Dear Reader…
Welcome (or welcome back) to The Weekly!
We still have a group of new folks joining us for the first time after last week’s Substack feature, so I want to extend the warmest greetings to you all!
If you’re new, please go ahead and read this post from last week, giving an overview of Talebones, of me, and of how all this works. We’re glad you’re here!
The Weekly is a digest where I catch us all up on the previous week’s Talebones shenanigans, so in this issue we’re going to do a little bit of a round-up to make sure you didn’t miss anything, AND I’ve also got a little milestone-based gift that I’d like to give you folks, as a token of my appreciation for being the best readership on Substack! (It’s true, look it up. 😉)
Let’s Get Started!
Weekly Round-Up!
In Case You Missed It…
Winter’s Nell - This folktale-inspired story features a young runaway, a cold night, and an act of kindness. (My current goal is to write 3-4 pieces of short fiction every month, so look out for shorter pieces like this one dropping into your inboxes as the tales strike!)
Our Winter Serial—a 12-part episodic novella—is about a quarter of the way done, with plenty of time to jump in and catch up. If you like supernatural mysteries, local lore, and a bit of maritime Pacific Northwest flavor, you might like Freelance and Fishmaids!
Check out the Table of Contents for the synopsis and episode list
Jump straight into the First Episode
All caught up? Read Episode Four: The Turning, if you haven’t already
The next episode drops this Friday, so stay tuned!
The Art (and Craft) of Seasonal Storytelling - In this one-off writer-focused article, I explain a little bit about how writing on a seasonal schedule (especially with my serial stories) affects the craft itself. You can find more writer-focused articles at my Start Here! page under Resources for Substack Writers.
I publish a twice-monthly bulletin of Substack-based fiction news full of announcements, books for sale, community-building projects, and whatever else the talented folks on this platform are dreaming up, called TALESTACK NEWS! If you’re a subscriber, then you’re already signed up to receive it. The next issue drops on Monday the 15th, but you can check out the most recent issue here to see what kind of cool stuff is going on around the wider fiction neighborhood!
A Milestone and a Gift For You
A (Reluctant, But Grateful) Look At The Numbers
If you’ve been around me and my work for a while, you know that numbers as a measure of progress make me uncomfortable. I don’t like to share my subscriber stats without context, because I don’t think that numbers ever tell the whole story of how a writer is doing. I prefer dedication over growth, and I have been so blessed with a loving and dedicated readership. I couldn’t ask for more (and I genuinely don’t)!
That said, I have been gently admonished by my “marketing manager” (my wonderful and wise husband 😂) that it’s always good to celebrate milestones.
In his words, direct quote: “Isn’t half the fun of milestones getting to celebrate with family and friends?”
So, in that spirit…
Talebones has now grown to over 2,000 subscribers, which I’m finding difficult to wrap my brain around.
I would like to say THANK YOU to you all for the miraculous growth, especially last week, and for taking a chance on this newsletter, whether it was because you saw a piece of my work, or because you noticed the little Talebones Telescope icon on Substack’s featured page, or you read one of my Notes and it resonated. Whatever reason it is that you’re here, I’m glad, and I hope you’ll let me continue to tell my weird little tales to you!
A Little Calendar of Gifts
Here at Talebones, our paid membership is called the Archive. When a season is over, I move the serial and three short stories from that season behind the paywall. The Archive also contains exclusive resources, like the official Ferris Island Map and behind-the-scenes info about a season’s stories. And Archive members also vote on which stories go behind the paywall after each season, so it’s a pretty fun time!
If you’re interested, you can learn more here.
This month, in honor of our milestone and the new year, I am going to be unlocking the paywall each week to let out an archived tale! Gotta catch ‘em quick, though, because after that week, they’re heading back into the Archive!
A try-before-you-buy, if you will.
The Calendar:
This Week: The Candle Duology (available now!) - a supernatural saga about a megachurch pastor, his wife, and a transformation
January 14-20: The Right Thing, What Lingers In The Dark, and What Chooses To Stay - short Ferris Island tales (click here for synopses)
January 21-27: Goldgreen (episodic serial) - the events that transpired around an ill-fated TV show in the 1960s
January 28 - February 3: Ivy & Ixos (serial novella) - the story of a ten-year-old girl, her estranged father, and a wild family secret
I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into our Archive this month, and if you’re intrigued enough to become a paid member, I always appreciate the support!
To subscribe for $2.50/month or $30/year and gain full Archive access, click the button below!
A Final Note
I must say, 2024 is off to a WILD start for me, here at Talebones, and I just can’t thank you all enough for being part of it. No matter what the trajectory of this newsletter is over the next year, my goal is always the same: to bring you the highest-quality fiction that I can!
I won’t take up any more of your time, today, but I look forward to sharing more fiction fun with you all as we savor these winter days.
Thank you for your kind attention in this fast-paced world.
Your grateful storyteller,
That is really really wild and wonderful, and really not so surprising 😱😉! And I must give a 'well said' to that 'marketing manager'! Definitely a great hiring decision on your part S.E.
Congrats on the important milestone, Sally!