Interview with Cameron Bailey of the Emeth Newsletter

Today’s Sub Pub interview (actually conducted in late April) is with Cameron Bailey about his newsletter, Emeth.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am the Deputy Grand Master of the Free and Accepted Masons of Washington.  

All of that is a long way of saying that in about a month, I will be Installed as Grand Master, and as such I will be made the head of Freemasonry within Washington State.  Masonry is governed by an odd mixture of democracy and autocracy in that we elect someone who rules over our Craft much like a King of old would have ruled a country.  We have utilized this form of governance, worldwide, for over three hundred years.

How would you describe your newsletter?

It is completely focused on Freemasonry, and the issues faced by our Fraternity.

I think that it is a bit unique in that I utilize the "Thread" feature very heavily.  Every Sunday  I deliver a long essay with my thoughts about Freemasonry.  Every weekday, I deliver a discussion topic, and solicit opinions and perspectives from my subscribers.  This has proven to be very popular, and I think good for our Fraternity as a whole.  It allows individual Freemasons to learn from the experiences of others, and they in turn can take what they have learned back into their community's Lodge, improving things for everyone.

Why did you decide to publish on Substack?

We have multiple Lodges in large urban areas, and Lodges in seemingly just about every small town.  Traditionally someone in my position communicates to all of these Lodges by personally visiting them on their regular meeting nights.  The pandemic put an end to all of that of course.

I'd done quite a lot of blogging back in the days before the dominance of Social Media platforms, so when the pandemic hit, I thought that blogging could be a good way for me to communicate to my membership as a whole.  Then I noticed Substack and realized that its combination of a newsletter with a nice web archive was the perfect solution. 

What has your experience with your newsletter been like?

My experience has been excellent.  The platform has been super easy to use, and my subscribers really like engaging with it.  I've also found that there is very little to no resistance when it comes to getting them to trust the platform with their email address, and for paying subscribers, with their credit card information.  The seemingly seamless integration with Stripe is superb from my point of view, and my subscribers.

What have you liked most about your experience on Substack?

The fact that it has been so well received by Freemasons, not only within Washington, but everywhere.  Large numbers of people are reading everything I send, and a good number are engaging with that content.  Additionally, the numbers of both free and paid subscribers has steadily grown since day one.  Given how tightly focused it is, it will never have a huge audience, but I can easily see it growing to have a massive audience within the Freemasonic world. 

What have you liked least about your Substack experience?

I really have no complaints at all.  I would though like Substack to develop some kind of referral mechanism  so that subscribers could refer their friends, and I could acknowledge that somehow.  I also hope that someday Substack adds a reaction button in addition to the current heart.

How have you let people know about your newsletter?

Primarily via Facebook. I've always had a strong presence there.  Now that the pandemic restrictions are coming to an end, I hope to be able to do a lot of promotion in person as well.

Is there a post in your newsletter that you consider most memorable, and if so, why?

I think so.  My essay titled Masonic Education really seemed to speak to people.  Readers seemed to truly enjoy it, and it was shared quite widely around Masonic Social Media enclaves.

https://emeth.substack.com/p/masonic-education

What do you hope for your newsletter in the foreseeable future?

I hope to see it continue growing.  I truly do believe that it can help to improve our Fraternity, not only in my area, but around the world.  In order to reach that potential, its growth has to continue.

I'm also looking forward to in person events with paid subscribers, we've already got a group trip to Puerto Vallarta Mexico in the early planning stages.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I'd like to Thank You for giving me this opportunity to talk about my newsletter Emeth, and I hope that your readers will come check it out.  While its niche is very small and tightly focused, I'm very proud of what has been accomplished by everyone who participates with it, all in a very short period of time.