Thank you, dearly, for your work. It’s tough, I know, but everything but being a massive, disgusting dickhead is getting tougher these days. I appreciate your work and I appreciate your curation and I wanted to stress on this occasion again how important it is.
Literary appreciation - frankly, any sort of literacy - is increasingly becoming a political act. I do not like this and neither should anyone but this is just how things are. There is a dying of the light and that makes it tough. Will probably make it tougher still. So have my gratitude for playing your part in keeping that flame alive.
There‘s tough times ahead. It’s good to have you around.
Great article. I find myself sometimes second-guessing my decision to self-publish and use Substack rather than throwing query letters and sales pitches to the fortress of traditional publishing. It's discouraging when people claim there is only one way to get readers interested in your work. I have been told of countless romance and fantasy and even classical literature that comes high recommended, that I will never read because I have many other stories worth my time. I appreciate someone calling out the hypocrisy of the gatekeepers dismissing platforms like Substack and I appreciate the acknowledgement of the reckless world of only online posting.
I have been overwhelmed with the year-in-review and new year goals lately (it's me, not any of you posting those, I promise). But this. THIS is just what I needed to read today. Thank you, Shannan.
Oh how I needed to read this. Thank you for Only Poems. And your insight, and knowledge, and enthusiasm. And I'm so excited to see how Strange Pilgrims blooms.
Thank you, dearly, for your work. It’s tough, I know, but everything but being a massive, disgusting dickhead is getting tougher these days. I appreciate your work and I appreciate your curation and I wanted to stress on this occasion again how important it is.
Literary appreciation - frankly, any sort of literacy - is increasingly becoming a political act. I do not like this and neither should anyone but this is just how things are. There is a dying of the light and that makes it tough. Will probably make it tougher still. So have my gratitude for playing your part in keeping that flame alive.
There‘s tough times ahead. It’s good to have you around.
Or I’d rather fail at the economics by writing what I most want to read than to sell my soul and probably still not make a penny.
Great article. I find myself sometimes second-guessing my decision to self-publish and use Substack rather than throwing query letters and sales pitches to the fortress of traditional publishing. It's discouraging when people claim there is only one way to get readers interested in your work. I have been told of countless romance and fantasy and even classical literature that comes high recommended, that I will never read because I have many other stories worth my time. I appreciate someone calling out the hypocrisy of the gatekeepers dismissing platforms like Substack and I appreciate the acknowledgement of the reckless world of only online posting.
I have been overwhelmed with the year-in-review and new year goals lately (it's me, not any of you posting those, I promise). But this. THIS is just what I needed to read today. Thank you, Shannan.
Amen 🙏🏼
However, I'm happy for those fortunate enough to succeed on this platform.
I agree with all the comments about Substack here.
When I want to read good literature I go to the library.
I'm a senior citizen living on a paltry ss payout. I can't afford to "upgrade to pay.".
I tried Substack and don't like the concept, so stopped posting.
Oh how I needed to read this. Thank you for Only Poems. And your insight, and knowledge, and enthusiasm. And I'm so excited to see how Strange Pilgrims blooms.