How I dealt with plateauing on Substack
My reaction might surprise you
Just last week, our son left to embark on an exciting overseas adventure. With all the hustle and bustle of getting a child ready to leave the nest, and as my mama heart adjusted to another child leaving home, I inadvertently conducted an experiment by stopping all my usual Substack activities. This led to my subscriber count completely plateauing. And to be honest, I’m actually grateful for it! It helped me realise and appreciate that the little things I've enjoyed doing on Substack were quietly making an impact all along!
Although I created a Substack publication in April 2023, I didn’t post or show up consistently or really comment until December 2023.
So what were the things I’ve been doing since December and what did I not do over the last week or so? It’s actually the simple stuff:
Engaging with other newsletters
As soon as I started interacting on Substack, I was so surprised at the deep interactions you could have here. It felt so genuine and real. I didn’t have to perform, I didn’t have to follow the latest trends, I could just be me. It was such a breath of fresh air! This made it so easy to come back, time after time, to comment on the many amazing, thoughtful, funny, informative pieces on Substack.
✿ Last week, with my energy being elsewhere, I haven’t been reading, commenting or restacking.
Showing up on Notes
Since downloading the app, I've regularly posted on Notes. I don’t have a posting strategy or stick to a set schedule. I don’t even go on it every single day. I don’t stress about what to post or how often to post, or how the post performs. I just genuinely enjoy the space, so I naturally return to it as often as I can and have fun! It’s the perfect place to restack quotes from newsletters or share some thoughts of my own.
✿ With family coming over, preparing our son to leave and then leaving, I have hardly opened the Substak app.
Sticking to a writing schedule
It wasn't until December that I found my rhythm—a once-a-week cadence that felt just right. I try to get the bulk of my writing done on Wednesday and leave Thursday and Friday to fine-tune the piece. Having a writing rhythm that works with my other commitments was the key to keeping it up and enjoying it.
✿ I missed my Friday writing deadline last week because I wasn’t in the headspace to write all week. It might be handy to have a piece or two up my sleeve for moments when I have to take a break.
Keeping Substack a positive and happy place
With Substack, I try and tackle any hint of comparison or envy straight away. I know that if I let those feelings hang around, I'd end up feeling all icky and funky. As I’ve worked through these feelings I find I can be my most creative and inspired self.
When I started "Find your tribe," it wasn't about gaining more subscribers or promoting my own publication; I felt inspired, it was a heartfelt desire to connect incredible writers with each other. On the flip side, I’m currently working through icky feelings about turning on paid subscriptions. At the start, I didn’t want that pressure while I figured out what I wanted to do on Substack. Right now, I'm trying to untangle my sense of self-worth from financial stuff. I also don’t want to do it just because I’ve seen someone else do it. I think if I was to do it again, I would have kept the paid option on from the start and just forgotten about it. I don’t do anything on here that feels icky, so, if you notice I've turned on the paid subscription option, it means it finally feels right!
✿ This past week, I didn’t force anything when I wasn’t feeling 100%. When I felt ready I started writing this newsletter it actually helped me to process a bunch of stuff!
My biggest takeaway from a year on Substack
My secret sauce on Substack is enjoying the journey rather than fixating solely on the destination. I’m okay if a note I’ve written doesn’t get a lot of traction. I don’t stress about how much interaction I get in my chat threads. I don’t mind too much about what happens after I push publish on my newsletters. Even when my subscriber number stalled, I’m curious rather than frustrated. I’m not a robot, I still feel the feels, I just try and refocus and remember that every little action counts, even if it seems like nothing at first. Showing up and honouring what you’re feeling called to write, embracing your authenticity, sparking real connections, and unleashing creativity is the real magic of Substack!
✿ I originally had a lot of subscriber numbers on here, but decided to take them out because even if we do the things I mentioned here, we might not grow to the numbers that we see other’s growing to. Everyone’s journey is different, we write about different topics, we show up differently. We have to continue to write what feels right for us, even if our growth is slower, and we should be proud that we are answering the call to write.
Post edit:
shared this Note and I just had to add it post-edit for you to enjoy!If you enjoyed this, you might like:
Mike, Bingo!
You described my Substack experience as I have wondered about all of what you said, and did, and more. I have only been here since Feb and am clear about subscriptions that will always be free although I accept pledges that will go to AMS Scholarship for Underserved Communities.
Awards will go to minority students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, especially Hispanic, Native American, and Black/African American students. That was inspired by David Roberts who contributes his pledges to Robin Hood in NYC that feeds hungry people. Also inspired by my work as a social activist.
I have been writing blogs for 12+ years and have a backlog of 600+ so I am trying to figure out how to pick the best ones for updates and revisions. I have written 4 books and enjoy writing and now working on improving the craft with more focus, clarity and purpose. It's an ongoing work in progress, just like me, staring at finishing up year 87 in June with a 10 day trip to Boston and New York. Big trip in Feb was to South America - Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Blessed and grateful. Thanks for stirring my pot this Monday morning, Earth Day 2024, which will soon go into Notes.
Mika, kudos for turning your brief time away into a useful teaching moment. I really enjoy your writing style. I’m in a sort of “pause” myself right now — but it’s fun and easy to leave comments!