Submit Your Essays, Stories & Personal Writing

Hello Fifi’s,

A few months ago I started something that has quietly become one of my favorite parts of Postcards by Hasif.

The collaborative essays.

If you’ve never come across one before, here’s how they work.

You write an essay on a topic that interests you.

Then I read it and write a response of my own. Sometimes I agree with what you’ve written. Sometimes I see it differently. Sometimes your essay reminds me of something I hadn’t thought about in years.

The final post becomes two essays in one. Your perspective first, mine second.

I’ve loved doing these over the past few months, so I’m opening submissions again.

This time, I’m looking for essays to publish in October.

I’ll be selecting around 4–5 writers.

Anything you’ve genuinely been thinking about.

You don’t have to pick something from a prompt list. If you’ve had an idea sitting in your notes for months, write that.

Here are some themes you can write about if you’d like inspiration:

• The Cost of Always Knowing What’s Happening

• When Curiosity Becomes a Way of Escaping Life

• Why Humans Invent Traditions

• The Beauty of Things That Were Never Finished

• The Burden of Having Too Many Choices

• Why Ordinary Days Are the Hardest to Appreciate

• The Psychology of Waiting

• The Invisible Influence of Weather on Human Emotion

• Why We Keep Rearranging Our Spaces

• The Human Desire to Make Sense of Randomness

• What We Lose When Everything Becomes Efficient

• The Kindness We Never Realize We Needed

• The Feeling of Standing at the Edge of Change

• The Quiet Joy of Being Inexperienced

• What Makes Something Feel Like Home Without Being Home (about environments rather than homesickness)

• Why We Resist Simplicity

• The Courage Required to Stay Curious

• The Emotional Life of Empty Spaces

• The Things We Learn Without Being Taught

• Why Humans Need Seasons, Not Just Weather

• The Beauty of Things That Cannot Be Owned

• Why Humans Love Watching Things Burn (Figuratively)

• The Beauty of Being Unremarkable

• What Makes an Idea Worth Dying For?

• The Quiet Violence of Certainty

• Why Every Generation Thinks It’s Living Through the End

• The Fear of Running Out of First Times

• The Stories We Tell to Make Randomness Feel Fair

• The Strange Comfort of Familiar Disappointment

• The Illusion of Fresh Starts

• Why Every Goodbye Creates a Different Person

• The Hidden Cost of Endless Information

• Why We Want Our Lives to Make Sense

• The Difference Between Being Alive and Feeling Alive

• Why Ordinary Days Are the Hardest to Appreciate

• The Psychology of Waiting

• The Beauty of Things That Cannot Be Owned

• The Difference Between Being Alive and Feeling Alive

• The Hidden Cost of Endless Information

• The Illusion of Fresh Starts

• Why Humans Need Seasons, Not Just Weather

• The Beauty of Being Unremarkable

And if none of those resonate with you, ignore them.

They’re only there to spark ideas.

Some of the strongest essays I’ve published came from writers who followed their own curiosity instead.

Your Essay:

You’ll write a 500–600 word essay on the topic you choose. It can be personal, reflective, analytical, or narrative whatever style feels most natural to you.

You don’t need to arrive at a final answer. Sometimes the most powerful essays are simply explorations of a question.

My Response:

After reading your piece, I’ll write a 500-word response where I engage with your ideas. I might agree, challenge something you wrote, or add another perspective.

That’s what turns the essay into a genuine exchange of thoughts.

The Final Piece:

Your essay will appear first, followed by my response, forming a collaborative essay of 1100+ words that reads like a written conversation.

Submissions are currently open for Oct, Nov and Dec

You can send your essay anytime during these months, and it will be considered for one of the upcoming collaboration slots.

However, if you’re hoping to be featured in Oct, I recommend submitting sooner rather than later. Once selections are made, I’ll need time to review the essay, write my response, and schedule the post.

You’re also welcome to submit older essays you’ve written before, as long as they fit the reflective tone of Postcards by Hasif.

Since there are only a few spots each month, earlier submissions naturally have a better chance of being selected.

Once an essay is chosen, I’ll reach out personally via email to confirm the collaboration and schedule the publication date.

Format:

Please send your submission as:

• Microsoft Word document

• Google Docs file

• PDF

Avoid pasting the full essay directly into the email.

Use a simple font such as Arial or Times New Roman, size 12.

At the top of the document, include:

• Your name

• Your Substack publication

You can also add a short optional bio at the end.

Send your essay to: hasifnewsletter@gmail.com

Subject line: Co-Author Submission

In the email body include: [Chosen Topic] – [Your Name]

You’re also welcome to include links to your Substack or social media.

• You’ll receive a confirmation email & payment link.

• A $50 feature fee will be required only if your essay is selected. Entry to submit your essay is completely free.

• Before you jump in, I just want to say something important. I know when I introduce something like this, it can feel a bit transactional. But please don’t take it the wrong way. Postcards by Hasif will always remain free to read. I have no intention of turning it into a paid publication, and I never will. Every piece I write, your submissions, my reflections, and my essays will always be accessible to anyone who wants to read them. I also don’t want to bring in brands, sponsorships, or ads. This space is not about marketing, it isn’t about influencer culture, and it certainly isn’t about monetizing in a way that compromises the essence of what this publication stands for. This is about creating a genuine community of thinkers and writers, exploring topics that matter, sharing perspectives, and giving both you and me a chance to engage meaningfully with readers. The $50 fee isn’t about making a profit; it’s a small way to ensure this collaboration is valued and taken seriously while also helping me maintain the publication sustainably. Postcards by Hasif will always be my voice, my vision, my space. This collaboration is simply a way to bring in other voices I respect, share ideas, and build something together without compromising what this place stands for.

• Once payment is completed, we’ll coordinate with you via email to finalize the title, thumbnail, and posting dates.

• Your essay will be published in Postcards by Hasif (150,000+ readers).

• Exposure to 150,000+ readers: Your voice will reach a large, engaged audience that values thoughtful, reflective writing.

• Recommendation of Your Substack: As part of the collaboration, I will recommend your Substack publication for a week. This means followers will see “Postcards by Hasif recommends {Your Publication Name},” increasing traffic to your page.

• Collaborative Content: This is more than just a guest post. You’re collaborating with me in a meaningful way, creating a written conversation that will resonate with readers.

Your essay will be published on Postcards by Hasif, currently reaching 150,000+ readers.

You’ll also receive:

• Exposure to a large, engaged audience

• A collaborative essay featuring my written response

• A one-week recommendation of your Substack

Your publication will appear as:

“Postcards by Hasif recommends [Your Publication Name]”

which helps introduce your writing to new readers.

Whether it’s an idea you’ve carried for years or something that occurred to you yesterday afternoon, don’t worry about writing what you think I’ll want to publish.

Write the essay only you could have written.

I’m looking forward to reading it.

For any queries, please reach out: hasifnewsletter@gmail.com