#Editing on Substack

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 6

This chapter is about How to Configure and Maintain Privacy of Substack Publications with Compelling Reasons

How to Configure and Maintain Privacy of Substack Publications with Compelling Reasons Dear beta readers, Thank you for your invaluable feedback, which is helping refine this book and enhance it as a valuable resource for fellow writers. I’ve covered five critical aspects that have already helped many readers jumpstart their Substack journey. Just yesterday, the discussion on editorial…

[contemplatingoutlander]

TIMOTHY SNYDER: I am sending around "Oligarchs’ Island" again, in the immodest conviction that this little satire will have more analytic and predictive power than most of what you read or watch this coming year. snyder.substack.com/p/oligarchs-...

"Oligarchy is an island.  Aristotle knew that oligarchs from various countries will have more in common with one another than they will with their own people.  This is all too true of Trump and the oligarchs he brings to power in America." --Timothy Snyder

Timothy Snyder creates an unusual metaphor in "Oligarchs' Island," that nevertheless works. Below is the "cast."

Gilligan = Elon Musk, "the South African Putinist oligarch.... Like Gilligan, Musk bumbles with language and relationships and everything else, but has an undeniable centrality to the plot and to life on the island." 

The Skipper = David Sachs, "the South African Putinist venture capitalist.... Sachs is, of all of our characters the most devoted proponent of the Russian dream.... If anyone on Oligarchs’ Island diverges from the Putinist line, they can expect humorless discipline from Sachs." 

Thurston Howell (The Millionaire) = Peter Thiel, "the American investor with New Zealand citizenship, born in Germany and raised in South Africa.... Just as Thurston Howell was disturbed by Gilligan's frantic activity, Thiel can be displeased with Musk.... Howell refuses to work; Thiel activates others to do destructive one another." 

 Lovey Howell (The Millionaire's wife)= JD Vance--"Lovey is a subordinate character to Thurston on Gilligan's Island, just as Vance is Thiel's client.... Both Lovey and JD are vain about appearance and correspondingly bold in their cosmetic choices."

Ginger Grant = Donald Trump--"these two characters share character and career. Both are vain entertainers.... Both are sensitive to the appearance that they might not matter that much to the overall plot."  

The Professor = Vladimir Putin, "Russian dictator and in all likelihood the world's wealthiest man. Whenever the people stranded on Gilligan's Island have a problem, they turn to the Professor.... The Professor has a dark secret: he is not as competent as the others think.... Putin also has secrets.... He knows that the Russia of its own propaganda does not exist, that the oligarchs' dream is a nightmare.  He also knows that today's oligarchs are tomorrow's victims."  

 Mary Ann = Usha Vance--"Mary Ann is the forgotten character on Gilligan's Island, the one who is perhaps more than she seems.  She knows how to remain in the background, but in fact has skills that the men around her lack.... she develops plans and cultivates allies."

Here's an excerpt showing how "Oligarch's Island" works as a metaphor:

I suspect that... thinking of an Oligarchs' Island sitcom episode will accurately predict what these people will do.  Consider what is happening right now as episode 1 of season 1: Ginger (Trump) has the idea that she should make her own decisions about the members of her cabinet (cue recorded laughter).  Some Americans not involved in Russian networks such as Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley share the belief (cue recorded laughter) that they might join Ginger's cabinet (more cued laughter here, obvious misunderstanding of the Putinist logic of Oligarchs' Island).  Those two Americans maintain that Russia was wrong to invade Ukraine, and so are predictably rejected by the Russian-South African oligarchy.  The Skipper (Sachs) is on the case with a stern tweet: Ginger's appointments must be pro-Russian.  Ginger follows with her own submissive tweet, discarding Pompeo and Haley.  Ginger hopes to at least get her instructions directly from the Professor (Putin).  Ginger claims that she was able to call the Professor (cue laughter).  The Professor denies the call took place (cue more laughter).  Ginger says she asked the Professor not to escalate in Ukraine.  The next day Ukraine suffered one of the biggest drone attacks of the war.  Then the Russians blew up another dam in Ukraine. Those things happened.  The ridiculous and the criminal.

[edited]

____________________ NOTE.:The Gilligan image was modified from its original Bluesky source to emulate the typical formatting of substack's automated quotes.

[all-yourn]

destiel & zach bryan feat. kacey musgraves "i remember everything"

[on youtube]

[tirfpikachu]

just wrote 4000+ words about my detrans experienceeeeee /dabs. going to post a teaser on here soon, with a link to the longer substack article! time to piss off some libfems yeehawwwww B)

[sculderand-mully]

new substack post up! looking at my memes from this year

[slowdesire]

sometimes (almost everyday) i think about how i wish i was the kind of writer who has something meaningful to say and can write for free from the heart out of my own volition. but the reality for years now really has been that i only write consistently by putting myself in situations where others require it of me

[suburbanchildhood]

Los Angeles

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 5

Editorial Excellence and Practical Tips for Self-Editing Newsletters for Cost Effectiveness and Reader Satisfaction Image designed by Dr Mehmet Yildiz at digitalmehmet as the artifacts of Substack Mastery Book Dear beta readers, thank you for your valuable feedback, which will refine this book and help me create a valuable information source for fellow writers. Now that you have learned the…

[blubbed]

see i think my problem is im like tinkerbell. memory loss + regular dissociation + stupidity all collide together to ensure that i'm only ever one thing at a time, right? like i believe it and it makes it so. like when i'm happy i get fooled into thinking i've always been happy. and when i get sad i completely wholeheartedly believe that i've always been sad. the need to create a satisfying narrative + the need to validate the current state as my True state of being means that i don't actually know what my life looks like, has looked like, is looking like. what does my life actually look like?

[foxmulderautism]

one niche weird thing about reading for a litmag is the more online flash/micro fiction i've read the more i've found specific writers that i really admire or at least i can recognise their name when i see them published in litmags. and sometimes they'll they show up in the queue and it's like oh i'm really inspired by this writer and their skill but now i'm on the side where i read and analyse and vote on their submission. and my impostor syndrome is like what the hell

[arijensineink]

Hiya dears<3

Happy Wednesday. How is everyone holding up?

I twinged my left arm today so I'm taking it (somewhat) easy tonight. Just wanted to drop a link to my Substack in case you aren't subscribed!

I'm working on building my newsletter so I'd really appreciate if you check it out 🦄 I just started a series all about character building, I'm very excited about it.

Other updates: A couple nights ago I finished the 2nd draft of The Candy King! It felt so good to have my first official novella under my belt. So, that's resting for a while.

I also finished a developmental edit today on a book about tarot for one of my clients. It was a wonderful experience editing it, and I have several slots open at the moment in case your story needs a fresh perspective.

All the info you need is at arieljensine.ink <3

And one last thing--I'm looking for new members for my writing discord server! If you're interested, shoot me a DM and I'll hook you up with an invite to the server of your choice.

Much love, writer friends! Take care of yourselves, it's rough out there. Happy writing!

[thejaymo]

For writers serious about honing their craft and elevating their work, it just seems obvious to me that Substack should facilitate some kind of editorial market.

[iwriteasfotini]

Substack Wednesday!

[sculderand-mully]

new substack post on poetry and sci fi as similar media, fan creations being a form of folklore, and my favorite screencap from ghost in the machine. i also share some poetry i’ve been working on. link is on the pinned post

[the-moon-loves-the-sea]

From The NY Times:

And from Facebook:

(X)

(Edited to make the first link a mainstream source rather than Substack)