🎧 44. Should Writers Be on Substack?
Substack isn't good or bad, it's just a tool that didn't exist before—which can be both exciting and overwhelming
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Notes on Episode 44: Ever since Substack came on the scene, writers have flocked to the platform which claims to be a social media alternative that supports writers getting paid for their work. But is it something all authors should use? If you’re Substack curious, trying to decide whether or not to host your newsletter here, or just want some thoughtful ways to think through the decision, don’t miss this episode.
A few highlights:
What Substack is (and isn’t)
Pros and cons of using the platform
Deciding when to turn on paid subscriptions
Soulful questions to mull over as you decide where to show up online
How running a paid Substack is impacting my decision to use it now
Linkable mentions:
Off the Grid: To Substack or Not to Substack?
Why Substack Is Terrible for Creators (old article)
I’ve been writing a newsletter in some shape or form for almost twelve years. When I got started back in 2012, Substack didn’t exist. Neither did Flodesk or ConvertKit. As I reckon with whether or not I want to move my newsletter ecosystem over to this platform, I’m offering some thought experiments in case you’re having the same conversation with yourself and trying to discern whether or not Substack is the place for you.
Please share your questions and thoughts in the comments! This episode is a mere 30 minutes long, which is to say, a drop in the bucket when it comes to tackling every angle of this topic.
What I’m excited about:
It’s free! The low barrier to entry makes it very appealing, especially if you’re not selling products or services regularly and don’t need the robust features of other services.
Substack makes money from paid subscriptions (they take 10%) as opposed to advertising like on Facebook and Instagram.
The blog/newsletter hybrid opportunities, as well as the potential to create community by engaging with comments.
No algorithms! When you create a new post, it goes straight to your subscriber’s inbox, which makes it more likely that they’ll see it, read it, and engage with it.
What gives me pause:
It’s not technically a social media platform, but with options like threads and notes, it might start feeling like one.
Getting paid for your work sounds simple in theory, but maintaining a paid newsletter might feel restrictive, or a responsibility you don’t want at the moment.
Fewer options for customizing the look and feel of your newsletters.
No tagging features that allow you to only email a segment of your list beyond free or paid subscribers.
Substack is public. Unlike a newsletter that lives in inboxes, it’s published online like a blog.
Let’s chat!
What are your Substack thoughts? Do you have a Substack? Are you thinking about starting one? Do you have a newsletter elsewhere? Are you conflicted about anything?
All thoughts, feelings, and questions are welcome.
✍️ Nicole Gulotta is the author of WILD WORDS and the literary cookbook EAT THIS POEM. She helps sensitive writers embrace the season they're in, create at their own pace, and care for their minds and bodies along the way.
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I’ll be listening to this episode too Nicole! As a reader, I’ve done a similar thing with filtering my Substack emails into folders so it’s manageable. As a writer, I’ve changed my Substack 3 times! Fine tuning my focus and creative process. I prefer it to blogging because as Stacy said, you don’t feel like you’re publishing into the void. The main reason I’ve got a Substack is because I want to write shorter pieces (shorter than a book) and go through the process of creating and publishing, and dealing with everything that comes up during that process! It’s growing me!
Perfect timing! I'm eager to listen to this one in particular Nicole -- not from the perspective of "should I start a Substack" but as a consumer of Substacks. Overnight every single writer I admire has a Substack and it's so overwhelming I find myself wanting to avoid the whole medium. (As another writer friend said, it feels like suddenly the universe opened up a new firehose and turned on the water full blast aimed right at me!) How to find the middle ground and neither avoid nor drown in Substack; that's what's hard to figure out. It's a familiar struggle, right? With so much great content out there, when does one do her own writing? Not to mention reading poetry collections, novels, etc. etc. Where's the balance? ;) So again, thanks for this and excited to listen.