Why subscribe?

I post news about my life and work, motherhood, from what I’m reading and watching and listening to, along with my travel and culinary adventures, plus all my latest writings, behind the scenes looks at how I conceptualized pitches and landed major essay and journalism assignments, along with writing tips. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website.

Stay up-to-date

You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. My monthly updates about my work will always be free, but additional content may be offered for paying subscribers.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.

About me

In case you stumbled across this newsletter and are wondering, who is Rachel Kramer Bussel? I’m a New Jersey-based writer, editor, writing instructor, and literary event organizer. I’m the editor and founder of Open Secrets Magazine, host of personal storytelling summit Open Secrets Live, and am working on an podcast and nonfiction anthology about our relationships with our belongings.

I’m a longtime essayist and journalist whose writing on culture, books, sexuality, dating, hoarding, body image, feminism, and other topics has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BUST, CNN.com, Cosmopolitan, Elle.com, Forbes.com, Glamour, Grub Street, Marie Claire, Paper, Refinery29, Rolling Stone, Salon, Shondaland, Slate, Time Out New York, Vulture, and elsewhere. I’ve been a sex columnist for The Village Voice, Philadelphia City Paper, DAME, and Penthouse.

I worked in the erotica genre for 25 years, with my short stories published in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006 edited by Susie Bright and Succulent: Chocolate Flava II and Purple Panties edited by Zane. I’ve edited over 70 erotica anthologies, including the Best Women’s Erotica of the Year series, several of which have won IPPY (Independent Publisher) Awards.