The Central Theme
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Substack based on three years of experience, publishing 160 issues, and building a community of 24,000 subscribers. It serves as a guide for both consuming high-quality content and building an independent publishing platform, highlighting the shift away from algorithm-driven media toward authentic, human-centric writing.
For Readers: Authenticity and Focus
- Distraction-Free Experience: Substack offers a clean reading environment free from aggressive ads, video pop-ups, and clickbait, reminiscent of the internet before the dominance of social media algorithms.
- Authenticity: Content is primarily created by individuals rather than corporations, offering unique, deep, and personal perspectives that AI cannot replicate.
- How to Consume: The author strongly recommends reading via email for direct access. The mobile app is discouraged as it often disables email delivery and introduces unwanted notifications.
- Discovery: Finding good content is best done through creator recommendations (the network effect) rather than the platform’s "Explore" tab, which relies on popularity algorithms.
For Creators: Independence and Strategy
- Newsletter First, Blog Second: The platform’s primary value is direct access to an audience via email, bypassing social media gatekeepers. It also serves as an online archive for new visitors.
- Cost Efficiency: Substack is free for hosting and emailing (saving significant costs compared to tools like MailerLite). Costs only incur upon monetization (approx. 14% total fees on paid subscriptions).
- Strategic Independence: Owning the mailing list protects creators from platform changes. The author suggests offering exclusive "silent zone" content to email subscribers to encourage sign-ups.
- The Social Media Conflict: Major platforms (especially Twitter/X and LinkedIn) actively suppress Substack links to keep users on their sites. While this limits reach, it also acts as a quality filter against low-effort AI content.
Key Takeaways
Substack represents a return to independent publishing where the creator owns the relationship with the audience. While it lacks strong support for non-English languages and faces hostility from social media giants, it remains the premier choice for writers seeking to build a loyal community without upfront costs. The ultimate advice is to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start publishing immediately.
Mentoring question
Are you using the need for more information or the ‘perfect moment’ as an excuse to delay your creative work, and what is one small action you could take today to start building your own audience?
Source: https://52notatki.substack.com/p/substack-wszystko-co-potrzebujesz