Aggghhh I love this!!! Don't worry about losing paid subscribers, I think you've just convinced me to become one!! 😊 I am becoming increasingly frustrated by reading awesome Substack posts which then paywall the actual information I want at the end of the post... and then I die a little inside 😅 I'm just not in the financial position to pay for all sorts of random things on the internet that may or may not be useful to me - and how do I know, since I can't preview the information??
Love your take on this Charlie, definitely given me food for thought.
Yes! I initially was drawn to the idea of paywalls because I liked the idea of a reader-supported publication over selling readers attention to big corporates. But then I started to think - when it's a case of readers literally not gaining access to information on the internet because they can't afford it, I think I'd rather take money from the big corporates so they CAN get the access they need. I've landed here with no paywalls and no sponsored content and I'm just going to hope for a different way of doing things! I agree re previews too - paywalls end up playing a psychological game with the reader, almost. Sounds a bit o.t.t., but that's just the way I feel as a reader myself!
Hi Jessica, I wonder if you follow the same stance about everything you buy in your life. Personally, I’ve bought many things without being certain about their quality. Some of them turned out good, some others not. It’s not like you’re signing a contract after all.
In general I would say yes... I take my time making decisions whether to buy something, and often buy in-person so I can actually see and feel the quality before purchasing. I am not a big fan of online shopping for that reason! Maybe it's a sensory thing... :)
I'm new to your writing, Charlie. :) But reading this was great. I have paywall off, too. I actually never enabled it. To be transparent, I have another job that pays my bills, but my readers can support my work in many ways other than just with money. A thoughtful comment, a like, and a reshare mean a lot to me.
I loved your weekly notes. Last Friday, I also wrote a post on how being so connected and consuming limits our ability to access our inner world, which is crucial for our creativity. I have been enjoying your logged as well. I'm looking forward to more!
I so agree! Especially in this day and age, a reader spending their time and attention on reading, commenting, or sharing with a friend is a big investment worthy of appreciation.
I love this and really appreciate your insight. It isn't easy being a creative online, is it?! I totally understand the frustration with meeting paywalls left right and centre when researching things too, it's definitely one of the bains of my life. As is not being in a financial position to support all the creators I love! Hopefully one day. For now, I love your take. I hope you'll be able to find your path too, but I really value how you're being true to yourself and bringing us along this journey with you! 💜
One of the many reasons I decided to subscribe to your newsletter (and continue subscribing) is because of how balanced your approach is to the online world, and this post is such a great example of that. I appreciate that you are letting us know about your change in perspective and that you are sticking to what you believe in!
I'm lucky that I am now in a position where I can support my favorite creators, but from a reader/audience perspective, it is difficult to decide who to give money to when everyone has a Patreon/Ko-fi/Substack. I don't have that much money lol. One way I decide whether to go the extra step to give money is by how frequently I tune in.
I do the same with my other subscriptions, like Netflix; every month or so I go through my credit card and see what I have been paying for, and if I see something I haven't used in a while I cut it. In some cases, I know that I like having that subscription, but I don't need it then so I take a break.
When it comes to creators online, I subscribe to the ones I watch/read regularly, even if I can see the majority of their content for free, because they add a lot of value to my life already and I want to say thank you (and I am financially able to do so). At the end of the day, there are only a tiny handful of creators that I feel that inspired by and consistently engage in their content, so the subscription budget is manageable.
This is so interesting Felicia! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. They very much align with mine (as a reader and consumer who likes to support her favourite creatives). One of the questions I mentioned in my essay was asking myself the question 'why do I financially support who I support?' and the answer was immediately clear: because I value their perspective and consistently consume their work. When you boil it down like that, it's pretty simple!
I love your approach to subscriptions more generally e.g. with Netflix etc - you've inspired me to think about taking a more intentional approach myself. I dread to think how much money I waste on subscriptions to big corporates even when I don't use their service that much for a couple of months at a time.
I love this post so much. The conflict between how to stay creative and also make money is rife in me, and so to witness your curiosity and reframing around it is refreshing. Thank you 💛
I completely agree with you about paywalls. I actively unsubscribe from Substacks that send me emails that I can't read because they're paywalled - I mean, why clog my inbox with stuff I can't even read? or worse, that hook me in to read and then cut me off. Like you, I'm feeling my way here, but it felt right to turn on paid subs but have everything free to access. That way, it feels like an exchange of generosity rather than a transaction. So far my 'conversion rate' runs at around 4%. In turn, I subscribe to as many others as I can, but rotate the subscriptions, as I can't afford them all!
“That way it feels like an exchange of generosity rather than a transaction” - THIS!!!
Also I surprisingly hadn’t thought about how annoying it is to receive paywalled items into my inbox because it takes up space - and, come to think of it, it’s a huge waste of people’s time to start reading a post only to find half of it is behind a paywall. It just isn’t a transparent way of doing things which feels kinda like you’re tricking people - ew.
I'm grateful for this, Charlie. I have wanted to become a paid subscriber for a while, but I don't have a lot of wiggle room for that right now. I hope I can still give back at some point and am very much looking forward to being able to read even more of your writing.
I notice your thoughtful comments on my pieces and they mean so much to me as it is a symbol of the time and energy you have taken to read what I share - so thank you.
I made the same decision for my Substack last week. I struggled with the decision ever since joining, and finally came to the conclusion that it felt too icky to ask people to pay to hear my words -- especially my words here, which are much more personal than my usual paid writing work. It makes me think of the heyday of blogging -- no ads, everything was free. Those are the days I loved blogging the most, and that's the kind of community I want to grow here.
I am definitely grateful that it is easier now to become a patron than it was back then - It's so nostalgic to think of the way the internet was before the creator economy and subscription models took over. I miss it too.
It's very inspiring to read about your journey and how you've been transforming your life from living the modern status quo of mindless scrolling and disconnect (which produces anxiety and stress) to following connection and being true to yourself (which has the potential to grow self love and connection with others).
“Thus, information about a person’s emotional state is encoded in the heart’s magnetic field and is communicated throughout the body and into the external environment.” 🤯
This is fascinating. I will be reflecting on this, thank you for sharing David.
The question of how to financially support your work while sharing it, and finding the balance of being open but also feeling like you're providing value with the things you charge for is soooo hard. It's super refreshing to see you be so open about the conundrum and how there's no right answers.
Thanks for sharing my zines as part of it, I'm always questioning whether it's completely counterintuitive to have a paid physical version of something that's free online, but it's the only way I've worked out how to do it so far.
Your zine just arrived Natalie and it is absolutely gorgeous. I'm so happy to have a copy of it in physical form - there's something so special about being able to hold someone else's art in your hands, and zines are such a cute way of doing that!
It's hard to know how else to do it unless you commit to sharing more about the zine making process perhaps, and paywall the behind the scenes - but that's a whole load of extra work that might not be worth the time in terms of financial support! I'm personally not convinced by the 'more content' equals 'more money' mantra.
Thank you for this inspiring post! I have a feeling Ayana Zaire Cotton’s work would resonate with you. You can find them here on Substack and their website, Seeda School. ☺️
It's her best album yet IMO! She's more and more creative with every new release. I actually got to see her play a set of her new album last minute in London Tuesday and cried the whole way through it was so exceptionally beautiful.
Oh, you are so lucky! I've only been to once concert of hers. It was in Birmingham and I couldn't see a thing. It was heart breaking. I was hoping to get to one of the London shows but they sold out before I could even get on the system.
I love this for you!!!! And I loved your vlog!!!!! Thank you so much for all the support you're showing me, it really is filling my heart with joy and motivation ❤️
I loved this entire post! How freeing for your mind and creativity that you've made this decision. I get so frustrated when I'm browsing or researching or just enjoying someone's content, and then I find that most of it is behind a paywall.
As I grow my own Substack and think about monetizing it, I'm considering the same questions. The beauty in being a beginner with no monetary obligation to my subscribers is that I can experiment with new topics and chase my creativity. I started my newsletter to connect with others, so how could I ever think of blocking people from connecting with me?
A model that I'm considering is keeping posts mostly free, but having the paid posts be more for the superfans: close friends and family or people who really want to hear what I say. People can pay, or they can send me a message and I'll give them a free subscription, no questions asked. Kind of similar to what you're thinking! Thank you for sharing, as always :)
It always amazes me how synchronicity happens. I've been thinking similar things. I began with Patreon in 2020 with a similar idea: to protect myself and allowing myself the freedom to share to a small group of people who wanted to hear from me. Then I discovered I didn't like filming videos and so I switched to substack but turned on the paywall for the same reason. I've never strived to make money from subscriptions because it's a trap. Once you start and if it works, even a little bit, you can never stop and the content machine is endless. I also want to "retire" from the internet as a source of work and income. I've tried and every time it seems to start working I take a step back because becoming a prisoner of the content treadmill scares me so much. When I don't think about that, my creativity flourishes and currently I'm working more on my website to attract local opportunities instead of pushing more and more content. My Substack is a place where I love to share and write and untangle some of my thoughts about drawing and all other wordly matters that interest me. I still need to think if I want all my writing out there or if I should remove some of the posts I paywalled and just go free.
Aggghhh I love this!!! Don't worry about losing paid subscribers, I think you've just convinced me to become one!! 😊 I am becoming increasingly frustrated by reading awesome Substack posts which then paywall the actual information I want at the end of the post... and then I die a little inside 😅 I'm just not in the financial position to pay for all sorts of random things on the internet that may or may not be useful to me - and how do I know, since I can't preview the information??
Love your take on this Charlie, definitely given me food for thought.
Yes! I initially was drawn to the idea of paywalls because I liked the idea of a reader-supported publication over selling readers attention to big corporates. But then I started to think - when it's a case of readers literally not gaining access to information on the internet because they can't afford it, I think I'd rather take money from the big corporates so they CAN get the access they need. I've landed here with no paywalls and no sponsored content and I'm just going to hope for a different way of doing things! I agree re previews too - paywalls end up playing a psychological game with the reader, almost. Sounds a bit o.t.t., but that's just the way I feel as a reader myself!
I admire your commitment to finding a different way of doing things. It’s refreshing to see someone prioritize access to information over profit.
Yes Jessica, with you. Thankyou (for voicing it)
Hi Jessica, I wonder if you follow the same stance about everything you buy in your life. Personally, I’ve bought many things without being certain about their quality. Some of them turned out good, some others not. It’s not like you’re signing a contract after all.
In general I would say yes... I take my time making decisions whether to buy something, and often buy in-person so I can actually see and feel the quality before purchasing. I am not a big fan of online shopping for that reason! Maybe it's a sensory thing... :)
I'm new to your writing, Charlie. :) But reading this was great. I have paywall off, too. I actually never enabled it. To be transparent, I have another job that pays my bills, but my readers can support my work in many ways other than just with money. A thoughtful comment, a like, and a reshare mean a lot to me.
I loved your weekly notes. Last Friday, I also wrote a post on how being so connected and consuming limits our ability to access our inner world, which is crucial for our creativity. I have been enjoying your logged as well. I'm looking forward to more!
I so agree! Especially in this day and age, a reader spending their time and attention on reading, commenting, or sharing with a friend is a big investment worthy of appreciation.
I love this and really appreciate your insight. It isn't easy being a creative online, is it?! I totally understand the frustration with meeting paywalls left right and centre when researching things too, it's definitely one of the bains of my life. As is not being in a financial position to support all the creators I love! Hopefully one day. For now, I love your take. I hope you'll be able to find your path too, but I really value how you're being true to yourself and bringing us along this journey with you! 💜
Thank you so much Cassie ❤️
One of the many reasons I decided to subscribe to your newsletter (and continue subscribing) is because of how balanced your approach is to the online world, and this post is such a great example of that. I appreciate that you are letting us know about your change in perspective and that you are sticking to what you believe in!
I'm lucky that I am now in a position where I can support my favorite creators, but from a reader/audience perspective, it is difficult to decide who to give money to when everyone has a Patreon/Ko-fi/Substack. I don't have that much money lol. One way I decide whether to go the extra step to give money is by how frequently I tune in.
I do the same with my other subscriptions, like Netflix; every month or so I go through my credit card and see what I have been paying for, and if I see something I haven't used in a while I cut it. In some cases, I know that I like having that subscription, but I don't need it then so I take a break.
When it comes to creators online, I subscribe to the ones I watch/read regularly, even if I can see the majority of their content for free, because they add a lot of value to my life already and I want to say thank you (and I am financially able to do so). At the end of the day, there are only a tiny handful of creators that I feel that inspired by and consistently engage in their content, so the subscription budget is manageable.
I love this approach & perspective!! ♥️
This is so interesting Felicia! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. They very much align with mine (as a reader and consumer who likes to support her favourite creatives). One of the questions I mentioned in my essay was asking myself the question 'why do I financially support who I support?' and the answer was immediately clear: because I value their perspective and consistently consume their work. When you boil it down like that, it's pretty simple!
I love your approach to subscriptions more generally e.g. with Netflix etc - you've inspired me to think about taking a more intentional approach myself. I dread to think how much money I waste on subscriptions to big corporates even when I don't use their service that much for a couple of months at a time.
I love this post so much. The conflict between how to stay creative and also make money is rife in me, and so to witness your curiosity and reframing around it is refreshing. Thank you 💛
Thank you Helen, for reading and for your lovely comment of solidarity ❤️
I completely agree with you about paywalls. I actively unsubscribe from Substacks that send me emails that I can't read because they're paywalled - I mean, why clog my inbox with stuff I can't even read? or worse, that hook me in to read and then cut me off. Like you, I'm feeling my way here, but it felt right to turn on paid subs but have everything free to access. That way, it feels like an exchange of generosity rather than a transaction. So far my 'conversion rate' runs at around 4%. In turn, I subscribe to as many others as I can, but rotate the subscriptions, as I can't afford them all!
“That way it feels like an exchange of generosity rather than a transaction” - THIS!!!
Also I surprisingly hadn’t thought about how annoying it is to receive paywalled items into my inbox because it takes up space - and, come to think of it, it’s a huge waste of people’s time to start reading a post only to find half of it is behind a paywall. It just isn’t a transparent way of doing things which feels kinda like you’re tricking people - ew.
I'm grateful for this, Charlie. I have wanted to become a paid subscriber for a while, but I don't have a lot of wiggle room for that right now. I hope I can still give back at some point and am very much looking forward to being able to read even more of your writing.
I notice your thoughtful comments on my pieces and they mean so much to me as it is a symbol of the time and energy you have taken to read what I share - so thank you.
I made the same decision for my Substack last week. I struggled with the decision ever since joining, and finally came to the conclusion that it felt too icky to ask people to pay to hear my words -- especially my words here, which are much more personal than my usual paid writing work. It makes me think of the heyday of blogging -- no ads, everything was free. Those are the days I loved blogging the most, and that's the kind of community I want to grow here.
I am definitely grateful that it is easier now to become a patron than it was back then - It's so nostalgic to think of the way the internet was before the creator economy and subscription models took over. I miss it too.
Thank you, Charlie. I too can so relate to everything you wrote.
Fear and worry can certainly take over if we allow it--and be promoted by social media and mainstream culture.
But, I remind myself what the HeartMath Institute research consistently has found. The electromagnetic field of the heart, heart coherence, and love are over 100 times stronger than our brain or our thoughts (ego) (https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/energetic-communication/).
It's very inspiring to read about your journey and how you've been transforming your life from living the modern status quo of mindless scrolling and disconnect (which produces anxiety and stress) to following connection and being true to yourself (which has the potential to grow self love and connection with others).
Thank you!
“Thus, information about a person’s emotional state is encoded in the heart’s magnetic field and is communicated throughout the body and into the external environment.” 🤯
This is fascinating. I will be reflecting on this, thank you for sharing David.
After writing my comment yesterday, I decided to write an article that I just published on this topic on my Substack--
https://couragetoloveyourself.substack.com/p/achieving-coherence . Thanks for the inspiration :)
The question of how to financially support your work while sharing it, and finding the balance of being open but also feeling like you're providing value with the things you charge for is soooo hard. It's super refreshing to see you be so open about the conundrum and how there's no right answers.
Thanks for sharing my zines as part of it, I'm always questioning whether it's completely counterintuitive to have a paid physical version of something that's free online, but it's the only way I've worked out how to do it so far.
Your zine just arrived Natalie and it is absolutely gorgeous. I'm so happy to have a copy of it in physical form - there's something so special about being able to hold someone else's art in your hands, and zines are such a cute way of doing that!
It's hard to know how else to do it unless you commit to sharing more about the zine making process perhaps, and paywall the behind the scenes - but that's a whole load of extra work that might not be worth the time in terms of financial support! I'm personally not convinced by the 'more content' equals 'more money' mantra.
Thank you for this inspiring post! I have a feeling Ayana Zaire Cotton’s work would resonate with you. You can find them here on Substack and their website, Seeda School. ☺️
Thank you so much for recommending Ayana to me - I've just subscribed!
😊💜
Aurora is awesome! Loving that album.
It's her best album yet IMO! She's more and more creative with every new release. I actually got to see her play a set of her new album last minute in London Tuesday and cried the whole way through it was so exceptionally beautiful.
Oh, you are so lucky! I've only been to once concert of hers. It was in Birmingham and I couldn't see a thing. It was heart breaking. I was hoping to get to one of the London shows but they sold out before I could even get on the system.
Oh noooo 😫 I totally get how heartbreaking that must have been!
Yeah, I was pretty devastated.
I love this for you!!!! And I loved your vlog!!!!! Thank you so much for all the support you're showing me, it really is filling my heart with joy and motivation ❤️
Thank you Emily!! 💘🧚♂️
I loved this entire post! How freeing for your mind and creativity that you've made this decision. I get so frustrated when I'm browsing or researching or just enjoying someone's content, and then I find that most of it is behind a paywall.
As I grow my own Substack and think about monetizing it, I'm considering the same questions. The beauty in being a beginner with no monetary obligation to my subscribers is that I can experiment with new topics and chase my creativity. I started my newsletter to connect with others, so how could I ever think of blocking people from connecting with me?
A model that I'm considering is keeping posts mostly free, but having the paid posts be more for the superfans: close friends and family or people who really want to hear what I say. People can pay, or they can send me a message and I'll give them a free subscription, no questions asked. Kind of similar to what you're thinking! Thank you for sharing, as always :)
Good luck with figuring out what works for you Madeleine! :)
Inspiring ❤️
🥹❤️
It always amazes me how synchronicity happens. I've been thinking similar things. I began with Patreon in 2020 with a similar idea: to protect myself and allowing myself the freedom to share to a small group of people who wanted to hear from me. Then I discovered I didn't like filming videos and so I switched to substack but turned on the paywall for the same reason. I've never strived to make money from subscriptions because it's a trap. Once you start and if it works, even a little bit, you can never stop and the content machine is endless. I also want to "retire" from the internet as a source of work and income. I've tried and every time it seems to start working I take a step back because becoming a prisoner of the content treadmill scares me so much. When I don't think about that, my creativity flourishes and currently I'm working more on my website to attract local opportunities instead of pushing more and more content. My Substack is a place where I love to share and write and untangle some of my thoughts about drawing and all other wordly matters that interest me. I still need to think if I want all my writing out there or if I should remove some of the posts I paywalled and just go free.