I have *many* thoughts on this that I've been collecting and parsing through over the past couple days. As a consumer and a creator on this platform, I can only speak to my behavior. When I think of the newsletters I have a paid subscription to and find real ROI on, I think of:
- Jess Janz: my subscription allows me to attend her monthly poetry and writing workshops
- Carly Valancy: behind her paywall she shares real cold emails she has sent to grow her network, which is something I find valuable in my career right now
What's worth paying for will be different for everyone. Your essay on money was vulnerable and (I'm assuming) extremely cathartic for you. As a reader, though, I didn't feel there was a tangible takeaway that I could ascribe for myself. And I was hard pressed to find a takeaway from your Q&A with Katie in a newsletter that was all about the growing pains of making money and supporting oneself. She could have lent some really valuable recommendations or suggestions to your readers who are probably in the same boat.
And that's what I consider when thinking of where to spend my subscription dollars.
I think for writers (and the substack debate), it comes back to the reader. What tangible value are you providing to your reader -- especially if you're looking to create an additional income source with longevity.
I myself do not have a paywall (and do not have plans to implement one in the future). I will, however, begin charging for workshops that I've previously held for free and using my newsletter to promote them.
You mentioned that your top performing posts are your curated recommendations (particularly travel!). As a reader, I'd much rather pay for a living document with your recommendations since I know they're well-researched and trustworthy. The value for me would be huge -- it's a time saver! And people would pay for that.
Anyways! This was long-winded, but I wanted to share my thoughts since you asked for different perspectives.
hi Alison! thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback about what makes a paid newsletter here on Substack worth it for you. I'm looking to very consciously differentiate what I create here from my FT job, so I don't anticipate focusing on travel guides, but can appreciate that those recommendations are valuable and want to give more thought to how I can craft certain guides that make sense coming from me. for instance, look out for my West Village guide in september! again, thank you for being here, taking the time to read and comment. I really appreciate it! xKD
Oh damn I caught a stray!! I wasn’t expecting that when I started reading this comment 😂🙈 I’ll be more conscious in the future of lending more tactical suggestions and recs in interviews.
I have *many* thoughts on this that I've been collecting and parsing through over the past couple days. As a consumer and a creator on this platform, I can only speak to my behavior. When I think of the newsletters I have a paid subscription to and find real ROI on, I think of:
- Jess Janz: my subscription allows me to attend her monthly poetry and writing workshops
- Carly Valancy: behind her paywall she shares real cold emails she has sent to grow her network, which is something I find valuable in my career right now
What's worth paying for will be different for everyone. Your essay on money was vulnerable and (I'm assuming) extremely cathartic for you. As a reader, though, I didn't feel there was a tangible takeaway that I could ascribe for myself. And I was hard pressed to find a takeaway from your Q&A with Katie in a newsletter that was all about the growing pains of making money and supporting oneself. She could have lent some really valuable recommendations or suggestions to your readers who are probably in the same boat.
And that's what I consider when thinking of where to spend my subscription dollars.
I think for writers (and the substack debate), it comes back to the reader. What tangible value are you providing to your reader -- especially if you're looking to create an additional income source with longevity.
I myself do not have a paywall (and do not have plans to implement one in the future). I will, however, begin charging for workshops that I've previously held for free and using my newsletter to promote them.
You mentioned that your top performing posts are your curated recommendations (particularly travel!). As a reader, I'd much rather pay for a living document with your recommendations since I know they're well-researched and trustworthy. The value for me would be huge -- it's a time saver! And people would pay for that.
Anyways! This was long-winded, but I wanted to share my thoughts since you asked for different perspectives.
hi Alison! thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback about what makes a paid newsletter here on Substack worth it for you. I'm looking to very consciously differentiate what I create here from my FT job, so I don't anticipate focusing on travel guides, but can appreciate that those recommendations are valuable and want to give more thought to how I can craft certain guides that make sense coming from me. for instance, look out for my West Village guide in september! again, thank you for being here, taking the time to read and comment. I really appreciate it! xKD
Oh yay!! I’ll be in NYC in October so I’ll def want that WV guide 😍
Oh damn I caught a stray!! I wasn’t expecting that when I started reading this comment 😂🙈 I’ll be more conscious in the future of lending more tactical suggestions and recs in interviews.