Rosie Recommends: Newsletters

Celebrating community on Substack and some favourite regular reads

I’ve been writing online in some form now for longer than I care to admit! Sometimes I look back nostalgically on the early blogging days circa 2010 and lament how much has changed in the online world, but there’s a really similar, exciting feeling at the moment surrounding Substack and the newsletter community. There’s a more personal element and a sense of sharing together, one that I hope continues and that I can continue to nurture here, with you. I subscribe to quite a few newsletters myself now, and thought it would be fun to share some recommendations with you. Here are eight of my favourite online reads - I hope you enjoy and follow some of them too.

Small Stories with Laura Pashby

I’ve followed Laura online since those early days of Instagram and it’s been wonderful to see her writing career flourish. She recently moved her newsletter, a longtime favourite, to Substack; it is a thing of joy and now a community too - a place where Laura shares little moments, everyday magic and snippets of writing life. Laura’s newsletter is guaranteed to make you slow down, smile and see the world a little differently too.

The Red Fern by Helen Redfern

I’ve followed Helen for years on different platforms as well and she writes so engagingly about creativity online. Now she has made a supportive community around her Substack too. Helen digs into reading, writing and confidence, and is sharing her own publishing journey with readers alongside bitesize courses and video and podcast interviews with other creatives. So many gems of wisdom here.

Closing Party

I met a fellow Rosie online recently and now thoroughly enjoy her newsletter, Closing Party, with its notes on life and death: grief, friendship, love and witty insights on the writing life. Rosie writes hilariously about what it’s like to be a woman in your 30s doing things differently from those around you. I’m sure I’m not the only one who knows the feeling; the world needs more people like Rosie.

Entre Nous

Instagram and internet marketing guru Sara Tasker is a font of digital knowledge and all-round lovely human being too. She recently started a Substack, Entre Nous, to share her adventures renovating a French house, as well as to help readers find their audience - and themselves - online. Inspiring and thoughtful in equal measure, she makes me want to move to the countryside immediately.

Gartur Stitch Farm

Gartur Stitch Farm is a smallholding at the edge of the Trossachs near Stirling, run by Kat and Kevin Goldin. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a couple of times for their sourdough bread-making course (which truly got me hooked) and Autumn foraging, and the newsletter provides a regular dose of that Gartur Stitch magic from afar with recipes and snippets of smallholding life, as well as tutorials, and sometimes discounts on their courses (online and in person).

Something to Say with Abigail Bergstrom

I may be biased here, as Bergstrom Studio is my literary agency, but I’m in awe of what Abigail has created alongside my agent, the wonderful Megan Staunton. It is an honour to be part of their writing community and they have just launched a £6000 grant for aspiring, underrepresented and unagented authors (find out how to apply here). Abigail is so generous with her publishing wisdom - her Substack is a must-follow for keen readers and writers.

Not newsletters, but two online website subscriptions I enjoy:

Stories from Home

Stories from Home is a membership area created by talented fellow Scot, Amy of Pops and Piaf. Amy shares craft projects, interiors ideas and renovation updates in the form of writing, photos and in-depth videos. It’s wonderful to get lost in Amy’s whimsical world for a while, and see behind the scenes of her beautiful online shop. We have a similar outlook and tastes I think, and Amy is creating a lovely community here too.

Gather with Grace Alexander

In “Gather”, Grace Alexander shares snippets from her flower-filled thatched cottage and wee garden in Somerset, with growing tips, interviews with industry experts, and creative floristry projects, as well as seasonal ebooks and digital guides. “Gather” is a membership area of Grace’s site and a community that it is a joy to be a part of. Until I have a garden of my own, her seasonal offerings provide some in-depth gardening dreaming and escapism.

Which newsletters do you enjoy reading? Please comment below as I’d love to hear them!