8 Questions for... Emma Simpson
Lemon Soul
is author of Breaking Waves: Discovery, Healing and Inspiration in the Open Water: ‘a warm, reflective and uplifting memoir about healing wounds reclaiming a voice, and discovering freedom through the open water’. Emma interviewed women from across the world about their relationship with water, gathering stories from the taste of an iceberg to a kiss from a baby whale. Breaking Waves centres on the primal powers of womanhood and water and how we navigate the ebb and flow of life. Emma’s Substack is Lemon Soul: Refreshing Perspectives, Slices of Life, which is described by her readers as ‘highly relatable, profoundly human’. Emma writes on anything from air traffic control to Antarctica, chronic illness to elite gymnastics - she’s the friend you want in your inbox every week.
1. Why Substack?
Because it doesn’t feel like social media. It’s a unique platform in so many ways - the freedom of long form writing, the lack of adverts and ’noise’ (despite notes), the sense of community and the variety and intelligence of the content. It currently feels like a place that nurtures my soul rather than sticking pins in it. Long may it last...
2. How long did it take you to find your groove?
I am still finding my groove in some ways, but I think that’s part of the beauty of Substack - everything about it is constantly evolving. I know that my writing evolves, and as a result of that those who relate to and respond to it may ebb and flow. In other ways I feel that I found my place quite quickly as from the outset Substack felt like a place to be ‘real’. Somewhere where it wasn’t about chasing audiences or subscriber numbers, but somewhere to have engaging conversations, to make meaningful connections and to find other brilliant writers.
3. How has it changed you?
Substack has filled a gap that I didn’t know I had. Writing for a living can be very solitary by its nature, and the friendships I have made through Substack have translated into actual live and in-person friendships which is quite extraordinary. It has rebuilt my faith in the fundamental nature of people to be kind and supportive, as well as giving me a platform for expression unlike anything I’ve ever encountered previously. It has made me feel less alone, but without becoming an all-consuming dopamine-fest in the anticipation and expectation of ‘likes’. It’s so much more.
4. What mistakes have you made?
Committing to things that I can’t fulfil. Initially I said I would publish ‘x’, ‘y’ and ‘z’ on certain days of the week, and that just isn’t realistic for me. I have complex chronic health conditions, which is why I am now a writer and no longer work in a ‘conventional’ role. I think I was stuck in that mould and felt that I had to show up in a certain way for my subscribers, but it really isn’t like that. I am now very wary of saying I’ll do anything on a particular day, and instead focus on writing honest, heartfelt and relatable content that my audience will love no matter when it ‘lands’. I also made the mistake of signing up to too many other Substacks - particularly paid subs for content on growth etc… I haven’t had the time to look at any of them. Any growth I have will be organic and based on my content as I don’t have the capacity to strategise around this just now, particularly in the middle of the launch of my first book! I need to be more realistic about what I am capable of achieving in the time that I have (this is not a new issue for me!!).
5. To pay or not to pay?
I do swing both ways on this. I feel that writers 100% deserve to have their words valued, and especially as writing is my full time job, it would be lovely to have all of my subscribers pay, but also I didn’t come to this platform with an intent on hitting any kind of target income. I write in order that people will connect with my words, and so that others may feel less alone. I don’t want anyone who may need to read something I write at a particular moment in their life to not be able to do so because of affordability.
6. What artistic and technical choices have you made?
My overriding choices have been to go easy on myself. To know that I don’t have to make artistic and technical choices at all because this platform is highly intuitive. I haven’t engaged in podcasts and do very little audio or video, but I do use quite a lot of photos. This is something that comes naturally as I have always documented moments in that way, even in the age before iPhones could record every aspect of our lives. I would like to do more voiceovers just to strengthen the connection with readers as I think you do get to know someone in a much deeper way through hearing their voice - that is currently purely constrained by time and the insanity of a life involving parenting teenagers. I have pondered making my Substack more highly curated, or having a ‘niche', but that begins to feel contrived. My choice here is having the freedom to not have to be defined by a niche or to present in a certain way, but to really connect with others through authenticity of words and feeling.
7. What’s been the effect on your writing?
It’s been a place to write for fun, for joy, for connection. Somewhere to not worry about form or expectations, but to talk to an audience and feel like I’m grabbing a cuppa with friends. It’s given me a freedom to experiment with different types of writing - to play around with dialogue, to write on serious topics one week, and explore the fun side of life the next. It’s fascinating to see what audiences respond to - what they find relatable, and in that sense it has inspired a third book that I’m writing which is very dialogue driven. It’s a place to exercise the writing muscle which is something I underestimated the power of. Just the habit of regular writing encourages the words and thoughts to flow - I now can’t get the ideas out through my fingertips quick enough!
8. In it for the long haul?
Abso-bloody-lutely. Unless it goes the way of other social media, and then...I’m out.
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There is such freedom and joy shining through in this letter and I think so many of us are experiencing the same here, making genuine friendships and enjoying genuine connections. Long may it continue!
Emma, thank you for this excellent interview. I think you are probably the best sort of writer there could ever possibly be, so in tune with your own existence and experience and therefore very empathetic with everyone else's (especially all mammals and other life forms). Your book bridges the gap between the general population and those who are out on the sea for a living, for pleasure. for competition or just to survival the usual landlubber's travails. If not already you should consider possibly arranging to have promotional copies of your book sent to Boris Hermann, a top international professional racing and environmentalist sailor. And to Craig Leweck, who publishes the Scuttlebutt Sailing News which is a prominent international ejournal publication of sailing and yacht/sailboat racing and cruising and living. The Scuttlebutt family is international and is intently concerned about the preservation of the sea and preservation of the ability to be able to go out on open water at any time. And they are also concerned how future generations will be able to benefit by going out on open water. Most people are just not aware of how healing going out on open water can be. And how certain sorts of writing can be healing as a landlubber substitute. The imagination is a vast sea containg so much just like like our physical oceans. I will be buying and reading your book when it is published. Apologies if I appear too overly enthusiastic but this seems like the special book that the worldwide sailing and cruising community will definitely appreciate because it gives everyone a voice, a proof if you will, of why being able to go out on open water and preserving open water is so incredibly important. Eleanor, you are a Saint (for a lot of other stuff too) once again for introducing us to Emma in the 8 Questions. Emma, I think your book will be awesome awesome awesome!!!!!!!!