How writers and creators take paid time off
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Out of office

How writers and creators take paid time off

May 22

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This March, while on a two-week creative break to finish editing her new novel, Emma Gannon left paid subscriptions rolling on her Substack, The Hyphen by Emma Gannon. Not a single subscriber canceled. “My readers were super-understanding. I felt so supported,” the author and podcaster says. “To me, the Hyphen subscription model is a creative support model, not just a content transaction.”

Like other independent publishers on Substack, Emma sets her own schedule. Part of creating your dream job, and making it a profitable business, means you aren’t tied to corporate policies and contracts. But it also requires knowing when and how to give yourself time off, since stepping away is essential to the creative process.

“So often, the best ideas come to writers and creators when they are not being productive,” says Mason Currey, who researches and writes about creative routines and rituals in Subtle Maneuvers. For Iris Murdoch, it was looking out the window, for Ali Smith, wandering around the room, and for May Sarton, having “a strange empty day.” Mason says:

“Part of being a writer/artist/musician is figuring out your own creative rhythm—and that includes knowing when you need a rest. Like so many things about the creative process, I think it’s a combination of experience, trial and error, and listening to your gut.”

“Every single one of my book ideas I’ve had on holiday; ping! on a train or a plane, when I’m relaxed,” Emma says. “When I’m switched off and in break mode, something magical happens.”

As summer nears in the Northern Hemisphere, we speak to writers and creators on Substack about how they approach taking time off—whether it’s to recharge, care for a growing family, or what writer Hattie Crisell calls “imagination maintenance”—with new ideas for your next break.

Paid PTO when you (and your audience) are the boss

Lenny Rachitsky of Lenny’s Newsletter is up-front on his About page that a paid subscription includes his four weeks per year of PTO—paid time off. “The time off is super-helpful to keep me from feeling like I’m tied down to this thing endlessly and can’t take a break,” he says. “I was really worried people would feel upset that I’m not delivering a post every week, considering they’re paying $15 a month for them, but no one cared. More so, people were happy for me to take time off. I’ve found that as long as you’re delivering great stuff regularly, it won’t hurt you to take days off.” He adds:

“For me, it’s less about boundaries and more about not feeling like I need to deliver a newsletter post that week. No one wants more stuff in their inbox. They want better stuff in their inbox. So if you can deliver better stuff by taking time off, readers will support that.”

“Just as regular workers get paid holidays, I don’t see the need to suspend payments while I’m off,” says Sally Bedell Smith, who writes ROYALS EXTRA BY SALLY BEDELL SMITH on Substack. Sally took a few weeks off in April after her new book was published in paperback. She explained in a post to subscribers about needing a break following a lengthy book tour to spend time with her family. “I’m actually never really ‘off,’ because I’m always thinking about future posts even if I’m not writing them,” she says. Sally also takes vacation time off in August and December and is forthcoming about it with readers, who are supportive.

How to communicate breaks with your subscribers

Subscribers—who often relate to you personally—do want to support their favorite writers and creators in taking vacations and time off. When The Edinburgh Minute’s Michael MacLeod took his first week off after a year of publishing daily, he shared the following note with subscribers:

“Good morning, Edinburgh. After more than a year of 5am starts to prep the 7am daily posts (and more than 1,000,000 words written), I’ve listened to everyone’s advice and will take next week off to recharge. The Minute will return to your inbox on Monday 13 May. Thank you for supporting this newsletter. Sorry if you miss it while I’m offline for a week! Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, followed by the weekend guide for paying subscribers.”

Mike went on holiday with his wife and then used some time on his first day back to prepare for the soft launch of The London Minute. He was pleased to find the vast majority of his audience applauded this move: “I received many messages of encouragement in the comments. Now I wish I’d taken a fortnight off!”

When Emma took her own recent break, she gave a thoughtful explanation to her readers in this post:

“So I’m taking a short break for a few reasons. I need to fill my cup in order to have new exciting things to write for you. I care about the output and quality of this newsletter…

I’ve had a think and have decided not to pause paid subscriptions across the couple of weeks I’m out of your inbox. I see Substack as more of a community supporting a writer’s work on the whole, rather than a straightforward transaction per article; it’s how I pay for other Substacks and it’s the type of relationship I enjoy on this platform. I also want to allow new people to join, read the back catalogue, and interact in the comments while I’m away.”

Readers cheered Emma’s decision in the comments, saying she set a great example for other writers and creators. “As a reader on Substack,” Emma adds, “whenever a writer says ‘no post today, I’m ill/tired/life is hard,’ I always understand and always continue my support of their work.”

“Substack subscribers aren’t followers; they are part of an engaged community. I speak to my paid subscribers like we are friends. It feels like a genuine connection.”

Read more: Women who work too much

Last week, Terrell Johnson, who writes The Half Marathoner, sent a note to subscribers about taking some time off. “I’m realizing the need for some rejuvenation of my own creative juices,” he wrote. Readers responded with enthusiasm in the comments, celebrating taking time with family or for reflection and sharing their own vacation plans.

Guest posts and scheduled posts

For longer absences—extended travel, a honeymoon, or parental leave, for example—some writers and creators create a calendar of guest posts, scheduled posts, or posts from their archive.

lyz Lenz, who writes Men Yell at Me, updated and published a post from last year while traveling. Emma commissioned four guest articles speaking to the subjects of “creative rest” and “sustainable growth” while she took a month off for a delayed honeymoon with her husband in January.

“I took three months off [for paternity leave], and it was amazing,” says Lenny. “To make that happen, I used a combination of queued-up posts that went out each week without me, plus telling people I’m just going to take some pat leave because it’s important to me. It worked out super-well. The newsletter didn’t fall apart, and I came back stronger than before.”

But scheduling guest posts can be work too, work that you might even just ask your audience to support you in choosing not to do: Haley Nahman of Maybe Baby wrote a post to her subscribers explaining her reasons for leaving paid subscriptions on during her maternity leave, with access to the archive still a paid option:

“I’m planning to pause production of Maybe Baby for three-ish months. This brings me to the end of Feb.—essentially a winter hiatus. Since this is my full-time job, I carefully considered how to approach this leave, and with the generous vocal support of many subscribers, I’ve decided to leave subscription payments on during my time away. In doing that, I know I’m asking my paying subscribers to consider paid maternity leave a part of the overall project of Maybe Baby, the same way they already support many aspects of the work beyond paywalled content (like all my free essays, my editor, my healthcare, etc.). If you’re aligned with that philosophically, I appreciate your support so, so much, and I hope you’ll feel it’s worth it long-term! If you aren’t or can’t afford to continue paying during this time, I completely understand, and you can manage your subscription type here (i.e. pause paying until I’m back). I know the monthly payments mean something different to everyone, so please do what feels best.”

When Nadia Bolz-Weber, who writes The Corners by Nadia Bolz-Weber on Substack, recently got married, she shared a post with subscribers about her wedding, and plans to fully unplug and walk the Camino de Santiago on her honeymoon. “BUT… My friends are stepping in to keep The Corners going while I am away!” she wrote to subscribers. “It makes me a little teary to say how quickly and enthusiastically these folks said yes when I asked if they’d post here while Eric and I are away.”

Nadia scheduled six weeks of guest posts from other writers—on and off Substack—an opportunity both for those with their own publications to grow and to bring new readers to her own. “Congratulations and blessing,” one of her readers commented. “Enjoy your time away, and know we’re thinking of you.”