How Matty Dalrymple Turned Substack Readers Into Beta Readers

What if readers paid to help you make your next novel better?Author, podcaster and indie publishing advocate Matty Dalrymple returns to Mysterious Goings On to explain how she serialized her seventh Ann Kinnear suspense novel on Substack, releasing one chapter a day for six weeks to paying subscribers.Matty walks Alex through the mechanics of the experiment: how she structured free and paid access, encouraged reader feedback, navigated Substack’s subscription quirks and used comments to fine-tune backstory, pacing and the mystery itself.The resulting novel, (listen in for the cool title), sends Ann Kinnear aboard a cruise ship under an assumed identity to contact the spirit of a passenger who died during an earlier voyage. Naturally, the dead man has secrets to share.Along the way, Matty and Alex discuss Substack versus Patreon and Kickstarter, turning real places into fictional settings, writing while on vacation and why every author can benefit from approaching publishing with an indie frame of mind.Watch the full video interview exclusively on Alex Greenwood’s Substack, All the Fits That’s News.Connect with MattyExplore the original Ann Kinnear Book Seven serialization on Substack.Find Matty Dalrymple at mattydalrymple.com, Facebook and LinkedIn.The Indy AuthorVisit TheIndyAuthor.com, watch on YouTube, subscribe on Substack or connect on Facebook. Listen to The Indy Author Podcast on all major podcast platforms.From Expertise to AuthorityLearn more at From Expertise to Authority, follow Matty on Substack, listen to the From Expertise to Authority podcast or watch on YouTube.CONNECT with ALEX:​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a Book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Going to Killing City...Alex's True Crime Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book J. Alexander Greenwood for keynotes, panels, podcasts, and live conversations:⁠Speaking & Media FAQ⁠Enjoy this episode? Please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice, and don't forget to subscribe for more literary journeys! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LEAVE A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.