Something unexpected happened at work today, in my day job as a technical writer. The upshot is that I have until this Monday to make a critical decision — one that affects you as readers, too.
Wow, what a comment! Thank you for taking the time, Rafael! Responding to the first part of it, this tweet elaborates on my decision: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481 (in short, option 1, and continuing Substack in a different way, but with the same old - if not improved - quality).
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For clarity, I'd always intended for my Substack to become a trading resource hub - thus the name choice - where a lot of information isn't too time-sensitive. And while I do write a lot about Qullamaggie, considering how much top-quality content he puts out, not to mention that I myself follow his style, I have already written about other traders too, most notably Tom Dante and quantitative analysis, which I'll continue to do. Just so we're clear that I won't be exclusively writing about Qullamaggie (feels weird for me to call him 'KK', as those are my initials too).
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The manual/book idea regarding trading is an interesting one, and has been brought up by someone else too. Let's just call it a 'possible' for now. For the time being, I'd rather focus on Substack articles. It's probably also not the best idea to be thinking about a trading book if I'm also working on some other books for the aforementioned publisher.
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Thanks again for your comment, and to reiterate the most important thing: I'm going to continue with this Substack, just with less frequent posts!
Kay, you have to pick option #1. It has far reaching implications for your career. You will never get the equivalent long-term economic compensation from substack. People are too used to getting "free stuff" on the internet. You deserve success, recognition, and higher earnings. It will make the family happy, too. Anything you post is a gift. Although you should update your pledge amounts on Substack. Best wishes to you, Kay.
Hi Kay, I’m fairly new to your Substack. But I think you should accept the offer from the publisher, as it may lead to great things down the road. And if you find that it’s not really what you want to do, then you can always come back to the daily Substack option.
Hi Jim, very sound advice, thank you. I'll be talking to the publisher tomorrow, after which I should have much more clarity on the likely (near) future frequency of new stacks, and will post an update for everyone to read. And you're right - the frequency can always go up in due course, so long as I keep the posts regular until then. Which is most definitely the plan! (As I wrote in this tweet: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481)
Thank you so much, Jaye! Really appreciate the kind words. Life does seem full of new adventures at the moment! And you're right: Substack isn't going anywhere, particularly if I continue posting (as I wrote in https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481).
Appreciate the kind words and honesty! And rest assured that I'm going to continue posting, whatever the outcome of my conversation with the publisher tomorrow. More detail here: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481
Congratulations on the recognition in your day job Kay. Can't say I'm surprised, as your work here is fantastic! Option 1 sounds like what will push your career forward the most. Maybe treat this Substack as a passion project that is your "fun." You can always come back and build it up in the future. Best wishes and I look forward to reading anything you post here!
Thank you Brook, really appreciate the kind words and sensible advice. Yes, this Substack certainly is a 'passion project', as you put it, particularly given the success it's already had. Hard to believe I started this less than a month ago! But I started this for a few reasons (see my tweet https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481), and have already made so much progress for myself and others. Absolutely amazing. So yep, whatever my future with the publisher, I'm carrying on with Substack to some degree.
Please don’t walk away from option #1. However, there is no reason you need to walk away from #2 as well. You can do both with much much lighter load on #2 till the work with #1 is complete. You are spending the time for writing quality content with option #2 and there is no reason why you can’t charge for the work you do. Good luck with everything.
Re "there is no reason why you can’t charge for the work you do" - true, and I haven't ruled out enabling payments in time, and maybe even paywalling my more original content. But I do find it wrong to paywall direct notes on free content like Qullamaggie's streams, so will never go there. If people want to voluntarily pay for them, that's a different matter.
Option 1 for sure. Also I would really like to know more about how you trade and the strategies you've been using and adopting to suit your personality and lifestyle that don’t require you to trade full time.
Thanks Kay! Very Informative, I also don't want to live in front of the screens and love my day job (helicopter pilot). Financial freedom is the ultimate goal though!
Absolutely. I don't mind screens (though turn brightness way down and use dark mode wherever possible to minimise eye strain), but also love my day job - or perhaps I should say day 'profession' - and wouldn't want to quit it. I really don't think trading full time is for everyone, but see nothing wrong in striving for financial freedom. Such freedom means precisely that: free to carry on with your day job, or free to quit it!
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We should feel fortunate in having a day job we actually love :) Too many people seem 'trapped' in one they hate, or at least don't care much for.
Do what you want to do, which I'd imagine is option 1. That said, I'd still recommend you stick with investing so you can finance yourself rather than having to rely on an employer. What you do or do not do with Substack is secondary.
The truth is that when I wrote this stack, I really wasn't sure. Mostly because I hadn't had enough time to think about it, I guess. But I have made my mind up now (https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481), and all these wonderful comments helped me come to that decision in a way that makes me feel like I'm making an informed choice - so thank you all.
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Of course I'm going to carry on trading :) And I'm absolutely keeping up with Substack too, just in a different way. It's had such an impact, on myself as well as as many others, there's no way I could quit now.
I supported your content for your content, you sharing your efforts. Not for any future content. Whatever you choose to do is great! What you have given is appreciated. When you are inspired to share more amazing content, I would like to enjoy that as well. Make hay while the sun shines. Opportunities come and go.
Thank you, Gordon, appreciate the kind words, and your pledge! Rest assured that I'm not disappearing from Substack, whatever happens! I went into a bit more detail in this tweet: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481. Will also post a new stack soon that elaborates on how I'm moving forward with this Substack, after talking to the publisher again.
Appreciate your honesty and forthcoming. I don’t think that it’s an answer you can get from here. No matter how much love and support you get. Opportunities come and go. I’d follow what you think inside. I bet you know the answer no matter the monetary opportunity that exists. Best of luck and I look forward to any work you do.
Hi Nic, thanks for your kind words! In truth, I wasn't sure about the right decision at the time of writing this stack, but in part thanks to all your wonderful comments, I have now made my mind up. More importantly, I've reached that decision in a way that I feel is properly thought-through (https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481).
And absolutely, new stacks will still be headed your way!
I've just recently found this resource and although I'd love to keep it around - do yourself a favour and take option #1. Ultimately nobody will remember what you did for them (I'm saying this with the utmost respect) and you will have passed up on a great opportunity for people you don't even know. Do what's best for YOU and your family, it's the right thing to do. Thank you for your work and I wish you the best in whatever you pursue. Oh, and big congratulations!
Thanks for the kind words, William! It is indeed option 1, though I'm by no means quitting Substack. See my latest post here, on my vision for this Substack going forward: https://tradingresourcehub.substack.com/p/whats-next
Wow, what a comment! Thank you for taking the time, Rafael! Responding to the first part of it, this tweet elaborates on my decision: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481 (in short, option 1, and continuing Substack in a different way, but with the same old - if not improved - quality).
--
For clarity, I'd always intended for my Substack to become a trading resource hub - thus the name choice - where a lot of information isn't too time-sensitive. And while I do write a lot about Qullamaggie, considering how much top-quality content he puts out, not to mention that I myself follow his style, I have already written about other traders too, most notably Tom Dante and quantitative analysis, which I'll continue to do. Just so we're clear that I won't be exclusively writing about Qullamaggie (feels weird for me to call him 'KK', as those are my initials too).
--
The manual/book idea regarding trading is an interesting one, and has been brought up by someone else too. Let's just call it a 'possible' for now. For the time being, I'd rather focus on Substack articles. It's probably also not the best idea to be thinking about a trading book if I'm also working on some other books for the aforementioned publisher.
--
Thanks again for your comment, and to reiterate the most important thing: I'm going to continue with this Substack, just with less frequent posts!
Kay, you have to pick option #1. It has far reaching implications for your career. You will never get the equivalent long-term economic compensation from substack. People are too used to getting "free stuff" on the internet. You deserve success, recognition, and higher earnings. It will make the family happy, too. Anything you post is a gift. Although you should update your pledge amounts on Substack. Best wishes to you, Kay.
Thank you so much - means a lot to hear that!
Hi Kay, I’m fairly new to your Substack. But I think you should accept the offer from the publisher, as it may lead to great things down the road. And if you find that it’s not really what you want to do, then you can always come back to the daily Substack option.
Hi Jim, very sound advice, thank you. I'll be talking to the publisher tomorrow, after which I should have much more clarity on the likely (near) future frequency of new stacks, and will post an update for everyone to read. And you're right - the frequency can always go up in due course, so long as I keep the posts regular until then. Which is most definitely the plan! (As I wrote in this tweet: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481)
Option 1. Substack will always be here. Congratulations with your work thus far and I wish you continued success in your new adventure.
Thank you so much, Jaye! Really appreciate the kind words. Life does seem full of new adventures at the moment! And you're right: Substack isn't going anywhere, particularly if I continue posting (as I wrote in https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481).
Love your work here and for selfish reasons want to say option 2 but it has to be option 1.
Appreciate the kind words and honesty! And rest assured that I'm going to continue posting, whatever the outcome of my conversation with the publisher tomorrow. More detail here: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481
Congratulations on the recognition in your day job Kay. Can't say I'm surprised, as your work here is fantastic! Option 1 sounds like what will push your career forward the most. Maybe treat this Substack as a passion project that is your "fun." You can always come back and build it up in the future. Best wishes and I look forward to reading anything you post here!
Thank you Brook, really appreciate the kind words and sensible advice. Yes, this Substack certainly is a 'passion project', as you put it, particularly given the success it's already had. Hard to believe I started this less than a month ago! But I started this for a few reasons (see my tweet https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481), and have already made so much progress for myself and others. Absolutely amazing. So yep, whatever my future with the publisher, I'm carrying on with Substack to some degree.
Please don’t walk away from option #1. However, there is no reason you need to walk away from #2 as well. You can do both with much much lighter load on #2 till the work with #1 is complete. You are spending the time for writing quality content with option #2 and there is no reason why you can’t charge for the work you do. Good luck with everything.
I'm not quitting Substack, even with option 1! (Also see https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481.) But appreciate the kind comment :)
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Re "there is no reason why you can’t charge for the work you do" - true, and I haven't ruled out enabling payments in time, and maybe even paywalling my more original content. But I do find it wrong to paywall direct notes on free content like Qullamaggie's streams, so will never go there. If people want to voluntarily pay for them, that's a different matter.
Option 1 for sure. Also I would really like to know more about how you trade and the strategies you've been using and adopting to suit your personality and lifestyle that don’t require you to trade full time.
Hi Gus, I've had that request a few times now. I replied to it in full here: https://tradingresourcehub.substack.com/p/qullamaggie-stream-notes-9-june-2023/comment/17447011. Let me know how that sounds to you!
Thanks Kay! Very Informative, I also don't want to live in front of the screens and love my day job (helicopter pilot). Financial freedom is the ultimate goal though!
Absolutely. I don't mind screens (though turn brightness way down and use dark mode wherever possible to minimise eye strain), but also love my day job - or perhaps I should say day 'profession' - and wouldn't want to quit it. I really don't think trading full time is for everyone, but see nothing wrong in striving for financial freedom. Such freedom means precisely that: free to carry on with your day job, or free to quit it!
--
We should feel fortunate in having a day job we actually love :) Too many people seem 'trapped' in one they hate, or at least don't care much for.
Do what you want to do, which I'd imagine is option 1. That said, I'd still recommend you stick with investing so you can finance yourself rather than having to rely on an employer. What you do or do not do with Substack is secondary.
The truth is that when I wrote this stack, I really wasn't sure. Mostly because I hadn't had enough time to think about it, I guess. But I have made my mind up now (https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481), and all these wonderful comments helped me come to that decision in a way that makes me feel like I'm making an informed choice - so thank you all.
--
Of course I'm going to carry on trading :) And I'm absolutely keeping up with Substack too, just in a different way. It's had such an impact, on myself as well as as many others, there's no way I could quit now.
I supported your content for your content, you sharing your efforts. Not for any future content. Whatever you choose to do is great! What you have given is appreciated. When you are inspired to share more amazing content, I would like to enjoy that as well. Make hay while the sun shines. Opportunities come and go.
Thank you, Gordon, appreciate the kind words, and your pledge! Rest assured that I'm not disappearing from Substack, whatever happens! I went into a bit more detail in this tweet: https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481. Will also post a new stack soon that elaborates on how I'm moving forward with this Substack, after talking to the publisher again.
Appreciate your honesty and forthcoming. I don’t think that it’s an answer you can get from here. No matter how much love and support you get. Opportunities come and go. I’d follow what you think inside. I bet you know the answer no matter the monetary opportunity that exists. Best of luck and I look forward to any work you do.
Hi Nic, thanks for your kind words! In truth, I wasn't sure about the right decision at the time of writing this stack, but in part thanks to all your wonderful comments, I have now made my mind up. More importantly, I've reached that decision in a way that I feel is properly thought-through (https://twitter.com/KayKlingson/status/1670215061363732481).
And absolutely, new stacks will still be headed your way!
I've just recently found this resource and although I'd love to keep it around - do yourself a favour and take option #1. Ultimately nobody will remember what you did for them (I'm saying this with the utmost respect) and you will have passed up on a great opportunity for people you don't even know. Do what's best for YOU and your family, it's the right thing to do. Thank you for your work and I wish you the best in whatever you pursue. Oh, and big congratulations!
Thanks for the kind words, William! It is indeed option 1, though I'm by no means quitting Substack. See my latest post here, on my vision for this Substack going forward: https://tradingresourcehub.substack.com/p/whats-next