Turning the page...
A "new chapter" for this newsletter.
Greetings! Today I’m going to share a very special announcement with you all.
Pageturning is beginning a new “chapter.” The truth is, I’ve become dissatisfied with the quality of my monthly update posts, and I feel called to distance my Substack presence from pure self-promotion. The “comparison game” doesn’t have the grip on me that it once did. I no longer feel compelled to “prove myself” as a writer “worthy” of being taken seriously. The success of my debut book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, speaks for itself.
In fact, I’ve thought long and carefully about what direction this newsletter should take. A monthly self-promotion infodump and link collection no longer seems worth doing. I’ve decided that it’s time to retire The Pageturning Report. This newsletter will of course continue, but with a renewed purpose.
After attending a weekend retreat with the NYC-based Catholic artists organization Arthouse2B (more on that in a future post) I came away more in-touch with my mission as a writer. I remembered that not long ago I introduced a new tagline for Pageturning:
An author’s adventures in writing narrative nonfiction for kids and teens.
It’s time that my content here begins to better reflect this new vision. So, what can you expect going forward?
More essays about the writing life—the highs and lows, the disappointments and the victories. I want to share my experiences in order to help other writers, especially those just starting out, who may be struggling to realize their dreams.
Coming soon: a new series of book reviews of children’s books, particularly (but by no means exclusively) narrative nonfiction titles.
My intention is to publish at least two posts a month, if I can. Next month, you can look forward to an essay about what I learned on retreat as well as the first of the new book reviews.
In closing, I want to extend a huge Thank you! to all of my readers who have supported and encouraged me over the past few years. I owe the success of this newsletter and of my books to all of you. I love writing on Substack, and I’ll hope you’ll continue to “turn the page” with me as we begin this new chapter.
God bless and happy reading!
Thomas, what about sharing a few children’s book titles that were especially formative for you growing up and how they were formative on you? That might be something neat to share in a future edition of your newsletter.
I'm excited to see this new turn!