Never mind the dopamine hit from a new sub, you should try the hit from being actually cited by another Stacker. Cheers Faith, that'll keep me going all day!
I honestly only started up here for myself, getting it out onto the page really soothes my soul. But the fact that there's 70* people out there that enjoy it is just wild. Really encouraging too - the old ADHD brain probably would've chucked this in a couple of weeks ago if I was still shouting into the ether.
I'm 42, single and childless too, by the way... Some days, I'm ecstatic about that fact; other days, I feel like I've missed out on an essential part of our existence here... Then again, I'll have phases where I have no idea how I really feel about it?!
I feel exactly the same Stephanie, it's so nice to hear you say that. May be it'll always be a 'work in progress' rather than something done and dusted, black and white, and perhaps that's a good thing, and we'll be better for it as a result? I really hope so anyway.
I try not to get caught up in the numbers because I feel it would change what I'd write. I signed up because I needed a creative outlet,somewhere I could get things off my chest without taking my opinion, or the world, too seriously *with mixed success).
The best surprise is I've found some really good writers, both journalists that I knew existed and regular writers.
It can get a bit Linkedin at times, and there's always the odd, in every sense of the word, aggressive mad person, but it's been surprisingly pleasant for the most part.
I think we joined at around the same time and I'm on 75 (I lost two with the last post for some reason). But as long as someone's listening, I'm good with that.
I think we did! I think that it's possible to go mad with trying to work out why someone might not read or unsubscribe when really it's probably nothing to do with us. That's great that you're getting so much out of it; I never imagined how much great writing there might be - I was actually quite intimidated by it all to begin with. That's funny about LinkedIn-styles posts - I'll look out for those now!
I am not a marketing person, and yet I would be lying if I denied the dopamine hit I get every time I see a new subscriber and then try to figure out what brought them to me. And then make an attempt to replicate it. And the cycle continues. I think that is part of the fun of writing on a platform versus publishing an old school blog (of which there are many of mine still floating out there int he forgotten ether). All of that is to say you are in good company. Glad I subscribed, and looking forward to more!
Love this piece and love this for you! I think that a big reason for me, would be the connection. Humans have a very deep biological need for social connection. It is one of those things that is generally good for our overall well-being. This is really a wonderful read.
Thank you Cara. Yes I noticed this in the pandemic when bizarrely I felt more connected than ever because of the convenience of being online. I think it's to do with being able to scale that connection more than in real life (which is nice too!).
Remember when I said social media isn’t all bad? This would be one of the positives I see that come from it. Social media gives people the ability to reach people that they would not have reached otherwise.
Congratulations 🎉 Reaching 100 hits hard. Once I gave up trying to get friends and family to subscribe and found people actually interested in my writing on here, that was a great shift. What's the next milestone? 😜
Thank you Matthew. And congratulations - your stack is going great guns! Oh gosh, I haven't thought, what else is there now?! I mean apart from the paid option of course.
Another stellar and insightful post, Faith. Always great value for the subscription fees! 😂
You've hit on some many of the themes that people fret or boast about on Notes daily. And the 'slightly grubby lengths' thing is huge - all of these 'if you subscribe to me, i'll subscribe to you' notes are absurd, and yet occasionally I check their profiles and see they have 500+ subscribers with almost no content! It's nuts, but I'm so hopeless at marketing that maybe you could tell us what their goal is. Maybe they're onto something - hey, let me get 500-1000 subscribers with this gimmick, then write a few pieces, people will see they have all those followers and be none the wiser and suddenly the joke is on all of us!
I joined Substack in July 2023, but from then to September 1, when you joined, I wasn't active at all. My initial 100+ subscribers were former students and colleagues and a few friends. Then I discovered notes and found it fun. It's been so nice to get a diverse audience in the past couple of months for so many of the reasons you alluded to. Ultimately, I think it makes us all better writers.
Obviously we all have different goals. I've never been active on social media, I have a practically blank LinkedIn profile and barely know how it works. What I love about Substack is the community and the notes and I can be a sarcastic wisecracking buffoon one minute, then slightly serious the next, and it's good fun.
One thing I find frustrating, as I commented on one of your notes before, is getting people who actively read my posts to commit to subscribing. I'm not sure why they're so resistant. And they still keep commenting on Facebook and not on Substack itself! And if they miss a post, they whinge about it! Subscribe then, you numpties!
Oh, and one more thing, not that I'm bitter or jealous or anything - but I see some people with a whopping number of followers and their material is so banal, obvious and humdrum. Some of these life hack posts full of the blindingly obvious or really cringeworthy nonsense...anyway, I'd best stop now, otherwise we'll be here all day!
I look forward to your comments almost as much as your posts Daniel! You're right about the making us better writers thing - that's one thing I didn't mention, but from early on I began reading some really very moving and thoughtful pieces that were still entertaining while being serious. This is something I tried to do with my memoir, but it came out as just plain depressing. One day I'd love to try writing in the way those people do.
I'm also mystified about the subscribe to me bots but I'm determined to work this out, so when I do, I'll get back to you!
I think you've hit the nail on the head when you talk about the challenge of getting active readers to subscribe - perhaps parting with their email addresses is just too much of a commitment, but what do they expect, for you to pop round to their house with the article instead?!
Your final point is one that drives me up the wall too - but it's the way of the world I think in that kind of 'pile them high, sell them cheap' thing. The thing is, would you want all those people? They're probably not for you anyway. It would end up feeling hollow (I tell myself 😝).
Keep going, I'm a new subscriber and like what I am reading. When you get to 1k subs - get those paid subs going is my opinion. Maybe what you are destined is to become a full time writer and this is your launch point. We are privileged to be at the birth of that.
This is what I would like someone to write on one of my posts, anyway.
That's a lovely thing to write! May be this is a launch pad for us all, if not, it's definitely a tonic and amazing to be able to enjoy something for what it is now, in its present form, not just what it might be or could become.
Love this Faith, it’s a question I ask myself also! And at first felt a little like I was in a race, I needed to do xyz like others if I want to attract subscribers, and often felt left behind. having a full time job, single mum life makes it harder. I just relax now and feel so grateful to anyone who reads my posts, I’ve taken the pressure off me. And I can’t believe I also hit 100 recently But your right the community is great , I often try to describe this to friends and family as having a little gang that expands now and then, I know exactly who is in my gang 😁 we are all so supportive of each other , and I actually feel in awe of the incredible writers on here. Onwards and upwards. Lovely post 😁
Thank you Francis! That's so true about the gang. And congratulations on your 100! I actually feel much more relaxed about it this week - I don't know if that's just because I've been super busy or because I don't have as much to 'prove'. It's strange though because since trying less, I'm sure I've had more people sign up! May be it's like dating - when you're desperate, people can sense it, when you're not they're all over you! Please write about that in your next piece!
Well that’s what they say Faith 😂😂 but now I’m not looking for a guy and honestly could be single for the rest of life , I’m still not meeting anyone 😂 but I agree on substack in order to find authentic subscribers, you don’t need to do much , they find you. ☺️
You bring joy to my life every week with your words Faith. I’ve never known anyone write so authentically and eloquently in a way that takes the reader on a small journey through your mind each time with a few unexpected twists and turns. It’s a trip. And you are a treasure. Thank you. ❤️❤️
Oh Pippa thank you so much for your support - which started around 35 years ago with you saying things like this, so it must be true. Ok I believe it now 🥰
Thanks for this. Very much got me thinking, why do I have a substack? It’s a worthwhile question and the answer, when I discover it, will dictate how I proceed.
Also the advice to not use notes for non-writing stuff is Miyagi-level wisdom.
Happy 💯 Faith!! So glad you’re here. Completely agree with the dopamine hit 😂 I’ve never tried to gain followers or engagement on other social platforms as it gave me the “ick”. Since coming here I’ve just written randomly about stuff that comes up and read and commented on what has grabbed my interest. And guess what? It’s having a positive effect 🤷♀️
Never mind the dopamine hit from a new sub, you should try the hit from being actually cited by another Stacker. Cheers Faith, that'll keep me going all day!
I honestly only started up here for myself, getting it out onto the page really soothes my soul. But the fact that there's 70* people out there that enjoy it is just wild. Really encouraging too - the old ADHD brain probably would've chucked this in a couple of weeks ago if I was still shouting into the ether.
*Yes, I am jealous of your 100....!
Someone emailed me last week to ask if he could quote me in his podcast. I didn't even know that was a thing!
Well that's my next unofficial goal sorted now.
Aww you're welcome Lewis!! Soothing the soul is a great way of putting it and I feel exactly the same. So good to be with you on this 'journey'!
I'm 42, single and childless too, by the way... Some days, I'm ecstatic about that fact; other days, I feel like I've missed out on an essential part of our existence here... Then again, I'll have phases where I have no idea how I really feel about it?!
I feel exactly the same Stephanie, it's so nice to hear you say that. May be it'll always be a 'work in progress' rather than something done and dusted, black and white, and perhaps that's a good thing, and we'll be better for it as a result? I really hope so anyway.
I try not to get caught up in the numbers because I feel it would change what I'd write. I signed up because I needed a creative outlet,somewhere I could get things off my chest without taking my opinion, or the world, too seriously *with mixed success).
The best surprise is I've found some really good writers, both journalists that I knew existed and regular writers.
It can get a bit Linkedin at times, and there's always the odd, in every sense of the word, aggressive mad person, but it's been surprisingly pleasant for the most part.
I think we joined at around the same time and I'm on 75 (I lost two with the last post for some reason). But as long as someone's listening, I'm good with that.
I think we did! I think that it's possible to go mad with trying to work out why someone might not read or unsubscribe when really it's probably nothing to do with us. That's great that you're getting so much out of it; I never imagined how much great writing there might be - I was actually quite intimidated by it all to begin with. That's funny about LinkedIn-styles posts - I'll look out for those now!
I pretend I don’t care then call the person, who I’ve never met and didn’t know existed, all kinds of names in my head when they unsubscribe.
The betrayal!
Yes me too! It’s funny because it’s impossible to know who they were!
I am not a marketing person, and yet I would be lying if I denied the dopamine hit I get every time I see a new subscriber and then try to figure out what brought them to me. And then make an attempt to replicate it. And the cycle continues. I think that is part of the fun of writing on a platform versus publishing an old school blog (of which there are many of mine still floating out there int he forgotten ether). All of that is to say you are in good company. Glad I subscribed, and looking forward to more!
Aww thank you so much Tim! It's impossible not to join this dance, and it does make it fun doesn't it? Many thanks for subscribing.
Love this piece and love this for you! I think that a big reason for me, would be the connection. Humans have a very deep biological need for social connection. It is one of those things that is generally good for our overall well-being. This is really a wonderful read.
Thank you Cara. Yes I noticed this in the pandemic when bizarrely I felt more connected than ever because of the convenience of being online. I think it's to do with being able to scale that connection more than in real life (which is nice too!).
Remember when I said social media isn’t all bad? This would be one of the positives I see that come from it. Social media gives people the ability to reach people that they would not have reached otherwise.
Congratulations 🎉 Reaching 100 hits hard. Once I gave up trying to get friends and family to subscribe and found people actually interested in my writing on here, that was a great shift. What's the next milestone? 😜
Thank you Matthew. And congratulations - your stack is going great guns! Oh gosh, I haven't thought, what else is there now?! I mean apart from the paid option of course.
Another stellar and insightful post, Faith. Always great value for the subscription fees! 😂
You've hit on some many of the themes that people fret or boast about on Notes daily. And the 'slightly grubby lengths' thing is huge - all of these 'if you subscribe to me, i'll subscribe to you' notes are absurd, and yet occasionally I check their profiles and see they have 500+ subscribers with almost no content! It's nuts, but I'm so hopeless at marketing that maybe you could tell us what their goal is. Maybe they're onto something - hey, let me get 500-1000 subscribers with this gimmick, then write a few pieces, people will see they have all those followers and be none the wiser and suddenly the joke is on all of us!
I joined Substack in July 2023, but from then to September 1, when you joined, I wasn't active at all. My initial 100+ subscribers were former students and colleagues and a few friends. Then I discovered notes and found it fun. It's been so nice to get a diverse audience in the past couple of months for so many of the reasons you alluded to. Ultimately, I think it makes us all better writers.
Obviously we all have different goals. I've never been active on social media, I have a practically blank LinkedIn profile and barely know how it works. What I love about Substack is the community and the notes and I can be a sarcastic wisecracking buffoon one minute, then slightly serious the next, and it's good fun.
One thing I find frustrating, as I commented on one of your notes before, is getting people who actively read my posts to commit to subscribing. I'm not sure why they're so resistant. And they still keep commenting on Facebook and not on Substack itself! And if they miss a post, they whinge about it! Subscribe then, you numpties!
Oh, and one more thing, not that I'm bitter or jealous or anything - but I see some people with a whopping number of followers and their material is so banal, obvious and humdrum. Some of these life hack posts full of the blindingly obvious or really cringeworthy nonsense...anyway, I'd best stop now, otherwise we'll be here all day!
I look forward to your comments almost as much as your posts Daniel! You're right about the making us better writers thing - that's one thing I didn't mention, but from early on I began reading some really very moving and thoughtful pieces that were still entertaining while being serious. This is something I tried to do with my memoir, but it came out as just plain depressing. One day I'd love to try writing in the way those people do.
I'm also mystified about the subscribe to me bots but I'm determined to work this out, so when I do, I'll get back to you!
I think you've hit the nail on the head when you talk about the challenge of getting active readers to subscribe - perhaps parting with their email addresses is just too much of a commitment, but what do they expect, for you to pop round to their house with the article instead?!
Your final point is one that drives me up the wall too - but it's the way of the world I think in that kind of 'pile them high, sell them cheap' thing. The thing is, would you want all those people? They're probably not for you anyway. It would end up feeling hollow (I tell myself 😝).
Keep going, I'm a new subscriber and like what I am reading. When you get to 1k subs - get those paid subs going is my opinion. Maybe what you are destined is to become a full time writer and this is your launch point. We are privileged to be at the birth of that.
This is what I would like someone to write on one of my posts, anyway.
That's a lovely thing to write! May be this is a launch pad for us all, if not, it's definitely a tonic and amazing to be able to enjoy something for what it is now, in its present form, not just what it might be or could become.
[virtual fistbump]
Love this Faith, it’s a question I ask myself also! And at first felt a little like I was in a race, I needed to do xyz like others if I want to attract subscribers, and often felt left behind. having a full time job, single mum life makes it harder. I just relax now and feel so grateful to anyone who reads my posts, I’ve taken the pressure off me. And I can’t believe I also hit 100 recently But your right the community is great , I often try to describe this to friends and family as having a little gang that expands now and then, I know exactly who is in my gang 😁 we are all so supportive of each other , and I actually feel in awe of the incredible writers on here. Onwards and upwards. Lovely post 😁
Thank you Francis! That's so true about the gang. And congratulations on your 100! I actually feel much more relaxed about it this week - I don't know if that's just because I've been super busy or because I don't have as much to 'prove'. It's strange though because since trying less, I'm sure I've had more people sign up! May be it's like dating - when you're desperate, people can sense it, when you're not they're all over you! Please write about that in your next piece!
Well that’s what they say Faith 😂😂 but now I’m not looking for a guy and honestly could be single for the rest of life , I’m still not meeting anyone 😂 but I agree on substack in order to find authentic subscribers, you don’t need to do much , they find you. ☺️
So true! Anyway statistically they say the happiest people are single 🧐
You bring joy to my life every week with your words Faith. I’ve never known anyone write so authentically and eloquently in a way that takes the reader on a small journey through your mind each time with a few unexpected twists and turns. It’s a trip. And you are a treasure. Thank you. ❤️❤️
Oh Pippa thank you so much for your support - which started around 35 years ago with you saying things like this, so it must be true. Ok I believe it now 🥰
congrats on the hundred!
Thank you Ruby!!
Very much all of this, Faith! Knowing you’re being read and getting feedback is the biggest encouragement to keep writing.
It is odd to explain Substack to ‘in real life’ friends, but once they get it, they’re all in.
Loving your insights and here’s to many more subscribers!
Thank you so much Wendy - part of my original 'gang'!
Thanks for this. Very much got me thinking, why do I have a substack? It’s a worthwhile question and the answer, when I discover it, will dictate how I proceed.
Also the advice to not use notes for non-writing stuff is Miyagi-level wisdom.
Ha ha love that reference, thank you James!
Congrats on getting to 100 subscribers!
Happy 💯 Faith!! So glad you’re here. Completely agree with the dopamine hit 😂 I’ve never tried to gain followers or engagement on other social platforms as it gave me the “ick”. Since coming here I’ve just written randomly about stuff that comes up and read and commented on what has grabbed my interest. And guess what? It’s having a positive effect 🤷♀️