The Vinyl Room Turns One
How it all started, the beauty of collaboration, and the golden advice that made all the difference
Time flies when you’re having fun. One year on
feels like less than a minute.
Unlike most other things I do, there was no clear plan for this.
My husband, perhaps tired of waiting for me at the record store, casually suggested I should start a publication about vinyl records.
But who’s going to read it?
You’ll see.
Come on… seriously…
Look, just… go for it, okay? Don’t overthink it.
He recommended
, a best-selling author, writing coach, and (if she’ll allow the friendly sobriquet) writing guru. She runs courses to help writers from all walks of life, and regularly shares writing insights and advice (you can find her at , and ).
To be honest, I didn’t even know what Substack was. But I love writing, and records are… well, my life. Simple as that.
So I decided to test the waters. My husband and Michelle, each in their way, gave me the confidence to jump into the pool and get my words out there.
Today, more than 300 people around the world read this publication. In most cases, we don’t know each other personally, which I still find mind-blowing. We’ve bonded over our passion for music and record collecting.
I came here because I wanted to create a space for vinyl lovers with busy lives where we could all learn from each other without the typical snobbery of most record collector circles out there.
We have succeeded. Big time. And the best is yet to come.
I would like to thank every single one of you for being here. Thank you for all the comments, ideas, suggestions, discussions, and essentially, for giving life to this project.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say. Thank you for taking the time to share your views and interact with one another.
To those who read every post but prefer not to comment, I see you, and a big thank you to you too.
Substack is all about collaborating. Building communities around the things we love. So I thought I’d share the best pieces of advice I’ve received.
Don’t overthink it, as my husband said. You don’t need to have everything figured out just yet. You can improvise as you go along. I remind myself of this every day. His love and support are my anchor in life, and his courage and wisdom inspire me more than anything else in this world.
From Michelle, two things stood out the most: It doesn’t have to be perfect (I am a perfectionist, so this hit right where it should), and that sometimes, you’ll feel you’re talking to this big void. Like there’s no one on the other side of the screen. I’m sure she put it in much nicer words, but it doesn’t have to be perfect, so here’s my takeaway: You are not alone. Get your words out there. Someone is always reading.
Among the fantastic music writers I’ve been fortunate enough to cross paths with, two in particular struck a special chord.
from the wonderful told me quite early on: Focus on what’s unique to you. Your unique circumstances. Your unique point of view. Write from there. This has unlocked so much potential. It’s my compass in times of uncertainty. Thank you for being such an inspirational guide since day one. from the brilliant once shared advice on how to grow a publication, and he said something that stuck with me: Give more than you take. Make sure you take the time to comment, engage, share, repost, restack, spread the word. Pay when you can. It all pays off.
Consistency is key. But we know life gets in the way. So, every time you see that empty dashboard, every time you feel the struggle of juggling this with the million other things life throws at you, every time you feel like giving up, remember these words:
Don’t overthink it
It doesn’t have to be perfect
You’re not alone: someone is always reading
Focus on what’s unique to you — write from there
Give more than you take
Thank you for this wonderful space we’ve built together. Thank you for a fantastic first year, and here’s to many more!
Much love and, as always, happy spinning.
Thank you for the kind words and happy birthday to The Vinyl Room! I'm so happy we've connected on here. Hard to believe it's been a year already. Time flies.
I want to double-click on this point: "I wanted to create a space for vinyl lovers with busy lives where we could all learn from each other without the typical snobbery of most record collector circles out there."
This was also something I was seeking (and found), and IMO, is one of #musicstack's superpowers.
Here's to another great year!
Congrats, Andres! Keep spinning!