Halycon Years Ahead

How my story won't include upselling you a course on how to master SubStack

Hello, my name is Anna Wick, and I’m here to sell you:

Nothing.

Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. I recently learned how to lock down my archived posts to paid access on SubStack, which is (currently) $10/month, around the price of a nice latte + a tip at any coffee shop in Sacramento, CA.

So, technically, I am here to sell you my voice and story.

As I’ve navigated SubStack, becoming more familiar with its Notes, Interactions, and Newsletter subscriptions, I’ve seen some modest viral success (thanks in part to the word “cunnilingus,” of all things) after a quiet start. This journey has revealed a recurring theme: many people are all trying to sell something, and it’s not just their stories; it’s a blueprint for hacking the system, gaining a following, going viral, and achieving your wildest financial dreams—if only you buy their course on building confidence, improving your writing, mastering AI tools, or following their fiscal wisdom. Blah.

I’m happy for the gurus on here who are netting anywhere from $500,000 to $977,000 (numbers I’ve seen thrown out in some recent newsletters). Making that much money does sound like a dream — and while I’m aiming at a cool $100,000 to knock out my debt and get a cozy lil’ savings going, I’m afraid I’ll be lagging behind the big kids for a long time since my spare $$ almost always go towards ensuring I can carry out as much of my parenting time as possible while my kids live in another state, and it costs a pretty penny to pull off that time together.

To the dudes in my inbox, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the spare $750 to take your life-altering course on producing catchy content that mimics YOUR routine.

Undoubtedly, the folks preaching the virality of their systems are genuinely helping others find renditions of their success. Bravo. But feeding my spare dollars and headlines to courses on an AI algorithm altar only to become another knock-off version of someone else’s fame is still living and dying in obscurity for me.

My keyboard tapping isn’t to upsell any product other than my narrative — Religion and I don’t tangle anymore, and I’m not here to try and convince you to smear on some voodoo anti-aging cream, tell you what stocks to invest in, give sex and love advice, or launch a handy dandy manual on “How to Escape the Patriarchy 101.” Although I’m sure that’d be popular.

I’m here for posterity’s sake to record the personal to-hell-and-back journey I haven’t reached the end of yet. I hope it entertains my readers, makes my ex-husband gnash his teeth, and continues to help me draw the lines between the conflicts of my past and the abundance of my future.

No part of me has ever wanted to lend my writing an authoritative voice of “DO THIS” to achieve XYZ results. I watched the adult influences of my life racketeer their way to blogdom/product fame, selling their Christian supremacy to desperate individuals who were hurting and hunting for the magic bullet formula for life. A majority of those teachers and pastors went down in the flaming wreckage of disgrace for sexual misconduct or drinking and drug habits.

It still gives me the heeby jeebies how easy it is to slip into con-artistry within the religious/political spheres of our Country and get people to fork over boatloads of money.

Finding the confidence on this platform to voice my story of leaving that world behind has been profoundly gratifying, as I’ve learned to ease up on bending my friend’s ears and spin the straws of rage, pain, and lust I have for this life into writing gold instead.

Here’s a sneak peek of upcoming newsletter topics:

• My homeschooled childhood and the challenges of caring for nine siblings.

• Experiences of family sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and the coercion of purity culture in religious circles.

• Motherhood, natural childbirth, and my journey through anti-vaccine and holistic medicine.

• Financial abuse in my marriage and the consequences of my 20s that I’m still grappling with.

• Claiming my right to reproductive decision making after a lifetime of being told it’s wrong.

• My career as an in-demand food and beverage photographer in Northern California, including its perks and pitfalls.

• Custody and divorce struggles and triumphs across state lines.

• Navigating relationships with various family members, including my parents.

• My explorations of sexuality post-marriage, including my ongoing love life and queerness.

• Finding mental and physical health through therapy and weightlifting.

Writing a book does sound sexy and might be the next step. For now, I’m just grateful to have you here, reading my words. Thank you! And if you ever catch me selling e-courses on how to replicate my lifestyle, feel free to remind me of this post and call me a hypocrite.

If I were to distill the timeless advice shared by experts as I refresh my SubStack feed, it would be this: Commit to the work. Trust your voice. Let go of perfectionism. Only you can explore the depths of your memories, resilience, failures, and triumphs. Tug on that rope and hit publish. The rewards will follow.

Don’t hesitate to use AI at certain stages of the process. Just keep in mind that no machine can explore the vast universe of your personal experiences — and that’s where the real treasure mines lie.

I am hopping on a plane at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow to Montana to spend some much-needed Mommy/Daughter time with my littles. In light of the hard-won and precious time I spend with them, I will enact a complete social media blackout as we go into the most critical election of our lifetimes as American Citizens and women. See you all on the flip side. Vote Harris/Waltz!