NEW: We're Launching An Editorial Publication and Resource for Writers
We hope to help the thousands of writers and soon-to-be-writers navigate the world of publishing, marketing, community-building, and all of the wild nuances you have to know but are impossible to find
Let’s rewind to a little over a year ago, when I started thinking about Parea. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like publishing was broken from all angles. Readers had a hard time with discovery, authors had a hard time making money and gaining visibility, and publishers and retailers were consistently broke. I wanted to create a new business model that (ambitiously) tackled all of these things, unlocking more talent and more cash for everyone.
Along the way, I learned that there are plenty of authors who see the fault in traditional publishing but still find value in being published by one of the Big 5. I also encountered some wildly talented authors who were savvy enough to know they wanted to self-publish in order to keep more than 10% of revenue (!) but didn’t know how to successfully market a book. I learned my own lessons too, many of which at rapid speed, and many of which frankly could have been avoided if there were more information available about how this insanely mysterious industry works.
I get emails all the time from people asking for advice on how to write a book proposal, how to choose a publisher, how and when to start building their author “brand” online, what sorts of metrics they should be using to gauge success, what actually happens when you start working with an editor/publisher, why it takes so damn long to get a book into the world, and a million other questions.
That led me to launch Parea Studios, a creative and marketing studio for authors who aren’t published by Parea Books. We’ve helped a number of authors and publishers, but what really bothers me is how many more there are to help. And while I’m lucky to work with the few who can afford bespoke studio services and attention, there are many who can’t.
So, to the point: I’m relaunching this Substack as a tool for writers. I’m going to publish articles on a twice-weekly basis with valuable information about the vast and unnecessarily complicated world of publishing. I’m going to feature successful published authors (self, Big 5, and everything in between), accomplished editors, industry disruptors, and other experts to offer their perspective and advice. There will also be opinion pieces about trends in publishing, books and authors we admire, and occasionally some writing prompts and practices.
It would mean the world to me if you’d consider converting your subscription to a paid subscription to help jumpstart this endeavor. (Paid subscriptions mean I can pay guest writers for their articles, which is of the utmost importance as this entire thing is meant to help authors.) It would also mean the world to me if you’d send this to writers who you think could benefit from the advice, and if you could reply either directly to me or in the comments about what topics and questions are burning in your mind. The first “issue” will go live the first week of June.
Thank you for your continued support, and let’s work together to get more people writing more books and more people reading more books. The world will be better off for it.
I love it. Thank you! Appreciate you!