Andrew ... I've been here for a bit over a year and I've found writers who have changed my life, writers that I read rather religiously ... most of them don't have checkmarks or more than a thousand subscribers. I currently subscribe to about 200 Substacks and what I see is a huge range of skill at using the system put in place by Substa…
Andrew ... I've been here for a bit over a year and I've found writers who have changed my life, writers that I read rather religiously ... most of them don't have checkmarks or more than a thousand subscribers. I currently subscribe to about 200 Substacks and what I see is a huge range of skill at using the system put in place by Substack. For instance, many writers are still using the boiler plate Substack put into the system as a place holder for the Welcome Email. Some writers dismiss it as an unimportant email that readers don't open. Not true. It is a critical piece of beginning a relationship with a new reader.
I believe Substack can aid the discovery of "new lights" but I also believe that we writers ... whether we're going for money or just trying to get our voices heard ... have to treat Substack as a craft. Knowing how to engage our readers, how to attract and hold their attention, is a skillset that has to be learned, just as thinking is a skill, and writing with clarity and creativity is a skill.
I hope Substack does a good job with their development of the app ... but we can't expect it to well by us if we're not learning how to put our best writing forward and expertly using the tools they give us.
"It [the welcome email] is a critical piece of beginning a relationship with a new reader.'
I agree. There's even been an article or two from Substack about the importance of the welcome email.
It's a shame then how much it goes to waste because it doesn't work correctly with recommendations.
When someone signs up for Pub A and accepts the recommendations that Pub A offers, they don't receive the welcome emails from the recommended pubs, only from Pub A.
That's too bad. The welcome email could be the start of a good thing, but many never receive it.
Oops, I just realized (I was reading your article about Office Hours) that we talked about this earlier. :) Trying to get the word out in the hope that Substack will fix this glitch. And I see you mentioned me in your article. Thanks! I didn't know that, never received a notification. Hmmm. All the best!
Andrew ... I've been here for a bit over a year and I've found writers who have changed my life, writers that I read rather religiously ... most of them don't have checkmarks or more than a thousand subscribers. I currently subscribe to about 200 Substacks and what I see is a huge range of skill at using the system put in place by Substack. For instance, many writers are still using the boiler plate Substack put into the system as a place holder for the Welcome Email. Some writers dismiss it as an unimportant email that readers don't open. Not true. It is a critical piece of beginning a relationship with a new reader.
I believe Substack can aid the discovery of "new lights" but I also believe that we writers ... whether we're going for money or just trying to get our voices heard ... have to treat Substack as a craft. Knowing how to engage our readers, how to attract and hold their attention, is a skillset that has to be learned, just as thinking is a skill, and writing with clarity and creativity is a skill.
I hope Substack does a good job with their development of the app ... but we can't expect it to well by us if we're not learning how to put our best writing forward and expertly using the tools they give us.
"It [the welcome email] is a critical piece of beginning a relationship with a new reader.'
I agree. There's even been an article or two from Substack about the importance of the welcome email.
It's a shame then how much it goes to waste because it doesn't work correctly with recommendations.
When someone signs up for Pub A and accepts the recommendations that Pub A offers, they don't receive the welcome emails from the recommended pubs, only from Pub A.
That's too bad. The welcome email could be the start of a good thing, but many never receive it.
I agree ... this is a system glitch that I hope gets fixed. I think you brought this up in Office Hours ... first time I knew about it. Thanks.
Oops, I just realized (I was reading your article about Office Hours) that we talked about this earlier. :) Trying to get the word out in the hope that Substack will fix this glitch. And I see you mentioned me in your article. Thanks! I didn't know that, never received a notification. Hmmm. All the best!