You were the one who introduced me to Substack and I couldn’t be more thankful! 💕 I see where Emily is coming from, but Substack has become my safe space, you just have to find your people
you've so eloquently put into words how I felt about about emily's essay - expression for the sake of expression feels like justification enough. for what it's worth, I think your substack is extremely thoughtfully created/laid out - of all of the wonderful newsletters I subscribe to, opening yours feels the most like opening a present. <3
I wrote a very similar response in a previous post about this topic. Taste is subjective. A writer is a writer is a writer. 🤎 and I love reading your letters.
Obviously, nobody disagrees with Emily Sundberg that there is difference in quality on this platform but this is not an issue unique to Substack issue. What has really bothered me in her pieces is that ACTUALLY writing with readability in mind (lists, brief paragraphs, etc.) is a GOOD practice when writing for the internet. Our brain processes information differently on a screen than on the page and I think some traditional journalists who have started writing here have a lot to learn from writers with better platform awareness. Your post structure and your lists are an excellent example of that.
I was about to say, lists are a craft device. There’s an intention and purpose to them. They can be played with in unique ways. It’s silly to say lists are rudimentary simply because of their style.
this was a really lovely read, thank you so much :') i read the viral essay at first and like, half-wondered if i (with a very new substack) was feeding into the cycle. no hate, there were interesting points to be made and it was worth chewing on. but your kind & thorough response was genuinely encouraging.
i adore you!! such a thoughtful take on this and i’m so honored to be included alongside some of my favorite writers 💓 your letters are always a highlight for me and the quality of writing always sets them apart 💌🌟🫧💓
As a novice writer that has always stood on the sidelines wishing to have the courage to write more intentionally and trust in my own worth to commit my voice to paper reading Emily’s post did make my heart sink a little. Thank you for your alternative perspective, this world is already full of hate and jealousy we do not need to create more. My writing may not be perfectly curated and inspiring but not many people would claim theirs to be, my viewpoint is that no one is forced to read and the joy of reading is that it provides so much variety you will never find yourself short of things which do inspire you, if that is not me feel free to pass me by but do so with supportive respect. Here’s to finding your people!
I’m so glad you made this post! As someone who’s fairly new to substack, I was feeling discouraged by Emily’s article. The types of articles she critiqued are my favourite. So thank you!🫶🏻🫶🏻
I agree! Also personally I love a lot of the type of content she criticised. Favourites lists and recommendations remind me of old style YouTube in a way I love.
what you said here will weigh ever so differently if you were to have barely any following on social media media and weren’t getting paid. the fact that someone can write their heart out and have “quality writing” meaning one that moves you and not have any following and not getting viral and not getting paid means something. i think that shouldn’t be missed while sitting with the criticism that you mentioned. because this criticism doesn’t seem to birth from hate or take shape of regression, rather something really meaningful to consider for those in privilege of earning their way through writing and having a huge following. i’m saying that the criticism highlights unfairness though it could have been done in a slightly less stricter tone.
1) i never said the original criticism birthed from hate at all. 2) going viral and having a following is not mutually exclusive to "quality writing" being meaningful. 3) one should absolutely consider their privilege if they are earning money from their writing, but that was not the point of my post nor was it the main point of sundberg's post either.
i think you missed the entire point of my post, to be honest.
i actually agree with you and her at the same time but i was highlighting how it would be different if someone had barely any following or weren’t getting paid for their writing. the fact that girls and women now in our times can enter their diary entries and more possible ‘novel’ ideas and stories about their lives and on their interests on a platform and have a readership and get paid is meaningful and noteworthy. so the unfairness of the situation when someone wrote what you and she wrote but hadn’t any following. will it weigh the same? or will she get to say it with the same intention? that someone might also feel equally that their writing is way better than many on the platform and on the contrary might write something that doesn’t move at all and vice versa.
elle, i’m so grateful you decided to take a plunge into creating this substack and show up for it, yourself, and us, so relentlessly. i’ve been reading through a handful of your weekly postcards today and each one has been a treasure to read; i took a short break from reading them, only so i could purchase copies of ‘everything i know about love’ by dolly alderton, and ‘happy place’ by emily henry. your descriptions/reviews of them convinced me that they’re the books i need to read most to ease some of the ache of being in my 20s.
your substack and the way you approach living and loving, at least from what i can understand through what you share here, gives me hope and lights a fire in me to keep reading and writing and learning and loving.
in one of your postcards, you mentioned that you love listening to music but you’re notorious for listening to the same artists over and over, and in another you wrote “i am sometimes very worried about things and moments i love passing me by without realising it, and this is my remedy”. i never imagined that you were also someone who worries over these things, but it makes so much sense.
elle, your substack is the roots of my remedy.
i’ve been feeling much like the embodiment of taylor swift’s song ‘right where you left me’, particularly the lyric “did you hear about the girl who got frozen? time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it” for… well, my whole life, but significantly so in the last few years. i’ve been stuck in a loop of watching gilmore girls repeatedly (i’ve seen it 11 times in its entirety and i only first watched it in 2018…), and taylor swift was the only artist i listened to over and over for many years (no regrets). i’ve been lost in more ways, but it is because of this substack (and ultimately you) that i started creating endless spotify playlists and found new songs and artists to love, and a letterboxd to keep track of the movies i try to watch every week.
it’s occurred to me many times that i need to start documenting and making lists more often to cure my fear of things passing by, or forgetting them when i’m older, but it wasn’t until i read your substack that i truly began to and found the magic in it.
if substack grows a hate train, i’ll be in the frontlines defending it in your honour.
Really agree with what you said! Just to add, I think it is GOOD that more people want to read and write. I think it’s a good thing for everyone if people are actually trying to read, even if it’s just a list of books that someone else is recommending. Even if not all of it is quality, people’s skills will probably grow from the practice and other people (as you said) will be able to sift through all the options and find something great :)
One of my favorite things about Substack is that inspiration is so abundant. We are constantly being inspired by each other, and I love to witness it. Seeing multiple people's perspectives on the same issue is so important and another one of the things I love about Substack, so thank you for posting this!
Also, do you mind me asking what you wrote on Wattpad? I know I used to read something of yours but I can't remember what it was!
You were the one who introduced me to Substack and I couldn’t be more thankful! 💕 I see where Emily is coming from, but Substack has become my safe space, you just have to find your people
exactly what i mean !
you've so eloquently put into words how I felt about about emily's essay - expression for the sake of expression feels like justification enough. for what it's worth, I think your substack is extremely thoughtfully created/laid out - of all of the wonderful newsletters I subscribe to, opening yours feels the most like opening a present. <3
thank you so much! this means the world to me.
I wrote a very similar response in a previous post about this topic. Taste is subjective. A writer is a writer is a writer. 🤎 and I love reading your letters.
thank you!
with you on every single word best girl! i love u
<3 <3
Obviously, nobody disagrees with Emily Sundberg that there is difference in quality on this platform but this is not an issue unique to Substack issue. What has really bothered me in her pieces is that ACTUALLY writing with readability in mind (lists, brief paragraphs, etc.) is a GOOD practice when writing for the internet. Our brain processes information differently on a screen than on the page and I think some traditional journalists who have started writing here have a lot to learn from writers with better platform awareness. Your post structure and your lists are an excellent example of that.
I was about to say, lists are a craft device. There’s an intention and purpose to them. They can be played with in unique ways. It’s silly to say lists are rudimentary simply because of their style.
this was a really lovely read, thank you so much :') i read the viral essay at first and like, half-wondered if i (with a very new substack) was feeding into the cycle. no hate, there were interesting points to be made and it was worth chewing on. but your kind & thorough response was genuinely encouraging.
thank you!
this was great 💘💘 keep writing your lists queen
queen!! thank u i love ur posts <3
i adore you!! such a thoughtful take on this and i’m so honored to be included alongside some of my favorite writers 💓 your letters are always a highlight for me and the quality of writing always sets them apart 💌🌟🫧💓
i literally adore you!! thank you for writing such thoughtful and interesting pieces. they are a joy to read!
As a novice writer that has always stood on the sidelines wishing to have the courage to write more intentionally and trust in my own worth to commit my voice to paper reading Emily’s post did make my heart sink a little. Thank you for your alternative perspective, this world is already full of hate and jealousy we do not need to create more. My writing may not be perfectly curated and inspiring but not many people would claim theirs to be, my viewpoint is that no one is forced to read and the joy of reading is that it provides so much variety you will never find yourself short of things which do inspire you, if that is not me feel free to pass me by but do so with supportive respect. Here’s to finding your people!
I’m so glad you made this post! As someone who’s fairly new to substack, I was feeling discouraged by Emily’s article. The types of articles she critiqued are my favourite. So thank you!🫶🏻🫶🏻
I agree! Also personally I love a lot of the type of content she criticised. Favourites lists and recommendations remind me of old style YouTube in a way I love.
what you said here will weigh ever so differently if you were to have barely any following on social media media and weren’t getting paid. the fact that someone can write their heart out and have “quality writing” meaning one that moves you and not have any following and not getting viral and not getting paid means something. i think that shouldn’t be missed while sitting with the criticism that you mentioned. because this criticism doesn’t seem to birth from hate or take shape of regression, rather something really meaningful to consider for those in privilege of earning their way through writing and having a huge following. i’m saying that the criticism highlights unfairness though it could have been done in a slightly less stricter tone.
?? very confused at your entire comment.
1) i never said the original criticism birthed from hate at all. 2) going viral and having a following is not mutually exclusive to "quality writing" being meaningful. 3) one should absolutely consider their privilege if they are earning money from their writing, but that was not the point of my post nor was it the main point of sundberg's post either.
i think you missed the entire point of my post, to be honest.
i actually agree with you and her at the same time but i was highlighting how it would be different if someone had barely any following or weren’t getting paid for their writing. the fact that girls and women now in our times can enter their diary entries and more possible ‘novel’ ideas and stories about their lives and on their interests on a platform and have a readership and get paid is meaningful and noteworthy. so the unfairness of the situation when someone wrote what you and she wrote but hadn’t any following. will it weigh the same? or will she get to say it with the same intention? that someone might also feel equally that their writing is way better than many on the platform and on the contrary might write something that doesn’t move at all and vice versa.
elle, i’m so grateful you decided to take a plunge into creating this substack and show up for it, yourself, and us, so relentlessly. i’ve been reading through a handful of your weekly postcards today and each one has been a treasure to read; i took a short break from reading them, only so i could purchase copies of ‘everything i know about love’ by dolly alderton, and ‘happy place’ by emily henry. your descriptions/reviews of them convinced me that they’re the books i need to read most to ease some of the ache of being in my 20s.
your substack and the way you approach living and loving, at least from what i can understand through what you share here, gives me hope and lights a fire in me to keep reading and writing and learning and loving.
in one of your postcards, you mentioned that you love listening to music but you’re notorious for listening to the same artists over and over, and in another you wrote “i am sometimes very worried about things and moments i love passing me by without realising it, and this is my remedy”. i never imagined that you were also someone who worries over these things, but it makes so much sense.
elle, your substack is the roots of my remedy.
i’ve been feeling much like the embodiment of taylor swift’s song ‘right where you left me’, particularly the lyric “did you hear about the girl who got frozen? time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it” for… well, my whole life, but significantly so in the last few years. i’ve been stuck in a loop of watching gilmore girls repeatedly (i’ve seen it 11 times in its entirety and i only first watched it in 2018…), and taylor swift was the only artist i listened to over and over for many years (no regrets). i’ve been lost in more ways, but it is because of this substack (and ultimately you) that i started creating endless spotify playlists and found new songs and artists to love, and a letterboxd to keep track of the movies i try to watch every week.
it’s occurred to me many times that i need to start documenting and making lists more often to cure my fear of things passing by, or forgetting them when i’m older, but it wasn’t until i read your substack that i truly began to and found the magic in it.
if substack grows a hate train, i’ll be in the frontlines defending it in your honour.
all my love,
melanie ♡
Really agree with what you said! Just to add, I think it is GOOD that more people want to read and write. I think it’s a good thing for everyone if people are actually trying to read, even if it’s just a list of books that someone else is recommending. Even if not all of it is quality, people’s skills will probably grow from the practice and other people (as you said) will be able to sift through all the options and find something great :)
The irony of “the machine in the garden” being paywalled is immense
One of my favorite things about Substack is that inspiration is so abundant. We are constantly being inspired by each other, and I love to witness it. Seeing multiple people's perspectives on the same issue is so important and another one of the things I love about Substack, so thank you for posting this!
Also, do you mind me asking what you wrote on Wattpad? I know I used to read something of yours but I can't remember what it was!
Have a lovely day <3