Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about what I actually want this Substack to be.
Part of that has come from looking at what people read here. The articles and opinion pieces often do very well, while the fiction has a smaller but dedicated audience. That is fine. I enjoy writing both, and I’m not interested in turning this place into one thing at the expense of the other.
What I do want to change is what it means to be a paid subscriber.
Until now, I don’t think I’ve done a particularly good job of explaining why somebody should upgrade from free to paid. There have been extra posts, early access and the usual subscriber benefits, but there hasn’t been one clear reason to do it.
That changes now.
Introducing the Library
I’ve been publishing books for more than a decade.
That means I now have a pretty sizeable back catalogue of fantasy and science fiction, much of which has never really had a proper home on Substack.
So I’m creating one.
The Library will become a growing collection of my books and stories available to paid subscribers.
Instead of paying for a subscription simply to get the occasional locked article or bonus post, paid members will be able to use Substack as an actual library of my fiction.
You subscribe.
You open the library.
You start reading.
Simple.
Complete Books, Not Just the Odd Extra Chapter
This is the biggest change.
I’ll be adding more of my existing back catalogue to the library, including complete books that will only be available here to paid subscribers.
There is a lot to work through.
Rather than leaving years of fiction scattered across old posts and different platforms, I want to bring as much of it as possible together in one place.
And once a book is added to the paid library, it will be there for members to read as part of their subscription. Think of it as Netflix but for all of my books!
If you’ve subscribed because you enjoy my articles but have never actually read one of my novels, this is probably the easiest way to give them a try.
If you already read my books, there will hopefully be stories in there you’ve missed.
And if you’ve somehow read everything I’ve ever written, firstly, I’m impressed. Secondly, there is more coming.
The Library Will Keep Growing
I don’t want this to be a case of uploading a handful of old books and then forgetting about it.
I’ll continue adding to it.
That means more of my back catalogue will become available over the coming months, alongside newer fiction as projects are completed.
There will also be room for things that don’t necessarily warrant a full commercial release, including novellas, shorter stories, deleted material and other bits and pieces from the worlds I’ve created over the years.
The idea is that the longer you remain a paid subscriber, the more there should be to read.
I want someone joining six months from now to look at the library and think, bloody hell, there’s a lot here.
That, to me, is a far better paid offer than simply locking a few articles.
What About New Fiction?
That will continue too.
Nomad is now running as part of Sci-Fridays, Unconquered continues to be serialised, and there will be more fiction coming after them.
I’m also going to make greater use of read-ahead chapters where it makes sense.
Free subscribers will still be able to follow much of my ongoing fiction, because I want new readers to be able to discover these stories.
Paid subscribers, however, will increasingly get the opportunity to read further ahead.
So if you reach the end of a chapter and don’t particularly fancy waiting until the next one appears, there may already be another chapter or two waiting in the library.
Free Subscribers Aren’t Going Anywhere
I should make this clear because I don’t want this change to come across as me suddenly putting everything behind a paywall.
I’m not but after 4 weeks posts will be paywalled so you will have plenty of time to read my latest stuff and there will still be plenty for free subscribers.
I’ll continue writing the articles that many of you originally subscribed for. I’ll continue talking about publishing, books, storytelling, films, AI, the indie author world and whatever else has annoyed or interested me enough to write about that week.
There will still be free fiction too.
The difference is that I now want paid membership to offer something much more substantial.
Free subscribers get to follow my work. Paid subscribers get access to the library behind it.
Why I’m Doing This
I turned 40 recently, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want the next few years of my writing life to look like.
The answer is fairly simple.
I want to write more.
I want to spend less time worrying about algorithms, social media nonsense and whatever new thing authors are apparently supposed to be doing this week, and more time actually creating books.
Paid subscriptions help make that possible.
Every person who upgrades is directly supporting the time I spend writing Nomad, working on the next Star Core novel, building new fantasy worlds and finishing the other projects sitting on my increasingly ridiculous list.
I don’t expect everyone to pay.
Nor should you feel obliged to.
If you enjoy the free posts, keep reading them. Share them when you enjoy them. Argue with me in the comments when you think I’m talking rubbish.
That all helps.
But if you do want to support my writing financially, I want to make sure you get something worthwhile in return.
That’s what the library is about. Heck if all 3k+ of you became paid subs I could quit my dayjob and do this full time! The dream right there lol.
So, What Do Paid Subscribers Get?
The main benefit is now simple:
Access to the growing M.S. Olney Library and the complete books contained within it.
Alongside that, paid members will increasingly receive things such as:
Complete books from my back catalogue
New books added to the library over time
Read-ahead chapters from selected serials
Subscriber-only fiction
Worldbuilding and lore
Deleted scenes and unused material
Early extracts from upcoming books
Cover reveals and project updates
Occasional special offers on my books
Not every benefit will appear every week. I don’t want to start manufacturing pointless “exclusive content” simply because a calendar says I need to.
The books are the important part.
Everything else is extra.
Already a Paid Subscriber?
Thank you.
Seriously.
If you’re already supporting me, these changes mean your subscription is about to become considerably more useful.
Keep an eye on the M.S. Olney Library, because I’ll be adding more books and material to it as I work through the back catalogue.
[VISIT THE M.S. OLNEY LIBRARY]
Thinking About Becoming Paid?
If you’ve been reading this Substack for a while and have considered upgrading, this is probably the best time to do it.
You’ll be helping me spend more time writing while unlocking a growing collection of fantasy and science fiction in return.
And there is a lot more still to come.
[BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER AND UNLOCK THE LIBRARY]
Whether you’ve been here for years or subscribed five minutes ago, thank you for reading.
Now I’d better get back to filling that library.
