a day ago
- Substack should be a distribution tool, not a writer's digital home.
- Writers who make Substack their primary platform risk losing control of their content.
- Using a custom domain on Substack is better than a Substack subdomain, but still limited compared to a CMS.
- Platforms like Facebook, Tumblr, Medium, and Substack offer convenience but make writers tenants, not homeowners.
- Relying on corporate platforms is risky because they can change rules or decline without warning.
- The POSSE method (Publish on Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere) gives writers autonomy and platform reach.
- Platform algorithms favor Western narratives, making it hard for diverse voices to be seen without conforming.
- Writers like John Scalzi, who blogs independently for 28 years, show the value of owning a digital home.
- Platforms cycle through hype and decline; independent websites with RSS provide lasting stability.
- Use platforms to find readers, but bring them back to a site you own and control.