Browse AuthorPods and the large number of Vermont-based authors on our platform is not a coincidence.
Vermont is often reported to be the state with the highest per capita ratio of authors and writers. Being a Vermont-based start-up, AuthorPods therefore has not surprisingly focused its initial outreach on the hundreds of authors who live in our state. (A VPR segment on the tradition of writers making Vermont home—including Katherine Paterson—can be found here.)
Admittedly, the appeal of the Green Mountain State as a source of artistic inspiration is by no means limited to writers. A 2018 report found that “the enterprises, organizations, and individuals whose products and services are rooted in artistic and creative content” accounted for close to 10% of Vermont’s employment.
Once more, recently bolstering the state’s allure has been yet another draw–climate resiliency–which is attracting a whole new population: so-called climate migrants, reports WCAX in Burlington. In fact, a 2020 study reported in Seven Days noted that six of the top seven counties for climate resiliency nationwide were located in Vermont. Afforded the opportunity to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic (perhaps soon-to-be endemic), these workers are said to represent a wide range of professionals driven by a number of factors, including a desire for a healthier lifestyle.
Unclear, however, is the long-term impact of that migration on the future composition of the Vermont population, particularly given the state’s marked housing crisis. Housing inventory already has tightened in many communities, with a surge in home prices that has rendered housing unaffordable to some, no doubt struggling artists among them.
Given that all but the most successful authors are able to rely entirely on the proceeds they receive from books, we at AuthorPods therefore aim to continue in our mission to support authors by fostering dialogue about their work and eventually by creating more opportunities for authors to bolster their income. And yes, in time, we hope to include more authors from outside Vermont, encouraging visitors and residents of those states also to read local. For now, however, we remain honored that so many authors–Vermont or otherwise–have joined AuthorPods as we continue to strive to support them in their work and to seed remarkable conversations between readers and authors about books.
