On Writing a Newsletter
A little about me and my Substack.
Welcome to Circles in Space.
“Text on the internet is arguably the most competitive medium in all of human history. If you’re going to ask people to pay for a newsletter, it has to be something they’re not getting anywhere else.”
-Ben Thompson: Are We Past Peak Newsletter?
I’m Keith. I’m a paralegal, volunteer oral historian, and writer in New York City.
During the global pandemic back in 2020, I started writing fiction. I’d never written anything before. I started a blog to practice writing. Each month, I posted ‘monthly roundups’ where I listed what I was reading, watching and listening to. These posts were the precursor to this newsletter. I began publishing on Substack in May 2022 and since then I’ve written about everything from nuclear fusion to New York City history.
A little about Circles in Space:
What’s it about?
Every Friday I share five bullets of interesting stuff: books, magazines, news, youtube, instagram, movies, tv, - really anything that catches my eye. My aim with this newsletter is to share things that interest me with the hope that they may interest you too.
How do you write it?
Throughout the week, I’ll consume material and jot down some notes. By Wednesday or Thursday, I’ll select five topics I’m really excited to share. Next, I’ll condense what I’ve learned into an easy-to-understand paragraph that inspires the reader to learn more.
What’s the goal?
My goal is to share weekly content. In the future, I hope to share more of my writing and grow towards a paid subscription. I also plan to add audio and podcasts in the future.
This past year has been a valuable learning experience from diving into the topics I’ve covered to writing in this format. I get such a lift from publishing each week and I love that it’s non-negotiable - I must publish something.
One of the great joys of writing this newsletter has been seeing my friends and family excited to talk about something I’ve shared. Sharing things I’m passionate about I’m creates a lexicon of stuff that we can all discuss. And if readers are interested in the topics I’m interested in perhaps they’ll enjoy my writing too.
Until next time,
Keith