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EP 484 - Serializing a Novel on Substack with Matty Dalrymple

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 07/23/2026

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In this episode Mark talks to Matty Dalrymple about her recent experience serializing a never-before-published new novel on Substack.

Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.

In the interview, Mark and Matty talk about:

  • How long Matty has been a writer, a podcaster, and a consultant to indie authors
  • The 52 days Matty has been experimenting with serialization of her latest novel
  • Why Matty enjoys Substack despite being frustrated and exhausted with most social media platforms
  • Leveraging Substack to get some early reader feedback on a novel
  • How once Matty starts to use a tool she likes to maximize its use as much as possible
  • The way Matty is serializing the novel and the way she introduced/set it up before it started
  • One of the pitches of people having access to see behind-the-scenes a little of writing a novel and offering feedback to the author before official publication
  • Releasing the book in chunks every single day
  • Asking specific questions for certain chapters of things Matty was interested in getting feedback on
  • The challenge of managing the logistics for subscribers in the way Matty preferred
  • What Matty has planned for a week of posts that come after the last chapter (including the title reveal allowing people to offer their feedback on that (and then the cover reveal)
  • How Matty plans on continuing to use Substack as a way of releasing over novels
  • The additional perks that subscribers to the book on Substack would receive in addition to the serialized novel
  • And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in their conversation.

Links of Interest:

 

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. ​Matty also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author, and she is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors

 

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0