Hi Reader,

Before anything else, I want you to know this: you currently have full access to Author Friendly, my writing and publishing Substack as a thank-you gift from me. It’s equivalent to an $80 annual subscription, and it’s my way of saying thank you to longtime subscribers who’ve been reading, learning, and showing up over the years.

There’s nothing you need to do to receive it.

I also wanted to take a moment to explain how Author Friendly, fits into what you’ve already been receiving from me.

Until now, you’ve been getting occasional emails from me about new writing tools, resources, and classes, often connected to the Writing & Publishing Circle. That continues.

​The Writing & Publishing Circle remains the place for courses, events, and structured learning, and I’ll still send my regular newsletter occasionally with a roundup of what’s most relevant in your writing and publishing life right now.

Author Friendly, on Substack, is something different.

This is where I’m publishing my ongoing writing for authors:

• publishing news and context
• discussion and conversation
• publishing product and service reviews
• scam alerts and industry warnings
• perspective on how publishing actually works today

I chose Substack because it supports real engagement. Readers can comment, restack, make notes, and interact with the work—and with each other. It also lets me publish more often and more flexibly without cluttering up your inbox.

If you’re already on Substack—and many of you are—you’ll be familiar with how dynamic a place it is, whether you’re publishing prescriptive nonfiction, creative nonfiction, or fiction.

In fact, I’m also publishing my China Road Motorcycle Diaries in a separate Substack as an experiment in serial storytelling—more on that soon.

For now, there’s nothing you need to do.​
Unless you want to, you don’t need to change settings, follow anything new, or take action.

If and when it’s useful, you’re welcome to head over to Author Friendly and see what’s happening there that affects your writing and publishing life. You can read quietly, engage when something resonates, or simply dip in occasionally.

One practical note: depending on your email app, Substack messages may land in Promotions, Updates, or a secondary folder. If you ever want to be sure you see new posts, moving one message into your primary inbox usually does the trick.

As always, thank you for reading—and for being part of a thoughtful, author-centered community.

Warmly,
Carla