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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2849 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 9, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

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If you write to his level on Substack, the algorithm's going to pick you up and you're going to get a ton of subscribers and even enough paid subscribers to make a decent income. I'd also count his ability to market himself and manage how he comes across as a personality as part of his writer's skillset, especially in how it directly informs the content of his writing. But there's much less necessary hustle than you make it seem. Putting quality stuff on Substack is alone sufficient to gain some measure of success.

Substack's algorithm doesn't work like that, unless you drive viewership from other platforms you're gonna get almost zero visibility.

@Turniper @RedRegard What do you think is necessary for a writer trying to market themselves? I'm not terribly familiar with Sam Kriss' public image - how does he position his work?

I'm less familiar with Kriss than I am with marketing writing. Substack is a platform you basically need to funnel to via a big twitter or youtube account. Other people's substacks and tiktok are also good options. It doesn't give you much organic visibility, even if people view and comment, you need another way to drive links. It's more of a bottom of funnel than a top of funnel place, with good monetization options for dedicated fans.

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