For fiction writers, it can be challenging to know how to use Substack to your best advantage—especially when your energy is already stretched thin by drafting and revising a work-in-progress. Novelists often get stumped on what kind of content a fiction audience might enjoy on Substack. For nonfiction writers, finding Substack-worthy content tends to be a much clearer picture, but for fiction authors the through line is less clear. This article explores practical, fiction-friendly ways to use Substack that support your writing life and foster a community of fiction-loving subscribers.

Publish Fiction

The simplest place to start is the work you’re already doing. Use your Substack newsletter to get more of your fiction out there. Consider short stories, bonus or sample chapters, teasers for upcoming books, or a serialized novel published chapter by chapter over time. Don’t hesitate to use something you finished or published long ago. Novelist Elle Griffin published a gothic novel in serial form on Substack after rejection from publishers, and made $19,000 from her first year of Substack subscriptions. It’s okay if your content here isn’t perfectly polished. Substack readers are more interested in your consistent presence than perfection.

Share Bonus Content

Your fans already love your characters; dig out those backstory notes that didn’t make it into the final product and let your readers see behind the scenes. You could share character sketches, world-building notes, or commentary about why you made certain choices–or what character still lives in your brain. Try a Q&A between you and a character or a diary entry by a character.

Review Books in Your Genre

If there’s one thing book lovers love, it’s hearing about the books their favorite author loves.  So, consider sharing book reviews with your subscribers, especially within the genre you write. Be sure to ask your readers what they’re reading, too, so they have an easy way to engage with your Substack. And hype up other authors in your genre; building goodwill is always a win.

Talk About Your Writing Process

Write a short reflection about your writing life, considering things like your drafting and revision process, how you build a world, how you research, how you found an agent (or are still trying), how you seek out and respond to feedback, your creative triumphs and tragedies, and what you’ve learned from other writers about craft.

Collaborations

Writing doesn’t have to be solitary on Substack—and collaboration can actually lighten the load. Some ideas to consider:

  • Host an interview with another author (bonus if they host one with you too!). Ask them things like what a week in their writing life looks like, who their influences are, or to share their writer origin story. Feature their work, too.
  • Write a piece of short fiction with an author buddy.
  • Collaborate with a group of authors on a monthly theme or writing prompt.
  • Involve your readers by using an AMA (Ask Me Anything) approach or by sharing your responses to frequently asked questions. Give a shout out to the subscriber who asked the question, with their permission. This creates authentic connection.

Collaboration works especially well on Substack because it introduces your work to readers who are already invested in reading fiction by writers like you.

Commentary/OpEd

Use your Substack to give your take on current trends in publishing, writing or news topics that relate back to your book. Give your opinions on authors marketing themselves or the world of indie publishing. If you write thrillers, you could share thoughts about true crime. A romance writer might consider how erotica fits within traditional publishing. Tackle representation issues in your genre. These pieces work best as thoughtful and curious inquiries, meant to foster conversation and connection. Give your unique insights and add something meaningful to ongoing conversations about the fiction-writing world.

Interact With Your Community

Think of how you might get your subscribers to write back: create reader polls, solicit feedback on story ideas, start conversations in Chat, or offer writing challenges to your readers, many of whom are probably writers too!

Monetized Exclusives

As you work on what content to add to your Substack, consider what extra value you could offer through paid subscriptions. Think about what bonus/deleted scenes might be most desirable for readers and make those exclusive. Maybe you can give a sneak peek into a new project for paid subscribers only. Write a short story or novella in the world of one of your published works and offer it as a digital-only publication that comes with a paid subscription.

Make Substack Work For You

Check out our article “Substack 101” to see how you can utilize Substack to your advantage. Whether you’re writing fiction, have a journalism background, or just want a fun space to share your thoughts, ideas and musing, Substack is an ever-growing space for writers of all backgrounds. Check out our Substack 101 article for tips about getting started on the platform!