Why I Started (and Then Left) Substack
I started Substack as a way of getting a free newsletter platform, but then I decided I actually wanted to have a different newsletter platform. So I brought over all my subscribers from Substack to that platform, and everyone had the right and ability to unsubscribe if they so chose. Some people did, which is totally fine. I get it—we all don’t need more emails.
My Substack Conundrum
So the question is: Do I get rid of this Substack altogether, or do I do something different with it?
I’ve noticed a huge surge of Substack newsletters coming my way lately, with more and more authors using it. I don’t want to miss out on the awesome author community that’s on Substack.
But I also don’t want to repeat my newsletter. That leaves me with a bit of a conundrum.
Questions I’m Asking Myself
Do I create completely different content for my Substack?
Do I have the time for that?
And if I do, what is it? What does it look like? How will I decide?
Discovering Dictation
By the way, I’ve been discovering that I really like dictating my blog posts and newsletter posts. So I am dictating right now—yes, as this is going onto the page, I’m speaking it into a Google Doc.
Then I take it over to an AI-helped platform to clean it up, make sure all the grammar and sentence structure are correct, and then I read it again before posting. It may sound like a lot of work, but I’ve actually caught more typos this way than any other method I’ve tried.
Plus, when I post a blog or Substack entry, I usually go over it three or four times, and I still sometimes miss things. Dictation has become my thing. Most of the time I try to add punctuation as I go, but not always.
I also tend to write—if it can be called writing—more when I’m dictating. My posts often get longer, but I think that’s okay. I hope it is.
What You Might See Here
Anyway, this is the kind of post you can look forward to if you’re on my Substack. I’ll be rambling a little, at least for now.
I may eventually choose a specific topic to tackle only here—something not on my blog or website, not on my podcast, not in my main newsletter, and maybe not even on my socials.
I just don’t know yet. I only know that Substack is hanging around, and I feel like I should use it. But then I wonder: Do I actually email people from it, or do I just post without emailing?
That’s an important question because some of you are already on my main newsletter list, and you probably don’t want an extra email from me.
My Next Step
Here’s my plan: I’m going to email this post, and at the top and bottom I’ll include a repeated poll that asks, “Substack email AND Newsletter?” which is all about whether you want to receive Substack email from me.
I’ll probably send at least four more Substack emails regardless of the poll answers, just to give everyone a chance to respond.
If I don’t get any responses, I’ll decide no one’s really reading Substack, so it doesn’t matter if I post anything here—or maybe I’ll keep posting but without emailing. Those are the options I’m considering.
Wrapping Up
So, until next time, just know this isn’t what’s in my newsletter this week. It’s not what’s on my blog this week. It’s not on any of my socials.
This is simply me, meandering around, thinking out loud about what to do with Substack.
What do you think?
Hi Tyrean, call me dense, but I don't understand the question. My understanding is the newsletter is whatever you post on Substack. It's delivered by email, but is also available on your Substack like a blog post. Am I wrong?