Publishing With Purpose in a Contingent World

A Programming Note from The Broken Spine

Let’s stop pretending.

This is about how I use our digital space: this website, our BlueSky feed, and our newsletter. These aren’t just platforms. They’re where we build, share, and show up. And if you’re engaging with us here, I want it to mean something.

Some of what we do is thriving. #LiftToTheSky and #PoemsAbout are vibrant weekly touchpoints. #BookReviews, #TheWhiskeyShot, and #TheCut all platform writers on our site with care and consistency. Our workshops are well attended, and more importantly, they’re helping writers improve. That’s what matters. The feedback is real. The growth is visible.

And that’s the bar I want everything else to meet.

Because it’s not just about making noise. It’s about following through. I try to lead by example. I say a lot, but I mean it. I do my best to stay consistent, and when I miss the mark, I adjust. Right now, I’m adjusting again.

I’ve been looking at what we’ve scheduled over the next seven months, and I’m asking myself: What actually helps people engage with our work? What creates focus, not confusion? I want to stop overwhelming people with scattershot posting. I want our feed to be purposeful, not chaotic. And like it or not, social media management is a big part of running a press in 2025. If I’m going to do this, I need to get better at it. So I will.

Because it is clear, things have to sharpen up.

I have a background in digital strategy. I’ve worked professionally in this space. But I’m not coasting on what I knew then. I’m responding to what’s needed now. The Broken Spine exists to raise standards: editorially, ethically, and politically. I want to platform better work. I want to see better use of the tools we have. I want this press to do more, and to do it better.

That means being accountable.

I was recently called out for using Substack, despite my criticism of X. And they were right. I will leave Substack. That contradiction mattered. I needed to be challenged, and I needed to respond. If I can do that, so can you.

So if you’re still on X, sharing screenshots of your site and calling it community, ask yourself: Is this the best way to platform a writer? Can I do better by them? By the audience I’m trying to reach?

BlueSky isn’t just a softer alternative. It’s a break from platform fascism. Facebook, Instagram, and X bury anything that threatens their grip. Try posting about decentralised platforms on Facebook and watch the algorithm throttle it. That’s not a glitch. That’s the design. These systems are built to keep you small, predictable, and silent.

That’s why I’ve walked away. And I want others to walk away too.

This isn’t about shaming anyone. Different presses serve different audiences. I am far from stupid. I understand this. Moreover, I support work I disagree with all the time, because I believe in art that challenges me. But I’m most committed to the writers and presses who share my vision for what poetry: should stand for, and how it should function in a broken world.

I’m not here to tear anyone down. Plenty of people do that to themselves. And maybe I’m doing it to myself right now. But that’s not the point. I’m here to publish work I believe in. To help writers grow. To build community that’s active and honest. To discuss art, politics, platforms, and the systems we’re trying to move beyond.

If I sound abrupt, that’s because I am. I stopped softening my language a long time ago. Now I reach more people, I think people respect my authenticity, even if they dislike what I have to say.

I want more people to understand why they’re doing what they do. I want them to reflect. I want the work to improve, even if it’s not to my taste. I want people to use their platforms with purpose. I want them to reject injustice, false neutrality, and compromise.

I want the world to be better: artistically, politically, socially, environmentally. If we’re not trying to do that, even in small ways, then what’s the point?

So here’s what’s next:

No filler. No vague posts. No phoning it in. This site is for longform thought. The newsletter is for direct communication. BlueSky is for community and immediacy. Every post has to earn its place.

We’ve got two strong hashtag initiatives already. Now we’re launching another: #WednesdayWIPs a weekly thread on BlueSky where poets can share their process. Raw lines. Messy drafts. Work that’s still becoming. Not performative. Not curated. Just honest. That’s what we’re here for. More on that soon.

Thanks for reading. And if this makes you uncomfortable, good. Growth usually does.