I write from my gut. But when the stories get long, I can’t help wondering if I’m supposed to keep them shorter. And when something I’ve bled onto the page doesn’t connect, it hits me harder than I ever want to admit.
Hello! I discovered you from Sweaty Spice, who I follow, read, share music with. If he says you're good, then you're good! 😂 I'm just now subscribing to you, Cryn, and look forward to your writing. I started a Substack almost two years ago to do something else than write advertising copy, which I've done for over 35 years. UGH. I've sold a lot of widgets and made clients a lot of money.
But I understand how your most popular posts are about Trump and America's sad situation. Me, too. I hated writing about it but felt compelled and one of them was a hit. When I might write about anything else and get..meh. 🤷🏼♀️ I dabble in Photography and started a thing called Photo Friday and thats been a nice way to show people my work.
EVERYBODY writes about every detail of the current nightmare and I can only read so much of the same topic. Find a few writers that resonate with you on the subject of politics and forget the rest. I want new and interesting subjects. I think we should write for ourselves, not to feed the monkeys, you know? I'm here to learn and engage... so to hell with the algorithm. I'm glad to know you and I say...write whatever the hell you want! 👏👏👏 ✌️
Hi Susan, Thanks for your post and for subscribing to my Substack. I myself have worked for years in corporate America as a writer, so I know the feeling. Before that, I was working on my PhD in history at Brown. (I also published a book about the student loan debt crisis several years ago, which was totally unrelated to what I had been studying as a grad student.)
Anyway, I write about history, philosophy (mostly on Marxism, but not always), current events, and the occasional personal essay.
“What would be the natural next step for this reader in this moment?”
As if they know me. It's maddening, reductivist, and serves a fixed- (vs. growth-) mindset view of people. All the more vexxing is that "algorithm" is scene by The Street as evidence of a business plan. No wonder print media died.
Whenever I describe Substack as a "social media" site, I get a lot of hate from the purists who never engage on notes, or if they do, they don't recognize how the algorithm is what drives success and failure.
Starting in April, as they (the founders) were trying to close a crucial funding round, they began tilting the field, especially against those of us who steadfastly refused to monetize (my writing is an outlet, and it is cathartic. And I make enough that I really don't want a trickle of revenue from Substack to mess with my taxes) they began limiting reach, and subscriber counts. Turns out that ~ 2,000 is as big as they will let a free substack get before throttling.
But then they started putting their fingers on the scale for the more profitable Substacks, and unless you had "thousands of paid subscribers" you started to see a drop off of new subscribers, and views/comments.
Turns out that Notes is becoming their "killer app" and it will be how they put the pressure on to get to a profitable business model.
Your writing is fabulous, and I greatly enjoy each and every post!
It’s interesting how the algorithm ends up doing a kind of “thinking” for us. If we’re only exposed to what it decides we’ll like, it quietly takes over part of the critical thinking process we’d normally do ourselves.
I enjoy the variety! This is a part of life.
I do, too!
Please keep doing what you're doing and to hell with the algorithm. Your writing always shines through.
I write from my gut. But when the stories get long, I can’t help wondering if I’m supposed to keep them shorter. And when something I’ve bled onto the page doesn’t connect, it hits me harder than I ever want to admit.
You’re obviously doing what’s right! Your work resonates with your readers, too.
Hello! I discovered you from Sweaty Spice, who I follow, read, share music with. If he says you're good, then you're good! 😂 I'm just now subscribing to you, Cryn, and look forward to your writing. I started a Substack almost two years ago to do something else than write advertising copy, which I've done for over 35 years. UGH. I've sold a lot of widgets and made clients a lot of money.
But I understand how your most popular posts are about Trump and America's sad situation. Me, too. I hated writing about it but felt compelled and one of them was a hit. When I might write about anything else and get..meh. 🤷🏼♀️ I dabble in Photography and started a thing called Photo Friday and thats been a nice way to show people my work.
EVERYBODY writes about every detail of the current nightmare and I can only read so much of the same topic. Find a few writers that resonate with you on the subject of politics and forget the rest. I want new and interesting subjects. I think we should write for ourselves, not to feed the monkeys, you know? I'm here to learn and engage... so to hell with the algorithm. I'm glad to know you and I say...write whatever the hell you want! 👏👏👏 ✌️
Hi Susan, Thanks for your post and for subscribing to my Substack. I myself have worked for years in corporate America as a writer, so I know the feeling. Before that, I was working on my PhD in history at Brown. (I also published a book about the student loan debt crisis several years ago, which was totally unrelated to what I had been studying as a grad student.)
Anyway, I write about history, philosophy (mostly on Marxism, but not always), current events, and the occasional personal essay.
One of my favorite essays I wrote here, which was really popular, was titled "Hurt Girl of the 80s." If you wanna check it out, here it is: https://cryn.substack.com/p/hurt-girl-of-the-80s
I look forward to your work, too! I'll keep an eye out for your photos on Friday as well.
“What would be the natural next step for this reader in this moment?”
As if they know me. It's maddening, reductivist, and serves a fixed- (vs. growth-) mindset view of people. All the more vexxing is that "algorithm" is scene by The Street as evidence of a business plan. No wonder print media died.
Yep, I hear you. I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing.
Whenever I describe Substack as a "social media" site, I get a lot of hate from the purists who never engage on notes, or if they do, they don't recognize how the algorithm is what drives success and failure.
Starting in April, as they (the founders) were trying to close a crucial funding round, they began tilting the field, especially against those of us who steadfastly refused to monetize (my writing is an outlet, and it is cathartic. And I make enough that I really don't want a trickle of revenue from Substack to mess with my taxes) they began limiting reach, and subscriber counts. Turns out that ~ 2,000 is as big as they will let a free substack get before throttling.
But then they started putting their fingers on the scale for the more profitable Substacks, and unless you had "thousands of paid subscribers" you started to see a drop off of new subscribers, and views/comments.
Turns out that Notes is becoming their "killer app" and it will be how they put the pressure on to get to a profitable business model.
Your writing is fabulous, and I greatly enjoy each and every post!
It’s interesting how the algorithm ends up doing a kind of “thinking” for us. If we’re only exposed to what it decides we’ll like, it quietly takes over part of the critical thinking process we’d normally do ourselves.
Yes! It’s so disturbing and angering.