Bookworm or E-Postle: You Choose! :)
To Subscribe or Not To Subscribe: You Knew that was the Question, Right?
I hope you’ll join me, either as a Bookworm (free subscriber) or as an E-postle (paid subscriber). But what’s the difference? Right? FREE subscribers have “Bookworm” status and access. With “E-postles,” these folks intend on writing and publishing. As paid subscribers, you’ll receive extra stuff. Use this page to get a better understanding of What’s What, in terms of what…specifically…each type of subscriber receives…other than my sincere appreciation! :-)
NOTE: So far, Substack doesn’t allow tables. Please scroll down the page to locate and learn about the Bookworm features. Thanks!
The E-postle: Paid Subscriber
Known affectionately as “E-postles,” these folks intend on writing and publishing. As paid subscribers, they will receive a return on their investment in me and my writing career in the following tangible ways:
First, there are all of the Bookworm benefits. (Scroll below to discover those details!)
Second, if Halloween night arrives with no literary agent representing THE E-POSTLE, then the E-postles receive full access to every serialized chapter of the novel. (Click here to access the publication schedule!).
Third, there is access to community features, like chat & direct messaging.
And fourth, there is a variety of online and downloadable bonus material. This material will be posted between now and the serialization of THE E-POSTLE. This material will include, but not limited to, the following:
MS Excel (downloadable) literary work submission trackers: one for novel query letters and another for such creative work as poetry, short stories, essays, and so on.
Online lecture “Living a Proactive Literary/Creative Writing Life.
Short Story Case Study, revealing the evolution and process of creating an idea from scratch and following it through to publication in a national literary journal.
The Power of the Written Word posts. That’s all I’m gonna tell yah, for now! :-)
Love’s Labour’s Lost: These posts are personal examples on how to recover from literary defeat, and trust me: I’ve had plenty over the years!
Vanishing Act. This post is a story too cruel to be true, but it is. I’d tell you now what it’s about, but you wouldn’t believe me…without pictures, which I have.
Mentorship. This post explores the importance of literary mentors, and I will reveal several of the meaningful ones in my literary life…and what you can learn from them, as a writer.
Book reviews from a slightly different point of view. Here, I will share some “Tough Literary Love” in the form of book reviews on small, fast reads that have paid off in big ways. All of them are on craft.
The last post in this series is entitled “Flying Too Close to the Sun,” and it will be posted as close to Christmas Day as possible. That’s all I can bear to say about it right now, other than it will be worth the wait.
The Bookworm: Free Subscriber
FREE subscribers have “Bookworm” status and access. There’s nothing wrong with a Bookworm. Heck, I’ve been one all my life. These folks are avid readers, but they don’t necessarily want to be writers. It’s fun to participate, all the same. This free level of participation includes the following:
First, there’s a weekly public post, known as the Saturday Night Message. This is a behind-the-scenes peek at what it takes to get published and what a literary life looks like on a day-to-day basis, as well as how to balance the day job, family life, and the literary experience.
Second, Bookworm access comes with the ability to comment on posts.
And third, there are a series of on-going feature stories that have a logical connection to THE E-POSTLE’s subject matter, including technology, travel, family, literature, the holiday season, and so on. This material will include, but not limited to, the following:
The Lockdown’s Unlocking of the Manuscript. This post explores how the pandemic provided the opportunity for the story’s rebooting.
Fact Checking with Family. This post follows the madcap adventure of my returning to North London’s Swiss Cottage community to fact check the novel while taking along my teenage son (Master Seth) on his first big travel trip. Rick Steves, Beware! ;-)
Penning My Way Back Home. This essay explores the explosion of letter writing that I experienced during the Covid lockdown and how it impacted my life and writing.
My 60th Birthday Bonus Content. This is the only post that I am guaranteeing will appear on a specific day, i.e.: on my birthday in June. I will be working on all of the Bookworm and E-Postle posts throughout this year and posting them on balanced intervals. (Translation: I’m writing and proofing as fast as I can, but it will take all of this year to create and post everything promised on this page.) This is all I am gonna say about this post.
The Christmas Stocking & Christmas Card. These posts reveal my process behind preparing for, creating, and giving both holiday stockings and cards. The prep work starts in the summer and continues until the December delivery. Giving the right stocking (filled with the appropriate items) to the right person is an art form, one worth the effort. Trust me!
Poetry & Planets. In one of my first Substack posts (Planets & Pumpkins), I spoke about the important of astronomy in THE E-POSTLE. In this essay, I extend this idea to my experiences with teaching and studying poetry.
When combined with the Saturday Night Message, I hope this material reveals the value of your time, Gentle Reader. I understand that the only thing of value that any of us possess on this rock is our time. I see you and appreciate your investment in me and my words.
