In Defense of Being Yourself

In defense of being yourself, not what any media platform says to “get followers. Many “helpers” guide new Substackers to do this or that because big name authors do it that way. I agree to disagree.

Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash

When I joined Substack, it was a new world of authors. I created my first stack “Diane’s Blue Notes” to indicate I was an all blue Democrat and fighter for democracy. Just when I thought I understood Substack, the CEO’s came up with the “Notes” tab. I debated about dropping the “notes”, and this year I changed “notes” to “forum.” Simplicity!

Notes brought hundreds of people and suggestions of hundreds more people to “follow.” Knowing that only detectives should be following people, I balked at the whole “follow” thing and still prefer people to subscribe (it’s free after all) instead of follow. Followers do not read the work of others like subscribers do. Skimming titles and photos isn’t deep reading or appreciation of the source. Notes encourages clicks and re-sharing even if you haven’t read the original article. Now the big black box quote system makes it even easier not to read the whole article. Sometimes I share the article but then select a quote box hoping someone will click on the article and read it! Substack is far superior to any other social media platform for writers.

Writers write to be read after all, don’t they? There’s nothing better than interacting with your readers about specific ideas or images you shared. We must be our real selves to attract other real selves to our writings. So what’s the big advice that little me has? Write whatever you want with heart, and readers who care will see you. Don’t be jealous of the big names on Substack—they have written far more and far longer than a beginner. After a couple of years of reading instead of fretting about money and subscriber numbers, you will find your community support.

The best reason right now for paywalls is to keep your comment section private (somewhat) from maga-trollers. They are out in numbers this year. I think that’s one way to be safe. Free substacks like this one are more important than paid ones in that there’s no stress if subscribers or followers increase or decrease. I’m here to enjoy my favorite writers and share the wisdom of writers who never disappoint. They are smart, savvy, talented, compassionate, and very Blue💙🇺🇸💙!

Be yourself first! Read more than you post! If you’re a democratic activist, network here. If you hate politics, stay in your art or nature network. I love them all three plus animals and music! Please check the archives to see the types of Substack authors I often laud. It’s not for money—it is because they need feedback. No one pushes me to publicize them. I’m a free spirit. A blue one.

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I want to apologize for turning off our Chat feature yesterday. I received repeated spurious money requests by a Substack subscriber. I hope you might consider reporting/blocking him too: “salama133” . He joined on April 9th, but he’s now removed from this substack. We must watch out for one another. Take time to vet your subscribers and followers. Curate your feed.