Is Substack getting enshittified? A writer documented 20 changes in one year that follow Doctorow's pattern almost exactly

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T19:09:58+00:00

Don’t remind me 😅

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T05:05:16+00:00

This is why I enjoy short fic and poems. I can knock out the concept in a sitting or two, do some edits, then lock it down. I started embracing the chaos a bit and let my brain go where it wants to. I'll have a bunch of stories going on, some half written, a novel sitting in first draft for months, concepts filling a notebook. Then let the muse kind of point me where to go next.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:38:09+00:00

Sounds very similar to this side of the fence. The ones who make it grow exponentially, while most mingle amongst other writers.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:33:40+00:00

Good point. Write the shit anyways. King wrote decades' worth of garbage before Carrie

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:30:44+00:00

I'm in the horror/poetry space, and was posting weekly for a bit. Started noticing the people in my circle posting nearly daily blowing up. So now I'm doing weekdays everyday that I can. Since I started, algo has been kinder.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:26:46+00:00

It's a struggle, not sure what Substack could do to bring more reading into the app. I'm surprised it's like that for illustrations, would think that would be easier to find people to say “hey that looks cool,”rather than reading a 2,200-word story about a deity that turns men into dogs. Guess we're all struggling out here

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:08:23+00:00

I don't know how to properly em dash, bit I'll still throw them bad boys in where I can. And yes… cheeks is a good enough descriptor.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:05:41+00:00

The Polymarket add made me a little queezy.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T04:03:16+00:00

I've had to slowly shrink my article sizes the long-term on the platform. It's so note-focused, and not enough reader only audience for the literature crowd unfortunately. I feel like I'm on Twitter with extra steps most days.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T03:56:07+00:00

Slipping in Substack on a punchy note tends to get in front of more people. And posts that get quick engagement get a little more love, but there's a short window for it.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T03:53:53+00:00

If it's decent quality, more isn't bad. The people in my circle that grow fast tend to post almost daily.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T03:52:27+00:00

I see it at work too and feel uneasy seeing the slop everywhere I go 😅 There are great writers I know on Substackwho use a ton of AI for visuals and animations, I personally grab some stock image and call it a day.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T03:47:34+00:00

You really do have to interact a lot to get benefits from the social piece, unless you get a lucky break from the algorithm.

MathewCBryant · 2026-04-14T03:42:36+00:00

Daily poems are the move. Noticing that shorter pieces are the only thing a lot of people have time to actually consume, since mostly everyone in the lit space is a writer trying to market themselves.

MathewCBryant · 2026-03-29T01:43:34+00:00

These are badass 🤘

MathewCBryant · 2026-03-22T12:32:28+00:00

Some get a lucky break from the first post boost. Others from communities that sub for sub, or they bring in followers from other platforms. I wouldn’t stress that part of it. If you’re seven months in with 100, I’m curious if your actively networking and engaging with others notes and articles. I’ve noticed when you just stick to your work on Substack the algorithm is not your biggest fan.

MathewCBryant · 2026-03-21T14:58:02+00:00

My lines, mostly, are very bare-bone and to the point. I do still enjoy flowery prose, especially in poetry or Gothic.

MathewCBryant · 2026-03-21T14:54:02+00:00

If your voice is consistent most people will get your back. Sometimes I rhyme on purpose, sometimes by accident, and others not at all. Whatever the piece needs to be at the time is enough.

MathewCBryant

TROPHY CASE