📞 Secret World No.0: Hi there

Nov 7, 2019

Hello! I'm starting a new newsletter, and I'm calling it Secret World. It’s going to be a mix of essays, analysis, some reporting, links to things I think are worth your time, and updates on some of the work I'm doing. If you generally like me, and my writing, then you may like this newsletter too.

The name is, I think, a good frame for the kind of work I’m trying to do. I love when I can give readers a glimpse of something new, strange, or poorly understood. I want you to come away feeling like I’m sharing a secret, something you never knew existed before. And so I spend much of my time in research holes, looking for stories behind stories, and attempting to find everyday people doing weird or remarkable things — things that, hopefully, other people will find as interesting as I do.

As part of that process, I like the idea of having an outlet where I can write more regularly and work through new ideas (and would absolutely love your feedback). I often find myself with an abundance of research and reporting that never makes it into my published work, so some of that will live here, too. Eventually, I may make some or all of this newsletter paid. I'm still not sure! But like many of the writers I know, I'm trying to figure out a way to make what I do more sustainable, and having a direct relationship with the readers who really care about what I do seems worth a shot.

I also love the idea of Secret World existing within a growing Republic of Newsletters. When people say the internet isn’t as fun as it used to be, I think it’s because much of that old creativity, weirdness, and experimentation is now found in places like this.

So, Secret World. I won’t commit to a publishing schedule just yet, but expect it to arrive unpredictably often for now. And a big thank you for reading!

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Secret World is a newsletter from writer Matthew Braga. If you’re not familiar with me or my work, be sure to check out my website, and consider following me on Twitter.

Lead image: NASA/Glenn Research Center (1990)