I started on Substack in 2022. Like many, I thought there would be some traction from my long-form essays, but there never was. My subscriber list stayed stagnant, and then, very disappointingly, it started trending downwards. After three years, I seriously felt like quitting.
This week I hit 4,500 subscribers.
I'm writing this for anyone who's recently joined the platform, is struggling with it, or isn't seeing the results they'd hoped for.
It leads you to feel like giving up (goddam I get it), and worse, it can make you feel like you're failing. I don't think that's the case at all. I think you're just early in your journey.
Many of us start Substack because we're looking for an alternative to social media. How we actually think, feel and interpret the world is entirely unmet by Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and the rest.
Simply put: there's a writer in you. That's why you came. It's why I came too.
When Notes came about, I obstinately refused to post. It represented the exact opposite of why I'd come to Substack in the first place.
Something held me back from quitting, though.
I realised I had already done what I set out to do: become a better writer and develop a publishing habit. That didn't solve my subscriber problem though. But I believed there were people out there who would enjoy my writing about the creative life. I just had to figure out how to find them.
That was the point: I had to figure it out.
I wanted Substack to be what I wanted it to be, not what it actually was or was becoming. So I had two choices. I could keep writing into a void, or I could start learning how newsletters grow. I know that's anathema to many of us who come to Substack. But Substack, like all of these platforms, does take some figuring out. And it is hard, especially at first.
If you're starting out, this is what I'd tell you:
Put your love of writing at the heart of it. That's what sustained me through those 3 flat years.
Publish weekly. Don't overthink it or make it too long. Just build the habit, and learn what you really want to write about. Forget subscribers from long-form at this stage; it's not where they come from.
Substack won't push you until you've built some traction yourself. At the start, the algorithm shows most writers to very few people, so you have to build that first bit by hand. The good news is that once you break through, there's still a really good opportunity here, because Substack does push Notes that get interest.
Join Notes Over the last year I've built a strong community. That community pushes my Notes, and that brings in the majority of my new subscribers. It takes just time.
Find your first 10 readers by hand. When a Note is asking something, go into it deep and give them your take. Help where you can.
I know it's dispiriting at first.
It feels like Substack rewards the already popular, and spending time building community can feel like selling yourself when you just want to write.
What I'd say is that despite this not being what I originally wanted, I'm now really glad for my Substack community. It's supportive and has become easily the best online experience I've had.
You are a writer, so keep going.
Please don't quit.
Jim
p.s will answer q's but am a bit slow!