“He’s the real deal and we all read him.”

— C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series

 

TRBS SUBSTACK

We’re almost a week into my slow, gradual move over to Substack, and honestly, I can’t believe that I didn’t do this sooner!

For the time being, the original Real Book Spy website (that you’re reading right now) remains operational, supplementing all the work I’m doing on Substack. However, eventually, Substack will be my exclusive home for new, exciting content. 

Making the jump was scary, if I’m being honest. I first launched the TheRealBookSpy.com a decade ago, and over time, we grew to have more than three million readers a year. That’s insane! However, as social media and the internet evolve, I realized it was time to adapt and make some changes on my end. For starters, even if you have a big following on socials, rarely do your followers actually see what you’re posting. Now, Facebook, X, etc., want you to pay to reach your own audience. WHAT?!

Give me a break.

Then, if you’re fortunate enough to have a robust newsletter, and ours is very robust, Mailchimp and other services charge you an arm and a leg to send emails to your own subscriber list. Add to that web hosting fees and other costs, and the amount of overhead is crazy. Plus, now that I’m also writing books for a living full-time, and still editing or working with authors when I want to, keeping TRBS going full-steam ahead meant that I needed help, and that cost money, too.

For a decade, I’ve made content that was totally free. We help sell tens of thousands of books a month, and it’s been great. But at this stage in my life, I needed something more streamlined. Something that made more financial sense. I don’t want to chase ad revenue anymore, or worry about page views and click rates. Burnt out and frustrated—for the first time ever, I recently spent a month sincerely thinking about whether or not I wanted to quit being The Real Book Spy. And in the end? Well, I love thrillers. I love mysteries. I love talking about them. And I love connecting with readers.

Enter Substack—the answer to all my problems!

 

Substack is exactly what I needed; of that, I am certain. I’ve bought in all the way, and as you might have noticed, over the last week, I’ve posted all my new content and news right over there on TRBS Substack for you all to see. And now, we’re growing—fast. Readers and followers from this website are migrating there, and many of you have even upgraded to a paid subscription, which I appreciate more than you know.

This is where I plan to be long-term, and I am thrilled about it. About what WE are all building here as a community. For the first time in a long time, as a Book Spy, I am so excited. I have a lot planned, so bear with me as we get everything going. And please, if you’ve been on the fence, JOIN ME ON SUBSTACK, be part of the growing community. Whether you’re an author or a reader, The Real Book Spy Substack is (or will soon be) the place to be, and we’re going to have some fun.

So, if you want to make sure that you’re in the loop on all things mystery and thriller, and staying up to speed on all the relevant publishing industry news . . . or even if you just want to support what I’ve been doing all this time, please subscribe.

To that end, for a limited time, I am offering a deal to anyone who joins as a “Founding Member,” on Substrack, including those who upgrade their free or paid subscriptions to FM status (if you’re new, that’s a paid subscription option that you can see here), the following:

• Signed, personalized copies—hardcover or paperback, your pick—of my complete (four books) Matthew Redd series to date, including: Fields of Fire, Lethal Range, Out For Blood, and Gone Dark, and a signed hardcover copy of my first Alex Hawke novel, Ted Bell’s Monarch. (My books have been endorsed by James Patterson, Brad Thor, C.J. Box, Jack Carr, Don Winslow, Lisa Scottoline, Mark Greaney, Gregg Huwritz, Robert Crais, Craig Johnson, Nelson DeMille, T.J. Newman, James Rollins, and many others.)
  • (Note: Shipping is US ONLY. Once I see that you’ve upgraded to a Founding Member subscription, I will reach out personally via email, and you can tell me what you want me to right in each book when I sign them.)
• A hand-written note of appreciation from me.
• An invitation, later this year, to a “Founding Members” ONLY Zoom call, so we can get to know each other, talk, and hang out for a bit.
  • Everything will ship at the end of each month!

This is my way of thanking everyone who’s supporting what I’m doing. So, get it while you still can!

BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER NOW!

 

Thank you again to everyone who’s already joined me over on Substack. I can’t wait for you all to see what I have planned!

New To The Real Book Spy? Here’s a Bit About Me