Here's Why YOU Should Become A Founding Member TODAY!

A bit about me, and why you should upgrade your subscription now!

“He’s the real deal and we all read him.”

— C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series

We’re almost a week into my slow, gradual move over to Substack, and honestly, I can’t believe that I didn’t do this sooner!

For the time being, the original Real Book Spy website remains operational, supplementing all the work I’m doing here now. However, eventually, Substack will be my exclusive home for new, exciting content.

Making the jump was scary, if I’m being honest. I first launched the TheRealBookSpy.com a decade ago, and over time, we grew to have more than three million readers a year. That’s insane! However, as social media and the internet evolve, I realized it was time to adapt and make some changes on my end. For starters, even if you have a big following on socials, rarely do your followers actually see what you’re posting. Now, Facebook, X, etc., want you to pay to reach your own audience. WHAT?!

Give me a break.

Then, if you’re fortunate enough to have a robust newsletter, and ours is very robust, Mailchimp and other services charge you an arm and a leg to send emails to your own subscriber list. Add to that web hosting fees and other costs, and the amount of overhead is crazy. Plus, now that I’m also writing books for a living full-time, and still editing or working with authors when I want to, keeping TRBS going full-steam ahead meant that I needed help, and that cost money, too.

For a decade, I’ve made free content. We help sell tens of thousands of books a month, and it’s been great. But at this stage in my life, I needed something easier. Something that made more financial sense. I don’t want to chase ad revenue anymore, or worry about page views and click rates. Burnt out and frustrated—for the first time ever, I recently spent a month sincerely thinking about whether or not I wanted to quit being The Real Book Spy. And in the end? Well, I love thrillers. I love mysteries. I love talking about them. And I love connecting with readers.

Enter Substack—the answer to all my problems!

Substack is exactly what I needed; of that, I am certain. I’ve bought in all the way, and as you might have noticed, over the last week, I've posted all my new content and news right here on TRBS Substack for you all to see. And now, we’re growing—fast. Readers and followers from my OG website are migrating here (by the way, HI!), and many of you have even upgraded to a paid subscription, which I appreciate more than you know.

This is where I plan to be long-term, and I am thrilled about it. About what WE are all building here as a community. For the first time in a long time, as a Book Spy, I am so excited. I have a lot planned, so bear with me as we get everything going. And please, if you’ve been on the fence, JOIN ME HERE, be part of this community. Whether you’re an author or a reader, this is (or will soon be) the place to be, and we’re going to have some fun.

So, if you want to make sure that you’re in the loop on all things mystery and thriller, and staying up to speed on all the relevant publishing industry news . . . or even if you just want to support what I’ve been doing all this time, please subscribe.

To that end, for a limited time, I am offering a deal to anyone who joins as a “Founding Member,” here on Substrack, including those who upgrade their paid subscriptions to FM status (if you’re new, that’s a paid subscription option that you can see here), the following:

• Signed, personalized copies—hardcover or paperback, your pick—of my complete (four books) Matthew Redd series to date, including: Fields of Fire, Lethal Range, Out For Blood, and Gone Dark, and a signed hardcover copy of my first Alex Hawke novel, Ted Bell’s Monarch. (My books have been endorsed by James Patterson, Brad Thor, C.J. Box, Jack Carr, Don Winslow, Lisa Scottoline, Mark Greaney, Gregg Huwritz, Robert Crais, Craig Johnson, Nelson DeMille, T.J. Newman, James Rollins, and many others.)

  • (Note: Shipping is US ONLY. Once I see that you’ve upgraded to a Founding Member subscription, I will reach out personally via email, and you can tell me what you want me to right in each book when I sign them.)

• A hand-written note of appreciation from me.

• An invitation, later this year, to a “Founding Members” ONLY Zoom call, so we can get to know each other, talk, and hang out for a bit.

  • Everything will ship at the end of each month!

This is my way of thanking everyone who’s supporting what I’m doing. So, get it while you still can!

Thank you again to everyone who’s already joined me here. I can’t wait for you all to see what I have planned!

New Here? Here’s a Bit About Me

For more than a decade, I’ve worked tirelessly as an industry insider, grinding hard to keep readers in the know on all things mystery & thriller. I’ve broken exclusive news, written thousands of book reviews, posted reading guides, author interviews, you name it. It’s been a wild ride!

“Book Spy followers are the best readers!” — Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of the Orphan X series

“The Real Book Spy is a great follow!”— Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Scot Harvath series

“He’s the guy people in the mystery/thriller world talk to behind the scenes.” — Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“You know Ryan Steck as The Real Book Spy. Now, get to know him as the author of Fields of Fire, his debut thriller featuring Marine Raider Matthew Redd in a battle that will leave you speechless and begging for more. Lock and load!” ― Jack Carr, Navy SEAL Sniper and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil’s Hand

“If you’re not following The Real Book Spy, then you’re doing it wrong… Incredibly cool and supporting thriller writers around the world.” — Don Winslow, #1 Internationally Bestselling Author of The Cartel and The Force

“One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there.” — Lisa Scottoline, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The Real Book Spy has quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers.” — A.J. Tata, Bestselling author of the Jake Mahegan thriller series

See you on Substack!