The Study Hall Podcast The Art of the Longread ft. Peter Rubin
Oct 22, 2025
Peter Rubin, head of publishing at Automattic and editor at Longreads, dives into the nuances of long-form journalism. He discusses how Longreads evolved from a simple Twitter hashtag into a vibrant platform for storytelling. Topics include the challenges of curation after Twitter's decline, the importance of distinct voice in writing, and navigating the attention economy. Peter also shares insights on their editorial process, defending the value of long reads, and engaging with a community of readers through feedback and member-supported models.
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From Hashtag To Publishing Hub
- Longreads began as a Twitter hashtag in 2009 and quickly became a website within a year.
- Automattic acquired Longreads in 2014 and it grew into both a curation and original-publishing platform.
Curators Have Personal Palettes
- Editors at Longreads each have distinct tastes and curate picks accordingly.
- Peter values cinematic, place-driven stories and dispatches from obsessive communities.
Hunt Long Reads With RSS And Newsletters
- Use publication newsletters and a robust RSS setup to discover long reads as soon as they publish.
- Filter RSS by length (Longreads requires 1500+ words) to surface suitable pieces efficiently.