i have always enjoyed your writing. Thank you! I found substack as a source for good journalism when most were just mineographing the top stories, and propaganda, or worse making their own. I am retired and couldn't come close to paid subscriptions for all that interest me. Most of the writers that give introductions and hide behind paywalls I insubscribe. From the introduction of notes and promotions by substack, there is just a lot to read. Perhaps readership metrics are not the value you are seeking.
I will continue reading you because I like most of your writings. I don’t read anyone because they are popular. Most times I skip your musical articles because we don’t have the same taste in music. Simple as that Geoff! I put myself in at four hours reading Substack a while back and found that is all I need. And cut back on my subscriptions because of all the repetitive articles. Yours get read so I hope you continue on Substack.
I never paid much attention to the paid thing because I came here just to find an outlet beyond advertising copy. I, too, will always remain free to read, and the fact I have paying subscribers is amazing to me. I just want to learn.
I LOVE what you write-I may not get to it immediately, but I always read you and enjoy it. Did I read somewhere they are in talks with the Washington Post? Dear God, NO!!
I cant possibly afford to be a paying subscriber to all the writers I enjoy. But I'll follow you wherever you decide to go!
The talks with WaPo is to provide Substack with some “exclusive” OpEd and opinion writers access to Substack.
If you haven’t noticed the Post has lost most of the talent that I was there to read who have either gone to other outlets (Alexandra Petri is now at The Atlantic), or here.
The Post is also giving the 8 remaining subscribers 3 free subs to give away, not the actions of a healthy business…
I follow Craig Calcaterra who writes Cup of Coffee. He left Substack for Ghost and it seems to work for him. He wrote an article explaining his reasons for leaving Substack. You seem to echo some of the concerns he expressed. Pretty sure this isn’t answering the question you posed but wanted to share.
I took my professional newsletter around Product Management to Ghost, mainly because I didn't want my business side to be side by side with out and proud Nazis (early 2023 it was a huge blow up, handled poorly by Substack leadership). It is a lot harder to grow your audience on Ghost though.
Hey Geoff, I don't want to not read your stuff any more, I would miss you, but you need to do what you can to survive, mate. Go Paid but do the odd freebie for us that can't afford multiple subscriptions? Notes is also having a bit of a hiccup. We had the double posting a few weeks ago, and now it seems to be hiding those regular subscriptions in favour of new sign ups. Which is good but I miss posts from people like yourself?
Turn them on and adjust the treble and the bass so you get the mix you want. I understand and agree with the goal and merits of keeping your substack free but I also would like to see you reach a wider audience.
OK, so I don't have a whole load of dosh but as I told you when I first subscribed, I would gladly pay you next Tuesday for a Sweaty Stack today! Wait. That isn't what I said. I said I'll pay ya if'n it's the last thing I... hmm. That wasn't it either.
I think I may have just turned my pockets out and done a poorly executed Charlie Chaplin kind of thing? But now that I thought about it some, I think I may just have had gas. Maybe ate some bad meat.
Geoff, do what’s best for you, I appreciate the fact that I can read your posts and not be a paying member…but if that is what it takes to get more out of Substack, then heck turn that subscriber pay button on…please don’t leave Substack ❤️
I may have not been clear. Should I decide to turn on paid subs, all my content and commenting will still be free. I really don't need the money, and in fact it would likely add a level of complexity to my tax preparation.
I haven’t voted because I don’t know what to tell you. I have 700+ subscribers but it’s not because I write pithy articles. I’ve done maybe 5 and the most popular has 64 likes. My notes get much more traction and I’m free so I think that’s why people subscribe.
I have no reason to monetize, but I won’t judge anyone who does. However, I have a limited amount of money to spend and as it is, I’ve unsubscribed from a few so I can give to others I like. I can’t afford to subsidize everyone who’s writing I enjoy.
It's possible that some of the decline is because it's vacation season for a lot of people.
Maybe it'll help you find an answer if you consider a few questions: What is your purpose here? What do you want to get out of writing this Substack? Why are your metrics important to you?
I am a product manager. It is in my genes to look at metrics and at trends.
Plus it bugs me that they are playing games.
I am here for fun, as an outlet, and because there are a lot of great people who engage. I would like to have more people read what I write.
I did spend more than a decade writing for a niche field (product management, duh) and that whole community is now just listicles and AI generated slop.
Here it is fun. I write about whatever tickles my fancy. Music, technology, politics, and shitty people. They used to drive more traffic and interest as well as some great discussions.
That said, I might just let sleeping dogs lie, and continue as is.
Thanks for replying publicly, Geoff; I should have made it clear I wasn't expecting you to do that.
As a fellow data nerd, I understand completely! When I first started poking around in the metrics of my little Substack, I noticed that the implicit push to "improve" them led me to do things I now regret; worse, it decreased my happiness. Neither of those things was an improvement for me, so with rare exceptions, I don't look at my metrics any more.
As to the playing games, I can affirm that. Yesterday was my 'Stack's second birthday, so I've looked at my subscriber numbers maybe daily for a little over a week in advance. At one point, it was barely over 200 subscribers; yesterday it was under, but the graph display doesn't show the previous peak. Previous decreases are shown, but not any over the past ten days. Why?
I don't know and I don't care. Like you, I'm here for fun and community; but my focus is much more niche than yours, so I never expected to have as many people reading as I do. Keep doing what you're doing in the way that brings you the most fulfillment.
Yesterday's post really struck a chord (pun intended) with several readers. I didn't remember until talking about it with a friend yesterday evening that I was a Triumph fan long before I discovered Rush. I have no recollection of hearing any Rush songs prior to my brother playing "Closer to the Heart" for me as a possible song at my 1982 wedding reception.
I have found so many delightful, thoughtful, interesting, flavorful, instructional, hopeful, cultural….. do you get my drift? I receive over 200 emails a day asking for political donations, save wildlife, save children, save the environment, etc. But the majority are Substacks notifications. I cannot read them all daily. Now there are prints, videos, and meetings on this site. My point is, I love reading your stack, but some days I am so overwhelmed I cannot read anything. I just hit delete and start fresh the next day. I actually am considering opening a new email just for this app. - umm - I do not like the app, by the way. It is not always easy to move from my email notifications to the stack to like and/or comment. Some days I feel like this site has gone nuclear. So many wonderful writers, so little time! I hope you can come to terms with what you need to do and that you do not take it personally that you have hit a growth plateau. Know you have a loyal following who appreciate the time you spend with us and the pieces you share, rants and raves alike! 🫶 Keep on keepin’ on.
This place is a refuge but I fear that people like me, the ones who struggle and live in silent desperation financially, will eventually be shut out completely. I understand the conflict writers live with but these are fucking scary times. It's hard for us all.
Exactly the same here. I read - and now I don’t know where - that drumpf is very upset about Substack and has it in his crosshairs. Not sure the collective “we” (you, Morgan, and my husband and I in the same situation, will have the benefit of being on the receiving end of all this information for much longer. I do have many free subscriptions, and the other factor for me is that lately there is much more sent to me on any given day than I can possibly read. Nothing stays the same, but I appreciate the work of this author, Geoff Anderson.
I pay for probably 30 subs, and a handful of people I am at the Founder level for (because I want to support them more, and I can afford it).
I subscribe to nearly 90 stacks, and I agree with you, this is more than I can read every day. But I do cherry pick, and make sure I see what I care about.
The algorithm feels out of control, so much stuff shows up on my feed, it's like an echo chamber. Most of it I ignore and stick with the writers I like. At this point there are days I read jeff tiedrich, Andy Borowitz, HCR and Joyce Vance.
There are a couple of poets I like and storytellers but it all feels so overwhelming. I can skim through Notes and that's mostly ok, but I'm exhausted and stressed out.
I like Geoff too. I really like people who swear.
Jojo from jersey is good for pissed off outrage but even that doesn't get finished some days.
But the "previewed " articles are annoying...
Thanks for sharing, life sucks in so many ways. We all need some support. Thank you.
It really is exhausting. I started with HCR and Nick Anderson. Then slowly added. Robert Hubbel, Joyce, The Sweary History guy, Dan Rather, Sweatyspice and more. It’s now much more than I can take in. But I’m also very thankful to have all this information available. Where else would we find it?
Some parts of life do suck … I try to embrace the not so sucky parts … Hope you can, as well.
First, please keep writing, I enjoy reading your posts. Next, I think the increasing pressure on monetization simply reflects and stage capitalism or virtually no management is going to forever ignore the potential for greater income. Lastly, I think that Substack will reach a saturation level for paid subscriptions. I know for myself I’m having to pare back what I have because I can’t afford it. I suspect eventually, the Substack market will saturate which will likely have the unfortunate side effect of a few people having a good paid subscription volume. leaving the others competing for a much smaller slice of the pie. Honestly, there are a fixed number of subscribers and a fixed amount of money. These individuals have to purchase paid subscriptions. I suppose it’s one thing if you’re a professional pundit and you can write it off on your taxes. Unfortunately, most of us can’t.
I voted yes, because duh just follow the money wherever it takes you, but I’d also note that Substack is basically built to reward daily publishers the most, not tridaily or more.
No shade intended, it’s just their system. When I read your line on “every three days”, that’s when it clicked for me. The biggest hitters publish daily.
My experience was different. For a couple of months I posted something every day, and I got a lot of people unsubscribing telling me that I was burying them in emails.
I still think that the paid/unpaid is the fuck-you knob they turn.
I finally had to turn on paid comments because I desperately need the money (thanks to The Divorce That Never Ends!), but I'm only charging $5/mo., or $50/yr.
I'm also providing a blend of free and paid posts, which you might consider as well....
Why are you against being paid for your work? Do you have family money to fall back on? Because I don’t. The paltry pay I get here keeps me alive.
I make a comfortable living. The reality is a few thousand bucks here will foul up my tax planning.
I do this to blow off steam, and because I like it. 😁
i have always enjoyed your writing. Thank you! I found substack as a source for good journalism when most were just mineographing the top stories, and propaganda, or worse making their own. I am retired and couldn't come close to paid subscriptions for all that interest me. Most of the writers that give introductions and hide behind paywalls I insubscribe. From the introduction of notes and promotions by substack, there is just a lot to read. Perhaps readership metrics are not the value you are seeking.
I will continue reading you because I like most of your writings. I don’t read anyone because they are popular. Most times I skip your musical articles because we don’t have the same taste in music. Simple as that Geoff! I put myself in at four hours reading Substack a while back and found that is all I need. And cut back on my subscriptions because of all the repetitive articles. Yours get read so I hope you continue on Substack.
I will be here reading you no matter what. I learn stuff and you tell the truth. Sorry you have to eff with stupid hoops. <3
I will keep reading.
I never paid much attention to the paid thing because I came here just to find an outlet beyond advertising copy. I, too, will always remain free to read, and the fact I have paying subscribers is amazing to me. I just want to learn.
I LOVE what you write-I may not get to it immediately, but I always read you and enjoy it. Did I read somewhere they are in talks with the Washington Post? Dear God, NO!!
I cant possibly afford to be a paying subscriber to all the writers I enjoy. But I'll follow you wherever you decide to go!
The talks with WaPo is to provide Substack with some “exclusive” OpEd and opinion writers access to Substack.
If you haven’t noticed the Post has lost most of the talent that I was there to read who have either gone to other outlets (Alexandra Petri is now at The Atlantic), or here.
The Post is also giving the 8 remaining subscribers 3 free subs to give away, not the actions of a healthy business…
I gave WaPo up...and I don't think Ive missed a thing.
I follow Craig Calcaterra who writes Cup of Coffee. He left Substack for Ghost and it seems to work for him. He wrote an article explaining his reasons for leaving Substack. You seem to echo some of the concerns he expressed. Pretty sure this isn’t answering the question you posed but wanted to share.
I took my professional newsletter around Product Management to Ghost, mainly because I didn't want my business side to be side by side with out and proud Nazis (early 2023 it was a huge blow up, handled poorly by Substack leadership). It is a lot harder to grow your audience on Ghost though.
Notes really helps expand reach.
Geoff, send me a rant once a week and I'll pay you
Hey Geoff, I don't want to not read your stuff any more, I would miss you, but you need to do what you can to survive, mate. Go Paid but do the odd freebie for us that can't afford multiple subscriptions? Notes is also having a bit of a hiccup. We had the double posting a few weeks ago, and now it seems to be hiding those regular subscriptions in favour of new sign ups. Which is good but I miss posts from people like yourself?
I think you misread my intentions. I would turn on paid subs, but 100% of my content will be free forever, as well as comments.
It is just that Substack is trying to force the issues.
Well in that case, no harm, no foul - go for it :o)
Hey Geoff,
Turn them on and adjust the treble and the bass so you get the mix you want. I understand and agree with the goal and merits of keeping your substack free but I also would like to see you reach a wider audience.
OK, so I don't have a whole load of dosh but as I told you when I first subscribed, I would gladly pay you next Tuesday for a Sweaty Stack today! Wait. That isn't what I said. I said I'll pay ya if'n it's the last thing I... hmm. That wasn't it either.
I think I may have just turned my pockets out and done a poorly executed Charlie Chaplin kind of thing? But now that I thought about it some, I think I may just have had gas. Maybe ate some bad meat.
Geoff, do what’s best for you, I appreciate the fact that I can read your posts and not be a paying member…but if that is what it takes to get more out of Substack, then heck turn that subscriber pay button on…please don’t leave Substack ❤️
I may have not been clear. Should I decide to turn on paid subs, all my content and commenting will still be free. I really don't need the money, and in fact it would likely add a level of complexity to my tax preparation.
I haven’t voted because I don’t know what to tell you. I have 700+ subscribers but it’s not because I write pithy articles. I’ve done maybe 5 and the most popular has 64 likes. My notes get much more traction and I’m free so I think that’s why people subscribe.
I have no reason to monetize, but I won’t judge anyone who does. However, I have a limited amount of money to spend and as it is, I’ve unsubscribed from a few so I can give to others I like. I can’t afford to subsidize everyone who’s writing I enjoy.
I like your notes, Kay....
Every day.
Thanks Morgan!
I have no reason to monetize either, I do make a quite comfortable living. It just bugs the fuck out of me that they are trying to force the issue.
Agreed. I’m just going to continue on. Not to be a kiss ass, but I’ll subscribe to you either way. To me, you’re quality writing.
Stahp, I’m blushing ☺️
Lol, calls ‘em as I see ‘em
It's possible that some of the decline is because it's vacation season for a lot of people.
Maybe it'll help you find an answer if you consider a few questions: What is your purpose here? What do you want to get out of writing this Substack? Why are your metrics important to you?
I am a product manager. It is in my genes to look at metrics and at trends.
Plus it bugs me that they are playing games.
I am here for fun, as an outlet, and because there are a lot of great people who engage. I would like to have more people read what I write.
I did spend more than a decade writing for a niche field (product management, duh) and that whole community is now just listicles and AI generated slop.
Here it is fun. I write about whatever tickles my fancy. Music, technology, politics, and shitty people. They used to drive more traffic and interest as well as some great discussions.
That said, I might just let sleeping dogs lie, and continue as is.
Thanks for replying publicly, Geoff; I should have made it clear I wasn't expecting you to do that.
As a fellow data nerd, I understand completely! When I first started poking around in the metrics of my little Substack, I noticed that the implicit push to "improve" them led me to do things I now regret; worse, it decreased my happiness. Neither of those things was an improvement for me, so with rare exceptions, I don't look at my metrics any more.
As to the playing games, I can affirm that. Yesterday was my 'Stack's second birthday, so I've looked at my subscriber numbers maybe daily for a little over a week in advance. At one point, it was barely over 200 subscribers; yesterday it was under, but the graph display doesn't show the previous peak. Previous decreases are shown, but not any over the past ten days. Why?
I don't know and I don't care. Like you, I'm here for fun and community; but my focus is much more niche than yours, so I never expected to have as many people reading as I do. Keep doing what you're doing in the way that brings you the most fulfillment.
No, you asked valid questions, and there were cogent answers besides my ego :-)
I do do it for fun, but also it is cathartic, and having people weigh in, and espouse their desire to read more is refreshing.
So often I read the news and am either enraged, or depressed, and typing helps me work through those emotions.
I loved the “Magic Power” post. That was the first Triumph album I bought, and it is one of my favorite songs from that disc.
Thanks, Geoff.
Yesterday's post really struck a chord (pun intended) with several readers. I didn't remember until talking about it with a friend yesterday evening that I was a Triumph fan long before I discovered Rush. I have no recollection of hearing any Rush songs prior to my brother playing "Closer to the Heart" for me as a possible song at my 1982 wedding reception.
I have found so many delightful, thoughtful, interesting, flavorful, instructional, hopeful, cultural….. do you get my drift? I receive over 200 emails a day asking for political donations, save wildlife, save children, save the environment, etc. But the majority are Substacks notifications. I cannot read them all daily. Now there are prints, videos, and meetings on this site. My point is, I love reading your stack, but some days I am so overwhelmed I cannot read anything. I just hit delete and start fresh the next day. I actually am considering opening a new email just for this app. - umm - I do not like the app, by the way. It is not always easy to move from my email notifications to the stack to like and/or comment. Some days I feel like this site has gone nuclear. So many wonderful writers, so little time! I hope you can come to terms with what you need to do and that you do not take it personally that you have hit a growth plateau. Know you have a loyal following who appreciate the time you spend with us and the pieces you share, rants and raves alike! 🫶 Keep on keepin’ on.
Man, I have the best readers!
Do what you need to do.
This place is a refuge but I fear that people like me, the ones who struggle and live in silent desperation financially, will eventually be shut out completely. I understand the conflict writers live with but these are fucking scary times. It's hard for us all.
If substack becomes like fb, we're fucked.
I'm too old for this... but I'm still here.
Exactly the same here. I read - and now I don’t know where - that drumpf is very upset about Substack and has it in his crosshairs. Not sure the collective “we” (you, Morgan, and my husband and I in the same situation, will have the benefit of being on the receiving end of all this information for much longer. I do have many free subscriptions, and the other factor for me is that lately there is much more sent to me on any given day than I can possibly read. Nothing stays the same, but I appreciate the work of this author, Geoff Anderson.
I pay for probably 30 subs, and a handful of people I am at the Founder level for (because I want to support them more, and I can afford it).
I subscribe to nearly 90 stacks, and I agree with you, this is more than I can read every day. But I do cherry pick, and make sure I see what I care about.
Thanks for the comment! I have the best readers.
The algorithm feels out of control, so much stuff shows up on my feed, it's like an echo chamber. Most of it I ignore and stick with the writers I like. At this point there are days I read jeff tiedrich, Andy Borowitz, HCR and Joyce Vance.
There are a couple of poets I like and storytellers but it all feels so overwhelming. I can skim through Notes and that's mostly ok, but I'm exhausted and stressed out.
I like Geoff too. I really like people who swear.
Jojo from jersey is good for pissed off outrage but even that doesn't get finished some days.
But the "previewed " articles are annoying...
Thanks for sharing, life sucks in so many ways. We all need some support. Thank you.
I am with you on the “preview” BS. That shit drives me nuts, and I almost immediately unsub when that happens.
Look, I get it, people are here to make a living, but that is the worst of both worlds.
It really is exhausting. I started with HCR and Nick Anderson. Then slowly added. Robert Hubbel, Joyce, The Sweary History guy, Dan Rather, Sweatyspice and more. It’s now much more than I can take in. But I’m also very thankful to have all this information available. Where else would we find it?
Some parts of life do suck … I try to embrace the not so sucky parts … Hope you can, as well.
Oh, 100% of what I write will be free.
I make a quite good living, so any money I make here will likely just mess up my taxes
First, please keep writing, I enjoy reading your posts. Next, I think the increasing pressure on monetization simply reflects and stage capitalism or virtually no management is going to forever ignore the potential for greater income. Lastly, I think that Substack will reach a saturation level for paid subscriptions. I know for myself I’m having to pare back what I have because I can’t afford it. I suspect eventually, the Substack market will saturate which will likely have the unfortunate side effect of a few people having a good paid subscription volume. leaving the others competing for a much smaller slice of the pie. Honestly, there are a fixed number of subscribers and a fixed amount of money. These individuals have to purchase paid subscriptions. I suppose it’s one thing if you’re a professional pundit and you can write it off on your taxes. Unfortunately, most of us can’t.
Spot on. The model is a struggle with all the stacks begging for money.
I hate when I subscribe, and the first email from the author is the “Choose a Subscription Level” come-on.
FFS, let me read it for a couple of weeks to determine if I want to upgrade to paid.
I voted yes, because duh just follow the money wherever it takes you, but I’d also note that Substack is basically built to reward daily publishers the most, not tridaily or more.
No shade intended, it’s just their system. When I read your line on “every three days”, that’s when it clicked for me. The biggest hitters publish daily.
My experience was different. For a couple of months I posted something every day, and I got a lot of people unsubscribing telling me that I was burying them in emails.
I still think that the paid/unpaid is the fuck-you knob they turn.
You’re not the first one to notice, that’s for sure. I don’t think it’s remotely new though, IIRC.
Oh, please, don’t take Substack from us… 😩
I finally had to turn on paid comments because I desperately need the money (thanks to The Divorce That Never Ends!), but I'm only charging $5/mo., or $50/yr.
I'm also providing a blend of free and paid posts, which you might consider as well....