You're a true inspiration, and have helped me overcome some of my own shy tendencies (still waiting for your book to arrive, will dive in as soon as I can).
I’m not buying books. Paper copies that is. So I just got a tablet expressly for my first ebook that will be “Glass Century”. I am very excited to begin reading in the next couple of days(and telling my friends about it). I have no doubt it will be a great read!
I finished Glass Century a week ago and will probably write about it sometime next month (along with one or two other books of "Substack Summer"). Really good, unsurprisingly; falters a bit at the very very end but not in a way that negates the great stuff before it. (There is one screamingly obvious missed opportunity in the book imo, but it is a major spoiler, so DM me if you're curious.)
Just my $0.02 as a longtime fan (and, dare I say... friend!?!?) who was subscribed when "The Night Burns Bright" dropped: I would really, really, *really* love to read your retrospective take on your first two novels. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you haven't already done so: do you think of them as juvenilia or something?
Five years between completion of a draft and publishing is so brutal and unacceptable for this industry to survive. Recently read For Whom the Bell Tolls and learned the turnaround time was about four months from draft completion to publishing. Is that even possible today? Demoralizing.
Ross, first of all, congratulations. You're a great writer and I'm happy that the "Glass Century" is not going out quietly in the night. Secondly, thank you for this post. I want to publish a book, and have a few idea, but I always stop short of doing the work to find an agent. This post is encouraging and a reminder that you must be willing to work for the things you love. I'll be sure to purchase a copy of "Glass Century"
Oh man, so much I can relate to here, being myself an introverted author who has published two novels with tiny lit presses:
The necessity of self-promotion even if you find it distasteful or are not good at it; the fickle, unresponsive, and deceitful agents; the infuriating, seemingly endless delays on the road to getting published; the piling-up of rejections, including the plethora of "silent rejections" where they just ignore your MS; the fundamental loneliness of novel writing; and finally, the redemptive power of Substack, which enables us to connect with our fellow scribblers, as well as providing new review outlets (it was only because of this unique historical moment that I was able to get a 2000-word rave in The Metropolitan Review); and the hope that this moment will be the beginning of something, rather than just a brief flash.
I enjoyed Glass Century. My sense is it is better coming out now than three years ago. It seems to fit the mood better.
I agree!
Very inspiring for writers on Substack! I'm curious about what it was like to negotiate a publishing deal w/o an agent, even with a small press.
You're a true inspiration, and have helped me overcome some of my own shy tendencies (still waiting for your book to arrive, will dive in as soon as I can).
I’m not buying books. Paper copies that is. So I just got a tablet expressly for my first ebook that will be “Glass Century”. I am very excited to begin reading in the next couple of days(and telling my friends about it). I have no doubt it will be a great read!
As someone whose dream career is being a novelist, the Summer of Substack is inspiring, as is your success in building momentum on here
Excellent advice For fiction writers and nonfiction writers For novels or short pieces For everything we have to say!
What a nice piece to read. Thanks, Ross.
I finished Glass Century a week ago and will probably write about it sometime next month (along with one or two other books of "Substack Summer"). Really good, unsurprisingly; falters a bit at the very very end but not in a way that negates the great stuff before it. (There is one screamingly obvious missed opportunity in the book imo, but it is a major spoiler, so DM me if you're curious.)
Just my $0.02 as a longtime fan (and, dare I say... friend!?!?) who was subscribed when "The Night Burns Bright" dropped: I would really, really, *really* love to read your retrospective take on your first two novels. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you haven't already done so: do you think of them as juvenilia or something?
Five years between completion of a draft and publishing is so brutal and unacceptable for this industry to survive. Recently read For Whom the Bell Tolls and learned the turnaround time was about four months from draft completion to publishing. Is that even possible today? Demoralizing.
It's gotten slower for sure, and it's very frustrating
Ross, first of all, congratulations. You're a great writer and I'm happy that the "Glass Century" is not going out quietly in the night. Secondly, thank you for this post. I want to publish a book, and have a few idea, but I always stop short of doing the work to find an agent. This post is encouraging and a reminder that you must be willing to work for the things you love. I'll be sure to purchase a copy of "Glass Century"
Oh man, so much I can relate to here, being myself an introverted author who has published two novels with tiny lit presses:
The necessity of self-promotion even if you find it distasteful or are not good at it; the fickle, unresponsive, and deceitful agents; the infuriating, seemingly endless delays on the road to getting published; the piling-up of rejections, including the plethora of "silent rejections" where they just ignore your MS; the fundamental loneliness of novel writing; and finally, the redemptive power of Substack, which enables us to connect with our fellow scribblers, as well as providing new review outlets (it was only because of this unique historical moment that I was able to get a 2000-word rave in The Metropolitan Review); and the hope that this moment will be the beginning of something, rather than just a brief flash.