Why I quit Substack (and am now reconsidering it again)

Here's what I like, don't like, don't understand, and am compelled by Substack

In 2021 I used Substack as an archive for the The Monday Mole, an every-other-week newsletter. By the end of there year, I decided to stop using Substack because it seemed like an unnecessary middleman and move forward posting on my website - www.derekjfiedler.com - and ConverKit for my newsletters. Here’s what I liked, didn’t like, and don’t understand about Substack, and why I am now considering using it again.

What I like about Substack

Substack’s platform is like how I like to keep my writing desk - clean and open. Every day I start out on a large table, a blank slate. Then, I spread out my notes, jottings, pictures, books, post its, journals, laptop. Soon, the table is full and so is my imagination. From this mysterious milieu, art is produced in the form of essays, stories, and songs. Then I pack it all up, leaving a clean table for the next day.

The writing experience is like holding a well-balanced circular saw. Once you line it up, the momentum of the machine’s design caries your hand in a direct line. You nudged it like a paper boat in a pond. I like how my mind and hands work together without the intermediary (Substack) getting in the way. It’s for this very reason I use Workflowy for organizing ideas and managing knowledge.

I like building systems. So if I am on a platform that allows me to change the line spacing by .03 px, I probably will. So Substack’s limited design keeps me focused on what I showed up to do, write something (and actually finish it).

What I didn’t like

Substack brought next to zero traffic to my posts by itself. Any traffic that came to the newsletters were from efforts of my own on other platforms like my YouTube Channel or my Newsletter. If I am going to bother using a writing platform and contribute content for their benefit, I would expect some level of mutual reciprocity. That’s why I like YouTube. I can post original content and YT puts effort in promoting my content. The more views, the more ad-revenue for them and attention to what I am sharing - a win-win.

It seems Substack expects you to have a Twitter multitude following your every post. It’s like they expect me to put items on the store’s shelf AND go fly a sign on the street corner to get people into the store. I don’t Twitter and I don’t fly signs.

What I don’t understand

I don’t understand what Substack is for, really. Is it a safe house for rogue journalists seeking asylum from restrictive mainstream media? Is it a blog, a newsletter, a website, a pretty page to write on?

Does it have SEO (Search Engine Optimization) at all? If I don’t push my own content, how do people find it? Does this post come up when people search for the topic?

Subscribers, how did you find my Substack?

Should substack be considered more of a social media platform at this point? A place where content is exchanged inside the platform, but not to the outside world per se?

It could be that “yes” is the answer to all of these questions. Perhaps, the creators of the Substack are building the ship as they are sailing it.

Why I am considering using Substack (again)?

After only one month after giving up on Substack, I am reconsidering using it for these reasons.

I like their stance on freedom of speech and censorship. I quit FB for the madhouse it’s become. Perhaps Substack will be the lone island in the troubled sea of the internet. So why play around with other platforms in the mean time?

Their ease-of-use design is quite attractive. What’s the quickest path between two points?… Exactly. Substack get’s that. For instance, their audio feature is literally the press of a button. It reminds me of my SoundClound experience posting music (ah, Portland days…). Press red button, record, post, done. As a part-timer, these features attract me. Just picture me in my car during a lunch break writing and recording audio for a post - yeah.

Substack rolled out a new video feature. Honestly, I like YouTube’s platform but it scares me. Poof! bye-bye thousands of hours of work… Perhaps Substack will be the lone island for video as well.

I like the growing social component. I like how it has a comment section, like YT videos. Better yet, you can communicate with your commenters and subscribers in a more direct way. When people subscribe to my YouTube channel, I have no way of sending them a “hey, glad to meet you” message. It’s disheartening at times, especially for an artist who is looking more for quality engagement than millions of views.

How do you use Substack?

Help me out, what is the best way to make the most out of Substack? What value am I missing here?

Thank you to all who have subscribed. I value your readership. This post is my way of saying, “I really want to provide my subscribers with the best experience possible.” Whether it be through articles, songs, podcasts, or videos, I want the content that I share to be accessible and meaningful for you. And I’m always glad to hear your thoughts on how to improve.

Derek J Fiedler