Substack: Direct connection to readers

Speed and style of content delivery drive evolution of communication

Substack is a “newsletter platform,” however, I like to think of it as more of host of letters to readers, providing writers with immediate and direct connection to readers in order to engage with them and provide information, insights, and entertainment they value … and to build a writing income stream.

A step back from Social Media

On the evolutionary scale of speed and style, social media leaped into the bits and bytes world of the Internet to create speed, style, and a large dose of chaos. Turns out, however, that tiny bits of information, as well as disinformation, can be addictive but seldom nourishing. Soon the happy blue bird turned angry; algorithms brought more sales pitches than friends; and along with the high-dollar walls of traditional publishing, the wheels of innovation and evolution were set in motion.

Out of the chaos, a writer- and reader-focused path

Substack is the latest evolution of mass communication, building on the invention of the printing press which allowed books to be printed and shared widely. Magazines arrived in the late 1600s and then took a giant leap in 1888 when National Geographic Magazine was founded, followed by Reader’s Digest in 1922 and Better Homes and Gardens in 1923. Relatively current information was delivered faster and with high quality graphics that thrilled readers.

Magazines, funded by advertising, needed articles and content to entice subscribers, willing to subscribe, even though the time constraints of the system meant that the content would be somewhat delayed and stale when it arrived. Magazines with their glossy photos were designed for mass markets and provided few opportunities for engagement other than letters to the editors.

When desktop publishing lowered the costs of producing niche newsletters, corporate newsletters began to flourish and offered readers specific information of interest as well as data and discounts on products.

Corporate newsletters, generally funded by the company, are designed for marketing specific products to targeted audiences and, generally, provide few opportunities for engagement. Online, email newsletters allow for greater segmentation of customers and more targeted and current information.

However, both magazines and corporate newsletters created a barrier between writers and readers as loyalty was generally given to the publisher or company rather than to individual writers.

Of course, the ideal writer-to-reader experience would be a personalized letter delivered by snail mail or email. While would provide the greatest possible targeting of current information, it does not lend itself to mass communication.

Enter Substack and Reader Letters. These letters form the “long tail” of communication as they can be targeted to tiny interest groups and fans of individual writers. They tend to be informal and friendly and offer opportunities for experiences with authors and other readers.