Building The Newsletter Community
Update to all readers free and paid. What's up with the Reframe, book news, and how to get on my Bluesky starter packs.
Hey gang, it's quick-state-of-the-newsletter-slash-quarterly-shake-the-tip-jar-post time.
Bluesky Starter Pack Update
Maybe you noticed that for last week's essay I wrote about the need for community as a way to fight back against fascism and billionairism and all other parasitic spiritual diseases and fevered egos infecting our society and our culture, and mused about how we might use this newsletter and social media to do that—not as a way to replace local community-building, but as a way to use the tools we have to find each other from geographically dispersed places and hang on.
Maybe you didn't notice. Maybe you noticed and forgot. Maybe bananas. There's a lot of options out there and it's a wide rich world.
But at least 225 or so of you noticed; I know that because I made an offer to create a "Readers of The Reframe" Bluesky starter pack for anybody who replied to a specific post with a single emoji, and that's how many people did that. (If you want to join the fun, go read the article linked up at the top and look for the link; the offer is open for now).
If I liked your single-emoji reply to that post, then you should be able to find yourself in the starter packs (although a handful of you were not findable, which I presume is a personal setting on your account?). I'm planning to promote the starter packs sometime this weekend, so everybody who reads The Reframe can follow everybody else if they want.
Oh and by the way—when I set this up, I didn't notice that Bluesky, for probably very good reasons, caps starting packs at 150 accounts, so I can't put everyone into one big pack. As a workaround, I'm making numbered versions, and now that the 1st one is full we're on the 2nd one. (If anybody knows how to make a larger starter pack, let me know).
I'm also hoping to follow paid subscribers on the social media platform of their choice, so if you're already paid, look for an email with instructions shortly.
New Book Update
About a month or so ago, I sent out an email letting you all know that I was contemplating another book of essays, and that whether or not I'd undertake the editing/publishing work come down to retention among the Founding Member level of subscribers, which is what funded the last one. If the retention is good, in other words, there will be another book. So far it's looking pretty good, but we won't be through a full year of renewals on Ghost until end of January, so look for a final decision in the early months of 2025, and if it's a go, a publication date somewhere around late 2025/early 2026
If there's another book, all Founding Members will get a signed copy, and will get thanked by name in the acknowledgements, just like last time.
Also, I'll be asking all paying members (Founding or otherwise) to vote on which essays from The Reframe should go into the book, targeting the 2022–24 time period (votes will be used to help selection and will be largely prescriptive but I'll retain ultimate editorial control, by which I mean if you don't vote for one of my personal favorites I'll put it in there anyway).
If you'd like to help make sure of another book, and replace those who will inevitably cancel their subscriptions—either because they can't afford it this year or for any other reason—then please feel free to join.
Become a Founding Member to "vote" for a new book, receive a signed copy, and see your name in the acknowledgement section.
Or join at any other level to support my work, and you will be invited to vote on the contents of the next book and contacted to let me know where you'd like me to follow on social media.
As I've said before, this newsletter suggests a hopeful new model for author and audience, and maybe a more direct and sustainable one. Payments help, but, before we ever get to that point, authors need readers. So paid or otherwise, I'd like to thank you for being readers, and being a part of this journey.
OK that's all. Enjoy your day.
-Andrew
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