My Medium Articles Went Viral: Here's How They Stack Up to Substack
Soft-Hearted Women, Hard Truths: Dating, Virality, and Platform Games
I came across a woman’s dating profile being shared across social media. She’d listed her monthly expenses: rent, hair and nails, kids’ clothes, groceries, and a cleaning service. She made it clear she didn’t want to work or clean. Only those willing to foot the bill need respond.
She had photos showing off a killer bod, but the comments section lit up. People called her out for her audacity, and some even threw out the usual unsavory remarks like “preowned” and worse.
To me, though, she was being upfront. It was clearly a transactional setup. Her looks, maybe a little affection, in exchange for a lifestyle someone else could fund. Some men are into that.
She wasn’t hiding who she was.
I’m upfront too, just in a different way. I can support myself. I don’t need someone to take care of me. I’m looking for companionship, a friend, someone to spend quality time with, because it is my love language. I don’t make demands beyond time and stimulating conversation.
Because we don’t demand anything, it’s easy for us to be taken for granted. It’s happened to me more than once. Men say they love me, and I believe they mean it, but somehow they inevitably fall short.
Maybe they assume I’ll always be around. Or they think my soft heart means I’ll never walk away.
I’m sharing this because this is the core of what drives many of the articles I write. In other words, they’re about my life experiences.
Who would have thought plain old life experience can still hold its own against the big boys — how to make money, aka the pipe dream sellers and the productivity bros.😉
I don’t have a big following. I don’t see my follower count shooting up. I still write three articles a week like I always have. I’ve never expected much, and I don’t call myself ‘successful’ because I know how fickle all this is. One day, you're trending. Next, no one remembers your name.
I’ve seen writers wiped out by Medium’s algorithm now thriving on Substack and hyping themselves like they’ve arrived. But what if Substack dries up next? No one likes to think about that.
However, I do. And that’s why this is still just an exciting hobby for me. The idea of risking my financial security to become a full-time platform writer doesn’t appeal to me at all, simply because I don’t find the idea of being a broke writer sexy. Not in the slightest.
People talk a lot about Substack Notes. From what I see, it’s mostly spamming - one of the reasons why I refuse to download the app. I wonder if it’s giving anyone real financial value, unless you’re planning on getting rich off the ego boost from likes/engagement alone.
Yes, the paid subscriber game is always on. A few come in, some leave, and the cycle repeats. Nothing to get excited about, at least as far as I am concerned.
I was checking my Medium stats and noticed a couple of recent articles did well back-to-back. No, I’m not sharing the titles. Some shady characters love to copy instead of building their own voice.
At this point, Substack is a place I post to, but do not spend time. It’s a space where I talk about what’s on my mind, mostly.
Funny thing is, posts like this tend to draw Medium folks into the comments and get people talking. That’s reason enough for me to keep putting this type of article out there.
Has Substack felt more sustainable than Medium for you, or is it just another temporary high?
I write about life, love, and relationships on Medium. Come say hi!
To me, Substack feels like the woman in your article; it's not hiding who/what it is. It's entire biz model is built around a writer's financial success. They're incentivized to make that happen. It's honestly refreshing. Medium talks a lot about "community" and "sharing," but that seems like code for "we want you to keep supplying content for free, so we can monetize it w/memberships." The Boost Program helps, but is the digital writing equivalent of a scratch off ticket.
At any rate, right now, this place is the more sustainable of the two--especially as a writer. If nothing else, you own your email list here, while Medium has now made those addresses inaccessible. I love Medium--it's given me a lot-- but if they want to stop the exodus of writers, something's gotta give.
Another good article. My guess is it will be like every other "boom and bust" cycle. I'm one of those guys who never seem to catch it at the right time, so like you, I keep my mundane job, and write for pleasure. As a reader of your work, I do what I can to help and support. I look forward to more of your work.