What I Learned About Growing Subscribers After 100 Substack Posts
100 Posts Down, Hundreds More to Go!
I consider myself a relatively open-minded person, but there is a combination of words in the English language that is irrefutable:
"Field of Dreams" is the greatest baseball movie ever made.
In this classic, heartwarming tale of faith, sacrifice, determination, and redemption, Kevin Costner stars as a corn farmer from Iowa who has a mysterious and life-changing experience. It begins with Costner's character hearing a quiet voice while walking through his cornfield. The voice says, "If you build it, he will come," which the farmer takes as a ghostly command to construct a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. Although a threat to the financial security of his household, Costner's character embarks on a journey to build the baseball field, and as it takes shape, his friends and family not only take notice, but also grow concerned about his actions. However, through unwavering conviction and never-ending determination, construction continues, causing the magical and otherworldly elements of the story to come to life. The Iowa corn farmer, turned baseball field builder, witnesses the spirits of deceased baseball legends emerge from his corn stalks, led by "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, a shamed ballplayer accused of throwing the 1919 World Series.
The newly built baseball field becomes a haven for the old baseball team—a place that brings back fond memories of the game and allows them to return to their former glory. It erases the drama and stigma that came with the game decades prior and becomes the last stop in the baseball team's story of redemption.
The motto, "If you build it, he will come," stuck with me as I embarked on my own mysterious and life-changing journey. Although I replaced the Iowa cornfield with Substack.com and the baseball diamond with weekly articles about happiness, health, and wealth, much of my experience was the same.
In an attempt to create a haven for others, I began to build. Week after week, I wrote about the relationship between happiness, health, and wealth and ways to achieve each paramount quality. I'd wake up in the middle of the night with a new idea and proceed to jot down my feelings over the next few hours. Early mornings, during my daily walk, thoughts would swirl around my head like a vortex of sand caused by a helicopter's take-off as I tried to quickly transfer them to a Word document. I spent countless hours convincing myself that if I simply wrote, an audience would read.
This is where the stories differ…
Writing and publishing content was not enough to build a thriving readership on Substack. While my words found a home in the vast digital space, attracting readers required much more than just putting pen to paper. I first learned this by attending one of Substack's many office hours. I noticed that, among the hundreds of comments on the virtual forum, there were a few users who seemed to have a working relationship with other contributors of the Substack community. They commented on past articles, provided feedback on recent work, and often recommended newsletters they were fond of. This wasn't a one-time effort either—their interactions with fellow writers and readers became a ritual. One that seemed to bear fruit, as most of the Substack authors who spent their time engaging with fellow writers, collaborating with like-minded creators, and interacting with readers also had the largest subscriber base.
At first, the interactions appeared to be a result of the "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" mentality, but upon further review, the most successful newsletters were run by those who seemed to have a genuine interest in helping others. They provided support, insight, and inspiration to the Substack community.
It took me 100 posts to understand that simply "building" is just the beginning.
After Costner's character began building, he was presented with challenges that would cause the average person to give up. While inspiration and support were both diminishing, the same quiet voice that provided encouragement previously said, "Go the distance."
And he did.
Despite the many twists and turns, the Iowa farmer didn't give up. He stuck with it, and although his actions seemed crazy to many, his newfound purpose helped him regain his love of life.
Throughout the next 100 posts, I plan to go the distance. To immerse myself in the Substack community and be the quiet voice of inspiration.
Substack is my Field of Dreams, and I too am willing to bet the farm on it.
How can I help YOU with your story?
Congratulations, Sean! What a wonderful milestone to celebrate. Here’s to the next 100 posts. Slowly but surely, your community will grow. Cheers 🥂!
I am certainly struggling at the moment; I have very few followers and pathetic royalties. Thus, I am appreciative of such advice.
There was another part of FIELD OF DREAMS that moved me to tears: the scene near the end, in which Costner's character gets to "toss a few balls" with his father. However, his father is not the "broken" man he knew growing up, but the young, ambitious, aspiring baseball player who had a dream. Their exchange reminds the viewers of how we never get to know our parents as they were when they were our age -- i.e., as contemporaries and (dare I suggest it) friends and equals.
FIELD OF DREAMS is not only the greatest baseball movie ever made. It is a profoundly beautiful story with several important metaphors from which we can learn.