I applaud you giving yourself permission to take a random day or week off from time to time. We’re not a whole team of magazine staff, we’re individual writers and sometimes we need a break! And publishing from the archives is a great idea, I think so much good stuff gets forgotten simply because it’s a couple of weeks old. Mostly though I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough year. I hope things get easier soon.
Thanks, Catherine! I generally take time off when I need it, but it's for like, an entire month 😂 when maybe I can parcel it out in smaller chunks sometimes, you know? I can be kind of an intense person and am pretty driven, so giving myself permission to be absent! spontaneously! is an exercise is stretching out of my comfort zone.
Sarah! Let me know if we need to reconsider our collaboration! Otherwise, I’m glad I made the cut. Really looking forward to engaging more with you and your readers.
Thank you for your work! I love your office too. Please take all the time you need, I only subscribed a few months ago and there is a LOT in the archives I haven’t been able to get to yet.
The last time I had a really rough year was also 13 years ago when I graduated college and moved to a new city alone and deluded myself into thinking my relationship with my high school ex was going to end in marriage (we did not talk again in person once we started med school and law school 5 hours apart). I’ve been living with my husband for 10 years and a journal from when I was 14 made me remember this story this week! 2022 was a really rough year in our family and I keep hoping 2023 is going to end better.
It definitely helps to remember none of us are unique in struggling — we all have hard years. And we all have amazing years too. Here’s to more of the latter in the future 😊 Thanks for your support, Elizabeth!
First off, I am completely in favor of you taking more time to yourself! Resting is important and you're role modeling healthy work habits for your kids and all of us :)
On a different note, I will say that a big upside of a subscription model is that I don't have to remember to send donations. Would it be possible to keep the "subscription" recurring payment model for supporters, but all the content is unlocked for everyone?
Yes, that’s what I mean — people would still pay for their subscriptions just like now, it’s just that all the posts would be sent to everyone, and anyone could access everything. Does that make sense?
Sarah, this is really a wonderful way to take care of yourself. I think it's a great idea to pull from your archives--your recommendations are truly evergreen. And even though you've mentioned you've done "nothing" to grow your readership to the 5K goal, I don't think you even need to promote your newsletter unless it feels authentic to you. Your content speaks for itself, and your loyal readers (like meeeeee!) constantly pass along your posts and sing your praises. Additionally, it takes a really strong human to share vulnerabilities. (I am terrible at this). Hopefully you know that putting yourself out there allows your friends---even your virtual friends--to support you.
You most certainly should re-post reviews you’ve done in the past! Even if people have read them, they may not recognize them. And if they do recognize them, they might appreciate reading them again. Our brains do not remember much and that is sad. We all have so much excellent content in our archives that a large percentage of our current subscribers isn’t even aware of. It shouldn’t go to waste.
Good for you! Give yourself that breathing space for sure! Listen to your soul! And RESHARE away - I sometimes don't have time to search the archives when I'm looking for books, and am so excited when one resurfaces that I forgot to put on hold!
Also, I wish we could get you to 5,000 subscribers...You have single handedly helped me get my kids into reading. I'm a middle and high school teacher. I live in Florida, where books are being banned everywhere, the teacher shortages are rampant and my son (who is in 2nd grade) says things like "Oh, we don't ever really read at school, we are supposed to do that at home." Yes, we probably need to move, but meanwhile - I keep our library holds list stocked with your recs and my Sora app full of audiobooks for our long commutes! I have sent your newsletter to all my friends and family and will encourage them to subscribe.
Sarah, it's comments like this that give me so much clarity and energy and motivation to keep going -- I mean, "You have single handedly helped me get my kids into reading"? I don't ever need to wonder if I've achieved my goals here, which, from day 1 and now, are to have fun and help people. Thank you so very much 🙏🩷
Re: book banning: I am on the board of a state-wide organization here in Wisconsin that provides libraries with a variety of services and other kinds of support, and just yesterday I got word from the Digital Public Library of America that they have started a Banned Book Club, which makes ebook versions of banned books available for free to readers in locations across the U.S. where titles have been removed. When a library has been forced to ban a book, patrons can visit The Banned Book Club website to see which books have been removed in their area. Then, using the free Palace e-reader, they can download and read that book for free on any handheld device. (Personally, I don't like reading on a device of any kind, but it gives me a tiny smidgen of hope that at least these titles are still accessible in some way, and bonus, regardless of what is happening at school, you can do whatever you want in your own home, including reading all the titles they're taking away.) Here's the link, in case this is of interest: https://www.thebannedbookclub.info/
Sarah, your plan sounds smart and wonderful. Excited to read the posts I haven’t seen yet. Congrats on your subscriber growth and I’m cheering you on to 5,000!
Just wanted to say I love your newsletter. I would never be miffed if you needed time off and a few "regularly scheduled" newsletters, and I think posting more from the archive is a fabulous idea that would bring lots of value all around. I said "I don't know" to the donation-based model because my brain always struggles with a circle of competing guilts about how much to donate.
Thanks for the feedback! A donation-based model would be exactly like the paid subscription model -- paid subscribers would continue to sign up for monthly or annual subscriptions, it's just that everything in the newsletter would be free for everyone. So you wouldn't have to decide on a donation amount -- it would just be the price of a paid subscription.
The language is confusing. I realize I need to clarify this a lot more if I am going to do it.
I applaud you giving yourself permission to take a random day or week off from time to time. We’re not a whole team of magazine staff, we’re individual writers and sometimes we need a break! And publishing from the archives is a great idea, I think so much good stuff gets forgotten simply because it’s a couple of weeks old. Mostly though I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough year. I hope things get easier soon.
Thanks, Catherine! I generally take time off when I need it, but it's for like, an entire month 😂 when maybe I can parcel it out in smaller chunks sometimes, you know? I can be kind of an intense person and am pretty driven, so giving myself permission to be absent! spontaneously! is an exercise is stretching out of my comfort zone.
I appreciate your kind words and the support 💚
Set a good example for us and your family by taking care of yourself. I will read your newsletter no matter what you do. Sending love,
Thank you, Debbie. Your support has (always, from the time I was a little girl) meant the world to me. XO
Love your office! And I love your boundaries 😊
I hadn't really thought of them as boundaries, but I guess you're right! Thank you for that reframe, Marina.
Thank you for sharing this vulnerability with us. I’m proud of you for taking steps to do what’s best for you! 💕💕
Also your office is adorable.
😘 Thanks, Ashley. It's like, the cleanest EVER in this photo, which isn't saying much 😂
I’m always taking notes from you on how to prioritize, set boundaries, and serve others. Love this. Sending hugs ♥️
Oh, Hope ❤️ Thank you, friend.
Sarah! Let me know if we need to reconsider our collaboration! Otherwise, I’m glad I made the cut. Really looking forward to engaging more with you and your readers.
Kyle! No reconsidering -- I love collaborating and am going to keep doing it when/where I can.
Thank you for your work! I love your office too. Please take all the time you need, I only subscribed a few months ago and there is a LOT in the archives I haven’t been able to get to yet.
The last time I had a really rough year was also 13 years ago when I graduated college and moved to a new city alone and deluded myself into thinking my relationship with my high school ex was going to end in marriage (we did not talk again in person once we started med school and law school 5 hours apart). I’ve been living with my husband for 10 years and a journal from when I was 14 made me remember this story this week! 2022 was a really rough year in our family and I keep hoping 2023 is going to end better.
It definitely helps to remember none of us are unique in struggling — we all have hard years. And we all have amazing years too. Here’s to more of the latter in the future 😊 Thanks for your support, Elizabeth!
First off, I am completely in favor of you taking more time to yourself! Resting is important and you're role modeling healthy work habits for your kids and all of us :)
On a different note, I will say that a big upside of a subscription model is that I don't have to remember to send donations. Would it be possible to keep the "subscription" recurring payment model for supporters, but all the content is unlocked for everyone?
Yes, that’s what I mean — people would still pay for their subscriptions just like now, it’s just that all the posts would be sent to everyone, and anyone could access everything. Does that make sense?
Yes that makes perfect sense!
Sarah, this is really a wonderful way to take care of yourself. I think it's a great idea to pull from your archives--your recommendations are truly evergreen. And even though you've mentioned you've done "nothing" to grow your readership to the 5K goal, I don't think you even need to promote your newsletter unless it feels authentic to you. Your content speaks for itself, and your loyal readers (like meeeeee!) constantly pass along your posts and sing your praises. Additionally, it takes a really strong human to share vulnerabilities. (I am terrible at this). Hopefully you know that putting yourself out there allows your friends---even your virtual friends--to support you.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
You most certainly should re-post reviews you’ve done in the past! Even if people have read them, they may not recognize them. And if they do recognize them, they might appreciate reading them again. Our brains do not remember much and that is sad. We all have so much excellent content in our archives that a large percentage of our current subscribers isn’t even aware of. It shouldn’t go to waste.
Randee, this means so much coming from you — thank you, friend ❤️
Good for you! Give yourself that breathing space for sure! Listen to your soul! And RESHARE away - I sometimes don't have time to search the archives when I'm looking for books, and am so excited when one resurfaces that I forgot to put on hold!
Also, I wish we could get you to 5,000 subscribers...You have single handedly helped me get my kids into reading. I'm a middle and high school teacher. I live in Florida, where books are being banned everywhere, the teacher shortages are rampant and my son (who is in 2nd grade) says things like "Oh, we don't ever really read at school, we are supposed to do that at home." Yes, we probably need to move, but meanwhile - I keep our library holds list stocked with your recs and my Sora app full of audiobooks for our long commutes! I have sent your newsletter to all my friends and family and will encourage them to subscribe.
Sarah, it's comments like this that give me so much clarity and energy and motivation to keep going -- I mean, "You have single handedly helped me get my kids into reading"? I don't ever need to wonder if I've achieved my goals here, which, from day 1 and now, are to have fun and help people. Thank you so very much 🙏🩷
Re: book banning: I am on the board of a state-wide organization here in Wisconsin that provides libraries with a variety of services and other kinds of support, and just yesterday I got word from the Digital Public Library of America that they have started a Banned Book Club, which makes ebook versions of banned books available for free to readers in locations across the U.S. where titles have been removed. When a library has been forced to ban a book, patrons can visit The Banned Book Club website to see which books have been removed in their area. Then, using the free Palace e-reader, they can download and read that book for free on any handheld device. (Personally, I don't like reading on a device of any kind, but it gives me a tiny smidgen of hope that at least these titles are still accessible in some way, and bonus, regardless of what is happening at school, you can do whatever you want in your own home, including reading all the titles they're taking away.) Here's the link, in case this is of interest: https://www.thebannedbookclub.info/
Sarah, your plan sounds smart and wonderful. Excited to read the posts I haven’t seen yet. Congrats on your subscriber growth and I’m cheering you on to 5,000!
Thank you!
Just wanted to say I love your newsletter. I would never be miffed if you needed time off and a few "regularly scheduled" newsletters, and I think posting more from the archive is a fabulous idea that would bring lots of value all around. I said "I don't know" to the donation-based model because my brain always struggles with a circle of competing guilts about how much to donate.
Thanks for the feedback! A donation-based model would be exactly like the paid subscription model -- paid subscribers would continue to sign up for monthly or annual subscriptions, it's just that everything in the newsletter would be free for everyone. So you wouldn't have to decide on a donation amount -- it would just be the price of a paid subscription.
The language is confusing. I realize I need to clarify this a lot more if I am going to do it.
I would definitely do that! And I should have said that I'll stay and read no matter how you do it.
That truly means the world to me. Thank you 🩷