Thanks for taking the time to write this up, Charlie. As an independent journalist on the platform, it's really helpful to have real benchmarks from other writers. Best of luck at the Atlantic, looking forward to reading you there!
Seconded. Thanks for the openness and the data. An 8.7% subscribe rate? Impressive. I doubt you’d see +10 on that, no matter how often you posted and how much you pay walled.
Re paid subscribers not opening vs non-paid-subscribers opening — I like to pay for things on the internet because I oppose the business model of surveillance capitalism. I pay for an email account that blocks trackers, so senders do not know if I open or not, or click or not. So some subset of your paying subscribers who appear to not open and not read may in fact be people who are especially concerned with privacy and web surveillance (if they read your work at the times this seems only more likely), and so you think that they are not engaging but we are, we just don’t want to be tracked. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love the Atlantic, seems like the perfect place for your writing. Thanks for sharing some of the insights/logistics behind GB-substack edition; super interesting. Looking forward to the new set-up!
Good for you for getting the er, relative job security of the Atlantic. Back when they had a strong blogging lineup...before the bloggers' scattered and most of their bloggers' brains broke, it was a place I spent a lot of time.
Congratulations on the move! (? Maybe). It seems like sub stack is one more way that the very top group does disproportionately well while the good (maybe even top 10%) don’t benefit nearly as much.
Looking forward to paying for my subscription to the Atlantic.
Congratulations! I am happy that you will expand your audience. Also, the personal story on being independent journalist is fabolous. I am a researcher for University of Cincinnati, would love to talk about your experience once you have more time on your hands!
Interesting insights on your Substack experience, thank you for posting that. As a fiction writer still experimenting with the platform, I always like to read stuff like this as it helps to put things into perspective. Wish you all the best in your new home!
Curious that The Atlantic has cloned "the contrarian vibe" of Substack writers. Smearing and copying, I guess what you pay a big CEO to do am I right Charlie?
Based on what you've provided here I'd say it seems like as if this is teh right move for you and isn;t that what matters most to anyone, the right ove for them which isn't always true for others?
Thanks for taking the time to write this up, Charlie. As an independent journalist on the platform, it's really helpful to have real benchmarks from other writers. Best of luck at the Atlantic, looking forward to reading you there!
Seconded. Thanks for the openness and the data. An 8.7% subscribe rate? Impressive. I doubt you’d see +10 on that, no matter how often you posted and how much you pay walled.
I'm a long-time subscriber to The Atlantic who really misses the blogging era (esp. Coates and his "horde"). I look forward to seeing you there.
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2015/09/horde/407902/
Long-time Atlantic writer and I, too, really miss the blogging era (esp TNC). Maybe Charlie will bring it back!
Tell us the name of the billionaire and I will subscribe to the Atlantic twice
Re paid subscribers not opening vs non-paid-subscribers opening — I like to pay for things on the internet because I oppose the business model of surveillance capitalism. I pay for an email account that blocks trackers, so senders do not know if I open or not, or click or not. So some subset of your paying subscribers who appear to not open and not read may in fact be people who are especially concerned with privacy and web surveillance (if they read your work at the times this seems only more likely), and so you think that they are not engaging but we are, we just don’t want to be tracked. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love the Atlantic, seems like the perfect place for your writing. Thanks for sharing some of the insights/logistics behind GB-substack edition; super interesting. Looking forward to the new set-up!
The Atlantic seems like a great match for the work and writing you do. Congratulations!
Good for you for getting the er, relative job security of the Atlantic. Back when they had a strong blogging lineup...before the bloggers' scattered and most of their bloggers' brains broke, it was a place I spent a lot of time.
Congratulations on the move! (? Maybe). It seems like sub stack is one more way that the very top group does disproportionately well while the good (maybe even top 10%) don’t benefit nearly as much.
Looking forward to paying for my subscription to the Atlantic.
Congratulations! I am happy that you will expand your audience. Also, the personal story on being independent journalist is fabolous. I am a researcher for University of Cincinnati, would love to talk about your experience once you have more time on your hands!
Interesting insights on your Substack experience, thank you for posting that. As a fiction writer still experimenting with the platform, I always like to read stuff like this as it helps to put things into perspective. Wish you all the best in your new home!
This is so interesting, thank you!
Will happily follow you to the Atlantic.
Best of luck!
Not clear what happens for those of us who already subscribe to The Atlantic? Please clarify. And good luck at your new home!
you will not be paying for me anymore and you'll just continue paying for the atlantic!
what if i want to just keep paying you in addition to The Atlantic. can i send you burritos?
An Only Fans of Charlie just reading the comments section, I guess?
Curious that The Atlantic has cloned "the contrarian vibe" of Substack writers. Smearing and copying, I guess what you pay a big CEO to do am I right Charlie?
Based on what you've provided here I'd say it seems like as if this is teh right move for you and isn;t that what matters most to anyone, the right ove for them which isn't always true for others?