How to support writers in 2024

The myth of "free" content & why reader investment matters

Dec 28, 2023

Happy “what-day-is-it-again?” week, friend. How are you holding up?

After the rush to put on the big Christmas show, these quieter, more shapeless days can feel like either a relief or a letdown for me - sometimes both. I’ve been trying to lean into the shapelessness and quiet this week by spending a lot of time reading in my pajamas while still remembering to get outside for walks and making a vow to wrap up my holiday making instead of leaving projects half-finished on my hoop.

It’s all about the balance, right?

Part of that balance, as I’m dreaming ahead to 2024, is thinking about the place my various creative pursuits will have in my life. I tend to take a try-and-see approach when I’m experimenting with a new platform or idea; dipping my toe in for a while to see how I feel about it and whether it “sticks.” After joining Substack last spring, I’ve been showing up consistently, but stopped just short of going all-in.

But now, with the amazing response to my year-long book club and in light of the industry changes I’ve been seeing happen all around me that are affecting content creators, I’m feeling ready to really take the leap. What that means? You’ll be hearing a lot more from me on this platform, and I am looking forward to being a more engaged reader and sharer of other writers’ work here, as well.

Which brings me to the gist of this post: how can we best support writers and other content creators in 2024? It’s been a dicey couple of years for people in all kinds of creative careers, and while Substack has definitely been a breakout story for writers in 2023, it’s still an uphill climb for writers, artists, and other creatives right now.

As I plan my personal 2024 budget, I’m reflecting on how to best support writers - and why we should! - and thought I’d share some of my musings with you.

How writers & content creators earn money

If you’re on Substack, it likely means you value good writing, and/or are a writer yourself. But I think it would be too simple to say that most Substackers make the majority of their living from writing, let alone specifically from writing on this platform. Many of us also have podcasts and multiple social media accounts on which we’re active. We may write books, create digital products, provide coaching services, do contract work, or hold day jobs to “subsidize” the work we do here.

If the writers you follow are also on social media or have a podcast, it may appear that they are already creating plenty of “free” content. Which leads me to…

The myth of “free” content

It’s important to remember that what we as an audience may perceive as “free” content is always costing somebody something, whether it be the time, energy, skill and talent provided by the creator, dollars coming from an advertiser, purchases of products or services from the audience, sale of both the audiences’ and creators’ data to marketers, or some combination of the above.

Often, the work we creators get paid for subsidizes the work we are then also able to do for free. In other words, if the dollars start to dry up on the paid side, the content creator may have to shift their model and won’t be able to continue to keep creating as much of the free stuff.

For example, late 2020 into 2021 looked like “stupid money” in my corner of the podcast world. There was a rush to pour advertiser dollars into podcasts—a rush that quickly reversed in 2022 and 2023 as ad sales abruptly cooled. In 2023, friends with successful, long-standing blogs were suddenly scrambling when changes to Google search devastated their content’s ranking (and their ad revenues). Changes in Instagram’s algorithm tanked creator engagement earlier in 2023. Rinse and repeat.

No wonder so many of us find ourselves flocking to platforms like Substack where we can retain greater control!

All of these shifts affect the ratio of “free” to paid content by necessity. When content is reliably supported by ad revenue, it’s a lot easier to make it “free” - but then the creator is at the mercy of the platforms that allow them to broadcast or monetize the content. For creators - and audiences! - tired of feeling jerked around by platforms like Google and Instagram, the simplicity of a paid content model, offering a direct line from creator to reader, can feel much more simple and clean.

How many creators/writers should you support?

I certainly don’t think it’s realistic to expect the average person to financially support every writer whose work they enjoy! But if everyone who enjoys content from independent writers went out of their way to directly support a small number by purchasing a handful of ebooks or subscribing to a few Substacks, it would make a big difference in aggregate. And most of us can at least do that, if we’re being really honest.

Personally, I’ve cleared a certain amount in my budget for investing back financially into a handful of creators whose work really impacts my life. I was able to do this by clearing some dead weight from my budget and by thinking carefully about what I value and making sure my spending reflects that.

There are lots of other writers who I don’t regularly support financially, but who I will make an effort to support in non-monetary ways (detailed below.)

How you can help support writers in 2024

Some of these suggestions will cost you nothing at all but a little forethought and a few minutes. Some will cost you a little more time, and others do require a monetary investment. All are part of my personal mix!

1) Go out of your way to look for a content creator’s paid products or services.

Almost every creator I know has something available for sale, whether it’s a book, a course, or maybe even a physical product that they make or source. Finding their “for sale” stuff may take some digging, because we creators often prioritize “free” content over the stuff we’re selling, and our websites and social accounts are organized with that in mind. And sometimes we’re shy about asking audiences to support our work financially.

But remember what I said above about “free” content? Nothing is free. If you think a blogger, podcaster, vlogger, or writer is contributing to your life in a meaningful way, it’s worth clicking around their site a little to see what else they may have to offer you.

Substack makes this easy for both the writer and the reader! But there are other opportunities out there to support writers as well, even if they aren’t talking about it right now.

2) Consider the true value of independent writers.

I talk with other creators all the time about the tension around around pricing our subscriptions and premium content. It can be scary to put a price tag on your offering when the “competition” seems to be huge media companies that are able to offer low prices for tons of content. But here’s the thing: writers aren’t Netflix or Hulu, and comparing the cost of a Substack subscription against a streaming service just isn’t a fair or worthwhile comparison.

Instead of paying a monthly fee for a huge catalog of programs you might not care anything about (and how often do you find yourself paying to rent a movie anyway because you couldn’t find anything to watch on one of those streaming services?) you’re investing in the overall career of a working writer so they can keep doing what they do. It’s a much less transactional, and much more emotion- and values-driven choice.

A fairer and more accurate comparison might be: do I value an entire month of content from this writer as much as I value a single glass of wine at a restaurant, or even a cup of coffee at Starbucks? When I look at it that way, it opens up a whole world of possibilities about the way I might be able to express that value.

Personally, instead of wondering what I’m going to “get” for the cost of membership or subscription, I have shifted my thinking to considering what I am willing to pay to support a specific creator and their entire body of work – including the stuff that’s not being monetized.

3) Tell creators how your work has impacted them.

Writing may seem like glamorous work from the outside. From my two decades’ experience as a professional writer, it’s rewarding work that can also be really difficult.

Content creators deal with a lot of challenges, like scrambling to keep up with algorithm changes, adapting to shifts in the industry, or figuring out how to serve ever-changing audiences. When the revenue streams that worked for a while start to dry up, we’re accustomed to shifting gears – but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to stay positive while we’re struggling through.

An email with a sincere message of gratitude can be such a blessing and remind us that what we’re doing matters and is appreciated.

4) Share a writer’s work with others.

The size of a writer’s audience or the reach of their content is often directly related to their ability to earn money from it. Sharing their work on your social channels or directly with a friend - or utilizing the tools offered here on Substack - can help a lot, and it’s totally free.

How I’m personally planning to support independent content creators in 2024

As I sit down with my budget over the next several days, I’m thinking about ways I can trim unnecessary expenses to make room for supporting things I really value. Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu are going to make it whether I subscribe to their services or not. For an indie creator, my investment makes a much bigger impact – just like their work makes a much more meaningful impact on me.

When I’m really honest about where my money goes, I have to admit that a lot of times I spend it on things that I’m either not really using, or that don’t actively make my life better.

So I’m asking myself: who are the writers whose work I interact with every day – and how would my life change if their work disappeared?

Heading into 2024, I think it’s a valuable experiment we should all try.