Is her writing worth more than a Netflix subscription?

Why do I pay for writing on Substack?

When I first joined Substack in April, I was really irritated by other writers’ paywalled posts. Who did these people think they were? Did they really think I was going to pay $12 a month for some random internet person’s weekly diary, when I could get an entire New York Times subscription for near that amount? Or Netflix?

Disney spends millions (perhaps billions) making high-production movies for me to consume for $15.99 a month. Why should I pay this one person in Australia $15 a month to wax on about her daily writing routine?

Fast forward six months and I am full-on drinking the Substack Koolaid and have become a paying subscriber to several solo content creators. What changed? How do I reconcile this change of heart?

I’ve reflected on this and share my conclusions with you all, dear readers. Understanding why I found value here on Substack (and also Patreon) helps me understand what value I should aim to give to all of you.

Information Curation

I pay for critical information that is timely, easy to consume, and possible to implement.

Here’s what Substack writers have over the New York Times: they give me information that are specific to my needs.

I am a member, for example, of Sarah Fay’s Substack Writers at Work community. Her content is tailored to what I absolutely need to know about providing value to my Substack subscribers.

She writes about how to make my writing appealing, digestible, and valuable. She taught me how to make high-quality audio voiceovers and how to build community with Notes and comments.

This is not a service I can get through NYT. So, Fay fills an important need in the word-selling marketplace.

Another example: Rebecca Makkai’s essays have had immense impact on my novel writing process. I have been thinking about her post on Interiority for weeks. She explains how and why a protagonist’s interpretation of the events happening around them is key to making a reader latch onto a story. This is the first time I encountered a survey of this topic in a way that made sense to me and that essay has been so important the quality of my writing.

It’s likely that info about Interiority exists somewhere in various tomes about writing craft, or maybe in some MFA curricula. But Makkai’s content showed up in an easily digestible format at a time when I really needed it. She did the careful work of information curation for me. And she presented it in a way that my mind could absorb easily. There’s a lot of value in that.

Transcendent Art

I pay for art that is specific to my taste—art that transcends algorithms and mass consumption.  

Netflix makes content with broad appeal, and I enjoy a lot of Netflix shows. But Netflix does not make cozy writing ritual videos. And it turns out that I am obsessed with cozy writing videos because they inspire me to sit down and do my own writing.

I use Youtuber Christy Anne Jones’ writing vlogs as an onramp to my own writing sessions. Jones’ visually appealing video diaries make me feel like the somewhat mundane process of sitting alone in a room typing, is actually a peaceful, cozy, calming journey.

I have somewhat niche taste in this regard. Jones’ videos don’t have the broad appeal of, say, Emily in Paris. Or The Witcher. But hers is the art I need. So, I have to pay for it.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a “Wyvern tier” patron in Jones’ Patreon community. Wyvern is the highest-cost subscription she offers at $15 a month.

I have thought long and hard about why I pay almost twice as much for Jones’ content as I pay for Hulu or Apple TV. The answer is: her work means more to me, feels more personal to my taste, than anything I consume on Hulu. For that reason, I want to make sure Jones has the financial security to keep making her art.

The Wyvern tier subscribers also get a custom, exclusive video every month. We suggest and vote on topics we’re interested in, and Jones makes a bespoke video for us. Her videos regularly take over 8 hours to produce.

For the amount we pay her, she provides her specific skill and labor to the niche group of people on the internet who love what she makes. It’s almost as if we’re paying her a consulting fee, or commissioning art based on our precise tastes—certainly worth the value.

Niche Community

I pay creators who help me find community that share in my particular passions.

Many of us regularly pay $6 for coffee. Mostly, we do it for the caffeine. But it’s also because we want to be in the coffee shop where they sell the coffee. We are there to catch up with friends, have a date, run a book club, or use the ambience to study in a corner. In the Bay Area we pay far more than $6 for a pint of beer for similar reasons—it’s not just the beer. It’s the company.

What makes Substack different from a coffee shop—better than one, actually—is that everyone engaging with a particular stack is there for similar reasons, which makes the interactions so rich and satisfying. I haven’t found many other novel-writers IRL here in the Bay Area (I’m always looking so let me know!) but through comments and other features here on Substack, I’m getting to know other novelists.

All three of the above (Fay, Makkai, Jones) cultivate community and provide value outside of just the content they make. Fay’s chat community helps select gripping headlines for posts. Makkai is an incredible novelist and being in her orbit, even just as a subscriber, makes me feel like I get to hang out with one of my writing idols. Jones has a private Discord server for her patrons, and a monthly book club.

When I think about it, Substack (and Patreon) are valuable because they move me beyond mindless content consumption into experiences that are much more impactful to my life: education, art, and community.

Instead of comparing Substack subscriptions to tv streaming services—I should be comparing them to the cost of consulting engagements, college tuition, transcendent art, and the spaces where I go to make friends.

I’m still a Substack newbie. I have room to grow when it comes to providing valuable information, art, and community. But each week I strive to do just that, dear readers. Thanks for being on this journey with me.

Write on,

Noor