'You can say it on Substack' - but how do we know it has been heard? A plea to Substack & to the silent readers 🤐 📣

Why Substack needs to get more readers using the App (& why writers need more of you readers on here too, so you can hit the ❤️)

We hear about writers all the time. But what about the lovely readers?

First off, thank you! It takes time to read our long form articles. There’s nothing more valuable than your time. We don’t want to waste yours and we’re so grateful you are using some of it to read some of our articles.

Hmm…Is there a but coming? Not a ‘but’ exactly. More a gentle reminder.

Most readers fit into one of two categories on here¹:

1. Readers who are also writing on here ✍️

In this case, they’re generally already using the app already and hitting ‘like’ if they want to (though the fact many writers keep nudging people to do this suggests even writers forget or are stingier than they could be to press that ❤️button at times).

Even those with thousands of subscribers are still having to ask people to hit the button. I try not to read and run myself.

2. The Silent Readers 🤫

First a little tangent. You’ve all heard about Jimmy Kimmel this past week I’m sure. So I won’t regurgitate the facts. In response to many writers, journalists or other artists being kicked off platforms for being critical of those in power, the founders of Substack emphasised that this is a platform promoting the freedom to speak out.

‘You can say it on Substack’ is a phrase which has since become a kind of meme on here and might become part of a bigger advertising campaign.

The ‘you can say it on Substack’ meme, has now grown arms and legs. I saw people re-stacking the quote and referencing embarassing or antisocial things we could talk about but shouldn’t. Like the body fluids held by certain body parts, fart smells etc.

All great, but how does any of this relate to the reader?

The issue is you might be able to say a lot on here, but it can be impossible for us writers to know if anybody has actually heard what we have written without us being able to see the ❤️ on the app.

And without you hitting the ❤️, the reader also hasn’t done the one free and easy thing they can as a reader to support the writer hoping to build an audience on here. They haven’t helped us make the article become more visible.

(If you do hit the❤️ on the app, the algorithm starts realising people want to read it and like it and starts to show it to many more people).

Your poor friend, wanting to build a business or build an audience to one day show to an agent so they have more hope of getting their book published- could really could use your help. You have that power in your index finger.

🏺

I know I said we don’t know who reads if they don’t use the app and hit ‘like’ occasionally, but in fact we know there are silent readers enjoying articles on here because we can see evidence of that in the settings. The ‘activity’ column shows us with stars from 1 star to 5 stars how much a reader has been reading in the past month.

I also know because I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been given compliments in person or by email or text without a ❤️ being put up on here.

I would so love it if more of you could get the App and start popping a ❤️ under articles in the app. It is free. It is easy. Without it the algorithm can’t know to share the articles more, but with it it gets loads more visibility.

And there are huge benefits for you in getting the app too.

First, you will have the latest version (when we spot a typo or need to change something you will see the latest version in the app). You get the typo one if you read via email.

Second, and this is a biggie, there is so much excellent, nuanced and accessible writing (lots of it free too) on a huge variety of topics of interest and expertise on Substack.

I don’t even need to read many other news outlets much now because of the quality of journalism and other writing on here. It is all collected in one place and much of it is free.

So it is a no-brainer.

By way of a cherry on top, because people are not curtailed by big media outlets, freelance writers on here are more likely to give you their unvarnished truth in a way you don’t get as much from the mainstream news outlets today.

You can say it on Substack. We just need to know if it has been heard.

So go on. Try the app.

And don’t forget to remember to press the ❤️ button !

Joanna

x

Thanks so much for reading.

Needless to say, please show some love with a ‘❤️’ and a re-stack if you’ve made it to here, and thank you in advance to any who do sign up and start using the app.

1. I accept there is a third category - those silent readers using the app (I love you - you are often some of the most visible and engaged readers. I just wish there were more of you!)