What I've learned in 12 weeks on Substack

Reflections and some housekeeping

This is my 12th week writing on Substack. The more I write, the more I learn, about the culture of Substacking, about myself and my own writing blocks, what day of the week works best for writing (for me), and most importantly - reminding myself about the cardinal rule: write for yourself and not to gain subscribers.

Obviously, every writer wants to be read. In my wildest dreams, I have earned enough subscribers that this is my only job, but that puts a lot of pressure on the creative.

I can’t write with the reader in mind. The writing has to come from my most earnest, wildest and free place, or else it will read hollow and contrite.

This week, I’ve invested a lot of time on research. I want to learn how to embed compelling video content and make cool audio recordings in this space. I want to have awesome audio that accompanies these written offerings. I listened to the AI-voiced version that some of you are listening to and it is NOT ok. I recognize I need to step into the multi-media opportunities being offered in this space and produce more than just written stories. I’m learning how to do that.

When I am reading

House Inhabit

aka Jessica Reed Kraus, arguably one of the top Substackers in this space with 290,000 paid subscribers (or so says this WSJ article), I am in awe of the LOOK of her articles…so polished and glossy, like you’re reading her personal magazine. She is focused on politics in this election year, but she has left the door wide open to talk about whatever subject takes her fancy, from small town murders to royal palace intrigue. I admire her genuine ability to not give one ounce of head space to her haters and to vehemently defend free speech and citizen journalism. She is also relentless on her Instagram stories, driving readers to her articles in droves. She is effective at using visual tools to share her writing in a compelling way. Instagram stories is a world I know, but I don’t always have compelling content daily. House inhabit rarely uses Notes, the “chat” program offered here in the Substack app.

This past week, one of my favourite writers

Margaret Atwood

suddenly popped into Notes, explaining that she was going to be more active on Substack, earnestly writing about writing, her obsession with history, politics, democracy, Ontario’s greenbelt, and whatever peaks her fancy, casually mentioning that she doesn’t “need the money” from her paid subscribers on here, so she is going to donate any proceeds to protect birds on Pelee Island…or protect birds in Lake Erie…Er, …she’s going to donate it to an organization that protects birds. (I can’t find the Note where she mentioned it, but it’s sweet, an homage to her now-past husband and their passion for bird watching.)

“Notes” is the the feature of Substack I am learning the MOST about. I thought (mistakenly) that it was a feed where you could promote your own writings, but this is NOT the purpose of Notes. To promote your own work in Notes is considered vulgar and desperate. Notes is the Substack feature where the community gathers to chat. They talk about writing - the pain, the glory, and everything in between - and they also share a lot of memes. Personal photos, too. There seems to be a deep disdain of other social media platforms (never utter the word “META”), and I’m ok with that, but it does add a second layer of “performance” in this space. Now I’m tasked with coming up with witty short phrases that other Writers will find humorous or connection to, who will then share and re-share and then hopefully, maybe, like me enough to subscribe. I’m still finding my way in that space…

Perhaps my greatest take-away from 12 weeks of writing is realizing what I’m offering here is shifting and will continue to shift. I have pigeon holed myself too much in offering only travel stories and locational astrology, and so I’m going to throw wide the gates and write about anything and everything that peaks my curiosity. It’s far more interesting to me and inevitably will produce better content for you.

Another point of housekeeping — these newsletters are going to come out on Sundays now. I find myself needing the Sunday morning writing vibe to hit publish. However, I’m not going to pigeon hole myself again. If a Stack is written and feels timely and ready to go, I will hit send, regardless of the day. My determination is one newsletter per week.

I think in the beginning I created a lot of rules to make myself share and hold myself accountable, to grow the necessary muscle and will of writing and publishing a weekly newsletter, but now I can feel that muscle flex, and I am excited to broaden the depth and scope of topics covered here. Travel stories were my security blanket, but now I know I can and will do more.

Oh.. and quickly…I’m also abandoning writing Astrology Reports…for now. I was totally over-whelmed by the interest and could barely keep up with the deadlines. I completed ten reports in two months and I’m happy with that. If you are really, really eager to get an Astrology Report from me, reach out and I will do my best to accommodate, but I realize they simply take too long and don’t provide a high enough financial return. I’ll still be writing about Astrology topics and Astrocartography lines as they pop up, but I’m not going to push it. It is an organic evolution of my own passion and interest in the planets and stars and how they inform our lives.

Last, I want to recommend a few great Stacks that are helping me learn about this space and hone my dream of offering more.

Poetic Outlaws

delivers poetry in your inbox that is inspirational, simple and light.

Slowdown Farmstead

is a beautifully written newsletter about the trials and tribulations of regenerative farming, ancestral food, traditional homesteading and the natural world. Lots of great audio and video starting to pop up there, too.

Josephine Porter Institute - Applied Biodynamics

is my own personal obsession. This newsletter may not be for everyone, but I love it. Thick, meaty academic reads written by the indomitable Stewart Lundy about the practice and history of the biodynamic movement and its place in the modern world. Stewart Lundy is a profound leader in the global movement towards biodynamics.

And last but not least,

David McIlroy

who pens “How to Write for a Living”, an incredible writer whose articles look glossy and professional. I’ve spent a lot of time combing through his work for guidance on Substack SEO and multi-media integration. He’s also excellent at utilizing the “Paid Subscriber” button. He always leaves me wanting more.

I’m still dreaming up ways to entice the Paid Subscriber.

For now, delivering a newsletter that is worth a $5 investment per month is as simple as writing good content.

I’m here for it, Substack. You’ve converted me from a film & tv research/writer nerd into a newsletter writer, and for the past 12 week journey, I am incredibly grateful.

Til next week…

Kate