Billionaire MacKenzie Scott is back as an author: New novel to be released for free on Substack

Billionaire philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott is returning to fiction after more than a decade, announcing that she will release her third novel, “Last Days in Two Nations (A History in Eighteen Minds),” for free on Substack throughout August.

Scott announced the project on Saturday, August 8, publishing the book’s title page, table of contents, character list and epigraphs. However, she has not revealed many details about the novel’s storyline. The book is expected to run about 80,000 words and will be published serially over the course of the month.

The announcement marks Scott’s return to novel writing after “Traps”, which was published in 2013. Her new decision to release the book online and free of charge also represents a significant departure from the traditional publishing route she followed for her earlier novels.

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MacKenzie Scott’s first novel: The Testing of Luther Albright

Scott made her literary debut with “The Testing of Luther Albright” in 2005. The novel centres on Luther Albright, a civil engineer and family man whose carefully controlled life begins to unravel as tensions emerge within his marriage, his relationship with his teenage son and his professional life.

The book received critical attention and went on to win the American Book Award in 2006. Scott had studied creative writing at Princeton University under Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, who also supervised her thesis.

Scott has previously said the novel took around 10 years to write, a period during which she was also helping build Amazon alongside Jeff Bezos and raising their family.

Traps: Scott’s second novel

Eight years later, Scott published “Traps” in 2013. The novel follows four women whose lives unexpectedly intersect over several days.

The central characters include Jessica, a reclusive movie star; Dana, a highly trained bodyguard; Vivian, a teenager trying to protect her twin babies; and Lynn, a recovering alcoholic who runs an animal shelter. Their individual struggles gradually become connected as their paths cross.

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Unlike her debut, “Traps” leaned into suspense and neo-noir storytelling, while exploring themes of vulnerability, difficult relationships, survival and the unexpected ways people can influence one another.

A new chapter for Scott as an author

Scott became globally known in the years following her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, particularly for her large-scale philanthropic giving. Forbes estimates that she has given away more than $26 billion to thousands of organisations.

Now, with “Last Days in Two Nations,” Scott is returning to the literary world after a 13-year gap between novels. By releasing the new work for free on Substack, she is also taking a more direct route to readers.