486 Comments

Just don’t turn into social media on the journey to save people from it. I’d love this platform to continue to be reading and writing, forcing people to slow down, consider, listen....I finally have a great way to share my writing without having to engage in social media at all and it’s so nice.

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Feb 28, 2023Liked by Hamish McKenzie

Very glad to see these principles—free speech/hands-off content moderation, publisher control and rejection of the attention game—reiterated. We DO need this alternative. Looking forward to what comes next!

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I have been blown away by the success substack has brought to my life. I was using my own site and social media and mail chimp and it was frustrating and often felt futile. With substack, I feel supported and I have found a community that vibes with me. Thank you! I tell EVERYONE I meet who writes to come join the fun! And anyone who worries about resource scarcity, they just don't get it...but you do, and thanks!

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I’ve been reading publications on Substack for a good while now-- but I didn’t realize the benefits of reading in the app. The conversation threads are so rich and I am actually a little astonished a place like this exists in this world of toxic social media! I’m excited to dive in deeper to read and write more.

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Feb 28, 2023Liked by Hamish McKenzie

My background is in IT so I've been observing the trajectory of social media for over two decades. I began reading Substacks about three years ago and have been increasingly impressed at how this platform has developed. I noticed genuine support and a focus on good quality writing to succeed. The fact that I was cynical and sceptical about the platform initially tells me a lot about what we've been subjected to via social media. It's the 'boiling frog' scenario. We adjusted, adapted and made ourselves small (or abandoned it completely) in order to survive.

Substack has made me cautiously optimistic for the first time in a long time about finding a way through what is going to be a tumultuous era for creators.

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Thank you for this amazing platform. I published my 100th post today!

https://hellouniverse.substack.com/p/when-magic-happens

Have been super happy to publish here. I quit Facebook and Instagram cold turkey 6 years ago and wanted a platform that didn't depend on algorithmic audiences. Started writing on Substack every Tuesday and haven't looked back!

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After the last 20 years of internet (which felt like 200), my skepticism is bottomless. Yet substack, to my astonishment, insists on proving that cool new shit *is* always possible. I’ve rarely been so happy to be wrong.

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First time I sold my words on the internet was around 2002. Number one question everyone asked me was: "but how do these websites make money?" The answer was ads, but as it turned out, most of those websites were trading millions in venture capital for advertising pennies. Sadly, the attention model has chugged along for decades, swallowing our minds, our culture, and our careers. BUT! I'm very encouraged to see that 2 million people are paying writers for their words. That's a huge accomplishment! Also, I'm proud to be one of those readers paying writers I love, and I'm pleased to be one of those writers receiving payments from readers who enjoy my stories. Thank you, Substack team!

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I've just joined Substack as a writer and have to say I love it! And yes, please save us from social media.

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Feb 28, 2023Liked by Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie

Maybe you should change your name to “ FarAboveStack”? Thank you! I’ve found all I need here!

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This is why I joined Substack in the first place. It is authentic, honest, and community-oriented. No sleazy "influencing" (oh, how I detest this word/concept...). A "new economic engine for culture" -- and I and my readers can take part in creating it, shaping it. WOW. I'm grateful to Jairaj, Chris, Hamish, and the rest of the Substack staff for constantly expanding on their vision. It's like seeing a beautiful plant grow from a tiny seed.

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I'm grateful to all of you at Substack for this platform, and also to my fellow writers and readers.

Today, Feb. 28, concludes my first month publishing here; I've been a pro writer for over 20 years.

Along with good cheer, support and even paying subscribers, I was amazed to see that one of my February Substack features got the attention of a newspaper editor resulting in a dead-tree commission!

While publishing in print media was the last thing I expected when signing up here, I look forward to the next month and many more to come, and hold out hope that what we can build here for the space of original FICTION writing might somehow, someday make up for how that market has dissipated in the past decade.

Keep up all the good work over there, and lots of luck and happy writing to one and all.

CD at the TLS

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one thing that would be helpful for some of us, especially those who don't want to require a paid subscription or offer paid content, would be a way for readers to offer a one-time donation -- not as a fee or a monthly commitment, but a single contribution in whatever amount they felt comfortable offering. I've seen this request suggested somewhere else but haven't seen where it stands or whether it's being considered. Thank you! This came up when someone who wanted to make a donation to me made it by making a "pledge" because I have paid subscriptions turned off -- now I've turned "pledge" off too. But a way for receiving an occasional contribution would be great.

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Substack has been utterly transformative. It's possible to have conversations here that simply cannot take place elsewhere. A business model that makes content, rather than ad revenue, the source of revenue, means that what we write is the product ... rather than who we are.

Keep up the good work.

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Feb 28, 2023Liked by Hamish McKenzie

Wow. This article moved me. Let’s do it. ♥️

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Love it! Just please, please, please don’t get acquired by those same social media or search companies.

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