The emergence of platforms like Substack and Patreon has made it easier for journalists to create premium content but the upper echelons of this industry are still heavily male-dominated. What stops women from rising through the ranks?
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Take a look at this list of top Substack newsletters and you notice that white, US-based men writers feature heavily on it. Where are the women?
Last week, we held an online event to discuss the lack of diversity within independent publishing and the barriers women face when entering into or working in this space. Ironically, starting a premium newsletter or podcast has never been easier, so in theory, anyone can thrive. But women face particular challenges when going solo, including online harassment and limiting self-beliefs.
In this week's podcast, we bring you the highlights from the three independent media professionals speaking at the event: Isabelle Roughol, the founder of the Borderline newsletter and podcast which started up last year; another pandemic-newcomer Qin Xie, founder of Money Talk, a newsletter on personal finance; and Thomas Baekdal, a veteran media analyst and the founder of Baekdal.com, which has a paid-for subscription running since 2010, on top of podcast and newsletter analysis.
From the psychological barriers to the very real threats women face in the world of independent publishing, we explore what prevents them from breaking into the upper echelons of premium newsletters and podcasts.
Want to catch up with the full talk? Watch the recording now
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Personal trainer James Hilton has launched a podcast 'Jim's Gym - Inspiring Movement'. James, a specialist in biomechanics and injury recovery from the Cotswolds, runs Jim's Gym, a virtual online space supporting people over 55 to be more active
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If you find your social feeds a tad too heavy on men's voices, follow and connect with these fantastic women experts on indie media
How do you move print readers to digital? Are there other ways to hold on to subscribers besides a last-ditch deal?
