On February 1st of last year, I launched this Substack. It was an exciting time and I felt honored that this major company had decided to poach me from Patreon and give me a year’s salary to post biweekly on its platform. (Even if some weeks I scrambled to have enough content!) For the past 12 months I have done my best to provide the types of posts I assumed you all would like. On Tuesdays came the weekly blog available for all readers. And on Thursdays I alternated between an advice column or podcast episode for paid subscribers. My goal was to build a community where we could share about all things mental health (or mental health adjacent) without stigma or judgment. In many ways, I think (hope!) I have accomplished this goal.
But now that my contract is ending, I want to switch things up. I want to hear more from all of you about what kind of content is the most helpful and compelling. I also want to know what would entice people to move from a regular subscriber to a paid subscriber because the end of the contract also means the end of my salary. Moving forward, my only compensation will come directly from my subscribers and I want to make it worth both our while!
In many ways it feels weird to even be posing these questions. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that I don’t know what part of my work resonates the most or is the most “worthy” of a monthly fee. But the whole point of building a community is the ability to have conversations instead of writing into the void. So I am loudly asking for feedback. I am not so subtly begging for suggestions! And I’m humbly and uncomfortably asking you to consider upgrading your membership if you are so inclined and/or able! Freelance life is scary and stressful, but I feel lucky to even be in a position to have an audience to ask for support! (Also, please only consider doing this if it is not a financial burden! The last thing I want is to stress people out. Being a regular subscriber is still huge and greatly appreciated!)
Moving forward, I think my new plan is to post once a week alternating between free and paid posts. So paid subscribers will get one piece of new content every week and regular subscribers will get something every other week. (Obviously if I see a big increase in paid subscribers, I will be able to allocate more time and post even more. But I don’t want to get too ahead of myself!) What’s up in the air is what that content will look like.
Here are some potential options:
· More blog posts? I will probably continue these no matter what, but I’d love to know what topics you would like me to cover. Everything is on the table!
· More advice columns? I’ve really enjoyed writing these but have pretty much responded to all the questions I’ve received. If you’d like more, feel free to send in a question to eslsubstack@gmail.com
· Short works of fiction? I’ve thought about toying with the idea of posting things that are more like short stories or short plays. Would this be of interest AT ALL??
· Recommendations or reviews? I’ve seen a lot of Substacks do this kind of thing but wasn’t sure if that is the vibe here. I can share what I’m reading/watching/listening to. Or I can do a deep dive review on a certain piece of content. I’m even open to a book club!
· More cartoons? Should we try expanding our favorite stick lady from one post into a cartoon strip of some kind? No idea if I can pull this off but willing to try!
· Something else I haven’t thought of???
There is also a new feature on the Substack app that would allow us to “chat” with each other! Is this something that is appealing? If so, I’m happy to launch it! Although I will apologize in advance for the massive amount of typos that would be coming your way in live texts.
I am both excited and terrified to start this new chapter. It feels a bit like we are going to be entering a “trial and error” stage, which, I’ll be honest, my anxiety doesn’t LOVE. I don’t want to let any of you down, but I also want to give myself the freedom to push myself. (What a nerve-wracking push and pull!) So thank you in advance for any feedback/guidance you’re able to offer as we navigate this together!
In conclusion, I talk a lot about pushing through discomfort. Now you will all get to see me do it in real time. Who knew a newsletter could be a form of exposure therapy!
xoxo,
Allison
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