Sounds like she really filled a niche where it was strongly desired. Good for her! That said: Clearly she started with a big audience already in place a la the WSJ etc. That’s fine--I’d do the same in her position. But it’s worth noting that most of us don’t start off that way. It’s not real helpful to those of us who aren’t already at t…
Sounds like she really filled a niche where it was strongly desired. Good for her! That said: Clearly she started with a big audience already in place a la the WSJ etc. That’s fine--I’d do the same in her position. But it’s worth noting that most of us don’t start off that way. It’s not real helpful to those of us who aren’t already at the top. Yet: Helpful article in its way. Happy for the success!! I love hearing about professionals leaving their industries and making a living exclusively on Substack. I’m getting there myself, slowly. I write about culture, politics, as well as fiction and personal essays.
Thanks Michael. Yes, it's true, I came from a publishing powerhouse, and I won't discount that. However, I definitely did not have an endorsement from the paper when I started. What WAS helpful in starting though, was making the change clear to the industry peers and friends I made over the years. So in that way, the prior career was helpful. I wasn't even going to post or announce that I was leaving and a friend basically told me I was a FOOL and forced me into it. I wasn't comfortable making such a public declaration. However, she was right. It was a learning experience, that no one was just going to announce or promote the work for me, something I never had to do before at such a major company. Not even sure where I'm going with this, just to say, keep up your good work and shout it from the rooftops! We are our own best advocates. :)
Sounds like she really filled a niche where it was strongly desired. Good for her! That said: Clearly she started with a big audience already in place a la the WSJ etc. That’s fine--I’d do the same in her position. But it’s worth noting that most of us don’t start off that way. It’s not real helpful to those of us who aren’t already at the top. Yet: Helpful article in its way. Happy for the success!! I love hearing about professionals leaving their industries and making a living exclusively on Substack. I’m getting there myself, slowly. I write about culture, politics, as well as fiction and personal essays.
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
Thanks Michael. Yes, it's true, I came from a publishing powerhouse, and I won't discount that. However, I definitely did not have an endorsement from the paper when I started. What WAS helpful in starting though, was making the change clear to the industry peers and friends I made over the years. So in that way, the prior career was helpful. I wasn't even going to post or announce that I was leaving and a friend basically told me I was a FOOL and forced me into it. I wasn't comfortable making such a public declaration. However, she was right. It was a learning experience, that no one was just going to announce or promote the work for me, something I never had to do before at such a major company. Not even sure where I'm going with this, just to say, keep up your good work and shout it from the rooftops! We are our own best advocates. :)
We can all learn from each other 🔥
Indeed! And seriously: That’s great and I’m happy for your success. Sounds well-deserved. 🙌