All My Substack Posts Are Now Free

A heartfelt letter to all my readers past and present and future 🙏🏻

All my Substack posts are now free. No premium tier. No ‘subscribers-only’ content.

Here’s the why….

This post has been in my drafts for a while. I’ve hummed and ahh-ed about it for long enough now.

When I started writing here on Substack, I thought putting a price on my writing might help it cut through the noise. I took recommendation from others writing here who advised,

“Put the paywall up immediately.”

There’s so much content online everywhere and some of it is thoughtful and educational and entertaining but a lot of it is not. I figured a subscription might act as a filter. Make things more intentional, more valued.

And I do believe everyone, especially women should be paid for their work. For their time. For the energy it takes to create something honest and resonant.

We’ve spent years giving away our minds and thoughts and our expertise for free on blogs, forums, in DMs, on speaker panels.

So let’s be clear: it’s not that I don’t know or value my worth.

I do but I also understand how algorithms work.

The Substack algorithm is no different to any other algorithm.

The Substack model rewards visibility.

And visibility tends to go to people who already have a platform like authors, podcasters and celebrities with a publishing deal. Most readers can only pay for a handful of subscriptions especially in our current economic doldrums.

This is just how these systems are designed and Substack ain’t no different.

And to be honest, I really don’t want to read another ‘how to win at Substack’ post or a ‘this is my Substack strategy for earning a gazillion dollars from paid subscribers’ post.

Like many of you ending up here reading I too want to be entertained and educated.

Recently, I’ve unsubscribed from quite a few publications because they just weren’t grabbing my attention.

Oh and by the way I’m okay if I no longer resonate with you. I’m human and I change all the time with the ebb and flow of life. It’s only natural that my thoughts and how i turn them into my writing and the topics I cover will no doubt do the same. They already have.

There was a time when my original blog could’ve been much bigger when I won an award for writing about midlife. BUT I started down a different path with a new business venture and my writing was left by the kerb for several years.

So rather than fight it, I’m opting out.

If you’re here, I want you to read and enjoy.

No gates.

No FOMO.

I’m putting it out there in the universe though that I’d really, really like to earn money from writing on here. I used to get a regular stream of paid jobs on my old blog but it seems that PRs and brands at least here in the UK haven’t twigged how lucrative Substack could be for them yet.

I’m realistic enough to know that it won’t happen if no-one can read my work because it’s locked away.

AND … spoiler alert .. all the links here are ‘Do Follow’ links and if you work in PR you’ll know this is digital gold dust.

If you choose to pay for a subscription, I want to give you a mahoosive heartfelt thank you.

Right now, there are 5 of you amazing humans here as paid subscribers and it honestly means the world to me. You’re not paying to unlock some secret VIP lounge of extra posts. You’re supporting the work I pour my heart into… and possibly because you like me and what I write. You enjoy my musings. A lot. Which, let’s face it, is excellent taste on your part 🤪

That kind of support matters more than I can say.

Technically, the only thing you will need a paid subscription for is the Chat… which, yes, I’m aware I haven’t opened up yet.

I want the Chat community to be a private and safe space when it does come.

I think now more than ever we need spaces where we can come together in private both on and offline.

But I know how much effort I’d want to put into my Chat community and I don’t have space for that just yet.

I’ve learned since my ADHD diagnosis not to spin too many plates. Never too late and all that.

There’s also something a bit bigger quietly brewing in the background. And yes that one will be a pay to play access. Because it’ll ask more of me.

For now, all posts, past and future, are free.

Free to read. Free to share. Free of charge.

Thanks for being here with me here on this journey.