Monthly Review #2 & Substack Updates
Big Changes A-Comin'
As September slips away into the mists of spooky season, also known as October, changes are heading to Aspiring Author, Professional Nerd. Continue on to see how this past month panned out and what’s on the horizon!
Top Post of the Month
This month’s best performer featured an array of big baddies, and I mean that in the literal sense.
I was so nervous about this piece. It spoke to a very vulnerable part of myself (primarily my squishy tummy), but it was also a discovery I had made that was very important to me.
I also was remiss in not mentioning the biggest baddie of them all who is an all-time favorite: Godzilla!
The day has not yet come for me to burst into full nerdy glory over my love for kaiju, but when it does, brace yourselves.
Note of the Month
People seemed to like this one, probably because every fiction writer feels it to some degree or another.
When I write fiction, I see the story play out in my head beat-for-beat, like watching a movie. You can probably tell by how over-detailed and cluttered my writing gets at times.
But what I would love is to really see my characters. Not in a movie, because I wouldn’t trust a studio not to foul up my stories, but definitely in fanart. But that requires fans.
Alas and alack.
Now, to new business!
The Herald of Som is coming to Substack!
That’s right, folks, you heard it here first! (Unless you’ve been following my Notes, in which case you probably had an inkling this was coming.)
I will be releasing The Herald of Som on Substack a chapter at a time starting on Thursday, November 7th.
Why wait? A number of reasons:
October will be dedicated to all things spooky!
I need the time to hype myself up and get the pieces polished and ready to go.
Most importantly, November marks 2 years since I started working on this book. It seems right to begin its release on its anniversary.
The book is divided into sections, and there may be a gap between each segment’s release depending on how editing is going. But the first section, consisting of the first four chapters, will fully release this November.
I am so incredibly excited to finally put this story in front of people. It has been such a blessing to me to work on, and I pray that the epic fantasy, magic, and monsters of my story will also be a blessing to others and give glory to God.
A New Direction Means New Rules… And a New Name!
Things are going to look different around here starting next month, so here’s the rundown:
October
Tuesday posts will discuss books, movies, and games worthy of the creepy time of year!
Due to some life events, Thursday posts will not be guaranteed each week this month. I have one lined up for this week (October 3rd) that is the first chapter of a potential novel, but the other weeks are up in the air.
November
The publication will be receiving a new name!
The Herald of Som and other genre fiction pieces will be the main focus of the publication, still slated to release every Thursday at 12:00pm EST.
Tuesday posts will be moving to a new section! What this means is that each subscriber to my Substack will have the ability to opt out of receiving pieces via email that are not explicitly genre fiction . Some details:
I’m doing this because I don’t want to clutter up people’s inboxes with my ramblings if they’ve come here for my stories. There is a difference, albeit only slightly sometimes.
If you are currently subscribed to the publication, you will automatically be set to still receive all pieces in your inbox. However, you will be able to change your settings if you would like to opt out of the Tuesday stuff.
New folks subscribing to the publication will have a choice to opt in for the Tuesday posts upon signing up.
Finally, Tuesday posts will no longer be weekly. I want to focus on writing The Herald of Som, its sequels, and the dozens of other stories floating around in my head. Putting myself under the pressure of writing these blogposts is really slowing down my progress on my fiction. The Tuesday musings will still be around, but their production will be whim-based. Thank you for understanding.
Also, in case it needs saying, this publication as a whole is staying free. I hope to take some of these pieces and publish them in book form someday, but I am far more compelled to get my stories out there than to try to make a career off of them at this time.
If you have the desire and wherewithal to show some financial appreciation for my work, awesome! My stomach (and my dog’s) will thank you kindly for the support, and I will still try to find ways to cook up behind-the-scenes stuff for you in return.
But if all you can offer is some of your time and attention while I spin a tale or two, that’s priceless. Honestly, that’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a little boy coming up with my first stories of magic and adventure.
Thank you all for being here, and here’s to many more stories to come.
Blessings,
S.M. Osborne