I Just Can't Quit You
A Special Edition of "Written In Stone"
I just didn’t get it.
I do now.
I have seen fellow writers on here attempt to step away from Substack - even making huge productions of the process - yet for some reason always return. Whether it is finding a new home or pausing paid subs (which I have recently attempted - see below), they always end up coming back here full-throttle.
I never understood why they do this. Now… I get it: Sometimes Substack won’t LET you leave.
Case in point: Last weekend I decided to pause paid subscriptions. As I was at the time uncertain if I was planning on staying here, it did not seem ‘right’ to offer annual subscriptions, so I thought I was doing the honorable thing.
Then, as I was preparing this week’s edition of Written In Stone (normally just for paid subscribers) I came across a hiccup…
So if you turn off accepting new subs, Substack cripples your ability to take care of your existing paid subscribers. Because of course it does.
With that understood, I have now ‘unpaused’ the pause (and must accept paid subscriptions again) in order to meet my commitments to those who have already given me money. And what are those commitments?
As I have already advised current paid subscribers, I am going to continue to post a weekly drop exclusively for them through the end of September of this year. I chose that month because the last yearly paid subscription I received was in September of 2025, and I since I had promised a weekly drop to those who paid for a year in advance? I wanted to honor that for the entire year.
I also comped every single paid subscriber with a lifetime paid subscription; they’ll get everything I offer here, now and forever, and will never have to pay another dime.
And now… I am offering that to you, at a special discount.
Through February 22nd paid annual subscriptions will be $20, and anyone who signs up during this time will be comped for forever; you will never be charged by me, through any Substack venture of mine, ever again.
That means you will - through September of 2026 - be getting the weekly edition of Written In Stone, because that is (pardon the additional pun) set in stone. THEN… starting in November I will launch a new, monthly newsletter (title forthcoming), which will be an overall review of what I have been doing the previous month (across ALL of my platforms) along with sneak peaks into what is coming.
You will also get occasional, randomized paid-only drops when warranted, full access to the entire archive, and the freedom to comment on every post dropped, free or paid.
So… since I can’t quit Substack, I may as well do it right and have a little fun. If you want to join me, click on the button below…
With all of that noted, I am still dropping the occasional free post here (hey - if I’m going to be here, I may as well get the most out of it), so if you wish to become a free subscriber you are welcome to join me for that ride as well… wherever it takes us.
Basically, I surrender… but I intend to raise a little hell along the way…
Poll
Now, for no reason whatsoever, here’s a quick, completely random poll about the coming year, because why not?
Feel free to add additional thoughts in the comments below…
Note…
All of what I discussed above will have NO effect on my efforts with Ko-fi; I will remain very active there, and continue to feature exclusive content on that platform.
This is indeed ugly from Substack.
They need to understand that information spreads, and making it hard to walk away will make other people wary of getting aboard.
Substack is increasingly becoming an unfriendly environment and less open and accepting than it used to be. I hear authors and users complain and it’s not just the conservative Stacks who are complaining. It’s so disappointing but when you consider who is running Substack it is at least clear why they can’t leave well enough alone.
For the folks who are not voting in the midterms…you will be complicit in the chaos and tyrannical wrath unleashed by the Dems once they regain control of Congress. It’s going to be Trump 1.0 all over again but 10X worse.