This post was not sponsored by Substack or any other business/organization.
I mean, it was only a matter of time before I wrote a post about an actual WordPress (CMS) competitor, right? I might as well do one that is competing in the same area. That is, for novice writers.
The general concepts are the same, but they diverge in execution. WordPress is for full websites, while Substack is just for writing and publishing. Different markets, but who’s to say that one can’t occupy both spaces?
With that, I did my signature examination process of snagging a subdomain, setting up the product, and using it for my own purposes. How did I find it? Relatively more pleasing than I thought it would be.
Let’s get started with the stack, shall we? Here are my thoughts on Substack:
In Case you Didn’t Know:
Substack is an online proprietary platform that allows users to write, publish, and monetize their own newsletter with subscriptions (free or paid, depending on what you want.)
The company was founded in 2017 by Chris Best, Jairaj Sethi, and Hamish McKenzie using other subscription platforms as a guide. It started off under-the-radar, but eventually gained traction in 2019 and 2020 when numerous journalists joined the platform as an alternative to traditional media. Which was more and more pushing some sort of agenda.
As time passed, Substack became more mainstream, with hundreds of thousands of users becoming paying subscribers for certain newsletters. Allowing them to become more well-produced and popular.
However, that does not mean there weren’t other sides of Substack. Ones that were simply people who wanted to write a newsletter for no reason other than just having fun. Myself included.
When I started my blog back in 2020, I wasn’t sure why I didn’t think of the newsletter route. But I suppose it was because, with a website, I have total control. Makes sense, right?
But I want to see the other side of novice writers like myself. Those who simply write and publish. Not doing much on the design end. To that end, Substack does a superb job of being able to cater to all types of writers.
What’s the Difference?
You might be wondering “Okay Zach, what is the difference between a newsletter and a blog?”. There is no exact contrast, but for the purpose of this post (and my research), I have concocted definitions for them:
A blog is a website where a writer would write posts on the direct page. Possibly basing their content on a niche where they are an expert. WordPress is a notable example of a software originally developed to serve as a place for blogs.
A newsletter is a form of content that is sent to readers via email. They are more generalized and are known for being able to build a community more easily. Substack is the most popular platform at the moment on where to build a newsletter.
In this day and age, more people prefer to write newsletters to personal blogs. I can’t blame them!
Spectacular Successes
To-The-Point Infrastructure
Substack doesn’t gloss up its system. You write, you publish, you’re done. There are a few ways to advertise. But it isn’t needlessly complicated. The emailing is automated, and the only thing that is manual (if you want), is if you want to edit the email header or footer to meet your agenda.
But if that’s all the manual work? It’s pretty easy!
Easy Conversions
On Substack, they will really push for you to subscribe to emails. While readers might find this to be a pain as they are constantly bombarded with popups. Writers and publishers would find this to be a good thing.
How so? If people subscribe to a newsletter, that means people will see it in their inbox, open it, and maybe read it. That maybe is not a zero percent rate! Maybe people will keep reading your newsletter, giving that sweet, sweet self-esteem.
Devious Downsides
Of course, there is no platform that has no negatives, and I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this up.
Microblogging… Really?
After X (Formerly Twitter) had a bruh moment and collapsed like a set of dominoes, many platforms quickly rushed to add a feature similar to the abandoned network on their own system. Why? Well, in order to gather all of the lost trolls of course!
While some people may defend the “Notes” as a way for writers/users to share their thoughts. Why do you need to do it on a newsletter platform? You might as well just write a whole essay while you’re at it.
Unless… people like short-form content. This has led to numerous differences in creative/tech culture over the years. Often for the negative.
No, Substack didn’t need to jump on the train and would have kept itself true if it didn’t try to cater to the former tweeters. But those are just my thoughts… Zach’s Thoughts!
Sorry, I just had to. Couldn’t waste the opportunity.
Restricted Visual Designs
On Substack, you aren’t designing anything. You are just writing. For some people, that may be all they want. A hub to write and post content, for those who are more into the visual component of the whole process, it may seem dull.
For starters, on Substack, you are given a homepage, an archives page, and an about page. That’s it. There are a few patterns to use on the homepage, and you have to make your case on why people should subscribe in three pages.
That might be well-and-dandy for some people. But for those who crave more control over how their website may look like, the platform is lacking. In that regard, WordPress does better. But then again, it was built for websites and blogs, not newsletters. So I suppose it is all about the perspective.
All Settings on One Page
This might just be a “me” thing. But I find it a bit annoying that all of the settings for a newsletter are on one page. Yes, you can scroll. But it’s sometimes irritating!
I am someone who likes somewhat of a distinction between settings and categories. That is one downside of Substack, it’s almost too simple at times.
Don’t Mind the Nazis
Recently, a bit of a divide has emerged on Substack choosing not to ban Nazis or other extremists for the sake of “freedom of speech”. Many people point out that there are many on the platform.
I’m not saying there are not Nazis, but it isn’t many; and you have to deliberately go after them. I haven’t been a target, and I talk about my Judaism! Enough said.
Of course, should they be allowed? No. But this issue may draw Substack into a negative light in the mainstream media. Only time will tell, of course.
Conclusion
If you ask me whether you should write a newsletter or a blog, and you are more of a writer than a visual person. I would say create a Substack newsletter. It is absurdly easy to start a newsletter up, and for those just looking to write out to the void. Then it’s even better.
However, if you want to make more of an impact for yourself, or want to have total control over all aspects of the editorial operation, I would argue set up a blog.
But whatever you think, Substack is a viable option for people who just want to write for their own amusement and post for the world to see, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Author’s Note
We are finally back with review posts! I hope people enjoyed this one. Hopefully, there will be a new review post on Loki in the near future. But we’ll see!
I do now maintain a personal Substack Newsletter monthly. But it serves a different purpose than this blog, so it won’t be publicly promoted, at least here.
My college applications are slowly being processed. Freeing me from the pain known as the Common App. Hopefully, I’ll have more time to get more editorial work done.
Thanks for reading ZachsThoughts, have a good night!
Want to learn more about Substack? You can learn more at https://substack.com
