"We want—and have the need—to go back to how life used to be: interacting with others in good faith, disagreeing with each other while remaining friendly, having genuine connections with one another." YES!!!! And you're so correct, AI will never get this right. Even if it's able to feign the connection, something will still be off, on a cellular level. To use Alisa's expression, Huzzah to humans! Thank you for creating such a hopeful, inspiring, reflective space here Nadia. Your wildflower garden is already abundant with cross-pollinating species, color and growth.
"cross-pollinating species, color and growth" - That's so beautiful! Thank you so much, Kimberly! And yes, AI and anything robotic is soulless. People who need the arts and human connection see through it and will always choose beauty, truth, art, etc. Art will live on!
Huzzah!!! Congrats on your first anniversary and thank you for sharing your learnings! I have found traditional social channels to be lacking as well. The best thing has been finding a likeminded tribe of writers and readers. It feels more like the internet 20-some years ago... except I'm not dialing into a wall plug and it actually works 😂
Hahahaha. Yes, that's a positive that we don't need to hook up to dial up and our grandma can't reach us via phone XD. I love that this space feels like the internet of yore. And yes, sadly, other social media isn't very compatible with Substack, but maybe for the better. Less time there, more meaningful time here.
Nadia! I saw someone on Notes call you one of their favorite people to follow because of your generosity. This post is so in line with that. Everything you say here feels spot on. I, too, can't be bottled by niche. ;) I've been meaning to look into Sample, and this post is going to be the push for me to follow through. And now Lettergrowth and InboxReads too. Thank you! Oh and congratulations!!
And then I'm over the moon to be included among such a wonderful list. Because I love so much the writers I'm familiar with, I'm gonna need to meet those who are new to me. 🥰
Oh gosh, that's so sweet to hear :'). I'm glad the post is resonating with others. Guides are useful up to a point and they're better suited for businesses. But what about creatives who just want realistic but steady growth and to also feel grounded somehow? I've seen a few writers approach the subject and I'm glad more are talking about it. It truly does help. I'm delighted we came across each other. Your varied work is absolutely marvelous and reflective!
congratulations on this milestone! i actually enjoy that you don’t have a “niche”, but instead write what’s on your heart. it feels more authentic that way. this article was so informative and helpful for anyone joining substack!
Thank you so much, Avery! It's been an enjoyable ride exploring different things. I adore your newsletter, especially your words of wisdom and encouragement in obstacles and relationships.
I have truly enjoyed your smorgasbord, Nadia, and very much appreciate the honesty in your writing. Congratulations on your first year, and here's to many more!
To write is to transcend pain and sometimes even turn it into something beautiful, even useful, as you have done, Nadia. I suffer from chronic migraines and during the pandemic started writing and publishing about them for the first time, like here: https://visiblemagazine.com/another-day-another-migraine/
Thank you for the shoutout. I agree that you need to write what you want, without catering too much to the advice of others. I had not heard of those other ways to promote the substack, but I will check them out.
Oh, beloved Nadia, happiest of anniversaries to you, my dear. What a blessing it has been to find and to interact with you, to read your hope soaked posts, to feel I've found a sister who can stare into the darkness with me while keeping one foot on solid, hopeful ground. This post is so generous, and so important. I especially resonated with your call for genuine expression. AI has it's uses, sure, but one of those uses should NEVER be it becoming someone's voice! We mustn't hand over our humanity like that, and it's tragic that some people feel the need to, whether through laziness or self-doubt.
Thank you for being you, for using your voice, for expressing yourself so beautifully and honestly, and for creating the space and the community that you have, here. If something crazy happened and Substack imploded, I would come and find you in person (in a non-stalky way) because I just can't imagine life without you 💗
Oh sweet friend, sister, soul - thank you for your heartfelt, touching, inspiring words. I'm so glad and grateful we connected. Your writing and you always inspire and empower me. And if Substack disappeared, and I hope it never does, I would seek you out too. We need to all have a little space in the world where we can come together and have a tea and pavlova party once in a while. Haha. :-* <3
I’m so glad I chose to read this in a moment when I can fully engage and digest all the goodness you have given us in this post, Nadia!! This was so cozy and the best (not) growth post I have read yet! I value you your experience and wisdom, especially in giving friendly suggestions and expertise on how to maintain the love for creating on Substack.
What a beautiful journey you’ve experienced so far! I truly can’t wait to see what year 2 has for you 🥳 Bless you, your family and your community for make this a possible experience for me 💚
Thank you so much, Kharissa! I appreciate your wonderful comments and am grateful for your lovely wishes. May your journey on Substack be one full of support, growth, joy, and all the good blessings! :-* <3
Many people are visually impaired, never use a black background with a white font, or other colour combinations, it's just too much effort for some of us to read; it's a hard pass.
Writers should be cautious about their blurb saying they respond to all of their readers, when they self evidently only interact with selective people. Just change your blurb, rather than looking untrustworthy.
I know all too well that publishing is a business for us writers. I learned that on the day in 1989 or 1990 that my first editor was assessing the potential price of my hardcover based on pages and rattled off page lengths and appropriate prices for each length like an accountant. I realized then that a book was many things and one of those was a product and I had to do whatever I could to promote myself. Sometimes it paid off brilliantly. For my memoir My Germany (Terrace Books, UWP), I landed over fifty gigs including two books tours in Germany thanks to researching possible venues that could invite me and crafting each contact individually based on the person I was reaching out to. The touring lasted five years--and was highly remunerative.
Thanks! It was a lot of work but worth it, put tons of miles on me, took me to cities I never would have visited otherwise, and I even got to do readings in my third language, German, when asked. Truly a high point in my career. At the very last reading of the second tour, I actually felt so close to the German text it was as if it had been written in that language first.
Me, too, since I never imagined my work would appear in German and I'd do three tours there, even though writer friends told me German audiences are terrific because their book culture is so much different than the American.
That's so true! The way the arts are appreciated there is different. It's good to you got to share part of you, your world, and your writing with the German audience!
Congratulations on the milestone, Nadia. It's been a joy to be part of your journey.
This post should go out to all new Substacks when they first create their publication. It's a thoughtful and grounded reflection and is something I would have loved to have read this time last year after just starting a publication myself.
Thank you so much, Nathan! I appreciate your support. You came along early on and I'm so glad you did, as your encouragement greatly helped me. I've been enjoying your thought-provoking, transporting work and seeing how you've been evolving too. I look forward to witness how our trajectories will develop :').
Congrats! Thank you for this great essay, it should be required reading for anybody who is thinking about starting a newsletter.
My only twist would to push prospects into the deep end of the pool. There’s no reason to wait. The beauty of starting from scratch is that there is no one to watch you flail. So if you gonna flail around anonymously, might as well start today!
It’s a special community here. Let’s hope the party lasts a long while.
Thank you so much! I agree. People just need to DO IT. Just do it. What can one lose, really? But there's so much to gain. I hope we party til the cows come home. :-D
Hahha yeah! When starting out anonymity seems like a huge hurdle to get beyond, and I totally get how obnoxious it sounds to complain of having a subscriber base…but there is definitely a benefit to being able to freely experiment without consequence. There is a natural arc to the growth process that should be savored as part of the journey.
I’ve kept all my old blog posts public (except some dead links and photos of family) but trust me, y’all shouldn’t want to read them!
"We want—and have the need—to go back to how life used to be: interacting with others in good faith, disagreeing with each other while remaining friendly, having genuine connections with one another." YES!!!! And you're so correct, AI will never get this right. Even if it's able to feign the connection, something will still be off, on a cellular level. To use Alisa's expression, Huzzah to humans! Thank you for creating such a hopeful, inspiring, reflective space here Nadia. Your wildflower garden is already abundant with cross-pollinating species, color and growth.
"cross-pollinating species, color and growth" - That's so beautiful! Thank you so much, Kimberly! And yes, AI and anything robotic is soulless. People who need the arts and human connection see through it and will always choose beauty, truth, art, etc. Art will live on!
Huzzah!!! Congrats on your first anniversary and thank you for sharing your learnings! I have found traditional social channels to be lacking as well. The best thing has been finding a likeminded tribe of writers and readers. It feels more like the internet 20-some years ago... except I'm not dialing into a wall plug and it actually works 😂
Hahahaha. Yes, that's a positive that we don't need to hook up to dial up and our grandma can't reach us via phone XD. I love that this space feels like the internet of yore. And yes, sadly, other social media isn't very compatible with Substack, but maybe for the better. Less time there, more meaningful time here.
Hahaha. Memory lane!
Seriously! lol
Nadia! I saw someone on Notes call you one of their favorite people to follow because of your generosity. This post is so in line with that. Everything you say here feels spot on. I, too, can't be bottled by niche. ;) I've been meaning to look into Sample, and this post is going to be the push for me to follow through. And now Lettergrowth and InboxReads too. Thank you! Oh and congratulations!!
And then I'm over the moon to be included among such a wonderful list. Because I love so much the writers I'm familiar with, I'm gonna need to meet those who are new to me. 🥰
Oh gosh, that's so sweet to hear :'). I'm glad the post is resonating with others. Guides are useful up to a point and they're better suited for businesses. But what about creatives who just want realistic but steady growth and to also feel grounded somehow? I've seen a few writers approach the subject and I'm glad more are talking about it. It truly does help. I'm delighted we came across each other. Your varied work is absolutely marvelous and reflective!
congratulations on this milestone! i actually enjoy that you don’t have a “niche”, but instead write what’s on your heart. it feels more authentic that way. this article was so informative and helpful for anyone joining substack!
Thank you so much, Avery! It's been an enjoyable ride exploring different things. I adore your newsletter, especially your words of wisdom and encouragement in obstacles and relationships.
I have truly enjoyed your smorgasbord, Nadia, and very much appreciate the honesty in your writing. Congratulations on your first year, and here's to many more!
Thank you so much, Wendy! I appreciate you. I've been loving your tales, and tails ;-).
You've been an encouragement and inspiration to me ever since my first post.
<3
Love and strength my beautiful friend - I hope today is a good one for you. :)
Thank you so much, Peter! I will be writing you ASAP.
I look forward to hearing from you, always. :)
To write is to transcend pain and sometimes even turn it into something beautiful, even useful, as you have done, Nadia. I suffer from chronic migraines and during the pandemic started writing and publishing about them for the first time, like here: https://visiblemagazine.com/another-day-another-migraine/
Thank you for the shoutout. I agree that you need to write what you want, without catering too much to the advice of others. I had not heard of those other ways to promote the substack, but I will check them out.
I hope it all helps, Serena! Yes, exactly, you can follow guidelines if you want, but in the end, you pave the way for yourself on your own terms.
Oh, beloved Nadia, happiest of anniversaries to you, my dear. What a blessing it has been to find and to interact with you, to read your hope soaked posts, to feel I've found a sister who can stare into the darkness with me while keeping one foot on solid, hopeful ground. This post is so generous, and so important. I especially resonated with your call for genuine expression. AI has it's uses, sure, but one of those uses should NEVER be it becoming someone's voice! We mustn't hand over our humanity like that, and it's tragic that some people feel the need to, whether through laziness or self-doubt.
Thank you for being you, for using your voice, for expressing yourself so beautifully and honestly, and for creating the space and the community that you have, here. If something crazy happened and Substack imploded, I would come and find you in person (in a non-stalky way) because I just can't imagine life without you 💗
Oh sweet friend, sister, soul - thank you for your heartfelt, touching, inspiring words. I'm so glad and grateful we connected. Your writing and you always inspire and empower me. And if Substack disappeared, and I hope it never does, I would seek you out too. We need to all have a little space in the world where we can come together and have a tea and pavlova party once in a while. Haha. :-* <3
I almost forgot to thank you for all the inspirational desserts! 😋 Here’s to our one day, in-person dessert bonanza 💗🥮🍥🧁
Wooo hooo! I'll bring a pavlova, cheesecake, and some nutty, dried fruit cookies. ;-) :-*
I’m so glad I chose to read this in a moment when I can fully engage and digest all the goodness you have given us in this post, Nadia!! This was so cozy and the best (not) growth post I have read yet! I value you your experience and wisdom, especially in giving friendly suggestions and expertise on how to maintain the love for creating on Substack.
What a beautiful journey you’ve experienced so far! I truly can’t wait to see what year 2 has for you 🥳 Bless you, your family and your community for make this a possible experience for me 💚
Thank you so much, Kharissa! I appreciate your wonderful comments and am grateful for your lovely wishes. May your journey on Substack be one full of support, growth, joy, and all the good blessings! :-* <3
🥰🥰💚💚
:-* <3
Many people are visually impaired, never use a black background with a white font, or other colour combinations, it's just too much effort for some of us to read; it's a hard pass.
Writers should be cautious about their blurb saying they respond to all of their readers, when they self evidently only interact with selective people. Just change your blurb, rather than looking untrustworthy.
Thank you for the advice!
I know all too well that publishing is a business for us writers. I learned that on the day in 1989 or 1990 that my first editor was assessing the potential price of my hardcover based on pages and rattled off page lengths and appropriate prices for each length like an accountant. I realized then that a book was many things and one of those was a product and I had to do whatever I could to promote myself. Sometimes it paid off brilliantly. For my memoir My Germany (Terrace Books, UWP), I landed over fifty gigs including two books tours in Germany thanks to researching possible venues that could invite me and crafting each contact individually based on the person I was reaching out to. The touring lasted five years--and was highly remunerative.
That's amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks! It was a lot of work but worth it, put tons of miles on me, took me to cities I never would have visited otherwise, and I even got to do readings in my third language, German, when asked. Truly a high point in my career. At the very last reading of the second tour, I actually felt so close to the German text it was as if it had been written in that language first.
That's mind-blowing! I'm glad you got to do that.
Me, too, since I never imagined my work would appear in German and I'd do three tours there, even though writer friends told me German audiences are terrific because their book culture is so much different than the American.
That's so true! The way the arts are appreciated there is different. It's good to you got to share part of you, your world, and your writing with the German audience!
Cats should always get shout outs for pets!
Bahahaha. For sure!
Congratulations on the milestone, Nadia. It's been a joy to be part of your journey.
This post should go out to all new Substacks when they first create their publication. It's a thoughtful and grounded reflection and is something I would have loved to have read this time last year after just starting a publication myself.
Thank you so much, Nathan! I appreciate your support. You came along early on and I'm so glad you did, as your encouragement greatly helped me. I've been enjoying your thought-provoking, transporting work and seeing how you've been evolving too. I look forward to witness how our trajectories will develop :').
Ditto, Nadia. It has been and continues to be a real pleasure 🤗
D'aww. Hugs!
Congrats! Thank you for this great essay, it should be required reading for anybody who is thinking about starting a newsletter.
My only twist would to push prospects into the deep end of the pool. There’s no reason to wait. The beauty of starting from scratch is that there is no one to watch you flail. So if you gonna flail around anonymously, might as well start today!
It’s a special community here. Let’s hope the party lasts a long while.
Thank you so much! I agree. People just need to DO IT. Just do it. What can one lose, really? But there's so much to gain. I hope we party til the cows come home. :-D
Hahha yeah! When starting out anonymity seems like a huge hurdle to get beyond, and I totally get how obnoxious it sounds to complain of having a subscriber base…but there is definitely a benefit to being able to freely experiment without consequence. There is a natural arc to the growth process that should be savored as part of the journey.
I’ve kept all my old blog posts public (except some dead links and photos of family) but trust me, y’all shouldn’t want to read them!
That's so true!
Love this post and thank you 1000 times for listing my in your recommendations! 🙏🏼
Thank you, Gregory, as well! And for all the support through the years (and all the support to others!) and your exquisite work.
Wonderful writing, thanks a million.
Thank you, Weston!!!