To me, the negative changes in my key reader metrics are both obvious and alarming. My bottom-line: Substack probably isn’t going to be tool that brings about positive fundamental changes.
I published my first story on disconcerting trends on Substack on January 5, 2024 - 17 1/2 months ago.
As it turned out, this was, arguably, the most popular or significant story I’ve published in my 30 months as a Substack author.
Significantly, the story was cross-posted by Dr. Robert Malone, a random act of kindness that propelled all of my metrics into the stratosphere.
The story “And So It Begins” produced ….
- 228 New Subscribers, including 35 new paid subscribers (a record.)
- 12,469 Page Views
-1,154 “likes” (a record)
- 688 Reader Comments (a record)
- 139 cross-posts (a record)
Here’s the lede sentence of that article:
“For a while now I’ve been worried Substack would become a major target of the Censorship Industrial Complex for the hideous and dangerous crime of allowing free speech.”
To me (at the time anyway), this story PROVED that there WAS a keen interest in odd or changing Substack trends among other Substack authors (139 cross-posted the articles) and Substack readers of whom 228 became subscribers.
The story also produced a record number of “likes” and Reader Comments for my Substack.
ONE story generated approximately $2,000 in new subscription revenue. For context, in the past 60 days, I think I’ve produced one article that produced one new paid subscriber ($54 in net revenue).
At the time, I thought, “Well, I’ll be danged” - there IS tremendous interest in this topic. I accidentally stumbled upon a topic that will help establish another Substack niche for myself.
Instead of being known as the guy who constantly writes about “early spread,” I’ll now be the contrarian who writes about peculiar trends on Substack itself.
Alas, judging from later Substack metrics, the interest in this topic must have been one of those “illusions.”
Since I published that article, I must have posted 12 other articles on Substack trends, the last eight or so which have been clunkers.
For example, my big story from a month ago showing how “leftist writers”now dominate Substack generated only about 3,600 page views and not a single free subscription. (In the last two weeks, the article produced several free subscriptions and a couple hundred more “page views.”)
One question that's crossed my mind: Where did the great interest in “peculiar Substack trends” go?
In a period of 12 months, 12,500 people who were once very interested in the topic now think it’s a Nothing Burger?
Maybe so, but if so, this strikes me as a head-scratcher.
Personally, I think this is another potential taboo or “thermo-nuclear” topic that the Powers that Be don’t want Substack sleuths investigating.
This subject might be like “early spread” (and the CONSPIRACY to conceal the same) … or “the embalmers’ clots” that no scientists can investigate …. or the strange FACT (“coincidence”?) that almost 3,000 American schools closed in the weeks and months BEFORE official Covid … or the possibility that any contagious, non-deadly, virus might have originated in America … or the possibility that censorship and reach-suppression operations aren’t being scuttled, but are actually ramping up and going forward as I post yet another article that makes me more than a little nervous.
If at least a few Substack contrarians are being targeted for “suppression,” I can only repeat the advice I’ve been sharing for five years now - “Post while you still can.”
For anyone interested, here’s a link to my first Substack metric story. FWIW, I think several of my other articles on this subject were more interesting or added more potentially-significant context or commentary.
It's occurred to me that our friends in the Deep State and Censorship Industrial Complex really don't have to block the reach of everyone - just the relatively small number of people who are hitting close to vulnerable targets or people who have the potential to rapidly grow their following.
My guess is that the Censors/Pandemic Planners overlooked the significance of Substack in the early months and years of "Covid." They then, belatedly, saw/appreciated that these authors could represent a serious threat to their current and future agendas. So, they belatedly, perhaps (?) devised an ingenious means to throttle the reach and influence of this sub-set of potential influencers.
In a previous article on this topic, I used a photo of a cattle corral to symbolize where all the important dissenters have been herded (largely, Substack, with a few other key alternative media sites like Brownstone).
Substack's "contrarians" have been herded into one media/speech platform, which was once marketed as a haven for "extremists" and even "Nazi's."
However, Substack is no longer viewed as a grave threat to "democracy" because tens of thousands of Status-Quo protecting writers and podcasters are now "flooding this zone."
My worry is that some billionaire will now buy Substack and then finish off the influence/threat of "Covid contrarians." ... Which is why someone needs to probably start working on a "Plan B" for Substack.
TMI and Redundancy. There’s a lot of repetitiveness between Substacks that are focused on the Covid con and the injections to the point where you read the same thing over and over again and nothing is changing.. The change is at a snails pace and I believe those that still believe in the Covid ignore what is transpiring and the truth. I have dialed way down what I read on Substack for that reason.
The same thing is happening to me, I still subscribe to many substacks and paid subs too, but I too am over-saturated on the topic of the covid con and all that went with it I get far too many articles to open and read now. There is a good deal of repetition and battle fatigue.
Here in Canada nothing has changed: the government still claims they did everything right and refuses to acknowledge the harms done by the lockdowns, mandates and the extent of the covid shot injuries.
One thing I would appreciate from Substack, would be audio. If I could listen to the articles while doing something else, I'd open more of them. That is how I keep up with the output at Brownstone.org.
That is a cool feature. Brownstone runs a fair amount of my articles (I'm extremely grateful to be a "Brownstone fellow.") I remember the fist time I LISTENED to one of my articles.
BTW, a great way to fight the power of the captured classes is to support the Brownstone Institute!
Brownstone is also hosting a retreat just for readers and supporters in September in Virginia. If any of my subscribers have a free weekend, I know they would thoroughly enjoy being a part of it. The registration fee is $240. You can visit Brownstone dot org for more info.
My wife has been blogging weekly on Substack for over 2 years, gets almost no new subs and ZERO comments.
Also, re audio of posts - if I click on this very article from the Notes section, audio is available (the "Play" button is in the upper right corner). But, if I then click its title, or open it in a new tab, audio is not available (no "Play" button). My wife has asked several times for audio to be made available for her blog and always receives a vague "it'll happen someday..." answer.
Good news, The Rubber Stamp physicians are being shown the door at NIH!
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine has voiced deep disappointment about reports that the FDA has put the director of its cell and gene therapy office on administrative leave and escorted her out of the agency.
Stat reported Nicole Verdun, M.D., director of the FDA’s cell and gene therapy office, and her deputy Rachael Anatol, Ph.D., were relieved of their duties without being given an explanation. Pushing Verdun out of the FDA would intensify questions, which date back to at least the exit of Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., about the agency’s ability to provide a predictable service to cell and gene therapy developers.
It is probably also ‘battle fatigue’, I feel that although awareness has been risen among open minded readers but there are no real changes (yet) around the world. Fauci is not in prison, Pharma is doing business as usual, mass murders are running around freely. And now there is the growing concern with what is happening between Ukraine and Russia and between Israel and Iran, and how the US may get involved.
So the attention shifts.
But RFK Jr. is continuing pushing for vaccine safety without removing the elephant in the room, of which he must be aware but I don’t know how many hurdles he has to overcome and balances his actions with the President who still thinks, as far as I know, that the COVID ‘vaccines’ saved ‘millions of lives’…
That's what my "Spider Sense" is telling me. I can't really "prove" this ... but I CAN post some of my own Substack metrics. I'd love to hear more from really smart tech people who can put forth a theory on how any "reach suppression" operations would be possible ... without anyone really being able to "prove" this is happening.
Bill, I am going to give you a somewhat less paranoid perspective. I subscribe (and pay for) 100 stacks more or less. In the heat of the covid debacle, when many of us really were estopped from doing much of anything we wished, I paid really careful attention to all of them. I read them, I commented often, and I liked all worth liking.
Today things are different. I still have the stacks. Many authors have reduced their output dramatically (not just you -- Big timers like Berenson, etc.) because there is less "breaking news" coming over the transom, because the facts are generally known and agreed, and because we are clearly no longer the "insurgents" but are rather among the scattered, partially acknowledged groups trying to get something done in a milieu where there are 50 such groups with related but different agendas.
So now I try to read every title, if interesting enough dip into the content for a paragraph or two to see if worth reading more, and some, of course, I continue to read to the end. I still like those that I get to, but am not nearly as obsessive at getting to/liking them all as I used to be. Some days are now so busy that I miss most of the content other than a 3:00 AM scan to see if there is anything on which I should drill down.
The covid conversation continues. Yes, every day there is yet another confirmation that we were right, but it is not clear what difference any of it (or us) makes at this point. Am I still consumingly interested in getting it all adjudicated, punished, and remediated? You bet. But also at the mode where I realize that my personal thoughts/influence are likely irrelevant so have to factor that in.
So I would not take this as a "Substack is out to get me" nor as a "no one loves me anymore" kind of observation. It is more in the "everything is cyclic" kind of mode. Many seem to be dropping out of the Substack insurgent movement due to distraction, inertia, lack of new material, whatever. History shows that those who stay the course, continue to deliver good content, and remain reliable purveyors of useful knowledge (like early spread) will end up winning as the cycle recrudesces which it always does.
So I hope you hang in there. Does not pay the bills this week, but has the prospect of buying a (small) swimming pool later.
And, truly, thanks for what you do. I have found it contributory, interesting, and often important.
Thank you for that thoughtful post, Dr. K. You are spending a huge amount of money on Substack subscriptions. That means you are supporting 100 writers who sure do appreciate your support!
I have an idea that would save you thousands of dollars and still allow you to support your favorite writers. I'll follow up with you on this idea. Thanks again.
Dr. K, this is a good summary of a "day in the life" of an average reader/potential subscriber.
I, too, have experienced much the same as you with regard to how I consume the Stacks and other social media. I used to reply if I had something to add and "like" if I had the time to read all.
I get the same/similar information from many, if not all, of the stacks to which I subscribe.
It is information overload.
I will stick with it because without a doubt COVID/Disease X Scamdemic 2.0 will surely be upon us sometime in the not too distant future. I will stay tuned.
I'm probably different (probably because I am a Substack author), but I almost always "hit the like button" when I read and genuinely like an article.
To me, it's a good metric. I've also always been a huge fan of the Reader Comments sections.
The reason so many newspapers did away with these sections is because the readers kept making better points than the authors of the articles. And the rebuttals were, no doubt, too persuasive.
It was a way for the public to have real "free speech," which the Narrative Controllers obviously don't like.
Could it be more are just reading the email of it, and not bothering to go to Substack, (mine fills up so fast!) or does that also check off on metrics?
Bill, I think Covid fatigue is a big part of it. Aside from you starving, I think we are winning. Not a day goes by where I don’t see a post or article debunking the Covid narrative. More work needs to happen but I can’t help but think we’ve reached a tipping point.
On the winning point, maybe. One bit of evidence in your favor: today, I'm in a hospital, in a same-day surgery room, waiting for them to wheel my wife back in (for a foot issue), and I hear some doc or nurse on a telephone talking about some kind of a hospital business, and while I can't hear the whole conversation, nor have much idea of the context, I do hear this:
"Well, since Covid..." something-something "...its 50% more..." something "...clots...." something something "...we have to..." something something. "I don't know if its from Covid, or something else, or the vaccines, but it's just become..." something something something.
Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have been hospitalized five times in the last year. Every visit they pushed shots on me. I found it was safer to proudly declare I am fully up to date, rather than saying no. Not confident that they wouldn’t jab me while I was under or not quite with it.
Regarding comments (Reader engagement): I seldom comment if there are more than 20 or so comments. There's more than a good chance that I'll simply be parroting another commenter's contribution. So why bother? We who do comment are not part of some referendum in which our particular point of view is tabulated. Thanks to your analysis, I appreciate that commenting and "liking" does have some usefulness, if not particular value. Since I have no illusion that I, as a unique creation, am supremely significant, I'm more apt to keep my opinions or my observations to myself. Thanks for the "heads up" regarding the metrics of SubStack.
I've always viewed the Reader Comments sections as a free way to be your own publisher and reach, potentially, large numbers of readers/viewers.
I used to make a copious amount of comments at Zero Hedge just because that was the easiest way for me to reach tens of thousands of people. (And many readers DO read the Reader Comments.)
I can't tell you how many scoops and fascinating bits of information or anecdotes I've gleaned from skimming the Reader Comments..
I found two very obvious/credible "early spread" candidates in the Reader Comments - one from November 2019 in the UK and one from the "fall of 2019" in California.
Some of my best links came from people who posted them in the Reader Comments.
I think Substack is changing for ne as a reader... I get loads of short reels and click bait and seemingly fewer serious articles... but I am a computer dinosaur ...still I feel like I am being pushed towards silly cat videos and away from my favourite writers - I only know about my favourite writers because I receive an email from them... they dont always appear in my substack app which is full of trivia
I've been setting up to launch my own separate publications on substack. They will be decidedly neutral. In that process, I've noticed that the likes, subscribers and comments are generally much higher on the "left" .
Some of my favorite "Substack Contrarians" (in fact, most) are doing much better than I do with the number of "likes" and Reader Comments. For example, Jenna McCarthy and I have about the same number of subscribers, but her articles produce 5X as many likes and Reader Comments than mine. My friend Mark Oshinskie has 1,500 fewer subscribers than I do, but his articles always produce far more "likes" and "Reader Comments" than my articles.
Of course, my articles used to do much better (for some unknown reason).
One of the goals I have is to bring debate back to the post comments. I intend to lightly moderate and never post myself in the comments. Based on what I am observing on both Blue Sky and X, as well as here on Substack, I'm not confident that will happen.
Bill, I’ve followed and read your work for about two years. I’ve also subscribed but stopped in order to manage my subscription load - and I share a conservative world view.
I’ve always liked your metrics analyses and this one is obviously alarming. I am very interested in learning what you’ve deduced about other conservative and/or contrarian writers re: their readership metrics. I also very interested in what you believe to be the causal factors for lack of growth among such writers - while left leaning formerly MSM writers are growing rapidly.
Per my theory, the key to the operation is blocking the reach of the "adults in the room."
IMO, the Substack subscriber model has a fatal flaw as too many authors results in fewer "reads" and more people beginning to cull subscriptions. Plus, with rampant inflation people are even more inclined to cut out paid subscriptions (I have to do this myself so I understand).
The growth of the Leftist writers is obviously planned, coordinated and part of an important Substack business strategy.
There's no way the rapid growth of some of these authors is legit.
IMO Substack is where the key battle of narratives is being fought.
I'm not sure which one of my subjects is considered the greatest threat to the Bad Guys (perhaps several), but I imagine my newsletter has been flagged for suppression operations.
Even if it hasn't, my influence on Substack has already peaked.
Isn't there a simpler explanation? You write on Substack about all the things Substack does wrong. Substack thinks this guy is not our friend and turns down the promotion of Bill Rice, Jr. to simmer.
They don't want to ban/cancel/censor you because then they can't advertise themselves as the Free Speech Platform.
Whatever happened to your Smalltown Newspaper on Substack? I thought I signed up for free and then never saw it.
Bill, I’m glad you understand the need to manage # of subscriptions on Substack. I support your efforts and hope to return as a paid subscription based on your latest analysis and sentiments.
As a business strategist my take on Substack’s evolving business model is both similar and different to yours.
I’m not sure that Substack is actively blocking reach of “adults in the room”. What they are doing is allowing the zone to be flooded by writers and influencers who’ve awakened to the demise of corporate media - and the concurrent growth of independent platforms - especially Substack.
What Substack owners are doing is maximizing their revenue potential - they’re not doing what they’re doing to help any one faction - only to seek maximum profits.
Their creation was a wonderful opportunity for voices that were not being heard and actively suppressed to have a platform/forum. That lasted for about two years. Now the platform is shared with players from other political stripes leading to your fatal flaw of too many authors. It’s also possible that author proliferation is occurring across the spectrum of writers leading to supply outstripping demand.
You may be correct that the rapid growth among new leftist writers is not legit - but without knowing more about readership demographics it’s hard to tell.
I appreciate your efforts to decode what is actually going on - and greater transparency on the part of Substack owners could go along way to providing confirmation of your hypothesis.
I look forward to more analysis and insights on this Bill.
All of that may be true but it's not mutually exclusive to the peculiar phenomenon of certain authors showing up here with 10s of hundreds of thousands of subscribers almost instantaneously.
Bill , writing from my perspective here in Canada , there are so many dystopian things going on here with what I suspect is a CCP takeover by one regime and well documented reports done about that at the CSIS level . As is the plan , I think the idea of covid and what was done in the name of "safe and effective" - still alive and well here - is being buried in all the noise and bluster, that, I feel tired. What remains of my life here in canada ,I want to get something back , like my art practise , that isn't political for the most part and keeps me grounded. I no longer trust anyone who hasn't questioned anything and maybe they will go to their graves dimly aware or not . I do believe there is the desire for one world government and one world health when everything even based on what used to be common sense , becomes a huge fight to be heard - let alone read . Maybe it's about being creative and learning how to cope with work arounds especially for those of us who were the scapegoats. Your writing has always been there for me and I'll never forget having found you here , along with many others who are like minded.
One more story metric, which is ironic to me …
I published my first story on disconcerting trends on Substack on January 5, 2024 - 17 1/2 months ago.
As it turned out, this was, arguably, the most popular or significant story I’ve published in my 30 months as a Substack author.
Significantly, the story was cross-posted by Dr. Robert Malone, a random act of kindness that propelled all of my metrics into the stratosphere.
The story “And So It Begins” produced ….
- 228 New Subscribers, including 35 new paid subscribers (a record.)
- 12,469 Page Views
-1,154 “likes” (a record)
- 688 Reader Comments (a record)
- 139 cross-posts (a record)
Here’s the lede sentence of that article:
“For a while now I’ve been worried Substack would become a major target of the Censorship Industrial Complex for the hideous and dangerous crime of allowing free speech.”
To me (at the time anyway), this story PROVED that there WAS a keen interest in odd or changing Substack trends among other Substack authors (139 cross-posted the articles) and Substack readers of whom 228 became subscribers.
The story also produced a record number of “likes” and Reader Comments for my Substack.
ONE story generated approximately $2,000 in new subscription revenue. For context, in the past 60 days, I think I’ve produced one article that produced one new paid subscriber ($54 in net revenue).
At the time, I thought, “Well, I’ll be danged” - there IS tremendous interest in this topic. I accidentally stumbled upon a topic that will help establish another Substack niche for myself.
Instead of being known as the guy who constantly writes about “early spread,” I’ll now be the contrarian who writes about peculiar trends on Substack itself.
Alas, judging from later Substack metrics, the interest in this topic must have been one of those “illusions.”
Since I published that article, I must have posted 12 other articles on Substack trends, the last eight or so which have been clunkers.
For example, my big story from a month ago showing how “leftist writers”now dominate Substack generated only about 3,600 page views and not a single free subscription. (In the last two weeks, the article produced several free subscriptions and a couple hundred more “page views.”)
One question that's crossed my mind: Where did the great interest in “peculiar Substack trends” go?
In a period of 12 months, 12,500 people who were once very interested in the topic now think it’s a Nothing Burger?
Maybe so, but if so, this strikes me as a head-scratcher.
Personally, I think this is another potential taboo or “thermo-nuclear” topic that the Powers that Be don’t want Substack sleuths investigating.
This subject might be like “early spread” (and the CONSPIRACY to conceal the same) … or “the embalmers’ clots” that no scientists can investigate …. or the strange FACT (“coincidence”?) that almost 3,000 American schools closed in the weeks and months BEFORE official Covid … or the possibility that any contagious, non-deadly, virus might have originated in America … or the possibility that censorship and reach-suppression operations aren’t being scuttled, but are actually ramping up and going forward as I post yet another article that makes me more than a little nervous.
If at least a few Substack contrarians are being targeted for “suppression,” I can only repeat the advice I’ve been sharing for five years now - “Post while you still can.”
For anyone interested, here’s a link to my first Substack metric story. FWIW, I think several of my other articles on this subject were more interesting or added more potentially-significant context or commentary.
January 5, 2024: “And So It Begins”:
https://billricejr.substack.com/p/and-so-it-begins
It's occurred to me that our friends in the Deep State and Censorship Industrial Complex really don't have to block the reach of everyone - just the relatively small number of people who are hitting close to vulnerable targets or people who have the potential to rapidly grow their following.
My guess is that the Censors/Pandemic Planners overlooked the significance of Substack in the early months and years of "Covid." They then, belatedly, saw/appreciated that these authors could represent a serious threat to their current and future agendas. So, they belatedly, perhaps (?) devised an ingenious means to throttle the reach and influence of this sub-set of potential influencers.
In a previous article on this topic, I used a photo of a cattle corral to symbolize where all the important dissenters have been herded (largely, Substack, with a few other key alternative media sites like Brownstone).
Substack's "contrarians" have been herded into one media/speech platform, which was once marketed as a haven for "extremists" and even "Nazi's."
However, Substack is no longer viewed as a grave threat to "democracy" because tens of thousands of Status-Quo protecting writers and podcasters are now "flooding this zone."
My worry is that some billionaire will now buy Substack and then finish off the influence/threat of "Covid contrarians." ... Which is why someone needs to probably start working on a "Plan B" for Substack.
this is exactly what will happen. It already is and the proof is the number of "subscribers" that krugman et al have.
TMI and Redundancy. There’s a lot of repetitiveness between Substacks that are focused on the Covid con and the injections to the point where you read the same thing over and over again and nothing is changing.. The change is at a snails pace and I believe those that still believe in the Covid ignore what is transpiring and the truth. I have dialed way down what I read on Substack for that reason.
The same thing is happening to me, I still subscribe to many substacks and paid subs too, but I too am over-saturated on the topic of the covid con and all that went with it I get far too many articles to open and read now. There is a good deal of repetition and battle fatigue.
Here in Canada nothing has changed: the government still claims they did everything right and refuses to acknowledge the harms done by the lockdowns, mandates and the extent of the covid shot injuries.
One thing I would appreciate from Substack, would be audio. If I could listen to the articles while doing something else, I'd open more of them. That is how I keep up with the output at Brownstone.org.
That is a cool feature. Brownstone runs a fair amount of my articles (I'm extremely grateful to be a "Brownstone fellow.") I remember the fist time I LISTENED to one of my articles.
BTW, a great way to fight the power of the captured classes is to support the Brownstone Institute!
Brownstone is also hosting a retreat just for readers and supporters in September in Virginia. If any of my subscribers have a free weekend, I know they would thoroughly enjoy being a part of it. The registration fee is $240. You can visit Brownstone dot org for more info.
https://brownstone.org/upcoming-events/
My wife has been blogging weekly on Substack for over 2 years, gets almost no new subs and ZERO comments.
Also, re audio of posts - if I click on this very article from the Notes section, audio is available (the "Play" button is in the upper right corner). But, if I then click its title, or open it in a new tab, audio is not available (no "Play" button). My wife has asked several times for audio to be made available for her blog and always receives a vague "it'll happen someday..." answer.
Lots of great newsletters that get virtually no subscribers or readers. Add a link to her site so we can check it out.
You got it:
https://merryheartink.substack.com/
As Fred pointed out, if you use the Substack app, you can listen to the majority of posts.
I regularly listen to Covid and Coffee via Substack Audio...I don't know why some articles have the option and some do not.
Much more recently than I care to admit, I learned that there is an audio option, but you have to access the link through the Substack mobile app.
Good news, The Rubber Stamp physicians are being shown the door at NIH!
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine has voiced deep disappointment about reports that the FDA has put the director of its cell and gene therapy office on administrative leave and escorted her out of the agency.
Stat reported Nicole Verdun, M.D., director of the FDA’s cell and gene therapy office, and her deputy Rachael Anatol, Ph.D., were relieved of their duties without being given an explanation. Pushing Verdun out of the FDA would intensify questions, which date back to at least the exit of Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., about the agency’s ability to provide a predictable service to cell and gene therapy developers.
It is probably also ‘battle fatigue’, I feel that although awareness has been risen among open minded readers but there are no real changes (yet) around the world. Fauci is not in prison, Pharma is doing business as usual, mass murders are running around freely. And now there is the growing concern with what is happening between Ukraine and Russia and between Israel and Iran, and how the US may get involved.
So the attention shifts.
But RFK Jr. is continuing pushing for vaccine safety without removing the elephant in the room, of which he must be aware but I don’t know how many hurdles he has to overcome and balances his actions with the President who still thinks, as far as I know, that the COVID ‘vaccines’ saved ‘millions of lives’…
I think big brother is now on Substack
That's what my "Spider Sense" is telling me. I can't really "prove" this ... but I CAN post some of my own Substack metrics. I'd love to hear more from really smart tech people who can put forth a theory on how any "reach suppression" operations would be possible ... without anyone really being able to "prove" this is happening.
Bill, I am going to give you a somewhat less paranoid perspective. I subscribe (and pay for) 100 stacks more or less. In the heat of the covid debacle, when many of us really were estopped from doing much of anything we wished, I paid really careful attention to all of them. I read them, I commented often, and I liked all worth liking.
Today things are different. I still have the stacks. Many authors have reduced their output dramatically (not just you -- Big timers like Berenson, etc.) because there is less "breaking news" coming over the transom, because the facts are generally known and agreed, and because we are clearly no longer the "insurgents" but are rather among the scattered, partially acknowledged groups trying to get something done in a milieu where there are 50 such groups with related but different agendas.
So now I try to read every title, if interesting enough dip into the content for a paragraph or two to see if worth reading more, and some, of course, I continue to read to the end. I still like those that I get to, but am not nearly as obsessive at getting to/liking them all as I used to be. Some days are now so busy that I miss most of the content other than a 3:00 AM scan to see if there is anything on which I should drill down.
The covid conversation continues. Yes, every day there is yet another confirmation that we were right, but it is not clear what difference any of it (or us) makes at this point. Am I still consumingly interested in getting it all adjudicated, punished, and remediated? You bet. But also at the mode where I realize that my personal thoughts/influence are likely irrelevant so have to factor that in.
So I would not take this as a "Substack is out to get me" nor as a "no one loves me anymore" kind of observation. It is more in the "everything is cyclic" kind of mode. Many seem to be dropping out of the Substack insurgent movement due to distraction, inertia, lack of new material, whatever. History shows that those who stay the course, continue to deliver good content, and remain reliable purveyors of useful knowledge (like early spread) will end up winning as the cycle recrudesces which it always does.
So I hope you hang in there. Does not pay the bills this week, but has the prospect of buying a (small) swimming pool later.
And, truly, thanks for what you do. I have found it contributory, interesting, and often important.
Thank you for that thoughtful post, Dr. K. You are spending a huge amount of money on Substack subscriptions. That means you are supporting 100 writers who sure do appreciate your support!
I have an idea that would save you thousands of dollars and still allow you to support your favorite writers. I'll follow up with you on this idea. Thanks again.
Dr. K, this is a good summary of a "day in the life" of an average reader/potential subscriber.
I, too, have experienced much the same as you with regard to how I consume the Stacks and other social media. I used to reply if I had something to add and "like" if I had the time to read all.
I get the same/similar information from many, if not all, of the stacks to which I subscribe.
It is information overload.
I will stick with it because without a doubt COVID/Disease X Scamdemic 2.0 will surely be upon us sometime in the not too distant future. I will stay tuned.
I'm probably different (probably because I am a Substack author), but I almost always "hit the like button" when I read and genuinely like an article.
To me, it's a good metric. I've also always been a huge fan of the Reader Comments sections.
The reason so many newspapers did away with these sections is because the readers kept making better points than the authors of the articles. And the rebuttals were, no doubt, too persuasive.
It was a way for the public to have real "free speech," which the Narrative Controllers obviously don't like.
I so agree with this comment. Reader comments are full of good content. But so time consuming.
Could it be more are just reading the email of it, and not bothering to go to Substack, (mine fills up so fast!) or does that also check off on metrics?
Bill, I think Covid fatigue is a big part of it. Aside from you starving, I think we are winning. Not a day goes by where I don’t see a post or article debunking the Covid narrative. More work needs to happen but I can’t help but think we’ve reached a tipping point.
On the winning point, maybe. One bit of evidence in your favor: today, I'm in a hospital, in a same-day surgery room, waiting for them to wheel my wife back in (for a foot issue), and I hear some doc or nurse on a telephone talking about some kind of a hospital business, and while I can't hear the whole conversation, nor have much idea of the context, I do hear this:
"Well, since Covid..." something-something "...its 50% more..." something "...clots...." something something "...we have to..." something something. "I don't know if its from Covid, or something else, or the vaccines, but it's just become..." something something something.
Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have been hospitalized five times in the last year. Every visit they pushed shots on me. I found it was safer to proudly declare I am fully up to date, rather than saying no. Not confident that they wouldn’t jab me while I was under or not quite with it.
Sorry to hear of your many hospital visits, Ron. We need you around!
Regarding comments (Reader engagement): I seldom comment if there are more than 20 or so comments. There's more than a good chance that I'll simply be parroting another commenter's contribution. So why bother? We who do comment are not part of some referendum in which our particular point of view is tabulated. Thanks to your analysis, I appreciate that commenting and "liking" does have some usefulness, if not particular value. Since I have no illusion that I, as a unique creation, am supremely significant, I'm more apt to keep my opinions or my observations to myself. Thanks for the "heads up" regarding the metrics of SubStack.
I've always viewed the Reader Comments sections as a free way to be your own publisher and reach, potentially, large numbers of readers/viewers.
I used to make a copious amount of comments at Zero Hedge just because that was the easiest way for me to reach tens of thousands of people. (And many readers DO read the Reader Comments.)
I can't tell you how many scoops and fascinating bits of information or anecdotes I've gleaned from skimming the Reader Comments..
I found two very obvious/credible "early spread" candidates in the Reader Comments - one from November 2019 in the UK and one from the "fall of 2019" in California.
Some of my best links came from people who posted them in the Reader Comments.
Thanks for commenting at my site today!
I completely agree with you!
At the risk of hurting my own metrics, I give this post a hearty 👍
Ha!
As I keep trying to remind readers, it was the "Covid Contrarians" who first put Substack on the media map.
Just like Richard Gere's character in "An Officer and a Gentleman," we had "no where else to go."
I think Substack is changing for ne as a reader... I get loads of short reels and click bait and seemingly fewer serious articles... but I am a computer dinosaur ...still I feel like I am being pushed towards silly cat videos and away from my favourite writers - I only know about my favourite writers because I receive an email from them... they dont always appear in my substack app which is full of trivia
Because...this is about the time that AI truly infected the internet and now runs wild(ly) by the script it was handed.
This is both interesting and concerning.
I've been setting up to launch my own separate publications on substack. They will be decidedly neutral. In that process, I've noticed that the likes, subscribers and comments are generally much higher on the "left" .
Some of my favorite "Substack Contrarians" (in fact, most) are doing much better than I do with the number of "likes" and Reader Comments. For example, Jenna McCarthy and I have about the same number of subscribers, but her articles produce 5X as many likes and Reader Comments than mine. My friend Mark Oshinskie has 1,500 fewer subscribers than I do, but his articles always produce far more "likes" and "Reader Comments" than my articles.
Of course, my articles used to do much better (for some unknown reason).
One of the goals I have is to bring debate back to the post comments. I intend to lightly moderate and never post myself in the comments. Based on what I am observing on both Blue Sky and X, as well as here on Substack, I'm not confident that will happen.
What I'm seeing is a stark and rapid polarization happening.
Hope not!!! I read and share
Bill, I’ve followed and read your work for about two years. I’ve also subscribed but stopped in order to manage my subscription load - and I share a conservative world view.
I’ve always liked your metrics analyses and this one is obviously alarming. I am very interested in learning what you’ve deduced about other conservative and/or contrarian writers re: their readership metrics. I also very interested in what you believe to be the causal factors for lack of growth among such writers - while left leaning formerly MSM writers are growing rapidly.
Per my theory, the key to the operation is blocking the reach of the "adults in the room."
IMO, the Substack subscriber model has a fatal flaw as too many authors results in fewer "reads" and more people beginning to cull subscriptions. Plus, with rampant inflation people are even more inclined to cut out paid subscriptions (I have to do this myself so I understand).
The growth of the Leftist writers is obviously planned, coordinated and part of an important Substack business strategy.
There's no way the rapid growth of some of these authors is legit.
IMO Substack is where the key battle of narratives is being fought.
I'm not sure which one of my subjects is considered the greatest threat to the Bad Guys (perhaps several), but I imagine my newsletter has been flagged for suppression operations.
Even if it hasn't, my influence on Substack has already peaked.
Isn't there a simpler explanation? You write on Substack about all the things Substack does wrong. Substack thinks this guy is not our friend and turns down the promotion of Bill Rice, Jr. to simmer.
They don't want to ban/cancel/censor you because then they can't advertise themselves as the Free Speech Platform.
Whatever happened to your Smalltown Newspaper on Substack? I thought I signed up for free and then never saw it.
Bill, I’m glad you understand the need to manage # of subscriptions on Substack. I support your efforts and hope to return as a paid subscription based on your latest analysis and sentiments.
As a business strategist my take on Substack’s evolving business model is both similar and different to yours.
I’m not sure that Substack is actively blocking reach of “adults in the room”. What they are doing is allowing the zone to be flooded by writers and influencers who’ve awakened to the demise of corporate media - and the concurrent growth of independent platforms - especially Substack.
What Substack owners are doing is maximizing their revenue potential - they’re not doing what they’re doing to help any one faction - only to seek maximum profits.
Their creation was a wonderful opportunity for voices that were not being heard and actively suppressed to have a platform/forum. That lasted for about two years. Now the platform is shared with players from other political stripes leading to your fatal flaw of too many authors. It’s also possible that author proliferation is occurring across the spectrum of writers leading to supply outstripping demand.
You may be correct that the rapid growth among new leftist writers is not legit - but without knowing more about readership demographics it’s hard to tell.
I appreciate your efforts to decode what is actually going on - and greater transparency on the part of Substack owners could go along way to providing confirmation of your hypothesis.
I look forward to more analysis and insights on this Bill.
All of that may be true but it's not mutually exclusive to the peculiar phenomenon of certain authors showing up here with 10s of hundreds of thousands of subscribers almost instantaneously.
Bill , writing from my perspective here in Canada , there are so many dystopian things going on here with what I suspect is a CCP takeover by one regime and well documented reports done about that at the CSIS level . As is the plan , I think the idea of covid and what was done in the name of "safe and effective" - still alive and well here - is being buried in all the noise and bluster, that, I feel tired. What remains of my life here in canada ,I want to get something back , like my art practise , that isn't political for the most part and keeps me grounded. I no longer trust anyone who hasn't questioned anything and maybe they will go to their graves dimly aware or not . I do believe there is the desire for one world government and one world health when everything even based on what used to be common sense , becomes a huge fight to be heard - let alone read . Maybe it's about being creative and learning how to cope with work arounds especially for those of us who were the scapegoats. Your writing has always been there for me and I'll never forget having found you here , along with many others who are like minded.