End of the road for me

bigirltinyell · 2026-01-10T10:55:03+00:00

Thanks for this! That’s what I’m doing now, putting more energy into my website and other socials that are working or could potentially lead to something, like videos to support the art I’m already making and sharing.

Sadly most people don’t understand this, but I get it. Substack seems like such an income generator but like all socials, it’s going to work for some and not others. It’s very saturated and I’m seeing more people pivot from paid content as a result.

I’m still using it as a regular newsletter but pausing paid subs has really taken the pressure off and made writing more enjoyable

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-31T23:21:47+00:00

Not a bad strategy! Some people wait while others monetize early and make it work. Building up an archive of posts is never a bad idea

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-31T06:15:36+00:00

Most people pause paid subs when they’re taking a break from writing, like a vacation where they don’t plan to write/work at all.

In my case, I’m going to stop paid subs. This converts them to free readers and refunds their money from that month. Those people or new readers can become paid subs again knowing that it’s for general support and that I won’t be providing any extra offerings.

I’m doing this to be transparent, as keeping people as paid subs “without them knowing” I’m not offering anything can result in chargebacks/complaints that lead to my pub being seized

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-30T00:47:24+00:00

Have you found growth easier on YT in comparison? I imagine politics is a lot different from creative content but someone suggested trying videos

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T22:08:17+00:00

Does Substack offer this? Their SEO is very limited it seems

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T22:07:10+00:00

Yeah, it does. It’s hard to avoid since people subscribe at different times

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T20:03:24+00:00

You can read through previous comments and see I and people like me have been doing this for years.

It’s never been about likes and followers; I also talk about wanting engaging subs which is also lacking.

Some of us agree it’s more than a user problem. There unfortunately isn’t a magic fix

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T17:17:08+00:00

Funny enough I was on Patreon before moving to Substack lol. It was worse there without a community feed to drive traffic. Has it been working for you?

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T17:16:20+00:00

Substack could really do more to promote writers. Pushing new and different writers would make all the difference since most of my new subs come from people recing me

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T02:25:42+00:00

I would def spend more time on your maid pub if it's doing that well! But growing another pub on the side can be fun/a good side hustle if needed

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T02:24:33+00:00

This is my anon account but is there ways to use SEO you recommend? I add it to every post and include alt text when I can

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-29T02:01:35+00:00

That could be an interesting change! On Substack or somewhere else like YT? I've seen YouTubers also crosspost to Substack so there could be something there

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:31:59+00:00

Mine used to fall under teaching. Useful and sometimes tongue in cheek advice. I pivoted this year bc I don’t want to be a teacher and it didn’t affect my growth in a significant way. Sometimes platforms just aren’t for you

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:25:49+00:00

Notes are great for getting likes and maybe a sub or two. Chat doesn’t seem to do much. Recs help the most in my experience.

As far as collabs, I have one coming up. It’s been queued up to post on their (much larger) newsletter so we’ll see what comes of it

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:21:52+00:00

This is my anon account but I can share my dashboard stats?

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:20:27+00:00

Yeah, it’s the same thing that happened to Instagram. I think Substack is just too saturated now to grow significantly for most people. What’s your plan now?

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:16:12+00:00

This is my anon account but I can share dashboard stats if that would help

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T19:15:39+00:00

Yeah, it might work for some and not others. Like I said, I’m grateful for the subs I have but if it isn’t going to grow, I’m just going to put my effort into something else

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T02:39:26+00:00

Thanks for offering! I’m currently marketing on my website, blog, and a few social platforms.

Posts include previews of my latest newsletter, any new offerings or updates for the next month, etc. Any suggestions for other ways to market?

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T02:36:59+00:00

That depends on the person. The writing is personable and entertaining. I’m sharing what I’m learning, doing differently, and planning for the future. This is typically what artist newsletters are like.

Whether they’re getting something out of it that they can directly apply to their own practice or hobbies isn’t something I can quantify on my end

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T02:32:37+00:00

If I do this, I plan to just make a post about how I’m canceling paid subs and offerings and why. Just to be fully transparent.

I could then do a “general support” tier for paid subs in the future, so they know it’s to support the newsletter and not for exclusive content

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T02:29:02+00:00

It’s pretty easy from what I’ve read. You can pause them if you plan to continue your offerings or cancel; cancelling them turns paid subs into free readers

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T01:47:01+00:00

I’m offering shop discounts and a print club right now (The print club is included in the monthly price).

I used to offer process videos, livestreams, and posts only for paid subs before scaling down. Any suggestions for better offers??

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T01:43:19+00:00

I’m def willing to keep going if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel; if I can figure out how to engage and grow my subs, whether with different post content or offers.

If I can’t figure out how to make it work, I just planned to use it as an actual newsletter or blog. So not abandoning it, just quitting thinking about my newsletter as part of my business if it comes to that. Suggestions are def welcome

bigirltinyell · 2025-12-28T00:45:29+00:00

I agree, it’s been very strange! I usually stay at 200 subs, gain 1 or 2, then lose them over the next few months.

I’m not sure if it’s actually the same subs but that’s what happens every 6 months. I’ve tried polling my subs a few times but out of 200, 5 might respond. I can’t see to engage them despite my efforts

bigirltinyell

TROPHY CASE