You know what I love the most about this? How reassuring it is about how fragile we, as writers, all are. I thought I was the only one who needed a "PRAISE" folder to look at when I was feeling sad.
I feel exactly the same way. I have a day job but my newsletter is the thing I do that I care the most about, so if I don't hear from readers that they like it, I go into a funk.
Even though I've been doing it for more than 5 years; you'd think I'd have learned that they like it! But if I don't hear from them for a while, I wonder, have I still got it? Are they bored with me completely? Should I just give it all up? And then I get an email from a reader (like I did this morning) and it turns it all around for me.
I try to write them all back, though of course I'm not perfect. Even just a quick "Thank you!" to let them know I saw their email and it meant something. (I subscribe to a number of other newsletters, and the number of times I've received an email back from a writer is pretty small, so I really appreciate it when they do -- and that makes me realize how much my own readers appreciate it too.)
(In all seriousness though, keeping a praise folder is also good strategy for when you eventually convert your free newsletter to a paid one! Because when you make your announcement, you have this whole list of nice things people have said, and that helps convince your free list that your work is valuable enough to pay for.)
You know what I love the most about this? How reassuring it is about how fragile we, as writers, all are. I thought I was the only one who needed a "PRAISE" folder to look at when I was feeling sad.
I feel exactly the same way. I have a day job but my newsletter is the thing I do that I care the most about, so if I don't hear from readers that they like it, I go into a funk.
Even though I've been doing it for more than 5 years; you'd think I'd have learned that they like it! But if I don't hear from them for a while, I wonder, have I still got it? Are they bored with me completely? Should I just give it all up? And then I get an email from a reader (like I did this morning) and it turns it all around for me.
I try to write them all back, though of course I'm not perfect. Even just a quick "Thank you!" to let them know I saw their email and it meant something. (I subscribe to a number of other newsletters, and the number of times I've received an email back from a writer is pretty small, so I really appreciate it when they do -- and that makes me realize how much my own readers appreciate it too.)
alt folder title: "reminders that you don't suck that bad"
(In all seriousness though, keeping a praise folder is also good strategy for when you eventually convert your free newsletter to a paid one! Because when you make your announcement, you have this whole list of nice things people have said, and that helps convince your free list that your work is valuable enough to pay for.)
(Also I'm incredibly fragile)
Mine is called FEEL GOOD :)
Terrific insights, thank for you sharing.
Thanks for sharing! So many key takeaways, hopefully there is a Substack meet up in London soon :)
Thanks so much for hosting this--I learned a ton!
Wish I could've been there but I'm in the UK. Thanks for sharing! jamesgarside.substack.com/about
I am encouraged as I listen to people who have made it and how insecure they also felt at times. Many thanks!
This was a great event—so helpful. Thanks guys! (Shameless plug: understandably.com).
Such a great event! Thanks for hosting and hope to be a part of more in the near future :)
EndlessMetrics.substack.com