Well, this is awkward. As I was writing and publishing Hansel and Grendel, the fine folks at that big river namesake company were developing a platform dedicated to delivering serial fiction–JUST LIKE HANSEL AND GRENDEL. I wish they’d checked with me on the timing, but maybe they lost my e-mail address. Hahaha…they have my e-mail. All my other information, too.

Anyway, the GREAT news is that Hansel and Grendel has been officially picked up and will be live on the platform when it launches in July. From what I’m hearing, there’s going to be something for everyone on Vella. Vella will be available as an iOS app and through the Amazon website.

The other GOOD news (for me, as a creator), is that after the first few episodes, people will use “tokens” to unlock further episodes–meaning there’s an easy way to make a little scratch from my work. The other, other good news is that the Kindle folks are way better at marketing than I am, and getting in at the very beginning means I’m getting the best chance to reach a larger audience.

The sort of NOT GREAT news is that I can’t continue to offer something for free if it’s on a pay-to-play site like Vella, for obvious reasons, mostly the copy of the T&Cs they sent me when I tried it. Heh. So…on July 5, 2021, episodes of Hansel and Grendel will start disappearing from Story McStoryface. This will have several impacts:

  • You won’t be able to read Hansel and Grendel from the beginning on Story McStoryface, and once they’re all moved, it will go dark here entirely except for a redirect to Vella
  • There will be a minor service interruption of a couple of weeks-ish while the Vella people get ready to launch. We are approximately halfway through Hansel and Grendel, so let’s call it Intermission. Please feel free to get some overpriced popcorn and a drink the size of a swimming pool in the lobby.

But…but…you’ve been reading since the beginning and you NEED to know what happens! Well, you can do one of two things.

  1. Download Kindle Vella when it launches and start back up where you left off using the token system. I’ll absolutely be letting everyone know when it launches for real. Kindle is saying mid to late July. As soon as I have the date, so will you. I’ll be loading everything through Chapter 24 for immediate availability, so you’ll get new material right away. ALSO, the Kindle Vella edition will have Author’s Notes that are exclusive to that platform. Get a glimpse inside the Playdoh Fun Factory I call a brain.
  2. Send me an e-mail at rebeckaratcliffe@gmail.com and get on the Hansel and Grendel SUPER VIP e-mail list. Once Vella launches, I won’t add any more names, but if you get on my mailing list before then, I’ll send you the remaining installments via e-mail. Please don’t share them. I’m trusting you. For people who’ve been on the ride so far, I really didn’t want to cut it off in the middle. I’m already feeling bad about the disruption. While I can’t have the content freely available on the web, their big pile of T&Cs doesn’t say I can’t have a pre-existing mailing list. Rules, shmooles.

Tomorrow will be the last weekly installment of Hansel and Grendel on Story McStoryface. It happens to hit an interesting place to stop naturally at Chapter 24. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading here, and whether you choose to explore the Vella serial story app or get on the mailing list, Hansel, Grendel, and I have a wild ride to the end planned. As always, I do this to share it with you, and no matter how we see each other next, my humble thanks for reading.