Yesterday I pushed my way into the lobby of my building — too many grocery bags in my hands — and I peeked into my mailbox.
My ex-girlfriend (still living together) was already by the elevators, holding her own batch of grocery bags. “There’s nothing,” she said. “I checked already.”
But I don’t trust anyone. So I peeked into the mailbox. And I saw it:
A narrow cardboard package that somehow telegraphed class and high-value.
I opened up the mailbox. The ex came over wide-eyed. “What is it? What did you order?”
Frankly, I had no idea.
The package was postmarked UK. I thought for a minute. And then I remembered.
I’d signed up to a magazine-of-the-month club a while back. Each month, they send you a new magazine, so you can get exposed to new stuff, be entertained, have new email fodder.
This was my first issue.
I couldn’t wait to see what I got. I tore open the cardboard package right there in the lobby.
Inside was more beautiful paper packaging. I felt bad ripping it apart. In the elevator up to the apartment, I tried to peel it open carefully. But impatience to see my cool new magazine bubbled over.
I ripped up the paper packaging as well.
As I entered my apartment, I could finally get at the fascinating and intriguing contents inside. And what I found was:
A squat, black cover, showing a hand holding a spoon, and taking a bit of some kind of unidentified mass from a platter, which was held by another hand.
A vague, arty photo. There was nothing else on the cover except the magazine title. Not a good start.
I flipped to the back.
”FEATURING,” the back cover said, “Fiction:” and then a long list of contributors. “Poetry:” and then another long list of contributors. “Art and photography:” and then more contributors.
“Ugh,” I sighed. “This feels like it’s gonna be work.”
I tossed my new chore-of-the-month onto the little stand next to the couch, where it’s still sitting, in its shrink-wrap. I’ll have to schedule a time during my work hours to sit down and face this obligation.
In case you’re wondering how this could possibly be relevant to you:
Between 2017 and 2021, I subscribed to Ben Settle’s Email Players print newsletter.
After I decided to unsubscribe, I asked myself why. What did it?
There were several logical reasons.
But I realized that the real, emotional reason was simply that reading Email Players had become a chore.
I’m sure there were still some valuable ideas in each issue. But it was no longer fun to read.
I kept looking at it sitting there by my couch, and thinking, “Ugh. There’s that to do.” And since Email Players is hardly the only source of valuable ideas in the universe, I decided to unsubscribe.
I myself am now planning a subscription offer, a community around newsletters, which I’m planning to call Publishers Club.
But I realize that — and here’s the takeaway of today’s email — value notwithstanding, my subscription offer will have to be enjoyable and even fun if people will have any chance of getting value out of it.
So I am appealing to you for help and input.
Write in and tell me one subscription offer that you pay for, and that you actually enjoy or even look forward to.
It could be a newsletter, a community, a magazine, a magazine-of-the-month club, a streaming service, whatever.
For bonus points, tell me what makes this subscription offer enjoyable or even fun.
In return, I will 1) telepathically send you good vibes along with my gratitude and 2) reply via email and tell you the only subscription offer I am currently enjoying, and why I suspect I am enjoying it.
I’ve mentioned this subscription offer in passing a few times in the past. But I’d say chances are about 99.9% you do not know what I have in mind.
If you’d like to know, write me with your fun or enjoyable subscriptions, and we can do a tit-for-tat trade.
My ex-girlfriend (still living together) was already by the elevators, holding her own batch of grocery bags. “There’s nothing,” she said. “I checked already.”
But I don’t trust anyone. So I peeked into the mailbox. And I saw it:
A narrow cardboard package that somehow telegraphed class and high-value.
I opened up the mailbox. The ex came over wide-eyed. “What is it? What did you order?”
Frankly, I had no idea.
The package was postmarked UK. I thought for a minute. And then I remembered.
I’d signed up to a magazine-of-the-month club a while back. Each month, they send you a new magazine, so you can get exposed to new stuff, be entertained, have new email fodder.
This was my first issue.
I couldn’t wait to see what I got. I tore open the cardboard package right there in the lobby.
Inside was more beautiful paper packaging. I felt bad ripping it apart. In the elevator up to the apartment, I tried to peel it open carefully. But impatience to see my cool new magazine bubbled over.
I ripped up the paper packaging as well.
As I entered my apartment, I could finally get at the fascinating and intriguing contents inside. And what I found was:
A squat, black cover, showing a hand holding a spoon, and taking a bit of some kind of unidentified mass from a platter, which was held by another hand.
A vague, arty photo. There was nothing else on the cover except the magazine title. Not a good start.
I flipped to the back.
”FEATURING,” the back cover said, “Fiction:” and then a long list of contributors. “Poetry:” and then another long list of contributors. “Art and photography:” and then more contributors.
“Ugh,” I sighed. “This feels like it’s gonna be work.”
I tossed my new chore-of-the-month onto the little stand next to the couch, where it’s still sitting, in its shrink-wrap. I’ll have to schedule a time during my work hours to sit down and face this obligation.
In case you’re wondering how this could possibly be relevant to you:
Between 2017 and 2021, I subscribed to Ben Settle’s Email Players print newsletter.
After I decided to unsubscribe, I asked myself why. What did it?
There were several logical reasons.
But I realized that the real, emotional reason was simply that reading Email Players had become a chore.
I’m sure there were still some valuable ideas in each issue. But it was no longer fun to read.
I kept looking at it sitting there by my couch, and thinking, “Ugh. There’s that to do.” And since Email Players is hardly the only source of valuable ideas in the universe, I decided to unsubscribe.
I myself am now planning a subscription offer, a community around newsletters, which I’m planning to call Publishers Club.
But I realize that — and here’s the takeaway of today’s email — value notwithstanding, my subscription offer will have to be enjoyable and even fun if people will have any chance of getting value out of it.
So I am appealing to you for help and input.
Write in and tell me one subscription offer that you pay for, and that you actually enjoy or even look forward to.
It could be a newsletter, a community, a magazine, a magazine-of-the-month club, a streaming service, whatever.
For bonus points, tell me what makes this subscription offer enjoyable or even fun.
In return, I will 1) telepathically send you good vibes along with my gratitude and 2) reply via email and tell you the only subscription offer I am currently enjoying, and why I suspect I am enjoying it.
I’ve mentioned this subscription offer in passing a few times in the past. But I’d say chances are about 99.9% you do not know what I have in mind.
If you’d like to know, write me with your fun or enjoyable subscriptions, and we can do a tit-for-tat trade.