You are, in fact, NOT the only one spiraling about this. I just wrote a post about sales and marketing strategies that go against the grain. Namely, how to not be chronically online as a means of "promoting" your business. I came to a few solutions: connecting with people in your proximity (even if they're not your ideal client/reader/follower, etc., they might know someone who is), promoting yourself in physical places (flyers, posted business cards, snail mail), and treating your own website as your social homebase.
Those are all great ideas. Thanks! I think for what I’m trying to achieve, getting some personal essays and other types of writing published via well known sites, like HuffPost, etc, could also be good. I found with my freelance content marketing and writing business for tech companies, once I had a few bylines, it really helped me grow (with very little outbound marketing and promotion).
It’s a struggle many writers deal with. Even writers who seem to excel on social media have confessed to me that they hate social media. It definitely helps your chances of getting an agent/publisher, but it’s not everything. In nonfiction, platform is key. But in fiction, it’s less essential. You can still find a publisher without any significant platform.
For me, the compromise is substack. It’s social, but it doesn’t make me like crap every time I engage with it. So that’s where I put my attention.
Thanks for sharing, Lee! Substack is also my compromise. Instagram, I use occasionally, but just for nice photos, never self-promotion. I’m too scared to share my personal writing with people who know me offline. LOL But I’m planning to do that soon.
What you mentioned is interesting, and it makes sense to me that having a platform helps because then publishers can feel more confident in you… you’re able to self-promote and market yourself and already have some potential buyers. But it’s still frustrating to grow. Ha!
I’ve heard that generally fiction is harder to get published (platform or no platform)—is that your understanding of it too?
Depends on where you're coming from. Nonfiction is so platform-specific. I could be an expert in AI, but if I don't have some kind of really impressive credentials, nobody's going to care about my book on AI. Same goes for pretty much everything. But with fiction, you don't need qualifications. Obviously, it helps to have published in The New Yorker, but lots of writers manage to get through the gates of traditional publishing without anything special in their background. Including me.
The part about non-fiction makes sense to me for educational or self-development types of books where people are looking to learn from an expert. But what about memoir? What’s your take on that? Just curious! Not that I’ve written a book yet. Haha.
I’m hearing lots of different takes re: fiction. This is interesting. Thanks!
It’s a bit like High school. You can become one of the popular kids. Check out Gryphon Quill. She’s a lit agent with great advice. Engage with her in the comments.
Oh my God, you are definitely not alone and I've already mentioned my story/dilemma. I'm in the same boat, and here I am trying to make a career out of writing, but my audience is not really on Substack so I have no choice to play the damn social media game when all I crave is simplicity and time away from the damn screen.
I'd say in your case, at least, there are positives - you can throw yourself into writing here and make that work (I think). I'd like to believe that you can get away with ditching social media and putting all your eggs into this Substack basket (but don't take my word for it, I don't know what the hell I'm doing!)
I remember your post about social media! I think it’s possible to grow on Substack alone, you’re right. But then I also think at some point, it becomes limiting. It’s the only place I’m focusing on for now though. 🤞🏻
I know this is a kind of 'the grass is greener' type of thought, but I think you're in a good place. I'd love to be in your shoes (for what it's worth!)
I was naive for way too long and spent all my time writing my book and hoping Substack would be the place to promote it. And though a few Substackers have bought my book(s), my audience just isn't here.
Problem is, I'm not sure they're anywhere - no one reads any more 😭😭😭
Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. Maybe there are some websites that reach your audience where you can pitch a guest post? I think bylines are a great way to gain more visibility. It’s something I’m working on too!
Thanks for your comment Riccardo! I’m going all in on Substack for now. May eventually share some via Instagram but because the writing I do for my day job is quite different, I’m avoiding LinkedIn! I don’t want to confuse the clients that do pay me. Haha.
Oh I love and hate this and relate so deeply to it all at the same time. I actually think that platform is a really complex topic when it comes to writing a book. Sure it may help land a publishing deal - or a bigger/better advance - and that feels like it gives us more permission to write and take up space and shout from the rooftops, but a lot of the time it is a bit more complicated than that.
For many people writing a book opens up lots of other doors, even if they don't go down the trad publishing route (which also feels tougher than ever to get into these days). A lot of people I know have ended up self pubbing, launching kickstarters, and/or serialising their books here - especially memoir. It's also helped many build out their platform. I know a few folks who have self pubbed and then had their work picked up down the line and republished traditionally. The lines are way more blurry these days.
Controversial opinion, perhaps, but I even think having a warmer audience of Substackers (even if it's small) can also make a way bigger difference than one post in NYT or HuffPo. It's a great way to show consistency and build relationships and invite your audience into your world and for them to give you their email address, rather than folks just scan reading one article and then forgetting about it. I don't think I've ever looked up a writer whose article I read and signed up for their newsletter or bought their book, which sounds kind of awful, I guess.
It's also funny because I thought when I pitched personal essays and got one in Biz Insider it would be the beginning of something. But nothing changed at all - I didn't even land more pitches off the back of it - and I was so disappointed 😂 I'd worked hard to get my website up and my substack published and I didn't get a single new subscriber 🙈 Sure, the article wasn't my usual style and as I said I don't actually go after those authors, even though I probably should, but I was still really bummed.
Absolutely go pitch those places, but my best advice is to try and find other ways to give yourself the external validation you crave and build the home for your writing you want to build, rather than waiting to be chosen - especially if that means never writing the articles you pitched. Or, if you submitted essays and they got rejected, share them here. Doing that was one of the best things I've ever done for my mental health, actually. It felt so validating turning a rejected post into a one I was sharing out of choice and appreciation for my words and the content matter.
In my opinion, you choose yourself every day or at least every week by showing up and writing on SS, and I know I'm so grateful to be able to read your words in my inbox and feel a spark of kindred connection within them.
All that to say, I genuinely think this is the time of both/and, where you can go after the clips but also keep choosing you and not just waiting to be chosen or picked by publishers or editors - especially knowing how much they keep getting their rates slashed and how picky and risk averse the publishing industry is at the moment.
To me, a writer who has built up an engaged audience by consistently posting says way more than someone who could have bought 50k IG followers. But then I know that many of us still secretly hold out for that trad pub dream with all the world renowned bylines. I'm absolutely not saying give up on that dream, but you can take some action to move the dial closer, too, like writing here and building up a body of work showing you're a subject expert - even if that's just as the expert on your life.
Long comment, apologies, but I could honestly talk about this stuff all day 😂🙈
Love everything you said, Cassie. Especially about choosing yourself and not waiting to be chosen. I feel like you could write a helpful post or two about this topic based on your real-life experience. Very insightful. I think I want to get a few clips because it’s something I set my mind to around the end of last year. Just to see if I could push myself to write and pitch personal essays. To step outside my comfort zone. I don’t have very high expectations for what it might lead to, to be honest. And I think once I get a few clips (maybe even only 1) I’ll feel like I accomplished my mission. But who knows. Time will tell and in the meantime, I’m definitely staying focused and consistent here on Substack.
Yeah, I guess that's what I mean about the both/and. I can't remember if I ever sent you over any of my pitches that got accepted but I'd happily do that if it helps or we could workshop one if you want. I love your personal essays, though! I reckon your take on the childfree by choice topic might pop off! Especially as you can link the one you wrote here as well. I'd pitch Conz Preti at BI.
I'm also all about demystifying the industry. It's hard enough to get into at the moment with the news cycles, slashed budgets, AI, and many pubs folding or taking things in house. When I pitched Noah at HuffPo he said there was like a 1 in 100 chance of my essay getting accepted and not to take it personally if it didn't. He was really lovely, actually. Good reminder that there are good humans out there!
All that said, I've also been pitching a history-focused travel story I really want to write recently and it's just fallen flat so maybe I'm feeling extra jaded 😂 It's also absolutely nothing that would fit my substack. I used to love having the separation between my "professional" writing and my SS, but now I'm regretting never starting that travel blog! Ohhh well, we live and we learn.
Anyway, hopefully this helps and feel free to reach out if you wanna chat more about it 🥰
Man. Do I feel this. Needing a writing platform to be published feels similar to the old saying of "you need to get hired to gain experience, but no one wants to hire you if you don't have experience!" This is coming from someone who, similar to you, i think, also nurtures dreams of becoming a traditionally published author someday.
"I’ve been on a mission to create something of my own. Anything. I still don’t know what it is, and yeah, I know a year isn’t that long—but I’m impatient as hell."
DAMN IT! We are the same. LOL!
I wish I had some words of wisdom, but I don't. I can relate to all of this, especially about hating technology and being online, as well as not giving a fuck about playing the game, but how to do that in a world that requires us to do a dog and pony show online, the solution for me does not compute -- though I have heard of people who are successful without the online bullshit.
Right now, I'm trying to figure out how an aging GENX 54-year-old man with lots of kick-ass skills and crazy experiences survives a pre-apocalyptic country run by a dictator who is bringing our people to its knees. Maybe that's a book there!?
Please let me know if you figure your shit out so you can help me.
Yep, I hate this. I have published a non-fiction book (traditional publishing with a publisher) despite having no platform, just because I am considered an "expert" in the field through writing a lot about it. When pitching a second book, I was told outright by several agents and publishers that I didn't have enough of a following to publish non-fiction. The thing is...even while BEING online, I couldn't "build" a following. I don't know how to. Reach is going down, engagement is abysmal for most people online. I suspect today "building" a following mainly means...buying a following.
I now write fiction. A following is less crucial there. I believe the solution is writers supporting each other. Let's read and uplift each other's work. Let's show the industry that we want quality writing and interesting stories. Let's be each other's platforms.
Interesting. I’ve heard that fiction can be even harder than non-fiction. I really have no clue at this point. I love what you said!
This part: Let's read and uplift each other's work. Let's show the industry that we want quality writing and interesting stories. Let's be each other's platforms.
it IS harder! I've never pitched a non-fiction book and had ZERO interest. But with my fiction querying...it's brutal. Rejections every single day, and that's just agents, which is before the publisher stage. But the reason why it's harder is not because of your following. It's just that it's more subjective and waaaaaaay more competitive. I prefer being rejected because I'm not good enough (I can own that and improve) rather than because I don't have 50k Instagram followers.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I hear you on your preference for rejection. At least you can take it as an opportunity to improve rather than feeling bad because you don’t have enough followers on Instagram. Ahhhh, the world we live in today….
What do the cards say? Also, Mercury was in retrograde. I KNOW I KNOW, if you don't believe in this it makes noooo sense, but if you seek answers from strangers on the internet, you might as well pull up a spread and your birth chart ;)
So relatable!!
Glad I’m not the only one! Lol
You are, in fact, NOT the only one spiraling about this. I just wrote a post about sales and marketing strategies that go against the grain. Namely, how to not be chronically online as a means of "promoting" your business. I came to a few solutions: connecting with people in your proximity (even if they're not your ideal client/reader/follower, etc., they might know someone who is), promoting yourself in physical places (flyers, posted business cards, snail mail), and treating your own website as your social homebase.
Those are all great ideas. Thanks! I think for what I’m trying to achieve, getting some personal essays and other types of writing published via well known sites, like HuffPost, etc, could also be good. I found with my freelance content marketing and writing business for tech companies, once I had a few bylines, it really helped me grow (with very little outbound marketing and promotion).
It’s a struggle many writers deal with. Even writers who seem to excel on social media have confessed to me that they hate social media. It definitely helps your chances of getting an agent/publisher, but it’s not everything. In nonfiction, platform is key. But in fiction, it’s less essential. You can still find a publisher without any significant platform.
For me, the compromise is substack. It’s social, but it doesn’t make me like crap every time I engage with it. So that’s where I put my attention.
Thanks for sharing, Lee! Substack is also my compromise. Instagram, I use occasionally, but just for nice photos, never self-promotion. I’m too scared to share my personal writing with people who know me offline. LOL But I’m planning to do that soon.
What you mentioned is interesting, and it makes sense to me that having a platform helps because then publishers can feel more confident in you… you’re able to self-promote and market yourself and already have some potential buyers. But it’s still frustrating to grow. Ha!
I’ve heard that generally fiction is harder to get published (platform or no platform)—is that your understanding of it too?
Depends on where you're coming from. Nonfiction is so platform-specific. I could be an expert in AI, but if I don't have some kind of really impressive credentials, nobody's going to care about my book on AI. Same goes for pretty much everything. But with fiction, you don't need qualifications. Obviously, it helps to have published in The New Yorker, but lots of writers manage to get through the gates of traditional publishing without anything special in their background. Including me.
The part about non-fiction makes sense to me for educational or self-development types of books where people are looking to learn from an expert. But what about memoir? What’s your take on that? Just curious! Not that I’ve written a book yet. Haha.
I’m hearing lots of different takes re: fiction. This is interesting. Thanks!
Are you posting and engaging on Notes 10x a day. That seems to be an ingredient. Sigh.
That sounds like hell. Lol
It’s a bit like High school. You can become one of the popular kids. Check out Gryphon Quill. She’s a lit agent with great advice. Engage with her in the comments.
👀 Thanks! Subscribed.
Oh my God, you are definitely not alone and I've already mentioned my story/dilemma. I'm in the same boat, and here I am trying to make a career out of writing, but my audience is not really on Substack so I have no choice to play the damn social media game when all I crave is simplicity and time away from the damn screen.
I'd say in your case, at least, there are positives - you can throw yourself into writing here and make that work (I think). I'd like to believe that you can get away with ditching social media and putting all your eggs into this Substack basket (but don't take my word for it, I don't know what the hell I'm doing!)
I remember your post about social media! I think it’s possible to grow on Substack alone, you’re right. But then I also think at some point, it becomes limiting. It’s the only place I’m focusing on for now though. 🤞🏻
I know this is a kind of 'the grass is greener' type of thought, but I think you're in a good place. I'd love to be in your shoes (for what it's worth!)
I was naive for way too long and spent all my time writing my book and hoping Substack would be the place to promote it. And though a few Substackers have bought my book(s), my audience just isn't here.
Problem is, I'm not sure they're anywhere - no one reads any more 😭😭😭
(I'm exaggerating of course)
Love the exaggeration. Lol
Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say. Maybe there are some websites that reach your audience where you can pitch a guest post? I think bylines are a great way to gain more visibility. It’s something I’m working on too!
Same goes for me.
Desperately seeking the work of writer, which the closer you get to it, the further it moves away from you, Alexis.
I agree with many of the comments I read on your post. For fiction, platforms are not essential. But for nonfiction, I fear they are.
We have no other choice. We have to throw ourselves into the fray of platforms.
I am focusing all my activity on Substack, Medium, LinkedIn and my personal blog.
Everything else is peripheral. Simple copy and paste.
Thanks for your comment Riccardo! I’m going all in on Substack for now. May eventually share some via Instagram but because the writing I do for my day job is quite different, I’m avoiding LinkedIn! I don’t want to confuse the clients that do pay me. Haha.
Oh I love and hate this and relate so deeply to it all at the same time. I actually think that platform is a really complex topic when it comes to writing a book. Sure it may help land a publishing deal - or a bigger/better advance - and that feels like it gives us more permission to write and take up space and shout from the rooftops, but a lot of the time it is a bit more complicated than that.
For many people writing a book opens up lots of other doors, even if they don't go down the trad publishing route (which also feels tougher than ever to get into these days). A lot of people I know have ended up self pubbing, launching kickstarters, and/or serialising their books here - especially memoir. It's also helped many build out their platform. I know a few folks who have self pubbed and then had their work picked up down the line and republished traditionally. The lines are way more blurry these days.
Controversial opinion, perhaps, but I even think having a warmer audience of Substackers (even if it's small) can also make a way bigger difference than one post in NYT or HuffPo. It's a great way to show consistency and build relationships and invite your audience into your world and for them to give you their email address, rather than folks just scan reading one article and then forgetting about it. I don't think I've ever looked up a writer whose article I read and signed up for their newsletter or bought their book, which sounds kind of awful, I guess.
It's also funny because I thought when I pitched personal essays and got one in Biz Insider it would be the beginning of something. But nothing changed at all - I didn't even land more pitches off the back of it - and I was so disappointed 😂 I'd worked hard to get my website up and my substack published and I didn't get a single new subscriber 🙈 Sure, the article wasn't my usual style and as I said I don't actually go after those authors, even though I probably should, but I was still really bummed.
Absolutely go pitch those places, but my best advice is to try and find other ways to give yourself the external validation you crave and build the home for your writing you want to build, rather than waiting to be chosen - especially if that means never writing the articles you pitched. Or, if you submitted essays and they got rejected, share them here. Doing that was one of the best things I've ever done for my mental health, actually. It felt so validating turning a rejected post into a one I was sharing out of choice and appreciation for my words and the content matter.
In my opinion, you choose yourself every day or at least every week by showing up and writing on SS, and I know I'm so grateful to be able to read your words in my inbox and feel a spark of kindred connection within them.
All that to say, I genuinely think this is the time of both/and, where you can go after the clips but also keep choosing you and not just waiting to be chosen or picked by publishers or editors - especially knowing how much they keep getting their rates slashed and how picky and risk averse the publishing industry is at the moment.
To me, a writer who has built up an engaged audience by consistently posting says way more than someone who could have bought 50k IG followers. But then I know that many of us still secretly hold out for that trad pub dream with all the world renowned bylines. I'm absolutely not saying give up on that dream, but you can take some action to move the dial closer, too, like writing here and building up a body of work showing you're a subject expert - even if that's just as the expert on your life.
Long comment, apologies, but I could honestly talk about this stuff all day 😂🙈
Love everything you said, Cassie. Especially about choosing yourself and not waiting to be chosen. I feel like you could write a helpful post or two about this topic based on your real-life experience. Very insightful. I think I want to get a few clips because it’s something I set my mind to around the end of last year. Just to see if I could push myself to write and pitch personal essays. To step outside my comfort zone. I don’t have very high expectations for what it might lead to, to be honest. And I think once I get a few clips (maybe even only 1) I’ll feel like I accomplished my mission. But who knows. Time will tell and in the meantime, I’m definitely staying focused and consistent here on Substack.
Yeah, I guess that's what I mean about the both/and. I can't remember if I ever sent you over any of my pitches that got accepted but I'd happily do that if it helps or we could workshop one if you want. I love your personal essays, though! I reckon your take on the childfree by choice topic might pop off! Especially as you can link the one you wrote here as well. I'd pitch Conz Preti at BI.
I'm also all about demystifying the industry. It's hard enough to get into at the moment with the news cycles, slashed budgets, AI, and many pubs folding or taking things in house. When I pitched Noah at HuffPo he said there was like a 1 in 100 chance of my essay getting accepted and not to take it personally if it didn't. He was really lovely, actually. Good reminder that there are good humans out there!
All that said, I've also been pitching a history-focused travel story I really want to write recently and it's just fallen flat so maybe I'm feeling extra jaded 😂 It's also absolutely nothing that would fit my substack. I used to love having the separation between my "professional" writing and my SS, but now I'm regretting never starting that travel blog! Ohhh well, we live and we learn.
Anyway, hopefully this helps and feel free to reach out if you wanna chat more about it 🥰
Man. Do I feel this. Needing a writing platform to be published feels similar to the old saying of "you need to get hired to gain experience, but no one wants to hire you if you don't have experience!" This is coming from someone who, similar to you, i think, also nurtures dreams of becoming a traditionally published author someday.
I’m glad you found this relatable, Niki! It is indeed a catch 22. If I find a loophole, I’ll write about it! 😊
"I’ve been on a mission to create something of my own. Anything. I still don’t know what it is, and yeah, I know a year isn’t that long—but I’m impatient as hell."
DAMN IT! We are the same. LOL!
I wish I had some words of wisdom, but I don't. I can relate to all of this, especially about hating technology and being online, as well as not giving a fuck about playing the game, but how to do that in a world that requires us to do a dog and pony show online, the solution for me does not compute -- though I have heard of people who are successful without the online bullshit.
Right now, I'm trying to figure out how an aging GENX 54-year-old man with lots of kick-ass skills and crazy experiences survives a pre-apocalyptic country run by a dictator who is bringing our people to its knees. Maybe that's a book there!?
Please let me know if you figure your shit out so you can help me.
SAME SAME. You might be waiting a while for me to figure my shit out. Lol. I wouldn’t count on it. 😜
Yep, I hate this. I have published a non-fiction book (traditional publishing with a publisher) despite having no platform, just because I am considered an "expert" in the field through writing a lot about it. When pitching a second book, I was told outright by several agents and publishers that I didn't have enough of a following to publish non-fiction. The thing is...even while BEING online, I couldn't "build" a following. I don't know how to. Reach is going down, engagement is abysmal for most people online. I suspect today "building" a following mainly means...buying a following.
I now write fiction. A following is less crucial there. I believe the solution is writers supporting each other. Let's read and uplift each other's work. Let's show the industry that we want quality writing and interesting stories. Let's be each other's platforms.
Interesting. I’ve heard that fiction can be even harder than non-fiction. I really have no clue at this point. I love what you said!
This part: Let's read and uplift each other's work. Let's show the industry that we want quality writing and interesting stories. Let's be each other's platforms.
Let’s do it! 💪🏼
it IS harder! I've never pitched a non-fiction book and had ZERO interest. But with my fiction querying...it's brutal. Rejections every single day, and that's just agents, which is before the publisher stage. But the reason why it's harder is not because of your following. It's just that it's more subjective and waaaaaaay more competitive. I prefer being rejected because I'm not good enough (I can own that and improve) rather than because I don't have 50k Instagram followers.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I hear you on your preference for rejection. At least you can take it as an opportunity to improve rather than feeling bad because you don’t have enough followers on Instagram. Ahhhh, the world we live in today….
You are definitely not the only only spiralling about this. It's such a conflicting feeling, isn't it?
Yesssss. Sometimes, I’m like what is the point? But I’m pushing through! ;) How do you usually deal the conflicting feeling?
What do the cards say? Also, Mercury was in retrograde. I KNOW I KNOW, if you don't believe in this it makes noooo sense, but if you seek answers from strangers on the internet, you might as well pull up a spread and your birth chart ;)
OMG. That must be it! Haha.