Publishers and platforms: How Substack, AI & email newsletters are redefining fiction in 2025

In 2025, a quiet transformation is reshaping literary publishing. Authors are increasingly bypassing traditional deals to connect directly with readers via Substack, newsletters, and AI-assisted tools. This shift is not simply about technology. 

It's about creative autonomy, deeper community engagement, and the rediscovery of storytelling on a writer's own terms. In this new ecosystem, fiction finds fresh formats, writers build loyal readerships, and the lines between hobbyist and professional blur in fascinating ways.