Substack is introducing a new microblogging feature to its platform, meaning I’ll have another way to communicate with you all before too long.
Truth be told, up to this point, what I’ve been writing on Substack has been a mix of things. Sometimes, I simply post here what I’m writing at RedState. That’s the bulk of the daily posts here. This is also my platform for the podcast version of my radio show. Occasionally, I write some personal notes here just for y’all.
But pulling the curtain back a bit, I have multiple writing jobs going on at any given point. I am writing for RedState, I am writing for KPEL, and between those full-time jobs, I am also keeping the podcast up to date and trying to stay active on social media. None of this is to complain. I enjoy doing it. But there are times when things get neglected, and honestly, Substack has been the platform I neglect the most.
I do want to grow the audience. The number of people getting this email or app alert is growing daily. Some of you have found me through social media, some have found me by listening to my show, and some have found me through the Substack network.
What I Do Here
A long time ago, I decided that I didn’t like the usual way of doing things. I was not a fan of the strictly partisan game that so much of the political punditry industry was playing into. Everyone has a side and they must twist themselves into knots to defend that side no matter what. I can’t bring myself to do that, and it frankly comes at the cost of not churning out those viral partisan hits that so many people with large audiences have.
What I have been able to do is start slowly building a radio audience based on presenting all the facts and then giving my perspective on them. That means that, yes, I do criticize my own side and, yes, I do acknowledge when the other side has a valid point. I also make sure that I operate outside my own bubble and read and respond to people who don’t always share my point of view.
I say “bubble,” but lately I’ve come to think of it as a bunker. When we’re trapped inside it, we can’t even see anyone outside of it. In a bubble, you are aware that there are people on the outside, and sometimes you may let them in. But you can lock a bunker and never acknowledge the presence of anyone outside of it.
Based on the data I have, my radio audience is growing because people listen and trust my take on things. They don’t always agree with me, but they stick around because they know I’m being honest with them. Based on the data I have from here and elsewhere, my audience is more of a niche audience with the potential to grow but a much steeper hill to climb to get where I need to be.
What Twitter Has Done
Twitter is now making it much harder for me to grow my audience through social media, and it has me concerned that I might be hitting a ceiling sooner than I’d have liked, and at a lower level than I’d have liked. I’m more dependent than ever on people sharing my work in order for this platform to grow.
Since announcing that microblogging feature, Elon Musk appears to have shut down the ability for Substack to utilize tweet embeds in posts like these. So I can’t just show you Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie’s tweet. You just have to click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph to see it.
What’s more, Twitter is now blocking users from being able to like, retweet, comment on, and share posts that contain Substack links. In other words, when I go to post the link to this little writing on Twitter, the lack of ability to engage drastically reduces its reach. People can’t stumble across my Substack through the likes and retweets of others. It sucks.
Most Substack writers have their pages set up to make money. They are independent journalists who work outside the mainstream to provide good content. Other writers here are artists, storytellers, and other hobbyists and professionals outside the realm of journalism. They, too, are negatively impacted by Musk’s retaliation against Substack.
I can understand at some level what Musk is doing. He sees the new microblogging feature as a threat because Twitter’s microblogging is the foundation of most of what social media does today. This makes Substack look like a competitor, though we know it’s not. But Musk makes rash decisions. That is who he is, and to be fair, he’s made a lot of money from his impulses.
But content creators on Substack will be hurt by this, especially those of us who don’t have large platforms and seek to grow. I would love to turn this into something that generates revenue one day, but to do that, I have to have a much bigger audience than I have right now. It will take time, and Twitter has robbed me of a source of growth, meaning it will take even more time now.
Ironically, Musk’s ire toward mainstream news outlets is now being undercut by this anti-Substack policy, because the best way to hurt the mainstream media is to support independent journalists like you find on Substack. So, while he can troll NPR by listing them on Twitter as “state-sponsored,” he is helping them grow by blocking independent journalists’ growth outside the mainstream.
What’s Next?
So, as much as I hate to do things like this (any one of you who knows me personally knows I hate asking for things), I am encouraging you to share this Substack where you can. My writings, podcasts, recipes (which I promise I will begin sharing again soon), and more are all available for free. I don’t charge for any of it. But in order to grow and offer you more things in the future (some for free and some paid content), I need to continue to build this platform.
Thank you all so much for reading the words I keep putting on the Internet. Even having done this for about 10 years now, it is very humbling when I see that people are reading and listening. You have no idea how much your support means to me.
Happy Easter, and be blessed.