Writing Through Addiction: Paulina Pinsky on Her “newly sober” Newsletter
Honest reflections on early sobriety—and why she ditched the capital letters
Hey Bleeders!
Last year, I participated in a 12-month memoir generator course led by Chloe Caldwell, and one of the best parts was getting to know my talented classmates. Among them was
, a writer, former figure skater, and writing coach currently based in Minnesota (my home state!) and raised in Los Angeles (my home now!). I've read multiple drafts of Paulina’s essay collection manuscript and it's fantastic.It was such a blast to reconnect when she signed up for Back to School Pitch Party, which meant we saw each other pretty much every day in September. Paulina's recently written for
and she's got excellent drafts of several new essays, so I'm sure we'll see more bylines coming down the pike from her soon.This Q&A is the latest in our newsletter series. Paulina shares the journey behind her Substack
, which documents her early sobriety from marijuana addiction and alcohol, and she's very forthcoming with insights she's learned along the way. Her raw, unfiltered voice resonates deeply with readers—whether they’re in recovery or simply curious about the process.Before I get into it with Paulina, I want to share some exciting news: My recent essay for PS (formerly PopSugar) was featured in
’s roundup alongside a fantastic bunch of essays, including one from freaking !Also, if YOU want to join my November Newsletter & Pitch Party Extravaganza, I would love to have you! (More details and a discount code below.)
What’s the basic premise and tagline of your newsletter?
PP:
: i know only a little, but i've drank and smoked a lot—a marijuana addict and alcoholic writing through early sobriety.the basic premise: a newsletter dedicated to documenting early sobriety as it unfolds.
i also purposefully don’t use capital letters to show how little authority i have.
i know very little. i am no saint. i know diddly squat.
however, if i do this newsletter thing right, hopefully, my reader will realize that they’re not alone. whether sober, sober curious, or drinking/getting high every day, i hope that i can offer you a candid portrait of what early recovery is like.
When and why did you start your newsletter?
PP: when i first got sober (12/22/21), i was chugging sobriety memoirs, but all of them were about alcohol. as a newly recovering marijuana addict, i found a gaping hole in the literary landscape. and so, i set out to fill it.
newly sober is a candid newsletter about early sobriety, tracking the experience of a marijuana addict in early recovery. i started the newsletter before i even had 90 days sober (insane– i don’t recommend), but since then it has become an instrumental part of my sobriety. i am thankful that my whacked-out little newly sober self set out to document marijuana addiction, which is largely denied in the larger culture.
Who’s your main audience?
PP: the majority of the people who comment on my posts are people in recovery or people close to people in recovery. then there are the people who know me in real life and want to gawk. and then there’s a majority who know of my dad (a big guy in the field of recovery) and really want to gawk. i’m happy to have ‘em all.
however, most of my subscribers are in the U.S., mostly California or New York. but Substack tells me i’ve got a few subscribers in Canada, Colombia, and Australia, which is incredible.
How is your newsletter differentiated from the other newsletters in your niche?
PP: a lot of the newsletters in my niche like to dole out advice. my newsletter is dedicated to documenting the process of recovery, in addition to musings and memories of being in active addiction.
as a literary nonfiction writer, it felt important to document life as it unfolded. i write less advice than most of the newsletters in my niche.
What’s your editorial strategy?
PP: when i first started, i was publishing weekly. i maintained that schedule for about a year. but that publishing schedule fell apart after i went paid.
i took an eight-month hiatus after someone went to my dad’s website to tell him what a disappointment i am (read: i was blocked because i let my ego take the wheel). and now i try to publish once to twice a month.
each newsletter started with my day count and then i launched into whatever was top of mind. but inevitably, i always tried to create a piece out of freeform content—it was less diaristic than it could have been. my newsletters read like essays, more often than not.
sometimes i publish HOW TO guides: like staying sober at drunk events or staying sober on a cruise.
How many subscribers do you have?
PP: a strong but mighty count of 1,123! at one point, i had 36 paid subscribers, but no longer. the pressure to perform for money ruined the project.
[Editor’s note: This series of interviews was conducted earlier this year. newly sober now has over 1.2K subscribers.]
Do you offer paid memberships? If so, explain when and why you turned that on, what your subscription offering includes, the cost, how many subscribers are part of your paid community, and any takeaways from going paid.
PP: about six months in, I offered paid subscriptions. i was offering extra content to my paid subscribers since that was suggested through Substack Grow. behind the paywall, i had polls asking my paid subscribers what content they wanted to read about or extra info on whatever they had just read. however, the money made it feel like a job. and this newsletter was never about that—it was an honest documentation of my life as it was that day, and it no longer felt generative. i felt like by going paid, i wasn’t staying true to the original intent of the newsletter, i was having trouble churning out content about something that was meant to be organic.
that being said, i learned: keep the majority of your content above the paywall. this goes against intuition, but this is what Substack recommends. publishing on the same day(s) and time(s) creates a healthy pact between you and the reader; they learn what to expect. also, you’re allowed to take breaks and you’re allowed to not go paid.
Have you tried any other methods of monetization?
PP: no, but i am open! my primary sources of income come from online courses and writing coaching. i have helped students, both in workshops and independent writing coaching, start their own Substacks. plus… i nanny twice a week. i wear many hats! i won’t say no to a job!
Tell us about your newsletter’s growth trajectory.
PP: i started newly sober on MailChimp. however, i was attracted to Substack because it functions as both a newsletter AND a platform. so my first newsletter went out on MailChimp, and my early subscribers fumbled through that transition with me.
i came to Substack with 171 email subscribers in February of 2022. since then, i have gained probably 10-20 subscribers a month. it has been slow and steady. Substack Recommendations have truly been a blessing—AstroPoets has been my greatest funnel for subscribers—word of mouth has done this newsletter wonders.
What’s been your most popular content, and your guess as to why?
PP: my best newsletters are the best written. great content performs. the most popular post is goodbye to all that part 2, an essay in which i take the reader through my relationship with my best friend from college and my decision to leave New York for good. there’s a little bit of everything: personal history, nostalgia, explanations of what even happened in the days leading up to starting this newsletter, and a through-line.
no doubt it was the best performing because i was incredibly inspired to write it.
otherwise, my HOW TO guides performed really well—probably because they’re quick reading and informative while maintaining my voice and sense of humor.
How has your newsletter served your career as an author?
PP: Substack has helped me connect to the larger writing community. for a while, it was a small source of income, but i came to realize that my stress about delivering content was compounded by the money i was asking folks to give.
however, i just finished teaching a Start Your Own Substack workshop with Writing Workshops, and i intend to teach it again (because it is going so well!).
genuinely, i am thankful my insane-newly-sober-self had the instinct to write it all down because two years in, i forget what it was like. no doubt, an addiction memoir is in the works, and newly sober will serve as a brilliant primary resource.
but more than anything, it’s the community i’ve built and the messages i’ve received from strangers saying they got sober because of my writing. at this point, it is an act of self-expression and an act of service. i can’t believe anyone reads anything i write.
What’s your #1 tip for writers who want to start a newsletter?
PP: know your niche! see what exists on Substack, subscribe to your “competitors,” and make friends with them. there’s bound to be a million newsletters on your intended topic, discover what makes you different, and then it behooves you to make friends with your collaborators—and YES. COLLABORATE WITH OTHER WRITERS.
What’s your #1 tip for writers trying to grow their existing newsletter?
PP: blast that shit everywhere: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, everywhere you have followers, make sure they know you put up a new post.
Shout-out another writer-newsletter that you admire and enjoy consuming.
PP:
by by byAnything else you’d like to add?
PP: Substack can be whatever you want it to be. having tried every strategy, i know that
is best when i don’t make it a financial resource. instead, it is a candid, genuine space for my thoughts.your Substack can just be a place to write.
Thank you, Paulina!
➡️ Subscribe to and follow Paulina on Instagram @paulina_pinsky.
➡️ Check out Paulina’s website at paulinapinsky.com.
Sign up for Courtney’s upcoming workshop:
November Newsletter & Pitch Party Extravaganza
My beloved Pitch Party is back with a newsletter twist! 🥳
I’ve done two cohorts, one in July and another in September, and not only did we have a blast, but my students wrote between 22K-50K words (in one freaking month!!) and have already landed new bylines in places like Huffington Post. So, of course, I had to bring it back. And, of course, I had to keep iterating....
In addition to essays and pitching, we’re going to incorporate newsletters, as well. I’m super bullish on Substack, and I think every writer should have a newsletter, so I structured this month of Pitch Party to help prioritize your efforts in a way that feels true to the writer’s life.
If you’ve got dreams of big bylines, word count goals, and an itch to start or uplevel your newsletter, this is the writing intensive FOR YOU. 🫵
If you commit, it’s guaranteed to change your writing life. 🪄
Sign up for November Newsletter & Pitch Party Extravaganza to fast-track your writing practice! Use code BLEEDERS to save $100. 🎉
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Smash that like button and give Paulina some love in the comments below.
Let’s connect on social media! I’m @courtneykocak on Twitter/X and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
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So glad to know you both and read both these newsletters!
Thanks for the love, y'all!