I joined the Indiegraf team exactly one year ago. Today, almost 50 Indie Publisher stories later, I’m handing off my editing duties to the amazing Erica Ngao as I take on a new adventure as Publisher Guide for our network partners — so I’m not going far!
Careers are funny. Sometimes they evolve as we intended, guided by our own wills and desires. Most times, however, they bend and mold to the job offers out there. I started editing art books as a part-time job out of college and fell in love with wordsmitthing, and the job market took it from there. Never mind that I studied Cultural Studies and Project Management in college: the world offered a career in writing and editing, and I took it.
Indiegraf took a chance on me last year, and their vote of confidence has given me much more than I anticipated. Through all the nerves and self-doubt, this team has supported and challenged me to explore and maximize my capabilities. Through this trust and support, I got to revisit a side of me I had long forgotten: the planner, the creative problem-solver that thrives in Gannt charts and spreadsheets.
While the past few years of writing and editing have been great fun, I’m excited to get back in touch with this side of myself. It’s been a while since I project-managed, but I can think of no better opportunity than supporting our publishers (and our teams) as we map out our collaborative work. I spent many hours in publisher calls this last year and gained a lot of perspective on what news entrepreneurs want and need from a partner like Indiegraf. This perspective will be of great use in my new role as a Publisher Guide.
While I am going to miss Indie Publisher, I’m excited to see what Erica will make of it. I’ve worked on very few newsletters in my short career, but I’ve always strived to offer valuable information to our readers. I’m more than certain that Erica’s expertise in audience strategy will raise the value and quality of Indie Publisher.
In the meantime, here’s a recap of some useful stories —stories with good, actionable tips and tricks for news publishers:
✨ To make a great first impression: 6 tips for your welcome email
🏖️ To get over the hump: 7 ways to overcome the summer lull
💸 To get you started on the advertising game: 6 basic things to keep in mind
🤝 To get the creative juices flowing: 4 examples of community building
🪄 To make you newsletter pop: 8 ideas to personalize your outlet’s newsletter
🛹 To swag smarter, not harder: 6 tips for a strong swag campaign
💰 To learn how to ask for money: 12 ideas for reader revenue campaigns
Over the next few months, Erica will share new and valuable resources with you all. As for me, I’ll be reading along avidly and will continue to be amazed by the things I can learn.
