Tag: newpub

Why Books Are More Than Books: The Power of Intellectual Property

A valued patron recently pointed me toward a video by a YouTuber called the Nerdy Novelist. He's been in the newpub scene for the better part of a decade now and frequently rubs elbows with some of the bigger players. According to him, the advent of A.I. is forcing authors…

December 19, 20241 Comment

Jack Conte and Neopatronage: A New Creative Economy

Unless you've been living in a cave on Mars, you're aware that the entertainment industry is in flux. Disruptive tech innovations, corporate screwups, and the path of least resistance becoming a slippery slope have destroyed the old paradigm. Jack Conte, CEO of Patreon, addressed this upheaval in his keynote speech…

December 18, 20242 Comments

Sanderson’s Flaw: The Trouble With Constantly Dynamic Characters

Brandon Sanderson is widely respected as a meticulous world builder, an innovative storyteller, and a prolific writer. Over the past two decades he's made his name as a crafter of ultra-refined magic systems and dynamic characters. But no methodology is flawless, and new writers can learn just as much from…

December 17, 20247 Comments

The Illusion of Choice and the Responsibility to Walk Away

A recent exchange online captured a recurring tension in the debate raging around entertainment and consumer culture. One side argues that people don't actually want good products—they want easy products. Ease of access governs most consumer decisions, which is why streaming services, retail giants, and movie franchises dominate the market.…

December 16, 202410 Comments

The Case Against “Christian Fiction” and For Christian Storytelling

You'll sometimes hear critics of the idea that Christian authors should write compelling universal stories rather than Christian Fiction™ argue that Jesus commanded His followers to preach the Gospel, not to tell stories. But this objection misunderstands the nature of storytelling and the profound role it has played in advancing…

December 4, 202418 Comments

Why Materialism Holds Back the Right’s Next Great Storytellers

Over on X, Isaac Young posted an insightful thread in which he sought to answer why the new counterculture has not yet produced a successor to J.R.R Tokien or Gene Wolfe. It's definitely worth a read. Young touches on something profound in his critique of how modern storytelling, particularly on…

November 6, 20244 Comments

No, Men Do Not Hate Reading

Spend enough time online, and you'll notice the phenomenon of recurring zombie memes that pop up from time to time. The claim that men hate reading books has been making the rounds again, leading to fretting, and in some quarters, feting, about the book insdustry's alienation of male readers. Figures…

October 29, 20247 Comments

Last Day for Lord of Fate Late Pledges

The Lord of Fate Kickstarter is our most successful crowdfunder yet. This is the last day to claim late rewards, so if you haven't yet gotten your Kickstarter-exclusive items, don't miss your final chance! Besides, we kept the best perks for last. Check them out ... The Burned Book Audiobook…

October 25, 2024No Comments

Why Christian Authors Shouldn’t Write “Christian Fiction”

Christian authors these days often have a hard time discerning how to base their stories on the foundational morals of Christendom without writing "Christian fiction". "What's wrong with Christian fiction?" you ask? The fact that such a genre label is deemed necessary illustrates the problem. And it's no help that…

October 11, 202421 Comments

To Build Your Audience, Differentiate Your Brand

Everybody knows that the book market is saturated. That means a major challenge facing authors is standing out from the crowd. In an environment where readers are spoiled for choice, building a long-term audience requires differentiating your brand. Let's examine why differentiation matters and how to make it work for…

October 10, 2024No Comments