Success on Substack: What's it look like?

Over the Shoulder - Learning Lens

I've been slowly approaching Substack with a question to myself …

How can I be valuable to other writers in figuring out how to make a living as a writer using platforms like this one?

Thing is, I think I've always approached the work a bit differently.

I see lots of good writers talking about how to grow a readership, get free and paid subscribers here on Substack (and other places) starting from nothing.

Every person I've seen share 'how to be successful' on Substack is sharing a view through an experience and a lens that most other people likely can't duplicate.

There are excellent writers who do a really good job of distilling what's worked for them down to fundamental principles which can be followed by anyone - to name a select few:

Veronica Llorca-Smith

Russell Nohelty

David McIlroy

But there are two dynamics I always find myself concerned with ...

One is, you can't see the rest of the iceberg. As the outside viewer it's impossible to see all that went into bringing others where they are, and to then know how much of that is important in the process they share to YOU.

Two, what do you do after you get over that initial hump?

(I think one of the things that pulls me to those writers above is they have been at the game for a long time so they get into this)

Whenever you start something there's always an initial rise of success, and then a fall down into a valley followed by a much longer slower hopefully indefinite climb.

Dunning Krueger — I hope you enjoy my brilliant illustration

The initial success - the 'Mount Stupid' in Dunning Krueger - has to be passed,

But to me the best work, the important work, is everything that serves the long slow climb (which you CAN do from the beginning)

I find much of what I end up writing about is breaking down the preconceived notions, the false beliefs, the facades, the constructs that built people up to a height of expectation in the success they'd find - and then replacing those with simple fundamentals that I wish I'd understood 20 years ago but would never have paid attention to anyway.

And it's always simpler, yet more elegant, than you think.

My path is now intertwined with that of The Guardian Academy and Man Bites Dog, which is why I find myself here.

We are using Substack quite effectively and impactfully yet in a way which probably wouldn't make sense up front if you didn't have the whole picture.

It's not us being here gathering readers and charging them a subscription to read our stuff - it may look like that's what's happening because in terms of the form those things are occuring. But the reality is different. The function is different.

A solo writer (or small group or business) looking for growth through Substack might dismiss what we have to share because to an individual, that paid subscription, those subscriber numbers look like lifeblood.

I know because I did this once before,

Not on Substack, on my own platform, where I published a digital magazine all about coffee and sold subscriptions (oh man if I had the Substack of today, back then, I think I'd have really slayed that one - but hindsight is always through a crystal ball).

So for me personally,

I've walked the path, up Mount Stupid, falling down the other side, settled into the Valley of Despair and then set myself on the long slow climb out of it. I think I've perspective and understanding to share with any writer, should you be interested in how to make a life where writing is your living.

Now,

Over on Man Bites Dog, we're going to be unveiling some of the behind the scenes of how we put things together.

From Nic - currently "in terms of payments collected through Substack we're only at about $16.5k for the year"

This is just paid subscribers on Substack and doesn't account for any sales outside of that.

You can't duplicate exactly what we're doing,

Because there's nuance to our audience and assets which are unique.

(That's actually the truth for anyone sharing 'here's how we made X doing Y' - most just won't be up front about the truth)

However,

The foundation pieces which make it possible are something anyone can take and apply to your unique situation, even if you are starting from 0, and especially if you have been at this for awhile, have fallen from Mount Stupid and are on the long slow climb after.

You'll see the first article in this series below, but first I'm going to share one quote from there:

Note: Remember that your biggest advantage is that you are the only you in all of creation which means the things that make you unique or create distinction are your biggest advantage. Blindly copying me or anyone else may seem like the easy way, but it puts a ceiling on YOUR potential.

MBD Strategy: Monetizing Substack Part 1