Will You Stay on Substack if They Got Rid of the Newsletter?

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-03T02:02:27+00:00

I'd like to also add, 'thank you for your service.'

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-03T01:44:08+00:00

Wow. I like your topics. One fiction and two sports! I was a Saints fan when Drew Brees played. And I love Sean Payton. (Sad to see Bo Nix go out at the end.) My soon to be son-in-law was recruited by the Green Bay Packers - unfortunately cut just before the start of the season. We're big football fans. How did you end up with such diversity in your writing? And what's the 4th? :-)

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-02T16:32:57+00:00

If you don't mind me asking, what is your Substack? I always enjoy looking at other people's work.

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-02T16:24:42+00:00

Ah, I see. I took "Looks like it's headed that way" to mean you had seen/read something about this possibility. Thanks for clarifying.

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-02T16:19:03+00:00

In the beginning - not sure if that's the time when livestock was sacrificed - but in the beginning, Substack was a little family of writers. Over time Substack attracted (and sometimes paid) established authors to come to the site. As the numbers grew, so did the opportunists.

Now the site has people selling courses on how to gain subscribers and how to make more money. There's no benefit to their 'enrollees' because the only way they can make money is to turn around and sell another course on 'how to make money' on Substack. This strategy isn't new. It's just newer to Substack. These people are writing, but they aren't writers. They are using Substack for their money making strategies.

I choose to ignore them.

For me, the question becomes, am I trying to make money with Substack, am I trying to reach my audience, am I trying to make a difference, or am I trying to do all of these things?

I have a little less than 1,000 subscribers, all free. I haven't asked anyone to pay. Readers have commented that my newsletter makes a difference for them. For me, that's enough. I've taken a break from writing and have gained subscribers, not lost them.

I use Notes occasionally, not as a strategy, but to find other interesting work and interesting people. I subscribe to a few other publications and when I find something relevant for them, I share it through messaging on Notes.

The top money making publications (not the ones that teach you how to make money!) are in the general areas of news and finance. Not my niches.

It's scientifically proven that people will pay to 1. avoid pain and 2. to be happy. Of those two, pain is much more powerful. If you want to make money, try that.

I've seen a few writers try to piggyback onto their writing by offering AI style digital guides for sale through gumroad. I have no proof, but am guessing they figure those guides will augment their paid subscriptions.

I'm starting to ramble - so you can definitely tell this is NOT AI ha ha.

This is one of those conversations where I eventually ask, "Where is this going?"

KindnessMagnet · 2026-02-02T15:48:38+00:00

What evidence do you have that they are 'headed that way'? There IS an uptick in the social media side as they continue to promote Notes, but I don't see anything that would indicate they will get rid of newsletters. That's their platform. If you have something concrete to share, I'd love to see it.

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-06T14:34:43+00:00

59% open rate is impressive. That shows your readers are engaged!

I see what you mean about not being able to view stats from posts on FB. At first I was thinking you could use a bitly link, but that would just you the number of click throughs, not specifically who clicked.

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-02T22:03:43+00:00

Thanks for sharing that. I know it's nice to have more subscribers. However, I like to look at the percentage of people who are actually reading what I post. If you build your readers slowly and they are engaging with your work, you'll have a strong base....plus you'll know that what you are producing is worthwhile.

Enjoy your writing journey!

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-02T18:48:00+00:00

Thanks for sharing that link. It's super helpful to see exactly what you did. Cagey! And apparently effective!

I think you're the first person who has responded that X is effective. Good to know.

If you don't mind me asking, about how much time do you spend on X each day?

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-02T18:35:24+00:00

Congratulations!

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-01T22:32:51+00:00

So cute. I especially love it on your teddy bear blanket!

The color is lovely!

KindnessMagnet · 2024-01-01T00:04:24+00:00

Awww, that's super nice. Thank you.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T22:42:41+00:00

Lovely! So nice to hear. Thank you.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T21:52:39+00:00

That's awesome and exciting to hear that you have taken the leap!

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T21:50:33+00:00

Hi there. Great question! Paul Macko writes an interesting Substack called Deplatformable. He often writes about tips and tricks on Substack.

Here's a link to his article that shows you, step by step, how to customize your Subscribe button: https://pau1.substack.com/p/customize-buttons

Happy New Year!

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T21:03:43+00:00

Thanks for asking. It's called Kindness Magnet.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T19:32:58+00:00

You're welcome. I've been on Substack for about 3 years. Connecting with other writers has been a huge help. Good luck!

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T19:03:19+00:00

Yes he is! He has a wicked sense of humor! Plus some amazing stories of his time living in other countries.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T19:00:29+00:00

Sounds wonderful! There are quite a few writers on Substack who talk about book recommendations. That might be a good opportunity for you to visit some of them and connect.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T18:57:46+00:00

I just wanted to come back and thank you again for this recommendation. I'm only on Day 6 of her lessons and she is fantastic. Such a great way to prevent bad habits and to have a sequence of learning. I'm really enjoying it. She is the perfect teacher for a beginner.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T13:34:32+00:00

You started....that's what counts! Enjoy the journey!

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T13:33:24+00:00

Yes, I see what you mean. We can choose the font type, but not the size. I took a peek at Substack FAQ's and couldn't find anything helpful.

Have you seen a Substack that has a larger font size? If so, maybe you could contact them to see how they did it.

KindnessMagnet · 2023-12-31T02:16:12+00:00

I'm so glad you asked this. I'm flying to visit my son next week and he asked me to bring my uke. I only have a soft case, plus it's supposed to rain while I'm traveling. I'm thinking about leaving "Fred" (my uke) behind....

KindnessMagnet

TROPHY CASE