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Welcome to the Fiction Emailer: A newsletter that aims to make sense of our chaotic world through the lens of ‘Speculative Journalism & Fiction’ by rayaan_writer. Visit my website to know more. Tap here to learn about the Paper Chronicles Universe.
Quick Note: Today's edition is a bit different. Instead of bombarding you with the latest headlines—which you can find anywhere—I wanted to experiment with theme-based curated readings. So let's start with optimistic new beginnings.
January is when we actually stick to our plans: As a writer, it could be writing consistently or finally writing that book you've been dreaming about. One of the best ways to tackle this? Start small.
I've seen how small is often the new big. There are writers running tight, focused publications. What follows are curated stories from people I've personally spoken with and followed over the years.
1. Central Desi [USA]
Ambreen and I were part of the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. It's been incredible watching her grow her hyperlocal newsletter out of New Jersey since the COVID days. She covers people, culture, local trends, civic issues—the kind of stories that matter to a specific community. In this interview, she breaks down how she built it.
2. Mylapore Times [Chennai, India]
This is one of the most respected local newsletters in Chennai—a staple in the old Mylapore neighborhood, led by Vincent D'Souza. When I worked at The Hindu BusinessLine, my colleagues constantly praised its editorial style and Vincent's take on local issues, life, culture, and trends. When I spoke with him during COVID, he kept emphasizing one thing: stay hyper-focused and niche. Cover stories that matter to your reader's specific neighborhood.
3. The Continent [Africa]
Sometime in 2023, I chatted with Sipho King, co-founder of The Continent. He explained how his team editorially develops each edition and distributes it through WhatsApp. It's a fascinating concept as WhatsApp is notorious for spreading misinformation. Thus, delivering fact-checked, well-reported journalism through the same channel is a smart way to counter fake news.
4. The Mill [UK]
During the pandemic lockdown, many journalists got laid off and started building micro-newsletters on Substack. Joshi Herrmann was one of them. Based in Greater Manchester, he launched The Mill with an essay called "The Case for a New Newspaper in Manchester"—laying out his vision from day one. Over the last five years, I've watched him build something real: crime investigations, long-form reporting, community support that eventually funded a print edition. Watching it unfold on LinkedIn has been fascinating—a masterclass in local journalism bootstrap.
And that’s all for today!
Did you like reading this edition? Should I do better? Please don’t hesitate to offer me your feedback. I am open to ideas and suggestions.
Feel free to reach me at [email protected] or you can simply reply to this email or comment below. See you soon! 😊❤️
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