If You Don’t Give Something to Substack, It Gives Nothing to You
Why Expecting Platforms to Grow Your Audience Without Effort Is a Costly Illusion
Education and Meaningful Connection for Any Profession
Link to the Medium version and the blog version
Happy Weekend, dear friends. I wrote an inspiring story for you today. 💐
This story is not limited to Substack. While I use it as an example to make my points, the principles I share here apply universally to any platform, any creator, and any profession.
“Our brain’s default mode tempts us to resolve uncertainty by rushing to quick conclusions. However, true learning and personal growth come from developing the ability to sit with ambiguity, fear, and discomfort, giving ourselves permission to explore the unknown with childlike curiosity, intellectual humility, patience, and a genuine desire to understand more deeply“— Dr Mehmet Yildiz (1991, from Master’s Thesis)
As a writer, editor, and community builder, I have seen many talented people enter platforms like Substack with high hopes, only to leave disappointed, calling it useless or too cold. They are right if we don’t look at it in the proper context.
They believe writing alone on any platform is enough to get an audience. They publish hundreds of stories, waiting for the algorithms to reward them. When it does not, they feel invisible. Some even give up entirely, convinced they have failed.
I understand their frustration. I have been there myself.
In my early days on Substack, I wrote some content and waited for readers to find it. Yet my subscriber count barely moved. I began to question myself. Was my writing not good enough? Was I wasting my time? But over time, I realized something that changed everything: no platform, no matter how promising, owes us attention.
This realization aligns with what communication and marketing experts call the “mere exposure fallacy” — the belief that simply showing up is enough to build trust and loyalty.
However, behavioral research shows that people need repeated, meaningful, and value-driven interactions before they are ready to commit. Writing alone, especially on a crowded platform, is rarely enough to spark those connections.
When I stopped waiting for Substack to promote me and started bringing my own audience, things began to shift. I contacted readers through my website, social media, email newsletters, offline interviews, and even personal conversations.
I launched books, wrote guest posts on other platforms, collaborated with fellow writers, and built landing pages that spoke directly to the needs of my audience. I started solving problems my readers cared about, not just sharing what I felt like writing that day.
As I did this, something surprising happened. Substack noticed. Its algorithm started recommending my work. Readers I had never met before began subscribing. But this growth did not come from Substack alone — it came because I had already built momentum across multiple channels.
What Readers Want
Here is another piece many writers overlook:
Readers do not care where your writing lives. They care what your writing does for them.
Most readers do not wake up thinking, “I need to check Substack today.”
They discover content through search engines, social media, podcast appearances, blogs, newsletters, emails, LinkedIn posts, YouTube videos, or recommendations from friends.
Some find you when they are looking for solutions to their problems. Others find you by accident while browsing online. Very few stumble upon you by randomly scrolling on Substack.
This means that your writing needs to follow the paths your readers already travel. They want relevance, clarity, and the feeling of being seen and understood.
Readers want practical insights and emotional connection — something that improves their lives, answers their questions, or makes them feel less alone.
If your writing meets those needs, readers will follow you anywhere. Substack becomes the trusted home they subscribe to, but their journey likely starts elsewhere.
Why Notes Alone Are Not Enough
Some writers ask me why Notes, Substack’s short-form feature, does not seem to work for them.
I see some writers posting many of Notes a day, some even 50 to 100, hoping to go viral. It concerns me as it is not a sustainable effort and can even backfire causing reputational damage.
While Notes can be a valuable engagement tool, relying on it alone is like shouting into a noisy room, hoping someone will hear you.
Volume does not equal value. In fact, posting too much without a clear purpose or relevance can overwhelm your audience and weaken your credibility.
The real work happens when you step outside the platform and meet readers where they already are — by creating bridges through blogs, guest articles, email campaigns, partnerships, and authentic conversations.
Learning Gap Epidemic Among Creators
The Real Problem Is Not the Platform — It Is the Learning Gap
What concerns me deeply — and I say this with care, not criticism — is the growing pattern I see among creators who expect results without investing in their own learning. I call this the learning gap epidemic, and it is quietly holding many people back.
I hear from writers almost every week who tell me, “Substack does not work for me,” or, “Email marketing is a waste of time,” or even,
“Affiliate marketing is a scam.”
When I gently ask what they have done to study, practice, and build skills in these areas, I often hear the same response: “I have not had the time,” or “I just read free tips online.”
Let me be honest with you — that is not learning; that is consuming scattered information, most of it designed for clicks, not depth. It is like trying to become a chef by scrolling through food photos without ever stepping into a kitchen.
Every profession requires dedicated learning. We would never expect a doctor to succeed without medical training, or a builder to construct a safe home without learning the craft. Yet, in the writing world, some believe that writing alone is enough.
It is not. Writing is just one piece of the puzzle. Successful creators also need to learn:
How to market their work with clarity and confidence.
How to build lasting relationships with their readers.
How to manage the financial side of their work, including taxes, pricing, and value-based offers.
How to communicate their message through multiple channels, not just on one platform.
How to lead themselves through uncertainty, rejection, and growth.
How to develop sales skills — not to trick people, but to serve them better by showing the value they offer.
These are not optional extras. They are essential skills for anyone who wants to thrive in today’s creator economy.
Yes, it takes time and effort. But the good news is that these are all learnable skills, and every step you take toward mastering them builds the foundation for long-term success.
If you feel stuck, the solution is not to blame the platform or give up on your ideas. Ask yourself, “What new skill can I learn today to move one step closer to my goals?”
That is how real growth begins — not with excuses, but with education and action by taking personal responsibility.
The Universal Truth About Growth
The truth is, building an audience requires both creation and connection.
It means stepping outside your comfort zone, marketing your work with intention and confidence, even if it initially feels uncomfortable, and understanding that every audience is built one relationship at a time through trust, relevance, and service.
This lesson is not unique to Substack. It applies to every platform, every creator, and every industry. Whether you are a writer, a teacher, a coach, or an entrepreneur, the same universal principles hold:
Visibility without value leads to disappointment.
Content without connection goes unnoticed.
Expecting a platform to grow your audience without effort is a false promise.
If you feel stuck, ask yourself not “What else can I post?” but “Where are my readers right now, and how can I show up to meet their needs?”
That is how real audience growth begins — not by waiting for permission, but by taking personal responsibility for building meaningful connections that last.
The creator economy is changing. Therefore, we must ensure we are changing with it, on our terms, not others. We must learn to adapt, survive, and thrive for a fulfilling life.
My new aspiration is to create a landing page for each writer and also a blogging directory to create visibility for the works of authentic creators. If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending your Medium ID to the registration portal.
I opened my website, creating a community blog for guest bloggers to help them create visibility for their articles, stories, newsletters, books, and resources for free. All authentic writers and book authors are welcome to apply. Thank you for being part of our joyful and exciting journey.
I explained the misconceptions and myths about email marketing in a sample chapter of my recent book, Smart Email Marketing and Content Integration. Here is the link to the sample chapter: Why Email Marketing Is Not Sleazy or Spammy.
Here is how I help creators create their landing pages to attract new readers and nurture them. The attached story has several samples. Take a look and learn from these open-minded creators.
Why Every Writer and Book Author Needs a Landing Page
And How I Can Help You Build One That Works
I distributed the landing pages via blogs and emails.
I will post more updates on our progress soon.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
This is a very inspiring post, Dr Yildiz. You nicely depicted the picture of laziness epidemic. The internet expedited this laziness. In our days, we used to read books, papers, magazines to learn the craft. Now they just Google tips or watch TikTok to feed their brains with regurgitated information. What to expect: Garbage in garbage out!
Thanks for the advice. I have a question: Your title says, "If you don't give something to Substack, it gives nothing to you." I did not understand. Maybe I did not read it with enough attention, and I did not understand what I needed to give to Substack.?.?