A Learning Process

A poem, reflections on Substack, a gift of gratitude, and some changes going forward.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Is it wrong to want to go
to sleep at 6pm?
Is it wrong to want to stay
awake in a moonbeam?
Is it wrong to want to see
the sun rise on ruins?
Is it wrong to want to turn
the clock back to 1?

---

The background

I wasn’t originally intending to publish a piece this week (aside from the next Metropolis chapter), but I’ve been meaning to put some more time into making my Substack something that works best for both me and all of you incredible readers.

My strategy has been to offer the most free stuff I can, with some paid content to acknowledge those who want to support me financially. I don’t think I’ve ever had that balance quite right, and it’s taken a lot for me to realise that I never am going to without addressing my self-sabotage around money. I’ve always been incredibly hesitant in asking for money from people for what I do, and a lot of that is rooted in false belief systems of me not believing myself to be worthy of it.

I’m already finding myself taking on a lot of non-writing projects to cover my expenses, which is eating into my ability to create meaningful poems and works which satisfy me and may mean something to you. That’s not proving sustainable behind-the-scenes, and means you’re getting less in return. I’ve experience a little of the self-doubting phase in response, wondering whether to just suspend the whole Substack pursuit and try something different, but thankfully my soul kicked in and fought back - inspiring me to include the short poem that’s at the start of this piece.

Today that changes. I know what I do has value, and I am worthy of having that recognised. I’ve been brainstorming, problem-solving, and studying how others are handling Substack, and I think I’ve got something.

To honour your support

I am incredibly grateful for all the feedback I’m getting about how my pieces are touching those who read them. I’ve constantly been blown away by the love and support that people have shown for my work - so here’s me honouring everything you have done so far.

As a thank-you for everyone who was amongst my first supporters, both free and paid, I’ve given everyone a free digital copy of my latest book, “From A Dying Empire Near You”. This is now only be available to my paid subscribers.

I will gradually be increasing the cost of the paid subscription as the archive grows and the value on offer to paid subscribers increases, so this is a great time to become a paid subscriber if you’ve been intending to do so.

For free subscribers

UPDATE - 10TH OCTOBER: I am changing strategies again and disabling the paywall for my poems. It will remain in place for my other reflections and Metropolis translation. This allows for others to cross-post and share pieces online easier. More on this in a future update.

I’ll be keeping the current schedule of one poem every two weeks for free subscribers in place - and being subscribed means it’ll be delivered directly to your email inbox. It will go out on the Monday of that week at the same time to both free and paid subscribers, and then it will be paywalled 2 weeks after its release.

As part of this change, all of my existing pieces here on Substack are going to be paywalled, which will occur on Monday 23rd September shortly before the poem for that week is released. That said, new readers who discover my work will be able to read 1 paywalled article for free and get a 7-day trial to explore my writings in the archive.

I’m ending the early access system as it also solves my issue with an apparent oversight with Substack’s feature of unlocking posts after a certain time. That is, the comments remain locked for free subscribers even though the post is unlocked. This system gets round that, so you can comment to your heart’s desire. And I love reading the comments!

Anyone who subscribes for free also get a digital copy of my first poetry book, “Born Anew and Other Poems”, giving a great opportunity for people to explore my works. Existing free subscribers can expect to see a copy too when I send out their digital copy of “From A Dying Empire Near You”.

For paid subscribers

For £5 a month (or £55 a year to give a slight discount!) Paid subscribers get access to the entire archive, exclusive essays and reflections, other writings and my ongoing translation of Metropolis. They also get digital versions of my current poetry chapbooks and future ones (and yes, there will be more on the way!). We also have once-a-month Gatherings where you’ll get to meet me and other paid subscribers via Zoom.

They’ll also have a number of ways of sharing my work with others in their network, including giving limited-time access to my archive for their friends and family.

If you purchase a subscription for a friend or family member at the same time as your own, you also get a 15% discount - because having someone who shares your interest in poetry and the topics I talk about is a great thing too.

For the extra-generous

For those who not only want to become a paid subscriber, but who wish to go the extra mile in helping me out, you’ll get a signed, framed print of your choice from my store for those who pay £100 or more a year. As well as all the other benefits of being a paid subscriber!

But that’s not all!

I’m also keeping the Leaderboard system going, which will allow you to gain a paid subscription in return for encouraging others in your network to subscribe - a great option if you’re not in a position to contribute financially. I’ll also be using this system to do bonus giveaways and extra little things, so there’s plenty of reasons to engage with it.

If you’d rather not commit to recurring payments, but still want to help financially, you can also buy one of my books or prints from my shop, or you can gift a limited-time subscription to a friend or family member.

Closing thoughts

I’m really excited to see what comes out of this adjustment to the format - and especially how it shifts my frame regarding my false legacy belief systems that do not serve me. I’m sure it can make for some fantastic poetry!

All of this is one big learning experience for me, because to me that’s what life is. And I’m grateful you’ve chosen to hear me as I explore that.

If you’re not subscribed already, here’s the button you’ve been looking for after reading this post:

With immense gratitude,

Tom