I am a writer, not a brand. Right?

I am a human being, not a commodity. I am a writer, not a writing product. This whole branding myself in order to sell my branded writing thing... can I not?

I don't usually use my Substack posts as a place to lament the state of the world or online publishing that often, but today I feel that I must. Because, well... I am not a product to sell. And I don't ever want to be seen or behave as if I am a product to sell. I am a human being, not a commodity. A human being who just so happens to write things that …