As someone who's read your stuff since I started on Substack, it's been great seeing how you've kept at it and grown!
Another important thing about not having editors is learning to self-edit. When I was reading The Vanity Fair Diaries for a recent piece I wrote, I was surprised to learn that some esteemed writers would just send in notes/scribblings to magazine editors, who'd then have the responsibility of actually turning those into readable pieces.
Complete freedom will certainly lead to excess and laziness on the part of writers. But that's also what writer friends and audience feedback are for. And yes, an official editor now and then is good, as all intelligent feedback is. But over-idealizing rigid editor-writer relationships, especially these days, is more like gatekeeping by those who know they're on the inside and want to protect those hard-won advantages.
Thank you Chris! And yes, I agree. Through consistent self-publishing, I feel like I've really grown my editing muscle, which is important for all writers to have!
you’re such a generous reader & writer. The scarcity mindset in publishing that you describe is understandable—shit’s bleak—but it’s just not useful. here’s to putting pen to paper<3
Thank you for sharing authentically the struggles and doubts along this path… it’s helpful to those who are walking it as well and those who come behind.
As a Reader (who has no desire to write :), it’s helpful to get a window into all that goes into the beauty of the words we consume.
I started self-publishing as a tech journalist on a blog 2016. I just didn’t have the patience to go ”the traditional route”. I soon got attention from legacy media outlets in Sweden and have since been invited as ”expert commentator”, even though I never had an editor or a ”real job” in tech journalism. 🤷🏻♀️
Now I’ve been writing professionally for almost 10 years, and published a non-fiction book here in Sweden etc—I still have a hard time considering myself ”a real writer”. It’s always been that feeling that I’m not really worthy. 🥲 But I honestly don’t even know when I ever would feel like I’ve ”arrived”? Who’s going to give be that final seal of approval?
This is excellent, and quite inspiring. As a writer and developmental editor writing a book that will probably be self-published, I found so much value in what you’ve shared. Thanks so much!
This was great. The point about dunking on writers more than praising editors is extremely apt.
I've been seeing this thing go around a lot lately and find it quite funny that people with bylines in high-profile publications like the NYT, New Yorker, Atlantic, etc... take time out of their day to criticize the amateur writers on Substack as if those publications haven't put out bad writing. It's certainly true that some writing here could use editing but I also think that a lot of times when people are saying writing needs editing what they are really saying is that they disagree with the idea of a piece, which is fine but not the same thing.
Alas, there's great writing everywhere for those with a brain to realize it.
Thank you!! The piece by Isabella Rosario that I reference raises a great point about spotting typos in high-profile pieces - there is good and bad writing everywhere.
Excellent piece! It reminds me of a similar set of substack discourse, with some arguing that “unserious” or “poorly written” work shouldn’t be on substack, something that I believe comes from a similar, narrow-minded, place. I think its great that substack is full of people practicing the craft & honing their voice, & this piece is incredibly encouraging to anybody using the platform for that purpose!
As someone who's read your stuff since I started on Substack, it's been great seeing how you've kept at it and grown!
Another important thing about not having editors is learning to self-edit. When I was reading The Vanity Fair Diaries for a recent piece I wrote, I was surprised to learn that some esteemed writers would just send in notes/scribblings to magazine editors, who'd then have the responsibility of actually turning those into readable pieces.
Complete freedom will certainly lead to excess and laziness on the part of writers. But that's also what writer friends and audience feedback are for. And yes, an official editor now and then is good, as all intelligent feedback is. But over-idealizing rigid editor-writer relationships, especially these days, is more like gatekeeping by those who know they're on the inside and want to protect those hard-won advantages.
Thank you Chris! And yes, I agree. Through consistent self-publishing, I feel like I've really grown my editing muscle, which is important for all writers to have!
you’re such a generous reader & writer. The scarcity mindset in publishing that you describe is understandable—shit’s bleak—but it’s just not useful. here’s to putting pen to paper<3
Thank you Isabella! That means so much 🫶
Thank you for sharing authentically the struggles and doubts along this path… it’s helpful to those who are walking it as well and those who come behind.
As a Reader (who has no desire to write :), it’s helpful to get a window into all that goes into the beauty of the words we consume.
I enjoyed reading this very much.
I started self-publishing as a tech journalist on a blog 2016. I just didn’t have the patience to go ”the traditional route”. I soon got attention from legacy media outlets in Sweden and have since been invited as ”expert commentator”, even though I never had an editor or a ”real job” in tech journalism. 🤷🏻♀️
Now I’ve been writing professionally for almost 10 years, and published a non-fiction book here in Sweden etc—I still have a hard time considering myself ”a real writer”. It’s always been that feeling that I’m not really worthy. 🥲 But I honestly don’t even know when I ever would feel like I’ve ”arrived”? Who’s going to give be that final seal of approval?
This is excellent, and quite inspiring. As a writer and developmental editor writing a book that will probably be self-published, I found so much value in what you’ve shared. Thanks so much!
incredible and necessary
Thank you for reading :)
Well said.
This was great. The point about dunking on writers more than praising editors is extremely apt.
I've been seeing this thing go around a lot lately and find it quite funny that people with bylines in high-profile publications like the NYT, New Yorker, Atlantic, etc... take time out of their day to criticize the amateur writers on Substack as if those publications haven't put out bad writing. It's certainly true that some writing here could use editing but I also think that a lot of times when people are saying writing needs editing what they are really saying is that they disagree with the idea of a piece, which is fine but not the same thing.
Alas, there's great writing everywhere for those with a brain to realize it.
Thank you!! The piece by Isabella Rosario that I reference raises a great point about spotting typos in high-profile pieces - there is good and bad writing everywhere.
I'll have to give that piece a full read but I suspect this isn't just about typos...
Sometimes you fool me. I kind of like being fooled. I'll start giving you money if you'll keep fooling me and get me to think a bit.
Excellent piece! It reminds me of a similar set of substack discourse, with some arguing that “unserious” or “poorly written” work shouldn’t be on substack, something that I believe comes from a similar, narrow-minded, place. I think its great that substack is full of people practicing the craft & honing their voice, & this piece is incredibly encouraging to anybody using the platform for that purpose!