How Do Lousy Writers Gain Such Traction?
Have you ever noticed that certain Substack accounts have gained a tremendous following, yet these authors have put very little effort into their work? I have. In this post I explore this phenomenon.
Here’s my question: how is it that someone can publish a detailed dissertation on curing cancer and barely get noticed, while a ten-year-old can post a funny-looking cat photo and rack up 50 million views and 20,000 new followers? Of course, I’m exaggerating with these examples, but you get the point. Quality often goes unrewarded, while mediocrity - or even outright laziness - seems to thrive.
The Algorithm
I think it’s safe to assume we’ve all browsed social media, and most of us have posted something, too. If you’re not familiar with Substack, think of it as social media for bloggers. It’s a platform where the content tends to be more substantial than memes and one-liners. Still, like other platforms, it runs on algorithms. And those algorithms seem to reward engagement over quality.
That can be frustrating for writers who prefer sharing meaningful work rather than throwaway content. Sure, the cat picture might be cute or funny, but I can’t help but feel the algorithms could be tuned so that higher-quality work rises to the top more quickly and consistently. That’s just my opinion, of course. Maybe people really do prefer the cat pictures. I don’t know.
Quality Falls by the Wayside
I’m willing to admit, albeit reluctantly, that social media and search engines were never designed to spotlight quality content for the masses. As hard as it is to accept, I get it. If I owned a social media company and wanted to maximize profit, I’d also reward whatever keeps people glued to the platform. Who wouldn’t? If users want silly memes and short one-line “Notes” (as they’re called on Substack), and if that keeps them scrolling endlessly, then that’s what the algorithms will serve.
From a publisher’s perspective, though, that model feels unsustainable. Writers who invest time in in-depth, researched content - the very backbone of the internet - won’t stick around on platforms dominated by superficial chatter. They’ll either keep their work to themselves or find entirely different outlets. I’m not sure what those outlets will be, but I’m confident they won’t be Snapchat or TikTok.
Substack Notes
A few years ago, I received an email from Substack announcing its new Notes feature. From what I gathered, it was a Twitter-like tool for sharing micro-posts with either all of Substack or just your followers. Publishers could use it to introduce themselves, drop quick blurbs about recent posts, or share whatever else came to mind.
On paper, it sounded great. Notes were supposed to be highly engaging, and as I read the announcement, I thought: Perfect! I can share excerpts and photos from my best posts. People will see the value, visit my profile, and discover all my carefully crafted pieces. Wonderful! Thousands of followers, here I come.
Yeah… no.
I posted a few Notes. Nobody saw them. Nobody liked them. Honestly, I can’t find much value in the feature. But clearly others do because Notes are being posted constantly, and some writers seem to get a lot of traction from them.
What puzzles me, though, is the way Notes are actually being used. Have a look. I’m not sure this is what the feature’s creators originally intended.
Scrolling through, it almost feels like these Notes were written by robots. The entire feed is cluttered with supposed users who seem strangely obsessed with reading and following everyone else. To me, it feels a little fishy, which brings me to my next point.
Shady Substack Growth Tactics
I suppose the growth tactics people (and robots) use on Substack aren’t all that different from those used on other platforms. Here are a few examples to give you an idea:
Purchasing followers. On almost every social platform, services exist that sell fake users to boost your numbers. It may do more harm than good, but hey, there’s a short-term dopamine rush.
The follow/unfollow scam. Ever had a random account follow you, only to disappear a few days after you followed back? Yep, you just got duped.
Collaborations and shout-outs. Why not leverage someone else’s hard-earned popularity? Pay them to mention you in a post, and voilà, instant exposure.
Parasites and leeches. If you’re popular, you’ve probably seen shady characters in your comments, posting constantly or replying to others, just leeching off your audience.
Viral, low-effort content. Sometimes, your carefully crafted post gets overshadowed by a simple, low-effort piece that goes viral, often because it’s controversial.
Over-promotion. Some publishers focus on mediocre content, promoting it relentlessly. It’s frustrating for those of us producing high-quality work because, sadly, this tactic often succeeds.
In Conclusion
I have no idea what to do. I’ve never been very good at promoting myself in any form. It feels like you have to choose a skill: either do good work, promote someone else’s good work, or promote your own mediocre work. Doing all three at once doesn’t seem possible.
If I ever write enough posts that I believe could take me somewhere, I’ll likely reach out to someone skilled at promotion. If you’ve read what I’ve published and seen my numbers, you’ve probably realized I’m not exactly built for popularity. So… we’ll see what happens. Until next time!