The What If Journal
Cynthia SwansonReflections, happenings, and possibilities from Cynthia Swanson, author of The Bookseller, The Glass Forest, and Anyone But Her; editor of Denver Noir.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 54 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 7 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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The One That Got Away
Caro stood in the doorway of the place she and Gene were subletting on Mission Beach. From the transistor radio on the kitchen table, she heard the folkish, twelve-string sound of “Mr. Tambourine Man” by some band called The Byrds who, unti...
Library Love
Women’s Garden at the new Obama Presidential Center and Chicago Public Library. Definitely visit if you’re in town, even just to walk around the grounds, as we did.
A few weeks ago, Jane Friedman (who knows everything about publishing), po...
But, I mean...what IS it?
In the early 2010s, when I was writing what would become my debut novel, The Bookseller, and people asked what kind of book it was, my standard response was, “It’s a book club book.” The Bookseller features a “What if...?” question that rea...
Is AI Crushing Your Creative Spirit?
*Much evidence to the contrary, I know...
Last October, I published a Substack post titled “No, I Don’t Want a Smoothie for Breakfast.” It was about the invasiveness of AI in our lives, including our creative lives. For those wishing to re...
It's Pub Week!
See what I did there?
I’m excited for the release of This Isn’t New: Women’s Historical Stories on Thursday, May 21, 2026! To celebrate, I’m giving away signed copies to two subscribers to The What If Journal. No need to do anything to ent...
Audience Metrics
Subscribers, engagement, traffic and sponsorship for The What If Journal.
| Subscribers | Engagement | 70 | Monthly Web Visits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts Sponsors | Estimated Cost per Ad | ||||
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Storyteller exploring disquiet, history, & connections both made and missed. NYT & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of The Bookseller, The Glass Forest, Anyone But Her, & forthcoming This Isn't New. Editor of anthology Denver Noir.
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