I love Substack because it lets me do the kind of short-form storytelling I used to do in the ‘90s when blogging was brand new. Back then, I was pioneering travel blogging from the road—sharing my solo motorcycle adventures in real-time before the term blogging, or weblog, was even coined. Now I’m back at it, beta testing my book-in-progress, The China Road Motorcycle Diaries, and sharing travel stories, essays, and creative work alongside practical help for authors.
Here’s the thing: I teach what I know. In my programs for writers, I encourage authors to write short, share often, and grow their platform with an audience that will be excited to buy their book when it’s done. This is exactly how it happened for me, and today’s tools make it easier and more fun. They allow us to connect with like-minded people worldwide—and I love that about the internet!
What You’ll Find Here
On my two Substacks, you’ll get both sides of my work:
Pres: Travel stories, memoir pieces, fiction, and early access to my long-awaited memoir,
The China Road Motorcycle Diaries, the story of my solo journey through Northern China in 1998, to document the rural areas before paved roads and factories.
Present Tense: Other stories I'm working on now: travel stories, memoir pieces, articles, fiction, maybe even drawings and poems.
I also have another publication on Substack:
Author Friendly for Publishing Help for Writers: Practical strategies for finishing your manuscript, building your author platform, beta publishing, engaging with your community, and navigating the publishing journey
A collision of interests
Like you, I have many interests, experiences, and skills. I’m a travel writer, memoirist, and publishing coach—a tech geek who’s had a lot of fun in tech, writing, and publishing for years. My tagline is Adventures in Travel, Writing, and Publishing, and I mean it. I self-published my first book in 1995, penned a column for PBS on self-publishing technologies as they emerged in the 2010s, hosted several podcasts, partnered with individuals and organizations to help authors succeed, riding the wave of publishing innovation since legacy publishing started breaking down.
Courses on finishing your book and getting it published
If you need help, join me at the Writing & Publishing Circle (free invite link) to find a great author community, a writer’s tech corner, publishing resources, writing classes, and publishing programs.
About the motorcycles
And about the motorcycling. After being a pioneering “solo female motorcycle adventure travel writer,” starting in the late 80s, I’m recently grounded. Decades of riding—from the smooth and dreamy byways in Italy to the gravel, dirt, and riverbeds of rural China, has left my hands incapable of squeezing the brake and clutch levers. The road still calls—it just looks different now. (Read about that here.)
It’s great to see you here!
It’s fun to be here and I’d love to connect. So drop me a line in the comments about what you are all about.
