What Substack Really Is Like

Pleasant and Uncomfortable Truths about Substack Experience

Both a blessing and a curse Substack has changed the writing landscape to a degree when traditional medieval powerhouses and publishers alike have to regard its influence.

It has, beyond doubt, changed the game both for established writers and neophytes and launched debates as to the nature of the change.

Those writers who have intuited the way to ride this wave to their undoubted benefit sing praises to the ‘Substack Gods’. But those to whom the algorithm works in mysterious ways are shooting mag-fuls into the dark, hoping for at least one of their posts to go viral.

Both camps have established writers and newbies as their members, which goes to show you really never can tell.

Lady Luck is a capricious bitch?

Substack success doesn’t seem to have anything to do with traditional writing experience. You can write masterpieces and still remain invisible to the algorithm. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what kind of writing really takes off.

I have read hundreds of posts on Substack and have seen pure plain mediocrity score tens of thousands of likes while gemstones remained neglected on the sidelines. The opposite is also true though.

There are Substackers whose posts I never miss and am awfully pleased to see their audience grow to tens of thousands. Such newsletters give me hope that good sincere writing will always prevail.

Do you promote and tell?

During my 14 months on Substack I have followed every tip I came across in terms of promoting my writing and reaching a wider audience.

It has recently become a mauvais ton to say that one wants more subscribers. Despite that I will go even further and say that simply to have more subscribers isn’t enough for me. This isn’t my Substack goal. My ultimate goal is together as many subscribers as I can who read my writing!

Recently I have shared a note in which I expressed dissatisfaction that my posts were opened only by 12-14% of my subscribers. A lot of people rushed to chastise me, alluding to my lack of gratitude. Those of you who have been with me long enough know how unfair it is to assume I’m not grateful for my subscribers. Time and time again I expressed how lucky I am that so many people have pledged to read what I write, that your subscribes, likes, comments and even silent reads make me keep going here on Substack. Also those of you who have been with me long enough know that I know and respect my audience and always interact with them. I answer all DMs and comments or at least try to, failing only when I have nothing to say.

But another thing that bugs me even more is: why people get so offended that writers want more people to read them? Isn’t that the reason why we publish our writing in the first place?

I remember all of the stories that changed my life, transformed me into a different person. I am so happy I came across them and got to experience the writing. Those stories were written by authors who worked hard to share them with the world. This is what I want to do. Have always wanted. My whole life. This is why I’m working my fingers to the bone to give myself more opportunities to write so that I could share my stories and maybe one day change someone else’s life as well. In order to do that I need to keep reaching wider audience and there is no shame in that.

I don’t want a sub for sub. I don’t want subscribers who don’t read my writing. I want people to subscribe because they feel they can benefit from what I’ve got to share.

In case you were suspecting hypocrisy on my part — I read everyone I’ve subscribed to. Sometimes it takes me a while to get to all of the posts but I do get to them! Those newsletters whose writing no longer resonates with me I unsubscribe from — I believe it’s more honest this way.

The seat never cools down, find someone to keep it warm for you

Algorithm has an alarmingly short memory. When I fell ill and couldn’t physically write for a couple of weeks, it set me back for months in exposure. The Algorithm doesn’t forgive though it does forget. It doesn’t recognise weakness or illness. Even smaller misdemeanours, like not checking in for a day or two, because your life demanded your full attention, may result in your being ignored by everyone except your most devoted subscribers.

And here is my tip — for what it’s worth — always, always try to become part of real community. Become, not ‘build’. I have said it before and will say it again — one cannot singlehandedly build a community. A tiny authoritative state — maybe, a community — never.

People build and make communities. Together. No matter how inspiring you are to your readers, you need them as much as they need you to build a community. Never forget that.

When you start noticing the same names in your Activity bar over and over again, you know you are building something of importance, since it makes people show up on a regular basis.

It might sound cheesy but I wouldn’t exchange one of my caring subscribers for a thousand that have seen my newsletter only once on the day they subscribed.

The ultimate punishment of finding a niche

One of the tips that keeps bugging me until this very day is the advice to find your niche.

Some authors thrive in one genre circling the same topics over and over. It worked for Agatha Christie, for Ernest Hemingway, made a genre almost synonymous with the name of Tolkien. But who’s to say they haven’t had any other interests?

If they had a Substack and weren’t forced to promote their writing, I seriously doubt they would restrict their writing to one topic only, so why should we?

Terry Pratchett — the king of humorous fantasy managed to populate his Discworld universe not only with most variable characters imaginable but also raise the topics from politics and social issues to publishing, banking and cinema.

Remember Joan Didion almost everyone on Substack seems to worship? She was nothing is not a versatile writer. Take any of her essay collections and behold a multifaceted quilt woven from American realities and topics Joan found curious to investigate.

If you can’t change the world, change Substack

Having said all that though, I should mention one of the most important things I’ve discovered during 14 months on Substack — we can influence the shape it takes.

Consider Substack like any other product you are a consumer of — because being a platform it is, after all, a product — you, as a consumer can currency-vote and here your currency is your attention, the time and effort you devote to building your presence on this platform.

Don’t consume the posts and notes you find lacking, mute the content you believe has nothing to offer you but keeps spamming your feed — yes, it’s that easy!

Instead read those whom you believe to be offering quality writing, support them, subscribe to them, leave likes and comments, even the ones that say ‘Great piece!’ if you don’t have anything else to say.

I have read a lot of times when people say that they always read works by their favourite creators but rarely like or comment. I’m reading and that’s what matters, — they reason.

Well, it isn’t enough.

First of all you don’t let the writer know their work matters. It is difficult to keep writing into the void.

It is disheartening to work on a post for days to get 5 likes and 0 comments after the post has been published for a week or two and it’s not like it’s going to get more traction in the following weeks — it isn’t! It’s going to be shoved into the archive by Substack to remain there forgotten by everyone save for its author who will attempt to revive it by pulling it out of obscurity and referring to it on their page, mostly in vain.

It is hard to be on the writing side of the screen and not to lose hope and keep publishing, starting a conversation no one cares about enough to leave a single reply.

It’s like with romantic love — the person you admire shouldn’t be left guessing about your affections, otherwise, left in the dark for too long, they will get up and leave for elsewhere, where they will find someone who won’t be afraid to tell then how great they are and how much they mean.

Secondly, algorithm does need that additional push. Mere reading isn’t enough for it to deem the post attention-worthy and start showing it to more and more people. By not interacting with a post you don’t signal much interest and rob it of its chance to be seen by other people.

Jealousy doesn’t become you

Don’t gatekeep. Your page isn’t a holy altar not to be sullied by any thoughts other than your own — restock quotes and whole posts.

This isn’t just promotion — it is helping the writer to kick off the conversation they were so desperate to begin. It is letting your readers know what else you are interested in except for what you write about. It is also making them acquainted with other magnificent writers — you aren’t mean and small enough to gatekeeper out of fear of competition, I hope.

Act towards others the way you hope one day to be treated. I invite you to my page to confirm that I practise what I preach.

Substack is what we make it. The algorithm won’t keep promoting something no one is interested in, so help yourselves and others by showing what you want to see.

I’m sure you have observed other curiosities during your stay on Substack and would love to hear what you have noticed and what you make of your experience on Substack. Don’t be a stranger and share your impressions in the comments — now that you know how much it actually means.