After a long break from author interviews, I could not have asked for a better guest to help me get back in the saddle!
Matty Dalrymple first joined me on Mysterious Goings On in 2021 to discuss grounding fiction in real places, from the Maine coastline to the red rocks of Sedona. This time, she returned with a fascinating story from her own writing desk—and an experiment that may offer other authors a glimpse of what reader-supported publishing can become.
For her seventh Ann Kinnear suspense novel, Matty serialized the manuscript on Substack one chapter at a time, one chapter a day, for six weeks. The first seven chapters were free. The rest were available to paying subscribers, who could read along, comment and help Matty evaluate the book before its official publication.
You can still visit the original serialization on Substack to see how Matty structured and presented the project.
This was not writing by the seat of her pants in public. Matty is a plotter, and the novel was already largely complete. Her readers were not being invited to choose the killer or redirect the story. Instead, they helped her answer the smaller questions that can make an enormous difference: Was there enough backstory for someone new to the series? Was there too much for a longtime reader? Did the clues point too strongly toward one suspect? Did a particular chapter earn its place?
“I had to hit a balance between, ‘This is finished,’” Matty says, and remaining open to useful revisions. As she explains in the interview, a reader could not persuade her that “this other person should be the killer.” Readers could, however, help her identify where another sentence of context was needed or where a clue might be sending the wrong signal.
Their responses led to real revisions, including additions and deletions that helped Matty balance the needs of newcomers with those who had followed Ann Kinnear through six previous books.
The experiment also forced her to work around some of Substack’s limitations. The platform is designed primarily for ongoing publications, not finite six-week novel serializations. Matty explains how she managed monthly and annual subscriptions, limited what early supporters would pay, granted continuing access and tried to make the experience as simple as possible for readers.
We also compare Substack with Patreon and Kickstarter. Matty found something psychologically liberating about her approach: A Kickstarter campaign can feel as though it either succeeds or fails in public.
“With Substack, my feeling was if nobody ever read it, if nobody subscribed, if it was crickets, I was still going to feel like I would get something out of it,” she says.
Even if the serialization attracted no subscribers, Matty knew that six weeks spent rereading and polishing the manuscript would be worthwhile. But readers did show up, offering thoughtful feedback and occasionally revealing connections in the story that surprised even its author.
The finished novel—listen in for its terrific title—places Ann Kinnear aboard the fictional Meridian Blue, where she must pose as a client’s fiancée while attempting to contact his dead father. Secrets soon surface.
We also discuss borrowing vacation settings for fiction, Matty’s habit of writing while cruising, my less disciplined habit of merely taking notes and the creative freedom that comes with being an indie author.
Matty also discusses The Indy Author Podcast, which has produced over 350 episodes devoted to what she calls “the writing craft and the publishing voyage.” Her guiding idea is a good one: Regardless of how a book is published, every writer benefits from approaching the business with an independent author’s curiosity, adaptability and sense of ownership.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Matty Dalrymple. I certainly did, and I’m delighted to be interviewing authors again.
Prefer to listen? The audio edition is available on Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts.
Connect with Matty
Explore the Ann Kinnear Book Seven serialization on Substack.
Find Matty Dalrymple at mattydalrymple.com, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The Indy Author
Visit TheIndyAuthor.com, watch on YouTube, subscribe on Substack or connect on Facebook. Listen to The Indy Author Podcast on all major podcast platforms.
Writer’s Digest named TheIndyAuthor.com one of its “101 Best Websites for Writers” in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Dale L. Roberts of Self-Publishing with Dale named The Indy Author Podcast one of the “10 Best Podcasts for Authors.”
From Expertise to Authority
Learn more at From Expertise to Authority, follow Matty on Substack, listen to the From Expertise to Authority podcast or watch on YouTube.
