Why Is Change So Hard?

Taking a leap into something new . . .

Jun 02, 2023

All right, I’ve done it! I’ve finally moved my newsletter from MailChimp to Substack. I’ve been wringing my hands over doing this for a long time. If all goes well, you should be receiving this in your inbox as usual and might not even be able to tell on your end that I’m doing anything different.

I don’t know why making this switch felt like such a huge undertaking. The logistics were actually fairly easy (assuming I did everything right, of course). I think what slowed me down is that I didn’t want to make mistakes. I wanted to figure everything out first and get my Substack exactly right (whatever that means), and so I tried to think through all possible decisions, which got me stuck in a loop of only thinking and not doing. Do you ever do that? One of the problems with that approach is there will inevitably be things you won’t anticipate or can’t figure out beforehand. I’ve tried the “I’ll figure everything out first before I begin” approach with some of my book ideas and guess what? They’re still in my head, unwritten.

Sometimes you have to take a leap. Just start. Figure out the rest as you go along.

I want to give a shout out to

Julie Falatko

, who was very kind in helping me when I reached out about making the switch. If you aren’t already subscribed to her Substack

Do the Work

, I highly recommend it. She’s funny and insightful, and her newsletter is especially relevant for writers or anyone attempting to reclaim their own time from social media.

So why did I want to switch to Substack, you might be wondering? Well, first of all, it’s free. MailChimp was getting really expensive for me, which is what prompted me to start looking into other options. Another thing I like about Substack is the ability for readers to comment. Some of you have written individually in response to my newsletters, and I always appreciate hearing from you, so that’s really nice. But the idea that there could be a conversation among several of us, or that maybe a little community of like-minded people might be formed is cool. Substack also has the option for writers to offer paid content. I’m not doing that right now, but I do like that I could potentially in the future. I would want to create something that would be of value to you if I offered paid content, and I don’t currently have time to do that. And even if I did have the time, I’m not sure what that bonus content would be! (Hey, maybe you can comment below if you have suggestions! Let’s test these features out!)

UPCOMING EVENTS

JUNE 3:

Join me for storytime with The Wandering Jellyfish on Saturday, June 3, at 11:00 am at Niwot Children’s Park. I’ll read A Good Deed Can Grow and we’ll make a fun craft. This is a free family event, but books will be available for purchase. Click on the image below to register (not required, but helpful to me for planning how many craft supplies to bring).

JUNE 12:

Virtual Book Club for Sisterhood of Sleuths! Chapters Books & Gifts in Nebraska is hosting this book club meeting, and I’ll be present to answer any of your questions! Visit their website to register for the book club and receive the link for the Zoom meeting.

JUNE 20-JUNE 21:

I will be one of over 50 children’s book creators at the first Litapalooza event, hosted by Anderson’s Bookshops in Naperville, IL. This is for educators only. Click on the image below to register.

ODDS AND ENDS

Sisterhood of Sleuths is a finalist for the Colorado Book Award!
Looking for something to read this summer? Check out the 99 Mighty Girl Books for Tweens’ Summer Reading List. Both Book Scavenger and Sisterhood of Sleuths are on it!
I did a school visit at my elementary school alma mater!