WHAT ARE THE THINGS WORTH KNOWING?
Once upon a time, in a land where algorithms didn’t exist, adverts were adverts and people paid for the writing they enjoyed, I knew where to go to find honest, well-written stories. Magazines, newspapers, newspaper supplements….great writing, unencumbered by the whims of advertisers and the demands of social media existed everywhere.
But things have changed. I know this because I was a journalist. It’s what I did for twenty-two years. I was also an editor at the exact moment the digital revolution slam dunked into the paper press and writing suddenly got rechristened content.
I was editing a magazine called Women’s Health when this happened. I remember going home one evening and thinking about the fact we were charging £5 for a magazine whilst giving away a bunch of equally good stuff for free on our website.
Of course, if you were a reader it seemed like Christmas 365 days of the year. All this free content! With no price tag at all! A-MAZING! Except of course, there was a price tag. And that price tag was the reader’s mind and the writer’s back pocket.
You see digital ‘content’ relied on advertising. And digital advertising relied on ‘eyeballs’ not minds. It is why listicles and hot takes became so popular and why at any one time, it seems the entire world seems to be talking about the same mindless thing. It’s also why writing from extreme positioning has become ever more popular - these things get eyeballs (as well as dull brains and ignite emotions) and eyeballs make money in advertising.
Which brings me to why I’m here, and frankly why I quit a 22-year career in journalism to be here. I struggle to find nuance. I find it near impossible to find writing that isn’t in some way carefully disguised sponsored content. I also think the media is becoming ever more narrow - literally and metaphorically. Paper costs are rising, and so the magazines and papers we once loved are getting increasingly thinner. That means there’s simply not the room anymore for the interesting stuff.
So here’s what I’m proposing: I will write and commission that stuff here. And nothing, I mean nothing, will be dumbed down. Or obfuscated for the purposes of advertisers. That’s because this Substack is supported by you and only you. I also want to make this a real community where your voice is as valid and as heard as mine.
If you’ve read this far- thank you. I hope you feel like this is a place for you. But in case you need a bit more convincing here’s what you’re going to get if you come on board:
FREE SUBSCRIBERS
TWO free newsletters a month delivered directly to you inbox or the Substack app every Sunday
The ability to join some community conversations
If this sounds like something you’d like to get then you can sign up by hitting the button below. And if you know someone who probably doesn’t know about this Substack but probably should, please feel free to share the news.
PAID SUBSCRIBERS £7 a month/£70 a year
This is where things ramp up a little and you get greater access to me, as well as the work I do and the larger community. So what do you get?
FOUR newsletters a month delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. As well as the TWO free ones everyone gets you also get slightly longer, or more personal ones from me and some of our commissioned writers.
Complete community access, giving you the ability to comment on anything, talk with me and the wider community
Access to my monthly writing group. This is where we work together for an hour every month. Dates drop into your inbox every month so you don’t miss one. It’s very casual and very fun!
Invitations to all my writing courses and IRL events
Does this sound like something you’d be up for? I hope so. If so hit the button below and see you on the other side!
FOUNDING MEMBERS £250/year
Finally I have a limited number of founding memberships available. I release a few places every month so the numbers never swell beyond a certain point. As a founding member you get:
A one-to-one 45 minute virtual meeting with me. We can discuss anything in this private space, whether it’s some help with your writing , career- whatever!
You also get to shape the direction of this Substack with private emails from me from time to time asking you exactly what you want more of. YOU are my true thought collaborators on this journey.
Invites to IRL events BEFORE anyone else
And if you do have a little extra to spare you can gift or donate a subscription to someone by clicking here.
So now that’s all out of the way…
We can begin.
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