While New Worlder has been around for years in one form or another, the move to Substack earlier this year has been extremely positive. What I particularly like is that I’m not dependent on social media for getting anyone to read the content. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram/Twitter/Facebook still help bring in new readers, though much of the traffic comes right from subscribers and from within the Substack network. I cannot tell you how freeing this is. I no longer need to depend on algorithims that encourage divesiveness for clicks to have someone read my work.
I spent a lot of this year trying to find my rhythm in this new format. Did readers want more recipes? More podcast interviews? More stories about biodiversity? More personal essays? Many of you wrote me or commented on posts to let me know and I really appreciate it (and please keep doing this!). There are some big things coming in this upcoming year on the site, especially for paid subscribers (annual subscriptions are 50% off until December 28!). Expect a lot of new stories about biodiversity, including monthly ecosystem reports. I’m going to expand the Eat Lists to every major city and culinary destination in Latin America and I will keep them updated. There will be some big name guests on the podcast, plus some fascinating lesser known ones.
One thing I really want to stress is to stop relying on social media to get your culinary information. It’s turned gastronomy into click bait headlines and nicely plated dishes that look nice in photos but lack substance and flavor. We have seen how destructive it can be, so do something about it. Subscribe to newsletters of other Substack writers (refer to my recomendations here) and support independent media wherever you can. Also, subscribe to magazines, subscribe to newspapers, buy books, buy e-books, buy audiobooks. If we depend on doing our own research and stop accepting the opinions of others, the world of gastronomy will be in a much better place.
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¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Here’s to another amazing year of food and stories!