I hear you, I don't disagree BUT.....I also think that if we are asking/hoping people will pay to read our Substacks, we should pay that forward in some way. Not everyone or everything of course, but I pay for about 10 because I want to really encourage and support the work being done and if I want people to subscribe to my writing, I need to reciprocate that. Happy for that to have boundaries - so like I said, I don't disagree. I am ALL for being offline! But I think it's important to find a balance. :)
Oh for sure and for context I’ve been paying and reading and being part of memberships for two years and have over 15 gifted paid subs due to my work here. I still pay for at least 5. It’s a temporary pause until I catch up and re prioritise. Glad you are finding your flow with it here Kass - you sound beautifully generous! ✨✨✨
Of course, I am all about healthy boundaries and truthfully, if I could afford it, I would pay to subscribe to much more and not worry if I didn't read it all, just to support great independent writing (and in my case, mostly female writers). But there are limitations on all our resources, right? Financial, time, energy - they all have limits and I love that you are exercising yours while still supporting those you have capacity for.
I have no paid subscribers and about 30 free ones. I trust that one day my work will be worthy of paid subscriptions. Until then, I am paying for those that mean most to me (and I try to avoid "famous" writers as most of them are managing just fine without my monthly contribution!) to encourage others and I know one day people will invest the same way in me. It's kind of what I like about this platform!
Love that for you. It’s a beautiful time to be online that’s for sure. I’m so happy Substack exists and we can support those whose work we resonate with. ✨💞
I feel similarly, Kass. I first came onto Substack because of certain writers here, whose work was of such a high quality I’d have had to be paying journal subscriptions to read anything akin. I like the 1-1 interaction, being able to tell the writer directly of your appreciation, or share related experiences, or even offer bits of knowledge you think they might find interesting. It feels like a democratisation of the writer/reader exchange which I love.
But I also agree with you, Claire, that an inbox brimming with subscription notifications every day is overwhelming! When Substack told me I’d read some enormous total of words last summer, and I calculated I could have read ‘Ulysses’ 20 times instead (NOT recommended!) I realised how easy it is to slip into bad old social media ways. I also realised I love reading non-fiction so shook up my book-reading habits, and rediscovered the richness of giving your attention to a book for a week or more. It lives with you very differently from however-brilliant one Substack article will (almost!) ever do… Sarah Kendzior, Elif Shafak and Brian Klaas might be my exceptions though!
I think that's what is great about Claire's post and my response - we are both right in many ways, despite slightly different perspectives. And what's great about this platform is the supportive, respectful way we can engage in that dialogue. It feels good to be on a platform where people interact like adults!
Well said! I love to support other Substacks, too. I created a little budget for it and made myself make some choices so I don't spend all of my grocery funds here :-). There are some publications that feel so essential that I stick with them endlessly.
I definitely know that feeling. I'm subscribed to too many substacks, I love them all, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with wanting to read all of them and not enough time!
I totally get it... I'm down to paying for a handful now instead of 10! I go yearly if the cost is $50 or less. When I canceled a bunch of paid subscriptions, it hurt - I hated leaving them! One thing I think about is the fact that many will raise prices over time, so if you think you will want to re-subscribe, it will be at a higher cost.
I have a few Substacks that I pay to subscribe too. Some are constant, others I kind of rotate and sub for a few months before moving into another creator. I like to change it up and refresh my inbox. I have been slowly cutting back on the number of free subs I have though as it can definitely feel a bit overwhelming
I still struggle with canceling subscriptions (free or paid) cos I know how much heart and soul, hopes and dreams, go into the writing. It's a problem I need to work on as it does create overwhelm and a very cluttered Substack inbox where I miss things I really WANT to read! Thanks for validating this here, you are giving me the gentle nudge I need... 😊
Happy to hear that Vicki and it’s not forever is it… I think we can really tune into what we need.
E.g at Christmas time I loved doing lots of reading here, sometimes I need the membership boosts, other times I don’t want to consume much at all. I don’t feel I have to read everything from authors I pay for either…
Maybe do a little observation and see which posts are really pulling you in over a week or so and make some choices after that? Xx
Thanks for sharing this Claire. I’ve felt similarly for some time and just recently had to get rid of some paid subscriptions…I’ll probably do another round soon. The sense of urgency from other social medias has seeped into substack and it just doesn’t feel all that great for my system. At the same time I’ve been able to grow so much on this platform (thanks in part to you!).
I agree with you completely. I do not have the time (or, at this particular moment, the resources) to subscribe to a hundred-odd newsletters I'll never get around to reading. As things stand, I am already belabored by sixty to one hundred-odd emails every day, and I would need to give up writing in order to read all of them! Thanks for sharing.
Ahh such a good point Lenny. I wish we could choose to read some in email and some in the app… I’d choose paid to a separate email and free in the app.
Thanks for this admission. Notes have become like IG and that is sad, really. I pay for the writers I enjoy reading, and for others to start them going. I was paying for too many and could not read it all. I also unsubscribed from a few. 😕
Aw I hear you. I do think as Substack changes like Amy B said we have to work out what we want for all parts of us.
I have a membership outside Substack, two inside and some paid newsletters plus lots of gifts. I feel so lucky to have invested for so long but there’s a definite balance tip with managing. ✨💞
I feel exactly the same Claire. I just don't have the time or headspace to read dozens of Substack articles. I notice how I speed-read them and it's like a hose-pipe of information: totally overwhelming. I want to read more books too. That being sad, I feel torn because if I want people to read my posts, then I should be reading others.... I am just much, much more discerning now than when I first joined Substack.
Thank you for your honesty, Claire. I constantly feel torn between reading books and reading Substack publications in the evenings and on weekends! Substack has so many ways for us to "discover" new-to-us publications, but it's impossible for any of us to "keep up."
I'm struggling with this too. There are so many beautiful souls writing beautiful words on their beautiful substacks. I'm subscribed to too many, mostly free, substacks, my inbox is overwhelming (reading in the app is not my thing) and I know I have to make descisions to unsubscribe and I find that realy hard.
It is hard... I like to ask myself if I would stop everything to read or save for the weekend... those questions help with the filtering a little but YES so much to read, so little time.
Maybe that's a good idea, thank you Claire! One of the things I do right now is delete an email when it's partly after a paywall and I don't have a paid subscribtion.
You have no idea how happy I am to see this post. Not because I don’t like supporting folks but I was supporting quite a few newsletters with monetary subscriptions. I decided last month to cut back. I felt bad but it was overwhelming. Now I scroll, comment, and not feel as bad for ending paid subscription. But I do notice many don’t allow comments or let you read more unless you subscribe and I get that as well. Such a tricky cycle.
Thanks for your honesty Claire. I was just thinking as a new substacker as I went to bed to read a book 🙄 …… and thought now I’m suddenly connecting with more people, how ‘would’ I keep up. I pay for just a few good people here as I don’t buy magazines any more because they’re so expensive here in Spain. So this is a really nice alternative.
Can I ask you a technical question please?
How do I add the vertical lines to sections on text posts? To highlight things. You have a pink one here for example. I’ve looked up the top drop down lists but can find nothing to insert. Hope you don’t mind me asking 😉 thank you.
I feel like we only have so much time and energy. I've made it a point that I can only be subscribed to a certain number of projects (on any platform) I want to enjoy them and be an enthusiastic supporter of those projects. That's also why I love the option to be a follower because I can keep an eye out for people's work and share it. I just wish it was easier to do a one time random supportive payment vs.just themonthly subscription/annual option. Sometimes I want to drop some cash in someone's lap and run away LOL! Excited to see what you're able to share with the space that you've created.
Six months into Substack and, step by step, I’m finding my feet. To start with I found it all so wonderfully inspiring that I subscribed to all manner of things, often without quite understanding how I’d done it! Then got overwhelmed with all the reading that generated and found I was spending more time reading other people’s stuff than thinking about my own.. this seems quite a common cycle, looking at the other comments!
So I unsubscribed from quite a lot, and fixed a very small number of paid subscriptions and a much more carefully and consciously curated set of free subscriptions. There is a cost factor here, as I’m on a fixed income which will struggle more and more over time to keep up with inflation. But I love to be supportive and to engage with kindred spirits in a way that feels so much more personal than other platforms.
Balance is the way to go, and like everything else in life, that shifts.
I hear you, I don't disagree BUT.....I also think that if we are asking/hoping people will pay to read our Substacks, we should pay that forward in some way. Not everyone or everything of course, but I pay for about 10 because I want to really encourage and support the work being done and if I want people to subscribe to my writing, I need to reciprocate that. Happy for that to have boundaries - so like I said, I don't disagree. I am ALL for being offline! But I think it's important to find a balance. :)
Oh for sure and for context I’ve been paying and reading and being part of memberships for two years and have over 15 gifted paid subs due to my work here. I still pay for at least 5. It’s a temporary pause until I catch up and re prioritise. Glad you are finding your flow with it here Kass - you sound beautifully generous! ✨✨✨
That's lovely of you to say Claire, thankyou!
Of course, I am all about healthy boundaries and truthfully, if I could afford it, I would pay to subscribe to much more and not worry if I didn't read it all, just to support great independent writing (and in my case, mostly female writers). But there are limitations on all our resources, right? Financial, time, energy - they all have limits and I love that you are exercising yours while still supporting those you have capacity for.
I have no paid subscribers and about 30 free ones. I trust that one day my work will be worthy of paid subscriptions. Until then, I am paying for those that mean most to me (and I try to avoid "famous" writers as most of them are managing just fine without my monthly contribution!) to encourage others and I know one day people will invest the same way in me. It's kind of what I like about this platform!
Love that for you. It’s a beautiful time to be online that’s for sure. I’m so happy Substack exists and we can support those whose work we resonate with. ✨💞
I feel similarly, Kass. I first came onto Substack because of certain writers here, whose work was of such a high quality I’d have had to be paying journal subscriptions to read anything akin. I like the 1-1 interaction, being able to tell the writer directly of your appreciation, or share related experiences, or even offer bits of knowledge you think they might find interesting. It feels like a democratisation of the writer/reader exchange which I love.
But I also agree with you, Claire, that an inbox brimming with subscription notifications every day is overwhelming! When Substack told me I’d read some enormous total of words last summer, and I calculated I could have read ‘Ulysses’ 20 times instead (NOT recommended!) I realised how easy it is to slip into bad old social media ways. I also realised I love reading non-fiction so shook up my book-reading habits, and rediscovered the richness of giving your attention to a book for a week or more. It lives with you very differently from however-brilliant one Substack article will (almost!) ever do… Sarah Kendzior, Elif Shafak and Brian Klaas might be my exceptions though!
I think that's what is great about Claire's post and my response - we are both right in many ways, despite slightly different perspectives. And what's great about this platform is the supportive, respectful way we can engage in that dialogue. It feels good to be on a platform where people interact like adults!
💞✨💞✨
Here, here! 👏
Well said! I love to support other Substacks, too. I created a little budget for it and made myself make some choices so I don't spend all of my grocery funds here :-). There are some publications that feel so essential that I stick with them endlessly.
I definitely know that feeling. I'm subscribed to too many substacks, I love them all, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with wanting to read all of them and not enough time!
Right - it's lovely to be supportive but at the same time it's not our job to be? I mean it is my job but as a reader it's not...
I totally get it... I'm down to paying for a handful now instead of 10! I go yearly if the cost is $50 or less. When I canceled a bunch of paid subscriptions, it hurt - I hated leaving them! One thing I think about is the fact that many will raise prices over time, so if you think you will want to re-subscribe, it will be at a higher cost.
I have a few Substacks that I pay to subscribe too. Some are constant, others I kind of rotate and sub for a few months before moving into another creator. I like to change it up and refresh my inbox. I have been slowly cutting back on the number of free subs I have though as it can definitely feel a bit overwhelming
I do a similar thing 👍
Thats's beautiful and smart Louise. Thank you for sharing.
I still struggle with canceling subscriptions (free or paid) cos I know how much heart and soul, hopes and dreams, go into the writing. It's a problem I need to work on as it does create overwhelm and a very cluttered Substack inbox where I miss things I really WANT to read! Thanks for validating this here, you are giving me the gentle nudge I need... 😊
Happy to hear that Vicki and it’s not forever is it… I think we can really tune into what we need.
E.g at Christmas time I loved doing lots of reading here, sometimes I need the membership boosts, other times I don’t want to consume much at all. I don’t feel I have to read everything from authors I pay for either…
Maybe do a little observation and see which posts are really pulling you in over a week or so and make some choices after that? Xx
Thanks Claire, will get onto this 😊
Thanks for sharing this Claire. I’ve felt similarly for some time and just recently had to get rid of some paid subscriptions…I’ll probably do another round soon. The sense of urgency from other social medias has seeped into substack and it just doesn’t feel all that great for my system. At the same time I’ve been able to grow so much on this platform (thanks in part to you!).
Yes all of this. I think I’ll circle back in time maybe in the winter out I want to be inside my life more when I’m not working. ✨💞
I agree with you completely. I do not have the time (or, at this particular moment, the resources) to subscribe to a hundred-odd newsletters I'll never get around to reading. As things stand, I am already belabored by sixty to one hundred-odd emails every day, and I would need to give up writing in order to read all of them! Thanks for sharing.
Ahh such a good point Lenny. I wish we could choose to read some in email and some in the app… I’d choose paid to a separate email and free in the app.
Thanks for this admission. Notes have become like IG and that is sad, really. I pay for the writers I enjoy reading, and for others to start them going. I was paying for too many and could not read it all. I also unsubscribed from a few. 😕
Aw I hear you. I do think as Substack changes like Amy B said we have to work out what we want for all parts of us.
I have a membership outside Substack, two inside and some paid newsletters plus lots of gifts. I feel so lucky to have invested for so long but there’s a definite balance tip with managing. ✨💞
I feel exactly the same Claire. I just don't have the time or headspace to read dozens of Substack articles. I notice how I speed-read them and it's like a hose-pipe of information: totally overwhelming. I want to read more books too. That being sad, I feel torn because if I want people to read my posts, then I should be reading others.... I am just much, much more discerning now than when I first joined Substack.
I think the natural shift is good as more readers arrive. Everything a season hey? ✨💞
Thank you for your honesty, Claire. I constantly feel torn between reading books and reading Substack publications in the evenings and on weekends! Substack has so many ways for us to "discover" new-to-us publications, but it's impossible for any of us to "keep up."
I'm struggling with this too. There are so many beautiful souls writing beautiful words on their beautiful substacks. I'm subscribed to too many, mostly free, substacks, my inbox is overwhelming (reading in the app is not my thing) and I know I have to make descisions to unsubscribe and I find that realy hard.
It is hard... I like to ask myself if I would stop everything to read or save for the weekend... those questions help with the filtering a little but YES so much to read, so little time.
Maybe that's a good idea, thank you Claire! One of the things I do right now is delete an email when it's partly after a paywall and I don't have a paid subscribtion.
Yes good one… I do that in the app it’s a long press instead of a swipe now. IYKYK
Beautifully and honestly put and a sigh of relief to read your words. Xx
A sigh of relief to write them too love. xx
You have no idea how happy I am to see this post. Not because I don’t like supporting folks but I was supporting quite a few newsletters with monetary subscriptions. I decided last month to cut back. I felt bad but it was overwhelming. Now I scroll, comment, and not feel as bad for ending paid subscription. But I do notice many don’t allow comments or let you read more unless you subscribe and I get that as well. Such a tricky cycle.
Thanks for your honesty Claire. I was just thinking as a new substacker as I went to bed to read a book 🙄 …… and thought now I’m suddenly connecting with more people, how ‘would’ I keep up. I pay for just a few good people here as I don’t buy magazines any more because they’re so expensive here in Spain. So this is a really nice alternative.
Can I ask you a technical question please?
How do I add the vertical lines to sections on text posts? To highlight things. You have a pink one here for example. I’ve looked up the top drop down lists but can find nothing to insert. Hope you don’t mind me asking 😉 thank you.
Ahh same on the magazines. I sometimes buy them for my mum though.
It’s the quote feature and will pick up whatever accent colour you chose in your homepage design. 🥰
I feel like we only have so much time and energy. I've made it a point that I can only be subscribed to a certain number of projects (on any platform) I want to enjoy them and be an enthusiastic supporter of those projects. That's also why I love the option to be a follower because I can keep an eye out for people's work and share it. I just wish it was easier to do a one time random supportive payment vs.just themonthly subscription/annual option. Sometimes I want to drop some cash in someone's lap and run away LOL! Excited to see what you're able to share with the space that you've created.
Love that you want to do that for folks Michelle - it’s really beautiful! 🤩 💰 ✨✨✨✨💞
Just to say I relate on the Female Invest membership. This is my third year of membership and I still haven't started investing! 😂🤦🏻♀️
Right we are buddying up!! What is it? I have the Sara Davies webinar in my cal - are you going to that? Xx
Yay! You have a deal! I can’t see a Sara Davies webinar but am signed up to one on Wednesday 16th. When’s the one you mean?
I’ll message you.
Six months into Substack and, step by step, I’m finding my feet. To start with I found it all so wonderfully inspiring that I subscribed to all manner of things, often without quite understanding how I’d done it! Then got overwhelmed with all the reading that generated and found I was spending more time reading other people’s stuff than thinking about my own.. this seems quite a common cycle, looking at the other comments!
So I unsubscribed from quite a lot, and fixed a very small number of paid subscriptions and a much more carefully and consciously curated set of free subscriptions. There is a cost factor here, as I’m on a fixed income which will struggle more and more over time to keep up with inflation. But I love to be supportive and to engage with kindred spirits in a way that feels so much more personal than other platforms.
Balance is the way to go, and like everything else in life, that shifts.
Balance yes - this is really beautiful Carol. ✨ it does get overwhelming quite quickly! ✨✨✨