One Year on Substack!
A Status Check and Some Insight for Anyone New
A year ago today, I published my first article. It’s not my favorite, but it was something I was grappling with at the time and, to be honest, I never thought anyone would read it. I had no idea how Substack worked and I just wanted to get some thoughts out. I suck at “real” journaling, so I thought maybe this would be good therapy for me.
I was right.
A year and almost 50 articles later, I’ve talked about chronic pain and illness, grief, sex, feminist issues, human trafficking, and personal stories, like surrogacy, and being the penpal of a Texas Death Row inmate.
I now have 196 free subscribers and 2 paid subscribers (bless their souls for supporting me). I never actively tried to gain subscribers or followers, so these are smaller numbers than some people have a year in, and I’m definitely not a Substack guru or influencer. That said, there have been very few times in my life that I’ve spoken to a room filled with 200 people, so it’s definitely more than I ever thought would be interested in what I have to say.
I’m no “Substack success story”, but there are a few things I wish I’d known starting out. If you’re new, feel free to read and dismiss what seems wrong for you. If you’re a seasoned writer and have a bigger following than I do, feel free to add or correct in the comments.
1. Write for you, not the algorithm. Notes matter, I think. That’s how you grow. That said, I hardly ever write notes. Saying something when the mood strikes is more important to me than gaining a large following. I’m not going to make a living on Substack, so the numbers have never really mattered to me. Write what you like. If no one else likes it (someone will, though), then at least you’ve gotten it out of your head and into the world. That’s a good thing.
2. Pick a schedule that allows writing to be enjoyable. If you really want to have a goal to maintain a certain frequency, great! But don’t let it become work if you’re not getting paid. Writing should bring joy, in my humble opinion, not stress.
3. 100-200 subs was faster than 0-100, at least for me. If you feel like you’re screaming into the void, be patient. The right people will find you. I’ve met such wonderful people here and I’m so glad I didn’t quit because I felt silly writing to no one.
4. Your first posts may not be your best. That’s the point. If nothing else, Substack is a wonderful place to practice your writing skills. I’ve found it to mostly be judgement free. I mean, they may be making fun of me in their heads, but I don’t give a shit about that. Neither should you.
7. You might find your niche, but you don’t really need one. I’ve kind of found that what I need to write about most is chronic pain and illness. I like helping other people and it also helps me. But most of my posts are just stories from my life. Those are also the ones I enjoy reading the most from other people. If you want to write about your dog, then your divorce, then your favorite pizza topping, I promise you someone will read all three. (It’s me. I’ll read all three.)
8. Some posts and notes tank for no reason. Don’t dwell on it.
9. You don’t have to always be deep or profound. There are a LOT of really brilliant people here. You are your own kind of smart. Sometimes we need lighthearted reading, so don’t shy away from it.
Mostly have fun. Think. Write. Read. Comment. I love it here, and I genuinely want to thank every one of you who has used your valuable time to read my thoughts. I didn’t know how much it would mean to me. It means a lot. Like, a lot-a lot. Thank you.