118 Comments

Can I just say how much I love your tattoo 👌🏼 Appreciate the post as well, super helpful in a number of ways. I've already updated my welcome email thanks to you and working on a better about page in the near future. Keep on truckin brother 🙏🏼

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I have been pouring over this for an hour. I have never related so much to something as I did when you said "allergic to defining your audience." I SO get that! And the formula Katie provided was absolutely GENIUS and I'm trying to make it fit for myself.

But here's my problem every time I try and sit down to define these things--and I think it's a problem every children's author faces. We are not able to reach our *actual* audience: kids. We go through middlemen, like teachers, librarians, and parents. I know there HAS to be a way to nail that down and define it even better, but I just...can't figure it out. Does Katie consult? Could I pay her for a chat? Or is there someone else you'd recommend or advice you yourself might have about how to solve for this kind of dilemma?

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Both the most helpful and most amusing version of this essay I’ve ever read 🙏

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i also read 'despise myself' lol

great advice man!

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I'm certain that with this fantastic advice I will get a subscriber before I perish from old age and, believe me, there will be much rejoicing.

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This was so helpful! Thank you for sharing in such detail. Your posts are hilarious!

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Your tone of voice is great! I loved your writing here and it was definitely helpful. Thank you for this walk through your brain!

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Very inspiring for somebody who’s new to this game.Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!

I found you thanks to https://bornwithoutborders.substack.com/ and think you have a lot in common.

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Thanks for writing this Alex. I'm just digging into your stack, although I'm a big fan of Rae's -- so cool that you are friends and co-writers, if I have that right, especially as a fellow writer of memoir and personal essay. I appreciate the tips, especially the formula in #3, which I used to update my about page → https://bowendwelle.substack.com/about

btw, "Both are True" is one of my favorite credos. Nicely done!

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ah coooool you're a fan of rae's yeah she's one of my best friends I love her and love writing stuff with her

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I keep recommending this post to people, it's brilliant. "Word Barf" should be it's own separate section/stack.

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honestly? not a bad idea

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Thanks for this Alex! Love how honest you are with your thoughts and feelings, they are very relatable!

I'm at this point of my own newsletter thinking of how to find my topic and who I'm writing to. It's been a bunch of personal essays now and I want to find an angle. Will try to connect with my writers in the community, and keep supporting others as well! What a reminder that we're all just a really supportive and friendly group.

Cheers!

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heck ya! Also, maybe the angle will find you??

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thank you so much for this ❤️ the line "I guess my north star has been to just be as honest as I can possibly be without upsetting my parents." is genius too, I think thats most writers goal haha, I know its definitely mine

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Thanks for this .. made me smile while getting inspired . I am also planning to start setting some goals and I loved your accountability partner idea . And yes I still have to figure out the who bit a little more :)

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Thanks for sharing this. This is inspirational for a new guy who just started it. Love your writing style, it's fun to read!

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Thanks!

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Just pointing out that I read “despise myself” as well.

Also, loved the piece

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It’s like a Rorschach test for self hate lol. So glad you dug it!!

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This post really lifted my spirits! I started writing a post a week about productivity (cause my content diet at that time was a bunch of productivity YouTubers) in 2022 but I eventually burned myself out in October and haven't written again since. I'm still feeling pretty lost but I know I writing is something I can be good at, and this post was really motivating to read. So, thank you, Alex!

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