As someone who started at zero and has got....well, somewhere? Something I've noticed from writers is an increasing emphasis on Substack as 'a platform'. This is obviously a lot to do with Substack's development as well, but some writers seem to be really leaning into it and relying on it, and sometimes wondering why it isn't working for them.
For me, Substack's always been a useful newsletter tool. That's why I started using it in the first place, and is the main reason I still use it. All the stuff around the edges is optional bonus material.
I'm writing the same stuff now that I was two years ago, and it's not that different to what I was writing 5 years ago before using Substack. Most of my readers probably don't know or care that I'm using Substack.
It certainly feels like a trap to start writing 'for Substack'. That's what leads to burnout, because you're writing for the platform and the system and inevitably end up trying to game it, somehow. I've certainly felt that temptation occasionally. The important thing for me is always to just come back to the writing, which I'd be doing regardless.
I don't really expect Substack 'the platform' to bring me readers (although that is happening, clearly), hence looking at external ways of attracting readers. More traditional methods, I suppose: good SEO, BookFunnel, possibly some paid stuff down the line. I don't bother with social media anymore as it doesn't seem to reall work anymore.
As for Notes - I'm still really enjoying it, and don't really see any of the 'Substack hustle how to make $$$' stuff. It's a very micro-community-focused network, so is probably highly dependent on who you happen to be following. For me, it still feels like a lovely writing group meet-up that I can dip into whenever I need some inspiration or to ask for feedback.
But yeah....Substack is still the best toolkit I've had as an online writer since I started writing properly around 2015. I do wonder if Substack's continuing emphasis on the big success stories is rather counter-intuitively discouraging people, though. I tend to hang out with new and mid-tier Substack writers, which is a lovely place to be. But constantly being reminded of the people earning $$$ or with lists of 100,000+ readers can make you feel like you're doing something 'wrong'.
Interesting perspective! If I'm not mistaken your "secret" is publishing consistently and just being present, isn't it? But I also think it's a chicken and egg situation - as you're quite active on Substack, and you are heard and seen, so it contributes to your visibility. This takes energy on your part. But I have a feeling you're not as scattered as I am lol. For one, I'm actually producing a lot more other content besides fiction and interacting mostly on Mastodon, while you are focused on Substack. I think the key word is focus, which I lack, which is lol the nature of my er, condition.
Yeah the success stories thing gets irritating after a while. I read to see what they did to succeed and immediately check out if they say they are a published author / have big social media presence blah blah. It doesn't give me useful tips beyond "be social media / literary famous".
PS: I do admit I do follow ONE substacker whose whole Substack is helping people succeed on Substack, but I so did not expect my feed to be populated by people of her ilk whom I did not even follow -_-
Yeah, I think I blocked some blatant self-promoters/hustle types that slipped through the net at the start of using Notes, and haven't really seen much since.
The main feed is people you follow plus people they recommend/interact with, so you will see randomers popping up in that one.
Back in the day on Twitter I was always reluctant to unfollow/block/ban people, but have employed the hammer quite judiciously on Notes, which has resulted in a pretty nice experience. And I haven't needed to do that for months - it was mostly fine tuning at the start.
Yeah, I do stay pretty focused, which annoys me at times as I have so many other things I'd like to be trying. :) But I made that decision way back in 2015, long before Substack. I always used to flit between writing games, films, comics, novels etc, and never got anywhere with any of them. It only really clicked into place for me when I forced myself to only work on one thing at a time.
Outside of the newsletter - which I try to think of as 'my newsletter', rather than being 'a Substack', at least internally - I dip into Notes, but do make sure it's on my terms. I never scroll, for example - if something interesting isn't on the first screen and a half, I don't sit there trying to find something (as I used to on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). It feels like a healthier thing. Currently, that is. Could easily slip.
I wish I was as focused! My problem is I get bored so easily. If I write a story for too long I get bored with it and lose motivation to even finish it. It's been a constant problem for me. So I always need constant stimulation from something new and exciting. But you're right about focus. Recently I applied more focus to the shows I decide to watch and I find I finish way more shows in a more satisfactory way now. I doubt I can do it with fiction. To be very honest, I don't seem to get as much enjoyment from writing fiction than writing, say, drama reviews or reflections on current events. It often makes me wonder if I should quit writing fiction to give myself some peace.
Maybe write shorter works that don't require such long term focus? It's hard...I don't think I could do it if I didn't really love it. If reviews and essays are what gives you most joy, that sounds like that route to go?
Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if I should give up fiction, to be honest. Or maybe give up this scifi series I'm writing lol. But I'm a completist, so...
Sounds like a hard call to make. Is there a way you can perhaps wrap up the scifi series sooner than you'd planned? That way you can have it complete, but also move on to your preferred projects sooner rather than later...
Yeah, I discovered long ago that fiction is work (sometimes joyful, cackling work, but still work) and non-fiction is just talking on paper. So much of my online writing is nothing more than responding to what I've been reading, leveraging my weird science-nerd background for uncommon insights.
Awkwardly chiming in here cuz I just glommed onto that word “scattered.” In today’s media climate, I feel like I have to be a Swiss penknife of writer, social media strategist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur, etc etc etc. I relate to being “scattered.” It’s hard not to struggle with wanting to be everywhere and do everything at once. Personally, I’ve found having an accountability group of creators meeting weekly over Zoom has helped me by narrowing down some specific weekly goals. But the problems you alluded to are so real--especially the pressure to be reading and interacting on here all the time in order to gain readers.
My interactions are elsewhere and, frankly, I would probably do better if I were on Mastodon and/or BlueSky. But I'm tapped out for social media and Mastodon has such a damn steep learning curve that I just don't want to give it the energy. BlueSky...I want a desktop social media platform, not phone-based.
I can understand what you mean about learning curve. If you ever need help getting on Mastodon, let me know. I wouldn't call myself a pro, but I'm familiar with it. I find it a wonderful place to be with people as you can really tailor your feed to your needs. There are no algorithms there and no corporations call the shots. It's refreshing and I hope you'll give it a chance one day.
I really don't like Mastodon. I fall in that small percentage who can't move easily between servers--yes, we exist; yes, it's legitimate; there's something in configuration and if I have to work that hard to get on a platform it's not worth my time. The evangelical fervor of folx who love it also just plain makes me feel like it's a huge cult. I'm sorry but I've tried it multiple times and now just have an account to sit on my name there.
I also don't buy the "no algorithms and no corporations are wonderful" line. What happens is that things get determined by individual server owners and their prejudices, and...nope. If I wanted Usenet again, I'd go dig it out because it does still kinda exist. But I saw what "no corporations and no algorithms" produce. Not for me.
That's very true as well. I was once suspended when I tripped over some cultural value that my server held dear (and which I didn't even realise it was an offence due to me being non-American and clueless but oh well). But I like it most because I can control my experience. I found a nice bunch of people I just hang out with. I guess it depends on which server you land in and that's the sad thing - often it can be an unpleasant experience if you choose "incorrectly".
However, recently with the integration of Wordpress and the Fediverse you can literally turn your blog into a server/instance, so you can be free of the tyranny of the instance controlled by strangers. Lots of things need to be ironed out on that end, however, but I can totally see a future where each person's websites serves as an instance in the fediverse, fully controlled by the individual.
But no biggie, I totally understand your complaints. Mastodon is not for the faint-hearted and I have more tech knowledge than the average user and find it all exciting lol.
Yeah, I find all the new options far too exhausting a prospect to even think about. I don't really have an interest in 'social media' on a personal basis anymore. Notes works for me because it's intrinsically linked to my writing, and it's a group of a writers and artists I enjoy hanging out with. Feels purposeful in the way I interact with it.
The whole 'public town square' notion of social media seems odd to me now. I mean, it's not like I go and hang out in the actual town square in order to talk to random strangers. :)
My only problem with Notes is that it could disappear one day and there's no way to move my social network. I guess I'm a typical Mastodon user that values my ability to export my social graph lol
This is very true and definitely a bit of a problem. That said, most of the interactions I really value on Notes originate from newsletters, so even if Notes went away it wouldn't be a huge problem as I would still be reading their newsletters and have that as a way to keep in touch.
I try to think of Notes is as bonus thing on the side, rather than something to lean on.
Just wanted to throw my two cents in on this comment: As for Notes - I'm still really enjoying it, and don't really see any of the 'Substack hustle how to make $$$' stuff. It's a very micro-community-focused network, so is probably highly dependent on who you happen to be following. For me, it still feels like a lovely writing group meet-up that I can dip into whenever I need some inspiration or to ask for feedback.
I agree 100%. I immediately unfollow and in many cases have blocked the many Substack people who post the clickbaity "how to make $$$ if you pay me X for my course" people. Notes is such a lovely place without them in it. Although, I will often take a peak over there for inspiration on what I can poach to then offer on my own Substack for free, since 100% of that "pay me for my advice" nonsense are things easily shared and taught for nothing and I never like the idea of trying to get money from people who are also trying to earn a living. It's one thing to get money from people wanting to read fiction (as we all pay for books for that level of entertainment) but it makes my stomach turn to see people paying money in the hopes of using that free knowledge to earn money as well.... (off the soap box I jump...)
I think you don't see the hustle stuff because it's pretty much the same group you're part of. I'm on the fringes of the same group and have withdrawn in recent months for various reasons, which allows me to see it more clearly. And as different groups start promoting their members, it really does start feeling clique-y.
I'm really curious to know what you're defining as the 'group' I'm part of, Joyce! Without wanting to name any names, of course! Intriguing.
The networking around Substack's features feels very informal to me and relaxed - which is why I always think of it as being like a writing group meet-up. You don't have to go to the meet-ups every time, but it's nice to see people when you do go. That's what popping onto Notes feels like to me.
From the start, though, Notes has seemed quite peculiar, in that everyone seems to have a very unique experience to them. Which can sometimes be good, and sometimes be bad.
Haha the cool kids club, of course! It's a circle of writers who have prominence on Substack. I do feel like if I join the conversation, it feels like "butting in" and since most seem to promote each other's content, I wasn't sure if I'm supposed to chime in and say "yes, such a good read!" but it feels like brown nosing.
It really does feel weirdly off-putting.
To me, anyway.
But I'm sure that's not your intention at all and it's just your private circle and you're enjoying each other's company.
Maybe our problem is that we haven't found our "gang" yet, and being an outsider in a social network full of cliques is hard.
I'm slightly horrified, TBH! 🤣 As someone who has never been 'cool', has studiously avoided cliques from a young age and has always felt generally like I don't entirely fit in, it's quite peculiar and uncomfortable to realise that other people see me as part of a cliquey group.
There's definitely lots of interesting people using Substack. I read a lot of newsletters and see some people around Notes. It all feels quite fluid to me...but if it's coming across as a closed-walls group then that's not ideal.
Well, I somewhat feel out of the loop in Fictionistas anymore. In part because the meetings never happen at a good time for me. And if I'm opening up Notes to see a big conversation about building up subscriber count, and fretting about subscriber count...that is NOT what I am here for. Frankly, I could care less about subscriber count, because for me what counts is whether readers are interested in my writing and whether they will click through to buy my books. I don't want to monetize my Substack; I don't want to read a bunch of conservative political blatherings, and at this point, I'm rolling my eyes at a lot of writer dialogue because it is all about monetizing and optimizing Substack, and that's not what I want to do.
It also doesn't help that I look at one big name writing theorist who always writes super-long posts with this editorial urge to hack and slash and cut their words back to about a quarter of what they're putting out. They're just that repetitive, and I feel their work would be more impactful without the length. Except, of course, they're applying marketing principles to their work and they'd fight if I even halfway suggested it (and they're somewhat prescriptionist about These Are The Writing Rules. I've been around the writing game long enough to see the fallacies in their assertions). Or when I look at the work of another big name writer praised for their quantity of fiction (and, again, their prescriptionist assertions about writing) and go--"meh. Not that good."
I suppose I could beat my chest more. However, what I keep thinking is that once again, those of us who are solid, workhorse, midlist writers who are not necessarily writing to trend are getting screwed over. It's a trend that I keep seeing over and over since I was a new writer in the '90s, and yes, there is a particular trend toward who keeps getting sidelined. Older female writers who don't have trendy things happening in their lives. It says nothing at all about the quality of their work and everything about their demographics.
I guess it depends on who you follow as Simon and Elle insists, but honestly I get shoved strangers' posts so I don't know. I get what you mean by political rants and all that subscriber count nonsense - that's the hustle posts I keep getting. And then all that talk about producing constantly ahhhhh
It feels like a lot of pressure. Thing is, I don't get that kind of pressure on Mastodon because I weed them out using their very aggressive filters lol. I love that ability. Substack doesn't give me that control so I'm forced to look at these posts when all I want is to see posts from Simon , Elle etc.
TBH I've never really had any success with connecting to writing groups etc as I feel like it's unavoidable that people end up talking about sales, numbers and prodcutivity. I don't know any writers who are not obsessed about these.
I find what you say about midlist writers and trends interesting. I'm the same. I never wrote to trend. I couldn't even if I tried. Very few fiction writing on Substack truly interest me as a reader because I'm extremely picky. And I feel almost guilty for not giving people the chance. But I realise I have an extremely particular taste right now ... and now it's not Americana stuff basically.
I don't mind talking about craft and productivity, but there's a different feel to the Medium-esque "this is how you do well on Substack" stuff I'm seeing. The groups I hang with spend a lot of time talking about works-in-progress and craft more than marketing and sales.
I've been writing off and on since the late '80s, and consistently since the late '00s. That's enough to spot trends. Eleven years ago I went to a convention panel featuring a Big Name New York Editor who edited the Guest of Honor at that convention, and that person was a Really Big Name. Several of my friends--all writers, all middle-aged, some tradpub midlist, some small press, some selfpub. We listened to Big Name Editor talk and...ALL of us walked out saying "New York doesn't want us."
It was just that obvious. BNE was looking for quirky stuff but it was very much a specific type of quirky that required being in tune with specific subcultures. Also very focused on youth.
I'm somewhat like you about fiction on Substack. Too much of it is either trendy, superficial, striving to be literary, or trying too hard to be quirky. I like a couple of flash writers but a little bit of flash goes a long ways for me.
Getting rid of inane ultra-right ranting has been the main use of the block features on Notes - that's not something I read, and it did creep in at the start of Notes. Since blocking a couple of people I haven't seen any of that since, though.
Discussion around subscriber counts and tactics I don't mind myself, but completely understand why that might not be of interest. For me it's all part of the puzzle of being a writer and learning how to find readers - pre-internet the equivalent would have been exchanging tips about magazines and agents.
As for people being prescriptive about Writing Rules....that's a quick indicator that they probably don't know what they're talking about.
But yeah, it certainly sounds like Notes isn't matching what you want to read. Maybe be a bit freer with the ban/block powers?
Good roundup and my experience has been largely similar, though I don't see hustle posts on Notes. Notes seems very localised and I have to purposefully go out of my way to see beyond my bubble.
I have no idea how to monetise fiction either. So far the backlog strategy hasn't garnered conversions for me and come the new year I will likely try a new strategy. On the other hand I don't push it has hard as I could/should beyond an afterword on posts, I'm sure SubStack is doing more than I am in this regard.
I agree the US focus can be vexing at times and outside of fiction I mostly follow British and Euro writers (or try to) (though plenty of them also trend towards US stuff). The biggest problem I have is timezones. I'm rarely awake for the evening Notes crowd and miss tonnes of conversations which I do think is a limiter on growth.
With seasons I am conscious of not wanting to miss days or weeks of posting but also have a break (of sorts) between each one. The idea is a season is 12ish weeks but a serial story is 10 weeks/chapters long. The last 2 Thursdays of a season are for Afterwords and an essay/announcing the next season, hopefully giving me a break, the audience a breather, but not disrupting the flow. Tuesday short stories would continue though that's all gone a little weird for me at the moment with two serials on the go.
I may be more of a lurker when reading but I hope you stay on SubStack whether it's consistent or sporadic.
To that point, I find selecting Followers rather than Explore gives me a better quality of feed. Explore seems to bring up more of the posts related to the ummm undesirable elements that have fired up others. Yet I came here from Facebook, to avoid the dramatics there. So it's good to be able to filter things on SubStack.
PS: Basically I keep forgetting that it's default at Explore, and I need to select Followers, and by the time I realise it, I'm already slammed with something that makes me angry lol
I read through your post and all these comments because Simon put it in Notes and also because I feel all these things. I launched a month ago, so your number of subscribers seems like a dream come true. In the past month, I’ve asked myself if Substack is a “get rich quick” scheme. My husband encouraged me to see it as a library for my work instead of a book store. So I can tell people I meet in real life, Hey, you can read my stuff on Substack. This helped me lower my expectations. I have up social media years ago, and I have been so much happier. So why would I start using it again? Will I get sucked into it and forget why I love writing? I decided to give it a year, which is why I loved reading your one-year perspective.
This is definitely a good perspective to have. Another substacker describes her space as a "cosy, safe space" - that gives me a more comforting feeling too.
Treating it like a library instead of a book store is a great perspective and a humble reminder that at the end of the day, as much as I would like to grow here and earn money, I came here to write because I love it and want to build a portfolio I can show when needed. Thank you for that reminder!
Some days, I even wonder if I should leave the place, but it's almost irrelevant as I barely write here at the moment, mostly by lack of time and energy.
But the "not being on my own platform" + the US centric atmosphere + the general feeling of hustle is starting to slowly pushing me out of the door, especially now that Wordpress is developing its own newsletter system.
Glad there are some who share my views about the general feeling of hustle and US centric athmosphere. It does make me seem mean towards Americans, which is not my intention, but lord I want some variety desperately.
It doesn't work. They still think they're the only country in the world. Except when they become aware of a country they vigorously believe doesn't warrant American support.
I feel the same! There's so much amazing stuff here, that it's hard to keep up as it is, and sometimes I just have to tune it out in order to be able to write my own.
Yes, it's hard to do - the tuning out. I find that with every person I connect with, I find someone else so interesting that I want to follow/subscribe to the work they are doing! A never ending story. By the way, thanks for following and subscribing! I really appreciate it! 🙏
Every little bit helps. I am still very new to substack, getting the hang of it now though. I started with 13, friends and family, and I grew so fast, just from commenting on notes, subscribing widely and interacting with other people on their content. I read somewhere that it's about making yourself visible. That's what's worked for me. A bit of work, but worth it for the confidence boost and the encouragement. I hope you pick up a bit in the near future too. Best of luck.
What great ideas you've shared Jenny! Thank you so much. :) And thank you for sharing your humble beginnings story - that's so encouraging! Takeaway: subscribe and interact widely! :) Noted!
I totally agree about Substack's search capabilities. I thought using tags would actually work. Even with the tags I place, my posts still don't come up. Is there a reason for that? A simple search on Substack should pull up posts with that tag. Or am I missing something? I feel like, that's the least Substack could do.
I post almost every day and have a very small audience; teeny, tiny. I've attracted only two new subscribers after 3 months on the platform. I'm okay with the pace though. I love writing and while the extra income would be nice, I have a career that I love and depend on for income. That's why I don't even bother to ask for pay to subscribe. I don't want to alienate the few subscribers I have.
I am disappointed that there is an algorithm. All social media algorithms suck, as far as I can see. With Facebook, which I deactivated, I was seeing the same friends' posts over and over.... for years. Incredibly boring. I thought the whole point of having 1000+ friends was to see a wide variety of content. Not the same stuff day after day. Why is using "real time" such a taboo?
Just want to say that I went through your two Substacks and that you have such a unique voice and shine a light on a much-not-shared topic - the politics of African nations and Black culture. I love what you wrote and have added them to my RSS feed :) I loved that video of 1920s Palestine. I remember watching an Israeli say that Palestine was just dust and dessert and the Palestines didn't know what to do with that land - exactly what you said. I knew that didn't sound right because I read a book way back in the 1990s where a Palestinian described a vibrant place where his family thrived.
Really interesting insights that all really hit home. Social media in 2023 for me is using way too many platforms and none effectively, while struggling to find time to focus on the actual message.
what you wrote here "struggling to find time to focus on the actual message" really hit home with me, especially for someone like me who gets burned out easily when too much on social media. I have to make hard choices on what I can do and on which platform. Substack is making me make that hard choice.
Thanks for your thoughts. I consider myself an amateur writer and always will. It has never been my intention to 'make it' but having said it is still frustrating as a newbie to be noticed. It might be that my work is not wanting to be read, but generally I do feel like the Invisible man 😁
OMG, Subtstacks have RSS feeds!!!! I never thought about it. Elizabeth you saved my life (or at least my inbox!!!) I won't need to actually stop reading all the newsletters I only occasionnaly read and I'm currentlu unsubscribing from.
There is a rare writer or two that shares valuable gems. I'm trying to figure out a way to use it in a way that benefits people but to be honest, unless Notes has automation features I won't have the bandwidth for that. I have far too much fun on Mastodon and Reddit (yes that hellhole)
In the olden days that's what social media looked like. We plug a blog's RSS to a "reader" and it appears like a news feed. It's a very economical and palatable way to consume information. Here's some info: https://openrss.org/blog/substack-rss-feeds
This is all true, though I would add that everyone who has “klout” got there by starting at zero and working hard.
Yes, you do have to work hard if you want Substack to be your job (this is true of any creative field) but there are also other meaningful uses for writing a newsletter that don’t require working hard or having a big following. I kept a blog on the side of my job for years as a creative outlet, never writing more than six posts a year.
And yes, fiction is hard no matter where it’s published. People just don’t read it and it doesn’t make money. And you’re right that the “how I make money posts” are all over notes, but I don’t subscribe to any of them so I never see them in my feed.
Like you, I’m also not enjoying notes. I use it to share the things I’m reading and loving but I rarely read it. I’m here for the long form!
I mean, I totally agree with you, but I think we need to make it clear that those with existing klout do get a massive leg up. You are one of the rare cases I know that built from ground zero on Substack and it has been interesting to watch.
But I definitely do not have the mental bandwidth to do what you did lol
As for fiction, agree. I have to rethink my mindset about fiction on Substack. Maybe not as a way to earn income but as a way to be consistent with fiction writing and earn some pennies on the side :P
Oct 23, 2023·edited Oct 23, 2023Liked by Elizabeth Tai
Started from zero, but not necessarily on Substack. A lot of the bigger names, started elsewhere and moved here, so many of them already had a following from published books or journalism. It's a big bonus for us smallfry as it's more eyes on Substack in general, but makes it hard to get noticed if you're starting here from scratch. But I'm sure you know all about that. It is disheartening though to have someone 'just launched' with a couple thousand subs, and also to see that fiction doesn't get the attention it deserves.
As someone who is still fairly new to Substack, I appreciate reading your observations here. I have never heard about the idea of writing seasonally or only having archived posts be behind a paywall so they can be temporarily free for new readers beforehand. I will think about these ideas in case I ever need to use them in the future.
I especially resonate with what you shared about Substack being US centered. I have often found it ironic how non-US based people like us are willing to read US based stuff but we don’t often get the same level of excitement in return from US based audiences for our country-specific content.
My so far small but hopefully growing small batch subscribers are a mix of Dubai-based people who follow me from my professional therapist Instagram page or those I know personally, and people I know personally and professionally when I used to live in Boston for a decade, as well as US and UK based people I virtually met via London Writers’ Salon where I completed a 4-week Substack sprint. I find that the US and UK people who most connected with me either had experiences living abroad or connect with my newsletter’s topic about belonging or being othered on a certain level.
Great post. I especially love #15, as an American who has left America, lived in multiple countries, and has written extensively in the past about different cultural experiences, people, values, and this is largely what I plan to write about soon---YES! Give us alternative outside the American complex. 1000% agree. I don't want to read about things from conventional American perspectives, I'm sick of it, there's a whole world out there.
Awesome post. I agree with sooo much of it. And weird, I’ve also been on substack for a year and I literally just realized it today when I was looking at old posts! The thing I’ve learned is to not get overwhelmed by all the pressure to get the likes and comments and all that. I pick and choose what I engage with and what matters to me. I use notes to amplify other ppls stories. The posts that have gotten the most engagement have to do with marketing (aka my experience with substack or what I learned from my memoir writing classes). Most recently it’s been sharing other ppls stories. 🤩 thanks for sharing and happy one year.
Really interesting thoughts here, Elizabeth!
As someone who started at zero and has got....well, somewhere? Something I've noticed from writers is an increasing emphasis on Substack as 'a platform'. This is obviously a lot to do with Substack's development as well, but some writers seem to be really leaning into it and relying on it, and sometimes wondering why it isn't working for them.
For me, Substack's always been a useful newsletter tool. That's why I started using it in the first place, and is the main reason I still use it. All the stuff around the edges is optional bonus material.
I'm writing the same stuff now that I was two years ago, and it's not that different to what I was writing 5 years ago before using Substack. Most of my readers probably don't know or care that I'm using Substack.
It certainly feels like a trap to start writing 'for Substack'. That's what leads to burnout, because you're writing for the platform and the system and inevitably end up trying to game it, somehow. I've certainly felt that temptation occasionally. The important thing for me is always to just come back to the writing, which I'd be doing regardless.
I don't really expect Substack 'the platform' to bring me readers (although that is happening, clearly), hence looking at external ways of attracting readers. More traditional methods, I suppose: good SEO, BookFunnel, possibly some paid stuff down the line. I don't bother with social media anymore as it doesn't seem to reall work anymore.
As for Notes - I'm still really enjoying it, and don't really see any of the 'Substack hustle how to make $$$' stuff. It's a very micro-community-focused network, so is probably highly dependent on who you happen to be following. For me, it still feels like a lovely writing group meet-up that I can dip into whenever I need some inspiration or to ask for feedback.
But yeah....Substack is still the best toolkit I've had as an online writer since I started writing properly around 2015. I do wonder if Substack's continuing emphasis on the big success stories is rather counter-intuitively discouraging people, though. I tend to hang out with new and mid-tier Substack writers, which is a lovely place to be. But constantly being reminded of the people earning $$$ or with lists of 100,000+ readers can make you feel like you're doing something 'wrong'.
Interesting perspective! If I'm not mistaken your "secret" is publishing consistently and just being present, isn't it? But I also think it's a chicken and egg situation - as you're quite active on Substack, and you are heard and seen, so it contributes to your visibility. This takes energy on your part. But I have a feeling you're not as scattered as I am lol. For one, I'm actually producing a lot more other content besides fiction and interacting mostly on Mastodon, while you are focused on Substack. I think the key word is focus, which I lack, which is lol the nature of my er, condition.
Yeah the success stories thing gets irritating after a while. I read to see what they did to succeed and immediately check out if they say they are a published author / have big social media presence blah blah. It doesn't give me useful tips beyond "be social media / literary famous".
PS: I do admit I do follow ONE substacker whose whole Substack is helping people succeed on Substack, but I so did not expect my feed to be populated by people of her ilk whom I did not even follow -_-
Yeah, I think I blocked some blatant self-promoters/hustle types that slipped through the net at the start of using Notes, and haven't really seen much since.
I just unfollowed that person. Hopefully my feed improves but I doubt it. I'm constantly shoved content from strangers. Not sure why.
The main feed is people you follow plus people they recommend/interact with, so you will see randomers popping up in that one.
Back in the day on Twitter I was always reluctant to unfollow/block/ban people, but have employed the hammer quite judiciously on Notes, which has resulted in a pretty nice experience. And I haven't needed to do that for months - it was mostly fine tuning at the start.
Yeah, I do stay pretty focused, which annoys me at times as I have so many other things I'd like to be trying. :) But I made that decision way back in 2015, long before Substack. I always used to flit between writing games, films, comics, novels etc, and never got anywhere with any of them. It only really clicked into place for me when I forced myself to only work on one thing at a time.
Outside of the newsletter - which I try to think of as 'my newsletter', rather than being 'a Substack', at least internally - I dip into Notes, but do make sure it's on my terms. I never scroll, for example - if something interesting isn't on the first screen and a half, I don't sit there trying to find something (as I used to on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). It feels like a healthier thing. Currently, that is. Could easily slip.
I wish I was as focused! My problem is I get bored so easily. If I write a story for too long I get bored with it and lose motivation to even finish it. It's been a constant problem for me. So I always need constant stimulation from something new and exciting. But you're right about focus. Recently I applied more focus to the shows I decide to watch and I find I finish way more shows in a more satisfactory way now. I doubt I can do it with fiction. To be very honest, I don't seem to get as much enjoyment from writing fiction than writing, say, drama reviews or reflections on current events. It often makes me wonder if I should quit writing fiction to give myself some peace.
Maybe write shorter works that don't require such long term focus? It's hard...I don't think I could do it if I didn't really love it. If reviews and essays are what gives you most joy, that sounds like that route to go?
Writing is hard!
Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if I should give up fiction, to be honest. Or maybe give up this scifi series I'm writing lol. But I'm a completist, so...
Sounds like a hard call to make. Is there a way you can perhaps wrap up the scifi series sooner than you'd planned? That way you can have it complete, but also move on to your preferred projects sooner rather than later...
Yeah, I discovered long ago that fiction is work (sometimes joyful, cackling work, but still work) and non-fiction is just talking on paper. So much of my online writing is nothing more than responding to what I've been reading, leveraging my weird science-nerd background for uncommon insights.
Awkwardly chiming in here cuz I just glommed onto that word “scattered.” In today’s media climate, I feel like I have to be a Swiss penknife of writer, social media strategist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur, etc etc etc. I relate to being “scattered.” It’s hard not to struggle with wanting to be everywhere and do everything at once. Personally, I’ve found having an accountability group of creators meeting weekly over Zoom has helped me by narrowing down some specific weekly goals. But the problems you alluded to are so real--especially the pressure to be reading and interacting on here all the time in order to gain readers.
My interactions are elsewhere and, frankly, I would probably do better if I were on Mastodon and/or BlueSky. But I'm tapped out for social media and Mastodon has such a damn steep learning curve that I just don't want to give it the energy. BlueSky...I want a desktop social media platform, not phone-based.
I can understand what you mean about learning curve. If you ever need help getting on Mastodon, let me know. I wouldn't call myself a pro, but I'm familiar with it. I find it a wonderful place to be with people as you can really tailor your feed to your needs. There are no algorithms there and no corporations call the shots. It's refreshing and I hope you'll give it a chance one day.
I really don't like Mastodon. I fall in that small percentage who can't move easily between servers--yes, we exist; yes, it's legitimate; there's something in configuration and if I have to work that hard to get on a platform it's not worth my time. The evangelical fervor of folx who love it also just plain makes me feel like it's a huge cult. I'm sorry but I've tried it multiple times and now just have an account to sit on my name there.
I also don't buy the "no algorithms and no corporations are wonderful" line. What happens is that things get determined by individual server owners and their prejudices, and...nope. If I wanted Usenet again, I'd go dig it out because it does still kinda exist. But I saw what "no corporations and no algorithms" produce. Not for me.
That's very true as well. I was once suspended when I tripped over some cultural value that my server held dear (and which I didn't even realise it was an offence due to me being non-American and clueless but oh well). But I like it most because I can control my experience. I found a nice bunch of people I just hang out with. I guess it depends on which server you land in and that's the sad thing - often it can be an unpleasant experience if you choose "incorrectly".
However, recently with the integration of Wordpress and the Fediverse you can literally turn your blog into a server/instance, so you can be free of the tyranny of the instance controlled by strangers. Lots of things need to be ironed out on that end, however, but I can totally see a future where each person's websites serves as an instance in the fediverse, fully controlled by the individual.
But no biggie, I totally understand your complaints. Mastodon is not for the faint-hearted and I have more tech knowledge than the average user and find it all exciting lol.
Yeah, I'm fairly tech-savvy but continually wrestling with a social media platform is not how I want to spend my time.
Yeah, I find all the new options far too exhausting a prospect to even think about. I don't really have an interest in 'social media' on a personal basis anymore. Notes works for me because it's intrinsically linked to my writing, and it's a group of a writers and artists I enjoy hanging out with. Feels purposeful in the way I interact with it.
The whole 'public town square' notion of social media seems odd to me now. I mean, it's not like I go and hang out in the actual town square in order to talk to random strangers. :)
My only problem with Notes is that it could disappear one day and there's no way to move my social network. I guess I'm a typical Mastodon user that values my ability to export my social graph lol
This is very true and definitely a bit of a problem. That said, most of the interactions I really value on Notes originate from newsletters, so even if Notes went away it wouldn't be a huge problem as I would still be reading their newsletters and have that as a way to keep in touch.
I try to think of Notes is as bonus thing on the side, rather than something to lean on.
Just wanted to throw my two cents in on this comment: As for Notes - I'm still really enjoying it, and don't really see any of the 'Substack hustle how to make $$$' stuff. It's a very micro-community-focused network, so is probably highly dependent on who you happen to be following. For me, it still feels like a lovely writing group meet-up that I can dip into whenever I need some inspiration or to ask for feedback.
I agree 100%. I immediately unfollow and in many cases have blocked the many Substack people who post the clickbaity "how to make $$$ if you pay me X for my course" people. Notes is such a lovely place without them in it. Although, I will often take a peak over there for inspiration on what I can poach to then offer on my own Substack for free, since 100% of that "pay me for my advice" nonsense are things easily shared and taught for nothing and I never like the idea of trying to get money from people who are also trying to earn a living. It's one thing to get money from people wanting to read fiction (as we all pay for books for that level of entertainment) but it makes my stomach turn to see people paying money in the hopes of using that free knowledge to earn money as well.... (off the soap box I jump...)
I think you don't see the hustle stuff because it's pretty much the same group you're part of. I'm on the fringes of the same group and have withdrawn in recent months for various reasons, which allows me to see it more clearly. And as different groups start promoting their members, it really does start feeling clique-y.
It does feel clique-y lol. Especially when they promote each other's content. It's just a weird feeling lol
I'm really curious to know what you're defining as the 'group' I'm part of, Joyce! Without wanting to name any names, of course! Intriguing.
The networking around Substack's features feels very informal to me and relaxed - which is why I always think of it as being like a writing group meet-up. You don't have to go to the meet-ups every time, but it's nice to see people when you do go. That's what popping onto Notes feels like to me.
From the start, though, Notes has seemed quite peculiar, in that everyone seems to have a very unique experience to them. Which can sometimes be good, and sometimes be bad.
Haha the cool kids club, of course! It's a circle of writers who have prominence on Substack. I do feel like if I join the conversation, it feels like "butting in" and since most seem to promote each other's content, I wasn't sure if I'm supposed to chime in and say "yes, such a good read!" but it feels like brown nosing.
It really does feel weirdly off-putting.
To me, anyway.
But I'm sure that's not your intention at all and it's just your private circle and you're enjoying each other's company.
Maybe our problem is that we haven't found our "gang" yet, and being an outsider in a social network full of cliques is hard.
I'm slightly horrified, TBH! 🤣 As someone who has never been 'cool', has studiously avoided cliques from a young age and has always felt generally like I don't entirely fit in, it's quite peculiar and uncomfortable to realise that other people see me as part of a cliquey group.
There's definitely lots of interesting people using Substack. I read a lot of newsletters and see some people around Notes. It all feels quite fluid to me...but if it's coming across as a closed-walls group then that's not ideal.
I'm going to have to think hard on this one. :)
Well, I somewhat feel out of the loop in Fictionistas anymore. In part because the meetings never happen at a good time for me. And if I'm opening up Notes to see a big conversation about building up subscriber count, and fretting about subscriber count...that is NOT what I am here for. Frankly, I could care less about subscriber count, because for me what counts is whether readers are interested in my writing and whether they will click through to buy my books. I don't want to monetize my Substack; I don't want to read a bunch of conservative political blatherings, and at this point, I'm rolling my eyes at a lot of writer dialogue because it is all about monetizing and optimizing Substack, and that's not what I want to do.
It also doesn't help that I look at one big name writing theorist who always writes super-long posts with this editorial urge to hack and slash and cut their words back to about a quarter of what they're putting out. They're just that repetitive, and I feel their work would be more impactful without the length. Except, of course, they're applying marketing principles to their work and they'd fight if I even halfway suggested it (and they're somewhat prescriptionist about These Are The Writing Rules. I've been around the writing game long enough to see the fallacies in their assertions). Or when I look at the work of another big name writer praised for their quantity of fiction (and, again, their prescriptionist assertions about writing) and go--"meh. Not that good."
I suppose I could beat my chest more. However, what I keep thinking is that once again, those of us who are solid, workhorse, midlist writers who are not necessarily writing to trend are getting screwed over. It's a trend that I keep seeing over and over since I was a new writer in the '90s, and yes, there is a particular trend toward who keeps getting sidelined. Older female writers who don't have trendy things happening in their lives. It says nothing at all about the quality of their work and everything about their demographics.
I guess it depends on who you follow as Simon and Elle insists, but honestly I get shoved strangers' posts so I don't know. I get what you mean by political rants and all that subscriber count nonsense - that's the hustle posts I keep getting. And then all that talk about producing constantly ahhhhh
It feels like a lot of pressure. Thing is, I don't get that kind of pressure on Mastodon because I weed them out using their very aggressive filters lol. I love that ability. Substack doesn't give me that control so I'm forced to look at these posts when all I want is to see posts from Simon , Elle etc.
TBH I've never really had any success with connecting to writing groups etc as I feel like it's unavoidable that people end up talking about sales, numbers and prodcutivity. I don't know any writers who are not obsessed about these.
I find what you say about midlist writers and trends interesting. I'm the same. I never wrote to trend. I couldn't even if I tried. Very few fiction writing on Substack truly interest me as a reader because I'm extremely picky. And I feel almost guilty for not giving people the chance. But I realise I have an extremely particular taste right now ... and now it's not Americana stuff basically.
I don't mind talking about craft and productivity, but there's a different feel to the Medium-esque "this is how you do well on Substack" stuff I'm seeing. The groups I hang with spend a lot of time talking about works-in-progress and craft more than marketing and sales.
I've been writing off and on since the late '80s, and consistently since the late '00s. That's enough to spot trends. Eleven years ago I went to a convention panel featuring a Big Name New York Editor who edited the Guest of Honor at that convention, and that person was a Really Big Name. Several of my friends--all writers, all middle-aged, some tradpub midlist, some small press, some selfpub. We listened to Big Name Editor talk and...ALL of us walked out saying "New York doesn't want us."
It was just that obvious. BNE was looking for quirky stuff but it was very much a specific type of quirky that required being in tune with specific subcultures. Also very focused on youth.
I'm somewhat like you about fiction on Substack. Too much of it is either trendy, superficial, striving to be literary, or trying too hard to be quirky. I like a couple of flash writers but a little bit of flash goes a long ways for me.
Getting rid of inane ultra-right ranting has been the main use of the block features on Notes - that's not something I read, and it did creep in at the start of Notes. Since blocking a couple of people I haven't seen any of that since, though.
Discussion around subscriber counts and tactics I don't mind myself, but completely understand why that might not be of interest. For me it's all part of the puzzle of being a writer and learning how to find readers - pre-internet the equivalent would have been exchanging tips about magazines and agents.
As for people being prescriptive about Writing Rules....that's a quick indicator that they probably don't know what they're talking about.
But yeah, it certainly sounds like Notes isn't matching what you want to read. Maybe be a bit freer with the ban/block powers?
Good roundup and my experience has been largely similar, though I don't see hustle posts on Notes. Notes seems very localised and I have to purposefully go out of my way to see beyond my bubble.
I have no idea how to monetise fiction either. So far the backlog strategy hasn't garnered conversions for me and come the new year I will likely try a new strategy. On the other hand I don't push it has hard as I could/should beyond an afterword on posts, I'm sure SubStack is doing more than I am in this regard.
I agree the US focus can be vexing at times and outside of fiction I mostly follow British and Euro writers (or try to) (though plenty of them also trend towards US stuff). The biggest problem I have is timezones. I'm rarely awake for the evening Notes crowd and miss tonnes of conversations which I do think is a limiter on growth.
With seasons I am conscious of not wanting to miss days or weeks of posting but also have a break (of sorts) between each one. The idea is a season is 12ish weeks but a serial story is 10 weeks/chapters long. The last 2 Thursdays of a season are for Afterwords and an essay/announcing the next season, hopefully giving me a break, the audience a breather, but not disrupting the flow. Tuesday short stories would continue though that's all gone a little weird for me at the moment with two serials on the go.
I may be more of a lurker when reading but I hope you stay on SubStack whether it's consistent or sporadic.
We may have no control over the features released, but we can decide which we use and which we don’t.
I’m beginning to think Substack isn’t the right platform lately. Especially when it involves an infinite feed, like Facebook, which I have left.
Am starting to think the same after Notes 😅
To that point, I find selecting Followers rather than Explore gives me a better quality of feed. Explore seems to bring up more of the posts related to the ummm undesirable elements that have fired up others. Yet I came here from Facebook, to avoid the dramatics there. So it's good to be able to filter things on SubStack.
I try that but it keeps going back to the explore feed! It is extremely annoying
PS: Basically I keep forgetting that it's default at Explore, and I need to select Followers, and by the time I realise it, I'm already slammed with something that makes me angry lol
haha! Yes, there is that flaw to my plan ;)
Hi Elizabeth! There's a small but mighty internationally minded group on here that I've been trying to track. if you go to this post and look at the comments, it helps: https://pronetohyperbole.substack.com/p/my-bunny-is-a-cat?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Thanks for this. I too find it disheartening at times! You really have to put in SO much work... a lot more than people think!
I read through your post and all these comments because Simon put it in Notes and also because I feel all these things. I launched a month ago, so your number of subscribers seems like a dream come true. In the past month, I’ve asked myself if Substack is a “get rich quick” scheme. My husband encouraged me to see it as a library for my work instead of a book store. So I can tell people I meet in real life, Hey, you can read my stuff on Substack. This helped me lower my expectations. I have up social media years ago, and I have been so much happier. So why would I start using it again? Will I get sucked into it and forget why I love writing? I decided to give it a year, which is why I loved reading your one-year perspective.
This is definitely a good perspective to have. Another substacker describes her space as a "cosy, safe space" - that gives me a more comforting feeling too.
Treating it like a library instead of a book store is a great perspective and a humble reminder that at the end of the day, as much as I would like to grow here and earn money, I came here to write because I love it and want to build a portfolio I can show when needed. Thank you for that reminder!
Yes.
I'm 100% on that one.
Some days, I even wonder if I should leave the place, but it's almost irrelevant as I barely write here at the moment, mostly by lack of time and energy.
But the "not being on my own platform" + the US centric atmosphere + the general feeling of hustle is starting to slowly pushing me out of the door, especially now that Wordpress is developing its own newsletter system.
Glad there are some who share my views about the general feeling of hustle and US centric athmosphere. It does make me seem mean towards Americans, which is not my intention, but lord I want some variety desperately.
I don't think it's mean to remind Americans that they're not the only people in the world. It's actually good for them.
Lol you have a point 😄
It doesn't work. They still think they're the only country in the world. Except when they become aware of a country they vigorously believe doesn't warrant American support.
I was recently thinking that I see 90% UK writers on here!
Hi Elizabeth,
I feel your pain! It's hard to earn attention (feels hard right now anyway.)
After my 6 subscriber start, which was a rush honestly, I have tapered off. Haven't grown in months I don't think.
I agree: finding ways to engage with other writers and their commenters is important to bring people back to you. Am working on that.
Question: do you ever feel like "how in the world do I keep up with so many writers??" And keep writing myself??
I enjoyed your perspective! Thank you for sharing what you've learned!
I feel the same! There's so much amazing stuff here, that it's hard to keep up as it is, and sometimes I just have to tune it out in order to be able to write my own.
Yes, it's hard to do - the tuning out. I find that with every person I connect with, I find someone else so interesting that I want to follow/subscribe to the work they are doing! A never ending story. By the way, thanks for following and subscribing! I really appreciate it! 🙏
Every little bit helps. I am still very new to substack, getting the hang of it now though. I started with 13, friends and family, and I grew so fast, just from commenting on notes, subscribing widely and interacting with other people on their content. I read somewhere that it's about making yourself visible. That's what's worked for me. A bit of work, but worth it for the confidence boost and the encouragement. I hope you pick up a bit in the near future too. Best of luck.
What great ideas you've shared Jenny! Thank you so much. :) And thank you for sharing your humble beginnings story - that's so encouraging! Takeaway: subscribe and interact widely! :) Noted!
I totally agree about Substack's search capabilities. I thought using tags would actually work. Even with the tags I place, my posts still don't come up. Is there a reason for that? A simple search on Substack should pull up posts with that tag. Or am I missing something? I feel like, that's the least Substack could do.
I post almost every day and have a very small audience; teeny, tiny. I've attracted only two new subscribers after 3 months on the platform. I'm okay with the pace though. I love writing and while the extra income would be nice, I have a career that I love and depend on for income. That's why I don't even bother to ask for pay to subscribe. I don't want to alienate the few subscribers I have.
I am disappointed that there is an algorithm. All social media algorithms suck, as far as I can see. With Facebook, which I deactivated, I was seeing the same friends' posts over and over.... for years. Incredibly boring. I thought the whole point of having 1000+ friends was to see a wide variety of content. Not the same stuff day after day. Why is using "real time" such a taboo?
Just want to say that I went through your two Substacks and that you have such a unique voice and shine a light on a much-not-shared topic - the politics of African nations and Black culture. I love what you wrote and have added them to my RSS feed :) I loved that video of 1920s Palestine. I remember watching an Israeli say that Palestine was just dust and dessert and the Palestines didn't know what to do with that land - exactly what you said. I knew that didn't sound right because I read a book way back in the 1990s where a Palestinian described a vibrant place where his family thrived.
Thanks Elizabeth! So awesome of you! You definitely made my day!
Really interesting insights that all really hit home. Social media in 2023 for me is using way too many platforms and none effectively, while struggling to find time to focus on the actual message.
what you wrote here "struggling to find time to focus on the actual message" really hit home with me, especially for someone like me who gets burned out easily when too much on social media. I have to make hard choices on what I can do and on which platform. Substack is making me make that hard choice.
This. Exactly.
Thanks for your thoughts. I consider myself an amateur writer and always will. It has never been my intention to 'make it' but having said it is still frustrating as a newbie to be noticed. It might be that my work is not wanting to be read, but generally I do feel like the Invisible man 😁
I see you and I've followed you via RSS. What an interesting concept you have for your Substack!
OMG, Subtstacks have RSS feeds!!!! I never thought about it. Elizabeth you saved my life (or at least my inbox!!!) I won't need to actually stop reading all the newsletters I only occasionnaly read and I'm currentlu unsubscribing from.
Thank you so much.
Apparently it may have one for Notes too? Stumbled on this: https://openrss.org/blog/substack-rss-feeds
If there's one for Notes it'll make it infinitely more bearable for me.
I don't really use Notes. It feels even more echo chamber than all the echo chambers I'm already using.
But good to know, just in case.
There is a rare writer or two that shares valuable gems. I'm trying to figure out a way to use it in a way that benefits people but to be honest, unless Notes has automation features I won't have the bandwidth for that. I have far too much fun on Mastodon and Reddit (yes that hellhole)
Thanks Elizabeth, What is RSS?
In the olden days that's what social media looked like. We plug a blog's RSS to a "reader" and it appears like a news feed. It's a very economical and palatable way to consume information. Here's some info: https://openrss.org/blog/substack-rss-feeds
Thanks Elizabeth
This is all true, though I would add that everyone who has “klout” got there by starting at zero and working hard.
Yes, you do have to work hard if you want Substack to be your job (this is true of any creative field) but there are also other meaningful uses for writing a newsletter that don’t require working hard or having a big following. I kept a blog on the side of my job for years as a creative outlet, never writing more than six posts a year.
And yes, fiction is hard no matter where it’s published. People just don’t read it and it doesn’t make money. And you’re right that the “how I make money posts” are all over notes, but I don’t subscribe to any of them so I never see them in my feed.
Like you, I’m also not enjoying notes. I use it to share the things I’m reading and loving but I rarely read it. I’m here for the long form!
I mean, I totally agree with you, but I think we need to make it clear that those with existing klout do get a massive leg up. You are one of the rare cases I know that built from ground zero on Substack and it has been interesting to watch.
But I definitely do not have the mental bandwidth to do what you did lol
As for fiction, agree. I have to rethink my mindset about fiction on Substack. Maybe not as a way to earn income but as a way to be consistent with fiction writing and earn some pennies on the side :P
Started from zero, but not necessarily on Substack. A lot of the bigger names, started elsewhere and moved here, so many of them already had a following from published books or journalism. It's a big bonus for us smallfry as it's more eyes on Substack in general, but makes it hard to get noticed if you're starting here from scratch. But I'm sure you know all about that. It is disheartening though to have someone 'just launched' with a couple thousand subs, and also to see that fiction doesn't get the attention it deserves.
As someone who is still fairly new to Substack, I appreciate reading your observations here. I have never heard about the idea of writing seasonally or only having archived posts be behind a paywall so they can be temporarily free for new readers beforehand. I will think about these ideas in case I ever need to use them in the future.
I especially resonate with what you shared about Substack being US centered. I have often found it ironic how non-US based people like us are willing to read US based stuff but we don’t often get the same level of excitement in return from US based audiences for our country-specific content.
My so far small but hopefully growing small batch subscribers are a mix of Dubai-based people who follow me from my professional therapist Instagram page or those I know personally, and people I know personally and professionally when I used to live in Boston for a decade, as well as US and UK based people I virtually met via London Writers’ Salon where I completed a 4-week Substack sprint. I find that the US and UK people who most connected with me either had experiences living abroad or connect with my newsletter’s topic about belonging or being othered on a certain level.
Oh jeez Klout! I had forgotten about that!
Great post. I especially love #15, as an American who has left America, lived in multiple countries, and has written extensively in the past about different cultural experiences, people, values, and this is largely what I plan to write about soon---YES! Give us alternative outside the American complex. 1000% agree. I don't want to read about things from conventional American perspectives, I'm sick of it, there's a whole world out there.
Awesome post. I agree with sooo much of it. And weird, I’ve also been on substack for a year and I literally just realized it today when I was looking at old posts! The thing I’ve learned is to not get overwhelmed by all the pressure to get the likes and comments and all that. I pick and choose what I engage with and what matters to me. I use notes to amplify other ppls stories. The posts that have gotten the most engagement have to do with marketing (aka my experience with substack or what I learned from my memoir writing classes). Most recently it’s been sharing other ppls stories. 🤩 thanks for sharing and happy one year.