There are some great insights here - thank you so much - and an awful lot to process.
The sections about cadence and breaks are especially interesting and the information about the process of conversion of a free reader to a paid one. Definitely a lot to dig into.
So many great insights here Amanda, appreciate it! As I think about how to convert more free to paid subscribers, I can see that I need to think about consistency (to what I am already offering), authenticity (more of me in a thoughtful engaging way) and balance (what can I reasonably offer while maintaining my overall health & enjoyment as a writer on Substack. Will be musing over this with a spirit of curiosity & experimentation.
So much here to think about, Amanda. Thank you once again! I'm not sure I'll be rushing into action, but this nudges me to think about my most popular posts and how to swerve gently in that direction, at least a little more. Your questions are too hard to answer now, but too good for me not to try to think through.
Especially the “what do you expect as a paid subscriber”! As a reader atm who is considering writing here, I’m curious about this too. And I’m wondering what is represented by ‘Other’ on the poll. Do you know?
I’m often frustrated by publications that make their comments for paying subscribers only though. I can count many times I’ve clicked a piece I loved and wanted to jump into commenting on (free, not paid,) to leave the author a note of thanks, only to discover the comments on that free article are for “the community.”
The impact for me is usually a bit of frustration, and feeling like I’m not a part of that community, not really. That my readership might be welcome and valued, but my voice doesn’t have a space to be shared or to connect with others unless I’m willing to pay for it. (And with so many publications at £5+, I can’t keep up with that.)
Sometimes I hit reply and send the author a private response, but I don’t always feel like I want to do that. And admittedly I think my own stories get in the way. Plus I want to be a part of the group conversation and read what others are saying. Some of the best connections for me have taken place in the comments of various Substacks; I’ve even met people in-person from Substack Notes and comments now!
Whilst I get the boundary, and I imagine it might be creating more privacy for replies from readers, it doesn’t make me want to pay any more than I might have wanted to already and doesn’t change that I might not be in a position right now to pay. And if I can’t pay atm, it does frustrate me. And there’s several amazing Substacks that I’d love a paid subscription for.
Mini vent! :)
One of the parts of Substack I’ve loved is seeing how people respond when authors take breaks. There’s usually this out-pouring of understanding, acceptance, compassion and support. “Take your break,” people seem to say, “We’ll be here when you get back.” It reminds me of the positivity I remember from the old LJ blogging days, when we followed people for them, and their words and thoughts, and really felt like we were being human with other humans. And I’ve seen writers add this context to their About page too, which I love too.
I just wanted to jump in and agree with so much of what you said but especially around the commenting aspect. As someone who does have a Substack and puts some content behind the paywall I appreciate that it's a difficult balance to strike.
But with my 'voracious reader' hat on I totally agree and it's something I try hard to bear in mind when I'm setting up my own content for paid members.
I always restack with a note in this situation. My substack subscriptions are getting high because I hate feeling left out of conversations but I agree it’s very frustrating especially if I don’t know I’m going to be locked out.
“If you’re afraid to bring your full self to your newsletter, let this be a nudge to consider what’s possible if you do it anyway.” This encouragement resonated with me today. My best contributions so far have been the ones in which I’m bringing my full self. And I’ve been holding back recently. I decided this morning to publish some vulnerable pieces over the next 3 weeks. I’m both nervous and excited about the opportunity for connection.
On a practical note, I’m going to stick with once a week based on your survey results and I’ve been trying to create shorter pieces. It’s helpful for me to have specific, practical guardrails like this. It creates a container in which I can lean into bringing more of my full self. Thank you!
There are some great insights here - thank you so much - and an awful lot to process.
The sections about cadence and breaks are especially interesting and the information about the process of conversion of a free reader to a paid one. Definitely a lot to dig into.
So many great insights here Amanda, appreciate it! As I think about how to convert more free to paid subscribers, I can see that I need to think about consistency (to what I am already offering), authenticity (more of me in a thoughtful engaging way) and balance (what can I reasonably offer while maintaining my overall health & enjoyment as a writer on Substack. Will be musing over this with a spirit of curiosity & experimentation.
So much here to think about, Amanda. Thank you once again! I'm not sure I'll be rushing into action, but this nudges me to think about my most popular posts and how to swerve gently in that direction, at least a little more. Your questions are too hard to answer now, but too good for me not to try to think through.
This is quite fascinating to go through!
Especially the “what do you expect as a paid subscriber”! As a reader atm who is considering writing here, I’m curious about this too. And I’m wondering what is represented by ‘Other’ on the poll. Do you know?
I’m often frustrated by publications that make their comments for paying subscribers only though. I can count many times I’ve clicked a piece I loved and wanted to jump into commenting on (free, not paid,) to leave the author a note of thanks, only to discover the comments on that free article are for “the community.”
The impact for me is usually a bit of frustration, and feeling like I’m not a part of that community, not really. That my readership might be welcome and valued, but my voice doesn’t have a space to be shared or to connect with others unless I’m willing to pay for it. (And with so many publications at £5+, I can’t keep up with that.)
Sometimes I hit reply and send the author a private response, but I don’t always feel like I want to do that. And admittedly I think my own stories get in the way. Plus I want to be a part of the group conversation and read what others are saying. Some of the best connections for me have taken place in the comments of various Substacks; I’ve even met people in-person from Substack Notes and comments now!
Whilst I get the boundary, and I imagine it might be creating more privacy for replies from readers, it doesn’t make me want to pay any more than I might have wanted to already and doesn’t change that I might not be in a position right now to pay. And if I can’t pay atm, it does frustrate me. And there’s several amazing Substacks that I’d love a paid subscription for.
Mini vent! :)
One of the parts of Substack I’ve loved is seeing how people respond when authors take breaks. There’s usually this out-pouring of understanding, acceptance, compassion and support. “Take your break,” people seem to say, “We’ll be here when you get back.” It reminds me of the positivity I remember from the old LJ blogging days, when we followed people for them, and their words and thoughts, and really felt like we were being human with other humans. And I’ve seen writers add this context to their About page too, which I love too.
I just wanted to jump in and agree with so much of what you said but especially around the commenting aspect. As someone who does have a Substack and puts some content behind the paywall I appreciate that it's a difficult balance to strike.
But with my 'voracious reader' hat on I totally agree and it's something I try hard to bear in mind when I'm setting up my own content for paid members.
I always restack with a note in this situation. My substack subscriptions are getting high because I hate feeling left out of conversations but I agree it’s very frustrating especially if I don’t know I’m going to be locked out.
“If you’re afraid to bring your full self to your newsletter, let this be a nudge to consider what’s possible if you do it anyway.” This encouragement resonated with me today. My best contributions so far have been the ones in which I’m bringing my full self. And I’ve been holding back recently. I decided this morning to publish some vulnerable pieces over the next 3 weeks. I’m both nervous and excited about the opportunity for connection.
On a practical note, I’m going to stick with once a week based on your survey results and I’ve been trying to create shorter pieces. It’s helpful for me to have specific, practical guardrails like this. It creates a container in which I can lean into bringing more of my full self. Thank you!