Between the Pages- Taylor Swift Murder Mystery
Deadlines, meetings, writing sessions, and more!
Coming at you live from the desk of a very confused, yet equally optimistic 25 year old, I present to you: Between the Pages- a new *weekly* update on everything going on behind the scenes of this wild ride. Going forward, I will be utilizing this substack as a way to keep you all updated on the process of getting this story published and put on the shelves, as well as filling you in on the creative process, bonus easter egg pointers, clues, and more! Essentially, this will be a full behind the scenes deep dive delivered to you weekly! TO BE CLEAR: I am not stopping the chapter “snippets” that I have been posting, this is simply an addition.
You may be wondering why? Well, there are a few reasons and I am going to break them down for you here:
The Ever-So-Elusive Publishing Industry: For those of you who may not know, publishing is an incredibly hard industry to break into. If you are like me, and have a story you hope to see on the shelves one day, you probably have done extensive research on what that process entails, and more importantly how to start. If so, you most likely came to the same conclusion as I: confused, overwhelmed, and a little hopeless. There just simply is not a lot of available information for debut authors. In some ways, it seems similar to an artist setting out to snag a record deal. *So does Hollywood call me, or do I call them?*
This exact issue is what lead me to substack in the first place, as well as utilizing other platforms to drive attention to my story. The hope is that I can continue to grow my platforms as I work on the full manuscript, and continue to drive up demand for the finished product. To be completely honest, I have about as little knowledge as possible in regards to the publishing world. Most days, I feel like I am sailing through uncharted waters, alone on a boat that I don’t really know how to operate. That being said, I refuse to turn this boat around, or to wave a white flag. I intend to use these weekly posts to tell you all about the steps I am taking, the questions I have, and the answers I find along the way. My hope in doing so is that my journey could provide encouragement and information that so many young, talented writers are seeking as well, and maybe… just maybe, their waters will feel a little less rocky.
TO CONNECT- If you are a part of this community, first of all- thank you. I love you, I mean it. Secondly, many of you have provided me with feedback, encouragement, questions, and predictions that have made writing this story even more exhilarating. Part of the reason I started this Substack was to create a safe corner of the internet, where I am free to express all of my creative ideas, thoughts, and make believe stories. It is truly my “dreamspace” and I am so honored to be able to share it with you. I hope that these weekly posts allow you to learn a little bit more about me, the voice behind the craziness of this story, and develop a sweet little community of writers, dreamers, and readers alike. I cannot stress this enough- Is my ultimate goal to get this book published? Yes! Absolutely! But the “why” behind that has transformed, as it is no longer simply because I have a story and I want to be an author. I am in a bit of a unique situation for a debut author, where I have a small community of Taylor Swift fans and mystery lovers who are invested in a story that has yet to be published. I no longer want this to be published for me, I want it to be published for YOU. As the first few to believe in this story, and therefore me, it is now just as much your story as it is mine. You mean so much to me, and I hope that these weekly posts will allow you to connect with me and each other on a deeper level.
CLUES, CLUES, CLUES- Well if you are here, it is safe to assume that you are a Swifty to some extent, which means you love digging for clues and solving puzzles. This story is one massive puzzle filled with easter eggs, twists, and turns… just as Miss Swift would want! I want you all to know that the official manuscript is a bit different than the chapter snippets you have read and will continue to read here on Substack. The reason is simple- so when this thing does come out, you can read it and it will be *pretty* different that what you have already read. Essentially, you are reading the most raw, unedited and condensed version of the story. To make it *even more fun* I have decided to include a few clues and tips in each of these weekly posts!
To put it simply, you guys are a part of this now. You are truly the VIPs of this story, and I intend to give you full access to the sneaky little secrets and tricks I have up my sleeve. I plan to use this space to answer all of your questions directly, so feel free to send them my way if you have them!
So, what now?
My plan is to finalize the manuscript by November 10. Yes- tight deadline, but I know I can do it, especially with your support. Once the manuscript is finalized, I intend to send it out and hopefully begin the publishing process. In the meantime, it is my goal to continue to grow my following on social media and substack. That will only help me as a debut author. If I could ask you to send this substack out to anyone you think would enjoy this story, or simply would like to support a debut author’s dream, I would be eternally grateful for that. Please follow me on socials (details provided below) and continue to read and interact with my posts on all platforms.
Other than that, all I have to say is thank you times a million. Now, let’s get to writing and have some fun:)
Warmly,
Britton
PS. As a gift for making it all the way to the bottom, here is your first Between the Pages CLUE:
Prominent Literary Figures