Another great post by Kevin Maguire who Writes New Fatherhood as he gets ready to take six weeks off. I like this quote that Kevin included:
“Right now we spend about 25 years of our lives learning, then there are another 40 years that's really reserved for working, and then tacked on at the end of it are about 15 years for retirement. And I thought it might be helpful to basically cut off five of those retirement years and intersperse them in between those working years. That's clearly enjoyable for myself. But probably even more important is that the work that comes out of this year flows back into the company and into society at large rather than benefiting a grandchild or two.”
After writing every day for 15 years, I took 45 days off and can say that a break can give your heart, soul, and mind some much-needed juice. With that said, I'm back writing every day and have never been happier.
This is very timely! I'm currently scheduling posts to try to cover the next month of summer holidays, and it's a HUGE task!
But my newsletter is only a few months old, and I'm only just now finding a weekly rhythm that my readers seem to like,. So I'm scared that if I break that rhythm I'll lose readers. Maybe I'm just not brave enough to run that experiment...
Actually, Kevin, I think the time to introduce a posting schedule with built-in rest breaks is when your newsletter is new. Some timely advice somewhere in the resource material said to start how you mean to finish. I was straight out of the blocks initially but realized it was going to be unsustainable. Now I have a publishing schedule I can manage long term and I get rest along the way too. I explain the schedule in my Welcome post, so new subscribers know what to expect.
I’m currently crafting my own maternity leave as a business and writing team of 1 so this is a timely and relevant post. Currently working on scheduling posts ahead but enjoy seeing how other writers handle time away and the language used. Will be revisiting this post often over the next few weeks. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, I'm sure many othrer writers have gone through this length of break, or, like you, are planning maternity leave and would be eager to share tips. Please keep us updated as to how you get on.
Extremely timely post as I'm considering moving from weekly to bi-weekly for the rest of the summer months while my kids are out of school. That would also give me the latitude to tackle a non-Substack related project. Thanks for sharing this.
I'm taking a two week break at the moment and really enjoying it. As much as I am proud that I have published weekly this year, including through illness and previous vacations, it is good to take a break and not have to think about content.
That's impressive. I've mostly scheduled content out fortnightly (bi-weekly) and given some recent changes to the platform tediously implementing them with what is published and preparing to format things more consistently than I have in the past. So in some ways I take a lot of breaks but also do a lot in one hit.
My main concern in taking a break, probably like most authors, is losing momentum. Then again, trying to write while lacking motivation can be just as trying. It's a balancing act, for sure.
If you build your community with love and intention and provide a valuable reading experience, they will be amenable to any breaks or changes in publishing frequency you decide on. It's important to relax, take care of your health when on a break. The day that posting to your newsletter becomes a chore, that's the day you realize you need to revisit your schedule.
This is so encouraging. I haven’t taken time off writing at least three times a week in 16 months, and I feel like a hamster in a cage. I’m glad to hear readers understand when we take time.
I write a weekly Bible devotional piece but when I'm away/on holiday I schedule post(s) of some favourite quotes from other writers. So people still get something but it's far less effort on my part. It seems to be appreciated.
Very timely post with a bunch of great ideas. I have myself used a few of these methods including a direct email to paid subscribers informing them of my time off, using scheduled posts, reducing the frequency of my posts and responding to comments while on the road with additional reminders that I am away. We all need a break once in a while and writers are no exception. Cheers!
I’ve worked for myself for a long time, so I know how hard it can be to switch off and take a proper break. The thing I was concerned about when I started my newsletter was how I can keep it going if I get sick or something unexpected comes up in my day job or personal life. You can plan for taking vacations, but it’s the unexpected stuff that can catch you out – especially when it’s just you and there’s no one to step in if you’re away.
I approached it by making a simple content plan with an outline of each edition I want to send, including publication dates. Then I gave myself a head start by writing a few editions of the newsletter in advance, so that I have them ready to go. It took a bit of extra time and work to do that, but it means that when I do want to take a proper break, I’ll have newsletters that I can schedule to publish while I’m not around. I was thinking I could add a note to those posts to let my readers know I’m offline and will reply to any messages when I’m back. I could also switch off the comments for those posts, again with the explanation to readers that I’m doing that because I won’t be able to reply immediately.
The scheduling tool is really handy anyway as it means I can always send my newsletter out on the same day/time and I'm less likely to forget. I'm still finding my way with Substack, so it's great to see how other people do this. Thanks for sharing!
Another great post by Kevin Maguire who Writes New Fatherhood as he gets ready to take six weeks off. I like this quote that Kevin included:
“Right now we spend about 25 years of our lives learning, then there are another 40 years that's really reserved for working, and then tacked on at the end of it are about 15 years for retirement. And I thought it might be helpful to basically cut off five of those retirement years and intersperse them in between those working years. That's clearly enjoyable for myself. But probably even more important is that the work that comes out of this year flows back into the company and into society at large rather than benefiting a grandchild or two.”
— Stefan Sagmeister, The Power of Time Off
https://www.thenewfatherhood.org/p/time-to-recharge
After writing every day for 15 years, I took 45 days off and can say that a break can give your heart, soul, and mind some much-needed juice. With that said, I'm back writing every day and have never been happier.
This is very timely! I'm currently scheduling posts to try to cover the next month of summer holidays, and it's a HUGE task!
But my newsletter is only a few months old, and I'm only just now finding a weekly rhythm that my readers seem to like,. So I'm scared that if I break that rhythm I'll lose readers. Maybe I'm just not brave enough to run that experiment...
Actually, Kevin, I think the time to introduce a posting schedule with built-in rest breaks is when your newsletter is new. Some timely advice somewhere in the resource material said to start how you mean to finish. I was straight out of the blocks initially but realized it was going to be unsustainable. Now I have a publishing schedule I can manage long term and I get rest along the way too. I explain the schedule in my Welcome post, so new subscribers know what to expect.
I love your advice of "start how you mean to finish." Poignant.
That's good advice, thanks Sharon.
I’m currently crafting my own maternity leave as a business and writing team of 1 so this is a timely and relevant post. Currently working on scheduling posts ahead but enjoy seeing how other writers handle time away and the language used. Will be revisiting this post often over the next few weeks. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you enjoy your maternity leave, and I hope you make a great mom!
Thank you for your kind thoughts! Exciting times are ahead!
I hope you enjoy them!
Well I’m quite new here
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for sharing, I'm sure many othrer writers have gone through this length of break, or, like you, are planning maternity leave and would be eager to share tips. Please keep us updated as to how you get on.
Absolutely, will do! Thanks again for a great article Hannah.
Extremely timely post as I'm considering moving from weekly to bi-weekly for the rest of the summer months while my kids are out of school. That would also give me the latitude to tackle a non-Substack related project. Thanks for sharing this.
I think a real writer doesn't need to earn their rest. They take it whenever their muse commands them to.
I'm taking a two week break at the moment and really enjoying it. As much as I am proud that I have published weekly this year, including through illness and previous vacations, it is good to take a break and not have to think about content.
That's impressive. I've mostly scheduled content out fortnightly (bi-weekly) and given some recent changes to the platform tediously implementing them with what is published and preparing to format things more consistently than I have in the past. So in some ways I take a lot of breaks but also do a lot in one hit.
Excellent advice! Thank you!!
My main concern in taking a break, probably like most authors, is losing momentum. Then again, trying to write while lacking motivation can be just as trying. It's a balancing act, for sure.
If you build your community with love and intention and provide a valuable reading experience, they will be amenable to any breaks or changes in publishing frequency you decide on. It's important to relax, take care of your health when on a break. The day that posting to your newsletter becomes a chore, that's the day you realize you need to revisit your schedule.
This is so encouraging. I haven’t taken time off writing at least three times a week in 16 months, and I feel like a hamster in a cage. I’m glad to hear readers understand when we take time.
Excellent piece—thanks for all the examples!
I write a weekly Bible devotional piece but when I'm away/on holiday I schedule post(s) of some favourite quotes from other writers. So people still get something but it's far less effort on my part. It seems to be appreciated.
Very timely post with a bunch of great ideas. I have myself used a few of these methods including a direct email to paid subscribers informing them of my time off, using scheduled posts, reducing the frequency of my posts and responding to comments while on the road with additional reminders that I am away. We all need a break once in a while and writers are no exception. Cheers!
I like the suggestion of getting other writers to cover your time off. This could also add some fresh voices and ideas to your newsletter.
I’ve worked for myself for a long time, so I know how hard it can be to switch off and take a proper break. The thing I was concerned about when I started my newsletter was how I can keep it going if I get sick or something unexpected comes up in my day job or personal life. You can plan for taking vacations, but it’s the unexpected stuff that can catch you out – especially when it’s just you and there’s no one to step in if you’re away.
I approached it by making a simple content plan with an outline of each edition I want to send, including publication dates. Then I gave myself a head start by writing a few editions of the newsletter in advance, so that I have them ready to go. It took a bit of extra time and work to do that, but it means that when I do want to take a proper break, I’ll have newsletters that I can schedule to publish while I’m not around. I was thinking I could add a note to those posts to let my readers know I’m offline and will reply to any messages when I’m back. I could also switch off the comments for those posts, again with the explanation to readers that I’m doing that because I won’t be able to reply immediately.
The scheduling tool is really handy anyway as it means I can always send my newsletter out on the same day/time and I'm less likely to forget. I'm still finding my way with Substack, so it's great to see how other people do this. Thanks for sharing!