What is Books Undone?
Books Undone is a Substack about writing as a craft of attention.
I focus on close reading, technique in context, and the concrete ways prose produces meaning and effect. Rather than offering formulas or step-by-step methods, I break down passages, trace technical choices, and articulate principles writers can test and adapt in their own work.
Alongside regular craft discussions, I publish longer, research-intensive thematic analyses of established literature roughly once a month. These essays also come as long-form podcast episodes, are slow by design, and meant for critical readers.
This space is for writers at any stage who are interested in engaging seriously with language—how it works, what it can do, and why particular choices matter.
How do subscriptions work?
I currently offer three tiers, each with stacking benefits.
Free Tier
Free subscribers receive:
Access to all podcast episodes, including the monthly (and occasional bonus) thematic analyses.
Selected public essays across craft, close reading, worldbuilding presentation, and narrative voice.
A complimentary ebook of my literary–philosophical fantasy novella, titled The Genesis of Change (prequel to my series, Records of The Orders).
The free tier is meant to give a clear sense of how I approach language, analysis, and craft.
Paid Tier (Standard)
A paid subscription supports the slower, time- and research-intensive work behind this publication. It offers access to its full scope.
While your subscription is active, you receive everything on the free tier, plus:
Subscriber-only essays and analyses, focused on literary craft and prose technique.
Extended close readings and thematic deep dives, including pieces that are exploratory or unusually long when the material warrants it.
Full access to the archive, including all past paid posts.
Direct conversation, via Substack chat, for questions, recommendations, or focused discussion about writing and reading.
Guides and practical walkthroughs, that translate analytical insights into techniques writers can experiment with.
Access to ongoing and future series, including work on worldbuilding as presentation, how to read more attentively, and narrative voice.
Paid readers help make it possible for this space to remain thoughtful, slow, and open-ended rather than optimised for output. Choose monthly if you’d like flexibility, or yearly if you plan to stay and support the work over time.
Founder Tier (The Archivists)
Archivists receive everything included in the Paid Tier, plus the opportunity to submit up to 5,000 words per year for detailed feedback and developmental notes. Think of it as a private, once-a-year workshop tailored to your writing.
You do not need to submit immediately after subscribing, but submissions must occur while your subscription is active.
How it works:
I provide structural feedback and short prose analyses, not line edits.
Feedback is private and cannot be used to promote your work.
My response time is typically 4–6 weeks, depending on other deadlines. It is best to check with me first before sending your text to ensure your submission fits my schedule.
Submission Guidelines:
Word limit: Up to 5,000 words per year.
If your submission is under 5,000 words, you may use the remaining words to submit another text or request a follow-up on the same piece.
You may submit up to twice per year, with at least four months between submissions.
Leftover words do not roll over to the following year.
Content type:
Short stories or first chapters are ideal.
Sections from later in a manuscript are acceptable, but must include:
A brief summary (<500 words) of what happens
A brief description of the characters involved (<500 words total)
Please include a short note (<150 words) describing your goal for the feedback. For example, do you want me to focus on exposition, theme, narrative voice, or emotional impact?
These additional words count towards the 5,000 limit.
Follow-up:
After receiving feedback, you may send one follow-up email with questions. I aim to respond within ~2-3 weeks.
Revisions are only accepted if you have leftover words available.
Content boundaries: I reserve the right to decline submissions I am not equipped or comfortable to assess. This includes:
Pornography or erotica.
Any romance-heavy manuscript, of any sub-genre, or genre-blend.
Depictions of sexual violence, including non-consensual or dubiously consensual scenes.
Hate speech or discriminatory content.
Religious preaching or conversion-focused texts.
Graphic horror, and body horror in general.
My feedback is best suited to literary speculative fiction. While I may offer guidance on other genres, I am not a specialist in romance, children’s literature, poetry, verse-based writing, graphic novels, or heavily visual storytelling.
If you are unsure whether your piece fits, feel free to send a brief description first. I am happy to clarify. Thank you for helping maintain a thoughtful, respectful space.
About myself, Livia J. Elliot
I write literary and philosophical fantasy, with an emphasis on character development and meaningful themes—especially struggle, control, identity, self-perception, and bias. I am currently releasing two series: Records of the Orders (an eldritch horror dark fantasy) and Tales of the Bookshelves (a literary dark fairy tale series). You can see all my books here.
Do you want to know something quirky?
I’m the lead writer of Unearthed Stories a mobile app publishing literary interactive fiction for adults, focused on fantasy and science fiction. I developed with my partner, the lead developer of Prowess Games. You can see all my works here, including the links to install and read-play.
Thank you for considering subscribing and supporting this space.
