I interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for…myself.
It was a bad day for the business today. One of those gut punches you can’t walk off. I’m the kind of person who looks forward to Mondays, but this was the kind of Monday that looks forward to giving people like me swirlies in the middle school bathroom.
I use humor to cover the pain.
Anyway, after doing all possible damage control for the day, I decided it was time for some Substack self-care.
The first item on this healing list was to reach out to a subscriber (who shall not yet be named) to invite as a guest on the podcast. So I headed on over to the writer dashboard to look up the email address, and—
10X
I sent the first post out to 50 people (and you know who you are). That means that in just about 18 months, the Dispatches audience has gotten TEN TIMES BIGGER.
What can I say?
I can say thank you.
Thank you.
I know y’all didn’t plan this or anything, but I believe, deep down, that if you could’ve, you would’ve. (Best not to think too hard about that. Just let the platitude wash over you.)
I also use humor to cover the fact that I’m blushing so hard you can probably feel it through the screen if you lean in close.
I love you guys.
So much so that last week I thought, you know what my subscribers deserve? A brand new short story.
Which is why, instead of working on my neglected novel, I’ve been plugging away at a little Halloween-themed treat for you.
And yes okay also for me. I won’t pretend I don’t absolutely love this stuff.
Alright, celebration over. Time to get back to work.
Congrats on 500! Now, on to bigger numbers!
If you don't submit that Halloween themed short story for this season's Lunar Awards, I'm disowning you. All of Fictionistas will vote you off the island, too. (Old man shakes fist into the air).
Oh, and congrats on 500 subscribers!!! I'm looking forward to future dispatches from inside your space.