I love this, Amanda. First of all, it's not just you. I've just finished a six-week online writing workshop. I had deluded myself into thinking that I'd be able to keep up the pace of posting, but of course that didn't happen, with almost a three-week gap before my most recent post. So, clearly, I've been pushed, reluctantly at first, into a season of craft, and you know, I think I'm going to stay here for a while. I notice a few of our mutual friends are also quieter at the moment. It must be something in the air!
» How do you relate to the concept of “community” in a newsletter setting like Substack?
The folks who comment on my every post, who I can email, who don't care if I don't post for a few weeks.
» Have you ever felt your writing needed to shift but felt worried about how it would affect your readers? If so, how did you navigate it and what did you learn?
Yes! I was concerned about lowering my posting frequency during the workshop. In reality, the flow of new subscribers slows to a trickle, but, other than that, no one cares.
I also want to add more memoir and personal essay content, and I'm concerned that my watery followers, especially the local ones I know personally, won't like it. I thought about a separate publication, or at least section. Those turn out to be my most read posts! For now, I'm going with tags and keeping everyone in the same tent.
So glad you shared the internal shifts. I can very much relate to a lot of what you said, here on Substack and elsewhere 🧡🧡 I need to see the word “autonomy” today. Thank you.
I think this clarification of company vs. community is really beautiful. It speaks to the limits of online "community", which can't meet all of the human needs we have for connection and witnessing. Keeping each other company also feels more direct, more personal and more intimate. It is me reaching out to you, specifically, rather than me sort of vaguely participating in an amorphous group. I'm more likely to be mindful of my own needs and energy when contemplating accompanying someone, whereas I might just throw myself into community (particularly online) thinking it won't cost me anything.
I support you wholeheartedly in moving towards emphasizing company.
I never thought about company vs. community before and you've articulated it so perfectly! I published a newsletter a little over a year ago that prompted a conversation with my older sister about the concept of cultivating online communities. I've never been comfortable with that, or thinking of myself doing that. Community is such a complex thing. I live in a strong community. It's really, really hard work to keep it healthy, and to be involved, AND to figure out one's own level of healthy involvement given the community's needs and our own needs and boundaries.
But keeping one another company, especially online? That is something that really resonates for me. I like that. What an insight!
Amanda, you were inside my head this week. There IS something in the air that’s shifting how we write. My post tomorrow, titled “Pressing pause is hard. I’m doing it anyway,” is about my struggle to recognize my need for a reset. I went back and forth, first telling myself I couldn’t shift gears to slow down for a few weeks. And finally saying, dammit I’m doing this. I’ll still publish but it will be something short and easeful. I look forward to hearing more about your Season of Craft.
I relate to a lot of what you write, Amanda, and I don't think you are some rare case. As I wrote in my other comment yesterday, I'm also not really a person for community, rather for 1x1 or 1x2 conversations.
If I'm not wrong, the word "community" (in the context of online platforms) was originally a term used to describe a certain format / interface between the content facilitator and the users. An interface! Not the resulting crowd building genuine human connections. Community on a platform is more about providing ways of interacting, which can rarely evolve into a genuine community, because the relationship is still mainly bilateral writer/host - reader/user, around a specific prompt (a post or a thread). Whereas a community is multilateral. So I think when we consider the pressures of "community" building and tending on Substack, we are often assuming too much responsibility.
Ooh, I love these reflections. I’ve been trying to figure out the community aspect as well; and I’ve always been skeptical of platform-based community (like, 100 people interacting with one person isn’t exactly community).
Given this skepticism, I’ve actually been surprised by the authentic feeling of community I’ve found on substack. But for me it’s not so much about having access to the writer, but finding a home for experiences and desires that otherwise remain buried in my body. For example, in the comments of D.L.’s newsletter there’s such a free sharing and caretaking of religious trauma that’s so hard to find IRL. It’s a place I go, not just to have access to D.L.’s voice, but to be in the company of a multiplicity of voices. I’m not sure how to cultivate that—but an authentic attunement to one’s own process as a writer seems like the right direction—which is what you are modeling here.
One more thing to add—I also feel this pressure as a reader, especially since I became a writer on substack. I now feel pressure, that I didn’t feel when I was here just as a reader, to comment on every post of the writers who are mutuals or whose work moves me deeply. And while I wish it was easy to say some variation of “I love this piece” several times a week, for me it’s not, and my voice feels withered from trying. So it’s something I’m also trying to figure out as a reader—how to be engaged in a space that I deeply value without capitulating to expectations that don’t work for me.
Thanks for this nuanced discussion about community and company. I resonate with both things. I was nodding my head at your description of community because I also feel the need to hear from the writer at least occasionally, and ideally more than just a couple of words, especially if I made an effort with my comment. At this point (almost one year of writing here) I am still fully engaged in my community and that's the part I like the most. However, I also have the blessing of company in the way you describe it, a handful of people I can write with if I choose to do so.
I have not yet felt the need to shift but I sense I would feel very similar to what you're describing and not take that decision lightly.
I love this idea not as someone who is ND (as far as I know) but as a lifelong Introvert who learned early how to mask as an Extravert. Communities can be EXHAUSTING for me. After hours and hours of work meetings, plus just the regular challenges of life, I don't always want a community . Even company is too much some days. Honestly, it's quite common for me to do little to no Substack reading during the week, fitting it all in on the weekend.
But if I think of community as a place to go where everyone is happy to see you and wants to talk, that's ok sometimes. But more often I'd rather be in a reading room with quiet conversations with 1 or 2 people at a time. That sounds like company I could keep
Like others, I enjoyed the distinction between community and company that you explore here, Amanda. And I also liked what you said about "the essential “aloneness” we shift in and out of as writers." It's useful to recognise that we usually need both sides of the alone/not alone binary. Thank you!
Sounds like a good approach. I think there's a big push online to create communities these days, some authentic and some built as a way to monetize the creator's work. None are bad, but if you are feeling pressure to build or sustain something that doesn't align, that goes against what I believe differentiates this platform from the others.
I am a regular contributor to a niche community elsewhere on the internet, and a few months ago found myself drifting away. The vibe wasn't matching where I was in my life, and I appreciated that I could come and go as I saw fit. Then a message came through from the creator/moderator that she wasn't getting the same robust response about signing up for guest posting as before. Instead of feeling badly and forcing myself to perform, I responded that one of the things I appreciated most about the forum was that there was no pressure, and I was in a season of checking in and then moving on. I have to be honest, it tarnished my love for the space just a bit. The creator never intended to be pushy, and said so, but I got this subtle vibe that those of us who were power posters (for lack of a better description) were expected to keep up with the growth of the space in order for it to retain it's value.
So, back to you. I love that you've discovered a potential path forward after allowing yourself to be unclear and unsure, and working to identify that feeling. Also, don't be afraid to let go of something that no longer serves, even if it pisses some people off along the way.
I’m mostly an introvert so I like to lurk in the comment section to read what other people think and work out if I am normal. It is comforting to me! And my Substack is small enough for me to engage with everyone who comments and I genuinely value their time and energy spent in reading and responding to my words. Again, perhaps it’s just the part of me needing validation but it keeps me going. I’m not exactly writing to build community but I am definitely writing to find shared humanity.
I’m mostly an introvert so I like to lurk in the comment section to read what other people think and work out if I am normal. It is comforting to me! And my Substack is small enough for me to engage with everyone who comments and I genuinely value their time and energy spent in reading and responding to my words. Again, perhaps it’s just the part of me needing validation but it keeps me going. I’m not exactly writing to build community but I am definitely writing to find shared humanity.
I love the “tending” and “crafting” distinction and for a beginner writer like me, I am in my “Season of Crafting” before I can effectively enter a “Season of Tending”. 😊
I love this. Company instead of community. Perfect.
I love this, Amanda. First of all, it's not just you. I've just finished a six-week online writing workshop. I had deluded myself into thinking that I'd be able to keep up the pace of posting, but of course that didn't happen, with almost a three-week gap before my most recent post. So, clearly, I've been pushed, reluctantly at first, into a season of craft, and you know, I think I'm going to stay here for a while. I notice a few of our mutual friends are also quieter at the moment. It must be something in the air!
» How do you relate to the concept of “community” in a newsletter setting like Substack?
The folks who comment on my every post, who I can email, who don't care if I don't post for a few weeks.
» Have you ever felt your writing needed to shift but felt worried about how it would affect your readers? If so, how did you navigate it and what did you learn?
Yes! I was concerned about lowering my posting frequency during the workshop. In reality, the flow of new subscribers slows to a trickle, but, other than that, no one cares.
I also want to add more memoir and personal essay content, and I'm concerned that my watery followers, especially the local ones I know personally, won't like it. I thought about a separate publication, or at least section. Those turn out to be my most read posts! For now, I'm going with tags and keeping everyone in the same tent.
So glad you shared the internal shifts. I can very much relate to a lot of what you said, here on Substack and elsewhere 🧡🧡 I need to see the word “autonomy” today. Thank you.
I think this clarification of company vs. community is really beautiful. It speaks to the limits of online "community", which can't meet all of the human needs we have for connection and witnessing. Keeping each other company also feels more direct, more personal and more intimate. It is me reaching out to you, specifically, rather than me sort of vaguely participating in an amorphous group. I'm more likely to be mindful of my own needs and energy when contemplating accompanying someone, whereas I might just throw myself into community (particularly online) thinking it won't cost me anything.
I support you wholeheartedly in moving towards emphasizing company.
I never thought about company vs. community before and you've articulated it so perfectly! I published a newsletter a little over a year ago that prompted a conversation with my older sister about the concept of cultivating online communities. I've never been comfortable with that, or thinking of myself doing that. Community is such a complex thing. I live in a strong community. It's really, really hard work to keep it healthy, and to be involved, AND to figure out one's own level of healthy involvement given the community's needs and our own needs and boundaries.
But keeping one another company, especially online? That is something that really resonates for me. I like that. What an insight!
Amanda, you were inside my head this week. There IS something in the air that’s shifting how we write. My post tomorrow, titled “Pressing pause is hard. I’m doing it anyway,” is about my struggle to recognize my need for a reset. I went back and forth, first telling myself I couldn’t shift gears to slow down for a few weeks. And finally saying, dammit I’m doing this. I’ll still publish but it will be something short and easeful. I look forward to hearing more about your Season of Craft.
I relate to a lot of what you write, Amanda, and I don't think you are some rare case. As I wrote in my other comment yesterday, I'm also not really a person for community, rather for 1x1 or 1x2 conversations.
If I'm not wrong, the word "community" (in the context of online platforms) was originally a term used to describe a certain format / interface between the content facilitator and the users. An interface! Not the resulting crowd building genuine human connections. Community on a platform is more about providing ways of interacting, which can rarely evolve into a genuine community, because the relationship is still mainly bilateral writer/host - reader/user, around a specific prompt (a post or a thread). Whereas a community is multilateral. So I think when we consider the pressures of "community" building and tending on Substack, we are often assuming too much responsibility.
Both held and free. I like the idea of accompanying one another.travellers whose steps fall together and apart with equal ease.
Ooh, I love these reflections. I’ve been trying to figure out the community aspect as well; and I’ve always been skeptical of platform-based community (like, 100 people interacting with one person isn’t exactly community).
Given this skepticism, I’ve actually been surprised by the authentic feeling of community I’ve found on substack. But for me it’s not so much about having access to the writer, but finding a home for experiences and desires that otherwise remain buried in my body. For example, in the comments of D.L.’s newsletter there’s such a free sharing and caretaking of religious trauma that’s so hard to find IRL. It’s a place I go, not just to have access to D.L.’s voice, but to be in the company of a multiplicity of voices. I’m not sure how to cultivate that—but an authentic attunement to one’s own process as a writer seems like the right direction—which is what you are modeling here.
One more thing to add—I also feel this pressure as a reader, especially since I became a writer on substack. I now feel pressure, that I didn’t feel when I was here just as a reader, to comment on every post of the writers who are mutuals or whose work moves me deeply. And while I wish it was easy to say some variation of “I love this piece” several times a week, for me it’s not, and my voice feels withered from trying. So it’s something I’m also trying to figure out as a reader—how to be engaged in a space that I deeply value without capitulating to expectations that don’t work for me.
Thanks for this nuanced discussion about community and company. I resonate with both things. I was nodding my head at your description of community because I also feel the need to hear from the writer at least occasionally, and ideally more than just a couple of words, especially if I made an effort with my comment. At this point (almost one year of writing here) I am still fully engaged in my community and that's the part I like the most. However, I also have the blessing of company in the way you describe it, a handful of people I can write with if I choose to do so.
I have not yet felt the need to shift but I sense I would feel very similar to what you're describing and not take that decision lightly.
I love this idea not as someone who is ND (as far as I know) but as a lifelong Introvert who learned early how to mask as an Extravert. Communities can be EXHAUSTING for me. After hours and hours of work meetings, plus just the regular challenges of life, I don't always want a community . Even company is too much some days. Honestly, it's quite common for me to do little to no Substack reading during the week, fitting it all in on the weekend.
But if I think of community as a place to go where everyone is happy to see you and wants to talk, that's ok sometimes. But more often I'd rather be in a reading room with quiet conversations with 1 or 2 people at a time. That sounds like company I could keep
Like others, I enjoyed the distinction between community and company that you explore here, Amanda. And I also liked what you said about "the essential “aloneness” we shift in and out of as writers." It's useful to recognise that we usually need both sides of the alone/not alone binary. Thank you!
Sounds like a good approach. I think there's a big push online to create communities these days, some authentic and some built as a way to monetize the creator's work. None are bad, but if you are feeling pressure to build or sustain something that doesn't align, that goes against what I believe differentiates this platform from the others.
I am a regular contributor to a niche community elsewhere on the internet, and a few months ago found myself drifting away. The vibe wasn't matching where I was in my life, and I appreciated that I could come and go as I saw fit. Then a message came through from the creator/moderator that she wasn't getting the same robust response about signing up for guest posting as before. Instead of feeling badly and forcing myself to perform, I responded that one of the things I appreciated most about the forum was that there was no pressure, and I was in a season of checking in and then moving on. I have to be honest, it tarnished my love for the space just a bit. The creator never intended to be pushy, and said so, but I got this subtle vibe that those of us who were power posters (for lack of a better description) were expected to keep up with the growth of the space in order for it to retain it's value.
So, back to you. I love that you've discovered a potential path forward after allowing yourself to be unclear and unsure, and working to identify that feeling. Also, don't be afraid to let go of something that no longer serves, even if it pisses some people off along the way.
I’m mostly an introvert so I like to lurk in the comment section to read what other people think and work out if I am normal. It is comforting to me! And my Substack is small enough for me to engage with everyone who comments and I genuinely value their time and energy spent in reading and responding to my words. Again, perhaps it’s just the part of me needing validation but it keeps me going. I’m not exactly writing to build community but I am definitely writing to find shared humanity.
I’m mostly an introvert so I like to lurk in the comment section to read what other people think and work out if I am normal. It is comforting to me! And my Substack is small enough for me to engage with everyone who comments and I genuinely value their time and energy spent in reading and responding to my words. Again, perhaps it’s just the part of me needing validation but it keeps me going. I’m not exactly writing to build community but I am definitely writing to find shared humanity.
I love the “tending” and “crafting” distinction and for a beginner writer like me, I am in my “Season of Crafting” before I can effectively enter a “Season of Tending”. 😊