Newsletter Love
This will be the last post I’ll likely write for 2022. I’m planning to write my usual New Year’s day post, so please look out for that. And I’ll still be writing my weekly Beauty School posts on Patreon.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share some newsletters I love. Social media has always been tricky but it’s particularly tricky these days with the mass exodus from Twitter and then just a general disillusionment in that regard. I try and remind myself that social media has always been about the people we connect with there, but maybe it’s time to migrate our connections to better spaces yes?
At this time of year, I’m always thinking about how I could do things better and more efficiently when it comes to my presence, such as it is, on the internet. And one thing that a lot of writers and other creatives I know are doing is putting more of their energy into their newsletters / websites / blogs. So this is kind of an exciting thing. I’ve been blogging forever it seems on TwB (since 2016 unbelievably) (and long before that as well). This past May, I began a subscriber only Patreon titled Beauty School by Shawna Lemay, and that has been a good learning curve for me. I currently have 47 patrons which equals out to a 200 dollar payout per month, in case you’re wondering if it’s a get-rich-quick scheme. (Hanging onto that day job for now :) ). I’ve never really thought that blogging or making a newsletter would ever give me anything much monetarily, but I’ve always considered the connections I make to be a measure of my success. Still, I am not sneezing at my Patreon earnings because I find it very meaningful that someone would support me and my musing on that platform and want to connect in that more private space. And maybe in some ways it feels safer because of the privacy?
On TwB, even though I’ve posted less this year, my stats remain largely the same. My readership is over 50 percent from the USA, with the UK coming in second. Canada is third, and Australia is fourth! It used to surprise me that my own country comes in third and is such a small percentage but then I’ve never been all that popular per se in the writing community here, which is fine. (Sighs audibly). My most popular posts here continue to be overwhelmingly the posts on poem for grief and loss, on libraries, on flower poems, and about poetry in general. There are a few posts that have surged in the stats from time to time, I guess because someone shared them. One of those was titled, “Turn Up Your Soul” from January of last year, which I thought was kind of interesting. Any of the numbered list posts are usually also quite popular (and I’ve put many of those in the sidebar. If you’re on a desktop and in the browser you’ll see these).
On a Sunday my inbox fills up with all the newsletters I’ve subscribed to. Most of them go out on that day and honestly, that was my goal with TwB this past year. Lo and behold, life often, very often, intervenes for me. I have had to come to terms with being a bit more random in that regard as someone who works shift work. My Beauty School Patreon goes out on Monday mornings and I am making that deadline. I’m the sort of person who really REALLY likes to have these little mainly self-imposed deadlines and it’s been hard to let go of this one for TwB. Alas.
Okay, so let me leave you with some fave newsletters/blogs. And let me know if you’re thinking of starting one, or if you do have one, leave a link in the comments! Likewise with any of your favourites.
Peter Darbyshire was kind enough to give me a shout-out in his latest newsletter, and I’m a big PD fan so Imma gonna shout right back.
Sign up for Kerry Clare’s Gleanings, a digest of of blogs and other updates, by heading to the sidebar of her blog Pickle Me This.
Poetry Unbound is never a disappointment.
Likewise, The Pause.
Check out Tolstoy Therapy.
The Melt by Jason Diamond.
Dave Bonta is a tireless sharer of poetry and poetry blogs. Sidebar to subscribe.
For a list of poetry blogs, Kelli Russell Agodon has one here.
We have been friends in blogging for like EVER. :) Please check out Anthony Wilson’s site and subscribe in the footer.
I could go on and on…because frankly, the newsletter is a super popular form right now. Which makes perfect sense.
I’m careful to not subscribe to too many because that can be overwhelming. I’ve created a folder in my email where I store the ones I don’t have time for when they arrive but want to come back to when I do have time. So it’s this nice little indulgence on my phone, that folder is, where instead of automatically going to social media I have this little treasure trove.
So, as I said, let me know all your newsletter thoughts and shares in the comments. Enjoy the rest of 2022, and I’ll see you back here on NY day!
Shawna
