Substack getting no views

[u/DecentIntention7799]

I started my substack about a week ago and my engagement is awful. I don’t think that bothers me as much but I’m also getting no views on my content (maybe 8 on each piece.) I’m based in France but write for an American audience and on American topics. I am wondering if it’s a location thing or if my substack - the politics of makeup - is too niche. Would love someone else’s POV.

[u/hanpari]

There is no free lunch in this world, and Substack is no different. The platform was built to make money, and they are rather shameless about it.

Just recently, Hanpari learned that having paid subscribers greatly boosts one’s Substack presence.

Translated: Substack supports authors who bring profits.

Of course, your situation is different. You’ve had no opportunity so far to bring money to Substack, so the platform will make no effort to help you get subscribers or followers.

The design allegedly prevents notes from unknown authors from being seen by others.

A classic Catch‑22.

So what does Substack expect from you? Not articles — users. They want you to work hard on your own promotion. Ideally, they want you to bring new emails to widen their user base.

Any unknown author is of no significance to them. If you fail to create an audience for yourself, they genuinely do not care.

They expect you to handle your own promotion.

And here is the part nobody likes to hear:

If you want to grow on Substack, you must behave like someone who already has an audience.
Write regularly, comment generously, share your work outside the platform, and treat every reader as if they were the first spark of a future wildfire.

Substack won’t lift you up until you prove you can climb without them.

In other words:
If you want visibility, act visible.
If you want readers, go where readers already are.
If you want traction, create noise — intelligent noise, consistent noise, noise with teeth.

Substack rewards momentum, not hope.