Carolyn McBride 🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦

Lots of good arguments there for choosing the Indie author route.
What stops many of us, I think, is the costs involved in editing, cover art, printing, distribution...not to mention the skills one needs just to find the right people to outsource and not get screwed over.
I have a potential publisher in mind that initially I was thinking of offering book 1, profits would pay for me to self-publish book 2. But I recognize that plan is built on a shaky foundation. Finding readers & subscribers & fans on Substack to help fund #2 isn't guaranteed either.
But at the core of it all, for the overdue change to come to the publishing world, we, the smaller authors, need to be brave and hold ourselves to a higher standard. Be brave and do what it takes to not take an easy deal because we're scared. Be brave and value our own work. Be brave and do not settle.
(And yes, I was telling myself those things as I was typing)
Thank you for showing us a different way, Elle. You are, as always, an inspiration.

I write stories, interlinked collections of fantastical tales, and I used to think there was money in it. (Many of your investigations & essays have since convinced me otherwise) But I too, see Substack as the future of publishing. As much as it might hurt, I find futurist book publishing/writing predictions fascinating. But man alive...those numbers that you quoted are just depressing. And here I thought I was doing a good thing by buying books. One reader, even as much as I read, doesn't cause so much as a ripple. At least with bigger publishing houses. The more I pay attention, the more appealing going Indie looks.
Thank you for all the hard work you put into this, Elle. I appreciate the education.

Wow, what a mind-blowing tour that must have been! He has the best job in the world. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
(I'm going back to read everything I can in your publishing series. It's been awhile and I always learn something new)

Fascinating! I'd somehow never heard of Herland before, but I've got it now and I suspect I'll be reading it before dark. Thanks for another insightful and thoughtful post. And for the ever-interesting marginalia!

This was a terrific piece, and while there were no surprises for me, I am very glad that you made the decision to pull it rather than allow the alternate one to be published. So Kudos to you for staying true to YOUR vision!

What a terrific interview!
I found his comments fascinating on including water and trees into a community to make it feel more connected to the world around it. This is intriguing to me from a world-building perspective.

I have a town in my novel that has been a little run down for many years, but despite distance from other communities and finances, I wanted it to gradually reflect positive change - true growth. And even though my small town is surrounded by forest, now I know how I'm going to show that change. Clean up the crime, invest in the infrastructure of the town, and bring the nature that surrounds the town, into the town. Maybe not the bears and mountain lions though.
But because my novel is a mystery, of course there has to be conflict. Secrets, the struggle for power, a mine that promises riches, precious gems...a town that is undergoing an evolution.

Because of all the work you've done and shared with us, now I know how to help my town evolve.
Thank you.