Who Gets to Write a Newsletter?

Reflections from One Year on Substack

I started writing this newsletter one year ago as an experiment to see if I could string together the endless thoughts and ideas bouncing around in my brain into something coherent. Even though the idea had been in my journal for two years, it took time to gather the courage to actually write and hit send.

I'm a big fan of journaling, and some time around February 2022, START A NEWSLETTER kept coming up over and over again in my journals. The journaling practice is a byproduct of Julia Cameron's seminal work The Artist's Way (I know, I know, but I've been doing morning pages pretty consistently since February 2020, and yes, it's life-changing.)

But why? Why was my subconscious telling me to start a newsletter? I'd venture to guess for a few reasons:

A Desire to Communicate Complexity and Nuance:

After spending seven years working in social media at Twitter, I saw firsthand how short-form content, while engaging and impactful in certain ways, often flattens nuance and fuels echo chambers. It’s easy to post an idealized version of life (hello, wedding photos) and get tons of engagement, but that’s rarely a reflection of reality.

Maybe this is why newsletters, and Substack in particular, offer something different. Sure, the comments section have the potential to get nasty, but perhaps the higher barrier to entry of actually sitting down to write also raises the bar for discourse and detracts bullies. Substack is kind of like the Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood of the Internet.

I also kept coming back to a piece of advice I’ve heard over and over again: Lean into what makes you frustrated. There’s a lot on the list, but one thing that makes me very frustrated is the rigidity of black and white thinking. While some things really are black and white, generally speaking, this kind of thinking has done more damage to our society than we realize, and it’s been perpetuated by social media. A newsletter might not heal a divided world, but it can encourage people who don’t thrive on outrage, hot takes, and clickbait to use their voices in a more thoughtful way.

A Creative Outlet with Measurable Impact:

When I'm not consulting for tech companies, brands, and creators, I'm screenwriting. Writing for TV and film is a notoriously long and slow process. If you're a creative person trying to generate ideas and get them into the world, the pace can be frustrating. This is why so many creatives have taken to digital platforms like podcasts, YouTube videos, and yes, newsletters.

That being said, newsletters have just the right balance of stakes: high enough to make you think carefully, but accessible enough to keep going. While my audience may not be huge, it’s made up of incredibly smart, engaged people. Because of this, I spend 10-12 hours researching, writing, and editing each newsletter to ensure I’m delivering something valuable.

These were the reasons I started writing a newsletter, but the unexpected benefits have been even better.

The Joy of Testing a Hypothesis

As a marketer, writer, and culture-obsessed person, I spend a lot of time reading and analyzing trends. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d enjoy using my newsletter as a testing ground for early insights.

For example, I wrote a post about how bathhouses are making a huge comeback with a modern twist before the New Yorker, the WSJ, and even Emily Sundberg (who deserves her crown as one of the the queens of Substack) weighed in on the topic. Similarly, I wrote about the parallels between Japan’s retail experience and niche digital creators almost a year before culture/brand strategist Eugene Healey explored a similar idea.

I don’t say this to brag—but more to prove the point that the time-stamped nature of newsletters makes for a fun game of Is this actually a thing?

Clarifying Your Interests

I chose a broad theme for my newsletter because of my wide range of interests and experiences. Conventional wisdom says to define your audience and niche early on, but I intentionally let my ideas evolve organically. This had an unexpected benefit: it helped me see patterns and themes emerge over time.

Not having an exact plan has unexpected benefits. For example, writing about bridging digital and in-person experiences, digital hospitality, and the larger shift toward IRL led to me landing Ev Williams’s new start-up Mozi as a client (Ev cofounded Twitter and founded Medium). Had I not been writing about these topics, I might not have noticed Mozi’s soft launch back in December as quickly, and even if I had, pitching myself would have been much harder.

Own your Audience

One of the most valuable aspects of a newsletter is direct access to your audience. Unlike social platforms, where algorithms dictate your reach, an email list gives creators true ownership of their community. You may have noticed more and more business, creators, and writers, like Lena Dunham and

Miranda July

, turning to newsletters. Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms dictate your reach, an email list gives you direct access to your audience. While Substack offers powerful discovery features that make it easier for newsletters to grow, creators also have the freedom to take their audience with them wherever they go.

Personal Growth

Writing a newsletter is an act of public creativity, and with that comes growth. Every time I publish, I feel a mix of anticipation and vulnerability, but I’ve learned to push through those feelings. You also quickly realize that not every topic will resonate with everyone—and that’s a good thing. As the saying goes, if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one.

So, who deserves to write a newsletter? Anyone who has burning thoughts to share, an idea to test, or an audience they want to build. Anyone who’s willing to step out of their comfort zone and create something meaningful.

Last Thought: Generalists, this is your Sign to Start

If you consider yourself a generalist or a "multi-hyphenate", don't worry—your newsletter can still do well. You'll also be surprised how much your media and culture diet differs from even the people closest to you.

For example, during a recent podcast interview with Mozi’s co-founder Ev Williams, I heard Tim Ferriss say he didn’t know who

Miranda July

was after Ev mentioned that he recently read her NYT bestselling novel All Fours. When I told my husband and best friend this in disbelief (as a Miranda July fan), they both separately admitted they had never heard of Tim Ferriss (an OG podcaster/blogger whose podcast has surpassed 1 billion downloads.)

What this tells me is that no matter how well-known something seems to you, it can still be new to someone else. If you have a strong voice, a wide range of interests and your network has diverse tastes, what you share, so long as it’s authentic to you, will feel fresh and find an audience. Maybe not everyone, but definitely someone.

If you’re considering writing a newsletter, this is your sign to start. I’ll be excited to read it.

Xoxo,

Leah