Nicole Schroeder
Most days, the Artists For Humanity EpiCenter in South Boston, Massachusetts, hosts local teenage artists and their professional mentors. In the non-profit’s open venue, amid canvas paintings hung along the walls and artwork made of reclaimed windshields that line the walkway on the second floor, students from underprivileged communities work alongside others in the industry to create commissioned projects, fostering their creativity in the process.
On May 6 and 7, the space fostered the creativity of approximately seventy authors as well, as the home of the first Subscriptions for Authors (SFA) Summit hosted by Ream co-founders Michael Evans and Emilia Rose and SFA Summit manager Anna McCluskey.
Evans’s mantra for managing a successful author subscription, to “under-promise and over-deliver,” was quoted at several points in the conference, but it also became the perfect way to encapsulate the event. The two-day experience featured ten sessions by innovators in the indie author community and two panel discussions from a diverse set of authors, as well as smaller breakout sessions, a bonus keynote, and an after-hours chat with Evans himself that was equal parts advice, stories of Ream’s start, and unicorn jokes. Although the summit promised discussions related to all things subscriptions, the lessons shared spoke to all manner of authors at every stage of their business, from those not yet published to those with more than sixty books to their name. Beyond a space that fostered the creativity of attendees—who were able to spend time between sessions conversing about and admiring the artwork on the walls—the summit fostered community and connection, too, whether it be with readers, with industry professionals, or with other attendees.
Day 1: For the Fans
With only two days’ worth of content, speakers spent little time introducing the subscription model to attendees; day 1 of the summit dived straight into exploring a variety of subscription strategies. Ream co-founder Emilia Rose highlighted her subscription model centered on her characters and story worlds, and Tonya Kappes shared the content she offers her readers that’s as much about her as it is her stories. “I am my brand,” she said to start off her talk.
Perhaps the most universal lesson shared by speakers was to match your business model to your current “season” in life, as Katlyn Duncan said during the “Subscriptions for Y’all” panel. Stephanie Berchiolly, as part of the same panel, called out “toxic productivity culture” as a reason many authors feel the need to burn themselves out rather than adapting their business to what is most sustainable for them.
Later in the afternoon, focus returned to readers with discussions about the concept of fandoms and how to find superfans among your readers. As the day wrapped up, Sci-Fi author and creator of the “Hopperverse” Christopher Hopper turned his session into a demonstration of the idea. As he shared how trading cards, poker chips, and challenge coins united his fandom, he made his own reveal to the audience, Oprah-style, that special edition cards had been taped underneath their seats for them to take home—turning Ream’s own Evans into a hero in his stories’ universe.
“The entire place fell out with laughter,” says Sci-Fi and Fantasy author Kacey Ezell, who called the moment her favorite part of the summit. “[There was] a lot of really good energy. It was super fun.”
The night continued with dinner breakout sessions that became bonding experiences for attendees and a chance to share one-on-one advice, as well as after-hours sessions that were truly more informal chats between speakers and the audience than presentations. In his talk, Evans—sporting a Ream “Romance Authors Rule the World” basketball jersey—shared lessons he’d learned from Ream’s beginning that authors could apply in their own careers, as well as a fair number of stories from his own life outside of writing. Although some took notes, most of the audience who’d lasted that far into the evening simply listened and laughed.
Day 2: For the Authors
The conference’s second day focused even more on authors’ relationships with their readers, as well as preserving your own mental health. Author Sarra Cannon, who also hosts the Heart Breathings YouTube channel, emphasized putting readers first when creating content and building trust with your audience, and Horror author and IAM contributor David Viergutz explored author branding as a promise to the reader. At the close of the day, author Nora Phoenix offered attendees advice on giving themselves grace with examples from her own writing journey, provoking a few tears from audience members as she suggested a shift from asking “What if I fail?” to “What if I succeed?”
The lessons resonated with Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi author Lara Magill. “I have to set boundaries for myself if I ever hope to live up to the goals and the standards that I want to achieve,” she says. “But also, a big part of that is not just respecting me and my boundaries but also understanding my readers, what they need, what they want, and how I can deliver those expectations in a sustainable way.”
The sessions and panels as the event continued reflected the closeness attendees had gained even from the day before. Audience members shared their shock when Viergutz admitted to having killed off a dog in the first pages of one of his books, and other speakers referenced stories from audience members they’d met at breakout sessions the day before. The connections people made weren’t restrained by genre, skill level, or marketing strategy; in fact, by the time people broke for genre-specific luncheons, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy authors—roughly a third of the conference—opted to walk to the same restaurant during the break and swapped advice and business cards along the way.
As Evans closed out the event late Tuesday afternoon, he elaborated on the future of Subscriptions for Authors and the in-person summit. Having announced Bookshops on Ream the weekend before the event, he expanded on the changes coming to Ream, as well as the rebrand from Subscriptions for Authors to Storytellers Rule the World (STRW), to audience members.
With several new features planned to launch over the next year, Evans said there were no current plans to host another in-person event—an announcement that many were disappointed with after the success of the summit. However, the STRW community remains active in the Subscriptions for Authors Facebook Group, and the Storytellers Rule the World Show releases new podcast episodes each week. For those interested in exploring subscription models, both are spaces to watch for announcements about new features and—hopefully—future events in 2025 and beyond.
Nicole Schroeder
