Longreads (Weekly)
Longreads (Weekly)

Longreads (Weekly)

by Automattic (Longreads Team)

Weekly Free / Member

The best stories on the web. Longreads delivers a weekly selection of the finest long-form narrative journalism, essays, and fiction from across the internet.

About Longreads (Weekly)

Longreads is the 'curator's curator'. Its weekly newsletter is famous for its 'Best of' lists, where editors select the single most impactful stories published that week. It's unique for its commitment to 'the story'—whether it's on a personal blog or the front page of a major newspaper. It serves as a vital signal-booster for independent writers and specialized journals that would otherwise be lost in the daily news cycle.

What Makes This Newsletter Unique

Pure Storytelling. They prioritize narrative quality and emotional resonance over the 'utility' of news or productivity.

Who Should Subscribe?

People who love to get lost in a great story and want to discover the best narrative writing on the web every week.

Content Format

A minimalist weekly email with curated story cards, author names, and 'estimated reading time' (often 15+ minutes).

Recent Newsletter Issues

View all archived issues
Mar 25, 2026

The Last Great Weed Smuggler

"Before the cartels took over, Harvey Prager built a life on millions of dollars of drug money. One prosecutor called Prager 'the last of the great amateurs.' This is his story."

Mar 24, 2026

Lay It Down

"People love John Samson Fellows’s music. He doesn’t want to make it anymore."

Mar 24, 2026

The Year I Was Supposed to Die

"At 42, with young kids, I got a devastating diagnosis. I knew I was in for a harrowing journey. I didn’t know quite what kind."

Pricing & Subscription Options

Premium Newsletter

  • Weekly emails
  • Unsubscribe anytime

Free weekly email + Membership to support independent creators and ad-free site

View Pricing

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Our Take: Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Unsurpassed curation of narrative writing
  • Excellent support for independent and niche writers
  • Very high-quality, ad-free reading experience

Cons

  • Focus is exclusively on long-form (not for short attention spans)
  • Content can be emotionally heavy (essays/memoirs)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do they pay writers?

Yes, through their membership program, they commission and pay for original long-form essays and fiction.

How often is Longreads (Weekly) published?

Longreads (Weekly) is published weekly.

Who writes Longreads (Weekly)?

Longreads (Weekly) is written by Automattic (Longreads Team). Longreads was founded in 2009 by Mark Armstrong and is now part of Automattic (the people behind WordPress). It is the original home of the #longreads hashtag and long-form curation.

About the Author: Automattic (Longreads Team)

A

Automattic (Longreads Team)

Longreads was founded in 2009 by Mark Armstrong and is now part of Automattic (the people behind WordPress). It is the original home of the #longreads hashtag and long-form curation.

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