18 July,2021 05:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Aastha Atray Banan
Illustration/Uday Mohite
For Rohini Kejriwal, starting the Alipore Post was about sharing her life through the art, poetry and photographs she likes and appreciates. "I had a folder of art works - those were the days of Tumblr, and I thought, what if people would like to see these?" says the 30-year-old, who inspired by newsletters like Dense Discovery, started Alipore Post in 2015. Dense Discovery is dedicated to design and technology and produced out of Germany. "Nobody was reading newsletters in India then. I used to send out emails via Gmail, and people would ask me to add their mother, or friend to the list. I finally launched a newsletter when I hit 500 subscribers," says the illustrator and writer. Alipore Post is a poetry, art and photography newsletter, which gives you a feeling of being inside Kejriwal's head. It's a glimpse into the poems that have gripped her, and the art she found on the net. "When someone subscribes to a newsletter, they dedicatedly want you to share your knowledge," she says of her project, which now has 5,000 subscribers. "There is a poetry corner, links of the week, playlists⦠I think the rise of the newsletter stems from curiosity, and trying to find the right people to feed it. It's also free-flowing, there is no limit to what you can write - it's like a journal entry you are sending out. People are feeling vulnerable in today's world, and perhaps sharing and connecting over a newsletter, is helping everyone."
If 2020 was the year of the podcast, 2021 could be the year of the newsletter. Everyone has one - right from financial newspapers to news outlets to literature fanatics to mental health practitioners. This writer waits every day for the daily newsletter from The Universe Talks, which holds a daily self-love affirmation that helps her get through the day on a positive note. With online portals such as Tiny Letter and Substack offering easy newsletter setup techniques and process assistance, besides tips on monetising it, the newsletter is now a new kind of editorial operation. It's also a way to have direct to customer/consumer access. You land straight in someone's inbox. And who knows what it could lead to - Gwenyth Paltrow's wellness site Goop, was once just a newsletter.
For Veer Misra, who runs Mush, a platform that publishes LGBTQiA+ fiction and real-life stories from the queer community, the newsletter is also for "personal use".
"In the queer community especially, some readers may not be out to the world. And the newsletter offers them the privacy they seek," says the 24-year-old illustrator from Delhi. Misra says he launched it because he was keen to start a narrative that was not connected to politics or Pride month. "It's about how the queer community lives their daily life - breakups, family, self growth. It also serves as an archive," he says of the one-year-old newsletter which has 700 followers. "I have to expand it, and make it more inclusive." Like him, Pune-based writer and brand consultant Protima Tiwary's newsletter is personal. In three months since its launch, it has gained 600 subscribers. It focuses on emotional well-being, which for her means talking about striking work-life balance, switching off on the weekends, and living alone. "As a content creator, for me, it's a place to talk about everything I can't talk about otherwise. I also see it as the right initiative to launch at a time when people are on their phones all day. Why not give them something of value?"
At a time when news and opinion is at your fingertips, the newsletter could be breaking the clutter. It gives the reader a curated experience, which says, "this is important, this is fun, and this is what you should be reading". Daily newsletter, Splainer, attempts to explain the biggest stories and also give you a value add in terms of the quirky tales from around the world. Its founder and journalist Lakshmi Chowdhry, says, "It keeps you deeply informed about the big story of the day, broadly informed about the headlines, but also makes you aware of some weird stories - maybe like a Robotcat. It has content that will make you want to talk to someone about it." Splainer has 3,000 subscribers and as Chowdhry says, is trying to make sense of the "news pollution".
Insiders says the format has seen success because it's personal, relatable, and talks to you, the subscriber. The well-known micro fiction platform, Terribly Tiny Tales, also started their newsletter, Been There, Felt That, without much fanfare this March. For them it was to share relatable real-life stories about heartbreak, mental health, productivity and self care. "We have something for everyone, and it's written so that it helps you gaze inwards," says Medha Chakrabartty, its curator. Even though they have not promoted it, it now has almost 9k subscribers. "Right now, we are all too caught up with the creator economy. We thought, why not build that personal connection again," says TTT founder Anuj Gosalia. "And who knows what it will grow into. It's like a micro media company that tomorrow could also turn into a podcast, book and workshops."
Aastha Atray Banan: A Note from the Universe, which works as a self-love and self-belief affirmation in your inbox, every day.
Jane Borges: The Juggernaut newsletter, which not only talks about books, but also topical content, like how to deal with anxiety, and how to stop binge watching OTT platforms.
Sucheta Chakraborty: Film Comment's newsletter, which brings stellar reviews, essays and in-depth interviews to everyone's inbox. Their Cannes dispatches have been lovely.
Prutha Bhosle: Indian Link, which helps Australians understand Indian culture and beliefs.
Anju Maskeri: World Politics Review, which gives an expert opinion on world affairs.
