73 Comments

I love the “Litletter.” This is an important piece. It’s the Changing of the Guard. From traditional publishing and magazines to Self publishing, LitLetters and the Inbox.

Samuel’s quotes resonate. The connection on Substack and with our readers is like a hug.

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Thank you, Carissa. This essay has been brewing for a long time as I've been reading and thinking about what's happening on Substack. I loved the conversation between Josh and Samuel. It was open and honest and real about the writer's life.

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I find that connections on Substack are far warmer and more authentic compared to other social media. Has this been your experience as well, CK?

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Same. I've even made friends with fellow authors outside of the Substack environs.

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I think that things that exist today, allready existed. They only got a technological upgrade

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Thanks for reading, Rolando! For those who see the technological change as a downgrade, I hope this essay invites them to see that maybe it's just a newgrade, neither up nor down. We find ways to tell our essential stories with whatever tools we've got. The beauty is that so many Stackers are doing it.

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Hi Tara. Agree with you. For example, in Portugal, in the XX century, ladies reunited to do in the afternoon to talk about their life, while doing crochet. They also talked about gossips from around the village. That was an ancient social network :)

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Haha! I think I have belonged to some of those networks. I love the blackberry picking society that convenes in August. So many social networks are improved by thick gloves. :-)

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Thanks for the mention Tara! Our group of six has been a great thing for us, and I'd encourage others to try the group format. My latest piece is Against Recovery, from our series on "Recovery."

https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/against-recovery

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Thank you for that link to the more recent series, Bowen. Your group appears to work so well together, with unique but complementary essays. I love seeing how you respond to each other in comments.

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Thanks for the multiple mentions, Tara! As always, I appreciate your historical framing. This jives with what Ted Gioia published recently. And it is remarkable how much Substack has improved on the formerly disparate blogosphere. (Although some former bloggers say that the growth advice and best practice roundups proliferated then, too).

One thing I'm still struggling with, a bit, is the saturation of these spaces. I met with a few other Substack writers recently, and we all moaned a bit about how many newsletters we were subscribed to (far more than we could keep up with) and how much "noise" there is. I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing, so I can dip in and out of Notes without much FOMO. But some people feel like as soon as they open it, they're behind and trying to catch up.

I remember a similar feeling the first time I attended the AWP conference. I was there by dumb luck, having landed a poem in RATTLE and then having been invited by Timothy Green to read that poem as part of a cowboy poetry panel (even though there was nothing that cowboy about it). You were supposed to walk the exhibit, make connections, introduce yourself to editors. But I suck at that, or at least don't know how to do it without coming off as crass. And so the ironic effect of going to the mothership of creative writing was that I really just wanted to stop writing, stop producing, take my voice out of the general clamor.

I had a desultory conversation last night with an indie bookstore owner where I live. He had a shelf labeled "Local Authors," so I asked (while buying a book for my daughter) how he chose who to feature there, if he did commissions, etc. Turns out that he just features local authors who have deals with Penguin. Can't be bothered with commissions. Spoke scornfully of vanity projects and how local authors who don't have a publishing house behind them never sell. It made me question why I was buying a book from someone who was just a funnel for big publishers anyway -- why not get it cheaper online? I've never run a small bookstore, and maybe he's jaded by past attempts. But it seems that little people should have each others' backs.

It's easy to get discouraged out there. I'm glad that we have built these sources of support here, and I hope that whatever happens when Substack goes public, that we can keep these pockets of community together.

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I had to go read Ted Gioia's latest and then come back. It's encouraging that he sees the "small" and "direct" approach paying off. Fifteen years is not so much.

I think I am lucky to be able to dip in and out of Notes often for a short time without feeling overwhelmed or FOMO. I feel behind when I don't get to reading and commenting on actual posts, but Notes doesn't get to me that way. That point about saturation I think is one of the embedded features of the inbox environment. It's always full; there's always more to read. With a print magazine, we can come to the end of it, but not with an inbox. The haiku has an edge over the essay in this environment for that reason, though most of us probably don't want a diet of exclusively haiku.

Conference prattle (inspired by RATTLE) is a genre unto itself. I think there should be instruction for it. :-)

Your indie publisher does sound pretty jaded. Poor guy. I wonder if he has watched the business change from something he once loved to something he hardly recognizes. It has happened in every industry. I agree: it's nicer when the "small" folks have each other's backs. Maybe he had author backs as long as he could, but no one ever had his. I feel for him.

Substack going public - there's something I'd rather not think about. I imagine user fees would not be far behind, and that would change a lot. Part of the reason it's so much like a salon is that people who make their living at something else can come here just to write and see what happens. This is a good reminder to make the best of what we have here while we have it this way.

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Joshua, I totally get what you're saying about the overwhelm of too much content and trying to find your place in the creative world.

I find it tough navigating all the noise and finding genuine connections. But I must say your experience at AWP and with the bookstore owner is a reminder that not everyone gets the indie struggle. Then it's also a call to keep pushing forward and supporting each other in these smaller, meaningful spaces.

Substack and other community pockets can be our refuge, where real connections and support thrive. Keep believing in your voice and the unique contributions you bring to the table, Joshua. You got this.

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Painful to read that I am part of the money making genre and definitely not doing that haha.

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There are also different ways to approach the news, and your way has an artist's integrity. But I ran out of essay space for all the nuances! My boss (myself) told me the thing was getting to be more of a boulder than a pebble, and it was time to chuck it in the lake. ;-)

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ha! nice. and to be clear, i don't mind not making much money. There is one definitive path (rage baiting) that I refuse to follow. The other ones are more difficult and require luck.

Plus, I got busy this week and may struggle to write more than one issue, but since it's all free I don't have to put pressure on myself to get it out.

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Substack needs integrity prizes.

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They seem to be moving in the exact opposite direction with the TikTokization that seems imminent.

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Hopefully art-videos will prevail, not "influence." Taegan of One Word had a nice Note about that, asking us to withhold judgment about video til we saw what artists would do with it. I'm cool with that if he's in charge. :-)

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Good reminder to not be so jaded haha

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😂

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Chockful of great reads to explore. Appreciate the long view on what's new.

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No pressure to read it all, of course! If one or two links sound intriguing, all exploration is good. :-)

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Some I have already subscribed to, and others look compelling. The idea of a 5-word reading party is so clever!

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Those 5 words were strangely delightful to watch coming in. Some were very perceptive, others poetic, some both. It was fascinating and fun.

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Tara,

Very provocative in the best sense of the word. I write my weekly essays and they are an intellectual challenge. But what other spark of creativity could I employ using Substack? Your essay has me thinking more about that question.

Is it forbidden

To end this poetic form

with the word haiku?

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Haha! I've got my haiku pencil back out. Must write more .... I suppose if I added a "What to do next" section at the end of this post, I would pose the questions, "Do you want this writing to speak to timeless human questions? If so, which one in this post?" I don't think even the most "literary" writer answers "yes" every time, but it does add another level of interest. You have the benefit of writing the essay form very well and finding an audience that appreciates it. I would suggest that the creative spark is already in evidence. :-)

One timeless question

Per post, she admonishes,

Else the tea grows cold.

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Love your haiku!

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"[I]s it business with a niche and a brand, or creative connection and affirmation of our human bond?" - Love this question. Thanks for nudging us towards more quiet thinking, as always, Tara.

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Thank for restacking, Evelyn! After posing that binary question, it was important to get to the last section to have Samuel put it his way. I don’t think it’s impossible to have both, but maybe not with equal energy investment at the same time. I’ll bet you know that well. :-)

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Yes, thank you for mentioning our group, Tara! It has been great publishing pieces along with these other men (who are also fantastic writers). But more than anything else, it's been great getting to know them as human beings.

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Thanks for reading, Lyle. I can see in the exchanges of your group that there is something special between you. That mutual appreciation is part of what makes your collaborations more than, say, an anthology on a theme. I suppose it's a "vibe." :-)

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I really appreciate the shout out, thank you! Perhaps we should find ourselves in conversation in one form another one of these days ... I'm by no means an excerpt in this indie publishing game, but I will say I've been so much more fulfilled writing on Substack the past few years than I ever felt either with a more traditional publisher (I bought back my rights for my 2015 debut) or with a music label with my former band (in my experience, having a label was just as shite as everyone warned me it could be). Onwards and upwards. Here's to artists retaining the rights to their own works. What an idea!

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Samuél, I'm glad to get to know you through these wonderful Substack corridors. :-) I'm listening carefully to you and Evelyn Skye and others who are negotiating both books and Substack letters. Publishing books right now seems like walking blindfolded through a room with arms extended out front, hoping not to touch anything prickly or horrible, or to fall. But The Requisitions sounds daring and fascinating. I'm eager to read it! A conversation would be welcome. Maybe after I read your book? :-)

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I love the image of a blind walk into a spiky darkness. In publishing and the music industry, I got pricked for years. But since witnessing the basic contours of the traditional aspects of those respective industries I can comfortably say the empowerment & knowledge that comes from doing it myself illuminates that room and exposes a lot of the more traditional gatekeepers as sad clowns. It'd be a pleasure to discuss in the future. Looking forward to exploring your work as well

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This is brilliant, Tara. Thank you!

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Thank you for the restack, Sal! I hope to continue this line of thinking. I think there are more genres on Substack than I can count, and it feels liberating to me not to hold myself to the expectations of the wrong genre. Somehow this feels timely and worthwhile.

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I agree wholeheartedly, Tara! Substack newsletters are such a great place to connect and grow as community. I will be exploring several of the links you shared. And thank you for mentioning my newsletter and February Poetry Adventure. This was my first year hosting it on Substack (as opposed to Instagram) and seeing the vulnerability, honesty, and creativity of those who shared their poems was amazing. I always feel bolstered knowing other people are out in the world being brave and human.

I also took part in Ben Wakeman’s ’Same Walk, Different Shoes’ project and it was so interesting to read the other participants’ stories and so lovely to see how supportive everyone was in their comments.

As an indie author, I agree with Samuél Lopez-Barrantes saying “it is clear to me that the most fulfilling moments surrounding the publication of a novel aren’t about book sales or profits but the human connection.” Although, as an indie author, I also enjoy making sales. ;)

I feel so lucky and grateful that Substack exists and that I get to be part of this wonderful community. Thanks again for including me in your newsletter!

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Thank you for dropping by and restacking, Petra! I thought I might participate in your February Poetry Adventure, but alas - I only popped in occasionally to see what other people were making of it. I hope to join you next time. I love the idea.

It's valuable to hear from you and Samuél (also Leslye Penelope and Russell Nohelty, whom I mentioned in a related post two weeks ago) about the actual experience of book-writers today. With the right expectations (of books or inbox letters), I believe in satisfaction for writers. 💪

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Yes! Satisfaction for writers is a wonderful and important goal. And I'd love for you to join us next February! :)

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Thank you, Tara. I like alternating between fiction and nonfiction. I never knew I had a need to divide the creative part of my brain that way until I started.

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I love your alternation between fiction and nonfiction and hope to read and share more now that we're wrapping up the academic year. If I had made a guess of it, I'd have thought you started Stray Cats of Japan because the felines insisted on having their own kingdom and the full-time spotlight. Your respect for their wishes is clear. ;-)

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Thank you.

I think of myself as a medium for Japan's stray cats. They want their stories told and that's my job.

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Tara, thank you so much for mentioning Fifties by the Fire here. There really are so many fun ways to connect with others writers and readers through newsletters. Thanks for shedding a light on such a wide variety!

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Yes, Justin, you said it: there are many ways to connect through newsletters. I tried a shorter version of this essay with fewer examples (since I love short posts), but it was all wrong. There's no way to shed a light on all the variety without a generous sampling. Godspeed to the rest of your school year!

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Thank you! 🙏

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Love the way you describe what we're doing here Tara. LitLetters. Perfect. As I was reading this post, I couldn't help but reflect on the obituary I read this morning in the NYT of acclaimed short story writer and Nobel prize winner Alice Munro. How for her, short stories became her calling card and she is renowned as one of the best. But most of all, how you could feel so connected to the characters she created and you didn't need a full scale novel to do it. She was a master with a few words.

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Thank you, Kim! I think I won't be the only one going on an Alice Munro reading binge now that she's gone to the Great Library in the Sky. (?) This also may be time at last to read her biography by my friend and western lit colleague Bob Thacker. I'm sure that's a good book, and I haven't made time to read it. Hello, summer! Bob was one of my great professional role models for doing good scholarly work with a ripping sense of humor. He has a marvelous one. I'm thinking about that after Alice Munro's passing. Let us keep writing our encouraging, companionable pebbles! :-)

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I will look for your friend's autobiography of Alice when I'm at the library. And yes, I'm going on an Alice Munro read-a-thon. It's been a long time since I've read her stories, but she was a favourite back in my University days. I'm curious to compare her short stories with some of the essays I've been working my way through. Looking for the structure, voice, setting, but also studying essay versus short story. Pebble on!! :)

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I vote for LitLetter as a new Substack category, especially as someone who has felt some rub about not being clearly one known thing or another. I appreciate how you've defined the two broad strokes of newsletters. I think this piece is going to help me let go of thinking there are things I should be doing that I'm not.

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Rita, I'm glad! Letting go of things I think I should be doing and am not - That's a good way to describe how this thinking about genres is helpful to me. I think there are more Substack genres than newsletter and LitLetter, but this is a start. Imagine writing a horror novel to the genre expectations (and with the sales expectations) of a cookbook. We just wouldn't. That's the work I think that needs to be done for our writerly sanity - clarifying the many different things we are up to as writers. Thank you for sharing that this resonated for you!

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