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One of my #jesspicks readers asked me:
What do you do if you just can’t – for any number of possible reasons – get your #jesspicks newsletter out?
Let me start by saying a bit about my process for creating my issues. First, I try to work on my newsletter every day or every other day. So after #jesspicks goes out on Saturdays, that following Monday or Tuesday, I’m going in there, duplicating the previous issue and setting up my draft for the next week.
Wednesdays, I make sure I have info for sponsorships for that week. Or following up with folks to make sure I have text/images/etc. for ads. I’m also adding ideas for things I might want to include in different sections and bullet points for what I might like to discuss in the intro note. Then I have an hour (or two) set aside every Friday to pull it all together, make final edits, and schedule it.
Working on it a little bit throughout the week helps me be in better shape. But if for some reason, things go haywire that week or I’m just not able to do it all by Friday, I can do one of two things:
- If I have zero time to pull something together and it’s just not happening, I’d skip that week. I try not to do this if I can help it. Because I know my readers are expecting it. And if I have a sponsor, that can cause issues as well.
- I can put together a short issue. This could look like a brief intro note and maybe pulling in some favorite resources from prior issues without adding new articles.
If there are situations where I feel like getting issues out are harder a few times in a row, I might decide to take a break for a couple of weeks and then let my subscribers know. I believe in being as transparent as I can. And just saying, “Hey, I’m feeling really burnt out, and I need to take a break.” I did this last year. This way, I can notify readers and sponsors that I’ll be away for a bit.
If you can’t get an issue out for some reason, is it possible to send a short and sweet issue? Can you skip a week? Or do you need a more extended break? Check in with yourself to see what's required. Your readers will understand and support you.
Being a creator is not easy, and sometimes we need to take the time and space to fill up our cups to continue to do our best work.