In today’s Spotlight Session, I’m talking to Marylee Pangman, Author, creator behind Knowing Yourself Through Fiction, Unplugged VIP member and winner from my challenges.
She’s building something fiction writers rarely attempt: a profitable fiction business on Substack.
Marylee has reinvented herself seven times (at least).
Twenty years in nonprofits. Then built a container gardening business from scratch. Grew it, sold it, became a business coach, published two gardening books.
Then a friend told her: “You could write fiction.”
She didn’t believe it at first.
But the parts of her creative nonfiction book she loved most were the stories. The characters. The fictional moments.
So she tried.
She started writing about five women in the Desert Southwest. In 2060. Ages 55 to 75.
Women trying to figure out what’s next. Women who don’t want to retire. Women who want more. She fell in love with them.
Then she stumbled onto Substack two years ago.
Started serializing her first book, Whispers of Echo Canyon.
And women started responding.
“I see myself in these stories.”
That’s when Marylee realized something.
She wasn’t just writing fiction. She had a responsibility.
A responsibility to show women 55+ as protagonists. As main characters. As people with stories worth telling.
And now she’s turning it into a business.
Book 1 launched on Amazon yesterday:
And she won’t stop there.
She’s launching a new experimental project on Substack: monetizing her fiction in brand new way. When (not if!) it works, she’ll make her model available for her paid members, so make sure you join her Substack and watch this happening.
Watch the video to hear her story and learn:
How to serialize fiction on Substack and monetize it through Amazon (her dual-platform strategy)
Why women 55+ are an underserved audience in fiction (and why they’re hungry for these stories)
How to turn overwhelming projects into the smallest possible first step (the “20-foot light bulb” lesson)
How to use the Notes Challenges for accountability when you don’t feel like showing up
Why rejection won’t kill you (and how to use feedback to improve)
You’ll also hear how Marylee:
Serialized her entire first book on Substack for free before launching it on Amazon
Plans to tell paid subscribers about their “responsibility” to engage and contribute
Doesn’t fear failure or experience writer’s block (her optimist mindset)
If you’re writing fiction on Substack and wondering how to monetize it, you’ll love this conversation.
If you’re afraid to start because you might fail, you’ll love it even more.
And remember to post your questions to Marylee in the comments :)
👉 Subscribe to Merylie Pangman on Substack and watch her build a profitable fiction business in real-time. Her first book, Whispers of Echo Canyon, launched on Amazon yesterday and is rapidly ranking already.
Wanna have your own Spotlight Session?
You can take the place under the spotlight in one of the next sessions and talk about your personal story and your Substack!
All you need to do is:
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Every month I choose two winners - one for the Notes and one for the Writing Challenge. Watch all spotlight sessions here.
If you’re still a free subscriber, become a member and get your spotlight session with me!
I see you inside!
Yana
P.S. Join my NEW FREE Masterclass on how to build a $5K/Month System Using AI + Automation. You’ll walk away with a FREE workbook and your first product mapped out.
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