What do you want me to write about this year?
Help me make this newsletter one you can't wait to read!
Now that I’ve come up with my Word of the Year—“refill”—I’ve been thinking a lot about how to put this intention into action in 2025.
One goal I have is to try to avoid unnecessary “busy work.” This includes tasks I feel like I should be doing, possibly because everyone else is doing them (ahem, creating countless social media graphics that the algorithms barely show to my followers, much less to people I don’t know), but that may not actually matter that much.
It’s easy to burn out when you’re trying to do all the things, all the time! Of course, as a midlist author, when you don’t know exactly what is going to help move the needle, it can be a good idea to try a bunch of different strategies. Still, I think I can cut back on “busy work,” instead attempting to home in on what is most meaningful.
This newsletter is meaningful to me. I enjoy writing it each week.
But…I think I can be more purposeful with what I choose to write about. I am going to try planning ahead a bit more than I have been, brainstorming topics I want to cover and important dates and milestones I don’t want to miss highlighting. Then, hopefully, I’ll be less likely to find myself scrambling on Thursday for something to send out on Friday morning.
Additionally, I don’t want reading this newsletter to feel like “busy work” for you! I want you to look forward to my updates and tips and recommendations! Which is why I wanted to take a moment this week to ask you:
What do you most want to read on Booked in Brooklyn?
Writing tips/creative advice, i.e. my series on How I Wrote a Book in a Month, or my series on writing a book with a coauthor successfully
Recommendations and reviews, as in my monthly Roundup posts and occasional bonus book rec bonanzas
Updates on what’s going on in my writing life, often with personal stories
Interviews with other writers and creative folks (I did this a bit before I moved my newsletter over to Substack)
All of the above!
Something else entirely? (But what??)
If you like a newsletter that covers various topics—which, honestly, is my preference; I have a lot of different things to say!—would you like it more if it were a bit more structured? For instance, what if each month had a loose theme? Or what if the second week of the month was always focused on the craft of writing and the third week was always an interview? (The last week of the month is currently The Roundup, and I think I’d like to keep that as is.) Reply in the comments with any feedback you have for me! I’d love to take it into account as I look ahead into 2025.
There are a lot of bookish and writing-related Substacks and newsletters out there. I’m not necessarily looking for an “angle” to stand out from the pack…but I do think I could do a better job of creating content that people (both those who know me personally, and those who don’t!) want to make time in their busy schedules to read.
I want to use my time wisely—and I want to use your time wisely as well.
On that note, thanks for taking the time to read this post! And seriously—if there’s something else you’d like to see from me, or something I don’t do enough that you want more of, please let me know. I’m all ears.
Signing out from arctic Brooklyn,
~Kathryn