Web-Only
Exploring an alternative path for posting on Substack
So - how about something a little different…
One of the challenges as a Substacker is treating one’s mailing list of subscribers with a modicum of respect… and finesse. The assumption is that if someone subscribes to your page they want to read your content, but at the same time do not want to inundate them with so many emails that it starts to feel like spam.
Substack’s Guidelines-To-Superfantastic-Greatness suggest a writer posts no more than once or twice per week; this is a suggestion I already rigorously violate, as do many of the more-popular creators. In fact, some of them are quite prolific in their posting-frequency, and do very well for themselves.
That noted, I am not sure that would be the right path for me. I will oft get an idea for a topic, write two or three minutes worth of reading material, then look at it and say, “It’s done;” not long enough to justify an email, but too lengthy for a ‘Note.’ It gets filed into the Drafts, goes stale, then eventually gets deleted.
Follow me on Notes, for links to Web-Only drops, hot mini-takes, plus other shenanigans!
Then there is also my personal desire to occasionally talk about the weather; it’s something I used to do in the TDT, but due to time and space I chose to set that feature aside. My recent viewing of Twisters reignited that fire, however, and - as I mentioned to paid Member’s in last week’s Written In Stone - I’d like to get back into it…
I am seriously considering relaunching this as a weekly feature, doing… a full ‘weekend forecast.’ No, I am not a meteorologist, nor am I any sort of expert; I just love talking about the weather, and enjoy offering fresh, unique takes on it.
This may seem counter-productive, in that every single person with a cell-phone has access to their own forecasts with a swipe of their finger. True enough, but what is lacking from those auto-generated outlooks is personality, along with a sense of connectivity.
After all, in a world where there is so much division, the one thing we ALL share, whether we believe in ‘climate change’ or ‘climate manipulation’… or neither? Weather.
We all have it, we all discuss it.
While these would be fun to do… they do NOT justify an ‘email.’ In fact, I have a feeling many subscribers would get irritated with such missives being delivered to their inbox.
As such, I have decided to test something out - doing ‘Web-Only’ drops; naturally they will be public and available to everyone, and posted directly to the site without sending an email. This way, I get things out of my system WITHOUT it potentially feeling as if I spamming one’s email box. They could be anything - news blurbs, weather outlooks, other random tidbits… anything.
I’ll be counting on Notes to promote these, because every other platform pretty much suppresses links to other sites (and, at least in one case, specifically links to Substack). I’ll probably drop them in the evenings, when the platform is at its busiest, and will rely upon you to restack and share… if you enjoy them, of course.
Please note that these will not replace my normal, full-length posts, nor interrupt my emails of them. These drops will be in addition to those efforts - nothing changes in regards to the content you are already receiving.
I'll start doing these… well, now. This is the first one - hope you enjoy them…
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Notes…
-- Unless otherwise credited, all images were generated by the author, using Grok 2 (on X), or Substack’s AI Image Tool.
I love this. Now that you put words to it, I realize this is something I also have pondered about. Ideas too big for a note but not worthy of a full length email. Great idea, Stone. I’m here for the ride! 😊
I'm down for this. Weather has always fascinated me and a passionate observer without an agenda is rare. Frankly, I don't know how you can be so prolific AND keep a 'real' job, your fingers must go fast as Chick Corea! I bet your outtakes are marvelous. Don't delete them, archive them! Storage is cheap.