Hi Substack! Here's a little encouragement to take with you into the end of the week: no matter what your engagement looks like, your follower numbers, your ability to come up with new and fresh ideas, or any of those other metrics we use to measure success...you are showing up, and THAT is the most amazing thing you could possibly do! S…
Hi Substack! Here's a little encouragement to take with you into the end of the week: no matter what your engagement looks like, your follower numbers, your ability to come up with new and fresh ideas, or any of those other metrics we use to measure success...you are showing up, and THAT is the most amazing thing you could possibly do! Someone out there, whether they comment or not, needs to read what you've written, so write for them! DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
In my (perhaps ignorant) opinion, Substack is still in its infancy. I think many of us are lucky to be getting started on the platform so early on as it continues to grow into the mainstream.
The way I see it, besides the time it may take, there’s no downside to putting out consistent, quality content. Regardless of who engages or not.
I hear the 'Stack name a lot in any given week. On some cable news networks, "our" Glenn Greenwald is a frequent guest, and the host will always intone, "whose work can be seen on Substack!" I'll scream at the TV (I'm probably doing that anyway), "Hey, I work there!"
Yep... I think we are very fortunate to be working on this platform... I have tried others and Substack is definitely my favourite... I love every aspect of it - newsletter/podcast/vids! Fabulous. And I am getting way more response (even though fairly small) compared to Medium, which I consider a lost cause at this point... my intention is to focus on producing regular content for my Substack newsletter from this point on...
Am curious why Medium is a lost cause? I'm pretty new to blogging in general, so there's a lot that's happened in development in terms of history from where things started to where they are now that has escaped my notice.
I just meant that Medium is a lost cause for me. I put up several posts on Medium starting several months back and they didn't show any views whatsoever. I signed up on Substack the second week of June and have put up about 12 posts - a combo of writing, podcasts and video - and they have all recorded action. As such, I truly believe that Substack is the best option for me to promote my creativity and get great feedback along the way.
I used Medium for two years and tried to build an audience there for my comics but the end result was disappointing. I think Medium has a tendency to bury content plus I think whatever algorithm or curating system they use seems targeted to a very limited demographic.
I was reading on another Substack about how one should post on Medium and Substack, but honestly, I think using Medium is more trouble than it is worth. Especially when it comes to comics such as I create.
Hi, ER Flynn, do you happen to know if anything will glitch if I switch out one illo for another? I mistakenly posted the wrong version of an image. Will anything go wonky or awry if I delete the wrong version and replace with the correct one? Thanks in advance if you can help.
In my experience it has been AOK to delete one image and replace it for another. I've done that plenty of times when I encounter a misspelling in my text or some other thing.
You just delete the image and put you cursor where that image is and then load in the new one. Easy peasy. Just make sure to add your ALT text or caption if you want one and you're good to go.
Thank you! Couldn't comment on your nanno-bot comic but loved it! Subscribed (sorry, for free). I also work with totalitarianism themes but because I'm a woman I'm not funny. Hoping that covid takes out Amy Schumer.
I started off on Medium and found the experience disappointing. The content ranking/algorithm-based approach is inscrutable, and nobody understands how it works. I confirmed that with a person who consulted for Medium. I wrote about the switch in my introductory Substack post here: https://agowani.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-party-pal, if you're interested.
Rachael, I just checked out your Substack presence... very cool! May I ask how you set up the formatting on your Home page... is that an option offered by Substack, or ?? It's really appealing!
Go into the "Settings" page for the specific newsletter you want -- it's on the far right tab on the page that provides you with stats information. Click "Edit Theme" under the "Style" section. In the left-hand column for "layout", you have "Default", "magazine", and "feed of posts". Select "magazine", make any other changes you want, and you're all set :)
Medium is definitely not a lost cause for me, though my earnings are quite low. I have almost 1000 followers there and 25 or so people who subscribe to get every article I publish via email. There are lots of keys to success on Medium, and different ways to define success, but I love writing there. Many of my articles get fewer than 50 views, but some have gotten several thousand, and I get more comments on my articles there than on my newsletter here. The main thing is not to have unrealistic expectations of gaining a huge following or making big bucks right away. You have to publish consistently, and in publications rather than on your own profile, to build a following.
More to the point Medium is very specific to opinion, culture and politics. Also requiring a paid account to view more than one or two articles a month prunes the readership a lot. It's fine if you write trending current affiars articles but not for other forms of writing.
Personally I'm rarely interested in opinion pieces or current affairs so that platform was never going to be a fit for me. Nothing I do ever had a chance of being curated into one of their established publications. It was an easy decision to make.
I don't know that Medium's a lost cause, but I definitely enjoy being here more. Substack's team is eager to roll things out & iterate, while Medium keeps giving writers (and editors) reasons to leave.
And the physics are different. Medium is very much a social media platform, where as Substack isn't. I see this platform as much more intentional & long form, where as Medium is a literary Facebook.
That said, there's some thriving publications over there. Ignore the old guard/gatekeepers. Find one you like and submit your work!
Substack sent out a message a couple of weeks back mentioning that they were setting up a beta test for video. I applied and they set me up so that I can now upload video directly to the platform (no Youtube links...). So far, it's been great! I would just contact them directly and request that you be a beta video tester!
This. In 2 weeks on here my stories have received more reads than if they had been sitting on my blog for a year. Sometimes you just want to share what you do and there aren't viable commercial outlets for it. The short story format is something I completely overlooked as a writer, but it's incredibly fun to write. You can change up the theme, subject and characters week by week to keep your own engagement high.
Right after sending this as a “naked” comment, my mind cleared a bit and I found the original reply that I was basing my comment on:
Amran Gowani
Writes Field Research by Amran Gowani1 hr ago
"Slowly, then all at once."
Amran said all that needs to be said, but I can never pass up a chance to make something more complex…
I just returned home from a “rescue” mission, and started to reply to someone who posted something like, “it will start slow, then suddenly grow.” Now, I can’t find my way back to that and it is past 1 pm CDT again, but…
I had already located this old blog post. I’m not convinced that it will link to that entire post, but here are the first two paragraphs and you *might* be able to follow this link to the rest:
In the business world, there is something called a “Hockey Stick Graph” that tracks the typical income stream when a successful new business starts up. First, the business goes in the hole due to start-up expenses, then slowly begins to see money coming in, a process that can be discouraging.
A hockey stick has a “blade” that briefy slants down from the tip and then turns sharply upwards at the “elbow.” If the numbers along the bottom represent time and the numbers along the side represent profits for a new business, the graph line will come to resemble a hockey stick, if the business has a good idea, a good plan and the owner puts forth a good effort.
I just yesterday received an extremely kind email from someone who had been reading my blog but who had not subscribed--a "lurker". It is not often we get told of the impact we have, and for everyone one we hear there are probably many more we don't hear about. This kind writer told me that my writing was having an impact and they had even presented something I had written in a class. It was unbelievable. It motivated me to take a project off the shelf and get moving so I can bring it to substack. Blessings come from surprising places at surprising times!
It's good to remember that Substack's pageview / subscriber count numbers don't reflect the totality of who reads your publication. RSS feeds are still a thing, and Substack can't track all links and forwards that people are doing on their own.
RSS feeds allow a person to use a RSS Feed Reader to access stories. This way you can receive the feeds in your Reader and don't have to go out and find the feeds on all of the websites. I use Feedly and I have rss feeds to forty different publications / websites. It makes it a lot easier because they all come into the reader and then I can pick and choose which stories to go and view. So you can imagine if I had to go to 40 websites, how long that would take. With the push of a button, I get all of those conveniently in my reader.
I don't even know what a groat is... but I've found them. I do rejoice. Always.
I chalk it up to my loved ones on the other side who can see what I cannot and lead me in that direction. They leave signs all over.
I had my 1998 Toyota Corolla vandalized twice now. On May 18th, someone smashed the front passenger window. The only person that had the window was 25 miles away but it cost me $40-100 less than it cost others with the same damage in the same garage in the same month to fix. Today I'm seeking the part for the same door. The door is bungie-cord wrapped because it doesn't close.
On May 18th, I got two distinct messages from my dad with '309' showing up on my way there and way back... March 9th, the day he passed.
On the way I was thinking about what I'm writing and what my grandpa used to say about money. At that exact moment, the first 309 had a bk beside it. My dad knows I'm thinking about my book!
I celebrate these connections. My mom used to say, "All my favorite people are dead." It's not that I wasn't special. It's that when she was young and more needy than when she was my mom, those people were gone already. Now I talk to all of them and they are all with me.
How nice that I've got nothing to do but wait for a shop to call me back to see if they can help. I can read today's OFFICE HOURS with more focus to seek not only the wisdom shared, but also the joy and ecstasy from us creatives finding a home to share our hearts and souls, our genius and street smarts, our knowingness and our doubts.
Thanks for the encouragement. I have now been writing my newsletter every single week since November of last year. I had one bump in subscribers after one of the earlier substack events but since then, I just haven't been able to grow my readership. I love what I am doing and feel that there is a niche out there for me if I can only reach it.
Thanks, Matt. That's a good way of looking at it, and in fact is my attitude. However, I can't help feeling a bit of a failure, especially when I see people with hundreds of (paid) subscribers.
I agree. I think the trick is to realize the amount of luck involved as well. You could write the most revolutionary piece ever written, but for whatever reason it might not catch on.
However, I think the longer you stick at something the greater your luck becomes.
100% agree. Just have to look at the book publishing industry to see examples of award winning books that were rejected numerous times by publishers. The only way through is to keep writing, be like fire and hope for the wind.
Terry, it takes a while to grow an oak tree from an acorn. From the outside it looks everyone else has tons of subscribers, and it took no time for their success.
But you have to know that we are all doing what we can, and we all have similar challenges with the growth of our newsletter. (I didn't let anybody know I had started a newsletter for the first 5 months after starting last year - I started just building my small collection of articles without any feedback or even awareness from other people).
So stop with the failure talk. As long as you are participating in these forums, and taking small steps in the right direction, you will have what you wish. Just maybe not next week. Don't. Stop.
I love this. It's so easy to read the stories about people targeting "only" 5 new subscribers a week and feel defeated when 5 new subscribers would seem like a huge bump. Thanks for the redirection
I'm still getting over the psychic wound from some 'Stackers, here since, like, April, bemoaning "only" having 8,000 subscribers😭, and "only" 600 paid! I've been hacking along for 11 months, now, and have just barely hit 120 subs, with about 4 or 5 monthly subs! But, I love doing in, so I'll just have to endure these petulant others!
Well now you have one more free sub. It's a grind, but I'm at least finding writing is putting me in a good place for my own thinking. It helps me get out of my own way. Even without thousands of subs that should be a win (but I'll happily take some more engagement if people want to follow along).
Thanks, Paul, you're right. Must stop being negative. My wife reminded me that another newsletter of mine took ages to build up. That was brave of you I think, not telling anyone for 5 months!
I started posting my articles to LinkedIn and then saying that people could see the full article on my Substack. The only problem is that very few people have gone to those articles. I have more people visit the very short version on LinkedIn and then don't even visit the Substack. And I still have no people signing up. But I'll keep at it. I'm not going to give up.
Nice to hear others have written for months before telling anyone. I figured I needed to be consistent before sharing. I also needed to write for myself to not only built my confidence but to get over my shyness..
I LOVE writing, so I've got that bit right! Interesting comment though: I can always tell if someone hasn't enjoyed writing a piece. It somehow lacks spark
Everyone has to start somewhere. You have to figure out where people interested in your topic are and get your content in front of them. That could be Facebook groups or Reddit, or it could be at in-person events. Use Recommendations to broaden your reach. But most of all, write good content and keep going.
1) do not look at sub count at all; I turned off my notifications completely and just continue working,
2) spend some time analysing people you like to read. What do they write about and how?
This analysis made me realize that I need to write more well-researched topics that are adding to something; often just writing about my thinking on a subject matter does not feel enough.
Be creative about social media, Sharon and Terry! Make sure each new post gets a social media link to your new piece! Also, if you're in for the long haul, consider business cards to pass out, with a brief description of what your newsletter's about, as well as your Substack web address! I included QR codes on mine! Good luck, and hang in there!
For promoting on social media, I'd recommend avoiding things that look like self-promo and focus on extracting the "nuggets" of engaging content directly from your newsletter. Things like stats, quotes, and hooks, will draw in new readers.
I'll give that a shot, but inasmuch as I write about entertainment and rock stars, generally, I tend to lean on the "clickability" of my subject matter than to jump thru the SEO hoops that would tend to be more necessary if my 'Stack was "Macrame for Swedish Stevedores" or "Cindy's Plumbing Secrets for Alternate Tuesdays." But, I've been known to adapt!
Oh, that's so Kevin!!!😊 But, don't those sound like plausible 'Stacks?!? I have half a mind (should stop there, shouldn't I??) to search for those titles on 'Stack, and something tells me I'd actually find those exact titles!!! Frankly, I've been known to think up other faux 'Stack titles while waiting at a stop light or doing some other mundane task. I smell ANOTHER article!!!
I've been meaning to share this classic book title with our fellow writers riddled with the insecurity and self-doubt they seem to share often on these threads. From the great George Carlin, this tome: "Ridding Yourself of Doubt....Or, Should You?" Cheers!🤗
So, on Panera and Starbux bulletin bds, I hang 2 cards...the front to show pic and info, and the back to show the QR codes! And, I make sure to show people I meet and talk to about my 'Stack, the codes, too!
YES! I've been wanting a way to be able to show my QR code on something more digital than my biz card! And, my original VistaPrint page to create my cards wouldn't allow me to cut'n'paste the codes!!
I've just put in an order for some book markers which publicise both my website and substack newsletter. Didn't think of putting QR codes on there. That would have been smart!
No excuse, Fiona! I'm 67, and knew that the kids today are all about da codes!!! 'Course, I'd-a never thought of it had VistaPrint hadn't offered it as an option toward the end of my ordering process!!😉Good idea about bookmarks!
Shhh...don't tell anyone, but I stopped by my local Barnes & Noble, and found a few books to slip my card into!! Hee hee....I'm so bad!😬
I'm just a well-brought-up kid from upper-middle-class Houston.....this is as deliciously subversive as I can get!! And, even then, I'm looking over my shoulder hoping no one's looking!😲
Thanks, Brad. That's very encouraging. I'm not too bad at self-promotion on social media, but so far it hasn't had much effect -- so obviously I'm NOT very good! Will try to overcome my despondency once again.
This is anecdotal, and based on a few short months, but I've found Twitter to be pretty ineffective as a promotional tool (especially since I'm an unknown). LinkedIn, however, has been much more effective. I have a decent following from my days in corporate, but even still sometimes as much as 10% of my traffic comes from there. I'm not on IG or other platforms, but based on your content, certain channels are much more effective.
Terry, Twitter has been absolutely useless to me, too, and probably LI, as well. But, it won't stop me from posting. It's like Vegas. As soon as I walk away from a slot, someone's bound to follow right behind, put in THEIR quarter, and hit the jackpot.
However pointless posting my link may be on any given site, it has a better chance of blowing up than if I'd never put it up! We soldier on!
I don't do well on Twitter at all. I use the hashtag #WritingCommunity and subscribe to the Substack Discord, and...slim beans.
Linkedin doesn't do it and neither does Facebook. I really don't know how to use social media to promote my newsletters, so I just struggle along, but I'm always open to new suggestions.
Well, and this is MY attitude....I only got on social media in August, when I started my 'Stack. So, while a late-comer to the "animal," I also am not about to allow SM's constructs to bully me around! If Reddit thinks I'm self-promoting, fine. Who needs 'em? I'll find another sub-reddit on which to post, or simply focus on another SM site! I am my own Redditor!!!😁
Golly, thanks, Jessica! Feel free to peruse my Archives! Also, let me know (here is fine) where you land, musically, and I'll see if I can point you in a direction in my Archives (I know what's hidden there!), and what you might like to see Front Row & Backstage in the future! Welcome behind the velvet rope line, Jessica!
Thanks Brad! I'm into Dylan, Waits, The Kinks, everything New Orleans, good 90s women country artists (Trisha Yearwood days), as well as Irish trad. My father was in the music industry for many many years, and still has the biggest record collection I've ever seen so my musical interests are wide! Looking forward to reading!
Mercy, that's quite a vast array of musical likes! My bro and I grew up (in Houston, so I know and love N.O. a LOT! In fact, I used to do radio in Baton Rouge, and would take trips to N.O. frequently: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/behind-the-mic-a-personal-peek-into-870) surrounded by 20,000 LPs and 78s! 'Tis a wonder we didn't contract PVC poisoning!
Dad had custom-made cabinetry made to house them all, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, plus he catalogued them religiously! I obviously caught the collecting bug from him, as my radio years and record biz work allowed me to amass a collection about a tenth of his!
I think you'd enjoy, Jess, the life- and music-biz-story of Stephen Michael Schwartz (RCA recording artist at age 20 in '74). He's been "writing for/with me" for 4 months, now, and his behind-the-rock-scene experiences are nothing short of eye-opening, and they're all in his own words!
He just celebrated his 69th birthday yesterday, and he's been so kind and generous sharing his autobio, and I'm happy to have his contributions highlighting my 'Stack! Anyway, enjoy!!!😊
Wow, this is awesome! NOLA is a place I know and love. I haven't been back down there (I live in Western MA) since the 2019 JazzFest for obvious reasons, but I spent many of my childhood summers there, and been to a half dozen JassFests as an adult. A little snippet of my love for it here. https://jessicabsokol.substack.com/p/new-orleans-jazz-and-heritage-festival
Our dads have much in common! Recently mine has started cataloging all of his vinyl in a database which is no small feat! My brother was also in radio for over a decade until he moved to Los Angeles to get his Masters in Archiving of all things. The music collecting thing does run in families.
Thanks for all these links, Brad! Cannot wait to dive in.
You should know that nearly all Dad's collection was jazz! And, while I was raised on rock, I'm glad I was curious enough to occasionally peruse his vast library...."Hmmm, who's this Miles Davis guy? Count Who?"😂😍BTW, my mom was raised in Manchester-by-the Sea! I sense you're much younger than I.....what's your dad collect? I'll check out your NO article! Thanks!
My dad collects everything under the musical sun! He's even part of a band, The Muswell Hillbillies, a Kinks cover band who also do Tom Petty, Neil Young, and The Police songs. All over the map! He was the music editor for numerous publications, including New Country Magazine for a number of years in the 90s, and occasionally does freelance reviews now.
I started "filing" records with him when I was two, and even before I could read I could list every album in the Billboard Top 100 from the cover art. Luckily he recorded a few of those sessions otherwise I wouldn't have believed him!
Also, I'm going to share your Substack with him. I know he'd appreciate it!
Great, Jess...thanks! I was going to suggest he might like FR&B, seeing as how he's been in the rock lane way more than my dad was! We've actually got a small gaggle of former rock critic/writers here on 'Stack: Robert Christgau and Wayne Robins to name two. Patti Smith is even on here! I used to read them (Robert and Wayne) voraciously in the '70s in such mags as CREEM, PRM, Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, etc.
Are you any relation to Marilyn Sokol? I'm guessing your name is a married name, but worth a shot. Your dad working for New Country Magazine....ask him if he ever knew of Dale McBride. Mom managed Dale from the mid-'70s to his early passing in the early '90s. Dale was a fabulous entertainer, and a C/W singer in the pop/CW lane like a Glen Campbell.
He had several hits on the CW charts, like "Corpus Christi Wind" and "Ordinary Man." Dean Martin actually saw Dale in the mid-'60s at a club somewhere, and got him signed to Warner Bros' Sinatra-owned (and distributed) Reprise Records (where Dean, Sammy, and other Rat Pack-ers were!). Alas, Reprise only released one single...what did THEY know about promoting country, when you think about it?!
Dale was on Con Brio Records, which was owned by Bill Walker, who produced all the music on the Johnny Cash TV specials, late '60s/early '70s. I kept trying to prod Mom into getting Dale off Con Brio and getting an RCA or a CBS/Nashville to bring him over, but there's no motivation for Bill to find ways to lose Dale!
Cute story on your early "filing" days!!! I guess we both got PVC poisoning!! Thankfully, a good thing!!🤠
I like this approach about social media. In fact, I think 'spamming' is essential part of the work, at least at the beginning. I recently also wrote about it.
If you write reviews, write a truncated review on a book website -- a place like Goodreads is a good start, or Amazon -- and leave something in the signature at the bottom of the review pointing to your work here. It may not be much for the short-term, but it's how reviewers like Khan the Grinch and Wendy Darling built audiences on Goodreads.
I keep forgetting one thing I did which I think was borderline brilliant: I changed my YouTube handle to Front Row & Backstage on Substack! I'm forever wanting to drop links on music-related vids (a no-no, of course!), so now I just say, "hey, check out what I wrote about this video's artist by searching my ID above," or words to that effect! So, there ARE ways to beat this hand-cuffing system!! Thanks for your suggestion, Rachael!
Sharon...I just had a peak at your newsletter and I like the concept of food for your brain - really something I can get behind. Might I also suggest moving to a different Substack layout...I think the magazine-style layout looks more polished to readers--- Best of luck and keep moving forward...
I’m fairly new to Substack (my newsletter is only a couple of months old) and I didn’t even realize that there were options for different layouts! What would you say lends a newsletter to a magazine-style layout vs a more traditional layout? Or would you always suggest the magazine?
To me, the magazine style is more appealing when viewed on the web. Of course, if most readers access your information via email then the web layout is less important to your readers. Still, it may be worth considering for those who may window shop your site.
Perhaps you could think of this as a time when you are building your repertoire of finished pieces in preparation for the time when you do find that niche; then, your audience will have a good selection of pieces to read.
That has been my approach. Improve my writing, build a repertoire of finished articles as I find the right sources for my niche, which is older adults wishing to age well.
I've had the same experience with my education-related substack; growth is painfully slow, and I'm thinking of packing it in. The growth of my more general one isn't too bad. I thought it would be the other way round.
People underestimate this mentality, but I really hope that people take this to heart!
I had no reason to expect anyone to read my publication, and just had my first set of paid monthly and annual subscribers, and it's all thanks to people like you encouraging me to keep going!
If there is one person that is delighted by your creations, you have made a difference. Thank you for your encouragement S.E. You are making a difference!
Wow, this is just the encouragement I need today. I have been on Substack for a month now, and still do not even have one free subscriber. But I love to write and that is what matters. I am a religious person, so I understand that God’s timing doesn’t always align with our timing, especially in a culture of instant gratification. There is a reason I was created to write, and I trust that eventually, what I write will make a positive difference in someone’s life.
Hi Allison, have you considered calling your publication The Rivers of YOUR Life or The Rivers of Life. Readers are selfish! My first impression from your publication name was that your writing would be very introspective, all about you and would therefore not add value to me or to my life... hence the name didn't encourage me to click through.... I think Substack support can assist with a rename and new domain name if you ask them.
I attend a mega church and the bulletin doesn’t feature writing, just general announcements and an outline of the sermon for that weekend. But one of the pastors has a blog that Christian leaders sometimes contribute to that reflects on current events from a biblical perspective. Perhaps I could ask him if I could contribute something. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Allison, Ask whoever helps you with the tech to help you 1, make a personalized visual avatar; and 2, to fill the 'avatar hover' space – I'm not even sure where that is – to the theme of your Substack and not your personal biography. I just hovered and saw your personal bio, which doesn't explain your Substack's aim or purpose or theme. (I claim NO expertise here! I just happened to notice.) And other 'explanation' spaces aren't filled in. Ask your tech helper. ( Just suggestions.)
Very welcome, Venus 2.0! We try and help people with the things we actually need help with, right? If I had cracked the codes then I'd have a thousand paid subscribers... :-)
I haven’t been having anyone help me with the tech. But I will ask my parents to take a headshot of me for the visual avatar, and I could probably figure out how to correct what is displayed in the hover space. Substack has proven very accessible for me. I have been just so excited to start writing I haven’t given my profile much attention. Thanks for the suggestion!
Profile info is the first thing people look at: the 'About' and 'People' spaces, or whatever they're called.
Incidentally, speaking as an illustrator, I suggest that maybe a visual symbol of your faith "says" more about your Substack than your headshot will say? Your avatar can say A LOT in a split second. Don't undervalue it. It's valuable real estate!
(That said, one of my sons just called my avatar INCREDIBLY CREEPY, haha, so again I claim no expertise.)
Thank you as always. Yes to showing up! Today I’m taking a chance and merging my two newsletters into one. For me it’s the right thing to do – though I’m nervous about alienating both (small yet mighty) audiences. We will see how it goes!
Thank you for that encouragement! I really need it right now as I have only been publishing for a few months and don't have many subscribers. I also keep asking questions and encouraging comments in my articles but don't get many (often not any) comments.
Once I thought before I pressed the comment button, I found my conversations and compliments went way farther and had better conversation ((seems obvious but to me it wasn’t))
It’s not a critique, it’s a comment section...as a new writer I had to be reminded
I’ve always been someone who comments literally without hesistation, just whatever I’m thinking....which is the opposite! Selfish! And rude! Office hours and other writers here taught me the kind and correct way to comment....
I can still give my opinion, just less self centered and trying to stay on topic hahaha
Hi Substack! Here's a little encouragement to take with you into the end of the week: no matter what your engagement looks like, your follower numbers, your ability to come up with new and fresh ideas, or any of those other metrics we use to measure success...you are showing up, and THAT is the most amazing thing you could possibly do! Someone out there, whether they comment or not, needs to read what you've written, so write for them! DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
In my (perhaps ignorant) opinion, Substack is still in its infancy. I think many of us are lucky to be getting started on the platform so early on as it continues to grow into the mainstream.
The way I see it, besides the time it may take, there’s no downside to putting out consistent, quality content. Regardless of who engages or not.
Not so much in its infancy. Great platform and I'm happy to be part of it. You may be interested in this article; https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/substacks-founders-dive-headfirst-into-the-culture-wars
Thank you!!!
Good point, Jan. And thanks for the link!
Yes, this is a super article.
Thanks for sharing this, Jan!
Thank you for the link
Read that just the other week!
I hear the 'Stack name a lot in any given week. On some cable news networks, "our" Glenn Greenwald is a frequent guest, and the host will always intone, "whose work can be seen on Substack!" I'll scream at the TV (I'm probably doing that anyway), "Hey, I work there!"
I was trying to figure out how many people total are on this platform....it’s so big but so small at the same time
Right - I always see familiar names, which is a really nice feeling for community. And at the same time, there's always more to find!
Starting to feel a bit like this for me, too.
Yes! I just found a couple new good ones on the discover page...
You were one of my first people I subscribed to I think 🥲
Oh wow! Thank you - that means a lot :). I hope you're enjoying it :).
More than!!! Thanks for co creating :)
Yep... I think we are very fortunate to be working on this platform... I have tried others and Substack is definitely my favourite... I love every aspect of it - newsletter/podcast/vids! Fabulous. And I am getting way more response (even though fairly small) compared to Medium, which I consider a lost cause at this point... my intention is to focus on producing regular content for my Substack newsletter from this point on...
Am curious why Medium is a lost cause? I'm pretty new to blogging in general, so there's a lot that's happened in development in terms of history from where things started to where they are now that has escaped my notice.
I just meant that Medium is a lost cause for me. I put up several posts on Medium starting several months back and they didn't show any views whatsoever. I signed up on Substack the second week of June and have put up about 12 posts - a combo of writing, podcasts and video - and they have all recorded action. As such, I truly believe that Substack is the best option for me to promote my creativity and get great feedback along the way.
I used Medium for two years and tried to build an audience there for my comics but the end result was disappointing. I think Medium has a tendency to bury content plus I think whatever algorithm or curating system they use seems targeted to a very limited demographic.
I was reading on another Substack about how one should post on Medium and Substack, but honestly, I think using Medium is more trouble than it is worth. Especially when it comes to comics such as I create.
Hi, ER Flynn, do you happen to know if anything will glitch if I switch out one illo for another? I mistakenly posted the wrong version of an image. Will anything go wonky or awry if I delete the wrong version and replace with the correct one? Thanks in advance if you can help.
In my experience it has been AOK to delete one image and replace it for another. I've done that plenty of times when I encounter a misspelling in my text or some other thing.
You just delete the image and put you cursor where that image is and then load in the new one. Easy peasy. Just make sure to add your ALT text or caption if you want one and you're good to go.
Thank you! Couldn't comment on your nanno-bot comic but loved it! Subscribed (sorry, for free). I also work with totalitarianism themes but because I'm a woman I'm not funny. Hoping that covid takes out Amy Schumer.
Oh ok that makes sense. Hey you've got to go where it works, and if Medium isn't it, then onto greener pastures.
I started off on Medium and found the experience disappointing. The content ranking/algorithm-based approach is inscrutable, and nobody understands how it works. I confirmed that with a person who consulted for Medium. I wrote about the switch in my introductory Substack post here: https://agowani.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-party-pal, if you're interested.
Rachael, I just checked out your Substack presence... very cool! May I ask how you set up the formatting on your Home page... is that an option offered by Substack, or ?? It's really appealing!
Hello, yes.
Go into the "Settings" page for the specific newsletter you want -- it's on the far right tab on the page that provides you with stats information. Click "Edit Theme" under the "Style" section. In the left-hand column for "layout", you have "Default", "magazine", and "feed of posts". Select "magazine", make any other changes you want, and you're all set :)
What I do is I republish my substack on medium and basically cover both sides at the same time for some extra exposure.
Medium is definitely not a lost cause for me, though my earnings are quite low. I have almost 1000 followers there and 25 or so people who subscribe to get every article I publish via email. There are lots of keys to success on Medium, and different ways to define success, but I love writing there. Many of my articles get fewer than 50 views, but some have gotten several thousand, and I get more comments on my articles there than on my newsletter here. The main thing is not to have unrealistic expectations of gaining a huge following or making big bucks right away. You have to publish consistently, and in publications rather than on your own profile, to build a following.
That is very wise and true :)
More to the point Medium is very specific to opinion, culture and politics. Also requiring a paid account to view more than one or two articles a month prunes the readership a lot. It's fine if you write trending current affiars articles but not for other forms of writing.
Personally I'm rarely interested in opinion pieces or current affairs so that platform was never going to be a fit for me. Nothing I do ever had a chance of being curated into one of their established publications. It was an easy decision to make.
I don't know that Medium's a lost cause, but I definitely enjoy being here more. Substack's team is eager to roll things out & iterate, while Medium keeps giving writers (and editors) reasons to leave.
And the physics are different. Medium is very much a social media platform, where as Substack isn't. I see this platform as much more intentional & long form, where as Medium is a literary Facebook.
That said, there's some thriving publications over there. Ignore the old guard/gatekeepers. Find one you like and submit your work!
HOW DO YOU UPLOAD VIDEOS!!! I’ve been trying to figure this out
Substack sent out a message a couple of weeks back mentioning that they were setting up a beta test for video. I applied and they set me up so that I can now upload video directly to the platform (no Youtube links...). So far, it's been great! I would just contact them directly and request that you be a beta video tester!
Thanks Boz📎❣️
This is pretty much how I see it, too. I’m here to focus on my writing. If anyone else wants to engage, that’s just a welcome bonus.
This. In 2 weeks on here my stories have received more reads than if they had been sitting on my blog for a year. Sometimes you just want to share what you do and there aren't viable commercial outlets for it. The short story format is something I completely overlooked as a writer, but it's incredibly fun to write. You can change up the theme, subject and characters week by week to keep your own engagement high.
Exactly 💯
Definitely still feels fresh. And I feel lucky to be getting started at such an exciting stage.
I completely agree Matt - there is no downside to putting out consistent, quality content...perfectly stated.
It feels like you create to a point where you might gain a critical mass and then the thing takes a life of its own. Hoping so anyway!
Slowly, then all at once.
Right after sending this as a “naked” comment, my mind cleared a bit and I found the original reply that I was basing my comment on:
Amran Gowani
Writes Field Research by Amran Gowani1 hr ago
"Slowly, then all at once."
Amran said all that needs to be said, but I can never pass up a chance to make something more complex…
I just returned home from a “rescue” mission, and started to reply to someone who posted something like, “it will start slow, then suddenly grow.” Now, I can’t find my way back to that and it is past 1 pm CDT again, but…
I had already located this old blog post. I’m not convinced that it will link to that entire post, but here are the first two paragraphs and you *might* be able to follow this link to the rest:
Hockey Stick Graph
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6402357994430594268/3415113712359865088
In the business world, there is something called a “Hockey Stick Graph” that tracks the typical income stream when a successful new business starts up. First, the business goes in the hole due to start-up expenses, then slowly begins to see money coming in, a process that can be discouraging.
A hockey stick has a “blade” that briefy slants down from the tip and then turns sharply upwards at the “elbow.” If the numbers along the bottom represent time and the numbers along the side represent profits for a new business, the graph line will come to resemble a hockey stick, if the business has a good idea, a good plan and the owner puts forth a good effort.
Thanks matt!!! It’s not ignorant! Highly valued and reasonable
I just yesterday received an extremely kind email from someone who had been reading my blog but who had not subscribed--a "lurker". It is not often we get told of the impact we have, and for everyone one we hear there are probably many more we don't hear about. This kind writer told me that my writing was having an impact and they had even presented something I had written in a class. It was unbelievable. It motivated me to take a project off the shelf and get moving so I can bring it to substack. Blessings come from surprising places at surprising times!
It's good to remember that Substack's pageview / subscriber count numbers don't reflect the totality of who reads your publication. RSS feeds are still a thing, and Substack can't track all links and forwards that people are doing on their own.
Speaking of RSS feeds.
I don't know what they are
Can you recommend a GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Thank you
It's a little piece of code embedded in a website, blogpost, podcast, etc.
Stands for Real Simple Syndication.
Check out https://www.newsblur.com/ to see what it is and does.
RSS feeds allow a person to use a RSS Feed Reader to access stories. This way you can receive the feeds in your Reader and don't have to go out and find the feeds on all of the websites. I use Feedly and I have rss feeds to forty different publications / websites. It makes it a lot easier because they all come into the reader and then I can pick and choose which stories to go and view. So you can imagine if I had to go to 40 websites, how long that would take. With the push of a button, I get all of those conveniently in my reader.
hubspot has a number of glossaries, here's one for social: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-terms
I agree with you as it does seem that blessings come our way when we least expect it.
Blessings come my way when I am delusional.
Wow! So awesome!
I don't even know what a groat is... but I've found them. I do rejoice. Always.
I chalk it up to my loved ones on the other side who can see what I cannot and lead me in that direction. They leave signs all over.
I had my 1998 Toyota Corolla vandalized twice now. On May 18th, someone smashed the front passenger window. The only person that had the window was 25 miles away but it cost me $40-100 less than it cost others with the same damage in the same garage in the same month to fix. Today I'm seeking the part for the same door. The door is bungie-cord wrapped because it doesn't close.
On May 18th, I got two distinct messages from my dad with '309' showing up on my way there and way back... March 9th, the day he passed.
On the way I was thinking about what I'm writing and what my grandpa used to say about money. At that exact moment, the first 309 had a bk beside it. My dad knows I'm thinking about my book!
I celebrate these connections. My mom used to say, "All my favorite people are dead." It's not that I wasn't special. It's that when she was young and more needy than when she was my mom, those people were gone already. Now I talk to all of them and they are all with me.
How nice that I've got nothing to do but wait for a shop to call me back to see if they can help. I can read today's OFFICE HOURS with more focus to seek not only the wisdom shared, but also the joy and ecstasy from us creatives finding a home to share our hearts and souls, our genius and street smarts, our knowingness and our doubts.
Thanks for the encouragement. I have now been writing my newsletter every single week since November of last year. I had one bump in subscribers after one of the earlier substack events but since then, I just haven't been able to grow my readership. I love what I am doing and feel that there is a niche out there for me if I can only reach it.
Build it and they will come! And if they don’t, keep doing it for yourself.
Thanks, Matt. That's a good way of looking at it, and in fact is my attitude. However, I can't help feeling a bit of a failure, especially when I see people with hundreds of (paid) subscribers.
I agree. I think the trick is to realize the amount of luck involved as well. You could write the most revolutionary piece ever written, but for whatever reason it might not catch on.
However, I think the longer you stick at something the greater your luck becomes.
100% agree. Just have to look at the book publishing industry to see examples of award winning books that were rejected numerous times by publishers. The only way through is to keep writing, be like fire and hope for the wind.
Thanks, Matt, that's true. I think Mark Twain or someone said that the harder he worked the luckier he became!
Terry, it takes a while to grow an oak tree from an acorn. From the outside it looks everyone else has tons of subscribers, and it took no time for their success.
But you have to know that we are all doing what we can, and we all have similar challenges with the growth of our newsletter. (I didn't let anybody know I had started a newsletter for the first 5 months after starting last year - I started just building my small collection of articles without any feedback or even awareness from other people).
So stop with the failure talk. As long as you are participating in these forums, and taking small steps in the right direction, you will have what you wish. Just maybe not next week. Don't. Stop.
I love this. It's so easy to read the stories about people targeting "only" 5 new subscribers a week and feel defeated when 5 new subscribers would seem like a huge bump. Thanks for the redirection
I'm still getting over the psychic wound from some 'Stackers, here since, like, April, bemoaning "only" having 8,000 subscribers😭, and "only" 600 paid! I've been hacking along for 11 months, now, and have just barely hit 120 subs, with about 4 or 5 monthly subs! But, I love doing in, so I'll just have to endure these petulant others!
Well now you have one more free sub. It's a grind, but I'm at least finding writing is putting me in a good place for my own thinking. It helps me get out of my own way. Even without thousands of subs that should be a win (but I'll happily take some more engagement if people want to follow along).
Thanks, Paul, you're right. Must stop being negative. My wife reminded me that another newsletter of mine took ages to build up. That was brave of you I think, not telling anyone for 5 months!
I started posting my articles to LinkedIn and then saying that people could see the full article on my Substack. The only problem is that very few people have gone to those articles. I have more people visit the very short version on LinkedIn and then don't even visit the Substack. And I still have no people signing up. But I'll keep at it. I'm not going to give up.
Nice to hear others have written for months before telling anyone. I figured I needed to be consistent before sharing. I also needed to write for myself to not only built my confidence but to get over my shyness..
It's like writing books in general. If you don't like the process of writing itself, then it is likely to be a disappointing experience!
I LOVE writing, so I've got that bit right! Interesting comment though: I can always tell if someone hasn't enjoyed writing a piece. It somehow lacks spark
The other ingredient I've found is to link what I'm writing about with WHY it's important to me.
that's a great point, Minter. Will start doing that
It helps keep the energies right!
Everyone has to start somewhere. You have to figure out where people interested in your topic are and get your content in front of them. That could be Facebook groups or Reddit, or it could be at in-person events. Use Recommendations to broaden your reach. But most of all, write good content and keep going.
Thanks, Jackie. Yes, I ought to use FB and Reddit more. Writing good content isn't a problem (he says modestly!)
I suggest you:
1) do not look at sub count at all; I turned off my notifications completely and just continue working,
2) spend some time analysing people you like to read. What do they write about and how?
This analysis made me realize that I need to write more well-researched topics that are adding to something; often just writing about my thinking on a subject matter does not feel enough.
Be creative about social media, Sharon and Terry! Make sure each new post gets a social media link to your new piece! Also, if you're in for the long haul, consider business cards to pass out, with a brief description of what your newsletter's about, as well as your Substack web address! I included QR codes on mine! Good luck, and hang in there!
For promoting on social media, I'd recommend avoiding things that look like self-promo and focus on extracting the "nuggets" of engaging content directly from your newsletter. Things like stats, quotes, and hooks, will draw in new readers.
I created https://newslettertosocials.com to extract excerpts from your publication that will do well on social media
I’m shocked at the amount of genius here, every day I’m blown away!!!
This is what we need in this world!!! All the good minds cooking together -- this is so cool thank you krager
I hope you don't mind me asking, but out of curiosity do you pay for this service? And is it worth it if you do?
Sounds like a great tool! I do exactly this, but manually.
https://www.instagram.com/cocreate_space/
I'll check out your app, for sure!
Def following rn, I’m obsessed w insta and never considered combining the magic of the two?! I’m silly.
Telling you, thank god for writers hours and Substack as a whole
For sure, I'm always finding gems here!
Followed!
I'll give that a shot, but inasmuch as I write about entertainment and rock stars, generally, I tend to lean on the "clickability" of my subject matter than to jump thru the SEO hoops that would tend to be more necessary if my 'Stack was "Macrame for Swedish Stevedores" or "Cindy's Plumbing Secrets for Alternate Tuesdays." But, I've been known to adapt!
I'd subscribe to both. Just sayin'...
Oh, that's so Kevin!!!😊 But, don't those sound like plausible 'Stacks?!? I have half a mind (should stop there, shouldn't I??) to search for those titles on 'Stack, and something tells me I'd actually find those exact titles!!! Frankly, I've been known to think up other faux 'Stack titles while waiting at a stop light or doing some other mundane task. I smell ANOTHER article!!!
I've been meaning to share this classic book title with our fellow writers riddled with the insecurity and self-doubt they seem to share often on these threads. From the great George Carlin, this tome: "Ridding Yourself of Doubt....Or, Should You?" Cheers!🤗
Taking a look at it now. Pretty cool.
*mentally pins comment*
THANK YOU!!! This is great
I also write about this exact topic! https://newslettertosocials.substack.com/
I've been thinking of doing this for a while! This is the sign - I just need to get this done!
QR code so smart!!!
So, on Panera and Starbux bulletin bds, I hang 2 cards...the front to show pic and info, and the back to show the QR codes! And, I make sure to show people I meet and talk to about my 'Stack, the codes, too!
If you could check this out and let me know if you think it would have any interest with our community. I am willing to partner if interested. https://pau1.substack.com/p/a1329926-d18b-4736-8fe1-3b1503113ff1
✌
YES! I've been wanting a way to be able to show my QR code on something more digital than my biz card! And, my original VistaPrint page to create my cards wouldn't allow me to cut'n'paste the codes!!
Let's chat through email.
OK!
I've just put in an order for some book markers which publicise both my website and substack newsletter. Didn't think of putting QR codes on there. That would have been smart!
No excuse, Fiona! I'm 67, and knew that the kids today are all about da codes!!! 'Course, I'd-a never thought of it had VistaPrint hadn't offered it as an option toward the end of my ordering process!!😉Good idea about bookmarks!
Shhh...don't tell anyone, but I stopped by my local Barnes & Noble, and found a few books to slip my card into!! Hee hee....I'm so bad!😬
Nice work! 😉
I'm just a well-brought-up kid from upper-middle-class Houston.....this is as deliciously subversive as I can get!! And, even then, I'm looking over my shoulder hoping no one's looking!😲
Thanks, Brad. That's very encouraging. I'm not too bad at self-promotion on social media, but so far it hasn't had much effect -- so obviously I'm NOT very good! Will try to overcome my despondency once again.
This is anecdotal, and based on a few short months, but I've found Twitter to be pretty ineffective as a promotional tool (especially since I'm an unknown). LinkedIn, however, has been much more effective. I have a decent following from my days in corporate, but even still sometimes as much as 10% of my traffic comes from there. I'm not on IG or other platforms, but based on your content, certain channels are much more effective.
If you are trying to automate and improve your Twitter and LinkedIn operations, I created https://newslettertosocials.com exactly for this!
You got all the things Krager!
Thanks, Amran. I don't like LinkedIn much, but perhaps I should be more actively promoting there in view of what you've said.
Terry, Twitter has been absolutely useless to me, too, and probably LI, as well. But, it won't stop me from posting. It's like Vegas. As soon as I walk away from a slot, someone's bound to follow right behind, put in THEIR quarter, and hit the jackpot.
However pointless posting my link may be on any given site, it has a better chance of blowing up than if I'd never put it up! We soldier on!
This is true, Brad. I keep reminding myself of Woody Allen's advice: 80% of success is showing up.
Don't get me wrong - I don't like it either! But for my content in particular it's a good channel. The goal is to get eyeballs and subscribers. :-)
:-)
I don't do well on Twitter at all. I use the hashtag #WritingCommunity and subscribe to the Substack Discord, and...slim beans.
Linkedin doesn't do it and neither does Facebook. I really don't know how to use social media to promote my newsletters, so I just struggle along, but I'm always open to new suggestions.
Well, and this is MY attitude....I only got on social media in August, when I started my 'Stack. So, while a late-comer to the "animal," I also am not about to allow SM's constructs to bully me around! If Reddit thinks I'm self-promoting, fine. Who needs 'em? I'll find another sub-reddit on which to post, or simply focus on another SM site! I am my own Redditor!!!😁
I love, love this idea!!
Good advice, Brad! I just subscribed to yours.
Golly, thanks, Jessica! Feel free to peruse my Archives! Also, let me know (here is fine) where you land, musically, and I'll see if I can point you in a direction in my Archives (I know what's hidden there!), and what you might like to see Front Row & Backstage in the future! Welcome behind the velvet rope line, Jessica!
Thanks Brad! I'm into Dylan, Waits, The Kinks, everything New Orleans, good 90s women country artists (Trisha Yearwood days), as well as Irish trad. My father was in the music industry for many many years, and still has the biggest record collection I've ever seen so my musical interests are wide! Looking forward to reading!
If I may: when you get there, start with his "Audio Autopsies" articles; they'll take you down some fun rabbit holes!
Ooh, thanks, Kevin! They're like chocolate chip cookies: "As much fun to make as they are to eat!!"😋
Thanks Kevin! I'm subscribing to yours as well!
Mercy, that's quite a vast array of musical likes! My bro and I grew up (in Houston, so I know and love N.O. a LOT! In fact, I used to do radio in Baton Rouge, and would take trips to N.O. frequently: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/behind-the-mic-a-personal-peek-into-870) surrounded by 20,000 LPs and 78s! 'Tis a wonder we didn't contract PVC poisoning!
Dad had custom-made cabinetry made to house them all, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, plus he catalogued them religiously! I obviously caught the collecting bug from him, as my radio years and record biz work allowed me to amass a collection about a tenth of his!
I think you'd enjoy, Jess, the life- and music-biz-story of Stephen Michael Schwartz (RCA recording artist at age 20 in '74). He's been "writing for/with me" for 4 months, now, and his behind-the-rock-scene experiences are nothing short of eye-opening, and they're all in his own words!
Here's how we managed to meet, digitally, anyway...he's in L.A., I'm in TX: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/in-a-houston-penthouse-with-david
If you get hooked on Stephen, I created this Flipboard page to gather all his FR&B articles in one place, so he can more easily share them with friends, family & colleagues (they're all linked back to 'Stack, of course): https://flipboard.com/@schwartzstories/front-row-backstage-with-stephen-michael-schwartz-fcjpqreoy
He just celebrated his 69th birthday yesterday, and he's been so kind and generous sharing his autobio, and I'm happy to have his contributions highlighting my 'Stack! Anyway, enjoy!!!😊
Wow, this is awesome! NOLA is a place I know and love. I haven't been back down there (I live in Western MA) since the 2019 JazzFest for obvious reasons, but I spent many of my childhood summers there, and been to a half dozen JassFests as an adult. A little snippet of my love for it here. https://jessicabsokol.substack.com/p/new-orleans-jazz-and-heritage-festival
Our dads have much in common! Recently mine has started cataloging all of his vinyl in a database which is no small feat! My brother was also in radio for over a decade until he moved to Los Angeles to get his Masters in Archiving of all things. The music collecting thing does run in families.
Thanks for all these links, Brad! Cannot wait to dive in.
You should know that nearly all Dad's collection was jazz! And, while I was raised on rock, I'm glad I was curious enough to occasionally peruse his vast library...."Hmmm, who's this Miles Davis guy? Count Who?"😂😍BTW, my mom was raised in Manchester-by-the Sea! I sense you're much younger than I.....what's your dad collect? I'll check out your NO article! Thanks!
My dad collects everything under the musical sun! He's even part of a band, The Muswell Hillbillies, a Kinks cover band who also do Tom Petty, Neil Young, and The Police songs. All over the map! He was the music editor for numerous publications, including New Country Magazine for a number of years in the 90s, and occasionally does freelance reviews now.
I started "filing" records with him when I was two, and even before I could read I could list every album in the Billboard Top 100 from the cover art. Luckily he recorded a few of those sessions otherwise I wouldn't have believed him!
Also, I'm going to share your Substack with him. I know he'd appreciate it!
Great, Jess...thanks! I was going to suggest he might like FR&B, seeing as how he's been in the rock lane way more than my dad was! We've actually got a small gaggle of former rock critic/writers here on 'Stack: Robert Christgau and Wayne Robins to name two. Patti Smith is even on here! I used to read them (Robert and Wayne) voraciously in the '70s in such mags as CREEM, PRM, Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, etc.
Are you any relation to Marilyn Sokol? I'm guessing your name is a married name, but worth a shot. Your dad working for New Country Magazine....ask him if he ever knew of Dale McBride. Mom managed Dale from the mid-'70s to his early passing in the early '90s. Dale was a fabulous entertainer, and a C/W singer in the pop/CW lane like a Glen Campbell.
He had several hits on the CW charts, like "Corpus Christi Wind" and "Ordinary Man." Dean Martin actually saw Dale in the mid-'60s at a club somewhere, and got him signed to Warner Bros' Sinatra-owned (and distributed) Reprise Records (where Dean, Sammy, and other Rat Pack-ers were!). Alas, Reprise only released one single...what did THEY know about promoting country, when you think about it?!
Dale was on Con Brio Records, which was owned by Bill Walker, who produced all the music on the Johnny Cash TV specials, late '60s/early '70s. I kept trying to prod Mom into getting Dale off Con Brio and getting an RCA or a CBS/Nashville to bring him over, but there's no motivation for Bill to find ways to lose Dale!
Cute story on your early "filing" days!!! I guess we both got PVC poisoning!! Thankfully, a good thing!!🤠
Thanks, I always feel encouraged after these writer office hours. I appreciate your ideas.
I like this approach about social media. In fact, I think 'spamming' is essential part of the work, at least at the beginning. I recently also wrote about it.
https://eightyfour.substack.com/p/ok-but-do-you-spam-enough
If you write reviews, write a truncated review on a book website -- a place like Goodreads is a good start, or Amazon -- and leave something in the signature at the bottom of the review pointing to your work here. It may not be much for the short-term, but it's how reviewers like Khan the Grinch and Wendy Darling built audiences on Goodreads.
I keep forgetting one thing I did which I think was borderline brilliant: I changed my YouTube handle to Front Row & Backstage on Substack! I'm forever wanting to drop links on music-related vids (a no-no, of course!), so now I just say, "hey, check out what I wrote about this video's artist by searching my ID above," or words to that effect! So, there ARE ways to beat this hand-cuffing system!! Thanks for your suggestion, Rachael!
Welcome
Sharon...I just had a peak at your newsletter and I like the concept of food for your brain - really something I can get behind. Might I also suggest moving to a different Substack layout...I think the magazine-style layout looks more polished to readers--- Best of luck and keep moving forward...
Definitely trying the magazine layout. Great idea!
I’m fairly new to Substack (my newsletter is only a couple of months old) and I didn’t even realize that there were options for different layouts! What would you say lends a newsletter to a magazine-style layout vs a more traditional layout? Or would you always suggest the magazine?
To me, the magazine style is more appealing when viewed on the web. Of course, if most readers access your information via email then the web layout is less important to your readers. Still, it may be worth considering for those who may window shop your site.
This makes sense! Something to think about for the future. Thanks for sharing, Jack!
No problem... Best of luck to you in growing your newsletter
Perhaps you could think of this as a time when you are building your repertoire of finished pieces in preparation for the time when you do find that niche; then, your audience will have a good selection of pieces to read.
That has been my approach. Improve my writing, build a repertoire of finished articles as I find the right sources for my niche, which is older adults wishing to age well.
I've had the same experience with my education-related substack; growth is painfully slow, and I'm thinking of packing it in. The growth of my more general one isn't too bad. I thought it would be the other way round.
Hi Sharon, I just subscribed!
Likewise! Thanks!!
Thank you, Sharon! Looking forward to reading yours!
People underestimate this mentality, but I really hope that people take this to heart!
I had no reason to expect anyone to read my publication, and just had my first set of paid monthly and annual subscribers, and it's all thanks to people like you encouraging me to keep going!
If there is one person that is delighted by your creations, you have made a difference. Thank you for your encouragement S.E. You are making a difference!
Wow, this is just the encouragement I need today. I have been on Substack for a month now, and still do not even have one free subscriber. But I love to write and that is what matters. I am a religious person, so I understand that God’s timing doesn’t always align with our timing, especially in a culture of instant gratification. There is a reason I was created to write, and I trust that eventually, what I write will make a positive difference in someone’s life.
Hi Allison, have you considered calling your publication The Rivers of YOUR Life or The Rivers of Life. Readers are selfish! My first impression from your publication name was that your writing would be very introspective, all about you and would therefore not add value to me or to my life... hence the name didn't encourage me to click through.... I think Substack support can assist with a rename and new domain name if you ask them.
I didn’t ever think of it this way, thanks Karen !
I’ve been reading her work and it’s DEFINITELY worth a read and I see it adding so much value to my life, no matter what the name is
I definitely need to look into this , this is so smart
Allison, have you tried writing about it for your church bulletin, or giving a talk? The best place to start is with people you know. :)
I attend a mega church and the bulletin doesn’t feature writing, just general announcements and an outline of the sermon for that weekend. But one of the pastors has a blog that Christian leaders sometimes contribute to that reflects on current events from a biblical perspective. Perhaps I could ask him if I could contribute something. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Allison, Ask whoever helps you with the tech to help you 1, make a personalized visual avatar; and 2, to fill the 'avatar hover' space – I'm not even sure where that is – to the theme of your Substack and not your personal biography. I just hovered and saw your personal bio, which doesn't explain your Substack's aim or purpose or theme. (I claim NO expertise here! I just happened to notice.) And other 'explanation' spaces aren't filled in. Ask your tech helper. ( Just suggestions.)
Thank you Zelda, I needed this too:)
Very welcome, Venus 2.0! We try and help people with the things we actually need help with, right? If I had cracked the codes then I'd have a thousand paid subscribers... :-)
I haven’t been having anyone help me with the tech. But I will ask my parents to take a headshot of me for the visual avatar, and I could probably figure out how to correct what is displayed in the hover space. Substack has proven very accessible for me. I have been just so excited to start writing I haven’t given my profile much attention. Thanks for the suggestion!
Profile info is the first thing people look at: the 'About' and 'People' spaces, or whatever they're called.
Incidentally, speaking as an illustrator, I suggest that maybe a visual symbol of your faith "says" more about your Substack than your headshot will say? Your avatar can say A LOT in a split second. Don't undervalue it. It's valuable real estate!
(That said, one of my sons just called my avatar INCREDIBLY CREEPY, haha, so again I claim no expertise.)
Subbed !!!! Can’t wait to read, I’m already inspired ❣️
Thank you!!
I gotchu fam. Subscribed! I am happy to support the writing of fellow Christians, I look forward to seeing what you put out!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you for such a positive reminder. Never give up yourself, Underdogs! One step at a time. One sweet day at a time.
Thank you as always. Yes to showing up! Today I’m taking a chance and merging my two newsletters into one. For me it’s the right thing to do – though I’m nervous about alienating both (small yet mighty) audiences. We will see how it goes!
I’ve had a couple things I’ve wanted to put out but stop myself every time! Needed to hear this, thank you
Thank you so much! I'm a bit of a newbie to this community and seeing all the threads is really inspiring. Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you for that encouragement! I really need it right now as I have only been publishing for a few months and don't have many subscribers. I also keep asking questions and encouraging comments in my articles but don't get many (often not any) comments.
This helps, actually. Grateful for this resource.
Thank you! I've felt a lot of impostor syndrome this week! I really appreciate it!
There it is! :)
Hi Kevin! Happy Thursday! 😁
And to you too! :)
You're always so encouraging! Thank you!
Once I thought before I pressed the comment button, I found my conversations and compliments went way farther and had better conversation ((seems obvious but to me it wasn’t))
It’s not a critique, it’s a comment section...as a new writer I had to be reminded
I’ve always been someone who comments literally without hesistation, just whatever I’m thinking....which is the opposite! Selfish! And rude! Office hours and other writers here taught me the kind and correct way to comment....
I can still give my opinion, just less self centered and trying to stay on topic hahaha