Looking For Writers for Postcards by Hasif

Hello Fifi’s,

One of my favorite things that has come out of Postcards by Hasif this year has been the collaborations.

Every month, I get the opportunity to read perspectives that are completely different from my own. Different lives, different experiences, different ways of looking at the same feeling. And every single time, I’m reminded of how much depth people carry within them that rarely gets spoken about openly.

For those who are new here, these collaborations aren’t traditional guest posts.

They’re more like written conversations.

A writer begins by sharing their thoughts, experiences, observations, memories, or reflections on a topic that matters to them. After reading their piece, I write a response where I engage with their ideas, connect them to my own experiences, challenge certain perspectives, expand on others, and continue the conversation from my side.

Two people. Two perspectives. One shared piece of writing. Posting in my publication!

And honestly, that’s what I enjoy most about this format. It feels much closer to how real conversations happen in life. Not everything is about finding a perfect answer. Sometimes it’s simply about understanding each other a little better through honest reflection.

With that said, submissions are now officially open for August collaborations.

As always, I’ll be selecting 4–5 writers throughout the month to collaborate with.

Each selected writer will submit a 500–600 word essay, and I’ll follow it with a response of around 500 words. Together, the final piece becomes a collaborative essay that reads like a thoughtful dialogue between two people exploring the same idea from different angles. And it will be posted in my publication, Postcards by Hasif.

Topics You Can Explore

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

• The Loneliness of Becoming Someone New

• Why Some People Only Exist in Certain Versions of Us

• The Quiet Panic of Time Moving Too Fast

• The Human Need to Leave Something Behind

• The Strange Intimacy of Being Remembered Incorrectly

• Growing Older While Still Feeling Emotionally Young

• The Things We Pretend Don’t Hurt Us

• The Invisible Pressure to Have a Beautiful Life

• The Emotional Weight of “Maybe”

• Why Closure Rarely Feels Like Closure

• The People We Become Around Different People

• Missing Places More Than People

• The Fear of Wasting Your Potential

• The Soft Ache of Almost Relationships

• Learning to Live Without Constant Validation

• The Versions of Ourselves We Abandon to Survive

• The Emotional Aftermath of Being Too Self-Aware

• Why We Romanticize the Past Even When It Hurt

• The Quiet Grief of Realizing Nobody Fully Knows You

• The Exhaustion of Always Trying to Be Better

• The Strange Art of Starting Over

• The Fear of Becoming Replaceable

• The Comfort of Imaginary Futures

• Why We Keep Revisiting Old Conversations in Our Heads

• The Emotional Distance Between Online and Real Life

• The Feeling of Watching Your Life Instead of Living It

• How Silence Changes Between Two People

• The Hidden Loneliness of Independence

• The Unspoken Competition Between People Online

• The Desire to Disappear Without Actually Leaving

• The Strange Ways We Try to Earn Love

• The Fear That You’ve Already Met the Best Days of Your Life

• Becoming Difficult to Reach Emotionally

• The Tiny Lies We Tell Ourselves to Keep Going

• The Quiet Embarrassment of Caring Too Much

• The People Who Changed Us Without Realizing It

• Why Certain Songs Feel Like Entire Time Periods

• The Emotional Side Effects of Constant Self-Improvement

• Learning to Sit With an Unfinished Life

• The Strange Sadness of Outgrowing Your Dreams

• The Comfort of Being Around People Who Expect Nothing From You

• Why We Archive Our Lives Online

• The Feeling of Being Emotionally Homesick

• The Unnoticed Moments That End Up Defining Us

• The Pressure to Turn Your Life Into Something Meaningful

• Missing Who You Were Before the World Hardened You

• The Quiet Fear That Everyone Else Understands Life Better Than You

• The Emotional Impact of Living Through Screens

• Why Some Goodbyes Never Fully Happen

• The Relief of No Longer Needing to Prove Yourself

• The Way Certain People Make Time Feel Different

• The Loneliness Hidden Inside Productivity

• How People Slowly Become Strangers

• The Desire to Be Chosen Without Asking

• The Quiet Shift From Dreaming to Surviving

• The Feeling of Carrying Too Many Versions of Yourself

• The Emotional Attachment We Form With Temporary Things

• The Internal Conflict Between Wanting Attention and Wanting to Hide

• The Strange Comfort of Knowing Nothing Lasts Forever

• Learning to Accept That Some Questions Never Get Answered

You also don’t have to limit yourself to this list.

If you already have a personal essay, reflection, memoir-style piece, or story you’ve written that explores something meaningful to you, you’re welcome to submit that as well. Some of the best collaborations we’ve published came from people simply writing honestly about something they couldn’t stop thinking about.

And I think that honesty is what matters most here.

How the Collaboration Works?

You’ll write a 500–600 word essay on a topic of your choice. It can be personal, reflective, analytical, observational, narrative, emotional, or anything in between. There is no "correct" style.

You do not need to arrive at a perfect conclusion. Sometimes the most meaningful essays are simply explorations of a feeling or question.

After reading your essay, I’ll write a response where I engage with your ideas and continue the conversation through my own perspective and experiences.

The Final Piece:

Your essay will appear first, followed by my response, creating a collaborative essay of 1100+ words that feels more like a conversation than a traditional article.

Submission Details:

Submissions are currently open for August.

You can submit your essay anytime during the month of June, but earlier submissions naturally have a better chance of being selected since there are only a limited number of collaboration spots available. (Prefer by the end of June)

You’re also welcome to submit older essays you’ve already written, as long as they fit the reflective tone of Postcards by Hasif. (Yes! You can also submit for next month as well like for Aug, you can submit in June)

If your essay gets selected, I’ll personally reach out through email to confirm the collaboration and discuss scheduling, titles, thumbnails, and publication dates.

Submission Guidelines

• Original writing only
• Essay length should be around 500–600 words
• Please send your submission as a Google Doc, Microsoft Word document, or PDF
• Avoid pasting the full essay directly into the email body
• Use a simple font such as Arial or Times New Roman, size 12
• Include your name and your Substack publication at the top of the document
• You may also include 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.

If Your Essay Is Selected

• 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’s not about influencer culture, and it’s certainly not 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 (130,000+ readers).

• Exposure to 130,000+ 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.

What You’ll Receive

• Publication on Postcards by Hasif
• Exposure to 130,000+ readers
• A collaborative essay featuring my written response
• A one-week recommendation of your Substack publication

Your publication will appear as: “Postcards by Hasif recommends [Your Publication Name]”

which helps introduce your writing to new readers within the community.

I’ve genuinely loved reading the perspectives so many of you have shared through these collaborations over the past months. Every essay has brought a completely different lens to feelings and experiences we often carry quietly without talking about openly.

If you’ve been thinking about submitting something, this is a really good time to do it.

I’m genuinely looking forward to reading your work.

Best,
Hasif