Over the last week, I fielded a few questions about my newsletter and why I commit so much time to writing it when I could be writing new prose. It’s a fair question with time at a premium, but I see this point of connection with readers as an essential part of the indie publishing ecosystem.
Independent art has always been about connecting artists and audiences directly, without the mediation of corporate gatekeepers. Every time you open the Weekly Ride, read this blog, or crack an HTP book, you’re choosing to spend some of your valuable time experiencing my work, and in my mind, that confers a reciprocal responsibility to work quickly, maintain quality, and keep you all informed. I hope that makes you feel like part of the HTP process, because you very much are. I have an old-school approach to entertainment. I’m here for you.
Record labels, publishing companies, film studios, distributors–at a glance, they all look like conduits between audience and art, but in reality, they function more like filters. In the best cases, they serve a curation function, elevating quality, professional content and investing in its visibility. But the creative economy is so screwed up right now that these institutions no longer serve their primary function. Risk taking is non-existent. Imitation and iteration dominate because they are the safest business decisions. Most music fans realized this long ago. That’s why independent music has emerged to claim all the cultural cache in that space. To a lesser extent, the same goes for film. The major film aficionados that I know spend most of their time watching niche, independently financed films that haven’t been flattened by the studio system.
We’re not there yet in fiction–probably because the barrier to entry for writers is so low. The market is flooded with low-content, low-effort, and otherwise low-quality books, so most readers still rely on institutional curation. AI has only made a bad situation worse. With HTP, I’m trying to be part of the solution to this problem, and you’re all a part of that effort.
That’s why I spend so much time dialoguing with readers. I don’t see it as optional.