Kristina--I am on both platforms, but realized today that I must pay for every subscriber I want to follow in depth on Substack (unlike Medium)--which is rather costly if I have more than two such people in mind on Substack, which I do! Also, I am a writer with 34 Indie books in genre fields, but do not have courses or a podcast. (I do h…
Kristina--I am on both platforms, but realized today that I must pay for every subscriber I want to follow in depth on Substack (unlike Medium)--which is rather costly if I have more than two such people in mind on Substack, which I do! Also, I am a writer with 34 Indie books in genre fields, but do not have courses or a podcast. (I do have my own email list on MailChimp I send to once a month that gets minimal engagement.) So what on earth could I offer on Substack for a newsletter that would make a paid subscription to my Substack newsletter seem worthwhile to readers? However, given Medium now pays only pennies per article as of January 7th, it makes being on Medium questionable--but you seem to be thriving there--have you not noticed the drop in the Partner program revenue like so many of us have??
Hi Regina, The key is building a "flywheel" (as I shared in the story) to make these platforms work together. I love the recurring income from Substack, and I also vote with my wallet for my favorite writers. Instead of paying hundreds of thousands for traditional publishing routes, I get to support amazing indie writers like Walter Rhein or
You’re in a unique position with 34 indie books—there’s so much you could offer on Substack! Consider pairing paid and free content, just like your favorite writers do. For example:
- Free tier: Share behind-the-scenes stories, your writing process, or reflections on your books and the indie publishing journey.
- Paid tier: Offer exclusive serialized content (new books, bonus chapters, or short stories), writing tips, or even host a monthly live Q&A or AMA with your readers.
As for Medium, while the Partner Program revenue has dropped for many, I’ve seen success by focusing on creating valuable content and using Medium as a top-of-funnel platform to bring readers to my Substack or email list. Think of Medium as a discovery tool: readers find your work there, and then you invite them to join your Substack for more direct, deeper engagement.
It sounds like you already have a foundation with your MailChimp list. The next step could be showing your readers why it’s valuable to subscribe to your Substack. Share a mix of free and premium content to build trust, and over time, they’ll see the value in becoming paid subscribers.
I hope this helps clarify things! Your writing has so much potential to build a community that’s excited to support you on Substack. Trust me. All you need to do is take action and get on Substack and start writing :) Hugs, Kristina
Kristina--I am on both platforms, but realized today that I must pay for every subscriber I want to follow in depth on Substack (unlike Medium)--which is rather costly if I have more than two such people in mind on Substack, which I do! Also, I am a writer with 34 Indie books in genre fields, but do not have courses or a podcast. (I do have my own email list on MailChimp I send to once a month that gets minimal engagement.) So what on earth could I offer on Substack for a newsletter that would make a paid subscription to my Substack newsletter seem worthwhile to readers? However, given Medium now pays only pennies per article as of January 7th, it makes being on Medium questionable--but you seem to be thriving there--have you not noticed the drop in the Partner program revenue like so many of us have??
Hi Regina, The key is building a "flywheel" (as I shared in the story) to make these platforms work together. I love the recurring income from Substack, and I also vote with my wallet for my favorite writers. Instead of paying hundreds of thousands for traditional publishing routes, I get to support amazing indie writers like Walter Rhein or
You’re in a unique position with 34 indie books—there’s so much you could offer on Substack! Consider pairing paid and free content, just like your favorite writers do. For example:
- Free tier: Share behind-the-scenes stories, your writing process, or reflections on your books and the indie publishing journey.
- Paid tier: Offer exclusive serialized content (new books, bonus chapters, or short stories), writing tips, or even host a monthly live Q&A or AMA with your readers.
As for Medium, while the Partner Program revenue has dropped for many, I’ve seen success by focusing on creating valuable content and using Medium as a top-of-funnel platform to bring readers to my Substack or email list. Think of Medium as a discovery tool: readers find your work there, and then you invite them to join your Substack for more direct, deeper engagement.
It sounds like you already have a foundation with your MailChimp list. The next step could be showing your readers why it’s valuable to subscribe to your Substack. Share a mix of free and premium content to build trust, and over time, they’ll see the value in becoming paid subscribers.
I hope this helps clarify things! Your writing has so much potential to build a community that’s excited to support you on Substack. Trust me. All you need to do is take action and get on Substack and start writing :) Hugs, Kristina
Sent you a DM!