I love your thinking, your writing, and your passion. And your candor. Ughhh so disappointing about Twitter, and all because of one man's ego and money (wait, I think we've been here before...)
I'm leaning in more and more to the awesome communities that can be cultured on Substack. It's a tough world out there for writers!
Christine, thank you so much! I am so frustrated about what Elon is doing too. And more frustrated that so many powerful people in tech seem eager to cheer it on. Thank you so so so much for being here!
I quit Twitter 4 days into Musk. People who show themselves to be assholes don’t just stop being assholes. I’m surprised no one has made another platform with the key features of Twitter. So that we can all go play in another kid‘s backyard.
I keep hearing that one is coming from former Twitter employees. I am not sure what will happen with that. I am also just like....what will keep this from happening again? I don't know. It feels like the end of a certain kind of social media somehow.
I know this is not helpful to you, but I feel weirdly proud of you for whatever you did to be threatening enough to ban. May I suggest that those of us who can consider gifting a subscription or two?
Patty, you are the absolute best! I am a little presence on Twitter but I do know my work is read by some fairly influential people in the tech arena - who knows, maybe he saw some of my stuff because it was shared on LinkedIn or something. either way, oops! ha! (And thank you for feeling proud of me!!!)
I appreciate your honesty and sharing that honesty so very much. I left twitter soon after the takeover--it was already not providing anything that I reluctantly signed up for, but I will say it was the one social media I felt like I could actually use, that was connecting people in ways others simply do not. Now it's just another cesspool. But as a struggling writer and an introvert, I was never very adroit at how to figure out the algorithm and gain wider connections--it was slow as it was. I'm in awe of those who can (like you!), admire your journey, and am here for all of it. Keep up the great work!
I was never ever going to become a super user because I am not good at that kind of thing but it was really suited to me in a way that other social media is not. I am glad we found one another and don't need Twitter to keep one another!
Meg, I love this, and I’m very proud to be a paid member of your community. Your writing is truly amazing and I get excited every time I see a new email from you in my inbox. Thank you for what you do. Your small grassroots community will keep boosting you even without Twitter.
Meg, I found you thanks to a link from PS Piro; thanks for all the insights into what this Twitter destruction means to creators like yourself-I had no idea! There’s also the obvious parallel to the recent undermining of American democracy. Looking forward to more thoughtful posts from you here!
I am so glad you are here! And yes, I do think that surveillance capitalism that was born around 2001 - all the data mining, behavior nudging that powers social media - really has been so destructive to so many things, including American democracy, such as it was!
Meg, as a paying subscriber for a while now, this caught my eye:
"Then there’s the cost of things I am not doing yet. I’d like to provide more to my paid subscribers - like exclusive podcasts, events and resources. But producing that kind of content costs money."
My question is, why? I certainly don't need it and maybe others don't either. I can't keep up as it is and if you did a podcast I guarantee I wouldn't even listen to it because I just don't listen to them. I wouldn't go to an event and I won't spend any time on any other time-and-mind-suck things like Substack chat or Discord or whatever. Maybe you should poll folks before committing to this. I'm happy to pay what I pay for what I get now and I don't need more. Are paying subscribers asking for MORE than what they are already getting? If they are, then they need to practice some deep introspection because they are being selfish jerks and should put themselves in time out.
Chris, you are the absolute best. This is is a good question. You're right, no one is asking for that stuff. And so why do I feel I need to offer it? I think....I think I just want to make sure everyone is getting enough. But again...you've really made me think! Because enough what, exactly? I need to go on a walk and think about this. Thank you.
super late to the party, but i just wrote out a long comment saying exactly this, and now can delete and just add my name to the list of paid subscribers who want to pay you just to support this amazing newsletter and ideally to support you in doing *less* labor. We are here for this and for you. My guess is most paid subscribers pay because of the desire to support the creator so they can continue to do their excellent work, and rarely does that support hinge upon there being extra content for paid subscribers. I would be *really* curious to learn how many folks convert based on the extras vs feeling compelled to support creators/the primary content they truly value. (That said, I appreciate paid-member community threads, and hope those require much much less labor on your part)
I just want to wholeheartedly second this! Unless you’re going to charge more (and I personally couldn’t afford to pay more at this time), I really don’t think you need to add all this stuff! Making the numbers work is always the bottom line, but valuing your own work and charging what it’s worth is important too!
I mostly agree with Chris. When I follow someone and pay for their work it is because I want to read what they have to say. If they start writing books and doing podcasts and tweeting and Instagram I start following them there too and then at some point it gets a bit much. Something is discussed on Twitter that happened on the podcast episode that was referenced on Instagram and you miss one thing and it seems you missed all the things. Or some people only discuss certain topics on a podcast and certain things on Twitter and it's so hard to keep up because I don't want to miss anything this person has to say. So then I just end up giving up on all of it because I can't keep up. Someone once told me to do one thing really well instead of half-ass 6 different things. But the flip side of that is there are people who just don't have time to read what you have to say. But maybe they spend 3 hours a day commuting and could listen better on a podcast. I see both sides of it.
Oh Ruth! I am so sorry it's not working! Thank you so much for even considering it. I will email you, absolutely. And also...again...thank you. I feel so sheepish and so grateful!
I'm with others who say we don't need additional content to think it's worth having a paid subscription. One idea you may have already thought of would be to have the link for somebody to make a one-time payment through something like ko.fi. Someone who can't commit to a full year subscription might be able to do a single payment. Less reliable than subscriptions, but still real cash.
Upgraded to paid. I love your writing and like others have said, don't feel like you need to produce "more" (unless you actually want to). It would be cool to hear from you on already established podcasts!
Astrid, thank you so so much! I will add that to the list immediately. And thank you so much for your support. You have no idea what it means to me!
I love your thinking, your writing, and your passion. And your candor. Ughhh so disappointing about Twitter, and all because of one man's ego and money (wait, I think we've been here before...)
I'm leaning in more and more to the awesome communities that can be cultured on Substack. It's a tough world out there for writers!
Christine, thank you so much! I am so frustrated about what Elon is doing too. And more frustrated that so many powerful people in tech seem eager to cheer it on. Thank you so so so much for being here!
Upgraded my sub to paid. Lmk where your memoir pre-order list is, even if the book is years to decades out, I want to be on that queue.
Oh gosh, Gerard! Thank you so much!!!
I quit Twitter 4 days into Musk. People who show themselves to be assholes don’t just stop being assholes. I’m surprised no one has made another platform with the key features of Twitter. So that we can all go play in another kid‘s backyard.
I keep hearing that one is coming from former Twitter employees. I am not sure what will happen with that. I am also just like....what will keep this from happening again? I don't know. It feels like the end of a certain kind of social media somehow.
I just upgraded to paid - keep going! Appreciate you xo
Oh Emily! Thank you so much!!!
I know this is not helpful to you, but I feel weirdly proud of you for whatever you did to be threatening enough to ban. May I suggest that those of us who can consider gifting a subscription or two?
Patty, you are the absolute best! I am a little presence on Twitter but I do know my work is read by some fairly influential people in the tech arena - who knows, maybe he saw some of my stuff because it was shared on LinkedIn or something. either way, oops! ha! (And thank you for feeling proud of me!!!)
I appreciate your honesty and sharing that honesty so very much. I left twitter soon after the takeover--it was already not providing anything that I reluctantly signed up for, but I will say it was the one social media I felt like I could actually use, that was connecting people in ways others simply do not. Now it's just another cesspool. But as a struggling writer and an introvert, I was never very adroit at how to figure out the algorithm and gain wider connections--it was slow as it was. I'm in awe of those who can (like you!), admire your journey, and am here for all of it. Keep up the great work!
I was never ever going to become a super user because I am not good at that kind of thing but it was really suited to me in a way that other social media is not. I am glad we found one another and don't need Twitter to keep one another!
me too!! 💜
Meg, I love this, and I’m very proud to be a paid member of your community. Your writing is truly amazing and I get excited every time I see a new email from you in my inbox. Thank you for what you do. Your small grassroots community will keep boosting you even without Twitter.
By “I love this” I mean your sharing of book pre-orders, not the demise of Twitter…
Allie, thank you so so so much! I am so glad you are here! It's just more than I deserve!
I’m so grateful for your smart, thoughtful, caring writing. Thank you for sharing!!
I just donated a subscription. I hope it helps! 8 gallons of milk going your way!’
GRACE!!! Thank you!!!!!
Ooh how do we donate a sub??
I read it in the app and there was a link at the bottom of the newsletter, but you can go here:
https://homeculture.substack.com/subscribe?donate=true
Thank you so much for reading. I am constantly in awe people read my work!
Just donated a sub as well. Your writing is fantastic and I want to help spread it as far as wide as possible. 💜
Meg, I found you thanks to a link from PS Piro; thanks for all the insights into what this Twitter destruction means to creators like yourself-I had no idea! There’s also the obvious parallel to the recent undermining of American democracy. Looking forward to more thoughtful posts from you here!
I am so glad you are here! And yes, I do think that surveillance capitalism that was born around 2001 - all the data mining, behavior nudging that powers social media - really has been so destructive to so many things, including American democracy, such as it was!
Meg, as a paying subscriber for a while now, this caught my eye:
"Then there’s the cost of things I am not doing yet. I’d like to provide more to my paid subscribers - like exclusive podcasts, events and resources. But producing that kind of content costs money."
My question is, why? I certainly don't need it and maybe others don't either. I can't keep up as it is and if you did a podcast I guarantee I wouldn't even listen to it because I just don't listen to them. I wouldn't go to an event and I won't spend any time on any other time-and-mind-suck things like Substack chat or Discord or whatever. Maybe you should poll folks before committing to this. I'm happy to pay what I pay for what I get now and I don't need more. Are paying subscribers asking for MORE than what they are already getting? If they are, then they need to practice some deep introspection because they are being selfish jerks and should put themselves in time out.
Chris, you are the absolute best. This is is a good question. You're right, no one is asking for that stuff. And so why do I feel I need to offer it? I think....I think I just want to make sure everyone is getting enough. But again...you've really made me think! Because enough what, exactly? I need to go on a walk and think about this. Thank you.
super late to the party, but i just wrote out a long comment saying exactly this, and now can delete and just add my name to the list of paid subscribers who want to pay you just to support this amazing newsletter and ideally to support you in doing *less* labor. We are here for this and for you. My guess is most paid subscribers pay because of the desire to support the creator so they can continue to do their excellent work, and rarely does that support hinge upon there being extra content for paid subscribers. I would be *really* curious to learn how many folks convert based on the extras vs feeling compelled to support creators/the primary content they truly value. (That said, I appreciate paid-member community threads, and hope those require much much less labor on your part)
I just want to wholeheartedly second this! Unless you’re going to charge more (and I personally couldn’t afford to pay more at this time), I really don’t think you need to add all this stuff! Making the numbers work is always the bottom line, but valuing your own work and charging what it’s worth is important too!
I mostly agree with Chris. When I follow someone and pay for their work it is because I want to read what they have to say. If they start writing books and doing podcasts and tweeting and Instagram I start following them there too and then at some point it gets a bit much. Something is discussed on Twitter that happened on the podcast episode that was referenced on Instagram and you miss one thing and it seems you missed all the things. Or some people only discuss certain topics on a podcast and certain things on Twitter and it's so hard to keep up because I don't want to miss anything this person has to say. So then I just end up giving up on all of it because I can't keep up. Someone once told me to do one thing really well instead of half-ass 6 different things. But the flip side of that is there are people who just don't have time to read what you have to say. But maybe they spend 3 hours a day commuting and could listen better on a podcast. I see both sides of it.
I’ve tried to give multiple donated subscriptions & system not accepting. Meg, please contact me privately. Write r@thehf.org
Oh Ruth! I am so sorry it's not working! Thank you so much for even considering it. I will email you, absolutely. And also...again...thank you. I feel so sheepish and so grateful!
I'm with others who say we don't need additional content to think it's worth having a paid subscription. One idea you may have already thought of would be to have the link for somebody to make a one-time payment through something like ko.fi. Someone who can't commit to a full year subscription might be able to do a single payment. Less reliable than subscriptions, but still real cash.
All the love Meg and thank you thank you for this list!
I'm a paid subscriber. Does that mean I can see your private tweets?
Upgraded to paid. I love your writing and like others have said, don't feel like you need to produce "more" (unless you actually want to). It would be cool to hear from you on already established podcasts!
Britt! Thank you!!!