Thanks for this. I’ve been that joyous lurker for a bit now, but mainly because there is this odd and unexpected fear that’s rippling through me as I plan my own Substack and community. Fear of what? Probably the amount of work and dedication necessary to make it happen and continue to make it happen. So…bravo for pushing through and keeping it up. We’ll be here spying from the shadows (popping our head up and into the light every now and then.)
Hello! The amount of work can vary depending on what you want to achieve, I think. If I wanted to turn this into more of a full-time gig, I'd have to do a lot more than I currently do, and push paid subscriptions a lot harder in all sorts of ways. Run it more like a business, basically.
I've been careful to not go down that route. I'm happier to keep it as something I enjoy writing each week, as that stops it from becoming a stressful thing. I'd be writing this stuff even if I didn't have lots of people reading. But it IS a huge amount of work, and guarding against burnout is a real thing.
That said, it's very possible to run a good newsletter in a lighter way. I write two newsletters each week (three if you include my Babylon 5 rewatch, which is more of a fun side thing), but one a week or fortnight would work.
For me, it's the newsletter that keeps me coming back to the writing. The newsletter is the motivator, not the end goal.
I don't necessarily need readers to comment on my posts - nor do I expect them to. I write about indie comics, which is a notoriously introverted group. That said, I always appreciate when they do.
I enjoy your articles on this topic as I'm getting close to launching my own newsletter. I especially appreciate the tone. With other platforms like Facebook and Twitter (Now X) getting more awful all the time, it's refreshing to be on Substack. You provided some good reminders to me like "Go Niche" that I'll keep in mind as I get my newsletter off the ground and see if I can get it to fly. Thank you!
Wonderful! As a novice on Substack and not so tech savvy as I might wish, I appreciate the variety of topics in your writing more tutorials. I also appreciate your audio sharing because I am always looking for opportunities to rest my strained eyes while continuing to learn. Thanks!
Thanks for this! It’s a very useful and insightful piece. A lot of it chimes with what I’ve been doing, but I’ve been doing to haphazardly and accidentally. Nice to have your input and hopefully I’ll have a bit more agency now! Cheers.
I love replying to comments on my Substack and I'm always looking for ways to get folks to comment more. It's what I loved about Twitter when it was a more vibrant (and less toxic) community.
Substack won't fill that void entirely, but it comes close when the comments sections are active.
Yeah, there was that narrow window when Twitter discussions were fun and exciting. For me that was a very brief period, and the character limit became a problem over time.
The main communities I'm always trying to recreate are from the late-90s and early-2000s, when it was Usenet and forums. Those were the gold standard in online communications, and social media has been a major departure and distraction from what was an already-solved problem.
Substack/newsletters generally feel like a slight return to form.
I guess I'm a lurker too, Simon! Truth is you were actually what drew me to Substack originally. Your posts about writing and how the platform works finally tipped me over from the 'quantity' social media platforms to the 'quality' ones. At least, that was the plan I was hatching! As it so happened, I was starting out on my first graphic novel at the time, so it seemed like serendipity that Substack was a great opportunity to talk about it, and associated subjects. However, 'the best laid plans of mice and men' as they say! Almost immediately after I started to dip my toe into the Substack waters, I unexpectedly had two health scares. I'm not going into details here and I'm still going through tests right now. But, thus far, all appears to be OK and they strangely appear to have been events without clear explanation. I'm even wondering if it was a high anxiety thing that brought them on in the first place - subconsciously thinking of the mountain of graphic novel drawing and writing ahead of me, causing my body to rebel. In fact, I have many thoughts on this and other health/lifestyle/meaning-of-life related things that I might expand on with my own Substack posts. But suffice it to say, the little bit of writing momentum that I generated back then was derailed. and I now find myself having to re-group, re-focus and wonder what on earth to write about from now on! The graphic novel is pretty much finished now and I'm happy with it. Indeed, it be out there on Amazon in the very near future - a matter of days in fact. But I love the potential of Substack still, and need to re-build my confidence in the notion of having something to say and hoping others will want to read what it is I have to say. It's definitely scary, I have to admit. But needless to say, your posts on Substack and approaches to newsletters, etc. are a huge help and confidence builder. Thank you so much! And, long may it last! :)
Thanks Simon... here's hoping! I'm working on having a hard cover version available now too. It's primarily for kids (of all ages!) and you can get a hint of what it's all about here... http://www.hippydippyguru.com/bookstore.html. (Valiant effort for a crazy, workaholic, 76 year-old, I would suggest!) Any comments or suggestions would be most welcome, of course - as I'm a novice at promotion and marketing myself. (I.e. I miss the days when agents did this kind of thing for you!) ;)
Thank you for the advice and process you are using yourself to bring your community together. I am also starting naciently my own Substack and newsletter and trying to figure out both how to get more people to notice my work but to also interact with it too. Some great ideas.
As I've been in the doldrums lately with my substack, it's nice to read some useful tips flavored with optimism. I intend to turn your column into a bulleted list and pin it to my laptop. When I started online fiction writing, I foolishly believed my novels and short stories were so fascinating that they would immediately draw all sorts of wonderful thought-provoking commentary. That absolutely has not happened. More than subscriber numbers, it's the dearth of comments (especially thoughtful ones) that has discouraged me the most. "Do provocations," you say. I'm going to take that one to heart. I think you've made me realize that I need to add some nonfiction to my repertoire. I don't consider myself much of an essayist, but I must give it a try.
Thanks Simon, really enjoyed this. As you say it is amazing how things can build with the right niche. Did I miss how many people you reach now? Also, what are the different countries you have members from?
Thanks for this. I’ve been that joyous lurker for a bit now, but mainly because there is this odd and unexpected fear that’s rippling through me as I plan my own Substack and community. Fear of what? Probably the amount of work and dedication necessary to make it happen and continue to make it happen. So…bravo for pushing through and keeping it up. We’ll be here spying from the shadows (popping our head up and into the light every now and then.)
Hello! The amount of work can vary depending on what you want to achieve, I think. If I wanted to turn this into more of a full-time gig, I'd have to do a lot more than I currently do, and push paid subscriptions a lot harder in all sorts of ways. Run it more like a business, basically.
I've been careful to not go down that route. I'm happier to keep it as something I enjoy writing each week, as that stops it from becoming a stressful thing. I'd be writing this stuff even if I didn't have lots of people reading. But it IS a huge amount of work, and guarding against burnout is a real thing.
That said, it's very possible to run a good newsletter in a lighter way. I write two newsletters each week (three if you include my Babylon 5 rewatch, which is more of a fun side thing), but one a week or fortnight would work.
For me, it's the newsletter that keeps me coming back to the writing. The newsletter is the motivator, not the end goal.
Such a great reminder. It’s about the experience and fun, and not the end goal. Thank you!
Oh, I'm a commenter.
I don't necessarily need readers to comment on my posts - nor do I expect them to. I write about indie comics, which is a notoriously introverted group. That said, I always appreciate when they do.
I enjoy your articles on this topic as I'm getting close to launching my own newsletter. I especially appreciate the tone. With other platforms like Facebook and Twitter (Now X) getting more awful all the time, it's refreshing to be on Substack. You provided some good reminders to me like "Go Niche" that I'll keep in mind as I get my newsletter off the ground and see if I can get it to fly. Thank you!
Good stuff, sir
Thanks, James!
Wonderful! As a novice on Substack and not so tech savvy as I might wish, I appreciate the variety of topics in your writing more tutorials. I also appreciate your audio sharing because I am always looking for opportunities to rest my strained eyes while continuing to learn. Thanks!
Glad to help! Good to know that the audio is useful, too. It does add time to production, but I think it’s worth it!
This information is so useful, I should be a paid subscriber. Oh, I am 😄
Ah, thanks, Kim! :)
Nothing terribly cogent to say this week, but gotta keep my "3" status. 😂
😁
Thanks for this! It’s a very useful and insightful piece. A lot of it chimes with what I’ve been doing, but I’ve been doing to haphazardly and accidentally. Nice to have your input and hopefully I’ll have a bit more agency now! Cheers.
Thanks, SJ. Sometimes it’s useful to sort of codify and write this stuff down, even if we’ve already been doing it in that haphazard/accidental way.
Thanks, Simon. I always appreciate your insights - so logical and sensible!
I love replying to comments on my Substack and I'm always looking for ways to get folks to comment more. It's what I loved about Twitter when it was a more vibrant (and less toxic) community.
Substack won't fill that void entirely, but it comes close when the comments sections are active.
Yeah, there was that narrow window when Twitter discussions were fun and exciting. For me that was a very brief period, and the character limit became a problem over time.
The main communities I'm always trying to recreate are from the late-90s and early-2000s, when it was Usenet and forums. Those were the gold standard in online communications, and social media has been a major departure and distraction from what was an already-solved problem.
Substack/newsletters generally feel like a slight return to form.
I guess I'm a lurker too, Simon! Truth is you were actually what drew me to Substack originally. Your posts about writing and how the platform works finally tipped me over from the 'quantity' social media platforms to the 'quality' ones. At least, that was the plan I was hatching! As it so happened, I was starting out on my first graphic novel at the time, so it seemed like serendipity that Substack was a great opportunity to talk about it, and associated subjects. However, 'the best laid plans of mice and men' as they say! Almost immediately after I started to dip my toe into the Substack waters, I unexpectedly had two health scares. I'm not going into details here and I'm still going through tests right now. But, thus far, all appears to be OK and they strangely appear to have been events without clear explanation. I'm even wondering if it was a high anxiety thing that brought them on in the first place - subconsciously thinking of the mountain of graphic novel drawing and writing ahead of me, causing my body to rebel. In fact, I have many thoughts on this and other health/lifestyle/meaning-of-life related things that I might expand on with my own Substack posts. But suffice it to say, the little bit of writing momentum that I generated back then was derailed. and I now find myself having to re-group, re-focus and wonder what on earth to write about from now on! The graphic novel is pretty much finished now and I'm happy with it. Indeed, it be out there on Amazon in the very near future - a matter of days in fact. But I love the potential of Substack still, and need to re-build my confidence in the notion of having something to say and hoping others will want to read what it is I have to say. It's definitely scary, I have to admit. But needless to say, your posts on Substack and approaches to newsletters, etc. are a huge help and confidence builder. Thank you so much! And, long may it last! :)
Thanks, Tony! Hope the graphic novel launch goes really well!
Thanks Simon... here's hoping! I'm working on having a hard cover version available now too. It's primarily for kids (of all ages!) and you can get a hint of what it's all about here... http://www.hippydippyguru.com/bookstore.html. (Valiant effort for a crazy, workaholic, 76 year-old, I would suggest!) Any comments or suggestions would be most welcome, of course - as I'm a novice at promotion and marketing myself. (I.e. I miss the days when agents did this kind of thing for you!) ;)
Thank you for the advice and process you are using yourself to bring your community together. I am also starting naciently my own Substack and newsletter and trying to figure out both how to get more people to notice my work but to also interact with it too. Some great ideas.
As I've been in the doldrums lately with my substack, it's nice to read some useful tips flavored with optimism. I intend to turn your column into a bulleted list and pin it to my laptop. When I started online fiction writing, I foolishly believed my novels and short stories were so fascinating that they would immediately draw all sorts of wonderful thought-provoking commentary. That absolutely has not happened. More than subscriber numbers, it's the dearth of comments (especially thoughtful ones) that has discouraged me the most. "Do provocations," you say. I'm going to take that one to heart. I think you've made me realize that I need to add some nonfiction to my repertoire. I don't consider myself much of an essayist, but I must give it a try.
Thanks Simon, really enjoyed this. As you say it is amazing how things can build with the right niche. Did I miss how many people you reach now? Also, what are the different countries you have members from?
Hi Antony! Good to see you here. The subscriber count is over 4,000 now, so it's gone up a fair bit.
Country-wise it's all over the place, but predominantly US-based by a large margin.