Toward the end, I'll include my philosophy for publishing on Substack--for those of you making the rookie errors. As for the big goals, this isn't a how-to; it's an existential cry.
This is really helpful - as most of your content is tbh. I've been here 6 months now and just nudging my way up to 100 free subscribers - Slow and steady, I think is the right term. I'm thinking seriously about doing a bit of a rebrand - now I have a better idea about what I'm writing and finding my feet with tone of voice and all that I think I've fallen foul of the branding thing and created a space that is har dto find - S M Garratt instead of SteveGarratt - The Oort Cloud instead of something simpler like A Writers Garratt - The Garratt - (A Garratt being an Artists Attic room...its a gift I never use) and I'm going to switch on paid when I do the rebrand I think... and see how it build from there - still working on the name though...
I’m curious about your Advanced Paid Content Philosophy—you mentioned the more niche posts and recommending releasing it for free in the initial run. Can you elaborate? Did you mean you make it accessible for free subscribers at first but for how long until you put it behind the paywall?
Also just curious, but do you put your archives behind a paywall?
Like many here, I’m in that sort of stage where I have a paywall but don’t know how to maximize it, so this article has come in at the right time. Thank you!
Right now, I don't paywall anything unless I think it will give new readers the wrong impression. I have a serial with unusually challenging prose, and it's behind a paywall now. My more technical prose essays are behind paywalls. Their things my fans will enjoy but could keep new people from becoming a fan. I don't have a timeline for when I put items behind a paywall. After it's initial run, if I decide it's a concern, I'll put it there. But that is your archive. I don't paywall my entire archive because in reading those back posts, that's when people become paid subscribers.
This is really helpful - as most of your content is tbh. I've been here 6 months now and just nudging my way up to 100 free subscribers - Slow and steady, I think is the right term. I'm thinking seriously about doing a bit of a rebrand - now I have a better idea about what I'm writing and finding my feet with tone of voice and all that I think I've fallen foul of the branding thing and created a space that is har dto find - S M Garratt instead of SteveGarratt - The Oort Cloud instead of something simpler like A Writers Garratt - The Garratt - (A Garratt being an Artists Attic room...its a gift I never use) and I'm going to switch on paid when I do the rebrand I think... and see how it build from there - still working on the name though...
What an awesome name for a writer!
Hi Thaddeus. Thank you for this insightful piece!
I’m curious about your Advanced Paid Content Philosophy—you mentioned the more niche posts and recommending releasing it for free in the initial run. Can you elaborate? Did you mean you make it accessible for free subscribers at first but for how long until you put it behind the paywall?
Also just curious, but do you put your archives behind a paywall?
Like many here, I’m in that sort of stage where I have a paywall but don’t know how to maximize it, so this article has come in at the right time. Thank you!
Right now, I don't paywall anything unless I think it will give new readers the wrong impression. I have a serial with unusually challenging prose, and it's behind a paywall now. My more technical prose essays are behind paywalls. Their things my fans will enjoy but could keep new people from becoming a fan. I don't have a timeline for when I put items behind a paywall. After it's initial run, if I decide it's a concern, I'll put it there. But that is your archive. I don't paywall my entire archive because in reading those back posts, that's when people become paid subscribers.