David M. Snow's True North Newsletter: Read First!
Launch
Hi friends!
I’m David M. Snow and welcome to True North, my exclusive newsletter/blog about my fiction, research, behind-the-scenes, all things bookish and exclusive content.
I’ve always wanted to dive deeper into the worlds I create while fostering a community around my books. I find that Substack is the perfect place to do this as people like you can like, comment and share what I write. I've had a private newsletter of my own for a few years already, but the sense of community is lost through personal emails. Books are meant to bring people together, aren’t they?
I also want to take this opportunity to get more personal with my writing, things that I couldn't share in my books. This means I can share my thoughts about my own characters, specific details and exclusive bits that didn’t or won’t make it in the final products. I also write short stories not necessarily related to my current series, so that would be something I look forward to sharing with you guys.
Why The Name True North?
The first reason is that I’m Canadian. My country is the closest thing on this planet to the real North. No wonder our winters last for over half a year, even if you happen to live near the southern border we share with our southern neighbours (hi there American friend!). The second reason is that it’s a recurrent theme in the books I write. As my characters navigate the tortuous and harrowing worlds I created for them, they strive to find meaning in their lives, perhaps the same way I do in my own life.
I hope that you can also find your True North through my writing, or least explore what could be.
True North Community
Be friendly. Be curious. Be bold.
Don’t hesitate to leave comment, ask questions about the books, the writing process or anything related to books. You can speculate about characters, upcoming books, etc. This is an inclusive space for you to share your thoughts.
What to Expect
A free monthly newsletter, for starters. This is what I’ve been consistently delivering to my email list in the past few years. I intend to continue doing so but the content will focus more on my writing projects, news & updates, and a topic of my choosing.
Topical blog posts, monthly. Those topics could be extracted from my research and themes I talk about in my books, or something else entirely. I love many things and I am curious by nature. Expect things related to language, travelling and books.
Benefits of a Paid Subscription
This is a great way to support writers like me. It doesn't seem like much, but it helps us keep going and produce more content for you. In fact, your contribution would :
Boost my motivation. Writing is a lonely thing to do (though it’s fun!) and it’s hard to stay motivated, especially when book sales are trickling in from multiple sources at irregular times.
Give me purpose. I know who to write for: you. Authors have no idea who their readers are unless they meet in an in-person event like a book fair or a signing event. But networks like Substack break that barrier.
Help build my publishing house. I am ambitious by nature, and Flame Arrow Publishing is a project which is dear to me. I want to publish other writers of speculative fiction and any support from your part will also go towards that goal. I am currently building a catalogue with my books and hopefully in the near future, I can add other authors to it, once I have a full-blown professional team onboard. Obviously, once that project sees the light of day, you will have access to exclusive perks.
If you are a paid subscriber, you will get monthly content in either category (for now):
Bonus content related to my books. This is where I’d like to expand the worlds of my books. At the moment, I have a nearly completed series called Amaranth, which include Flower of Memory, Amaranth, and the soon-to-be-published North Star, along with Promised Land. I might pick a character or a location and write a short story, a thought piece, or something else to keep this world alive. As I write other books and series, those will also be included, but at the moment, it’ll be related to the world of Amaranth.
Other exclusive content. I have other stories I have never released or published anywhere else. I would love to have your feedback to see which stories deserve a full instalment (a standalone book, or even a series!). I want to give a voice to my readers and you will be able to influence my decision about what to write next. I might even add some perks through trial-and-error to see what you guys like.
Author interviews podcast. This is an opportunity to learn more about me. I am also hoping to meet other writers & authors alike to discuss. The project is still simmering, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know more. If you have ideas about what you’d like to see, feel free to leave a comment.
Q&As: Ask me what you want and I will respond in video format. Those will happen spontaneously, so don’t expect a regular Q&A just yet. Obviously, if there’s a demand for it, I will consider making this a regular thing.
Kickstarter Early Bird Perks: My new books periodically launch on Kickstarter, which allows me to offer exclusive merch. By being a paid subscriber, you will be the first to know about early bird perks which are very limited in time. You won’t be able to find those perks anywhere else.
Welcome to True North!
Thank you for being part of this adventure with me. If you want to know more about me you can visit my website, my publishing house’s website, my Facebook page and my Instagram,