I’m in the humanities, and so the publishing model is quite different. As a PhD student, there were papers that I tried and failed to publish. Looking back on them now, I’m glad that they never saw the light of day. As with you, it seemed to me like getting published in peer-reviewed journals was a kind of mystical process. Then I had to do it to get tenure, but after tenure it seemed quite boring. I came to realize that about six people *might* read the published essay. I found attending conferences and writing for myself much more fulfilling, and I still do. That’s why I started doing Substack.
I’m in the humanities, and so the publishing model is quite different. As a PhD student, there were papers that I tried and failed to publish. Looking back on them now, I’m glad that they never saw the light of day. As with you, it seemed to me like getting published in peer-reviewed journals was a kind of mystical process. Then I had to do it to get tenure, but after tenure it seemed quite boring. I came to realize that about six people *might* read the published essay. I found attending conferences and writing for myself much more fulfilling, and I still do. That’s why I started doing Substack.
Yes, the audience for a paper is so small!!