The Great Author Substack Question

Books don't magically market themselves. On rare occasion, an FBI investigation has generated buzz for a new title or a powerful company tried to prevent an author from promoting her book. Rather than quell interest, the opposite generally happens. The Streisand effect remains alive and well.

Absent these black-swan events, authors and publishers have to pound the pavement for their new releases. Their goals overlap: attract readers, nab premium book reviews, move copies, and the like. The only difference between now and the 19th century is the tools at their disposal.

Which brings us to Substack.