I've been friends with Matt Witten long enough to know that when he writes a book, I read it — even if the genre is one I'd normally sidestep entirely. 51% is dystopian fiction, which is not my comfort zone. But Matt's range as a writer is genuinely something, and this conversation reminded me exactly why. We talk about his new book, the world he built inside it, what it took to get there, and a few very honest things about the publishing industry that I think every writer needs to hear.
In this episode:
- What 51% is actually about — and why Matt moved the timeline from "30 years from now" to "20 years from now" after January 2025
- The income share agreement system at the heart of the book's world, and the real-life conversation that planted the seed for it
- How he approaches character: from the reluctant Bosch-esque hero to the every-woman who's broke, pregnant, and trying to do the right thing anyway — and an AI that may or may not have feelings
- The challenge of world building without losing readers in the first 25 pages (a problem he solved in a very specific, smart way)
- Writing across cozy, thriller, TV, and now dystopia — and why he doesn't use a pen name even when it might be the commercially safer move
- His recent agent search, what he was actually looking for this time around, and the truly unhinged rejection email he received two months after he'd already signed with someone else
- What's coming next: The Men's Group, a murder mystery about friendship, sobriety, and the epidemic of loneliness — which his agent calls "cozy adjacent"
Links:
- 51% by Matt Witten
- Matt's website: mattwittenwriter.com
- Matt on Instagram: @mattwitten22
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