Crafting serial fiction part 4: Finding readers

Crafting serial fiction part 4: Finding readers

You’ve planned what you’re doing, you’ve started putting words to the page, and you’ve published some chapters of your serial fiction project. So…where is everyone? Part 4 of our Crafting serial fiction mini-series attempts to grapple with that exact question. In here you’ll find: * Finding readers: * Figuring out your publishing model * Whether to mix non-fiction and fiction * The reality of newsletter growth timescales * Algorithms and how to not go mad * How to get noticed on Substack Notes * BookFunnel, collaborations, podcasts and more * Handling feedback: * Most readers are quiet and that’s fine * When and how to dive into your comments sections * Responding to positive comments * How to manage rude and abusive comments * What to do about constructive criticism and polite negativity * Community: * The snowball effect * Using Substack Chat, Discord * Discussion posts * Livestreams * Recognising names and faces Plus some other bits and pieces. You know me and S.E. Reid [https://substack.com/profile/80396624-se-reid]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe [https://simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Getting it completely wrong

While rummaging through my back catalogue last week, I stumbled upon an old post called Planning your story’s big finale. Allow me to indulge myself by quoting my own writing: “Eighteen months in, I can see the end. It’s just peeking over the horizon, still a fair ways off but approaching with alarming rapidity. Which means I’m entering into a new phase: wrapping it all up. That process is what I’m talking about today.” Such confidence! Marvel at the clarity of vision! I am an arrow loosed from the bow. That post was published in May 2023. As some of you will already know, I didn’t finish publishing Tales from the Triverse [https://open.substack.com/pub/simonkjones/p/how-to-read-tales-from-the-triverse?r=3rwg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web] until January 2026. We’re not talking about being a few months out here: that’s almost three years later! This is, of course, very silly and slightly embarrassing, and does call into question whether you should listen to anything I say. You can read that old post here: https://open.substack.com/pub/simonkjones/p/planning-your-storys-big-finale?r=3rwg&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web [https://open.substack.com/pub/simonkjones/p/planning-your-storys-big-finale?r=3rwg&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe [https://simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Crafting serial fiction part 3: Writing & Publishing

We’re back with part 3 of our mini-series all about Crafting serial fiction. This episode is all about writing and publishing, once your serial is going out into the world. You’ve completed your planning and prep and the story is in the wild. During the episode we go chronologically through the experience of publishing serial fiction, and how each phase brings its own challenges (and joys!). * Getting started: early chapters * The hump: getting past the tricky 20% or 20k threshold * The long slump: being in the middle of it * Landing the plane: endings We’ve got a couple more episodes to go in this series, with the next one focusing on audiences: finding readers, building a community, and all of that. Keep an eye on your inbox if you want to watch live. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe [https://simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

You are not a content creator

And yes, I know, language evolves. I’m 45, so I’m the prime age to be complaining about newfangled words that weren’t used when I was a lad, and all that. I’m very much in the ‘aunties’ age bracket, apparently, according to Time. Why can’t we go back to wearing bowler hats and riding in horse-drawn carriages, dammit? Language does evolve, and there’s always that interplay between words and culture. That’s what makes language exciting and the best possible expression of right now. Perhaps it doesn’t matter how we describe what we do, as long as we’re still doing it. As a writer, though, I have to come down on one side or another: words either matter or they don’t. I like to think that they do. If the term ‘content creator’ had emerged organically out of some punk underground movement, perhaps this would be a different conversation. The emergence of the term into widespread use seems far more pernicious to me. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe [https://simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Crafting serial fiction part 2: Planning & Prep

It continues! On Saturday I jumped back onto a livestream with S.E. Reid [https://substack.com/profile/80396624-se-reid] to talk all about Crafting serial fiction, and this time the focus was on preparation and all the things you need to do and think about before you start publishing a serial. Don’t be fooled by my rambling and fluffy intro: there’s some good stuff in here (especially from Sally) once we get into it. In part 2 we discuss: * The fundamentals: finish the manuscript first, or publish as you go? * Outlining: plan ahead, or make it up as you go? * Structure: where are the chapter breaks? What is the narrative structure of your story? * Themes: staying on track and using them as your compass * Characters: quick tips for creating compelling character arcs * Scheduling: weekly? Monthly? Daily?? * Workload: how to figure out how much time you actually have for the project * Buffers: should you have one? * Presentation: checklist of resources you need before publishing, from a visual identity to an index Thanks for watching! Hope it was a useful time. Thanks to everyone who showed up live and contributed questions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe [https://simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]