What is The Optimism Epidemic?
A regular newsletter where I publish original short stories across a range of genres.
Why am I starting The Optimism Epidemic?
I love short stories and I regularly write them, for anthologies and for my regular newsletter subscribers. Now I have decided to go one better. I have started a second newsletter called THE OPTIMISM EPIDEMIC, hosted on the Substack platform, where I will publish short stories every two weeks. I usually write crime, thriller and mystery novels. But my reading tastes range across all sorts of genres and because of that I am always besieged with ideas for stories that don’t fit into the novels that I am contracted to write. The Optimism Epidemic allows me to write stories with a much broader range, with a wide array of characters, settings and periods, connected by two simple things: humanity and humour.
Who is The Optimism Epidemic for?
A newsletter for people fed up of relentless doom-and-gloomery. For people who are willing to see the lighter side of life, who believe that humour can improve our mood, who need a regular hit of good vibes. My short stories will be quick to read – 500 to 1500 words (with longer ones for Paid subscribers) – and will leave you (hopefully) with a smile on your lips.
What sort of stories?
I am, at heart, a humorist and I love poking fun at the human condition. So every story I write will be laced with dry humour or bristling with satire. Whether it’s a humorous take on modern dating or a biting look at a disgraced politician’s attempts at rehabilitation or a gentle tale of two friends setting off on a road trip, each of my stories will, hopefully, provide you with a sunny interlude amid the storm of general negativity whirling around us. (And yes, given that I’ve written over a dozen crime, mystery and thriller novels, there may be the occasional twist in the tale.)
Why subscribe?
There are fee and paid subscriber options for The Optimism Epidemic
Paid subscribers get:
ONE short story every fortnight (more often, if I can manage it), on the first and third Monday of each month. All written by an actual human being – me!
Access to longer short stories
Access to the entire archive of short stories
Access to comments and discussions
Access to guest author posts
Free subscribers receive short stories on a monthly basis.
Vaseem Khan 