After a Year

Reflections on Substack and gratitude for my readers🙏

Welcome, new subscribers!

I’m so glad you’re here.

Dream Big is about my writing journey. Approximately every two weeks, I post about: finding writing in my 40s, embracing a creative life, writing my first novel, and the everyday moments that inspire me as I juggle family life and my dreams of becoming a published author.

Thank you for reading. One of the best ways to support writing you enjoy is to share it. So by all means…

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It’s hard to believe, but this post marks an entire year since I began writing on Substack. For several months prior to my first post on May 2, 2023, I wavered.

What will I write?

Will it be too much work?

Should I take on another project while I’m writing my first novel?

Where will I find the time? 

Still, I knew Substack fit into my larger writing goals, even if I couldn’t quite see how at the time. Like so much of my writing journey, I moved forward by trusting the process. My original Substack goals were to document my experiences as I tackle my first novel and grow a readership. While those goals haven’t changed, Substack has improved and shaped my writing life in ways I couldn’t have predicted a year ago. 

An hour at soccer practice means an hour of writing time!

Short form

One of my primary concerns was that writing on Substack would divert precious time and energy I needed to work on my novel. Instead, while I do spend significant time writing and editing my posts, the shorter form of Substack satisfies smaller creative urges that, as I always say about writing, help me process life. In turn, I maintain a sort of creative balance between the long form and fiction of my novel and the shorter, true-to-life stories and reflections of Dream Big.

Better writer

I have to believe Substack is making me a better writer. This is not because I always know what to write, or the words flow easily, or my rough drafts have become less rough (wouldn’t that be nice?). However, I have learned to publish with regularity and my workflow has, little by little, become more efficient. Writing begets writing; it is both a craft and a habit. 

Community

I have written little about social media and author platform (although I’ve had a post brewing on this topic for some time), but I will say that Substack is one place on the internet I don’t mind spending time. The community here is buzzing with creative energy, as well as genuine support for fellow writers/creators. I’ve discovered so many writers whose work I enjoy, and even made some friends with whom I would 100% meet up in person if the opportunity presented itself.

Building a Readership

Substack has grown a lot in the past year, and there seems to be significantly more noise about growing one’s subscriber count as quickly as possible. This leads me to the topic of “success.” A year in, I have nearly 150 subscribers, which is a relatively small reader base compared to many publications. This number is everything and nothing all at once, because:

1. Every reader who subscribes to Dream Big has taken a chance on me by allowing my work into their inbox regularly. When a person opens and reads my work, it is an active, mindful choice. I don’t take this for granted and will never stop thanking my readers for their time and support.

2. My goal is to find more of “my” readers. These are the people who read mostly because, hopefully, they value my work. On any day, my writing may inspire, resonate, or simply entertain. One of my favorite parts of Substack are the conversations with all of you, sparked by connections. This is why I am always asking readers to share—not for the sake of numbers, but to build those genuine connections with like-minded readers.

3. A year ago, I started writing with 20-something friends and family as my earliest subscribers. Now I have an audience of approximately 150 readers. Whether you’ve been reading for a year or a month, I believe that each time you choose to read and continue to subscribe, it is a small miracle. Which translates to about 150 small miracles with every post! That’s amazing!

While Substack felt like a side project to my novel a year ago, it has become clear my long-term presence in this community has become a lynchpin of my writing life. My decision to write a novel—and really, my decision to write at all—has always felt risky, maybe a little frightening, but also momentous. Substack has given me a place to share my writing journey, reflecting on life as I go along. Do I feel vulnerable sharing my dreams, especially when they are big ones that are hard to chase? Absolutely. There is power in vulnerability, though, as well as accountability. Some of you have very kindly told me that you can’t wait to read my book. So really, I must finish it!

Perhaps the greatest gift of this year on Substack is the continuous reminder to trust in the creative process; sometimes, not knowing what comes next is where the best ideas take shape. I have so many thoughts for where I want to go with my writing (I actually had an idea for another novel the other day!), and definitely with Dream Big. I don’t know exactly how to make them all happen yet, but ideas are simmering and I promise to keep you in the loop of any changes on the horizon.

After a year on Substack, I’d like to dedicate this post to my readers. Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, and thank you for being here with me on this journey. You are, each and every one of you, wonderful.