Hi Ian, I'm curious but would you be interested in a half-hour interview about your practice in writing a newsletter? I'm working to build a mobile app to help independent writers manage the creation and distribution process of their newsletters, and I'd love to learn more about your process.
First, I think for authors like me, a subscription of membership model is a possible route to a sustainable income. And I've come to realise that if and when I give that a try, what I'll really be asking people is to invest in me the writer and all of my nonsense, not just a single newsletter or publication. If that makes sense.
So I feel the best way to do that is through Ghost, where I can publish everything on my own site, under my own name, owning the content, and where memberships and a newsletter is built in. I think it's a good fit for what I want to do in the future.
You're absolutely right about it being expensive though. But it's an investment I've decided to make as a self-employed person and I've unsubscribed from a couple of things I wasn't using much to make way for it.
Second, I do have other issues with Substack. They are paying some of their top writers to be on the platform and have basically made themselves a publisher, but without revealing who those people are. It's not *terrible*, but there's something very off about it.
Far more important for me though, they've allowed some pretty grim anti-trans writers/writing to stay on the platform in the name of free speech. I don't want any part of that. Like I say, I've decided the best way is to own my content rather than have it on a platform (that is also effectively a publisher).
Hi there. You don’t have to do anything. Everything is moved over now and I’ll be putting it all live soon. I’ll send an email when it’s ready. Thanks so much for subscribing and being patient.
Hi Ian, I'm curious but would you be interested in a half-hour interview about your practice in writing a newsletter? I'm working to build a mobile app to help independent writers manage the creation and distribution process of their newsletters, and I'd love to learn more about your process.
Hi. Why did you decide to change the platform? I'm interested in Ghost too, but it's not cheap if you also use templates.
Hey Anton! A combination of reasons really.
First, I think for authors like me, a subscription of membership model is a possible route to a sustainable income. And I've come to realise that if and when I give that a try, what I'll really be asking people is to invest in me the writer and all of my nonsense, not just a single newsletter or publication. If that makes sense.
So I feel the best way to do that is through Ghost, where I can publish everything on my own site, under my own name, owning the content, and where memberships and a newsletter is built in. I think it's a good fit for what I want to do in the future.
You're absolutely right about it being expensive though. But it's an investment I've decided to make as a self-employed person and I've unsubscribed from a couple of things I wasn't using much to make way for it.
Second, I do have other issues with Substack. They are paying some of their top writers to be on the platform and have basically made themselves a publisher, but without revealing who those people are. It's not *terrible*, but there's something very off about it.
Far more important for me though, they've allowed some pretty grim anti-trans writers/writing to stay on the platform in the name of free speech. I don't want any part of that. Like I say, I've decided the best way is to own my content rather than have it on a platform (that is also effectively a publisher).
Hope that helps and thanks for reading!
Thank you for the detailed response. I am also looking at this platform.
Hi there. You don’t have to do anything. Everything is moved over now and I’ll be putting it all live soon. I’ll send an email when it’s ready. Thanks so much for subscribing and being patient.