Why you must not quit!
Tempted to jack it all in? Don't. Here's why:
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 237
I’ve been publishing my twice-weekly newsletter now for two years and three months.
On multiple occasions I’ve been tempted to quit.
I haven’t seen the growth I thought I might have seen.
I don’t have the number of readers I think ought to be interested.
And I have come to the conclusion that both of things are OK.
Right now and on average, somewhere between 65 and 95 people read my weekly offerings. From time to time someone comments (thank you, Randall), or someone shares something.
And while it’s been tough building an audience while other people seem to attract hundreds of new subscribers each month (and some more than that), I’m happy to be generating the modest progress I am seeing.
When you’re starting out with a newsletter or blog, it’s easy to have dreams of huge subscriber lists and fame and fortune. As much as each of those things would be nice, I’ve been at this long enough now to understand that I’m only now beginning to hit my stride.
I’m comfortable with my subject matter, I have a posting schedule that’s become almost second nature, and I’m no longer in the hurry I was in back in May of 2023 when I began this journey.
So, if you’re a new content creator and you’re keen to see progress, understand that most contributors to any Substack stream, or to any blog for that matter, most of these people, although they start out full of piss and vinegar, most of them—the better part of 90%—give up writing or publishing something—ANYTHING—after less than three months!
Where others fall by the wayside, YOU will stand out by being resolute.
Steadfast. Committed. Driven. Focused.
To pull all of that off you need a posting schedule you can stick to (something that’s a bit of challenge but not a stretch), and you need a list of subjects to write about.
Many people starting out don’t have either of those. Nor do they have discipline.
I know that over the weekend I need to get my ass in gear and write my post for Tuesday. And I know that by the middle of the week, I need to have my post for Friday buttoned up and ready to roll.
My posts go out at noon on the respective day. I am thankful beyond measure that Substack offers the ability to schedule posts days, weeks, months in advance. This feature alone means I can still publish stuff while I’m away in a few weeks.
So, with all these tools, and even if you’re tempted to quit, please don’t. By carrying on you place yourself in the top few percent of people getting your stuff out there.
And that’s a rare thing because the only way to see the sorts of results other people don’t get is by putting in the sort of effort others won’t invest.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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P.S. If you found this useful, share it with another creator who needs an ego check (in a nice way). Want more unfiltered takes on content creation? Join my newsletter. No fluff, just the stuff that works.
Next time on Shaking the Tree: Knowing your creative strengths
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.