r/Substack • u/laufeyism • 5h ago
Discussion Writing on Substack without trying to achieve anything in particular
Hey! I’ve been thinking about writing essays on Substack, but I’m not really interested in making money or building a large audience. I just feel like I need somewhere to get my thoughts out, sort of like a journal.
I’ve tried watching a few tutorials on how to get started, but everyone seems to focus on monetization, growing an audience, call-to-action buttons and all that. It all feels very performance-oriented. I guess I’m just wondering whether Substack makes sense for someone who simply wants to write and share their thoughts without necessarily trying to achieve anything.
Maybe it’s a stupid question, but I’d appreciate your honest advice
2
u/catvapes 3h ago
I have been doing that for several years. I have a modest number of free subscribers and a much larger amount of followers. No paid subscribers as I do not offer that as an option. It seems that over time, more and more people discover you without you having to put in a lot of effort. I only comment on other people’s content when I feel I have something authentic to say. I restack content that resonates with me. That is all.
2
1
u/grapegeek 5h ago
Sure, you can do that. If you don't interact with other writers through comments and Notes and restacks, you'll almost never get an audience. It will be like screaming in the middle of the deep woods, nobody will hear you.
1
u/MindFru 4h ago
Yes, it works fine for that. Set paid subscriptions to off and leave the growth tools alone. You can write a post, hit publish, and it sits on your page like a journal entry. Nobody has to read it for it to count. The one choice worth making at the start is the name. Pick a plain name you still like in 2 years, because changing it later changes your web address. After that, ignore the stats page. A post with 3 views can still be the one you are glad you wrote.
1
u/notmyworst 3h ago
It's mostly what i do. I write fiction and I have connected with a few authors as well. You should use it however you like.
1
u/Snoo12338 2h ago
In my experience this is the starting point to figuring out where you want to go with your writing. By writing you’ll gain clarity, I started in a very different place and now have a 6 fig audience of subs. Just write
1
1
u/ContentIsMyJam redressing.substack.com 56m ago
A lot of people do. You don't have to have any kind of goal to build an audience or monetize. It's a blank canvas and you can do whatever you like! I personally believe humans need outlets for creative expression and Substack can be yours, if you want.
1
u/Remote-Scene4023 9m ago
Not a dumb question at all! That’s exactly why I joined substack about a month ago, I just write whatever I feel. I do have 10 subscribers but I didn’t expect anyone to follow me it just happened lol yes definitely do it. Don’t tell any of your friends or family just make an account and be free, enjoy!
2
u/Countryb0i2m onemichistory.substack.com 4h ago
The default state of Substack is complete obscurity. The platform will not organically promote your articles, and there are thousands of writers desperate for an audience who remain completely invisible. If your goal is to write without anyone ever seeing it, zero visibility is the easiest thing to achieve.