avatarMatt Brady

Summary

The author is dissatisfied with Substack as a platform for their writing and content creation due to its lack of focus, mobile writing limitations, and absence of email automation features.

Abstract

The author, who considers themselves a writer and creator, has explored Substack as a potential platform for a personal project but finds it lacking in several key areas. Despite its appeal as a subscription network, the author criticizes Substack for trying to do too much, which dilutes the quality of its services. The inability to write directly on the platform from a mobile device is a significant inconvenience for the author, who prefers the flexibility of writing on their phone. Additionally, the absence of email automations, a feature the author values for efficiency, further diminishes Substack's appeal. The author's verdict is that Substack is not a simple solution and does not align with their needs for a streamlined and manageable tech stack, leading them to conclude that they will not be using the platform for content creation.

Opinions

  • Substack's attempt to be a multifaceted platform results in a mediocre experience across its features.
  • The lack of a mobile-friendly writing interface is a considerable drawback for the author.
  • Substack's lack of email automation and tagging capabilities is a deal-breaker for the author, who is an email and newsletter enthusiast.
  • The author values simplicity and efficiency in their tech stack and finds Substack to be neither.
  • Despite being a subscriber to other creators on Substack, the author's overall experience as a reader does not translate into a positive experience as a creator.

3 reasons why I will never write on Substack.

Number 2 is a deal breaker for me.

Photo by Kai Pilger on Unsplash

If you are like me, you love trying out different platforms and checking out what’s cool.

I have a personal project that I’ve been trying to pick a platform for, so I thought I’d give Substack a try.

It’s touted as a “subscription network for independent writers and creators”, which appeals to me.

I mean, hey. I’m a writer and a creator.

But I just can’t get into it.

As a reader, it’s an okay platform.

I’ll admit to subscribing to quite a few people/publications on Substack, and I’ve always got some notifications for new content available to read.

I like reading in the app, and some of the creators I follow use the audio option so I can listen to their “issue” like a podcast.

As a creator and writer, it’s a toilet bowl.

I just can’t get into it, and the few times I’ve tried it just didn’t work for me.

Looking for some more reasons why you won’t be seeing me on Substack any time soon?

Here you go.

1. Substack tries to do too many things.

Is it a newsletter / email platform? A social media platform? A subscription platform?

I get the “subscription network” angle, but geez.

The problem with trying to do too many things well is that you do too many things terribly and maybe one thing really well.

2. I can’t write “in” Substack from my phone.

I know it may not be a big deal to some people, but I do some of my best thinking and writing on my phone.

Could I write drafts in Notion and then copy & paste them into Substack once I got in front of an actual computer?

Sure, but that defeats the purpose of trying to make things simpler and easier to execute.

I want to be able to do all of my online and digital things on my phone, and that’s just not a real option with Substack.

I get that you can write in Substack IF you delete the app off of your phone, navigate to Substack in a web browser, and attempt it that way, but…no.

3. There are no email automations in Substack.

If the point above wasn’t already a dealbreaker, this would seal it for me.

I’m an email & newsletter nerd and I like to be able to play with things like automations and tagging in my workflow.

Since Substack isn’t a true ESP, those are not things you can do inside their world.

No bueno.

Bonus — 4. It’s just not simple.

I’ve tried my hardest to keep my tech stack simple and manageable. If it’s not saving me time or money, I really don’t want to spend money on it at this point.

I appreciate that Substack tries to be an all-in-one type platform for writers and creators that can use the platform for their purposes, but it’s not a simple solution for me.

At the end of the day, you won’t be seeing me creating on Substack.

It’s just not a good fit for me.

I know it’s dangerous saying “never” about something, but I just don’t see me and Substack becoming friends anytime soon.

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