Michelle Richmond, the New York Times bestselling author, dives deep behind the scenes of her writing life, sharing the intricacies and humorous anecdotes about why she juggles multiple Substack newsletters. With each newsletter catering to distinct interests, Richmond captures the chaos and creativity inherent in her writing career, offering readers insight and inspiration.
Richmond's largest Substack, The Caffeinated Writer, boasts 5,500 subscribers and provides insights on the craft of writing, publishing, and personal experiences from her 25-year writing career. She candidly admits, "If you don’t want a breakdown of my four Substacks and just want to know 'why the hell would anyone do this?', you can just scroll down to 'Do Multiple Substacks Make Sense?'" This mixture of self-awareness and humor reflects Richmond's approachable writing style.
Her first Substack, The Wandering Writer, has about 1,200 subscribers and was born from her notebook entries during her family's expat years in Paris. It shares her travel stories from various locations, reflecting her adventures around the world and catering to fellow travelers and Francophiles alike.
Richmond also manages her author newsletter, which targets dedicated readers curious about her novels. Dropping personal essays and exclusive content, she describes this newsletter as her coziest space, noting, "I may not have fans, per se, but there are a few people over the years who follow my books, which makes me feel warm and cozy." This newsletter features exclusive fiction, including works-in-progress, and remains her smallest one at just over 1,000 subscribers.
Beyond writing stories, Richmond has also established Fiction Attic, online since 2005, dedicated to publishing flash fiction and memoir. Though she does not personally write for it, being its editor has proven rewarding. "Substack makes it so much easier to help readers discover writers they haven’t heard about before," she adds, underlining the platform's advantage for both writers and readers.
A common query she faces revolves around the sanity of maintaining multiple newsletters. She thoughtfully reflects, "If I had it to do again, I would combine my author newsletter and The Wandering Writer, because these are my two most personal newsletters..." This reveals the challenges of segmenting audiences without overly complicate one's outreach efforts.
Richmond candidly discusses her recent pause from posting due to busy months on her contract projects. "It’s simple to turn it back on when you’re ready to start posting again," she advises those facing similar challenges. This wisdom stems from knowing the publishing world can be tumultuous and unpredictable; hence, flexibility is key.
The author’s ideal posting schedule for The Caffeinated Writer is once per week, though she acknowledges variations. Meanwhile, Fiction Attic benefits from backlogged accepted stories, ensuring content flow even during quieter periods. Kendrick urges fellow writers, "Do you have multiple Substacks? If so, please share why you keep them separate and drop your links in the comments." This open-ended question demonstrates her desire for community engagement, recognizing the value of shared experiences.
Richmond’s storytelling blends both passion and professionalism, inviting readers to not only reflect on their writing journeys but to explore her Substacks for fresh ideas and insights. Maintaining unique newsletters may seem overwhelming, but for Richmond, it’s also immensely rewarding. Each Substack offers its unique flavor of content, always delivering fresh perspectives for readers eager for literary inspiration.
With such diverse offerings, readers can explore where their interests align, whether it’s travel, writing advice, or exclusive fiction. Michelle Richmond reminds us of the power of storytelling and connection — both through her own experiences and the communities she builds around her writing.