One Year of Crossroads
The Anniversary Sale, plus some thoughts on the Gazette's first year.
Exactly one year ago, I published my very first essay for The Crossroads Gazette.
I was a writer in between agents. To bolster my prospects, I started building an audience on Instagram by sharing fun-facts about books, folklore, and art. But short form content is only so satisfying, and I was eager to get my writing out into the world. Like many Substack writers, this platform provided a solution.
My goal was to create a space to explore the topics I loved in an accessible manner. I wanted others to feel the joy of discovering a new artist, or learning about a historical movement in greater depth. The Crossroads motto is “all roads are open”—a reminder to all of us (especially myself) to stay positive and stay in motion. The artists, movers, and builders of the past provide a constant stream of inspiration in my life, and my instinct was that others would feel similarly.
One year later, Crossroads is getting very close to hitting 2,000 email subscribers. Last month, the publication received over 20,000 reads. My writing was featured in Substack’s official column, The Weekender. And, just a few weeks ago, Crossroads launched on YouTube. “Grateful” doesn’t cover it. I’ve simply been blown away by your enthusiasm and support.
As some of you know, I have big dreams for this publication. I would love to be able to expand its reach, including (one day!) paying other writers to share their work in Crossroads. In the future, I aspire to create a Crossroads podcast network, maybe even documentaries. As always, The Crossroads Gazette will remain the place to find writing about art, history, literature, and folklore—that piece of the puzzle will never go away.
I know, deep in my core, that this publication has so much potential. But right now, Crossroads is still a one-person team, and I rely on the generosity of my patrons to keep the publication going. If you’ve thought about becoming a paid subscriber but haven’t yet made the leap, now is the time.
As a thank you to my readers, I am hosting an Anniversary Sale to celebrate the Gazette’s first birthday. For one week only, you can buy an annual membership with a 20% discount for your first year:
There are two main benefits to becoming a patron. First, patrons get access to a weekly, exclusive essay following a monthly theme. (Our current theme is Monet: The Art of the Series, and our previous theme was The Salem Witch Trials.)
The second benefit is that patrons have access to the entire Crossroads archive. Almost all essays older than six months go behind the paywall, so if you’d like to read older posts, now is your chance!
Thank you so much for your support over this past year. I’m thrilled to be embarking on this journey with you all.
Cheers,
Nicole Miras
Congratulations on the one year milestone, Nicole. Really excited to see everything that is to come for you and for the Crossroads Gazette!
Bravo, Nicole!