This newsletter is a meditation on the craft of nonfiction writing, from research to structuring to the actual typing of words. I’ll be compiling how other people talk about their process, whether it’s in their own writing, or through interviews with me. I’ll also be talking about my own rituals, as I am about to officially start the longest piece of writing I will have ever done – a book! (It’s a very very reporting-heavy social history of online dating, out tentatively in February 2027 with One Signal/Atria/Simon & Schuster. I hope you buy it and read it, eventually, but the contents of the book, for the purposes of this newsletter, matter less.)
I will be including my favorite advice and tips, but that’s not quite the main aim of this newsletter. It’s not a how-to, it’s a trip, a discovery. I will be thinking through my own writing through writing about writing (this is it, it sounds insane, but this is it). And I hope you get something out of it, too.
The bulk of it will be free, for now. I’m aiming for biweekly (fortnightly, to use my favorite old-timey Britishism which is honestly much less confusing than the whole “biweekly”/”bimonthly” debate) posts, although that might change in the future. You can expect:
Process book recommendations, excerpts, comments
Nonfiction book and longform article recommendations
Original interviews with other authors about their process
Journal of my own trials and tribulations and cork boards and post-it notes and color coding (starting with the next issue)
Some tips and tricks, and definitely tools and creature comforts (think: The Strategist for nonfiction writers, wow what a shiver of delight I get just from typing that)
Along with the above, I am also launching a paid series about crafting my proposal and selling my book. During this process, I often found myself scrambling for up-to-date resources specifically for crafting a nonfiction proposal, for figuring out how this all works. I’ve learned that your mileage WILL vary and I found it very helpful to be reading about what other writers did and talking through everything with a couple of awesome writer friends.
Why am I qualified to do any of this at all?
I’ve been a reporter and writer for 12 long years. I’ve worked for Foreign Policy magazine, The New York Times, and, most recently, Quartz, where I reported on many, many things, but mostly politics, criminal justice, and tech. My last position there was on the investigative team which covered online misinformation and scams. Here’s my formal spiel for my trajectory and my profile as a journalist: I’ve been assigned to different beats throughout my career, but at heart, I’m a features writer who loves to dive deep on a fascinating story, especially if it speaks to how larger political forces and big business affect regular people. I’ve reported from a Trump rally gone off the rails, a Vagina Monologues performance at a male prison, and a yoga class for mommy influencers. I’ve been a freelancer since mid-2020.
Here are some of my favorite longform (or longish form) pieces of mine:
An extensive profile of the company Hinge for Vox.
A feature on the Polish effort to help Ukrainian refugees in the wake of Russia’s invasion for The New Republic
a deep dive into the world of online vigilantes who “hunt” pedophiles for Quartz
One part of an 11-part investigation on a telemarketing company selling overpriced coins to conservative seniors – about the company’s colorful influencer-wannabe founder – for Quartz
An investigation on how the precious metals industry fuels right wing media for The Washington Post (A recipient of a SABEW Honorable Mention!)
A guide to the business of online dating for Quartz
an exploration of why lower-income kids tend to use Facebook more than their wealthier peers for Quartz
An investigation into the US Marshals’ service use of the private prison industry for Quartz
My dispatch from the first Gilmore Girls fan festival for Quartz
My work has also appeared in New York Magazine’s The Cut, The Guardian, MSNBC, Elle, Fast Company, Politico Europe, The Texas Tribune, Vogue Poland, and others.
If you’d like to hire me for writing, ghostwriting, book research, development or editing, check out my website hannakozlowska.com and email me at hanna@hannakozlowska.com.
