I started my first blog in 2004 as an add-on to my daughter’s WordPress account. WordPress was a baby, having started in 2003. It was fresh and new, and clunky, and the blogging phenomena was trending. My writing grew with it, and as I got comfortable with sharing my thoughts, I kept up with the changes, and adjusted to the costs. Today WordPress powers 40% of the internet’s website, not only blogs and magazines, but also business landing pages, e-commerce stores, and major media outlets.
Substack started in 2017, but became very popular in 2020 when we were all having our Covid-creativity. It is an email newsletter platform, so when an author publishes a blog, it goes directly into a subscriber’s email inbox. Key word there is subscriber. You have to subscribe, as in give the author your email. You are offered certain levels of subscriptions, from free, to $5-$10/month, or $100/year or whatever.
Nowadays, it’s rare that you can get all of the author’s writing without coughing up some paypal. And it’s frustrating as heck, because you go along reading and it suddenly stops you and says, want to read the rest? gimme $5. I don’t. Holding your reader hostage for the end-of-story seems unsporting to me, so I’m outta there.
The most striking change to Substack came in 2023 when they put in a thing called Notes. It turned the place into social media. There is a lot of engagement there, lots of engagement. If you want community, there’s your spot. I am an introvert, even online, so I don’t care for it. Everyone seemed calm, and my algorithm had matched me well with interests, but it is not pretty, and seemed cold.
I came back to my good ol’ WordPress Reader and felt at home again. I hit the discover button and subscribed to a few new, inspiring, pretty blogs. There are some really good wordsmiths out there, writing real good for free.
Why would I want to use Substack instead of WordPress? I thought perhaps I’d republish my ancestry blogs and make some new friends who enjoy genealogy. When I first checked out the site, I was amazed at how many well-known authors and pundits were using it. The elite clientele was attractive – what if one of my idols followed my blog??? I was reading some good writing and felt both inspired and intimidated.
However, the whole learning-a-new format seems like Work, and I’m retired…
As far as growing my audience, well, I’m happy with y’all.
Did you know that if you subscribe to my blog (see the above and to your right button) you can get my posts sent directly to your mailbox?
It’s free…
Peace
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Isn’t if frustrating when it happens… I’ve not used Substack and I’m new to WordPress, but often on other social media platforms there’s a enticing headline, you click to read and you hit a paywall. I completely share your distaste. Congratulations on ending up on Freshly Pressed!! Good work.
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Thanks for the post and such a long history of blogging . I’ ve subscribed and iam looking forward to enjoy more!
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Love the site! I blog about the New York Mets, mets-madness.com feel free to check out my blog, this link is the correct one if you scroll all the way down on my blog you can subscribe, can you please follow mine too? Let’s help each other grow! -Mikayla Scotlynd Littrell, MetsMadness.
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🇺🇸☀️ Good Morning, America!
Every sunrise is a reminder that you have another chance to grow, dream, and make today count. Don’t let yesterday define your future. Start this morning with gratitude, stay focused on what matters, and believe that your best moments are still ahead.
Whether you’re heading to work, spending time with family, or simply enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, may today bring you peace, strength, and new opportunities.
Have a beautiful Sunday and make it a day worth remembering. 🌅❤️
#GoodMorningAmerica #SundayMorning #MorningMotivation #RiseAndShine #USA #AmericanLife #CoffeeTime #WeekendVibes #PositiveMindset #StayInspired #DailyMotivation #Gratitude #NewBeginnings #LiveInspired #HappySunday #MotivationDaily #SuccessMindset #StartYourDayRight #UnitedStates #GoodVibesOnly
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Thank you for this. I am new to blogging and a friend just recommended Substack but I wasn’t feeling it. This post solidifies how I feel!
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Thanks for posting, I was wondering what the deal with Substack was.
Think I’ll stick to WordPress, too.
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This was a really enjoyable read! Thanks for sharing. I’d love for you to check out my latest work at weurd.com, if you’re interested – i appreciate any feedback. Keep up the great work!
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Oh I agree wholeheartedly!
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This is such a generous reflection, Jo. You’ve been blogging since WordPress was a baby, and you’ve watched it grow into something that powers 40% of the internet. The fact that you still prefer the simplicity, the free sharing, the beauty of the WordPress ecosystem says so much about your values as a writer. And that line ‘I’m happy with y’all’is everything. You’ve built something real and authentic. Why fix what isn’t broken? Keep doing exactly what you’re doing. 💙
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We always like to read for free.🤩🤭
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Hmm was attracted by the question don’t you read my blogs 🫣🫣
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I’m back on WP after a long time away. Mostly because I think it still has a good deal to offer in a world filled with SLOP nonsense.
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I came back onto WordPress this year and started kicking off my blog (one that I originally had back in 2020) and I’m struggling with getting my posts seen etc but I do agree with everything you’ve said. I stumbled across this after finding the ‘Reader’ section on the app (I’m so behind with the times) and found your post and I really am glad I did.
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What a wonderful read. I can understand when most of writers want some payback for the knowledge they put out in the world. But when it comes to sharing original thoughts, ideas, experiences and all; one needs like minded people to interact with. Blogging came to me in 2012 and it was like… okay! I like to write but a sudden mental breakdown made me a regular blogger. In an age where everyone is focusing on their selfie camera to be a YouTuber, I still prefer to write and breathe a little in between. Reading others gives a space to think about their thoughts and smile in the middle. Keep sharing your ideas… Smile is on the way… 🙂
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I tried out Substack momentarily for the same reasons. I find it difficult to build an audience here, but I’m happy just to write. That’s what keeps me going: writing!
Cheers from Maine!
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Greetings from New York! I’ve been on WP since 2012 and blogging is really a joy in so many ways. My blog is Reading Fiction Blog, and I offer free short stories by famous authors—classic authors and contemporary authors. I posted a free story a week for about ten years, mostly because I wanted to build my own reading of fiction. I now have nearly 400 free stories by some 170 famous authors in my Index. Building followers and subscribers hasn’t been easy, so I added writing tips and Author of the Week. Now I offer films, book recommendations, book reviews, creative and literary thoughts too. Sometimes a bit of book industry news. I was tempted to try Substack, but I’m hearing the audience there is weak for fiction readers and writers. I might look at the Substack Notes mentioned here. Thanks for that tip!
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It feels like WordPress is getting a bit of a revival this summer! I’ve been on here since about 2010, and on my current main site since 2016.
Lately I’ve been told to switch to Substack if I want that old blogosphere feeling, and I even signed up and did a note, but then I saw all the complicated stuff about monetization which wasn’t even my intention, and they wanted my address to send payments to but there was an address in San Francisco already in that field (meaning they get the ad revenue if you opt out I suppose) and I just decided to jump back on here and start reading.
Anyway, congrats on your post going WordPress viral today! I got here from my dashboard.
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I love WordPress but did set up a Substack account to try and get exposure for my blog. The problem with Substack is that it is saturated with content especially in my space which is a faith based platform. I’ll continue trying to use it to drive traffic to my site but my heart for my writing belongs to WordPress
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Yeah, I know that. So many sites throw the subscribe thing right in your face a few seconds after the site has finished loading – not a fan of it.
I can also tell that there’s an alternative to “wp.com” which is basically still WordPress but self-hosted with your own domain and stuff. Just mentioning it because most people don’t seem to know the difference. Wp.com has lots of limitations, self-hosted in doesn’t. Might be sth to keep in mind before going for their subscription plans, if ever.
Happy blogging!
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The last line should read: 5 bucks only🤭.
I am new to WordPress and a few things strike me: In the daily prompts uniformely AI generated slop. I thought we were all avoiding that together. Content not always matching the given questions. 10 likes on average, almost no comments let alone . Is no one here and those who are do not have time?
I have already given up the thought that someone may visit my blog. That was priced in: a book must be burned before it gets written! But the technical aspects are appealing and intuitive, changing it almost daily
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Tried substack too. I did not like it.
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It’s amazing that you’ve been blogging so long! I have a Substack, and do offer subscriptions because hey, making money from my writing would be great, especially with five kids to feed, but all of my posts are free. I’m still at the place where anyone even reading what I write feels like a win!
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i am with you 100% why is it when you have something to say or share it cost money? even getting your own wordpress and all that is included in order to be noticed, cost a whole lots of money. i am sick of it. thanks for sharing!
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Nice
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I started with wordpress in 2008 and posted about 12,000 articles so far. Never tried to pay any monthly fees for any kinds of personal corner. My blog is free to anyone. I still ache of the former format that suited me fine.
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Je comprends assez bien ce que tu veux dire concernant Substack et WordPress. Je n’ai jamais vraiment été à l’aise avec l’idée de proposer à mon audience de payer pour accéder à une partie de mon contenu. Après, chacun est évidemment libre de faire comme il l’entend avec son blog, et je le conçois parfaitement.
WordPress est une plateforme que je trouve particulièrement confortable à utiliser. Elle s’adapte assez facilement aux changements dans notre façon d’écrire ou de présenter notre contenu, sans demander énormément de connaissances techniques. C’est simple et accessible, et c’est justement ce que j’apprécie.
Ayant connu plusieurs plateformes de blogs, je trouve que WordPress est reposant à utiliser au quotidien. On peut vraiment s’y épanouir sans forcément être très assidu dans la fréquence de publication. L’audience se construit peut-être plus doucement que sur d’autres plateformes, mais personnellement, cette progression me convient.
J’aime aussi beaucoup le fait que les centres d’intérêt et les autres blogs soient facilement mis en avant grâce à l’onglet « Découvrir ». Les mots-clés permettent également de découvrir assez simplement d’autres contenus qui peuvent nous intéresser.
Je ne pense pas non plus que WordPress ait réellement perdu sa place face à des plateformes comme Substack. J’ai plutôt l’impression qu’il a toujours conservé une place importante, probablement parce qu’il est fiable et qu’il offre beaucoup de possibilités, aussi bien pour écrire simplement que pour faire évoluer son blog avec le temps.
Au fond, je pense que c’est justement le fait de ne pas se sentir trop limité qui me plaît le plus avec WordPress. On peut prendre son temps, changer sa façon de faire, publier beaucoup ou très peu, et continuer malgré tout à faire vivre son espace.
Je ne sais pas si mon commentaire sera complètement dans le contexte, mais je voulais simplement partager mon expérience. 🙂
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Peace!
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I heard of other switching back. I myself had a look.at it but it did indeed resemble social media too much. Not a genuine community
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It seems that you have found yourself at another coordinate where social media intersects with The $ocial Network. I run into that intersection every time I click on a Google News story linked to a PPV News Source.
I suppose I should just accept that knowledge is not free and that good reporters, bloggers, and analysts deserve reasonable compensation. But does the process for that compensation need to present itself so smarmy and beggarly? 💰
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Wow this is beautiful. Resonated a lot with me as well. I’ve been on WordPress since 2016. Deleted the original last year and gave myself a breaks. I can never get myself to love Substack. At first it was great in early of last year my algorithm brought me great people. Now it’s like LinkedIn for writers the style of AI sounding market-y selling style.
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I absolutely love this!
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New at this august 2026
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I agree, it’s exhausting thinking about adding platforms or changing when what you do already works for you.
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