My whacky reason for writing on Substack
and the 5 monster stages I went through as a Substack newbie
Google told me I could make money with writing, on Substack.
Yes, Google lured me here with promises of making money.
Whacky reason: I want to make money online
Of course I want to make money.
Everybody wants to make money.
If this is not your reason..
You gotta find your own reason.
I thought I will make money.
I definitely can, right?
Because I can write!
If you must know, I got high scores for my English in school.
I just don’t know what’s in wait ahead in Substack.
Beware: Monsters incoming
Stage 1
So with great excitement, I registered an account.
Posted my first article.
Then Silence.
Bubble burst.
Ok, I can’t write (sorry Ms Judy, my high scores are not working on Substack!)
Stage 2
Doubt and hesitation sets in.
I have 3 problems:
What to write
How to write
Who to write for
Firstly, what to write?
Only vague ideas moving around in my head.
So I name it Thoughts: from the mind to the line
My newsletter banner used to look like this:
At this point, you probably thought, meh…
You’d be right.
It’s all random thoughts in my mind.
I thought ideas would just flow from my brain to my fingers to the keyboard, then to Substack.
That’s what the tagline From the Mind to the Line meant.
How wrong I was.
And yeah, meh.
Meh number 1: I don’t know what to write
I imagine these going through my readers’ mind.
Wait.
Actually, I fear hearing these:
Is there something you wanna say?
What’s your fr*cking point?
Get to your fr*cking point!
Total waste of my 3min
I’m gonna unsubscribe
Meh number 2: How to write
aka, no writing skills.
You call that writing?
Open rate 0% (my biggest nightmare)
Please like and subscribe (nobody did. Another nightmare)
Meh number 3: Who to write for
Huh? Who? Me?
There are thousands, no, millions of potential readers here.
Who is my reader?
Who’s gonna read my stuff?
What are they thinking?
All these running furiously around in my brain.
Going round and round in circles like a hamster on steroids.
And while still fumbling with stage 2…
Guess what?
The next stage is looming.
Stage 3
Overwhelm!!!
How should a publication look like?
Colours, layout and menu
Frequency of posts
Engagement and outreach
Everyone’s publication looks beautiful, readable AND professional.
Trying to learn fast.
Oh no, information overload 😨
I’m supposed to do this?
What, what, what, now I’m supposed to do that?
Wait, this advice is the opposite of that one.
When am I ever going to figure anything out???!!!
Screaming: HELP! (please imagine my arms windmilling over the top of my head rapidly)
Stage 4
Somehow I got over the first 3 stages of craziness.
Now, I have navigated around (sort of).
More familiar with the territory and who’s doing what (sort of).
I followed some, subscribed to some.
Some followed me and some subscribed (you are reading this, so a BIG thank you!)
Phew, am I finally getting some things right?
Secretly pleased, heehee.
Just continue with what I’m doing right?
Um..no.
Here’s what’s next.
Stage 5
It’s time to get good, get better, become great.
Well, my dear friend…
If you pass stage 4, congrats.
It’s the start of our writing journey.
Who knows what lies ahead.
It could be wonderful, it could be treacherous.
You’d never know till you walk it.
Cos there’s no ONE path.
It’s different for everyone seeking their dreams.
You will experience some of the stages above.
Or you may not, I don’t know.
Who you are, where you come from, what have you experienced.
You will bring these along with you on the writing path.
I did that and will continue to do so.
Now’s your turn.
p.s: Did you experience stages like mine? Was it more, or less for you?
Tell me.
Thanks for reading.