FROM LOST IN CHEESELAND TO THE NEW PARIS DISPATCH
I first launched a blog, this blog, back in 2009. I had just graduated from AUP with an MA in Global Communication and the economy had crashed, leaving jobs sparse. I was uncertain of my professional future and thought that documenting bits of my life in Paris might be both cathartic for me in the disquiet of the unknown and helpful to friends and family. It was something I could control, at the very least. That became so much more than I could have anticipated, leading to a freelance journalism and publishing career; hundreds of stories and two books.
The internet began evolving much faster by the time my first book came out in 2017. User behaviors changed and blogs were dying as attention shifted heavily to social media. I launched my first newsletter as a sort of replacement to the slowly retiring blog format back in 2017 in preparation for my book launch.
WHY A NEWSLETTER?
By now, the ills and challenges of the publishing industry might be well known to you (exhibit A, B and C). For authors, the enduring struggle is being told to boost our ‘platforms’. Despite impressive social media followings, blog readers, professional writing credentials, and a Rolodex of media contacts, it is, we are told, insufficient.
As publishers devote fewer and fewer resources to publicity, the responsibility falls upon the author to do the heavy lifting. To be sure, there is a lot that is within our power but there is plenty that even the most organized, resourceful, well-connected author can’t control (ahem, algorithms! pandemics! supply chain malfunction!) and will impact their ability to market and sell their own art.
The newsletter format, with a subscriber list an author can “own”, became another go-to tool in the digital toolkit. Initially, it was a way for me to announce book tour events, special gatherings for readers, and even a few exciting giveaways that are unlikely to exist ever again (a round-trip Air France ticket to Paris, among them).
Over time, I realized it was more than a useful means of informing but also connecting. I understood what readers were most curious about and I tried to adapt, incorporating personal stories and anecdotes with practical tidbits, cultural news, and compelling reads related to France.
BUILDING THE COMMUNITY
I kicked things off on Mailchimp, which was wonderful until a certain airfare giveaway sent thousands upon thousands of new subscribers my way (many of whom were prepared to mark my updates as spam as soon as the competition ended) and pushed me into a very pricey subscriber bracket on the platform. Once you reach a certain tier, whether or not you’re using Mailchimp’s very sophisticated marketing/CRM bells and whistles, you have no choice but to pay up. So I stayed as long as I could until my free newsletter became too expensive to maintain.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Since the end of 2022, I have been building my newsletter community on Substack (The New Paris Dispatch which continues the work I began with my books and podcast) which has allowed me to incorporate paid options for those of you who have been supportive of my work from the beginning and have asked for ways to continue that support. Thus far, that has included exclusive recommendations and tips, bonus stories and interviews, and early access to in-person events.
Between that and dialoguing on social media and maintaining a private life, there is little time for this site. Its use has changed. With that, if you found me through Lost in Cheeseland at its inception or recently, I hope you’ll continue to stick with me on Instagram and Substack.
It’s not adieu, it’s an à suivre…. to be continued!
Lindsey
