On April 30th, 2020, I heard you call. Two years after I sent my last weekly “Lingamfelter Report” as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, I received many requests to continue sharing my written thoughts with my friends and constituents across Virginia. At first, I hesitated because I was no longer a delegate and wasn’t current on the issues before the General Assembly. After all, it was hard work to keep up with 2,500 bills each session and report to you on the ins and outs of the legislation we were considering.
So, I developed my Copy Book Warrior website to share my weekly thoughts with you, hopefully wise ones, now up to 325 of them. And for the most part, that has been well received. A dedicated circle of people takes time to thank me each week. It’s encouraging. Occasionally, I hear from some of you who have been content to consume my updates, but feel compelled to respond with a compliment because it struck a chord with you. And yes, sometimes—rarely—the comments are terse. But in any case, my objective has been to pass on some wisdom as I see it.
So, why am I sharing these thoughts? Because I want yours. Recently, a VMI classmate of mine who is also a dear friend said, “Scottie, we need to get you your own Substack?” I thought, “Well, that’s nice. What the heck is a Substack?” So, I looked it up and learned that “Substack is an online platform that allows writers and creators to publish newsletters, podcasts, and videos directly to subscribers, offering tools to monetize content through paid subscriptions.”
It sounded similar to what I thought I was already doing on my website until I asked my IT expert. She promptly told me, “Do it. It will help you grow your audience through subscriptions to people well beyond your in-house email list.”
Frankly, I have spent a fair amount of personal money doing this weekly update for six years, and the idea that good folks—readers who care—might be willing to come alongside in the effort to help finance the work is refreshing. Yet I don’t want to disincentivize folks from staying with me and participating in vital dialogue that is so badly needed in a country consumed with social media nonsense.
With that in mind, I need to hear from you; please email me back with your views. Consider these questions when you do.
- Should I use Substack to continue this effort? My website URL would stay the same but look a little different, and you would be able to get my emails and read my past writings.
- Would you be willing to pay a modest subscription fee to read my thoughts and dialogue with me?
- Would you prefer that, instead of a fee, I solicit voluntary donations?
- Should my updates continue to be at 11 AM each Thursday, or more randomly in the course of a week, maybe more than one?
- Should I also consider starting a podcast on the issues I can discuss with interviewees, focusing largely on social issues, international affairs, national security, and common-sense things we all care about?
- Should I simply fade away and enjoy retirement…until I can’t stand it anymore and return to writing.
Please take a moment to tell me what you think. I promise I will read each email and decide once I’ve given all the input some thought.
To be sure, sometimes when I wake up early on a Thursday, I have no idea what I will publish that day. I try to mitigate that “writer’s block” by drafting my thoughts on Wednesday, as I am with this one. Maybe it will be an easier chore with a Substack. Frankly, I have more research to do on that.
And as for podcasts, I think I know more about how to drive the astrophysics and orchestrate a podcast. I’m sure I can learn, but I suspect that will require help, and help is not a free proposition these days, which brings me back to the subscription question. Much to consider.
All in all, that leads me to this conclusion. I love writing. It is one of the most cathartic things for me. Moreover, it allows me to be completely honest with others about what I think. And I don’t think I have the exclusive answer to the things I address, but I do try to address issues in a respectful, logical framework that reflects my worldview.
Therefore, Copybook Warriors, let me hear from you. Please tell me what you think. Should I stay with the current format, or take a new direction that could build a larger following? And no, I have no intention of reengaging in elected politics. My goal is to share the truth as I see it. Help me determine how in the coming days.
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