Sarah, I just stumbled upon your substack and first off, I wanna say as a journalist who’s trying to find her way in her second stage of life your post truly moved me. Thank you.
I appreciate this: "Make your posts remarkable—something people are moved to remark on, not content to scroll and possibly 'consume'.” Although I am new to SubStack, I send people to it to read my posts. In doing so, a podcaster read a post (with barely any likes and engagement since I a just got started here) and he invited me onto his podcast. He read my follow-up posts, too.
Thankfully, that's been my approach all along re: Substack and all platforms. When one is ahead of societal norms, and trying to make positive changes, platforms and attitudes are not easy.
Funny, this is exactly how I approached Substack when I wrote my first post 2 years ago! I simply know that chasing algorithms makes me feel so unwell, so I choose to focus on the work (and the practice!). My number of subscribers is around 400 so obviously I’m a very very small fish. But the connections I have made here are priceless!
I am not on ‘regular’ (if i can call it that) social media…..but I am HERE. I have found friendly voices here among the not so friendly. I have found people who teach me to think in a different way: that there are a lot of wonderful voices on here that I need to listen to. I subscribe to those who can help me calm myself in the wild waters that we are living in today. And the pictures of nature are just astounding, calming, serene. Those pictures and videos of natural beings and landscapes give me hope that I can do some good in the world before my time here is done. I figure: 20 years or so is a good aim for me.
FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT, I’m here to read and support many journalists, I also wanted to write too or start writing one day and I also encouraged my dad to try this platform since he also writes a lot and he enjoys it.
Been on here for 1.5 years and have probably only grown my email list by 800 (on top of what I imported). I’m grateful for this platform and the community I’ve joined AND my engagement isn’t great. Notes barely get any traction and neither do my posts. But I’m still here!
Thank you for this, Sarah. There is something comforting to me, knowing you have the pulse on what's happening in Substackland. I can count on you to deliver the reality, plus the hope.
This is an important point to make. And likely why I’ve been stuck for the last six months not sure if I wanted to run or stay. Think I’ll stick around for whatever’s next. Great insights Sarah. Thanks for sharing, as always.
Thanks for this, Sarah! I learned so much from you over my year of paid membership and am so grateful that I had you as I was new to the whole thing. And as I've definitely appreciated these shifts on the platform, I've been wanting to know "what Sarah says about it all." In the past six months, I've made a big shift of my own on Substack, thinking of it as the place I hone the art of humorous, self-deprecating, and sometimes insightful personal essays, even if my growth is slow. I'm creating my own oeuvre, as you say. That word and that idea is going to stick with me, so thanks for it, and for everything!
Thank you for this, it's a good reminder as I shift to this new platform and work to get my message out there.
Sarah, I just stumbled upon your substack and first off, I wanna say as a journalist who’s trying to find her way in her second stage of life your post truly moved me. Thank you.
I appreciate this: "Make your posts remarkable—something people are moved to remark on, not content to scroll and possibly 'consume'.” Although I am new to SubStack, I send people to it to read my posts. In doing so, a podcaster read a post (with barely any likes and engagement since I a just got started here) and he invited me onto his podcast. He read my follow-up posts, too.
Indeed, well said, Sarah. I appreciate you.
Thankfully, that's been my approach all along re: Substack and all platforms. When one is ahead of societal norms, and trying to make positive changes, platforms and attitudes are not easy.
where are the subscribers?
wow I asked a simple question, and I was blocked for it
Funny, this is exactly how I approached Substack when I wrote my first post 2 years ago! I simply know that chasing algorithms makes me feel so unwell, so I choose to focus on the work (and the practice!). My number of subscribers is around 400 so obviously I’m a very very small fish. But the connections I have made here are priceless!
I am not on ‘regular’ (if i can call it that) social media…..but I am HERE. I have found friendly voices here among the not so friendly. I have found people who teach me to think in a different way: that there are a lot of wonderful voices on here that I need to listen to. I subscribe to those who can help me calm myself in the wild waters that we are living in today. And the pictures of nature are just astounding, calming, serene. Those pictures and videos of natural beings and landscapes give me hope that I can do some good in the world before my time here is done. I figure: 20 years or so is a good aim for me.
FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT, I’m here to read and support many journalists, I also wanted to write too or start writing one day and I also encouraged my dad to try this platform since he also writes a lot and he enjoys it.
It’s so refreshing to hear your perspective. Thank you. I’m desperately weary of all of the ‘hack the algorithm’ content.
Been on here for 1.5 years and have probably only grown my email list by 800 (on top of what I imported). I’m grateful for this platform and the community I’ve joined AND my engagement isn’t great. Notes barely get any traction and neither do my posts. But I’m still here!
Substack is the only place where newsletter post by an unknown writer like me can get a "like" by Warren Buffet.
Appreciate your perspective & encouragement Sarah! I am here to stay 😀
Thank you for this, Sarah. There is something comforting to me, knowing you have the pulse on what's happening in Substackland. I can count on you to deliver the reality, plus the hope.
Always!
I’m looking forward to hearing you and Mason talk this Friday!
It will be so good.
This is an important point to make. And likely why I’ve been stuck for the last six months not sure if I wanted to run or stay. Think I’ll stick around for whatever’s next. Great insights Sarah. Thanks for sharing, as always.
I've got you.
Thanks for this, Sarah! I learned so much from you over my year of paid membership and am so grateful that I had you as I was new to the whole thing. And as I've definitely appreciated these shifts on the platform, I've been wanting to know "what Sarah says about it all." In the past six months, I've made a big shift of my own on Substack, thinking of it as the place I hone the art of humorous, self-deprecating, and sometimes insightful personal essays, even if my growth is slow. I'm creating my own oeuvre, as you say. That word and that idea is going to stick with me, so thanks for it, and for everything!
Emily! I'm so glad. And we should all have oeuvres!