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Abruptly Biff's avatar

I have a cautionary tale. Post.news was very popular with its users but went belly up because their users, like me, didn't really know how they were compensated. It wasn't clear to many of us that us buying points to spread around to users we liked was how they were staying alive.

I know that turning on paid subscriptions will put my Substack into a different algorithm - one that promotes my posts, instead of burying them. And I know that Substack relies on their 10% commission to make money, but the only reason I know that is because when I researched Stripe and the tax implications of receiving income from this source so that I could turn on paid subscriptions for the sole purpose of getting better exposure through their algorithms, their commission was stated up front.

As an aside, like the person who Creates on McKinley Road, I tend to get angry when I get a teaser of a post that I can't finish because I am not a paid subscriber. And how dare you not let me comment on your piece for the same reason? My response is to unsubscribe - and that's really not a good thing for Substack. And while I love the musings of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I am not paying a multi-millionaire a dime just so I can see what I assume are more cute videos and funny memes beneath his paywall.

I am retired and never was a Product Manager, or heaven forbid, a Project Manager - most of whom I loathed in my career, but there has to be some way for the Substack folks to hear from us lowly users.

Regular users like me are in fact, their sales pipeline. Their future. There has got to be a better way to get us to throw money their way than the current system, but again, this isn't my field.

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McKinleyRd Creatives's avatar

as much as i enjoy and need some peoples writing or wisdom, and as much as agree work is worth payment, i am getting over the constant bleeting by some about subscribing.....so i appreciate the post mate. a couple of things i notice and think for myself...if you are on substack you are a reader........so logically, in todays world of rising cost and me a pensioner etc....how many can I fully subscribe to even if for a coffee cost per month.....and even if I wasnt a pensioner, how many????

And yes I have been honestly drawn into oissues I care about and end up after the teaser, the good oil being behind a paywall or upgrade............I have noticed words and attitudes like fuck you then being in my head or on my lips......and I delete hit delete...and that writer slides down my respect and estimation hierachy. I will never be writing for paid.....and I do some interesting shite, but I am here for the brushstroke on existence, not to have anyone pay for me being me.......and that dont reflect a low sense or worth.....its about how I want the world to be. So a good write, a good stir, and yeah...its all aboot the money. Course I like money, but liking myself is more important. I want to change the world and be connected with changemakers......not peeps who want my meagre change/ buckeroos.

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