You phrased it so wonderfully and I hope you simply re-read this every time self-doubt strikes: „They subscribed because something in my writing clicks with them.“ And just keep doing what you have been doing. Since this is what they and everyone else - paying or not paying - is subscribing g for ☺️
"It’s just two people, for now. But those two have flipped a switch in my brain." - Are you saying I should turn on my paywall on Substack (it's probably on without my knowledge)? It's unfathomable for me that even ONE person would pay for it, let alone two..congratulations, you deserve it!
Lea, it's not just you :-) It's me too :-) Even though I just started Substack, and promised my free subscribers (I haven't even set up the paid version) to show up once every week and give them some meaningful piece of writing. It's super scary...
On the other hand, be proud of yourself that you still keep writing :-) Congrats for that :-) I wish you luck on this journey :-)
Thanks for sharing Lea 🤍 I wonder if it’s easier on Medium because:
A. It’s paywalled from the whole of internet by default, so all your work is read by people who love to read
B. Medium is huge and easy to “disappear” in the void (the feeling of)
But yes, on Substack, there is something about curation that doesn’t exist anywhere else. And in many ways that’s a good thing, but it’s not great if it causes us anxiety 🩷
The good news is that there is a wonderful community here to share all these worries with 🙂🩷
"But I’m also trying to remind myself of why I started writing in the first place. It wasn’t for the money. It was because of the joy of putting words together. Sharing ideas. Connecting with people through stories."
I notice once I think someone is judging my writing, I then begin judging my writing. I mean, I was always judging my writing, but I stop asking "Is this good enough for me?" and start asking "is this good enough for them?" What if the joy really is in the creation and just sharing it is the accomplishment? Imagine if that was enough.
You are not alone. I haven’t even turned on the paid subscriber button. I even turned off the pledge button and focus on improving my writing for now. I guess, I am used to being paid for ghostwriting gigs.
Relatable (although I've only started posting on Substack, after being on Medium for more than one year). It can feel kinda confusing to enter in a new platform. Having people read our work can put more pressure, like the feeling of writing while being watched.
What you wrote about your subscribers ("something in my writing clicks with them") is very helpful. I'll think about it more often. After all, what really matters is to stay genuine.
Thanks for the vulnerability. I share similar feelings, but I always think nobody cares about them.
If I can give unsolicited advice, I'd say that this anxiety is positive. As long as it doesn't prevent you from writing, or it doesn't ruin your well-being, it's the spark that will keep your engine running.
Hey Lea, this is an awesome post! As someone who just started on Substack a month ago, I can already tell that the community here is amazing and genuine. Even though I haven't enabled payments yet, there is some anxiety there, like you said, about people paying to read your work. But I also think gives us that much more motivation to improve as writers. I look at it like I'm getting the best of both worlds--extra motivation to improve and doing what I love at the same time. Congrats on your growth and thank you so much for posting this! :)
You phrased it so wonderfully and I hope you simply re-read this every time self-doubt strikes: „They subscribed because something in my writing clicks with them.“ And just keep doing what you have been doing. Since this is what they and everyone else - paying or not paying - is subscribing g for ☺️
Thank you so much Fabienne! It’s actually a great idea to re-read this every once in a while. I’ll probably need it.
That’s the great thing about writing. We intend to write for others, but we end up writing tiny bits for ourselves, too!
It can be hard, but if you can focus on "stay close to myself and keep my voice real", you'll do great!
Authentic and vulnerable 👏 great piece
Thank you soo much Mila, sharing this felt terrifying!! 🥲
"It’s just two people, for now. But those two have flipped a switch in my brain." - Are you saying I should turn on my paywall on Substack (it's probably on without my knowledge)? It's unfathomable for me that even ONE person would pay for it, let alone two..congratulations, you deserve it!
Thanks and YES you should definitely turn it on from day one. You have nothing to lose 🙏
Lea, it's not just you :-) It's me too :-) Even though I just started Substack, and promised my free subscribers (I haven't even set up the paid version) to show up once every week and give them some meaningful piece of writing. It's super scary...
On the other hand, be proud of yourself that you still keep writing :-) Congrats for that :-) I wish you luck on this journey :-)
Thanks for sharing Lea 🤍 I wonder if it’s easier on Medium because:
A. It’s paywalled from the whole of internet by default, so all your work is read by people who love to read
B. Medium is huge and easy to “disappear” in the void (the feeling of)
But yes, on Substack, there is something about curation that doesn’t exist anywhere else. And in many ways that’s a good thing, but it’s not great if it causes us anxiety 🩷
The good news is that there is a wonderful community here to share all these worries with 🙂🩷
Lea, you are sharing so much value for free. Thanks for that. I would say your stories are pay-worthy for sure.
THIS. So much This.
"But I’m also trying to remind myself of why I started writing in the first place. It wasn’t for the money. It was because of the joy of putting words together. Sharing ideas. Connecting with people through stories."
I notice once I think someone is judging my writing, I then begin judging my writing. I mean, I was always judging my writing, but I stop asking "Is this good enough for me?" and start asking "is this good enough for them?" What if the joy really is in the creation and just sharing it is the accomplishment? Imagine if that was enough.
You are not alone. I haven’t even turned on the paid subscriber button. I even turned off the pledge button and focus on improving my writing for now. I guess, I am used to being paid for ghostwriting gigs.
Our internal dialogue is so interesting
Relatable (although I've only started posting on Substack, after being on Medium for more than one year). It can feel kinda confusing to enter in a new platform. Having people read our work can put more pressure, like the feeling of writing while being watched.
What you wrote about your subscribers ("something in my writing clicks with them") is very helpful. I'll think about it more often. After all, what really matters is to stay genuine.
The pressure is real and pleasure from publishing, greater. But oh, I do share your anxiety.
Thanks for the vulnerability. I share similar feelings, but I always think nobody cares about them.
If I can give unsolicited advice, I'd say that this anxiety is positive. As long as it doesn't prevent you from writing, or it doesn't ruin your well-being, it's the spark that will keep your engine running.
Hey Lea, this is an awesome post! As someone who just started on Substack a month ago, I can already tell that the community here is amazing and genuine. Even though I haven't enabled payments yet, there is some anxiety there, like you said, about people paying to read your work. But I also think gives us that much more motivation to improve as writers. I look at it like I'm getting the best of both worlds--extra motivation to improve and doing what I love at the same time. Congrats on your growth and thank you so much for posting this! :)
Haha well it’s like you are inside my head. I’m curious snout that 4 figures on Medium. How much work is involved to obtain that
keep on with the great work
Sometimes emotional stories that you just allow to flow out of you do very well. You're doing great, that's a lot of subscribers in your first month!