By India Pemberton
Substack is a trailblazer for independent publishing, but the algorithm is inescapable, so you’d better hope your work conforms.
Sydney-based upcoming author, and editor of The Secret Garden Journal, Emmanuelle Kate initially shared her work on Substack.
“Substack really cushioned the idea that people were going to judge me, because everyone on Substack is in the same boat you are,” said Kate.
Authors earn some of the lowest incomes in Australia. According to the Australian Society of Authors annual survey, 55 per cent of full-time authors reported earning less than $15,000 in 2023.
The challenging industry creates a market for a streamlined, independent platform of creating, distributing, and monetising your writing. Substack fills this market.
However, fiction authors like Kate find collating an audience “near impossible” when navigating the platform’s algorithm, which requires “key trigger buzzwords” and “prioritises mass-produced concepts that most people can connect with”.
And it’s true. Substack’s top 20 earning newsletters are business, finance, technology, and politics.
In terms of creative writing, incorporating buzzwords is disingenuous.
“I think it’s very much about algorithms,” said Kate. “It makes me feel like my writing is cheap and disposable … you put so much of yourself into creative work and it’s just becoming something you’re flicking on your phone.”
It’s no secret that attitudes towards long-form content have shifted drastically since the pandemic.
Society is obsessed with an efficient, two-minute dopamine hit. Substack is considered a remedy for the short-form epidemic.
Except, it seems as though it’s no better than any other social media when it comes to garnering engagement.
“I feel like I’m contributing to the short-form content and anti-intellectualism epidemic, and I’m selling short the effort that goes into my writing,” Kate said.
Unfortunately, authors will never be able to avoid appealing to the masses if they want their work to be noticed. Social media rules the modern world. It’s clear that no matter how nuanced your work may be, you must shove it into a punchy clickable statement.
So, support your local upcoming authors. Don’t let them become a slave to the algorithm.
Featured photo: Substack doesn’t always stack up for authors. Photo: Focal Foto/flickr/CC
