‘It’s like getting a raise every single day’

Veteran columnist Bob Dunning on his move to Substack

Jul 24, 2024

was the star columnist at The Davis Enterprise for 55 years, until one day in May he was suddenly laid off. The 77-year-old was a much-loved fixture of the community in Davis, California, and one of the newspaper’s main attractions.

In the wake of the layoff, his adult children mentioned that Substack could be an option to explore. “Is that a sandwich shop?” Bob asked. But after a little further investigation and some help from a friend, he decided to give it a shot.

Bob published a raw piece on his new Substack,

The Wary One

, explaining what it felt like to be laid off after five and a half decades of service, and the subscribers started to pour in.

“My god, it was instant. A giant whoosh,” he says. “I’m so energized. I still don’t understand it.”

Within the first two months, it was clear to Bob that the move was the “golden opportunity of a lifetime.” He has more than doubled the $26-an-hour rate he had been making at the Davis Enterprise and expects to earn around $100,000 this year. “It didn’t seem like much of a risk to give Substack a try. How could I possibly have known what was just around the corner?”

On Substack, Bob continues to write a daily column about his life and local issues, imbuing it with the trademark familiarity that made him beloved among regular readers. One of his most popular columns, from 1997, looks at the joy and anguish of dropping off your youngest child at college; another details his colonoscopy.

And although his audience has expanded—on the fifth day after launch, his column was already read in 43 states and 23 countries—his relationship with his readers remains just as intimate. In fact, more so, as readers respond in comments, private notes, and DMs from all over the world. “Thank you for making me laugh this morning, Bob,” wrote one. “I was having an attack of sadness, but I’m now ready to face the world again.”

Bob’s story is part of a wider movement, where local news can thrive and where traditional media and Substack can work together to build a new and better ecosystem—one where writers own their work and their email list and can create a strong foundation for future revenue growth.

In this Q&A, Bob talks about local newspapers and democracy, the appeal of column writing, and why Substack is an unparalleled opportunity for writers.

What’s your Substack about in one sentence?

My Substack is a highly opinionated column about the meaning of our lives and everything that is happening around us, from family life to politics to everyday dilemmas to things that make us laugh and things that make us cry—a completely different topic with every column.

Has your view on traditional news media changed since leaving?

People say, well, we still need the local paper because they defend democracy. But that’s a bit of a myth. A lot of these local papers are family-owned, and they have 16 members of the family not writing, just working there. Everyone in management inherited it. The sons are all publishers. They are getting paid way more than I am before I see a dime.

Substack has dramatically changed my opinion about the future of traditional newspapers. It’s not for everyone, but I already have more subscribers than my former newspaper and am on track to make at least twice my annual salary.

Newspapers are way too top-heavy with unnecessary management, meaning truly talented writers are looking to Substack to be fairly compensated for their efforts.

I don’t need tens of thousands of subscribers to be successful. Just 2,000 paid subscribers results in $140,000 a year. No journalist working at a newspaper with a circulation of 2,000 would be making anything near that salary. In fact, no journalist at almost any newspaper is making that kind of salary. Substack’s compensation is not just generous; it’s off the charts.

How has your life changed since starting The Wary One?

Every day I look at my bank account, and there’s more money than there was before. It’s like getting a raise every single day. This income has obviously been incredibly helpful. My wife, Shelley, who also works full-time, and I have four kids in college. We have normal debts. We have always lived paycheck-to-paycheck. We don’t plan to change our lifestyle, because happiness is never based on money, but it has given us some welcome breathing room.

The money is wonderful, but the most meaningful thing for me is the opportunity to continue writing my column on a regular basis and engage with readers all across the country and, literally, the world. This Substack opportunity goes way beyond the financial rewards.

What’s it like to report on the city you grew up in?

After 55 years at the same paper in a small city, I figure I’ve offended everyone in town at least twice. But I’m consistent. I don’t play favorites. Pretty soon I might be praising one of those politicians who last year I offended.

I make it very clear in my writing that this is my opinion. And you can have your opinion. And yes, I park my car in the driveway—the garage was converted into a bedroom because we have so many kids—and occasionally some angry soul will toss a rock through the back window or toss a rotten egg or two on the porch. Worse things have happened to people who dare to publish their opinions. It’s tremendously counterbalanced by the love and kindness I feel in my hometown.

What made you stick to column writing all these years?

I was offered other jobs—at bigger papers and to be the editor—but as an editor I would have written my last word. The column is what I loved doing. I was a single dad with two young children, and every time I’d get an offer from a bigger paper, I’d take a deep breath and think about it, and ego would get in the way and say this is a great opportunity—but my stomach would just tie up in knots.

I would think about my kids and the wonderful life we had together. My paper allowed me to work from home. It was the 1970s, without the internet, and family was always my first priority in life. Your stomach tells you before your brain does. It didn’t ever quite feel right.

I was able to be the kind of dad I had wanted to be and always dreamed of being. So I stayed. After about 30 years, you begin to realize you’re probably a lifer.

What’s your best piece of writing advice for other writers here?

Being everyday honest is the best policy. Be honest and consistent, and don’t pull any punches. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Think about your topics and then just say it, without excuse or compromise. I still remember I had to take remedial English in college. You’re always only as good as your last column.

And when the complaints come, if you know you are right, double down. Say it again. But always, be a force for truth and decency and making the world a better place.