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Thanks for software insights! Much appreciated. What platform did you use for your other site? I had a site 10 years ago through wordpress.org and wraparound was no problem across devices and browsers. It was always consistent, bc I used templates that were designed for both laptops and mobile/tablet devices. (And wraparound works perfec…
Thanks for software insights! Much appreciated. What platform did you use for your other site? I had a site 10 years ago through WordPress.ORG and wraparound was no problem across devices and browsers. It was always consistent, bc I used templates that were designed for both laptops and mobile/tablet devices. (And wraparound works perfectly fine for professional sites.)
That's why I'm surprised the Substack platform doesn't even include it. It's included elsewhere with no issues.
The problem with WordPress (whether it's .org or .com) is that you have to do so much of the heavy lifting on your own with coding and plugins.
I definitely hear what you're saying about wraparound text and consistency across devices and browsers, but it's very commonly featured on many platforms.
All I'm saying is I want some more options, which should be doable by Substack. And, like I said, there are lots of pros to Substack that outweigh some of the cons. I just get a little frustrated sometimes.
No, I get it -- I really do.
First off, I always used Wordpress, and still do for other business, like https://JaimeBuckley.com for artwork. Yes, the heavy lifting can be rough -- which is one of the main reasons I came here. I was tired of the work, the maintenance, and the constant hacking by people wanting to take kids reading my comics to porn sites was the last straw for me.
The mobile versions of site are common, yes, but they still (most I experience) still look questionable on my little iPhone screen. So there's definitely an argument for both sides.
But I'll say something that won't likely be brought up -- and that is keeping an impressive light on Substack...
Having the ability to custom design a site doesn't mean you should. It's like having a builder that can design the most structurally sound building, but he/she has ZERO design sense. The only thing you get in the end is an eye sore that will...never...die.
IMO Substack has created quite a perfect balance, because no matter who you are, I don't think you can screw up your own stack visually.
It might not be as visually stunning as, say a photographer displaying their skills, but you won't make the community look bad, either. That, for me is important. Snobbish of me, YES, but important.
Thing is, the moment Substack makes that change, and maybe it's what you want for your site/stack,...it also affects mine.
Forever.
So though I see your point (and I don't disagree with you either), PLUS I have a wish list myself, I've experienced far too much to inflict what I want onto the whole community. This is me, just saying I get why Substack is being cautious, and maybe, just maybe, we can't see the over-arching decisions, because this isn't my business.
SS has more than two cartoonists to take into consideration (grin).
Doable isn't the same as 'should'.
When I came to that conclusion, I asked myself, "Does NOT having such-and-such a feature make the platform less effective?"
The answer for me was "no".
...so I started building.
Hope that makes sense?
Makes sense, but I have confidence in my design abilities. And people can always just flip to the next Substack site if they don't like one or another. (I mean, some Substack sites contain borderline hate-speech, which I find more offensive and polluting than any sort of tacky design could ever be.)
Plus, the main reason I came here, aside from Substack's business model, was because I didn't want to be tied up with design and other features (because I could happily spend endless hours tweaking and perfecting those aspects). I wanted to primarily focus on my written content without getting sidetracked.
Like I said, I'd be happy if Substack just added a few more basics of design/features. I'm not asking for it to be Wordpress. Just some more of the basics.
Anyway... I enjoyed checking out your business site. Pretty awesome.
I get it. Like I said, I don't disagree with your points,...I could make them sing also. For me, it's only about how does it affect us as a whole.
Each feature will, in fact, hold all of us up to a flame...or maybe I should say, a flashlight...and then we will be compared in different ways.
That's precisely why those features are important to artists like us, though, right? Yeah, so I get it. For me, I think there's a good balance right now...and I'd love some clever ways to grow an audience tacked on instead.
I have a first tier goal of 3000 paid subscribers, then I'm happy to talk about everything else.