I Want You...

...to write for me (if you want to)

Since I started this Substack, more than two years ago, I’ve personally penned some 100 stories, only occasionally turning the platform over to another writer (two, to be precise: the anonymous author of this Shanghai lockdown piece, and Stuart Lloyd for the excerpt from his book. I guess my podcast interview with Gary Bowerman maybe also counts?). It has been a rich and rewarding journey, and one I intend to continue.

However, as the world emerges from Covid - here in Cambodia we’re down to optional mask wearing - and people begin to travel again, it got me thinking. What about you? Perhaps you have recently been on an incredible journey - how was it? What did it feel like? Did you meet anyone interesting? Or maybe you instead discovered the most amazing place in your own country over these last two years, when global travel was out of reach. Maybe it was a voyage of self-discovery, or you were told a remarkable story about a relative as the pandemic drew you closer to family? You get the point.

Now, I won’t be able to pay for it, but what I can offer you is my editing experience (if you need it), as well as a byline (if you want it), and the opportunity to share your story with all the other Tales of the Orient readers. Perhaps it will open doors for you, or you just want the story to be shared for posterity - any which way, I’d like to hear about it.

So what to do next? If you’re interested, you can reply to this email or reach me at simonostheimer@gmail.com, either sending me a short summary, or a finished piece. I’m excited to hear what you have to say - after all, we all have our own tales to tell.