Why I Think Substack Is Great
I’ve tried a lot of platforms over the years—WordPress, Medium, even a few hand-coded blogs—but none of them felt quite right. Substack, though, has been a game-changer. It’s not perfect (no platform is), but it strikes a balance I haven’t found anywhere else: it’s clean, focused, and built around the idea that writing—and reading—still matters.
The first thing I noticed was how easy it is to get started. No plugins to configure, no templates to wrestle with, no decision fatigue about how my homepage should look. Substack lets me write and share without friction. For a writer, that’s huge. Sometimes the best creative tool is the one that gets out of your way.
But it’s more than just simplicity. Substack is built around connection. It’s not just a blog—it's a mailing list, a publishing engine, and a community platform all in one. The moment someone subscribes, they’re inviting my words into their inbox, not just stumbling across them on a feed. That direct line to readers feels personal, and it helps build trust over time.
I also love that Substack respects writers enough to give us control. I own my content and my subscriber list. If I ever want to take my work elsewhere, I can. That’s rare—and refreshing—in a world where most platforms lock you in.
And then there’s the audience. Substack has become a home for thoughtful writing. Whether it’s essays, fiction, journalism, or fan work, there’s a growing community of people who come here to read—not to skim. That kind of audience changes how you write. It invites depth, not just clicks.
Of course, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about monetization. Substack makes it easy to turn a newsletter into a paid subscription, but they don’t pressure you into it. I can write for free, grow at my own pace, and decide if or when it makes sense to offer something more.
So, yes—Substack is great. It’s great because it remembers that writers are at the center of the writing world. And for someone like me—who loves to create, connect, and explore ideas—that’s exactly where I want to be.