This Time We Mean It!

Summary

The founder of The Haven, a successful Medium publication, is stepping back from day-to-day management to retire early and travel, handing over the role of editor-in-chief to Christine Stevens, who has been instrumental in the publication's growth.

Abstract

The Haven, a Medium publication, is undergoing a significant transition as its founder prepares to retire early and travel. After a premature newsletter was accidentally sent out, the founder officially announced that Christine Stevens, who joined as an editor and gradually took on more responsibilities, will be taking over as editor-in-chief. The publication, which began as a one-person operation, has grown to nearly 10,000 followers and receives hundreds of submissions monthly, thanks to its writers and followers. The founder, who is fully vaccinated and whose daughter has been studying from home, expressed gratitude to Christine and another editor, Terry Trueman, for their support, especially during the pandemic. The founder will remain the owner but will have minimal involvement, allowing Christine to have full editorial control and set submission policies.

Opinions

The founder acknowledges a miscommunication that led to a premature newsletter being sent, showing humility and a sense of humor about the mistake.
The founder expresses sincere gratitude to the publication's writers and followers for their role in The Haven's success.
Christine Stevens is highly regarded by the founder, who describes her as smart, funny, and understanding of the publication's vision.
The founder values the contributions of Terry Trueman as an editor and thanks both editors for their support.
The founder is looking forward to having more time for personal travel and writing, indicating a desire for a change in lifestyle after the pandemic.
The founder has confidence in Christine's leadership and is optimistic about The Haven's future under her direction.
The founder intends to remain available for consultation and may occasionally contribute to the publication.

Big Changes Are Coming to The Haven!

Sorry about the premature newsletter emailed yesterday. There was a miscommunication among the editors, and what was just the beginning of a draft was emailed out to all our followers. Yikes! But (sh)it happens. Consider that one a teaser for this announcement.

Anyway, four years ago this month, I started The Haven on a whim, and it has succeeded far beyond my expectations. Actually, I had no expectations, so any success would have been beyond my expectations. But still. The Haven is now closing in on 10,000 followers and we receive hundreds of submissions every month.

The success of The Haven is due to our writers and followers. I want to thank all of you who read and write for The Haven for making the publication a success.

Until last summer, The Haven was more or less a one-person operation. I had backup if necessary, but on a day-to-day basis, I was doing all the editing. When I started to get overwhelmed, I put out a call for help which was answered by the amazing Christine Stevens. It became almost immediately apparent that Christine is smart and funny and that she totally “got” what I was attempting to do with The Haven.

Since Christine joined The Haven as an editor, she has taken on more and more responsibility for editing The Haven. Those of you who email us may notice that she is frequently the person who answers your emails, and behind the scenes, she has gradually become the primary editor for The Haven. We have both been helped by the addition of Terry Trueman as an editor. I want to thank both of them, but especially Christine, for making my life bearable over the last nine months. Now that the pandemic is winding down (God, PLEASE let it be winding down), I’ve started to think about how I want to be spending my time when I’m able to leave my house. I’m fully vaccinated, an empty-nester (sort of — my daughter has been taking very expensive college classes from her bedroom for the last year), and I’m easing myself into an early retirement. I want to do a lot more traveling before I get too decrepit, and I want to be able to do more of my own writing. So, I came to the conclusion that I need to step back from managing The Haven.

When I made this decision, I notified Christine of my plans. I had the option of shutting down the publication, but my preference was to hand it over to a successor. I still think that The Haven occupies a unique and valuable niche on Medium. Much to my relief, Christine agreed to take over as editor-in-chief. So, thanks to Christine, The Haven will live to see more days.

While I won’t be managing The Haven anymore, I’ll still be around. I’ll remain the “owner” of the publication, but Christine will be the editor-in-chief and my involvement will be minimal. She will have full editorial control and will set all policies for submissions, adding writers, etc. So you can start complaining directly to her now. (Kidding!) I don’t know if she plans to make any changes. I’ll let her speak to that. I may pop in on an irregular basis, and will always be available to Christine if she needs anything. Like a vacation. And I hope you’ll see more of my writing on The Haven and elsewhere.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for your support over the last four years. I look forward to watching The Haven as it enters its next chapter. Good luck, Christine!