New Newsletter, Catching up on Old News
Just moved from an earlier email service to this one. So, shaking things up...
Moved over to Substack, so things are different - but the same old me…
Hi,
Got an inspiration to check out a new platform. Got so excited, I moved everything here. So, we’ve got a lot to cover…
Subjects this week:
An Introduction
Farm News
Writing News
An Introduction
This is coming from Substack. I’ve been using a different email provider for years to deliver this newsletter, and have moved providers a few times since I started emails about 2007 or so. This time, Substack is giving me a backend that is far better than anything I’ve ever encountered elsewhere.
Meaning, I can host all my content and not have to limit it to just emails while I put books and courses elsewhere, and podcast on another one, and so on.
And it replaces needing both a website and email provider. Plus, I only pay them when I make income, independent of how many subscribers I have on my list.
There are paid and free newsletters on Substack. This particular one will be free. And you won’t be required to opt-in to my two other paid newsletters. Because this main one explains my particular approach to life and living. And doesn’t fit under any particular area. It’s its own animal. And most of us are a bit used to it being this way.
I’ve had several people express how much they like the interesting aspects of my life. Like, how many writer-farmers (or farmer-writers) do you personally know. A rare breed, I am told.
Note: Yes, this platform will be recommending other newsletters to you. But you only need sign up for what’s interesting - there is more than enough to fill your inbox with…
Other Newsletters For You
Two others I’ve started up. Because I now can. These are paid - meaning: you’ll get a snippet on the free version before it cuts you off. But subscribing helps me keep my lights on, so…
The one we’ve been talking about for a good month is now finally a reality. It’s Writerpreneur OS (https://robertworstell.substack.com/s/writerpreneur-os)
That will have my regular commentary on my research and adventures in writing and book publishing. There’s a podcast I’m setting up there, which will pick up some earlier episodes I had that are still evergreen, plus the new material that my upcoming courses will be producing.
Another one is posting my fiction work: New Voices (https://robertworstell.substack.com/s/new-voices) And also has its own podcast, which is Book Universes Notes - that explains all the connections between these books as they borrowed each other characters, or just a way to tell all the cutting-room floor materials and backstories.
And I’ve separated these out so that you (hopefully) aren’t getting all three in your email.
Farm News
Cattle are doing fine. We’re busy making sure they take care of the grass that’s still around before I start them on hay.
They are spread out because they have to glean a lot from shortish grass.
I found out that if you get them used to you giving them new grass every day, they come to expect it. But if you give then a big area to work over and keep them in it, they adjust to that as well.
Main point is to ensure they have plenty to eat, but clean their plate as well - at least, this time of year. Otherwise, you can spend a lot on hay and have nothing to pay your taxes with. (So to speak…)
Tiny Home
We’re into the move process as I write this. Both of us (my wife and I) caught a bad cold last week, so even though the weather was probably the warmest it will be for months to come, we were under the weather. So the coughing and general lousy feeling didn’t encourage us to do much.
Again, we’re moving the tiny home up closer to the main house for better winter weather protection, as well as better wi-fi and a stouter electrical connection.
I’ll update photos for you as I get this accomplished.
Writing News
As covered above, this writing area is now getting its own newsletter, which has a few issues in it already. I was able to import all the material that I’d published to Medium over the years, so not only do I have my current research, but also my earlier evergreen material to crank through. All this has to be organized, but most of it is about writing and publishing.
The advantage to living on a farm as a writer is not only the fresh air and exercise, but also the inspiration. Endless material to write about. Characters and settings abound. The next part is sharing what I’ve explored and found useful, workable.
Fiction News
This now has its own newsletter, which is going to re-publish all my short stories, in rough sequence of originally written. I’ll be producing short video book trailers for each, which will show up on the newsletter. While the podcast for this section will be about each book and its Book Universes Notes.
Those B. U. Notes are there to bring everything up to speed about each story itself. I updated a few and posted them as tests. It’s interesting to find what has changed on these during that three-plus years I was writing a short story every week. One series posted mentioned in a test post (The Girl Who Built Tomorrow) has since a four-part tetralogy over three years. I hadn’t realized that those stories were mostly written a year apart or so.
You can catch that in the podcast in the Fiction section, as podcasts are bunched together together with regular newsletters. And hear my gravelly voice doing dialog.
This is a paid section in general, since that’s the point of publishing fiction, isn’t it?
Course News
The first Writerpreneur OS course is still moving along. Not much this week as I was doing homework on and posting to Substack. And moving my tiny home to its winter quarters.
The current plans are to get back to building the videos for each lesson. I’m sticking to 14 lessons. but probably delivering these over four weeks, just to get the material up there in a month. The lessons are short, less than 90 minutes total video.
Now, I’m probably going to release the course on Substack itself. There’s chat and discussion threads that can be generated. To do this, I’ll be gifting those who have already signed up with exclusive access. There’s still some work to do on this. But I’ll keep you posted as the dust settles.
Right now, we’re pushing against the holiday distractions and interruptions.
New Books
Last week I told you that I compiled the last 5 months of threads into a single book, which is about 287 pages at this writing. It's still in the final revising and proofing stages, And and then will come out in several print formats as well as being shipped through my aggregator to all possible ebook outlets.
This is already included inside the course, as an ebook, just as it is.
Copywriting Book
I’ve started the research, which was obviously interrupted with everything else above. But it is proving out. And once the course is going, I’ll take some time to start cranking through this. I found people were missing the classics, so this will go from the earliest to top copywriters to modern times. We’ll be taking the shoulders of the giants to see the next set of shoulders. Nothing that doesn’t add to the body of data will be included. So that drops out a lot of great copywriters, but basically proving the underlying methods.
As a note, this then becomes the second course in this series.
Advantages of this shift from Twitter-X and LinkedIn
While I have a post to write up on this, the whole thing is quite a relief.
Writing on social platforms with their limits of characters and so on - that’s like wearing a corset to exercise in the gym. Sure, you can do it, but it’s not comfortable.
I’ve complained there about how they think long-form writing isn’t even as long as a book chapter. And most of what you post there is at best epigrams.
Now I’m just posting whatever I do on Substack over to them. Even Facebook. Because I don’t have to go there to do it. (Did I mention I hate their constant ads?)
Mostly, I’ve disproved the idea of “growing an audience” on social media. You just can’t get there from here. And it just makes sense to offer a pay-for option right off the bat. If your self-publishing anyway, right?
Reminder: More Books Coming
I’ve got some four more books and courses coming after this one. All because I discovered this Walter S. Campbell material and want to get this back up and in use. It’s just that groundbreaking. He ran the most successful writer-training course ever (that I have found) and only for 20 years. And now all his books are out of print.
So, I work at bringing these back to life while I improve my own craft.
Again, courses and books - meaning videos and so on.
Good thing I’m prolific…
Rough sequence:
Writerpreneur OS: Core Basics (in progress)
Copywriting
Writing Non-Fiction
Creating Fiction Short Stories
Those courses get tested, refined and released. Then the four courses will be combined into a major course. Books will be released with the courses.
After that, there’s rehashing and revamping the Campbell material into new life.
Which may mean writing some fiction as tests of these new methods.
"Writerpreneur OS: Core Basics" Pre-Release News
New videos are in process. A couple are up in that writing, and the plan is to get them all ready by the course official start in January. And that main book has been updated.
If you're already in, now's the time to go through everything that's there now, and start making your way through the new videos and reference books I've included. I'll be referring to these books quite a bit once we get going. Even though there is more in those books than we can possibly use in a short course.
Of course, I'm open to suggestions by everyone who has access to the course.
Still Openings Available - For Now
I've limited these to just 25 spots total, so I can devote my attention to helping those few who are really interested in getting their own books written and published.
Use this coupon to get access for a 96% discount - PROWRITINGINSIDER
What you'll need to do first is to set up your schedule to get some reading and writing done daily. Every day. No excuses. Get that habit going.
All will have simple and actionable steps to get you started and rolling on writing that book (the one that's been nagging you since forever...)
Only 25 19 spots still open. And once the course is built, we'll have a release - and the price will go up for everyone else. So, do check it out: https://livingsensical.gumroad.com/l/BAPW-EvergreenBasics-001
Thanks again for opening this. And reading these books.
And leaving a rating on the Living Sensical site for the stuff you buy there.
As well as leaving recommendations on Bookbub in addition to reviews anywhere else.
You know, that "paying it forward" kinda thing.
Do keep sharing these books with your friends, too.
I hope your life is not too interesting to be overwhelming, but sufficiently engaging to keep you amused. (Like some of us here...)
Robert
PS. Again, you can always email me about anything.
PPS. If you want to make sure your copy of "Strangest Secret Collection" is updated, reply to this and I'll ship you a copy.