The unexpected side effect of sharing your work
On checking stats, seeking validation, and learning to let go.
There's something strange that happens when you start sharing your work online. Something no one really warns you about. After just a week on Substack, I'm experiencing it, and I have questions!
You know what I miss about creating work I never published? The fact that I didn't care if anyone read it. My journal sits quietly on my desk, never showing me metrics, never telling me who read what. It just exists, holding my thoughts without judgment.
This morning, I caught myself checking Substack before even having my coffee. Three times. My journal never demanded this kind of attention. Since I started contributing my work to public space, curiosity bubbles inside me. I check how many people have read my words. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed when I see I can count the readers on two hands.
If I handed my journal to ten people to read what I'd written, with a red face and shaking hands - I'd leave the room and wait until they were gone. I wouldn't want to be near them while they read what goes on in my head. Reading someone else's words is an intimate affair. We get to transparently peek into another's mind. When I write in my journal and someone walks by, I instinctively cover it so they can't see what I'm writing.
Since last week I'm actively publishing my inner (and outside) world in its nakedness to the world. I'd probably be shocked if thousands suddenly saw me naked. After all, it's easier to bare yourself to a small audience.
Despite this, I catch myself multiple times a day checking my "reach." It's contagious. I really want to be grounded. I don't want to spend my time refreshing Substack - or any other platform. It's an unexpected side effect of publishing my work. Do you experience this too, or is it just my desire for validation?
It's been a week since I became active on Substack, and I can see that if I don't set boundaries now, this could go differently than I'd like.
I imagine it this way: I'll write this post, publish it, read a few notes and articles from people I’m subscribing to - and leave this space. I can check my stats tomorrow (or not at all! Wouldn't that be great?) Despite the urge to see how my thoughts spread - or in my case, don't spread - through the world.
Questions for the Community
You know what I'm curious about? I'd love to hear from someone who has an audience, someone with a certain number of subscribers - do you do this too? Or is this just a small desire of us who are beginning to open up and putting ourselves out there? And if you don't do it anymore, when did it stop? Did it happen at a certain number of readers? Subscribers?
Let me know, I'm really curious.
Meanwhile, I'll try not to check the "results" of my creation. Because that's not the result at all! The result is when I close my laptop because I've written what I wanted to write. Or I've created what I wanted to create.
So here's my plan: Write. Create. Close the laptop. Let the words find their own way in the world - just like they always did in my private journals, but this time with the courage to be seen. After all, I never went back to my journal to check how many people had read it. ;) Usually, I don't even read it myself, so feel no pressure.
Hi Claudia
You raise valid questions. I’ll attempt an answer - but everyone will have their own take on this, because it depends on so many factors:
- what you write
- why you write it
- why you are publishing it
- your prior publishing experience
- your prior experience with social media
- everything else that may be happening to you
I have always been a Poet - initially just for my own happiness and need, but when I found my “voice” from the mid 90’s to around 2002 I published in traditional literary journals and won several national and regional awards.
Then I stopped publishing - because the “networking” it required interfered with my enjoyment of actually writing.
I kept writing but I went “silent” publicly - for 22 years.
However - i realised that I do want to communicate - so when I found Substack 7 months ago I gave it a try.
I deeply enjoy the connection I have found here with other writers and readers. The mutual sharing and dialogue has improved my own creativity - but I have set limits.
I spend a set amount of time each day responding to comment and reading and commenting on other people’s work.
Outside of that time - I write for myself, or live my life.
I don’t obsessively follow the stats. It’s fun at first - but that’s not why I’m here.
If I write things I truly love myself - that feel true to who I am - I just trust that others will find it and enjoy it. If they don’t - that’s okay!
Yes - if you are journaling your life here - then you may be exposing and disclosing more than you expected. You have to decide your limits and stick within them. There is no “Editor” here to advise or critique you…
My own Poetry and notes in it are - some of it - highly revealing. But before I hit “publish” I have a long hard self examination.
It’s a good idea to write something as a draft - but leave it a week before you review it and publish. Reading it a week later - you will see things you didn’t see on the day you wrote it.
Be true to yourself. If you do that - all will be well.
Very Best Wishes from Australia - Dave :)
This is relatable, haha. I just had a post go semi-viral and I was waking up in the middle of the night and checking it. It's really bad and kind of pathetic honestly. Learned from it though and will be setting limits on myself if it happens again.