Two of my dear friends recently started book-related Tinyletters, so I was going to recommend them to you, and then decided I should go back and tell you about some less new ones I like as well. So consider this a Tinyletter recommendation roundup to live in the Weekly Recs archives!
But first: what's a Tinyletter, you ask? It's basically just a free email newsletter. You subscribe and get it in your inbox every time the person writes a new one (or, for most, you can check the online archive if you don't want emails). They're often but not always themed. It's longer form than Twitter or Instagram, more like how blogging tended to be in the mid-2000s. The idea of email newsletters isn't new, of course, but Tinyletters have become something of a trend in the last year or so, partially because with all the (many) issue related to new media and its financial instability, this is a painless way for writers to reach their audience directly. And since there's no direct way to monetize it, I think it often feels intimate in a "this is what I really want to tell you even though I can't necessarily sell it" way. (You can monetize indirectly, via Patreon or affiliate links - for example, I use Amazon referral links when I recommend books, so I wind up with a couple bucks a month of Amazon credit.)
(I suppose I would be remiss not to mention my own Tinyletter, Kate Reads. It's about - brace yourself - what I'm reading. I would like you to subscribe because I have had the exact same number of subscribers for a while now and it's a little demoralizing. MUCH AS I LOVE ALL MY CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS.)
So! The new ones:
My friend Bailey has started Read It Again, about her adventures in rereading books she's already read. And my friend Molly has Forgeterature 101: book reports on books she once read but doesn't exactly remember.
Other favorites (in alphabetical order):
The Check-In: The writing life with YA author Amy Spalding (@theames).
The Crime Lady: Sarah Weinman (@sarahw) discusses crime fiction and true crime.
Episodes: Todd VanDerWerff (@tvoti), culture editor of Vox, talks TV and other things. Todd is one of those writers whose thoughts I will happily read on anything, regardless of whether I think I care about the topic.
Lipstick and other stories: Author Jasmine Guillory (@thebestjasmine) talks books and writing, food, makeup, and more.
The Rec Center: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (@Hello_Tailor) and Elizabeth Minkel (@elizabethminkel) recommend fanfic and other fandom-related delights.
The Shatner Chatner: Mallory Ortberg (@evilmallelis), late of The Toast and now Dear Prudence, talks about whatever and it's hilarious. (This one is closed to new subscribers - there's a limit imposed by Tinyletter - but you can read them online!)
Two Bossy Dames: Smart, hilarious recommendations and cultural commentary from Margaret Willison (@MrsFridayNext) and Sophie Brookover (@sophiebiblio).
(Weekly Rec posts are made possible by Patreon. Join in!)
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