The FanGraphs Newsletter Is Coming!
Email newsletters are a burgeoning communications tool, and FanGraphs is getting in on the act. This is something we’ve actually had our eye on for quite some time — as far back as 2013, actually — and we’re excited to finally be bringing it to you. Today, actually: the newsletter’s inaugural edition will drop this afternoon. Let’s talk details.
Perhaps the most important detail is who will be writing and curating the newsletter, and that person is emerging star Emma Baccellieri. If you’re a frequent reader, you may have already noticed Emma’s work, which we’ve published at The Hardball Times. A senior at Duke University, Emma also has already banked writing credits with Beyond the Box Score, The Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer, The Duke Chronicle (Duke’s student newspaper) and she is currently the editor-in-chief of Duke’s monthly news and culture magazine, Towerview Magazine. You can learn more about her at her website, and follow her on Twitter @EmmaBaccellieri. You’ll be glad you did. I’m thrilled that Emma will be spearheading this project for FanGraphs.
The newsletter will be sent out twice per week — once on Monday, and once on Thursday. It will generally arrive in the afternoon for those on the east coast, and around lunch time for those in the west. Why twice a week? While we want our newsletter to be engaging and informative, we don’t want it to be burdensome, and it’s our feeling that sometimes daily newsletters can be a chore to keep up with. We think that twice a week is the right balance. You’ll let us know moving forward if we’re correct. We picked Thursday for the second day because you shouldn’t have to miss an edition of the newsletter when you take off for a three-day weekend.
The newsletter will feature original content, and one of our primary goals will be to revolve the types of content that the newsletter provides, so that it doesn’t ever get stale or boring. Baseball is exciting, and we hope to make the FanGraphs Newsletter just as exciting!
If you’ve recently become a FanGraphs Member, you might already have subscribed to the newsletter. If you’re not, or you didn’t, you can subscribe via the widget below. We sincerely hope you come along with us on this new journey.
Paul Swydan used to be the managing editor of The Hardball Times, a writer and editor for FanGraphs and a writer for Boston.com and The Boston Globe. Now, he owns The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Acton, Mass. Follow him on Twitter @Swydan. Follow the store @SilUnicornActon.
What’s the advantage of subscribing to the newsletter vs. simply visiting the site and seeing what new article is posted?
“The newsletter will feature original content, and one of our primary goals will be to revolve the types of content that the newsletter provides, so that it doesn’t ever get stale or boring.”
Well, if that’s the case, I don’t really care for it. I can see why it would be a good thing for some people who don’t visit the site several times a day, but why not post the content to the site as well?
I took that to mean it will feature original content from FanGraphs writers, which would also be featured on the site. Is the original content exclusive to the newsletter? If I misread that, definitely let me know.
Right now, though, I’m just not sure what extra utility these newsletters provide. I’m not knocking FanGraphs specifically here; this is more of a question on newsletters in general.
Presently, the plan is that newsletter content will just be in the newsletter and not on the site.
Oh! Well, so long as THAT’S the case…
(Subscribes)
(Waits for email confirmation)
(Waits…)
(…waits…)
(ah! There it is!)
And, subscribed. Thank you, Paul! And thank YOU, Emma, for putting this together!
I honestly do not see the point of this (I get way too much stuff in my email box as it is), but if you are determined to do this, why not put it on the website on the weekend, since you normally have very little new content on the site then?
I would really like to have a way to consume your content without having to get more stuff in my inbox that I don’t want. I guess I’ll use a spamcatcher address to subscribe to this, but I wish you’d reconsider having email-only content.