept books, books with Big Ideas might not find the audience they deserve amid the glittery vampire boys and western paranormal romances. If we whet our fictional appetites on this kind of fast-food fare ... but I am, perhaps, being too pessimistic. Maybe the whole point is to just keep people reading. Honestly, I don't know.
But it WILL get more niche. That's a given. And authors will have to decide whether they want the "prestige" of "being chosen" for traditional publication, or if they want to keep the damn lights on. What a terrible choice to have to make. With all my heart, I wish that more financial support was given to artists, writers, musicians, dancers, including affordable housing. I moved to Italy for that reason. I could no longer afford to live in the United States and continue to write. Think about that a minute.
I love your thoughts, Elle! Keep them coming. You are appreciated.
I'll agree with you on basically everything, and it's great that such great stories will have a future. Though it's also kind of sad that the wonderful finds like the vintage AIWL from your last post are going to be in shorter and shorter supply. If I want to read a book, I want to read a book goddamn it. I'm becoming more of a boomer with every passing year. I want to read. Not play a game. Not have my crotch shot with a bolt of electricity in every erotic scene that comes up. Not see what my aunt thinks of the literary prose that pretentious lit-students enjoy. Just paper and ink, nothing more. I hope that there's still room for that.
If that future's secure, then f*ck yeah I'll take the shock to the groin and heart when reading the latest YA-vampire-erotica novel they'll come up with. Why not?
I cannot wait to read your fiction, but I just wanted to say too -- you're a seriously amazing journalist and analyst. This is FAR better, more substantive, thoughtful and nuanced, than anything I've ever read about the publishing industry in the WSJ, NYT, etc. This is first-rate reporting and insight.
Very insightful and inspiring as usual. You are truly a visionary, Elle. Looking forward to read your novel. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot and got very excited about the future. Thomas J Bevan’s Soaring Twenties are real.
P.S. I have started thinking of novelising a screenplay I have been writing for some time, which I had never thought of before. Thanks for this also.🙏
Update: I have now begun to serialize my thrillers on Patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/thejonathanEpps?fan_landing=true
Downside? The site doesn't promote your page, having a fanbase is pretty much a prerequisite. I'm doing it anyway and promoting it wherever I can.
Question: Should I also serialize the book here for free?
I finally got a chance to read this in full. Your ideas for immersing readers in your story's aesthetic is so goddamn brilliant. Not once have I even considered that my story isn't just words on a page or a Netflix adaptation. It's an experience. One that readers probably want to immerse themselves in (just as much as you do)! :> You've somehow brought back that imaginative, child-like aspect of storytelling and I'm 100% freaking onboard.
P.S.: Guess I could find a way for readers to fight off my assassin-sibling-MCs in some sorta Virtual Reality simulation... Time to deep dive. Thanks again, Elle. I love your mind! <3
"My utopian fiction world quakes with each new addition to an author’s tech stack." Amen.
I explored Reedsy's publishing platform a while ago and it looks like they've cracked the code - from a developmental point of view, at least. Reedsy lets you write your story in their environment and then find editors and other important people through the same platform, merging the process. If they could integrate a publishing/reader view, I think they could really take off.
Oh hey, I'm just here to be called the example of the future of fiction. Great work as always, Elle. See you at the haunted mansion on a dark and stormy night for the writing contest.
I've learned so much from your work, Elle. Thank you. It will be interesting to see how whatever models emerge work across genres and older audiences or if this will remain a dream that best fits a younger reader of particular kinds of fiction. In any event, I agree with Terrell. I have not seen the level of detailed analysis combined with very readable prose anywhere else. Again, thank you!
This was fascinating! I would love if the future of these platforms also included 'agents' or 'editors' who watch out for and guide authors on the platform. I feel like these collaborations can make all the difference in a work's longevity.
Another fascinating article, Elle, my mind is blown with all the possibilities that are/may be coming our way - the question is how best to direct our energies, as writers, to make the most of the different platforms etc - where to begin 🤷🏼♀️😂
Brilliant, as usual. You are absolutely correct. There are a lot of apps and websites that have a piece of the puzzle, but no one has made it all into one cohesive, easy-to-manage experience/product. I believe direct support of creatives is the future, but it has to be far easier for both the supporter and the creative. We are not there yet. It is still way too hard. Let's hope someone with your extraordinary vision reads this and decides to create it. And writers embrace it.
I especially like the idea of sharing research irt with potential readers, although there would be a great possibility of overload and fatigue. For both the writer and the reader. And also meeting the readers' expectations once the book is written. And it sounds like the book would need to be written quickly. Or maybe this "we're fulltime buds" is just what writers need to finish their books. Certainly this might work for more extraverted writers. Keep thinking because the future is you.
I have many thoughts on this, but have a hard time condensing them into a coherent proposition, but I’ll try. I think traditional publishing, like all aspects of culture, has been politicized in such a way that the industry has hindered its ability to take risks on talent. It prefers absolute adherence to narrow genre codes with little to no parallel with the world we experience. It’s Harry Potter or Hail Mary (good books in their categories) for all and in all. That is to say, formulaic genre is all. This would be fine if it weren’t ubiquitous. All of the apps in the world will only marginally improve content. I don’t like the idea that narrative must adapt to technology, (mainly because the technology we are expected to use seems to truncate narrative), but I understand that this is the new world order. I’ve given up the idea of being an indie success. I’ve seen the biases within the publishing and agenting worlds to know that who I am and what I’m offering does not fall within their interests. I do like your idea of serializing a novel again, and Substack seems a great forum for that. I might do it with my next book. I appreciate your insights and heroic attempt to figure out this system. It is the only way, I believe, but I’m too disillusioned at this point to keep searching for the rivulet into the stream.
This is visionary, Elle! It makes me dream new possibilities. Maybe I'll stop chasing traditional publication and serialuze my current book series instead. I have 3 of the books written already...
Your dad is right: you DO think differently than other folks, and I, for one, love it. I love the ideas, love love love the wholesale embrace of a future that personally terrifies me, and love the fact that you express the possibilities of that future so passionately. I'm a huge fan, and my fingers, eyes, and knees are crossed that you are right, and at long last, we can excise the cancer of traditional publishing.
My only concern about this future is that high concept books, books with Big Ideas might not find the audience they deserve amid the glittery vampire boys and western paranormal romances. If we whet our fictional appetites on this kind of fast-food fare ... but I am, perhaps, being too pessimistic. Maybe the whole point is to just keep people reading. Honestly, I don't know.
But it WILL get more niche. That's a given. And authors will have to decide whether they want the "prestige" of "being chosen" for traditional publication, or if they want to keep the damn lights on. What a terrible choice to have to make. With all my heart, I wish that more financial support was given to artists, writers, musicians, dancers, including affordable housing. I moved to Italy for that reason. I could no longer afford to live in the United States and continue to write. Think about that a minute.
I love your thoughts, Elle! Keep them coming. You are appreciated.
I'll agree with you on basically everything, and it's great that such great stories will have a future. Though it's also kind of sad that the wonderful finds like the vintage AIWL from your last post are going to be in shorter and shorter supply. If I want to read a book, I want to read a book goddamn it. I'm becoming more of a boomer with every passing year. I want to read. Not play a game. Not have my crotch shot with a bolt of electricity in every erotic scene that comes up. Not see what my aunt thinks of the literary prose that pretentious lit-students enjoy. Just paper and ink, nothing more. I hope that there's still room for that.
If that future's secure, then f*ck yeah I'll take the shock to the groin and heart when reading the latest YA-vampire-erotica novel they'll come up with. Why not?
I cannot wait to read your fiction, but I just wanted to say too -- you're a seriously amazing journalist and analyst. This is FAR better, more substantive, thoughtful and nuanced, than anything I've ever read about the publishing industry in the WSJ, NYT, etc. This is first-rate reporting and insight.