Tribal Affairs - Finding Your People
Evolution of a Newbie #2
I’ve been interested in writing for decades. I dabbled at it forever it seems, but it wasn’t until I retired in January of 2023 that I took a deep breath, prayed for courage, and began to regularly click publish.
I did, however, read a lot about writing.
About a decade ago, I was fortunate to run across a fairly new writer (at that time) by the name of
who seemed to explode on the scene. I mean, the guy was everywhere: A blog, a book, guesting posts, or interviews by others whose blogs I read regularly. No matter where I turned, there was Jeff. He seemed to have mastered the necessary marketing part of being a successful writer.Recently, I was delighted to discover that Jeff is now writing
here on Substack.What impressed me so much about Jeff was his determination to be a successful writer. He didn’t just dip his toes to test the water, he dove in head first right from the start, never doubting that he was a writer and would make a difference because of it.
It changed my perspective.
Even though I had not yet written anything significant, from that point on I thought of myself as a writer, not someone who wanted to be a writer.
One of Jeff’s earliest e-book giveaways was Every Writer Needs a Tribe. I don’t believe the book is available any longer (please correct me if I’m mistaken on that, Jeff), but his blog post of the same name, Every Writer Needs a Tribe (Have You Found Yours?) can still be accessed online. Worth reading.
What prompted this piece today is a post on Notes last week by
which got quite a bit of response:To my fellow Substack writers who are going through a grueling process of slow growth or low traction, here are some words of encouragement from Rainer Maria Rilke:
"There is here no measuring of time, no years matter, and ten years are nothing. Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after that may come no summer. It does come, but it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!" (from Letters to a Young Poet)”
My spontaneous reply (which surprisingly also got a surprising number of responses) was this:
Learn to love your “Lurkers”. They are your faithfuls.
They’re out there, reading each piece you write. Never liking. Never commenting. Just reading.
And, just when you’re the most discouraged, one of them will rise to the surface and surprise you with a like or even a short comment saying how much they have enjoyed what you write. It totally blows you out of the water. Incredibly humbling.
That one Lurker represents dozens of others who snatch a few minutes out of their busy lives to read your stuff every time you post.
A very encouraging thought indeed.
While some Lurkers are subscribers, most are followers. That may be why Substack began adding follower metrics along with subscribers. If you go to the Subscribers section on your dashboard, you will likely notice that the # of followers outnumbers subscribers significantly.
I admit, I’ve been a little slow to the party. I just didn’t get the follower thing. I thought the goal was to build a subscriber base. So, I ignored it.
But then I read notes by
and several others responding to writers who were discouraged by either a lack of subscribers or a lack of interaction (likes and comments) by their subscribers. By the way, that was me until I understood the Lurker Theory:That one Lurker who likes or comments represents dozens of others who snatch a few minutes out of their busy lives to read your stuff every time you post.
Their advice was don’t just go for the subscribers. Build a following. In return, find other writers whose topics interest you and follow them. Then genuinely interact with them with likes, comments, notes, chats, and restacks. As you write, these same folks will subscribe or follow you, and begin commenting, liking, and restacking your pieces. It builds momentum over time.
Made sense to me. So, I did. And they did.
In the last month alone, the # of followers and subscribers has grown by leaps and bounds. Over the last couple of weeks, I gained almost 30 new subs and a ton of followers.
It was shocking since my subscriber count was stuck in the 190s for the last two months of my first writing year (my goal was 200). And here’s the thing - many followers eventually turn into subscribers.
A recent Substack article I read, In Praise of Lurkers by
concluded with this:“In short, we never really know who is watching, or why. We could hyper focus on this and try to manage our content to fit, or we could just post what we want to talk about, what lights us up, what makes us tick.
The right people will find us, whether we know it or not.”
Recently
wrote,“Don’t try to write for everyone. You can’t please them all. Write for your Ideal Reader.”
It got me thinking. So I replied -
“Our ideal reader is a lot like us. Oh wait, it is us …”
I don’t think I am speaking vainly when I say -
“No one speaks to our own hearts like we do.”
It’s human to express the things that speak to our hearts with the hope of attracting others who think and feel the things we do.
We subscribe to or follow others because what they write speaks to our hearts like our own writing.
It is validating.
Each of us write for different reasons and have different goals. As we grow in confidence and skill, those reasons and goals will grow as well.
But no matter how much you or your newsletter grows, one thing should never change - your devotion to your base. Never take your followers for granted.
This is your tribe. These are your people. Your ideal readers. Your most loyal fans. Your “Kindred Spirits”. Feed them, nurture them, encourage them, and thank them often for sticking with you through it all.
Many voices are crying out for their attention. Make sure yours is heard clearly.
When you figure this out (and you will) your writing life will change forever.
The lurker theory is very real. I often have to remind myself.
In talk radio, we were always coached to do the show for the listener, not callers. Because less than 1% of the audience calls in. Use the calls strategically to make the show better. Don't just roll through them mindlessly. There are definitely some parallels with writing.
Heck, I lurk frequently!
Thanks for the kind words, Cork. I'll see if I can dig up an old copy of that ebook so you can share it with folks.