On June 2nd, I'll have been here one year. I don't write anything political, financial, sports related, or cultural. I write fiction. I write short stories and have recently dipped my quill into the idea of writing a "serial" novel. I don't have a lot of followers. I have 163, hoping maybe I can reach 200 by June 2nd. I don't think that's going to happen. But still, I'm almost at the point where I'm picking up one subscriber a day. Do I think I should have more? Of course. But fiction writing is a lot different than political commentary, or dishing out little cultural tid-bits people seem to eat up. The bottom line always comes down to the writing, though.
I like Substack. I like what it offers, and the possibilities seem endless. I also like the fact that it's not too old and established; it allows me the opportunity to grow with it. Will I ever make it to the point where I get a little checkmark beside my name? I don't know, but I'm determined to make it. I understand that I have to be here for the long haul; I don't mind that, either. What I WOULD like, is someone with a large following to recommend me; someone with a large following to give me a little boost--something we'd all like.
Notes is great for getting yourself out there, and while the first month of its existence brought me at least 20-30 subscribers, things have slowed down. Is that because of something I've done? I doubt it. I'm still trying to figure things out as to how I can get the word out there. I'm still looking for that one viral post that will tell people: "Hey, check this guy out. He's got some pretty cool stories." Being the little guy isn't so bad, though. I was the little guy when I started my work career. (I'm a Blue-Collar man--I mean was.) I ended up on the top of the seniority list by the time I retired. It took 45 years though. I don't have that kind of time left. I'm 65 now. I'm willing to give myself twenty years. After that, well, I'll be 85, won't I?
What I do like, however, is that I get to write. I get to create stories that appeal to me. I don't have to worry about length restrictions; I don't have to wait 6 months for a response after submitting to a magazine. I know a lot of people here don't know anything about the Mau Mau, but my brothers used to scare the fuck out of me telling me they were hiding in the bushes, waiting for me. They were the new "boogey Man". But I like to challenge myself as a writer, and if I get an audience that reads me faithfully, I figure I'm doing okay. I've got 150 readers I'm following. I try to do what I can by recommending them. If nobody wants to help me, that's fine. I'm just one of the "little" guys. But there are so many other "little" guys out there that have been here for 2-3 years and have just as many followers as I do. If I keep putting out posts that are well received, I know I'll eventually succeed, but then, success means different things to different people...
I have a paid section, but only 7 subscriptions. I ask people to make donations. You can sign up for a month and then unsubscribe if you want. If you want to stay on the FREE page, do so. I don't fret over the readers that unsubscribe. The ones that stay with me are the one I want.
It's no fun being the "little" guy, but I tell myself not to let it get me down.
I feel the same way. I sent an email to the address listed in Dan Stone's post since "we’re here to help you explore independence," but haven't heard back. My career ended as an editoral reporter with the local newspaper when it was sold to a large media corp. I've got my Substack built and ready to go but where do I even begin? In my email, I said that I understand they're looking for big names to promote Substack and I'm not that, but I'd still appreciate a reply to explore my independence as stated in the post. As of right now, I'm working off of this, https://on.substack.com/p/start-media-biz .
In other news (har har har), I've seen little guys repeatedly do amazing and important work throughout my career but I fear I won't see it here if Substack isn't willing to give little guys the opportunity to prove themselves. They could be sitting on a gold mine and not even know it.
I haven't used bandcamp but is there a difference in a "browse" vs "subscribe" business model? Substack would like you to find authors that you are interested in paying over an extended period of time.
As a reader my initial impression was that substack was _very_ top-heavy. Notes has introduced me to a number of newsletters (including this one) that I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise, but I'm also very quickly running up against the limit of the amount of text I want to read in a day -- and I'm not quite sure how to decide which are worth a paying subscription.
There's definitely going to be a process of helping set expectations for readers.
I saw a comment during the last week, and reposted a couple of times, on Notes, that lifting some boats lifts all boats. It immediately stuck me as a warm sentiment, with the same logic as trickle down economics.
With a very different business model and mission, I'm sure it's true for Bandcamp, because they've decided to lift the little boats in order to lift all. It's not a semantic, or splitting hairs, difference in commercial philosophy.
I well understand the commercial imperative for Substack, the highly lucrative stacks subsidize the little stacks, and the stacks that are deliberately free subscriptions. I'm just not sure that's sustainable, if thousands of the little stacks aren't able to contribute by bringing in what would amount to significant cumulative revenue flow, what happens to sustainability if readership growth isn't out pacing the ever increasing number of Substacks being created. Does anyone know if readers are growing at a greater velocity than the growth of stacks?
I have to admit that I've been very slow in coming to the understanding that Substack is aiming to be a substitute for MSM,. I'd hazzard a guess that only a small percentage of stack publishers are journalists. I gather that's the imbalance they want to correct, or over-correct. I don't know what that meant for every other stack writers.
Considering how frequently you slam Substack and its managers, often by name, I'm a little surprised that something like 25% of the posts in my feed are by you. Clearly you've got a shit ton of bandwidth available to you and you use it. I admire the breadth of your interests. I have often thought that you must be a fast typist, though.
As for myself, I have barely two dozen followers, all acquired since late February. I write irregularly because I'm a full-time caregiver and the needs of my darling wife come before anything else. I write in between them. I write on Substack because I MUST write, and Substack lets me do so serially and episodically. I have things to say and saying them to myself alone cramps my style. There's a word for that. If only one or two readers really appreciate my writing, my ideas, and frankly a long lifetime filled with some pretty extraordinary experiences, I'll feel rewarded. I'm not here to score checkmarks. I'm old. I won't live long enough to write all the books in my head. But in between the 15 daily alarms on my iPhone to administer medication I can eke out some of it.
Having been a network TV programmer, a theatre producer, and a performing arts CEO, I don't expect the platform to favor me or do the work for me. I'm accustomed to the market deciding what rises and what doesn't. And I'm not infallible. During pilot season one year at CBS I advised against green-lighting a buddy comedy set in a war zone, since I thought that Vietnam fatigue would sink it. But MASH did pretty well.
Anyway, here's where I line up with Ben. I come here to write. I have to write. I NEED to write. Substack gives me the unfettered ability to do so. If people read what I write and like it, so much the better. I'm not expecting to make a living out of it. I don't even have paid subs set up. I just don't want to be shouting into the void. It's kinda like prayer, I guess - I want to believe that there's someone out there listening.
Substack is a more economically efficient platform for writers than readers. My decades-long subscriptions to Atlantic and New Yorker give me access to hundreds of the best minds, most challenging ideas, and often transcendent writing on the planet. If I had to pay $50 a year for each one of those voices ... I wouldn't. I happily pay $50 to subscribe to Joyce Vance because she explains the legal environment we're living in better than anyone else. And I'll follow Tim Mak because there's no substitute for frontline reporting. (I used to work around guys like Morely Safer.) These voices are worth it to me.
If you write stuff I can't live without I'll pay for it. But so far your kvetching about Substack feels like biting the hand ... We can insist that Substack not censor our work. I just don't think that they owe you - or me an audience. We have to earn those on our own.
Oh yeah, Noah. I wasn't recommending him (apart from his book, Empire of Illusion, which has a lot going for it.) I was just saying that he's an example of a bomb thrower who's achieved some level of prominence in a world that's disposed to be hostile to him. Actually, once he stopped being a decent war correspondent, he became a jerk.
I haven't really started sharing much of my remarkable - often accidental - life yet. Lots of it has to do with the amazing number of artists with whom my jobs put me into the same space from time to time. Including luminaries like Tennessee Williams, Aaron Copland, and Cher. LOL. Where else can you put those three on the same list?
On June 2nd, I'll have been here one year. I don't write anything political, financial, sports related, or cultural. I write fiction. I write short stories and have recently dipped my quill into the idea of writing a "serial" novel. I don't have a lot of followers. I have 163, hoping maybe I can reach 200 by June 2nd. I don't think that's going to happen. But still, I'm almost at the point where I'm picking up one subscriber a day. Do I think I should have more? Of course. But fiction writing is a lot different than political commentary, or dishing out little cultural tid-bits people seem to eat up. The bottom line always comes down to the writing, though.
I like Substack. I like what it offers, and the possibilities seem endless. I also like the fact that it's not too old and established; it allows me the opportunity to grow with it. Will I ever make it to the point where I get a little checkmark beside my name? I don't know, but I'm determined to make it. I understand that I have to be here for the long haul; I don't mind that, either. What I WOULD like, is someone with a large following to recommend me; someone with a large following to give me a little boost--something we'd all like.
Notes is great for getting yourself out there, and while the first month of its existence brought me at least 20-30 subscribers, things have slowed down. Is that because of something I've done? I doubt it. I'm still trying to figure things out as to how I can get the word out there. I'm still looking for that one viral post that will tell people: "Hey, check this guy out. He's got some pretty cool stories." Being the little guy isn't so bad, though. I was the little guy when I started my work career. (I'm a Blue-Collar man--I mean was.) I ended up on the top of the seniority list by the time I retired. It took 45 years though. I don't have that kind of time left. I'm 65 now. I'm willing to give myself twenty years. After that, well, I'll be 85, won't I?
What I do like, however, is that I get to write. I get to create stories that appeal to me. I don't have to worry about length restrictions; I don't have to wait 6 months for a response after submitting to a magazine. I know a lot of people here don't know anything about the Mau Mau, but my brothers used to scare the fuck out of me telling me they were hiding in the bushes, waiting for me. They were the new "boogey Man". But I like to challenge myself as a writer, and if I get an audience that reads me faithfully, I figure I'm doing okay. I've got 150 readers I'm following. I try to do what I can by recommending them. If nobody wants to help me, that's fine. I'm just one of the "little" guys. But there are so many other "little" guys out there that have been here for 2-3 years and have just as many followers as I do. If I keep putting out posts that are well received, I know I'll eventually succeed, but then, success means different things to different people...
I have a paid section, but only 7 subscriptions. I ask people to make donations. You can sign up for a month and then unsubscribe if you want. If you want to stay on the FREE page, do so. I don't fret over the readers that unsubscribe. The ones that stay with me are the one I want.
It's no fun being the "little" guy, but I tell myself not to let it get me down.
I feel the same way. I sent an email to the address listed in Dan Stone's post since "we’re here to help you explore independence," but haven't heard back. My career ended as an editoral reporter with the local newspaper when it was sold to a large media corp. I've got my Substack built and ready to go but where do I even begin? In my email, I said that I understand they're looking for big names to promote Substack and I'm not that, but I'd still appreciate a reply to explore my independence as stated in the post. As of right now, I'm working off of this, https://on.substack.com/p/start-media-biz .
In other news (har har har), I've seen little guys repeatedly do amazing and important work throughout my career but I fear I won't see it here if Substack isn't willing to give little guys the opportunity to prove themselves. They could be sitting on a gold mine and not even know it.
I haven't used bandcamp but is there a difference in a "browse" vs "subscribe" business model? Substack would like you to find authors that you are interested in paying over an extended period of time.
As a reader my initial impression was that substack was _very_ top-heavy. Notes has introduced me to a number of newsletters (including this one) that I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise, but I'm also very quickly running up against the limit of the amount of text I want to read in a day -- and I'm not quite sure how to decide which are worth a paying subscription.
There's definitely going to be a process of helping set expectations for readers.
I saw a comment during the last week, and reposted a couple of times, on Notes, that lifting some boats lifts all boats. It immediately stuck me as a warm sentiment, with the same logic as trickle down economics.
With a very different business model and mission, I'm sure it's true for Bandcamp, because they've decided to lift the little boats in order to lift all. It's not a semantic, or splitting hairs, difference in commercial philosophy.
I well understand the commercial imperative for Substack, the highly lucrative stacks subsidize the little stacks, and the stacks that are deliberately free subscriptions. I'm just not sure that's sustainable, if thousands of the little stacks aren't able to contribute by bringing in what would amount to significant cumulative revenue flow, what happens to sustainability if readership growth isn't out pacing the ever increasing number of Substacks being created. Does anyone know if readers are growing at a greater velocity than the growth of stacks?
I have to admit that I've been very slow in coming to the understanding that Substack is aiming to be a substitute for MSM,. I'd hazzard a guess that only a small percentage of stack publishers are journalists. I gather that's the imbalance they want to correct, or over-correct. I don't know what that meant for every other stack writers.
Considering how frequently you slam Substack and its managers, often by name, I'm a little surprised that something like 25% of the posts in my feed are by you. Clearly you've got a shit ton of bandwidth available to you and you use it. I admire the breadth of your interests. I have often thought that you must be a fast typist, though.
As for myself, I have barely two dozen followers, all acquired since late February. I write irregularly because I'm a full-time caregiver and the needs of my darling wife come before anything else. I write in between them. I write on Substack because I MUST write, and Substack lets me do so serially and episodically. I have things to say and saying them to myself alone cramps my style. There's a word for that. If only one or two readers really appreciate my writing, my ideas, and frankly a long lifetime filled with some pretty extraordinary experiences, I'll feel rewarded. I'm not here to score checkmarks. I'm old. I won't live long enough to write all the books in my head. But in between the 15 daily alarms on my iPhone to administer medication I can eke out some of it.
Having been a network TV programmer, a theatre producer, and a performing arts CEO, I don't expect the platform to favor me or do the work for me. I'm accustomed to the market deciding what rises and what doesn't. And I'm not infallible. During pilot season one year at CBS I advised against green-lighting a buddy comedy set in a war zone, since I thought that Vietnam fatigue would sink it. But MASH did pretty well.
Anyway, here's where I line up with Ben. I come here to write. I have to write. I NEED to write. Substack gives me the unfettered ability to do so. If people read what I write and like it, so much the better. I'm not expecting to make a living out of it. I don't even have paid subs set up. I just don't want to be shouting into the void. It's kinda like prayer, I guess - I want to believe that there's someone out there listening.
Substack is a more economically efficient platform for writers than readers. My decades-long subscriptions to Atlantic and New Yorker give me access to hundreds of the best minds, most challenging ideas, and often transcendent writing on the planet. If I had to pay $50 a year for each one of those voices ... I wouldn't. I happily pay $50 to subscribe to Joyce Vance because she explains the legal environment we're living in better than anyone else. And I'll follow Tim Mak because there's no substitute for frontline reporting. (I used to work around guys like Morely Safer.) These voices are worth it to me.
If you write stuff I can't live without I'll pay for it. But so far your kvetching about Substack feels like biting the hand ... We can insist that Substack not censor our work. I just don't think that they owe you - or me an audience. We have to earn those on our own.
hence so many co-opted “Free” Press approaches
Oh yeah, Noah. I wasn't recommending him (apart from his book, Empire of Illusion, which has a lot going for it.) I was just saying that he's an example of a bomb thrower who's achieved some level of prominence in a world that's disposed to be hostile to him. Actually, once he stopped being a decent war correspondent, he became a jerk.
I haven't really started sharing much of my remarkable - often accidental - life yet. Lots of it has to do with the amazing number of artists with whom my jobs put me into the same space from time to time. Including luminaries like Tennessee Williams, Aaron Copland, and Cher. LOL. Where else can you put those three on the same list?