I’ve been thinking about new beginnings (with this moment in writing, journalism, platforms, and various other things imploding/exploding, who hasn’t?)
The Gregorian new year is one we often associate with new beginnings. It’s an interesting tendency, as the new year actually falls close-ish to the beginning of the winter season: That is, the season of rest, of burrowing into warm and cozy nests so we have the energy to meet the first flush of spring.
With each year that passes, I have greater appreciation for how my work fits into natural cycles, and for a year that begins and ends with the close of harvest season, when our bodies naturally want to rest.
The current series of events over here on Substack (briefly explained at the end of the newsletter) has landed during the time of year when I tend to be slow and reflective, and has given me the opportunity to reflect on the future of this newsletter and ultimately, I hope, how to make it better serve you while also being a joy for me to write.
Part of my back and forth about leaving is that there’s plenty I like about staying here.
I am so reticent to leave this space because I love the community aspects of it, my ability to find and support other writers, and the platform itself is relatively easy to use.
And while I love some aspects of the platform, it also does present some shortcomings for actual newsletter creators themselves (Hanna Raskin does a good job breaking down the limitations of Substack in this recent issue of the Food Section).
Like Hanna, I think there’s a lot of opportunity for me as a creator in this moment, so I’m looking forward to where I’m going from here, wherever that may be.
I have not made up my mind where I'll host my newsletter, yet: I’m currently in the process of weighing the pros and cons of various options, which I won’t bore you with, but there are several options:
Host my paid and free newsletters on my own website + copy the free version here (ideal)
Stay on Substack for a while while I continue taking a wrench to the backend of Wordpress to figure out how to do the above (the current plan)
I want to be transparent with readers about my thought process and also share my excitement with you about the newsletter itself, because if I’m not excited about what I’m writing, then what’s the point?
Below I share my plan as it stands (don't worry, it will still exist and will be largely the same, along with a new premium newsletter tier, just possibly on another website).
I also would love to hear what you think!
Writing is, to me, a collaboration: knowing what my readers love (and don’t) helps that collaboration flourish.
My whole goal with reimagining this newsletter is to reimagine it so it better serves you, my readers and friends while still being a joy to write. Your feedback will help me learn if I'm on the right track!
A newsletter in three parts
Essentially, the three aspects of my newsletter will still exist, but are simply being more refined to meet my and my readers' needs.
Again, the particulars are still dependent on me doing some more research and wrangling in the backend of websites, so these refinements are subject to revision!
Paid newsletter: Root's paid newsletter will be broken into two tiers.
-Tier 1: very similar in price and content to what we have now (this may stay on Substack, or move elsewhere).
and
-Tier 2: One that's more like a membership and private community space, which hearkens back to the initial spirit of the Root membership I envisioned in 2018 (but lacked the skills and structure to create at that time).
This will include the paid newsletter plus another community and content space, possibly on my website.
I'm really excited about having a premium, community-driven space to just fill with things that I love, which right now would include: my entire course catalog and all new courses and content, plus things like live Q&As and classes with me and guests, guest content, and hopefully a space for community conversation too (and I would love to hear what you would like to see!)
If you're a paid subscriber on Substack, you'll be grandfathered in to this premium newsletter tier at the current price you're paying (read: You get free stuff).
Free newsletter: Still going strong!
This will still exist, fear not!
I want to continue sharing with and supporting readers whether or not they're able to support my work financially. Free subscribers will still get issues with resources, musings, recipes, etc.
The only change is that this will be a bit more sporadic, rather than the strict weekly publication schedule I've been keeping.
Why? I've been tracking my time in Toggl the last 6 months and have discovered I spend 20-30 hours, roughly, per month writing (and formatting, and publishing) free newsletters.
Alas, the electric company doesn't accept pickle recipes as payment, and frankly, writing that much on top of all the writing I do for pay has been burning me out.
A less strict and less frequent publication schedule is my best option currently to address my desire to share work I love in accessible ways, and to be compensated fairly.
Tl;dr: The free newsletter will still exist. No need to do anything, or unsubscribe and resubscribe.
I'll automatically move everything over for you if we change platforms!
Roots and Branches: Will transform into a completely separate newsletter
I separated this into a sub-section of Root's larger newsletter BUT it's actually a totally different entity, and deserve its own discrete space to flourish.
If there’s anything about writing that you really want me to cover, I want to hear it!
This will also continue to be free: No need to do anything on your end, I'll migrate everything over.
So what now?
I’m continuing to weigh options for the best place(s) to host each newsletter: It’s possible that I’ll post free posts both here and elsewhere as well.
I recognize that we are forever at the whims of platform owners when we utilize their platforms in our professional lives (see the Twitter/X mess), so one thing I’m seriously considering is just hosting everything on my own sites.
You don't need to do anything beyond continuing to read + enjoy the newsletter.
If I decide to migrate to a new platform, I'll let you know.
And I'll keep the Substack up as an archive if I migrate, so you can still access old posts on this platform.
But, as I have this opportunity to change things up, I also have the opportunity to serve you as my readers better than ever.
I would love to know what you want to see more of, what you value most about this space (or don't), or anything else that will help me share what you want to see!
I'll be taking a brief pause over the next few weeks, to reflect on next steps and do any actual technical/logistical stuff I need to do in the background (alongside my incredible VA Victoria, who has been a lifesaver in helping me navigate features of different platforms). And I'll keep you appraised, whatever I decide.
In the meantime, if you want to pay for your newsletter subscription without Substack getting a cut, you can move your subscription over to PayPal (or here if you have a founding membership) or to Stripe.
What this means for you
For now, nothing is changing, and you don't need to do anything to stay subscribed.
Once I figure out next steps:
Paid subscribers: be prepared to be showered with gifts, so many gifts:
Those you're already getting like free classes, discounts, and co-writing sessions,
along with new gifts like more classes, our own community discussion space, Q&As, an archive of recipes and content, and whatever else I think up (suggestions very welcome!)
I’m redoing my culinary class platform this year, and that will result in some really exciting new gifts for you (details on that separate launch forthcoming).
My goal is to really make this a space where people who support my work feel cherishes and valued, and where that support is part of a reciprocal relationship that also gives you some of the best of what I have to offer as a writer, teacher, and cook.
I'd love to know what you'd most like to see in this revamped newsletter/community space!
Free subscribers: You'll still be getting newsletters, too, and my plan is to keep providing you with a variety of content that is useful and enjoyable.
I'd love to hear what you'd like to see in the newsletter going forward! What do you enjoy? What do you want more of?
Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting my work!
*P.S.: Why now?
The somewhat condensed version is that many writers are leaving Substack (or considering it, like me) due to Substack's refusal to remove Nazis from the platform. While Substack has gotten marginally better about this, the emphasis here is on ‘marginally’, and only after a lot of pressure. I’m not convinced they see an issue with hosting hate speech on their platform.
There are many conversations we could have about how hate speech is (legally and otherwise) distinct from free speech and can have markedly different outcomes, but others have said it more eloquently, so suffice to say, it's a concern I've had as well.
While a change was overdue anyways, the Substack debacle has asked me to use this moment to make lemonade from newsletter platform lemons.
The theme of my current newsletter revamp, spurred in part by this mess, is creating something that's aligned with myself, who I am, and how I work, and what I want to put out in the world.
When I think of the world I want to build, it's a world where people like myself and my loved ones have the right not only to exist but also to thrive. And that world is not in alignment with anything that supports Nazis, implicitly or explicitly.
Since Substack supports paid subscriptions for alt-right and Nazi writers, they are supporting livelihoods gained from work that says that me, and the people I love, do not belong on this earth (this isn't hyperbole: you can find plenty of evidence of what alt-right folks think about Queer people like me, not to mention the many other identities within my circles).
It is counter to the world I want to build to provide financial support (via my Substack fees) to a company that financially supports this worldview (by collecting fees from Nazi-authored publications). Why not, instead, support a company that values people like me? Or host my writing on my own platform?
Many of us Substack writers are in limbo, self included, as we sort things out, but we will.
Writers are a resilient bunch.
So how can you support me and other Substack writers?
For the moment, please stay subscribed to our newsletters (if you unsubscribe we can't move your subscription over to a new platform).
If you want a way to pay for your subscription that isn’t through this platform, I can help you do that! Just shoot me a message or email.
These publications are our livelihoods but also a way that we connect with the readers who make our work so fulfilling.
And, if you feel called, reach out to Substack and give them your feedback.
Thank you for reading!