Why write Letters?
I am no longer interested in keeping up with social media, personally or professionally, and am trying to extricate myself from the spiderweb. But I do keep up with the emails I receive from a handful of quality sources, like a blog from an effective North Carolina pastor, the daily newsletter from The Atlantic, and updates and prayer requests from a family of overseas missionaries.
I like those emails because they feel so much quieter than social media. There’s no spam, no ads, no comments full of strangers’ opinions stealing my attention before I can form my own thoughts. I can just enjoy the content at my own pace. If I click through to their websites, when they have them, there are still no comments, no signs of catering to others’ tastes or clamoring for ad revenue. Everything feels authentic to me.
If I like a quieter world, a slower pace, and authentic content that’s not centered on monetizing ads, maybe my audience includes people who feel the same.
So instead of being someone I’m really not, posting to Facebook (or whatever network) because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do, I’m doing this. (And then posting the links to Facebook. It’s a sticky web.)
Who writes Letters?
Hi! I’m Rae Botsford End, a freelance writer and editor in Indianapolis. I’ve written technical white papers, local news, and aerospace news professionally, and I’ve edited a couple of nonfiction books. I’m now spending more time writing and editing speculative fiction, including science fiction.
I also write essays and articles about topics I’m interested in, mostly (but not only) in these letters.
I’m a Christian, which heavily influences my topics and my takes on them. I’m happily married to my husband, Ed. We are blessed with a good church home and many great people in our lives. You can learn more about me and my writing at raebotsfordend.com.
What should I know about your Substack publication?
First, it’s free—there is no paid tier, currently.
I’ve sent a letter almost monthly since January 2023, and if I need a break, or have nothing to say, I might take a month off. I don’t want to “make content” for its own sake. I want to write words worth reading. I’m aiming to keep that monthly pace in 2025, but I might not always make it.
When I do send these, each letter is a mix of well-written thoughts, personal and professional updates, and links or other content that I think others would find useful or beautiful. They should feel like letters, with links and digital images instead of paper ephemera folded in.
Specific topics often relate to communication, humanity (and the Imago Dei), story, art, and Christian life.
Sometimes I’ll send out a beautifully written essay on a topic that’s important to me, like this one on freedom from September 2023, or the one on what it means to be a human from July 2023.
Sometimes I tell a story about something from my life, like the one about a vomit bag and God’s gracious provision, October 2024.
And sometimes I’ll elevate other stories and voices, like what I’ve been reading or watching or playing. My August 2023 post was a good example of that.
This is all 100% organic human writing. No AI is used in the writing or editing of any of these letters!
Someday, I plan to use these letters to advertise my novel, and the novel I’ve been editing for a client, when those are published. Those things won’t supplant the other purposes of these letters, but should work alongside them.
Finally, I’ll add this disclaimer: All the views I express within this publication and on social media are my own, and do not necessarily match the views of any person or institution associated with me.
Sounds great! What now?
First, subscribe, if you haven’t:
If you want to see past letters, visit the archive.
And if you enjoyed any of my writing and think other people might, too, simply share it with anyone you think would want to read it! You can forward the emails you receive as a subscriber, or just hit this big button:
Can I reply to your letters?
Comments and likes are turned off, because this is specifically a step away from social media and the noise and distraction associated with such.
Subscribers can reply to my Substack email address, but non-subscribers cannot.
You can always “restack” something in Substack Notes to publicly comment from your own Substack account…I guess? I have not used Notes much.
Hey, what is Substack?
If you’re curious about the platform, you can get all the info you want and more by visiting Substack.com! You can even start your own.
