This is my last blog.
I’ve been mulling over this for a while, and I could of course wait until the end of October to end the current year of blogging (I started on November 1st, 2021), but I have decided not to wait.
Here’s the thing, I am a writer and it’s getting harder and harder to make a living as a writer. Inflation has been a killer, and then along comes AI and it’s hoovering up all the writing jobs, so the likes of copywriters, translators, proofreaders and the like, are feeling the pressure. I have been doing piecemeal work alongside my writing these last two years, with a few hours of teaching English online, but even there AI has reduced English language learning to conversational English practice only. More or less, mostly less, and the jobs are few and far between.
What has this got to do with a daily blog post, you may ask?
Well, my original plan was to blog every day and give readers a reason to “check in” every day. Not every post was interesting, or of interest to all readers, but there was always the chance that the next post would be. That was my experience with another daily blogger I follow.
What I’m finding, however, is that I am running out of things to blog about. I don’t get out that much at the moment, and after a few years of daily blogs with a lot of “on this day in Greenland” I’ve exhausted a lot of the topics. I deliberately don’t want to talk about current affairs or politics. There are plenty of alternatives out there for that, so I’m writing about what I know, or what I have done, or want to do again.
And, when trying to do a daily blog and write on Substack, I’m feeling the squeeze.
So instead of writing two places at once, I’m going to concentrate on one place only. I will keep the website and upload information about and links to new books here, and change the name of the blog to ‘New Releases’ or something equally snappy. 🙂
Here’s my plan starting on September 1, 2024:
- Subscribers to this blog will continue to receive an email each time I have a new release.
- I will post something every day on Substack which can be read for free by following the link. Subscribers will get the post sent to their inbox – still free, but you have to sign up on Substack.
- The free Substack post will include links to free and paid stories.
That’s basically it.
If you’re already following me on Substack (paid or free) then you will get your daily post sent to your inbox via Substack instead of via this website.
If you follow me here but choose not to follow on Substack, you will get an email with new releases, as and when they are released.
I started this blog with a bit of doom and gloom about the challenges writers face today. But I am still hyperpositive, and looking into the future, and excited about the opportunities I have to write more stories and to publish more books. I just need to be more efficient and focused. Consolidating the blog, short stories, and serialisations in one place will help me do just that, and enable me to bring more stories to life. I won’t hide the fact that the potential to sell stories via paid subscriptions on Substack is a big plus.
Thanks for following me here. I look forward to letting you know when I have a new book or short story out. I also hope to see you on Substack. Remember, you don’t have to pay or even create an account to read the free posts. Just find me here. 🙂
Thanks again for following along.
AI and inflation be damned, there are plenty more stories on the way!
Chris
This is sad news, Chris, but wholly understandable. For years you have been my ‘breakfast companion’, keeping me Cheery over my Cheerios with your tales of Greenland, Alaska, Scotland, and Denmark . . . but throughout all that enjoyment, I have continuously thought, “How does he put so much time and energy into this blog, and STILL have time to write so many wonderful stories??!” I will, of course, miss your daily musings and photos, but I look forward to the stories inside of you still to come out . . . and I can read those with my Cheerios! BRAVO on consistently making this the best-crafted blog I go to, and THANK YOU for the countless hours of morning joy you’ve brought me! Well done! 👍🏻👍🏻 See you on SUBSTACK! 😊
It’s been my pleasure, Dave. You’ve been and continue to be a fabulous supporter of my blog, and my work, and I tried to schedule the posts in time for breakfast in the States! 🙂 It’s not been an easy decision, but I’ve been feeling the need to streamline and even though the blog remains, albeit repurposed, I feel I can achieve more on Substack. It’s also similar to so many other “platforms” that one needs to create a buzz about one’s work and to do that I need to put more energy into what goes on there. One of the things that has made it easier to make the decision is knowing that we can communicate over there, and hopefully you will have plenty to ready with your Cheerios! 🙂 Thanks for supporting the blog, Dave. I’ll see you on Substack, too! Also, I found the button to alert me to comments on Substack so I shouldn’t miss any now. 🙂
Ty have enjoyed your blog and I finally got to visit Greenland 2 weeks ago on a cruise ship! (No disasters!)
Phew! No disasters! That’s brilliant, Helen. I’ve also enjoyed our correspondence and I love the fact that you have explored Greenland! It’s a fabulous country!