How we change the internet
Direct relationships are the future
Substack is part of a seismic shift in the media economy that gives more power to writers and creators. When writers are in charge, they can have a direct relationship with their readers, do the work they believe is most important, and have the potential to make far more money than they could from other venues, where others reap the majority of the benefits from their work.
The Substack model is thriving. The proof is that the imitations are failing and the incumbents are resisting.
For example, today Twitter started blocking links to Substack. We hope this action was made in error and is only temporary. Writers deserve the freedom to share links to Substack or anywhere else. However, even if this change is not temporary, it is a reminder of why cracks are starting to show in the internet’s legacy business models. When it comes to any of the other large platforms, the rules are the same. If writers and creators don’t own their relationships with their audiences, they’re not in control.
This writer- and reader-first model represents the future of the internet. Any platform that benefits from writers’ and creators’ work but that doesn’t give them control over their relationships will inevitably wonder how to respond to the platforms that do.
While incumbents may take actions to stymie this shift, we’ll be working hard to ensure that writers and creators get only more ownership and control of their futures. We’ll give writers even more control over the aesthetics of their publications, empower them with tools to cultivate their communities, and make it easy to grow their audiences through the Substack network.
Very soon, we’ll launch Notes, a large investment in providing writers with an alternative for growth outside of traditional social networks. Notes is designed to drive discovery across Substack, giving writers and readers the ability to recommend almost anything—including posts, quotes, comments, images, and links.
But the magic of a subscription network like this is not in the code. When this works, it will work because of you. Subscription networks like Substack will prevail because of the people who choose to be part of it, because they believe the principles at play offer something better.
Substack may be a small upstart, but the combined reach of the writers on it—both in number, and in cultural impact—is already tremendous. If enough of us choose to play this new game, it will work, and there’s nothing anyone will be able to do to stop it.
Thanks to all the writers and subscribers for helping make Substack what it is today. The next chapter is going to be even better.
Twitter has practically handed me over to substack with a bow. Viva la substack!
Same here. I made great friends over there, and will always be thankful for that, but interactions are getting increasingly (and artificially) clunky. Substack is different, grown up vibes.
Twitter was designed to be headline-driven, because your characters are limited.
People can't discuss complicated issues with a character limit.
I've always thought that was annoying.
To me, Twitter is like using carrier pigeons to communicate -- on a digital platform. 😂🤣
You have to calculate how many pigeons are needed to properly respond...
I have thrown in the towel on FB & Twitter. May a rabid camel spit in their bowls of yogurt. 😉😆🤣
ha may the bluebird of happiness build a nest in their nose (nod to Johnny there)
Or a nest in their craniums ! You think that there would be ENOUGH ROOM in there ?
Good analogy. And on top, I feel like the pigeon is having its feathers plucked right now by some voracious entity, lol!
Yeah, the quality of content and writers here is unparalleled across all platforms.
Well said!
I have written for Medium online, & Substack is even easier to work with. Nobody bragging about how much they make monthly as a " side hustle ". THAT. GETS. OLD. PDQ.
well said!
Gratzi !
Twitter, FB, & a few other social media platforms are fraying around the edges. Even with the Quora website, one has to wade through a mire full of questions about comic books, comic book movies, superheroes to a point where even a fanboy / nerd - geek wants variety.
well said - free speech and more individual thought is here on Substack
Despite my having half dozen well-known books and an endowed professorship, Twitter refused for ten years to give me that blue check that allowed my tweets and announcements of articles to circulate widely. They only would verify people who had several articles in journalistic media OR were media-famous. Obviously a big bias against academics (unless they’d appeared on MSNBC) and/or those of us who didn’t have columns in mainstream newspapers, etc. It was incredibly frustrating. While it’s a lot of work developing a readership on substack at least there’s not a gatekeeper who decides what’s worth reading and what’s not. I started in January, and I’m loving it.
Perhaps it’s the hard work that makes writers love it. Much more grounding than the throes of algorithms.
Agreed. It's wonderful to have a place where those who actually ENJOY working hard and putting thought and effort into the creations are welcomed and appreciated. Aspirants are constantly maligned all over society in favor of the weak and lazy whose main goals in life are to skim the surface, eschew introspection and take the well-trodden paths of least resistance everywhere.
BTW, I got banned on Twitter for a bogus algo hissy fit about "hate speech" (aka, I spoke some truth and the co-dependent censors couldn't handle it), and I declined to apologize and remove my tweets. I think they believe Twitter is so compelling that we just can't live without it. Wrong! I still look at Twitter once in a while when a reference to an intereting link comes my way, but there's nothing on there that I feel compelled to read any more or that I can't look up elsewhere if it really grabs me. I spend a lot more time on Substack now.
Amen! Every new subscriber is a point of pride. They don't come because they want you to follow back, they come because they want to read your work.
That is so, so valuable to me!
I've arrived at the conclusion that Twitter & FB are actually enormous, overly - hyped giant wastes of space & time when we could all be reading a book or magazine article, or at least an online publication.
now im convinced we must be related lol
We had a geneaologist ( spelling ? ) do research. Appletons are EVERYWHERE. There was 1 on the TITANIC. Probably not related to any of us. & she was in 1st class And she met Jack & Rose !
I have wondered if my writings are providing value. I also have a WP, many followers but no currency yet. I will do my best to transition the energy to my Substack, ASAP! Thanks for pointing to the value...
I am changing the way I share my writings. Thanks for pointing out the Twit issue. I am here to stack!
Same for me. I haven't left Twitter, but this is now my focus. I can grow, network, and learn far more from this platform. No contest.
YES, focus! I am doing that. I have to calibrate my story-release schedule to adjust to the Substack platform. Learning, and networking now... Grow is also happening within.
How so?
I do question 'Substackery' - which is shallow, but understandably, 'callow' being but one of the already relatively latest, and consequentially rapid aging 'New Kids on the Block'.
As to Twitter how can a thoughtful aspirant writer expect to be, not just unceremoniously, other than be reeling from being, unmindfully, "Dumped On?"
In a nutshell Twitter is an economy of attention, for the lumpen proletariat and heroes of late capitalism. What good comes of using Twitter, will never be clear, not even to you. As for Substack, a similar economy of attention (and not Labor) is the norm - where the most mediocre and inconsequential text will float right at the top, that too beloging to a specific group type of people (white, mostly male, northern hemisphere, one language type peoples).
Viva La Mediocre @v@
HAH! SAME!
Woot woot: Welcome my man.
viva!
Me yesterday: “oh cool, I’m interested to see how Notes compares to Twitter.”
Me today: “screw the bird site, I’m done. Gimme that Substack Notes escape hatch, please!”
Twitter has been gone for a while. I tried a few times and it was just not good and everyone on whatever side they’re on are just so hostile
Unintended (one would hope) side effect of the character limit.
The truth takes more character. It is a truthful play on words, but the lack of virtuous people may be humanity's doom.
I could not agree more, James.
I'm working on a Subreddit about that very thing at the moment.
Dunno how I will go, as I have quite some limitations.
The TRUTH ? Don't make me go Jack Nicholson..... 😆😉
It's intended. In fact being stressed and pissed and depressed is the WHOLE POINT AND PURPOSE of twitter.
I think actually it unfortunately wasn't intended to be anything in particular when it was built. Microblogging was the classic example of a technologist's solution in search of a problem ... and so the creators were apparently surprised when a platform that permits people to anonymously broadcast to a massive audience, yet is restricted to sound-bite sized content, descended into a morass of jack-assery.
Twitter is like the slime in Ghostbusters in that it FEEDS on negativity. WHO YOU GONNA CALL ? Substack ! OK, I'll work on the slogan, no worries..... 😉😆
To be fair, it has a pretty vibrant writing community, but it is pretty geared mainly toward self-promotion. That said, you can mostly avoid the tribalism.
Agree. Already, many substacks are merely redirects to websites... "See the rest of the article here:"
That is starting to tick me off. Posting in two places is fine, but shorting me on substack just I have to click to a website is messed up.
The workaround used to be by using the Lists feature, but even that has been degraded somewhat.
You and I were able to talk about baseball on Twitter today, Kevin. But see above: I could not even say “thanks” to someone who had reposted my latest music story on Twitter. They (meaning Musk) have gone mad.
I used to admire Musk. Now his strategies have gone PEAR - SHAPED.
LOL! PEAR... perhaps just limp.
I'm not TOUCHING THAT ( while Freud is doing cartwheels in his grave ).
100% agree. Those are the kinds of interactions that have kept me on Twitter despite everything else.
I tried to thank someone for reposting this AM as well; that’s actually how I learned that Substack had been blocked!
Has anyone on Substack used POST. I'm a Substack believer and I use POST. It is an excellent social media platform.
Agreed. Twitter is a cesspool of toxicity and Facebook can be not much better. Half the time people don't even bother reading whatever the articles are before diving into attack mode. Though I'm not a big commenter, only once did I have the same problem on Substack. Will this platform offer more nuanced discussion? More civil discussion? One can at least hope.
Twitter - or whatever name they're using this week ( Meta ? ) - never really did much for me. I was talked into joining it by someone whom I barely knew. I was sweet - talked into joining FB by one of my aunts about 8 years ago, + or - the odd week. Musk's takeover of Twitter..... What was / is he thinking ? What in Zeus' b-tthole was he thinking ( I've started using Nicolas Cageisms ) ? He must need some people to bully or generally push around.
There is a heaping helping of civility which a lot of social media sites try to maintain, but they do TRY. Even Youtube comments can get salty or downright uncouth. I was even reamed out by the author Mercedes Lackey for an objective comment about the late Harlan Ellison on the Quora site.
I could never get into Twitter and yesterday I thought that I'm not so interested in Notes. But after reading the news about Twitter, now I'm looking forward to try Notes just to be a contrarian. 😂
Heh, same.
I've never got into any social media and I honestly find it depressing when I see people just endlessly scrolling. I hope that doesn't become me with Notes haha, but I *am* intrigued to see how and what content it'll present and how well it'll serve writer and reader.
Nathan, I'm only on FB because my aunt sweet - talked me into it, & joined Twitter because A COMPLETE STRANGER recommended it. Where is my backbone ?
The only social media I used for a while with mild success was Instagram during the lockdown where I had an account about specially tea. The community was lovely but after a year I got tired of scrolling and clicking. Plus it was a huge time investment posting there. If Notes is also time intensive, I’m not sure I’ll be able to use it a lot.
I wish I'd discovered Substack during lockdown! 🤣
Speciality tea. Sounds great. But yeah, I can understand the time investment.
I did discover Substack during the lockdown but it took me almost two years to start writing on the platform. Did you open your Substack soon after discovering the platform?
Yeah, only discovered at the start of this year and created my Substack about a week after I think!
Wow, you’re fast at taking decisions!
Hehe, it's actually not like me at all.
But with this, it honestly felt like there was nothing to lose.
That's true. I'll remember this next time I need to take a decision faster than in two years. 😅
Same for me. I was getting Substack newsletters I don't remember signing up for at least a year. Then I learned more about it. Was intrigued. It took me two weeks after that to press publish!
Not bad. I may say adieu to Medium & just resettle here for those times when my muse dumps a new idea in my lap.
I haven't tried Medium at all, though I keep hearing about it.
Actually, Medium is good but they have their wires crossed at times. " New " stories " that are 3 weeks to a MONTH old, & contributors don't see feedback for roughly a month, for example.
Uff, that's pretty bad.
HAH. Yes, same here.
Right?
Same. Can’t wait for notes!!!
Preach it, Brother Jesse ! I agree. Twitter is a pain, Facebook is a WASTE.
More power to Substack. The history of the Internet is the history of entropy. All walled gardens crumble in the end. We're proud to publish here. Alex King, Founder, Cestrian Capital Research, Inc.
The history of EVERYTHING!, as in “who travels to Western Virginia by canal boat anymore?” Substack is doing to the internet what advances in technology did to transportation.
The inevitable March of progress…
Can’t agree more!
except Apple is thriving
Our App Store pay away just halved though. So, crumbling.
I seriously think that Notes could end up being a birdsite extinction event. I found myself almost offended but not surprised by the blocking of Substack by Twitter. Everything about the current regime at Twitter says doom to me. It might stagger on for a while, or it might be subject to a fire sale at some point - maybe Substack should acquire it then to use for dispersal and publicity! Anyway, it feels like the grounds are shifting very quickly indeed towards a new model for online culture, led by Substack.
I hope that your words are prophecy. I started 6 months ago here and I've had such a good experience so far and so many meaningful experiences with people on the internet. Which is absolutely amazing.
I have been noticing that too! That, and people actually seeing and reading my writing..
And it’s such a good motivation to keep on writing, right? I’m actually able to give myself deadlines and finish short stories. Something I wasn’t able to do before. And I found many good fiction writers here. The community is very kind and there’s something for everyone.
Yeah it is. Of course there is the intrinsic drive but boy does it feel amazing to have people read and discuss what you write, and to forge these connections with people.
It's only been two months for me, and I'm in love. I wish I'd started years ago. Totally kicking myself for waiting!
Same here, Claudia. And hello again 😃
Hello again, Terry! I just got back from feeding and playing with my friend's cats. Though I was a bit concerned because they didn't eat that much...
Don't worry. They will probably scoff the lot in your absence. They may have been discombobulated because they are not used to you (I presume)
They wanted to play though... I just left them plenty of dry food. And I had to google 'discombobulated'... what are you doing to me? 😅
😂
I’m excited about notes because they’re right there with your publication and provides an entire community site for your writing. On top of that we have the entire substack community. I think the birds might fly away
I’m excited about notes because they’re right there with your publication and provides an entire community site for your writing. On top of that we have the entire substack community. I think the birds might fly away
Really? It's that Big?
I’ve already made amazing friends from substack and I can’t even imagine how much better it’s going to get. I love my publications and I secured new paid subscribers this week and it’s only going to get better. I love it
Why don't the hacks invade? Is it the paywall? Substack seems to be a benevolent place to read good ideas at length without the broken people interjecting poison too often.
That's a huge upside to this platform. Let's hope it stays that way.
Likewise, it's a pleasure to have well-informed, polite and civilised readers. I can't think of any other vehicle to match it.
There’s a few, but they seem to get stamped out pretty quick. https://tompendergast.substack.com/p/the-pirates-are-coming-for-substack
Congrats on the new paid subscribers!!! So happy for you!
Thank you and your name is absolutely beautiful
Thank you 🥹
The same here. The community is a true one. Furthermore, connection admins learning is now more accessible and heartwarming than ever! Thanks friends ✌🏻 (See you in the brew) 💡
Congratulations!
Thank you!
Just wanted to let everyone know there's a workaround to Elon's petty actions against us Substack writers. You can use Tinyurl to shorten your Substack URL and so far Twitter's censors haven't stopped it.
tinyurl.com
That is a workaround. Too bad you have to do it, add that extra step. Also (and maybe it's just me), but when I hover over a URL I want to know where it's going. All link shorteners prevent this.
Good point, Victor. But anything in a pinch!
I'm guessing this is only temporary until Elon gets over his mad.
Or calmer heads can convince him this won't end well.
Yep, gotta do the workaround. I've given up on Twitter, though. Never got much traction there. Now I hear that only the check-mark folks (i.e. paid) get their tweets distributed. Non payers tweet into the bit bucket.
I paid for the check mark for a couple of months saw no increase in views and click throughs and actually lost followers it is just another con.
Thank you .. seems like I’m getting a lot of Twitter suppression
Custom domains also work, and an added bonus is that if they go after you, you can claim that Twitter personally blocked you.
Yes, they do. It was confusing for a while because some were going through and others weren't, and finally someone figured out the custom domain factor!
Thanks for the tip, Ramona! I’ll try that.
Wonder how long before Musk works out how to snuff that out.
Not long, I'm sure. But I would think it's tough to lock out tiny urls.
Yeah maybe. I figured there might be a way to see where they're pointing and thus it'd only take a bit of extra code to then block.
Hopefully that's not the case, though.
I hope not, too. I'm not savvy in any of that so I'm just happy I skunked them this once!
Thanks Ramona!
So it’s true? That’s wild!
Substack is doing some pretty incredible things, and while I'm still early in my newsletter journey, I appreciate the tools and platform greatly. Notes will be a welcome addition and I look forward to using them.
Author, Of Interest, a newsletter for underreported news and human interest stories. https://ofinterestnews.substack.com/
Yes sir 🫡✏️ Happy Writing!
Also, if you want content on motivation, life reflections and philosophy, self growth and many adventures, consider checking out the brew I upload every week! See you there!
Subscribed so fast I'm still giving myself whiplash.
Substack has genuinely changed the way I approach writing and building an audience. Just crossed my first 100 subscribers this weeks - thank you! Yimin - Plantwise
Big congrats Yimin Xu! That's fantastic.
Writing here has also completely changed my approach to writing. I love it.
Thank you!
Congrats on making it to the 100 club. It gets better from here on out!
Thank you!!!
Fantastic news! Testament to your great publication (Plantwise).
Thank you!!
That is nice. I hope to get there by end of the month.
Fingers crossed!
Congratulations! I'm approaching 40 myself, and I'm really excited.
Thank you! Your content looks great!
Thank you!
I started blogging at the turn of the century. Back then LiveJournal was THE place. It was clean, white, uncluttered, ads-free with nice organization of comments. Facebook and other platforms stole the LJ audiences but those of us who indulged in the slow pace and intimacy of Livejournal publications in the 1990s and early 2000s have been missing those old days. Back then the word "followers" did not yet exist and everyone who subscribed to your blog was referred to as a "reader." Now with Substack that vibe is back! And it is geared towards better serving the writers! I couldn't be happier. Thank you, Team-Substack.
The clean and uncluttered (and ad-free!) space that is Substack is so much of the reason why I'm here. I'm sure the creators did that deliberately, so I just hope it always stays that way.
It sure has a lot of Web 1.0 energy, doesn't it?
And I m loving it!
so well said!
A reader!! I love that 🌺🗝️
I feel the same way and have written about how Substack feels like early 2000a blogging community in some ways. It's nice to be back. :)
Ah yes! Live journal! I kept chasing that high as things shifted. I’d actually read people’s MySpace entries (there was one black scene girl named Amanda I became obsessed with and was the main reason I got my lip pierced my freshman year of college lol!).
Then the Facebook ones, which seemed more goofy since it was just friends...
And Tumblr was where my angsty teen/young adult thoughts live to this day.
Blogspot I think was one of the first places I laid my blogging roots before I found Live Jounral
So happy to be on substack. I find myself writing increasingly interesting posts because I know they are being read and not lost in some stupid algorithm. Twitter's petty little antics will not keep us there, they'll just drive us all here instead.
It is inspiring to build an audience and know they’ll appreciate your work.
Yes!
Yes! It actually feels worth putting in extra work because people will read what you worked so hard on.
Absolutely!
I’m slowly rebuilding that art myself! Of noticing things and writing about them, haha.
I’ve been on Substack for around 9 months now but before I had gotten in the groove of writing to appease an algorithm and to try to stop people from scrolling short form long enough to click, so I’m retraining myself to write what I desire and it’s been fun to get back to my roots!
Well, I guess I’m currently working through a new hurdle of just finding myself period (lost my mom in December) so I can start writing more engaging articles.
But I’m so happy my community allowed me to self-indulge in writing reflections each week as I work up to writing more intentionally with personal essays and poetry this week and hopefully beyond!
Substack is great; I feel so welcomed for who I want to allow myself to be.
Being forced to play algorithm chicken is so wrong! I simply refuse, and substack shows us that's simply not what audiences want, either. Glad you found your groove again but I'm so sorry for your loss.
Yes VERY true! I’m so tired of manipulation and clearly so many others are too like you said. And I’m slowly getting there! Day by day things seem to slowly make some sense again. And thank you for your condolences!
I'm curious about the tension between this idea that we "own our relationships" with our readers and the increased push for engagement *inside the app*. Now, I love the Substack app. I'm on it now. But if reader behavior engages in the app and not in email (and turns off or archives emails so as not see the same content twice) then you are becoming the middle man you claim not to be. If the Notes feature utilizes an algorithm you will be imitating the very thing you are trying to replace. I hope you're having a lot of conversations about this internally. From the outside it feels like Chat and Notes were launched hastily to make a play for people leaving Twitter and you've lost the plot a bit.
Very well put objection to the app. I agree.
Interesting re Twitter... I’m really enthused by the quality of subscribers that have found my substack and the organic growth that is slow but steady. Game changer. I’m barely on any other social networks. Don’t see the point!
I use them to maybe reach a handful of people so they read my work, but the amount of visibility you get on there is underwhelming. Does not feel worth putting time into at all. Unlike spending time and energy on this wonderful platform talking to all of you.
Ridiculous move from Twitter. It makes so little sense to single out substack in this way. It is just continued hostility towards writers who are the lifeblood of their platform.
Great point. The only cool people on there are journalists and writers. Oh well!
Writing for the sake of writing, thank you for opening up this service to content creators who are looking for space to work diligently.
I got off Twitter a couple of months ago. My main following is here and Instagram. SO EXCITED for the growth and changes coming to Substack. This is by far my favorite place on the internet!!!
Twitter kind of died. The only people there are the ones in love with politics.
💯 I was only using it to post my new Substack publications.
Same here!
Same
Same here.
Or fighting.
You'd be surprised at how often those two things go hand in hand.
Second that. I'm thinking of closing my already semi-dormant twitter account and keeping my Instagram. And Substack is going to be the center of all my activities. They're doing great things here. :)
Closed mine earlier today!
There is such a lovely supportive writer community here on Substack, which I was not aware of when I launched in January. Reminds me of the early days of Wordpress. In my short time here, Substack have launched so many new features to support and empower writers, as a newbie its very exciting... and just a little bit dizzying! 😄 I left Twitter in December, couldn't take any more of it being ruined as the new temporary plaything of a bored rich kid. 🤣 It was already a sewer anyway. And I certainly don't miss it. If you write on politics though, I can see the loss could be problematic. Anyway, I love writing on Substack, its definitely the way forward! And glad to meet fellow writers in threads such as these. Happy Easter from Ireland! 💕
💚
Substack is Internet communication at its best ... respectful, focused, effective... thanks for the sanity
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” - Dante Papier
Great comment.
You’re wild 😂
Aces.
Love Substack! Making connections with my readers is what I'm working on.
Sad that Twitter is blocking Substack links as most of my new subscribers are from Twitter. But I’m glad Substack is giving us writers a powerful alternative.
Substack is organic. It is setting a trend in the right direction. An informed and engaged Republic
Every word of this rings true in my experience. I have been here for 8 months. I offer a purely literary publication that is my best writing in 4 genres: memoir, criticism, fiction, and hybrid forms. I have not yet been directly encouraged or mentioned by Substack Reads. Still, I have gathered 3650 subscribers and 217 paying subscribers. I write only what I think is building a literary conversation and community, no chitchat, notes, diary entries, or craft advice, only writing intended to produce various forms of pleasure for the reader. I will continue to work this way for as long as readers are interested, apart from continuing to publish books. Thanks, Laurie lauriestone.Substack.com.
I am curious to know how you got so many subscribers and these many paid ones too.
Can we discuss this sometime?
-Girish
Are you under the impression it could be anything other than the attraction people feel to the writing? How else would anyone on Substack attract readers?
Ok understood.
Gotta love how Substack is just Michael Scott telling Pam “Yeah, we’ll I’m gonna do it even harder!”
Yes! It’s great
"Grateful" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about Substack. You are, truly, a voice in the dark wilderness.
YES!! I second this Mary!
I was thinking just today, that I feel I've made more friends as in people I'd enjoy meeting in real life in one year of substack than in 15 years of social media.
I agree with you Terry. And building community (preferably in person but since that's so challenging these days, any at all is good!) is what the research keeps telling me will make us all live longer and happier lives. For me it's absolutely essential. Thanks for liking my comment too.
I love cities, and my post on Monday will feature bits on London, so I've just subscribed to yours 😃
Hi Frank, sorry to answer late. I wasn't sure which community you meant. In any case at the moment I'm not being paid by anyone!
Thanks for this and all your ongoing help. Yesterday my readers (but not subscribers) quadrupled from the usual average number I get, I think because I studied your advice and that of your other writers, and added a short weekly "basket" (as I call it) to my usual articles. I was nervous about it but your upcoming Notes seemed to inspire me to go ahead, even though I'm not sure I understand yet how they'll work.
That's sad about Twitter. They were one of the few places I could contact easily to announce a new post. ( I know you must know it's hard to find the time, after the research and writing, to post announcements all over the place, so losing one that had an automatic link to you means just more work. I AM trying to get to know other writers slowly, again time being a constraint. Anyway thanks for all you're doing. I'm proud that my blog is on Substack. Susan from The Serene City
I didn't know about the weekly basket advice, but funnily enough I started doing something similar (called Start the week) a couple of months ago and it seemed to lead to a huge growth in engagement and subscribers. I didn't think the latter was coincidence, though it could have been I suppose
I would also like to get to know other writers and share the same feelings
So good to know. Thanks Anthony. Best wishes with your stories!
What’s a “basket”?
Hi Dave,
Basket is just a name I came up with for the small collection of things I wanted to list each week in an extra-short post that would be different from my usual longer posts about political events, public health and wellbeing, etc. It was to be an experiment. I thought of calling it something like Weekly Gift Box and didn't like that in the end. Finally I gave up on figuring out something really clever and just pictured in my mind a basket of a few gifts or good things--a piece of music I thought people might never have heard but might like, a book I love, and some photos of what's blooming in my garden right now. I'm afraid I may have confused people and made them think it's some weird new technical term (?) Anyway I enjoyed putting it together so I guess I'll keep going with it every week (as in "Weekly"!)
I’ve found I’ve stumbled into something similar as well!
I’ve completely lost myself after my mom died, and the only thing I was interested in doing still (like... immediately after) was write.
So I’ve been writing self-indulgent weekly reflection posts and decided to do so all of March as I focused on exploring life, and they haven’t been doing half bad!
Now I’m continuing them as a series, but haven’t quite found the format yet to make it more digestible. Still working on it! But yes, I’m not surprised an ongoing series is doing well!
I remember yeeeeeears ago this YouTuber I watched go from teaching Korean, to makeup, talk about her managers telling her to create a series... and now that’s all she does! She found her spot, and she posts that series every Saturday!
She mainly talks about bad movies while putting her makeup on, and throws some home movie vlogs in here and there haha.
I always loved discovering new media and things in vlogs, so I of course like people sharing a curations of thoughts and things weekly in writing too!
Hello Cierra! I'm so sorry about your loss of your mom. Yes I think that while I've worked mostly as a classical singer, I always have found solace in writing, including writing narrations for the audience about songs in our concerts (we had a small performing group which still exists but got interrupted by the pandemic and some other things). I do find writing about political things that relate to wellbeing in cities (and really everywhere) extremely stressful at times because A) so much awful stuff is going on and B) For a long time I felt those articles weren't doing much good because the people that need to read them would never come across them. As I gradually put more of myself and even some family history into some of them, readers seemed to respond, and I learned they could be interested in many things besides those articles. As for the Weekly Basket, one person said it really brightened her day which is just what I wanted to hear. Still I remain confused about why my readers quadrupled (by the way THAT number almost doubled the next day!??) yet there were no new subscribers! However several Substack people subscribed after the Substack conversations this past week, which made me feel at least a little better. I guess that's why building that community is a good idea. Anyway I hope your writing continues to help you feel better and does attract many subscribers! Take care and so nice to meet you-- Susan
Nice to meet you, Susan! And thank you for your condolences!
That's so understandable to be weary writing that type of content, but I'm glad you've been able to infuse your life and story in there as well!
So strange that they're reading but now subscribing! Maybe a personal reminder along with the Substack buttons available to us?
It definitely helps to network in this community! And we've gotta get used to screaming about our publications from the rooftops everywhere we go digitally and physically (when we can, haha).
I see …
and your increased readership makes a strong case for baskets.🤔
I love this. I have been doing something a bit similar - including what I've been calling a media embed each week highlighting a song, film, poem, etc. that is meaningful to me and on theme. Is your basket 🧺 a separate email?
Bryce I tried to answer your comment and wrote a long thing but it "didn't go through"--?? Anyway basically what I said was that this media embed of yours sounds like a winner and wished you good luck with it. Also to answer your question I just posted the weekly basket like I post my articles but with a very short intro as to why I was adding the feature. I saw after writing that that you'd subscribed, and I thank you so much, and will visit your site ASAP!
Sure, great. What happens when someone starts squeezing your payment processor? Or AWS?
I'm glad for what you've done so far--and not least the free hosting of a tiny little nobody like me--but what's your insurance policy against every force allied against free speech?
PS: Someone stated on a comments thread elsewhere that Mike Yeadon wasn't permitted to start his own Substack (paraphrased comment). Any truth to that, and if so, why?
Has Twitter made a statement or been in contact with Substack about this?
Great question.
"Then they fight you" 👌
Keep going, Substack. You have given me an opportunity I never dreamed of. I'm putting something out every week and believe me, I never thought it possible. I'd like to support the platform by charging for my archive and ploughing back some of what I earn into paid subscriptions for other writers I admire, but time will tell whether this happens. In the meantime I am so happy to be part of this marvellous platform. Keep the faith. I wish you every success.
Yes! Direct relationships are the future. With or without birdsite.
Person 2 person, writer 2 writer, reader 2 reader and all permeations therein.
This is how the healthy networks work.
Let's make it work.
💚
LFG
LFG Jesse!🚀🚀🚀
A heartfelt thanks for the integrity you are displaying at Substack - a platform for people who believe in freedom of thought and expression, and who can handle hearing something other than their echo chamber.
While a url shortener currently gets around the Twitter block, it's certainly concerning.
Hopefully it was an accidental engineering snafu, instead of being part of an incredibly short sighted monetization strategy.
Do you think such a model is possible for music?
We're building a social network for music sharing & discovery that enables users to create collaborative playlists between multiple streaming platforms- https://incentify.club
Just like Substack enabled writers to go direct, our end goal is to enable artists to own the relationship with their fans
That sounds great. Could it also be used for people to upload their own original music?
The beta version allows users to add any song already on Spotify/Apple Music, & curate 'Clubs' on our platform.
So if you have your music on those platforms you could easily add it. But we'll soon let artists directly upload & monetise their stuff too
Here's how the beta version works- https://youtu.be/sHucjWhcgJE
It is interesting to me that at a time when everyone is screaming about censorship, I have access to more unfiltered content than I can possibly consume. Substack is a big part of that. I love the model of being able to support the writers I prefer. And each good writer can get enough supporters that they don't have to perpetually paywall their work. That means I get to read more writers and they get to have me exposed to their work and possibly become a supporter of theirs. That has already happened more than once on Substack.
I think access to information is very important. From that outlook it did not make sense for me to paywall all my work, so that I why I decided to instead offer bonus content to paying subscribers while keeping the main content accessible. Only just started offering subscriptions, hope it works out, because I really love doing this and want to be able to do this for a living so I can reach as many people as I can.
+1
I think most writers would prefer this sort of PBS-style revenue model. I know I certainly would.
Indeed. You just have to know where to look!
To me, social media is a place where people mouth off, sometimes mindlessly. Substack is a place where we go to learn. I love it!
This resonates: "Substack is a place where we go to learn." 📚
💚
Today I published my first substack. It's incredible that you can write about almost anything without censorship. I would never have found this platform, if I hadn't looked up what's going on these last 3 years.
Now I have no reason to be on Twitter. 🙃
Let’s see how this plays out. I’m more likely to stay here anyway. One thing I did find interesting is someone tweeted about wanting a few newsletters in a bundle, like 4 subscriptions per month. Do we have that option? Not sure how that would work or if it’s feasible but just something to think about. Also... TEXT WRAPPING.
I've seen the rest,
seen them come,
and seen them go,
But only one is the latest and best,
And Substack wears the shiniest halo ;-)
Through the last few years, Substack has saved my sanity, maybe sanity itself. Grateful for all I'm reading, the in-depth coverage, great discussions. It's a lifeline.
Only goes to show the bird's feathers are somewhat ruffled. Keep doing what you're doing Substack and we'll keep writing and reading and supporting this community.
😂 so ruffled
Wow, if they are blocking Substack that is really bad ... for them! Let's do this Substack ❤️
💚
Absolutely!
I couldn't agree more with the power of Substack to empower writers and creators to have a direct relationship with their readers. The success of this writer- and reader-first model is truly exciting and represents a seismic shift in the media economy.
Kudos to Substack for their dedication to giving writers even more control over their publications and empowering them to cultivate their communities. The launch of Notes is a game-changer, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for Substack and it’s users!
Cool post. I’m curious about Substack’s ability to disrupt the media industry. It feels like there is huge potential to become the de-facto platform for written news content as well. The product doesn’t lend itself well to real time events currently, but doesn’t mean it couldn’t in the future. Super exciting.
I used to pay a lot more to get a local newspaper which was filled with advertising and "drivel" from other publications along with some local news, sports and obituaries. But getting journalism was very much missing. My subscription here provides me with a variety of real journalists.
I’m all in on Substack.
And, for the record, I’ve tried liking and retweeting this post over on Twitter...my like and retweet attempts keep vanishing. This is merely a coincidence, right?
They're blocking activity, which is outrageous.
It’s unbelievable! I’m this close 🤏 to deleting my Twitter account. (I probably should have months ago.)
I think I’m going to delete mine!
You should! Substack is proving there’s a better way. 😃
What does it take? This close. 🤣 Funny thing is, Twitter has always been a toxic cacophony of echo chambers. Everyone found their rightful echo. (I still smirtle when I remember the user account No Place for Sheep. Where only sheep ever gathered, of course.) It should have been, but wasn't, a sign of the end of times when journalists started (years ago) quoting Tweets as news and community wide opinion on any given topic. Most people in the world don't use Twitter. Most people with Twitter accounts don't use Twitter. When Twitter is gone from your life, what will you be missing?
Caz, to be honest with you, I have no idea why I should hold onto it...so I let it go! I know I won’t be missing anything. You’re right. It is a toxic place and always has been. All the best.
Yay, Justin!!! Run free!
🤣🤣
I think Twitter is in free fall. If it doesn't sort itself out soon, all the best people will be out and all sensible conversation there will die. Thank goodness for Substack!
I completely agree with you on all accounts! So thankful for this platform.
Wild
I have an author business I would love to move to substack. I sell a 100,000 books a year but... I don't want to risk having someone get offended and decide I'm not allowed to make a living. What guarentees would I have, that someone at Substack wouldn't suddenly decided I had "violated" the TOS and cancel my account?
Just do it and see. I, for one would sign on.
Seeing what Twitter has done today, I’ve shut down my account. The Substack ethos and community has inspired more in a month than other social networks have in over fifteen years.
Looking forward to being part of Substack’s future.
Bravo!! YES!!....you are the start of something soooo good and innovative! A bright community bloom amongst the old weeds in the cracks!!! Albeit many real weeds are very beautiful, just not fake TikTok or other such named weeds ;) I am still to start my Substack but avidly reading SO much interesting stuff whilst I dither about what to actually write that people might even want to read and... deciding if am I even good enough etc, etc, bla, bla, bla. My middle names are Imposter Syndrome Procrastinator if you hadn't guessed already! But I do know that when I start it is that you offer me exactly what I have been looking for whilst I am avoiding all those other 'sham', controlling, Ad infested platforms, so I want to get it right!!
As long as you write about what matters to you, that interest and passion will come across in your writing, and people will want to read it!
I can't wait for NOTES on Substack! yay :)
As a non-user of any of the traditional social media platforms, I’m a little skittish about “Notes,” but let’s see whatcha got. So far, Substack is just what I was looking for.
I'm not in a hurry to use Notes either, but as with all bells and whistles on Substack, I know I am free to engage with the one's that best suit me and my goals on the platform, and leave alone any that just don't do it for me. 😁
Where to find some statistics on Substack - number of paid readers, growth, top subscriptions, etc????
In a newsletter from yesterday Substack wrote that they have 35 million subscriptions of which 2 million are paid.
Many thanks, Claudia 😍
You're welcome. :)
As a creator, writer, thinker, and filmmaker, sharing all of my ideas in a platform like Substack is been so helpful and fulfilling 💡
May words guide you! 🎬
Guys, just fix the Twitter thing please.
Just published my first article on substack a week ago. I'm so happy to be a part of this company and movement. It feels like a good place to be.
I feel very grateful to be able to trust substack to host my work and writing
We need to be able to link to LinkedIn. Just my opinion.
You can, can’t you? You can link your LinkedIn account in your bio!
It doesn't automatically post though, does it?
No, you can’t automatically post a LinkedIn article on substack. But why would you want to? Post on Substack first!
I'd like my Substack post to go to LinkedIn, perhaps as an update. I can do it manually, but automated would be better.
Great idea 💡
Frankly, I’m more worried about the government perusing Substack user data than I am about Twitter. I’ve asked Chris, Hamish and Jairaj numerous times whether this was going on (without the necessary warrants, of course) and if so whether they would tell Substack users. None of the three has seen fit to respond...and that fact I find very troubling!
I am permanently banned from Twitter and it has become irrelevant for me. Facebook has also become increasingly irrelevant. I subscribe to several accounts on this platform and enjoy reading the commentary. Twitter has become an echo chamber for leftists. Worthless.
I am loving Substack. It is an exciting platform. Thank you all for your commitment to excellence, sharing ideas and staying curious and interested.
I tried tweeting, liking, retweeting other substack posts today and didn't see any problem. Still, Notes sounds like a great idea. Go for it.
To me, the whole purpose of Twitter was posting quick, funny comments and links to interesting things. Or links to my own sometimes-not-so-interesting long form blog posts. Back then, "I" owned the blog posts. I was self-hosted with Blogger then moved to self-hosted WordPress post Google buyout. MySpace was for games. Facebook was for family and friends. Now the whole thing has fallen apart.
FWIW, I tweeted out a direct link to this substack, and the link worked. It was not blocked on Twitter.
My links aren’t working there
Preach it! I'm totally in!
If only the same could be done in a platform to rival Etsy, which, btw, is definitely NOT "keeping commerce human."
Build this someone: a marketplace platform for makers and vintage that gives Substack-like controls (and even a voice at all) to sellers.
I tried to thank a reader who posted my Lou Reed Substack on Twitter early this morning. My attempt to say “thank you” or simply click “like” were rejected by Twitter. “Inappropriate content.” Saying “thank you” was inappropriate. That is insane. These are not competing platforms in any way I can figure. It’s part of the draining of democracy by autocratic institutions. I had cut Twitter a lot of slack even with the owner’s eccentricities. No longer. This is dangerous, to free speech, free expression, craven and misguided. Hamish, they’re going to drive us to Linked In!
Was cool to the news that Substack was launching Notes, but that Twitter is clearly threatened by it is changing my mind. Colour me intrigued now.
Thanks for focusing so firmly on your mission and standing in for those powerful principles. Giving power back from platforms to users is much needed if we want to build a better Internet.
A cynical question though: What makes Substack different than for example Medium, or any other tool (e.g. Wordpress) that allows users to publish independently and that have often been around for years?
Hi Marc,
I'm glad you liked my comment. Thank you. About your statement here on what makes Substack different, I've tried for awhile to copy my posts into Medium (someone there who I know suggested I go on Medium). Medium constantly tells me I have no readers and not enough response to be paid, even though I never asked to be paid or showed interest in that on Medium. But the clincher was an extremly hostile and nasty comment I did find on my page there in response to an article I wrote on disturbing extremist Republican activities. So I haven't felt much like dealing with them lately. They do publish sometimes helpful things, but it feels dangerous to me in a way I don't need to be feeling right now. Substack seems much more upbeat and also safe.
That's unfortunate. Maybe they felt like the Notes feature was too similar to Twitter.
I have never felt that comfortable on social media and could not get on with twitter. It has always felt very artificial with people either saying what they thought they should say or being hostile for the hell of it (when you could find any posts by people in between the ads). I have only been exploring here for a few days but it has been enough to realise that there is a much better way to use the internet and it is one that feels safe, relaxed and enjoyable to spend time in. Giving writers and readers the space to choose what they want to explore and consider different angles creates a much more interesting dialogue. Already it is making me feel like I want to write and participate where 5min on twitter is enough to make me want to never speak to people again. Only down point for substack so far that I have found is the lack of handcrafts category which makes it hard to find crafters and makers but given the constant efforts to develop by the team I think they will be welcoming in the craft community soon. I’m really excited to see what creators will do with it and how it grows because I feel like it could be something special.
I work with a lot of makers but I’ve not found them here yet... I think since it’s shifted it’s language from writers to creators they will come. 👀
I've been on Twitter a long time (like back when it was still SMS messages). I used to love it & have made a lot of friends there.
I do NOT love what it has become. It's hard watching an old friend deteriorate.
😔 it’s SUCH a shame there’s space for them all
Goodness, I love Substack.
Congratulations. Substack is unstoppable, while Twitter circles down the drain. Good riddance.
Yes! I like this attitude!
It’s a shame that Twitter decides to do this. I think it’s only going to get more people noticing Substack.
Thanks for the update. I agree that this is a great sign for why we want to own our audiences and why Substack is a great platform for us to do that.
Can you please share some ideas on how writers can still leverage Twitter, etc for distribution?
For example, creating our own domain that routes to our substack and sharing that, etc?
I Tweeted yesterday that whomever signed up as the 1000th free sub to our Tech Select substack would win a free Premium membership. I was overwhelmed to get ...: zero additional free subs. And now I know why!!! Alex
Looking forward to Notes. Thank you Substack for adding all these features to connect with our readers. Not sure how use them yet but I’m glad it’s there as a tool and an option.
Thank you. You’re doing great work and feels like the platform we need. Hope more musicians and creators start using Substack in ways that Patti Smith is, she’s a real joy to follow.
You can't stop the Substack train. Twitter has had its day and I can't wait to use Notes 🎶 🎼
💚
You're threatening the power players in the social media space. Good job! I'm glad I'm here for it.
Me too!!!
I just wrote a piece about Twitter limiting Substack links and how to get around it. It stinks because many writers rely on Twitter to drive subscriber growth
it's nice to see you guys on here. Does this mean you're off Deso, or are you still posting there as well?
Still on Deso, just not as mush as before. Also doing some things on LENS.
Please, yes please, oh please do deliver the death blow to Twitter.
Yes! I have been waiting for the time when Twitter of any given mega-tech company gets challenged.
Best to the substack famliy of writers and artists in finding their newest platform.
Substacks; the new Fourth Estate only this one isn't fake. Twitter as Fascist book as all of them meh no prayer, they censor us.
I love Substack. I love being able to create and share all in one place. And everyone here is so pleasant and helpful. Thank you Substack. 💖
Re-committing to write more on Substack! Sharing with my hive....a lotta those bees need to buzz on over here.
Love this platform! Creative power! 💥
Keep up the good work, Substack. Love your vision!
🙌🤜🤛💪
I deleted Twitter a month ago because it was too much work trying to promote my Substack there, a time that could have been better spent on writing. Here it feels effortless. Here the community is positive, supportive, and critical.
I appreciate the connections I’ve made here. I’ve met so many great people and am enjoying their creative work.
Substack is such an exciting place to be right now. Having joined in august, though failing to be consistent, I feel like I've arrived right on time. Combine that with the deterioration of traditional social media, ... let's just say I'm grateful for this platform.
Substack team we are thankful to be in this fight with you.
Have been really happy with this platform so far I've found stimulating reads and got myself into writing. And I gotta say it's like rediscovering an old passion so I'm glad for what's to come.
Substack is truly a great place for anyone who enjoys writing!
I invested in Substack through Wefunder because I believe in it.
Thank you for your vision in putting it together.
I abandoned Twitter because it seemed as useful as SMS messages and my carrier already had plenty of functionality for those messages.
What has been a great benefit of Substack is learning from other writers, some of whom are incredibly skilled and talented. As one of the co-founders of Wired Magazine told me is a recent conversation, Substack represents the future of publishing. The future is still evolving and unfolding but "so far, so good."
"useful as SMS messages.." good one! That about sums it up. :)
Thanks for the platform, guys and girls. We love it here
thank you Chris, Jairaj, Hamish, Bailey, & the rest of the Substack crew 🙏🏼
we appreciate -- the tools -- and the tone -- of what your team -- is building 💚
I like Substack very much. I hope it stays the way it is instead of selling out to investors.
https://hiddenjapan.substack.com/
Sharing my work has never been easier than on substack
I’m ready!!!
No problem. Substack adds to public dialogue. Other social media, like T, only sub-track with dialogue. Too much of contributions on FB or T subvert society and common ground.
Twitter and Facebook are content parasites. Substack has provided a mechanism for the content producers to share and get some measure of compensation. Plus, people who pay to receive content are part of the value proposition. They expect and reward content that offers more than clickbait.
SO exciting ❤️
Here’s an idea that may help us Substack writers … how about making the custom domain feature free (for a while) and drop the requirement for the www in the domain name? Seems like a great way to work around targeted blocks.
It’s not cheap offering custom domains. Great idea but not easy to implement
I don’t mean that Substack should supply the domains. I’m referring to their current feature of linking a domain you already have to your Substack URL. If I’m not mistaken, Substack currently charges $50 for that service. They also require you include www in your domain name.
I wish they would be able to drop the www. requirement. If they could or would, I'd move to custom domain in a heartbeat.
Yes ... the nineties called ... they want their www back.
This, and the $50 charge, kept me from using a custom domain.
Oh fair enough!
NPR being designated ’state sponsored propaganda’ did it for me re Twitter. Bye. What year is Musk living in, 2003? Roll back a few months and Twitter was blocking links to Mastodon, so maybe don’t assume it’s a glitch.
This reminds me of when Condè Nast took over local distribution of a cherished Dallas magazine-I had just paid $52 for an annual sub, and they unceremoniously stopped publication and offered a substitution-something banal like Glamour or Cooking, nothing I wanted. I couldn’t even contact them (it was maybe 2005ish?). I was just sh*t out of luck. Musk’s move to forbid links at whim is tantamount to that, even though Twitter is free, or was, for pros. That it’s not now, that puts a different light on charging for total access or a favorable algorithm. All this stinks so badly. BTW how much of the subscriber base has been lost since it arrived with his sink? Portent. And we kinda knew it.
Twice in the past decade I have experienced first hand, online, from where I sit now how deep state actors can access all the files on my machine and display those files to me in a thread where I post...just to let me know they can. I'm not taking any steps to avoid their surveillance. This whole internet thing was hatched in the Pentagon and their DARPA ops. Anybody who thinks those guys aren't keeping an eye on the whole shebang is dreaming. If genuine U.S. Constitutional Liberty and the freedom it promises survives at substack it will be because the powers that be don't have nerve enough to shut it down completely and those of us who subscribe to the substack way refuse to be intimidated or undermined by the wickedness of those who fear our liberty. As long as there is a substack to be in, I'm in. Edward Snowden warned us about our enemies. Those enemies are real. So what else is new? Nuthin, that's what. Keep on truckin. Love to everyone. Yours truly, Oaf.
Godspeed!
If twitter's action was NOT accidental that shows that the Substack model is winning
I am an extremely small fish in the growing Substack ocean, but I enjoy doing what I do for the first time ever. My only "true success" was my very first Blogspot blog titled Sphaera Ephemeris in the non-monetizing 90s attracting 700-1200 views per post. Days of youth! My current subscriptions number is minuscule but, still, I feel "Big" and happy enough to return for the next post. My only (small) complaint is that Substack has no Search operation allowing the writer to find his older posts quickly ... I have no idea how many posts I have already created... they may be reaching 400 (?). Thank you for a brilliant idea and implementation... and for allowing TRUE freedom of expression--I'd be swiftly eliminated by Twitter and FB if I were letting myself run as I do on my (The) Periscope. Bravo.
AT - I may be misunderstanding your issue, but to quickly find a specific archived post, all I do is go to the little magnifying glass symbol at the top of my home page and type in one key word from the title and up pops my archived post. Please ignore this if I am not addressing your concern.
Ooooops!!! I am an idiot... yes, the magnifying glass, of course! But I'm going through a lot right now and I'm often blind to the obvious. Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction!
I recently came to Substack because some of my financial analysts post here, it looks like it has potential but I would say assuming it will be the demise of Twitter is premature.
I have a blog on an independent site so I will keep observing this platform and see how it develops.
Let’s keep the work going! Stay Happy 🫡💭
Substack does change the internet and I think it's beautiful!
The real issue with the internet is that there are too many people.
600+ comments already and I’m sure no one will be reading this one.
I’m looking for the social media platform which communicates by 1-minute videos, no share option, and people are encouraged to develop relationships within a small community.
The community size is important. I feel this is the trickiest part. It’s difficult to keep track of more than a few dozen relationships - especially when they are not neighbors, and they don’t go to your school, church or school.
“Internet friends” have no time to talk about local issues, since for the most part their lives aren’t affected. You won’t be inviting “internet friends” out for a hike, or to meet you at the farmer’s market.
It’s like The Internet was a cool new toy and the new wore off. It’s a useful tool. It has the potential to liberate minds all over the globe. And at the same time, it does a poor job of connecting people to one another.
I like video because it’s harder to hide behind a keyboard. Viewers know it wasn’t a bot that wrote an article. You get a LOT more emotional content conveyed. The videos need to be short, with written transcripts so viewers can decide how much time they’ll take watching. A person can scan text a lot faster than watching a video.
When it comes to The Internet, we only win if we learn how to use it -- to connect people; as contrast with dividing them. It’s awesome in its ability to allow people to communicate across time and distance -- with far more bandwidth than written words. Books were good; but now we have a much richer medium to work with.
Hey, do me a favor? Tap the heart so I know at least one person read this. Thanks.
Peace.
Yes: I think Twitter is a failing model. I just did a post on Twitter: Only 23% of Americans even use it, and 97% of tweets come from 3% of users, the very most extreme left-wing ones for the most part. (Data from Pew.) So it's not real life. It's not interesting or creative, broadly speaking. There's virtually no reason to be on it. Substack, on the other hand, respects and honors writers and writing. No ads, no outrage machine-algorithms, just writing directly from me to you, my readers. My stack has been growing faster and faster, and I love it and feel beholden to my readers.
Let's do this, Stackers.
Michael Mohr
"The Incompatibility of Being Alive"
https://reallife82.substack.com/
Early incarnations of Facebook was exactly this. I could hide myself from ALL search results. Or I could limit myself to a subset of a network. I could enable my profile to be suggested in searches with very little identifying information, while also removing the "Friend Request" and Messaging button making it impossible for you to add me unless you had a way to contact me outside of Facebook.
This was the way. I decided who to interact with and had fine grained control over the content presented to me. And we slowly allowed these companies to force us out into the open. Turning meaningful and thoughtful interactions into fodder for more ads, more clicks, more revenue. No, guy from high school in my period 2 math class. I do not want to be your friend. No, bro from that youtube channel, I do not care for your hot take on gender roles.
Thank you Substack for bringing back some sanity. I've ended my 7 year embargo of anything and everything social. I knew this day would eventually come.
Would so much rather scroll here on Substack than Twitter. So glad I'm here & it's such a joy to connect — really connect — with other people using it.
Bravo on where Substack began, to how far Substack has come, and where Substack will be in the years to come!
Really looking forward to trying Notes! And very curious about some of its functionality and display. It looks like folk are saying that Notes won't send email updates the way that newsletters do, which is great, because I don't want to pester people who only signed up for the monthly reports. Also wondering if Notes will display in-line with longform pieces? On another page entirely? Side-by-side? (Side-by-side would be awesome, IMO, or at least the option for it -- as a longtime user of Tweetdeck, I love my columns and have missed their integration into some other sites)
I realize I’m late to this party but I just had a thought regarding the Twitter controversy. Because Substack is paying platform could a mini payment for connecting posts resolve the issues? A cooperative solution rather than a competitor seeking to duplicate a service? Elon Musk has proven to be a free speech advocate and surly the world can use far more that a single place to speak.
If Substack charged a fee and was responsible for dividing the amount up based upon usage (author), then that would make more sense than individual subscriptions. The fee would go up or down based upon usage. Kind of like how ez pass works. Just my 2cents
This is amazing.I found this interestingly great.The betterment is superfluous.😊
Curses all around for twitter, deserved curses.
So excited for the next chapter!
I agree that direct relationships are our future M.O., because it promotes authenticity that is challenging to find in the mainstream.
The law firm Rushing McCarl LLP is investigating whether Twitter's actions targeting Substack links and users violate antitrust and unfair-competition laws. If you receive income from a Substack newsletter and are upset about Twitter's anticompetitive actions, we'd appreciate hearing from you.
I only joined Substack in the last couple of weeks. I’ve only read posts from Rachel Maldonado but I plan on exploring when I have more time.
Wrote my first post today, partly due to the continued Twitter trash fire. It felt like a breath of fresh air. Really enjoy the UI. Lookin forward to being a regular contributor.
Can’t wait to see how this works. I dipped into Reddit the other day and was met with a torrent of abusive bullying. Deleted the profile I set up very quickly. Twitter seems just as bad.
I’ve never been on Twitter or Reddit. Occasions I see posts from Reddit because they are part of the Friday edition of a daily newsletter called “The Hustle”.
Having never had a grasp of 'what' social media tries to be in contrast to what it is (interactions among the darkest sides of human nature), I found myself enjoying a more peaceful and creative environment after leaving SM a decade ago.
I am new to Substack and remain positive about its potential.
"Subscription networks like Substack will prevail because of the people who choose to be part of it, because they believe the principles at play offer something better."
That statement is a departure from the politically inclined appealing for change from the outside and anonymity.
Yes, it is far past time for content providers - writers - to be compensated for their work rather than having it used only for corporate ad revenue and censored to fulfill that end.
Even before this the only time I really ever go to Twitter is from a link in a Substack article, I never click on Twitter and haven’t for years
Musk is being a dick. Switch on the Notes feature.
Anyone who offers value, who has, in short, something to give to others as a plus, does not allow commercial platforms to limit the dissemination of content.
So, I like this post.
We writers will also do our part so that as many people as possible know about the limitations we would suffer in certain other platforms.
W Substacks!
Keep going, let's keep going!
Substack will be the next big thing. For anyone interested in more than quick attention wanks anyway
Hey Substack team - any approximate launch date for Notes? I love talking about it, but I can’t wait to try it
I hear it’s an early next week launch
Substack has done everything it possibly could to help me get started and succeed on this platform, and the people I find here are wonderful. This is my day job now. Twitter under Musk has more or less just spit in my face and then asked me to pay for it.
Long. Live. Substack. 💪🙏👍👏
Saw your CEO Chris Best’s interview with Bloomberg 👍 I’m 100% rooting for you guys! All the best 😎
I think Substack is the cat’s meow. I love it
Now yer talkin.
I've been trying the platform for a couple weeks now, but the growth is so slow. I am wondering what I am doing it wrong?
I’m sure EM has made this decision. I, with respect for prominent people who encouraged followers not to leave Twitter, well, left. Anything that matters on Twitter gets reported. I’m off of social media entirely. My daughter introduced me to Black Mirror- a series on NETFLIX. Terrifying and foreshadowing. It’s in a way lonely not participating on FB, Twitter etc. My friends often approach me and with alarm tell something that is ‘BREAKING’ news. I ask the source and their reply is FB!!! Then, they tell me what’s breaking and I know the story well from 2 days before. Black Mirror foreshadows behavior that mandates social acceptance can only happen if we are on prominent social media platforms. That includes LINKEDIN! STOP! You’re addicted. That’s all.
I watched 3 or so episodes of Black Mirror and found it deeply disturbing and relatable. I haven’t been able to watch more.
Same…
The social media game is exhausting and time consuming. It would be wonderful to be able to close out all those accounts and focus my attention on something I have more control over. It’s looking like Substack might just make that happen in the not too distant future.
I read much more content on substack than I ever did on Twitter.
Thank y’all for creating with writers in mind!
Substack offers one commodity we rarely see online -- hope.
i have to be real honest with u there chief, y’all (substack employees and thriving creators on the platform) talk a real great game ideologically, but guess what? it doesn’t matter if you can put the readers in front of the writers, which has been my experience, and many others. i’ve cranked out a bunch of content on your platform only for it to fall so flat that if i don’t post about it on my other social media outlets, it will never get read. that’s an incredibly degrading feeling, and while u, in theory, stand for the antithesis of the social media people like myself are trying to get away from, i don’t see u addressing the lack of traffic on many substacks which implies that the company believes it must be the quality of the content that’s being produced. just some thoughts, boys
I feel like this is kind of a wild issue to have with substack as a platform. I never was under the impression that substack is intending to do the work of bringing people to my content... that's the writers job.
Yes, Anastasia. Write quality pieces, edit and polish your work, make each sentence the best sentence you can write. Take the time to write well, and your readers will find you - and stay with you and recommend you to others. I never thought it was Substack's job to bring me readers. Maybe I misunderstood?
Let’s rock and roll
I love substack
Hi guys, can I ask about whether the categories you choose on Substack affect people finding you? Does it use any kind of algorithm? I’m intrigued by notes but also worried about it becoming cloudy and only certain things being pushed or noticed. I love substack for its still images and long words.
I left Twitter soon after the Musk takeover, and am very glad I did! Thanks for all that Substack does to help writers like me share our work and connect with both readers and other writers.
I really like posting on Substack and am grateful it is here. I've been through a bunch of platforms, and this is the first one that has stuck. I do have a question. Why is it no longer possible to edit "gallery" images. Used to be able to go back in and add or edit the caption and add, subtract, or rearrange the images. Now if I realize I made a typo or don't like the spacing, I have to delete the whole gallery and start it over. Can you restore the editing function please?
Hey Diane! Nothing to add to your question. Just saying hi :)
I love what you do Substack - I can’t wait for the Notes feature, will likely be moving there from Twitter. Peace to all
i hate twitter anyway
I love this model, and would really appreciate seeing a similar platform for visual artists. Right now the only game in town, in terms of reach, is Instagram, and Instagram has no protections for content creators in terms of preventing the theft of images and other outrages. The platform has become less about sharing visual content and more about shilling products.
If anyone is looking for a final push to walk away from Twitter, this would be it.
I miss the free blogosphere--desperately. Nevertheless, I appreciate substack for recreating something close to it, albeit a monetized version. I am really hoping that substack stays in the sweet spot it's in right now, which seems to be 1) usable without being exorbitant, 2) light on trolls and bots though a bot is currently following me around liking my comments 3) diverse in content 4) engaging in content. There is more of a silo effect here, but that's how the blogosphere was. The substack model can replace Twitter but will probably need to be tweaked as the user base grows. Too much attempt to monetize could wreck it and that's probably going to be tempting as Twitter dies. I have suspected for awhile that substack will replace Twitter for certain users, people who are looking for informed discussion on issues, a run through of the zeitgeist, and an update on specific issues they care about. I hope it works out! As a conversational hub, this has serious potential but it's going to be tough to manage the influx of users and whatever attempts will be made to bring the nonsense we saw gradually form on twitter and reddit.
The infamous "Hannah Williams?"
Recently, I received several likes from Hannah Williams. Why is she infamous?
https://open.substack.com/pub/tompendergast/p/the-pirates-are-coming-for-substack?
LOL I think so!
Why would a bot follow you to like your comments?
I've had the same experience. Whether they're actual bots or real people, I don't know. But they go around liking as many comments as they can, indiscriminately it seems, likely in the hope that when they show up in your notifications and/or email, that you’ll check them out and subscribe.
I have noticed that some people give indiscriminate likes, presumably to promote their name recognition. But my liberally bestowed likes keep my place when I jump in and out to read many comments.
I don't know. Perhaps to get you to look at their AI produced substack.
Twitter is soon to be part of history rather than the future. It could have all been so different.
That's an excellent piece.
This is all well and good, and I do appreciate Substack and both post and subscribe here.
HOWEVER, I am more interested in Twitter than I am in the new Notes. Please do your part to be on good terms with Elon and company.
And I've said pretty much the same thing to Elon. Neither platform is going away and needs to work well together.
Thank you.
I think monopoly level power tends to kill free speech, no matter what the intentions of the one(s) running the monopoly.
I deeply appreciate Substack’s claimed agenda to protect independent creators and Musk’s claimed agenda to protect free speech but I also see that if the options dwindle it is easier for anyone who wants to police speech online to focus on controlling the only option.
Excellent analysis of how Twitter and Elon Musk are desperate to cut into anything he thinks might be competing for revenue.
Didn't he just slam NPR in an attempt to discredit them?
Since he cannot control the content or direction of substack and its writers, he doesn't want any competition for his propaganda. Hopefully he'll find out in the end, that's it's better to be woke than to be like Twitter gonna be broke 💔.
Thanks boys just keep doing what you're doing and to hell with Elon. We love what y'all have built! Lauren, Black Virginia News
I've spent the last 6 weeks building up over 1300 followers. Not a lot but a good writing community. They were just starting to take notice. Now...oh well.
Elon is a big believer in free speech, unless it bumps up against his business model.
I just checked my Substack link that I Tweeted yesterday and it still works … so far. What’s next? Blocking my website … which is another place you can find a link to my newsletter?
Maybe it’s time for us all to start blocking Twitter and boycotting their advertisers.
The self-centered censorship by Musk, along with the lack of engagement on his and other social media sites, is what prompted me to start my Substack blog. After only four months, my subscribers now number about a third of that on the other sites.
QUESTION for writers:
In what ways, besides Twitter and IG, do you get the word out about your Substack?
Dave, I have had very little engagement from Twitter. Gave it up. I've had good success with InboxReads and The Sample. Lately it's just happening which is great, quite a few new folks arrive from inside Substack. I just keep on writing and (try) not to worry about it. But those two external places do seem pretty good.
Hi Dave I’m new to Substack, only about a month posting. I write about migration and language and being an American who emigrated https://thewritinggrove.substack.com I ran some experiments doing ads to drive traffic. I tested LinkedIn and Twitter. linkedin worked better. I got traffic from Twitter but it was low quality.
Also FB works well
Substack is my vibe. Thoughtful. Honest. Pro creator. Twitter is a mess. Looking forward to trying notes out. F**k 14 year olds with billions of dollars
I really hope Notes will gain the traction it needs to displace the blue bird (now yellow dog), at least among those who care about writing/reading. Can't wait to see how it works.
⚡️VISIONARY⚡️
The whole thing feels petty... but at the same time, it also means Twitter sees Substack as a real threat. We've loved growing our newsletter on Substack, and we're so thankful for the community and support! http://geniussteals.substack.com <3
I welcome the new changes, but I feel Substack is leaving money on the table. I would happily pay a monthly sub for the privilege of writing on the platform. It could be introduced as a volunteering small sub.
I've never liked Twitter anyway.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they block you, then you win...
Why thanks! I'll subscribe to yours and read about London!
Character limiting = limiting character
Give me a genuine conversation anyday. Bravo Substackians!
How does anyone these days know that writers are not ChatGPT
You can run a writers content through an AI checker. They aren’t totally accurate but could give you an idea. Just search for it on Google or where ever
A clear and interesting piece! I'm not a writer, but as a reader, appreciate what I see on Substack. -- Don Nelson
*standing ovation*
And now I'm unable to like or RT the most recent Substack tweet. So, I took a screenshot and tweeted it anyway.
Hello and thank you for liking my comment. So nice to meet you --Susan
Bring it on. About time someone is changing the game. Direct relationships will always be the best way.
The block is scary to those of us just starting out, even if it's wearily predictable in the context of Twitter's general dumpster-fire status. Even as a fairly small Twitter user, it's where ~70% of my Substack engagement has come from. I'm not sure how to make an audience in a framework where Substack is banned on Twitter, though I'm hopeful to find a way. Any suggestions are certainly appreciated, and I'm sure there's a lot of other people in the same boat.
Só espero que o próprio Substack, depois que estiver alcançando milhões de pessoas e ficar mais famoso, não comece a censurar os escritores que lhe fizeram crescer e prosperar. Será que vcs irão querer ver o crescimento de textos dos escritores MGTOWs ou escritores de Direita apoiadores de Bolsonaro e do Trump, ou até mesmo do Putin? Cito esses para pegar leve, existem outros muito mais polêmicos.
Fica aqui minha provocação.
Gimmie Notes!!!! 😃😃😃
Totally agree. I’ve dropped off Twitter after seeing Musk with the Saudis & Kushner. I could no longer be a part of that.
Super cool to be a writer about to upload the first in a series of longform interviews with Acclaimed Independent Artists on Substack, but, looking at the bright side, let me tell you just how much everybody hates being on Twitter right now.
Hi, I'm Barbara, I do the "Runaway" thing:
https://barbaragenova.substack.com/about
Substack is OVER THE TARGET! Here's the proof: 1) Twitter censored by not allowing sharing, 2) A hack at the ADL wrote a 180 degree (negative) assessment of the most honest and thoroughly researched writers I have read since the rush to lie became in vogue, and, 3)Substack's value is only in the truth. People are writing as a cathartic of conscience where they cannot tell a lie. The truth is the substack writer's only currency in this swamp of deadly lies, lies that go unchallenged as they are repeated by the 'mockingbird' media. unseen by the ignorant who still submit to masks and other absurdities.
ADL and others that live the lie full time have lost their voice. We're done with them and their evil ways.
I was skeptical of this yesterday, but this post all but won me over. I love the vision Substack has for their platform, and the tremendous level of respect it shows us writers.
Excited to try out Notes, and I guess it’s up to us to prioritize quality interactions and recommendations over the exceedingly stupid posts that always go viral on Twitter.
I’ve been writing Practice Space, a personal essay newsletter, since November, and I’m almost at 100 subscribers. Come join me on the journey and let’s explore these new features together!
I have only recently started my blog site on here, but I’ve found Substack to a very promising and interesting concept. A couple of subscribers on here recommended me to check it out. And I currently am planning for the long haul. I wish the Substack approach all the very best for its future development and success. I am looking forward to seeing a healthy relationship between our enterprises.
I found this post very inspiring. Who knows where twitter and instagram will be in a years time. Things are shifting in a way where content creators are in control and audiences can put their money where their desires are. I like it a lot! 👏🏻
💚
It might be best to get your terminology right. You are referring to the World Wide Web, not the internet. They are entirely different things, determined by their function.
...just so you know
Thank U, Twitter, for inadvertently promoting how superior SubStack is in every way. May this signal the quick death of the birdy doge platform.
I've commented on this before, but since you're giving me another opportunity, I'll only repeat that it's about time, long past time, for Substack to start thinking about its READERS. So far, you've totally ignored them. It's not that you attack them, you just totally ignore their needs. For some reason, which I will never understand, you feel no need to help beginners with any useful information at all. You should be ashamed that we have to consult outsiders to see what
Substack is all about, what it contains, and how to use/navigate through it. What's wrong with you? Why don't you have a BEGINNER'S PAGE?
I had the same problem. Even finding the substacks I’m signed up for is tricky. And, at least for me, not easy to remember. A beginners page for readers is really required.
After 13 years on Blogspot, I am love the look and community that this brings!
The social conversation has become truncated. It is so refreshing to read long-form analysis, the resurrection of blog-o-sphere type in-depth analysis by writers and not be distracted by ads. Engaging with an audience that seeks authenticity in content is a seismic shift in the media economy.
Very good news!
But if we're talking about the future of the internet, you may be curious about what we are doing.
We believe the age of Web 3 needs many more models of transacting exposure and value. Check out our open source project https://youtu.be/Ma-nHNdz78o - and also we just launched a new dApp in alpha public test: https://youtu.be/UPmBs1BXrGE - Discover more about the founder: https://linktr.ee/lucianape3
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Change is a constant action... I am learning to be present with my post. I have many stories and videos that have never been seen by anyone else. Perhaps sharing my experience will change the way I influence people! Thanks for this post!
It's all about quality of content, true connections and direct relationships with readers IMO
I read all the comments and it appears Twitter is no longer what it once was.
You are welcome to my substack as it is focused on Linux.
https://girish1729.substack.com
I hope substack stays away from the things that made Twitter suck so much. I love the
open culture of substack and the lack of censorship. However it would be nice if substack would pay in cypto currency in addition to stripe.
DEAR CHRIS BEST, JAIRAJ SETHI, AND HAMISH MCKENZIE,
Just letting you know I unsubscribed because I didn't want to receive emails from you anymore and there was no option to be subscribed but not receive email notifications from those I subscribed to. I will check here to see if you reply with an option to subscribe without getting email notifications. Thankyou.
I just started reading on Substack a couple weeks ago. I’m hooked. It is a great way to share writing and spread our ideas. I mostly write when I am feeling inspired or when I have meditated before hand- for instance after I do yoga in the morning as am grounded….this said I typically flow on a feeling or thought or synthesize life into creative writing…I published my first substack today. Maybe I will be inspired by being on the platform to write more rather than just sharing all the poems and prose I have at my disposal.
Substack has a lot more potential at the moment. The Internet, and the World need good writers and their good ideas.
Thank goodness for creators like Substack for standing and allowing truth and respect for writers. There is too much contempt in the world for the truth narrative. Sharing truth to help others is righteous. May Substack's efforts grow based on this effort to permit a space for truth to be heard and grow people's lives.
Substack is amazing for writers and for building a community. It feels so much better than old fashioned blogging because there seems to be more energy and willingness to participate here on the platform.