The slow drift of indie writers, makers, and artists to Substack is so weird to me. They often already have a website or newsletter yet choose to get flattened into someone else’s algorithm, fighting for scraps.
What’s going on? The allure of supposed reach? An easier way for people to pay for your work?
I don’t buy the “it’s just easier” argument. Anyone can spin up a domain, blog, and/or newsletter for a few dollars without touching code. Monetisation tools, too. Slot-in Substack replacements also exist, without the algorithmic, growth-hacky parts.
The “it lets readers pay me” argument makes more sense, especially when you think of Substack as a shortcut to reaching more eyeballs in the first place. Never mind the quality of those eyeballs, just as long as some pay the rent.
But we’ve already seen this play out, a few times.
Just look at the slop pumped out on every other over-saturated social network. Yes, Substack is a social network. Your corner of the internet, although more prominent, looks just the same as everyone else’s. Bland.