8 Questions with... Pandora Sykes
Books+Bits
is a journalist and broadcaster based in London, who has written for The Sunday Times (where she used to be an editor on the Style mag) The Guardian, ELLE, Vogue, Grazia, The Cut, GQ and more. She has produced and hosted multiple no.1 podcasts including the The High Low, Doing It Right and Book Chat and made several audio documentaries for The BBC (about Britney Spears and the history of reality TV). For four years, she hosted a podcast about long-term missing people called The Missing. A regular interviewer of authors on stage, including Margaret Atwood and Bernadine Evaristo, she writes a newsletter on Substack called Books+Bits.
1. Why Substack?
After The High Low finished, I found myself sharing endless Instagram Stories about what I'd read, watched, listened to. It was so fiddly, and I don't like being on Instagram very much, so I wanted to find a new medium. It's essentially a continuation of something I've been doing for the best part of a decade, which is discussing culture and sharing recs.
2. How long did it take you to find your groove?
I started Books+Bits when I was 7 months pregnant with my third child, and I had no childcare for my baby for the first 5 months, so it was really quite insane at the start. I felt, for the millionth time in my life, like I had bitten off more than I could chew. But I don't like letting people -- or myself -- down, so I persisted, and I am glad I did! I think I'm constantly re-grooving, I'm always tinkering with this, or that, I doubt it will stay in its current format forever.
3. How has it changed you?
I don't think it has changed me, per se, as I've pivoted quite a lot in my career, and utilised a lot of different platforms for my work: a blog, a newspaper column, a podcast, etc. But I do feel a certain amount of coming full-circle, to have started my writing career with a blog, and to now be doing a blog, of sorts!
4. What mistakes have you made?
That's a good question. I'm constantly delivering late, because Substack is one of multiple jobs for me, rather than the sole thing I focus on. (I've never just had one job, it would feel too precarious.) I often make typos. I don't feel like I've had any massive clangers yet, probably because (gross word) it really is very authentic. I really try and stick to the USP and I work really, really hard on it. A lot of long nights and weekends, which is something I really want to change as I'm exhausted!
5. To pay or not to pay?
Both. I'm a big believer in access, I always have been, so the main letter on a Tuesday is always free. But Friday's letter, and other monthly segments (2 Girls 1 Book, a written convo about a new release which is launching with Ochuko in February; Book Chat with Bobby, a podcast about a book that is more than 2 years old) are paywalled, because I now spend half my working week on the letter.
6. What artistic and technical choices have you made?
I wouldn't say it's particularly artistic. I find that quite freeing! I'm not really into the nuts and bolts of Substack - Notes etc are not for me - but I do use the podcast function.
7. What’s been the effect on your writing?
I write more, which is good, to use the muscle. Unsure of the effect!
8. In it for the long haul?
Ooooh, I genuinely don't know. The longest I've ever committed to something is 4 years. But I do feel like I'm building on something. I have around 67,000 readers and it's nice to build up that community. I have started to commission guest writers and I'm gradually bringing other people in to Books+Bits so maybe this will outlast everything else...
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wow. 67,000. 3 little kids, a massive career...makes a girl feel a little...motivated!!