Absolutely. If it puts your mind at ease, there's nothing clickbaity about this. It's not market-tested, just comes from my heart and has worked well for me and the writers I've worked with.
Thanks for this and all you do. I appreciated the tactical nature of this post and the show and tell of it!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Question: I’m wrestling with the fact that I don’t seem to be able to embed my substack on my website. I have a larger ecosystem there than substack alone can handle. I want to use both... I don’t want people on my site to not see stuff that’s here and I don’t want to duplicate every single post. (Unfortunately I’m already doing that w my podcast which substack won’t allow me to simply automate here without stopping my main current hosting platform, Captivate, which has the bells and whistles I need).
Also, I get that substack’s goal is to create its own closed ecosystem and get us there and keep us there for cross reading. I love the cross reading aspect. Don’t love the clingy nature of the back door tech that won’t allow me to embed a post elsewhere. Feels yuck energetically when everything else here feels awesome!! Tell them to loosen up a tad, ya?
I hear you. If you want to do both, you can't embed your Substack (that wouldn't make sense because it's its own platform--you can't embed your website on here either). Substack tries to be everything to all of us but alas, that's not possible! It's not malicious.
“Two is a choice; three is a menu.” Definitely writing that line down. Your work here is so helpful. We get enough feely writer stuff from the folks at Substack. I love that you mean business about exactly HOW to implement a variety of things.
I like the idea of sending a post that helps people find work that they might have missed, but am I right in understanding that you said to only do this twice a year?
No, twice a year or not too often. Because it's supposed to be special: 'I dug through the whole archive and came up with these two goodies for you because ________.' Not like the 'Related posts' thing.
I do try to link to older pieces in new pieces IF it fits :-) Unrelated question: Is there a discount for a one-on-one with you if we are paid subscribers? I'm thinking about trying to schedule one with you during my fall break.
So much to appreciate here, foremost is the specificity of your suggestions. The exactness of what to do resonates with me. Next up, thanks for the list of teachers with chops, it’s very helpful.
I truly don’t want to be a bummer, but as someone who teaches writing, it was heart-dropping to see the bullet list of “writers with chops” and the warning that many people are teaching writing “without the chops to do so.”
You are clearly a brilliant writer, editor, and Substacker. That said, there are writers whose work you may not be familiar with or whose names you may not recognize, and there are also writers who aren’t as established as the names you listed. Many of them are amazing teachers. I can attest to George’s incredible teaching, as he was my thesis advisor at Syracuse, where I got my MFA. But if you were to look at my Substack you may decide I don’t have the “chops” to teach others how to write. You’d be wrong- I teach writing at the college level, and I adore teaching the craft of writing at all levels. I learned a lot from my teachers! But very few people know my name. I hope that will change when my first book comes out in 2024! But it likely won’t. I know TONS of writers who are brilliant and wonderful and whose names remain unknown even by many other writers.
I’m wondering- can you uplift the writers you yourself know and love without putting down the rest of us teachers, or conflating name recognition with teaching and writing chops? If there’s a specific warning you’d like to give your readers, that makes sense to me. But implying that there’s some sort of cadre of unqualified teachers out there feels a bit irresponsible to me.
I hear you and it’s valid. None of this was directed at you or anyone personally. There simply are a lot of people out there charging money and heading new writers astray who don’t have the expertise to be teaching or mentoring writers. They know who they are. If that’s not you, then don’t worry about it.
I do hear you and will continue to warn against working with people who really don’t know what they’re talking about and help people discern between someone like you, who’s skilled, and someone who isn’t.
Thank you for hearing me, Sarah! I truly appreciate it. And it is so important for new writers to know the difference between a skilled and unskilled teacher. Some of the unskilled teachers are even familiar names, so it goes both ways. I’m sure you’ll continue to do a wonderful job of helping new writers find their voice (without getting ripped off, monetarily or psychically).
Don't make them do the work for you. We want to do something for them. I love how you keep reminding us with this message over and over. It's so important and so easy to forget when we get wrapped up in "our" newsletters. It really is about community and you are showing us the way on here. Thanks for everything you do Sarah.
Absolutely. If it puts your mind at ease, there's nothing clickbaity about this. It's not market-tested, just comes from my heart and has worked well for me and the writers I've worked with.
Thanks for this and all you do. I appreciated the tactical nature of this post and the show and tell of it!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Question: I’m wrestling with the fact that I don’t seem to be able to embed my substack on my website. I have a larger ecosystem there than substack alone can handle. I want to use both... I don’t want people on my site to not see stuff that’s here and I don’t want to duplicate every single post. (Unfortunately I’m already doing that w my podcast which substack won’t allow me to simply automate here without stopping my main current hosting platform, Captivate, which has the bells and whistles I need).
Thanks for any thoughts you might have!
Also, I get that substack’s goal is to create its own closed ecosystem and get us there and keep us there for cross reading. I love the cross reading aspect. Don’t love the clingy nature of the back door tech that won’t allow me to embed a post elsewhere. Feels yuck energetically when everything else here feels awesome!! Tell them to loosen up a tad, ya?
I hear you. If you want to do both, you can't embed your Substack (that wouldn't make sense because it's its own platform--you can't embed your website on here either). Substack tries to be everything to all of us but alas, that's not possible! It's not malicious.
I’m not sure whether this might help but I took a screen shot of my Substack and designed a page around that with some URLs back here on my website! ✨
Someone wrote an embed script for this!! https://substackapi.com/feed
🤯🤯🤯 🌟🤸♀️🌟🤸♀️🌟 AMAZING THANK YOU!!!
np!! really really cool eh. will def buy the guy a coffee sometime.
“Two is a choice; three is a menu.” Definitely writing that line down. Your work here is so helpful. We get enough feely writer stuff from the folks at Substack. I love that you mean business about exactly HOW to implement a variety of things.
I'm so glad. You just warmed my heart. (And I'm thrilled you picked out that line--my favorite.)
I like the idea of sending a post that helps people find work that they might have missed, but am I right in understanding that you said to only do this twice a year?
I thought twice in the post?
No, twice a year or not too often. Because it's supposed to be special: 'I dug through the whole archive and came up with these two goodies for you because ________.' Not like the 'Related posts' thing.
Ahh great! I had a “you might also like” in my schedules post for Thurs but maybe I’ll take that out because shock the post is already pretty long!!
That's what I think--not too often, only because I see it as a post, not a bonus. As always, do what's right for you because then it will be right!
I do try to link to older pieces in new pieces IF it fits :-) Unrelated question: Is there a discount for a one-on-one with you if we are paid subscribers? I'm thinking about trying to schedule one with you during my fall break.
Yes! 10% for a single session.
A lot of people do that 'Related posts' thing, but this is different. It's more of a thank-you note and here's something you'll love for x reason.
I love your nuanced take on community and comments—I'm starting to see my newsletter in a whole new light. Thanks for all you do!
I'm so glad. You're so welcome! Thank you for being part of Writers at Work. Love seeing you here.
Thank you for these tips! I appreciate your generosity so much.
You're so welcome!
So much to appreciate here, foremost is the specificity of your suggestions. The exactness of what to do resonates with me. Next up, thanks for the list of teachers with chops, it’s very helpful.
Yay!
This is a great idea. Thanks for it. I'm saving this post so I can reference it later.
Who do you recommend for poetry?
That's a good question! I should have mentioned her: Maggie Smith (the poet, not the dame)--so good.
Sarah, if you ever have time could you kindly have a gander at my pubs and let me know your thought? Trying to reach a wider audience. Best wishes
Definitely book a meeting! https://www.writersatwork.net/p/opportunities-to-meet-1-to-1
Good points in this post! Thank you, always welcome the reminders!
You're very welcome! So glad you're here.
Sarah —I keep trying! Don’t care about subscribers…but hope for readers.
“Two is a choice. Three is a menu.” So good!
I truly don’t want to be a bummer, but as someone who teaches writing, it was heart-dropping to see the bullet list of “writers with chops” and the warning that many people are teaching writing “without the chops to do so.”
You are clearly a brilliant writer, editor, and Substacker. That said, there are writers whose work you may not be familiar with or whose names you may not recognize, and there are also writers who aren’t as established as the names you listed. Many of them are amazing teachers. I can attest to George’s incredible teaching, as he was my thesis advisor at Syracuse, where I got my MFA. But if you were to look at my Substack you may decide I don’t have the “chops” to teach others how to write. You’d be wrong- I teach writing at the college level, and I adore teaching the craft of writing at all levels. I learned a lot from my teachers! But very few people know my name. I hope that will change when my first book comes out in 2024! But it likely won’t. I know TONS of writers who are brilliant and wonderful and whose names remain unknown even by many other writers.
I’m wondering- can you uplift the writers you yourself know and love without putting down the rest of us teachers, or conflating name recognition with teaching and writing chops? If there’s a specific warning you’d like to give your readers, that makes sense to me. But implying that there’s some sort of cadre of unqualified teachers out there feels a bit irresponsible to me.
Thanks for all the work you do, truly.
I hear you and it’s valid. None of this was directed at you or anyone personally. There simply are a lot of people out there charging money and heading new writers astray who don’t have the expertise to be teaching or mentoring writers. They know who they are. If that’s not you, then don’t worry about it.
I do hear you and will continue to warn against working with people who really don’t know what they’re talking about and help people discern between someone like you, who’s skilled, and someone who isn’t.
Thank you for hearing me, Sarah! I truly appreciate it. And it is so important for new writers to know the difference between a skilled and unskilled teacher. Some of the unskilled teachers are even familiar names, so it goes both ways. I’m sure you’ll continue to do a wonderful job of helping new writers find their voice (without getting ripped off, monetarily or psychically).
Sarah, this post is 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank you so much for all your guidance 💙💙💙💙
Always!
Don't make them do the work for you. We want to do something for them. I love how you keep reminding us with this message over and over. It's so important and so easy to forget when we get wrapped up in "our" newsletters. It really is about community and you are showing us the way on here. Thanks for everything you do Sarah.