Substack for Lit Mags: A Conversation with Kolby Granville (After Dinner Conversation)
Glad for the opportunity to speak with Kolby Granville about his journey with After Dinner Conversation (ADC).
Here’s a link to our conversation on ONE ART’s YouTube channel.
ADC consistently remains in the Top 50 Fiction category on Substack. Even more impressively, the Top 50 Fiction paid accounts. So how does this happen?
Well, as you’ll learn from our discussion, it’s partly a grind. That being said, Kolby and ADC are also well-loved by the literary community.
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From the After Dinner Conversation website:
Rated “Top Editor(s)” for Literary Magazine 2025 by Chill Subs
Rated “Most Popular Fiction Magazine 2024” by Chill Subs
Rated “Top 10 LitMag of 2023, 2024” by Chill Subs
Rated #6 “Most Popular Literary Magazines of All Time” by Chill Subs
Rated #20 “Fish List - Finest Indie Story Houses” 2026 by Fish List
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In this conversation, we talk about newsletters with an emphasis on Substack, and generally how to grow a lit mag.
It’s not really surprising that part of this conversation focuses on marketing. In a world maximized for engagement, we’re competing with other sources (some far better optimized than the written word) to hold your attention.
It’s also not surprising that we talked about the struggle to fund a lit mag and, in turn, a publisher’s ability to continue their mission.
I hope you enjoy our conversation. We certainly welcome constructive feedback.
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Learn more about After Dinner Conversation:
You can find ADC on all the usual social media platforms, too.
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