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The Storyteller’s Saga & Kat’s Quest

I got 99 projects 📚 and…


KAT VANCIL

THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA

QUEST 110

Hey, Reader, quick question:

Is the idea that your story has to be a perfect, NY Times Best Selling Great American novel that will go on to be featured on school reading lists for the next century, keeping you from actually reaching The End? 😬

Be honest now. It’s okay if it is. You’re not alone in that. Trust me.

Our culture constantly feeds us this notion that if we’re not THE BEST THAT EVER WAS, then we’re nothing.

It’s exhausting. 😮‍💨

And with the state of the world at the moment, we could all use a break from that kind of unnecessary pressure. I know I sure could.

So with that in mind…

Here’s 3 things you can do to squash that anxiety & turn that 99 into a 98 at the very least:

1) Don’t tell anyone

That’s right. Don’t tell anyone you’re releasing a book. You can use a pen name.

Or upload your book in the dead of night, quietly, and without fanfare.

If it does well, you can always reveal your marvelous surprise after the fact.

But if things don’t go spectacularly, then you won’t be taking a graceless fall in front of your closest friends and family.

Statistically, failing in front of random strangers doesn’t bother us quite as much as failing in front of our loved ones. So treat it like a learning experience to level up from, instead of a Hunger Games-style life-or-death match where all but the “winner” perish.

2) This week on…

Release it as a serialized web novel. Numerous popular books began their lives as free serialized web novels, from The Captive Prince Trilogy by Australian author C.S. Pacat to The Martian by Andy Weir. With authors either posting chapters on their personal websites or on story creation sites across the world.

Eventually, those authors either compiled and published the stories on their own, or they were snatched up by publishers due to the story’s popularity.

Serialized web novels are also hugely popular in Asian countries, where creators upload their serials to story creation sites under fun web handles. The goal being to accumulate a core group of online readers who will provide feedback and maybe identify errors in the story.

3) Make it damn cheap

For an event 11 years ago, I wrote a 20K novella for my Marked Ones Trilogy called Beautiful Stranger, and gave it away for FREE. Nora Sakavic currently does the same thing for the first book in her All for the Game series after releasing it via Tumblr, which contributed to it being a Best of BookTok sensation.

Why? Because when you’re a new storyteller that no one has ever heard of you really can’t beat cheap and free when it comes to getting people to give you a chance.


Well, Reader, I hope these 3 solutions help combat your anxiety and imposter syndrome just a bit and bring your project count closer to The End.

Until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.

This means the release will probably be pushed back until the end of September.

Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

🐱

PS 👉 I realize the Story Quest Log was supposed to release last week. However, there was a production issue with proof and things will be delayed slightly.

This means the release will probably be pushed back until the end of September.

Did your friend, co-worker, or some rando you met at a con forward this email to you? First off, they have good taste.

Secondly, you can join the Storyteller's Saga too, and get edutaining emails delivered to your inbox weekly by clicking the golden button below.

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The Saga Quest

1179 West A Street, Suite 137, Hayward, CA 94541

The Storyteller’s Saga & Kat’s Quest

Just your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat here to help you vanquish your story construction obstacles, slay the imposter syndrome clawing at the back of your brain, and stomp your boredom flat with heart-pounding Queer Fiction. Join the Saga and choose your inbox obsession. Whether it’s helpful advice with your storytelling or my twice-monthly newsletter featuring book recommendations & chapters of my ongoing magikal Dark Academia series, ExSpelled to devour during your coffee break.

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