I put up three posts on Substack to see what they did. They got a lot more views than the same posts received on WordPress. Is there a future there? I don’t know.
The challenge I face, and many others like me, is to monetize my writing. I have one book done and privately published. I’m about a fourth of the way through a second. I need resources to revise the first book and publish it on major platforms as an eBook, audio book, and on-demand paper book. By the time I get that finished, I should be ready to repeat the process for the second book. Our pensions are presently sufficient to live, yet there is nothing extra for book publishing. I have to raise money to get my writing out there.
The model for Substack seems straightforward. Put your work up, and structure subscriptions so there is a free option, combined with tiered subscription plans that offer subscribers something extra. If I can develop a large following of paid subscribers, I might then afford publishing my two and any future books I might write. I could even publish the books on Substack as a premium benefit for paid subscribers. Details of that could be worked out.
The question is can I develop a following beyond my loyal readers? It’s an open question that’s partly answered by my other public writing… from which I receive plenty of feedback. If anything, my exodus from most social media platforms has increased the number of visitors to this website. But will they convert to Substack and pay?
WordPress offers a pay model, which I haven’t explored. I expect it was to keep up with the Jones’s at Substack. When comparing the two platforms, number of viewers trumps workable software every time. It is Substack or nothing, based on viewers, I think.
Maybe I am looking at monetization wrong. Perhaps I could figure out how much money I need for the two books and do a Go Fund Me campaign. That could work. It seems less complicated than an ongoing subscription project. I could also start streaming on Twitch or another platform that generates income. Whatever it is, I may have to add a fundraising hat to my closet to keep up.
I’d be curious to know reader reactions to this topic in the comments.
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One reply on “Should I Substack?”
Although, offering thoughts or advice on this topic is well beyond my pay grade. Would think that after all the years of cultivating a group of loyal followers/readers of your posts, those same people would be willing to shell out a couple of bucks a month in order to keep reading your stuff. Also believe a GoFundMe is an excellent idea as well. That way people know what they are donating for (like a book publishing project) for which they might feel good about having helped the cause of something and/or someone whose work they care about.
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