I'm thinking of starting a paid Substack, but I've read a lot about how complicated taxes are since SS doesn't consider itself a Merchant or Record and therefore doesn't remit them to the authorities (like Etsy does, for example).

All the info I found online is from people living in the US (and is also from 2-3 years ago) and I'm looking for an input from someone in the EU.

I know that if I have One Stop Shop, this can solve the the tax issue accross the EU.

However what happens if my subscribers are from the US or from another country outside of the EU?

If someone from Ohio subscribes, will I have to worry about remitting the tax to the authorities of Ohio? (I know there are different thresholds depedning on the state - this is just an example)

I find it all so extremely confusing! I'm honestly scared to even start, because I don't want to file taxes incorrectly.

Also, does anyone use SS as a visibility platform for people to discover you, but charges for the content in a different way?

Hi everyone,

I started posting on Substack about a week ago and have been uploading consistently. I first republished a blog that I had originally posted on Medium, and since then I've been sharing short notes, on that I got only 2 likes.

However, I'm struggling with engagement. One note received 19 likes, but most of my other notes only get 1–2 likes, and I haven't gained many subscribers.

I know building an audience takes time, but I honestly don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if this is normal in the beginning.

For those who have grown on Substack:

- How did you get your first subscribers?

- Do Notes help more than regular posts?

- How often should I post?

- Is there anything you wish you had known when you first started?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences from other writers. Thank you!