In my case, all six of the people who are paid subscribers to my newsletter are also fiction writers. And I support three fiction writer's newsletters (I wish it could be more!) Sadly, most writers can only support a limited amount of other writers. And unfortunately, it just becomes exchanging money with no net gain if we support those who support us (which is the case for two of those I support.) I don't see this as a solution.
But writers can support other writers with encouragement and help. Catching typos, for example. Or sharing stories. Promoting each other. I think sharing the struggles and encouraging each other is far more supportive than "I give you $50, you give me $50."
We really need readers to financially support us.
So it is a struggle. With no clear answers. Until readers start supporting writers directly in large numbers, the struggle will remain. But that requires a complete change in mindset from consumers who think of supporting writers as buying books. And as most writers know, selling novels is ridiculously hard and rarely provides a living income for writers (although publishers actively try to suppress that truth.)
With that said, I want to thank you so much for the mention! And your support!
Outside of Substack I support two Patreon creators. One's a musician, and the other a weather forecaster. (Good weather forecasting in this part of the Pacific is worth supporting.)
I see YouTubers with hundreds of thousands or a million plus subscribers.
Writers, sadly, aren't as sexy to support as musicians, video makers and other artists.
It's true that our main support can't come from one another. And I don't think we should play tit for tat. Only one writer I financially support also supports me and I'm fine with that. Between Substack and Patreon, I support 6. The point I was really trying to make is that if we don't value other writers' work enough to offer support anywhere, how can we expect our readers to. I don't know what the solution is. Or if there is one. Writing is not a viable way to make a living for most writers. Having said that, I will continue to write because it's meaningful to me whether or not anyone pays me to do it.
I agree. Writers need to support each other how they can. Financially is just one way to do it. But building a community, helping, and encouraging each other is also a great way to support each other.
I agree with Mark. Catching typos is a big help! And this is a good point: "Until readers start supporting writers directly in large numbers, the struggle will remain."
I think the only way that would happen if a patronage mindset resurfaced. I don't know how one would foster that. I've written about crowd funding as a modern form of this, but I don't think readers connect with that idea.
Agreed. There are some pockets of it. Some YouTube video makers have great direct support. And some writers of web novels on RoyalRoad are making thousands per month (on Patreon) simply by offering the opportunity to read ahead in their stories. And of course, there are non-fiction newsletters that earn tens of thousands per month.
But I doubt most fiction writers will draw huge numbers of paid subscribers unless they were already famous before they monetized their newsletter.
Great post! I would encourage everyone to support you on Buy Me a Coffee. Your stories and perks are incredible! The great thing about supporting other writers is that it can boost them in the algorithm and helps other readers find them. We writers aren’t in competition with each other. The more readers we help bring to each other the easier it is for all of us to keep making stuff.
Thanks, Jason. And thanks for being a member on Buy Me a Coffee. I love writing the exclusives there for my supporters!
I think people get caught in a scarcity mindset, which is just backwards. One writer won't do better because another does worse. Nor will the opposite occur. But by being a truly supportive community, we can help each other thrive.
Great post, Dascha, and sadly, it’s all too true. The struggle is real for writers, and especially fiction writers.
At a minimum I try to “like” the Substack posts I read and in fact enjoy. Even though it’s a click of a button, I hope it offers the writer some validation for their hard work. I often am pressed for time and sadly can’t always comment, but I try to when I can. Right now I can only sign up for free newsletters, so that’s all I’m going to offer for my subscribers, too. It will probably always remain that way for me, but time will tell!
Not all support is or can be financial, Justin. You don't give yourself enough credit. Don't forget the prompts you create for us every week to fuel our writing fires. You're an enormous support for me as a writer. 💜
Thanks for that, Dascha. It goes both ways! I appreciate all of the shout-outs and feedback you have given me over the past couple years (not to mention the edits, ha). Your stories always serve as great inspiration, too.
This is a good reminder. We can’t all subscribe to all the newsletters. But a like or a comment on the posts we enjoy and read for free goes a long way to boosting sometimes fragile writer egos.
In my case, all six of the people who are paid subscribers to my newsletter are also fiction writers. And I support three fiction writer's newsletters (I wish it could be more!) Sadly, most writers can only support a limited amount of other writers. And unfortunately, it just becomes exchanging money with no net gain if we support those who support us (which is the case for two of those I support.) I don't see this as a solution.
But writers can support other writers with encouragement and help. Catching typos, for example. Or sharing stories. Promoting each other. I think sharing the struggles and encouraging each other is far more supportive than "I give you $50, you give me $50."
We really need readers to financially support us.
So it is a struggle. With no clear answers. Until readers start supporting writers directly in large numbers, the struggle will remain. But that requires a complete change in mindset from consumers who think of supporting writers as buying books. And as most writers know, selling novels is ridiculously hard and rarely provides a living income for writers (although publishers actively try to suppress that truth.)
With that said, I want to thank you so much for the mention! And your support!
Outside of Substack I support two Patreon creators. One's a musician, and the other a weather forecaster. (Good weather forecasting in this part of the Pacific is worth supporting.)
I see YouTubers with hundreds of thousands or a million plus subscribers.
Writers, sadly, aren't as sexy to support as musicians, video makers and other artists.
Yes! Some of the streaming gamers my daughter follows make an enormous amount of money!
It's true that our main support can't come from one another. And I don't think we should play tit for tat. Only one writer I financially support also supports me and I'm fine with that. Between Substack and Patreon, I support 6. The point I was really trying to make is that if we don't value other writers' work enough to offer support anywhere, how can we expect our readers to. I don't know what the solution is. Or if there is one. Writing is not a viable way to make a living for most writers. Having said that, I will continue to write because it's meaningful to me whether or not anyone pays me to do it.
I agree. Writers need to support each other how they can. Financially is just one way to do it. But building a community, helping, and encouraging each other is also a great way to support each other.
I agree with Mark. Catching typos is a big help! And this is a good point: "Until readers start supporting writers directly in large numbers, the struggle will remain."
I think the only way that would happen if a patronage mindset resurfaced. I don't know how one would foster that. I've written about crowd funding as a modern form of this, but I don't think readers connect with that idea.
Agreed. There are some pockets of it. Some YouTube video makers have great direct support. And some writers of web novels on RoyalRoad are making thousands per month (on Patreon) simply by offering the opportunity to read ahead in their stories. And of course, there are non-fiction newsletters that earn tens of thousands per month.
But I doubt most fiction writers will draw huge numbers of paid subscribers unless they were already famous before they monetized their newsletter.
Great post! I would encourage everyone to support you on Buy Me a Coffee. Your stories and perks are incredible! The great thing about supporting other writers is that it can boost them in the algorithm and helps other readers find them. We writers aren’t in competition with each other. The more readers we help bring to each other the easier it is for all of us to keep making stuff.
Thanks, Jason. And thanks for being a member on Buy Me a Coffee. I love writing the exclusives there for my supporters!
I think people get caught in a scarcity mindset, which is just backwards. One writer won't do better because another does worse. Nor will the opposite occur. But by being a truly supportive community, we can help each other thrive.
Great post, Dascha, and sadly, it’s all too true. The struggle is real for writers, and especially fiction writers.
At a minimum I try to “like” the Substack posts I read and in fact enjoy. Even though it’s a click of a button, I hope it offers the writer some validation for their hard work. I often am pressed for time and sadly can’t always comment, but I try to when I can. Right now I can only sign up for free newsletters, so that’s all I’m going to offer for my subscribers, too. It will probably always remain that way for me, but time will tell!
Take care and talk to you soon!
Not all support is or can be financial, Justin. You don't give yourself enough credit. Don't forget the prompts you create for us every week to fuel our writing fires. You're an enormous support for me as a writer. 💜
Thanks for that, Dascha. It goes both ways! I appreciate all of the shout-outs and feedback you have given me over the past couple years (not to mention the edits, ha). Your stories always serve as great inspiration, too.
😊
This is a good reminder. We can’t all subscribe to all the newsletters. But a like or a comment on the posts we enjoy and read for free goes a long way to boosting sometimes fragile writer egos.