YES Mark, you are a writer
Monday, March 6, 2023
Coming soon.
Some things change, and change is good, right?
I’ve had several things tumbling in my head – some recent information to meld with several longstanding ruminations.
Over time I’ve tinkered with websites, email services and distribution systems - happy most days with websites and emails supported by Network Solutions, for over 20 years.
However, e-mail distribution has been my nemesis for over 20 years. What began as do-it-yourself bulk emails via bcc became impossible once lists grew large. Services are faster, but costs climb too.
I switched - from Constant Contact to Mail Chimp – which offers a superior service, in my view. Still, I’m always looking for something that can simplify my life, is less costly and produces a better result for this writer and his readers.
Two things concerning my Musing publications - the daily website updates and email distributions have been on my mind as the end of my 20th year of daily columns is fast approaching. I’ve decided to keep the domain name, take down or park the MarkMusing.com website (possibly remake it for marking a book) – and I continue to wrestle with two companion issues I’ve struggled with since the end of the first full year.
During that initial year, my concern was whether I could keep it up - writing every day - and to make the writing worthy of readership loyalty.
Mentor Frank Dabbs asked me how I saw Musings coming together in a book form, and in which section of the bookstore should a Musings book be marketed? (I said, "anywhere but the remainder table!") … and he worried about how I planned to monetize and earn money from my writing.
At that point 19 years ago, I was amazed I could find something to write about each day and that I could put it out there for 365 days - and even more surprised that from a smartass* start, one writer and six readers, that the list has grown as it has, and so many friends and strangers have remained an appreciative following.
I’ve periodically taken stabs at packaging Musing columns by themes/subject matter or takeaway message, to the extent there might emerge a theme, but to no avail.
I so appreciated Frank’s mentorship that first year and Kathy Taylor’s, too – they believed I could write well, maintain a flow, and build a following. Before I had confidence in myself, they had confidence in me, so I’ve felt I owe them so much because writing Musings has become essential for me to twist my gut and brain into a pretzel many days ...
Sticking with it, withstanding some ugly critique now and then, learning to accept praise graciously. Thank you, Louise Gallagher, for staring me down, looking me square in the eye, and saying, “You ARE a writer" at a time when I felt inadequate to that label. My late father asked, “Why do you feel the need to do that?” because he couldn't understand how important it was for me to understand myself, nor to appreciate that putting keystrokes on a page gave that voice, a stage to stand on, an audience to hear me ...
Also, Musing has caused me to please, offend, and confuse many writers. It’s caused me to experience periods of malaise, question my purpose, the value, and examine (as I do annually) the merits of continuing this daily commitment.
Others too numerous to mention have encouraged me to continue, and many readers have come and gone over the years. Given all the mistakes I've made and apologized for, it seems a shame to quit this magnificent obsession of mine.
And still, the question of “what’s next?” has left me without a clear answer. I’ve several times discussed ideas about publishing Musings and/or Monday Morning Minutes in book form with a friend and publishing guru, Lyn Cadence. The closest we got to figuring that out was moving things around on a table at lunch at Michael Noble’s Nash restaurant. The pieces were named whether they were cutlery and plates, as we mapped out the interconnections of a project that has never come to life, and over to the side was a water glass, which was to be the press/imprint of a private publishing brand – hence, Waterglass Press it would be. My thinking was, ‘that’s a brand’ under which I can publish my work and maybe the work of others. That’s still my goal. Which will come off a press or be released first or when it is still uncertain.
Back to the more pressing problem, with the 20th birthday of Mark Musing coming up on March 20th, the first day of spring this year.
Enter my consciousness – some great recommendations about Substack. I’ve heard lots but have not investigated any length until recently. I love the format, their business model and their costs. I’ve decided to experiment with it – not for Musings yet, but soon I expect ~ by March 19th, possibly, but first, I’ll be giving it a trial run with my Monday Morning Minute publication. I’ve begun the process of moving contact lists to the new platform and will likely ‘distribute that way next Monday, March 13th.’
So, where is the monetizing?
The Substack program allows writers to publish their work in two ways.
Way #1 – price it, and everybody pays.
Way # 2 – three options; free, a nominal subscription fee, or by a voluntary donation
I’m leaning strongly toward ‘Way #2’, so those who get Musings or Monday Morning Minute can continue to get it for free, so those loyal readers and new subscribers can pay a nominal fee. Anyone who wants to contribute to the cost of producing and distributing these publications can help (think of it as the Wikipedia or PBS funding model), whereby those who appreciate and value the service, if they are willing and able, can contribute to help sustain and grow it.
As time passes, Waterglass Press might offer some ‘reserve your copy early’ and price benefits on the things we publish or promote on Substack …
*my daughter Carla recalls that beginning differently than I do. We talked about writing on our walk the day before that first Musing column, and she was one of the original six readers. She thought I was poking fun at her - not respecting her writing by trying to show her that a non-writer like me could bang something out. I confess I was trying to send a message - not to poke fun but to encourage her in her writing, something she was imminently more skilled at and educated for then, as she certainly is now, hoping I could encourage her to write the book she admitted to believing was within her. I remain proud of her and of her craft in writing and editing. I hope one day to see her passion on the page. The by-product of that 'first day of spring column' was the beginning, and now, with nearly twenty years of daily key-stroking completed, I'm still sending a message out to the world every morning. Often, a reply or phone call, a hug, or a wide grin reminds me and reinforces what I've learned - that I've made meaningful connections on some level with many people, many of whom I know and many I'll likely never know. Sometimes I cause people to laugh at situations or to cry about their condition or mine. There are, I've come to believe, few things that equal that joy - part emotional, part pride, and completely humbling, to know that a point I made or feeling I expressed connected with someone who found it valuable. It wasn't for my daughter and the conversation we had nearly twenty years ago that would never have happened, and for that, I'm deeply in her debt, and I wish she could see it that way. Yes, I'm your dad, and I'm a writer.