Oh... part of what I meant to say was that I do think that commenting on posts in places like this and the Threads feature (when it’s released) may very well be a boon to people willing to put in the time to build relationships in places like these. The return on investment as far as people subscribing and things like that is probably questionable, but you know how I am about getting to know people.
I am loving the rabbit holes that Substack offers. It reminds me of the old days where you’d read the comments of the blog, follow the trail from one person to another and build community. I also came here FROM Elle’s chat thread and really respected the advice you gave about visibility. Then I come here and read this piece and understand why I felt drawn to comment!
I am always happy to meet someone who remembers blogging. And you’re totally right. Finding people through comments, going to their blog, and discovering new content that you would have never otherwise found was exactly what made that era so special. Substack really does feel like a return to those glory days.
Ok I love how this turned out!!!!! I do think Substack could replace the morning newspaper and the evening fiction. It has already replaced my morning newspaper, but I still haven’t take to reading fiction here at night, probably because of the reasons you mention. At night, I want to go deeper in one story, rather than bounce from story to story. But maybe there are ways Substack can facilitate that.
"I love all of those things, but I’d like to be able to read full-length stories without waiting for the serialization process to end."
That has definitely been my experience. I make far less from Substack than Amazon, and I don't expect that to change, unfortunately. As with Facebook and Google, the network effect is just too strong. I think these situations were exactly why anti-trust laws were passed, but the Democrats have wedded themselves to Big Tech, so barring catastrophe, we're unlikely to see any movement on that in our lifetime.
Still, this was a great (and long!) read. Glad to see you tackling these things in such a thoughtful way.
Rick! I’m so glad you commented. I’ve missed interacting with you. There’s no doubt that Amazon is the main source of income for any self-published writer. I don’t know that this will change unless-- as you suggest--there’s some form of government intervention. I do believe in Substack though. I believe succeeding here is a matter of frequent output, figuring out a way to connect with an audience, and figuring out the right business model (offering the right incentives that encourage people to subscribe).
For example, Elle Griffin (comment right above you) offers a Collectors tier for 200 dollars. Subscribers at that tier will receive a physical copy of her novel. I’m sure there are other perks, but I’d have to look at the subscription page again. Admittedly, people will want more than just a novel for that 200 bucks so you have to be consistent about providing content that they want, but she seems to have made things work for herself.
Right now, I’m reading a book by Chris Anderson called Free: The Future of a Radical Price. The book is about designing a business model that leverages free in a way that motivates consumers. I’m not recommending it yet because I haven’t finished the book, but he’s introducing me to a lot of ideas and re-framing things I already know in a way that has me trying to figure out a way to leverage the free-nature of Substack by offering something similar to Elle’s subscription tier that would encourage some people to subscribe for those additional perks. If I figure it out, I’ll let you know. After all, you deserve all the monies! My phrasing conveys the humor, but your writing does deserve recognition and monetary reward.
Oh... part of what I meant to say was that I do think that commenting on posts in places like this and the Threads feature (when it’s released) may very well be a boon to people willing to put in the time to build relationships in places like these. The return on investment as far as people subscribing and things like that is probably questionable, but you know how I am about getting to know people.
I am loving the rabbit holes that Substack offers. It reminds me of the old days where you’d read the comments of the blog, follow the trail from one person to another and build community. I also came here FROM Elle’s chat thread and really respected the advice you gave about visibility. Then I come here and read this piece and understand why I felt drawn to comment!
I am always happy to meet someone who remembers blogging. And you’re totally right. Finding people through comments, going to their blog, and discovering new content that you would have never otherwise found was exactly what made that era so special. Substack really does feel like a return to those glory days.
Ok I love how this turned out!!!!! I do think Substack could replace the morning newspaper and the evening fiction. It has already replaced my morning newspaper, but I still haven’t take to reading fiction here at night, probably because of the reasons you mention. At night, I want to go deeper in one story, rather than bounce from story to story. But maybe there are ways Substack can facilitate that.
"I love all of those things, but I’d like to be able to read full-length stories without waiting for the serialization process to end."
That has definitely been my experience. I make far less from Substack than Amazon, and I don't expect that to change, unfortunately. As with Facebook and Google, the network effect is just too strong. I think these situations were exactly why anti-trust laws were passed, but the Democrats have wedded themselves to Big Tech, so barring catastrophe, we're unlikely to see any movement on that in our lifetime.
Still, this was a great (and long!) read. Glad to see you tackling these things in such a thoughtful way.
Rick! I’m so glad you commented. I’ve missed interacting with you. There’s no doubt that Amazon is the main source of income for any self-published writer. I don’t know that this will change unless-- as you suggest--there’s some form of government intervention. I do believe in Substack though. I believe succeeding here is a matter of frequent output, figuring out a way to connect with an audience, and figuring out the right business model (offering the right incentives that encourage people to subscribe).
For example, Elle Griffin (comment right above you) offers a Collectors tier for 200 dollars. Subscribers at that tier will receive a physical copy of her novel. I’m sure there are other perks, but I’d have to look at the subscription page again. Admittedly, people will want more than just a novel for that 200 bucks so you have to be consistent about providing content that they want, but she seems to have made things work for herself.
Right now, I’m reading a book by Chris Anderson called Free: The Future of a Radical Price. The book is about designing a business model that leverages free in a way that motivates consumers. I’m not recommending it yet because I haven’t finished the book, but he’s introducing me to a lot of ideas and re-framing things I already know in a way that has me trying to figure out a way to leverage the free-nature of Substack by offering something similar to Elle’s subscription tier that would encourage some people to subscribe for those additional perks. If I figure it out, I’ll let you know. After all, you deserve all the monies! My phrasing conveys the humor, but your writing does deserve recognition and monetary reward.