I simply went and completed it, did not I… I am writing on Substack now.
Whether or not you have heard of Substack or not, if you would like to listen to me write extra articles (ramblings), I’ve received you coated.I do know it isn’t only one small I am so self-righteous – you need extra BS from me than you already get, that’s – however I will have the unbridled assumption that you simply’re right here, so definitely You need extra.
(All of that is only a check to see in case you’ll change off, as a result of if you have not switched off by now, you are a hardcore reader. And I really like you for it. Don’t fret, you will be rewarded.)
[Reading time: 5 mins]
Okay, sufficient nonsense for now. Backtracking a bit:
I’ve written about My monetary and basic life/well being/profession dilemmas months in the past. I poured my coronary heart out as a result of my revenue had dropped considerably in the course of the pandemic and I had been struggling to make ends meet, after which, final yr, as a substitute of getting higher, I fell utterly into the abyss of demise. Financial savings disappear and bank card debt is pressured.
This can be a unusual means of claiming, “I had zero work and we actually had no cash for meals” (So though the bank card debt has 0% curiosity for X months, it’s nonetheless a debt that should be repaid. A while).
Pricey readers, the response I get out of your feedback has been nothing in need of extraordinary—and deeply humbling. Tales of compassion and comparable conditions hit me exhausting. This is likely one of the longest posts I’ve ever written (it’s a bizarre 4,500 phrases) and I’ve realized that running a blog will not be useless, regardless of what social media would have you ever consider. Folks do wish to learn what you write.
(I wrote “one thing” and instantly thought “blocky blue sweater” in scene The Satan Wears Prada Miranda Priestley (our Lord and Savior Meryl Streep) stated to Andy (Anne Hathaway): “The sweater you are sporting was picked for you by somebody on this room from a pile of… stuff.“That is it, I liken my writing to Oscar de la Renta’s assortment of sky blue clothes in 2002. So, sure, I write about stuff. )
To jot down on Substack or to not write?
Again to stuff.what i wrote [so eloquently].
What a number of folks have steered to me in feedback and emails is, ought to I contemplate writing on a paid subscription platform like Patreon or Substack? As a result of apparently, there are lower than double digits of people that have the audacity to declare that they’d pay to learn what I write. They had been comfortable to pay a small charge to learn my “stuff”. (I didn’t ask, they only provided.)
My reply is not any, no, no. I all the time say I don’t cost folks to learn what I write. This weblog will all the time be free.
So the weblog will stay. Free, that is it.
What I do know, nonetheless, is that not solely do I’ve to search out methods to have the ability to afford the meals we want with a view to give you the option transfer on with life, however I additionally knew I wanted cash to repay the bank card payments I might incurred from needing to eat each day for the previous 12 months or so. (Sure, I do know, how dare I 😉)
It might come as a shock to some manufacturers and a few influencer-hating keyboard warriors that a few of us have to eat, and I imply eat meals. Not garments, jewellery, skincare, make-up, menopause dietary supplements, or the rest I obtain in alternate as a result of I get to become profitable by promoting the model’s merchandise on my platform (which I spent 12 years constructed a enterprise). So, for the PR company, it’s paid for by the model, however who doesn’t wish to pay –I: Garments do not pay the payments or put meals on my desk.Ah, do not work totally free. [gifts].
I imply, menopause dietary supplements. potential It is sufficient to final me about 24 hours, but it surely’s not one thing I like to recommend. (Please notice that that is achieved utilizing Heavy Satire. ) I would like meals and until they provide a live-in chef with all-inclusive meals for 12 months, it isn’t a good deal. Anyway, I’ve complained loads that “free items” aren’t all they’re cracked as much as be, so I have to nip that grievance within the bud and get to the purpose.
So after pondering extra about the entire “paid content material” factor, I spotted that perhaps – maybe – I can at the very least contemplate Join Substack to write down extra content material there, and Give folks an opportunity to decide on Pay a small charge to make extra of my work obtainable to learn.and Then I learn this text on Substack:
“The running a blog craze is again—and it’s occurring on Substack”
– That made me go, “Oh oh oh oh oh. Oh, now I perceive.Briefly, as I perceive it, Substack is actually a social media platform for old-school bloggers (and writers on the whole).Similar to a photographer has his personal web site and makes use of Instagram as a social media platform to succeed in a bigger viewers, a blogger has his personal weblog and may then leverage Substack as a [social media] Present a platform to succeed in a wider viewers.
Substack is a spot the place writers can write newsletters. They’ll write mini blogs. They’ll write quick tales. These items make me marvel and rub my fingers collectively in delight. I signed up on the spot.
(you should Subscribe to me on Substack If you happen to haven’t obtained my weblog posts by way of electronic mail however really need new jazz content material…)
To get to the purpose…
This is a fast abstract of the factors I am making an attempt to make right here:
- This weblog will live on and can proceed to be free/no content material/no studying required. Income will come from model partnerships (which fortunately is growing for me) and affiliate income (which nonetheless doesn’t value you something).
- Subscribers of the weblog (as of right this moment, July 10, 2023) will even obtain free newsletter-style emails from me via Substack. They’ll unsubscribe at any time.
- Substack won’t change running a blog. (Okay, I ought to by no means say “by no means” as a result of who is aware of what the way forward for digital content material creation will maintain, however for now, so long as I will help it, the weblog will not get replaced and I’ve zero intention of going there Do.)
- Substack will probably be a spot for me to share shorter, extra highly effective (we will stay in hope) ideas and non-fiction tales. Like Instagram for writing.
- It is possible for you to to decide on in the future quickly Improve to a paid subscription…we’re speaking only a few kilos a month. Similar to some newspapers provide you with X free articles per week and you then pay to learn extra, that is my intention.You may nonetheless subscribe totally free Some content material, or you may improve to get extra content material.
Hopefully I’ve defined what Substack is and what I plan to do/use with it – let’s hope I’ve Obtained this project as a result of I truly did it from scratch! – however I’m truly actually enthusiastic about all of the writing I’m going to do.
I’ve plenty of concepts to write down about, so I created a folder in Google Drive for Substack concepts and added them to my Google Calendar (aka my work diary).
I hope they amuse, entertain, and curiosity you.
I hope they make you cease and assume infrequently.
I hope they’ll have a dialogue.
I hope the spark they ignite in me turns into one thing greater, higher, (even) worthwhile.
I hope they’re going to spark the writing scratches I’ve had since my major college days after I wrote an extended, detailed story about Robin Hood, er, “taking part in together with his merry males” in Nottingham. [note: not Sherwood] Forest (my trainer intentionally wrote “Do you imply the soccer staff?” within the margin. He deftly avoids the entire “old school British outlaw asking his buddies if they’ll hang around” scene that I created, a lot to my mom’s amusement).
So yeah, I will write one thing. Extra stuff. I’ve written my first e-newsletter (aka quick story/essay/article) which will probably be out within the subsequent few days. If you happen to’re keen to pay the worth of some cups of espresso a month to learn extra of my stuff, then We may have been mates perpetually, as a result of I might have been so grateful and flattered.
Bonus: I should buy it factor.meals i could make eat.
Bear in mind, if you have not subscribed by way of electronic mail to new weblog posts from Not Dressed As Lamb, you will not obtain the Substack e-newsletter! so…
Subscribe to Catherine Summers on Substack
(Subscribe to the weblog put up of Not Dressed as a Lamb)
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thanks for studying,
Hyperlink to… on Monday: vogue monday (the second Monday of the month), Monday evokes me, my glowing coronary heart, We are going to contact you on Monday || Tuesday: smile fashion, development spin/Strolling in Memphis in Excessive Heels, Tuesday return price, Two days of confidence, Comfortable Now Weblog Hyperlink || Wednesday: Wednesday wow || Thursday: Stylish and trendy, timeless fashion hyperlink (Third Thursday of the month), || Friday: endless fashion, fancy friday, on the sting
