1 year on Substack
An inside (and honest) analysis of my blog
As I’m writing this, there are roughly 1,500 subscribers to my newsletter.
That’s a milestone on this platform. That's when folks start to look over the fence to find collaborations and commissions. It’s when subscription tiers for premium content (i.e. paywalls) begin to scale.
This is a milestone for me personally too. I started this thing as a pastime for those long cold nights in the liminal cornfields of the Midwest. Drawing, writing, and tossing dice while the horses grazed. It was a way to scream into the void, to poke holes in the horizon.
I never imagined I’d have this many people interested. Strangers from all over the world message me, now, to ask “So what happens next?”
That’s incredibly humbling; so is my answer: “I have no idea.”
Let’s start with what I do know: analytics.
The analytics
Analytics assesses who my audience is and how they consume my publication. Broadly, it's sliced into 3 categories: Rule-hacks, Product plugs, and my Solo-play journal.
Rule hacks are my most popular articles. They average around 1,200 readers who stay on the page longer than those who read my other work. Folks tend to return to these pages too.
Product plugs generate subscribers; not readers. Roughly 1,000 readers open these. They read them for about 12 seconds — just long enough to download free stuff and subscribe for more.
Solo-play journals are unpopular. They see about 500 readers, and that’s trended downward since I started. Readers scan them for just under 1 minute — they’re about an 8-minute read.
So what happens next?
I’ll be re-organizing my page and posts to provide subscribers with the stuff they want to read. I’m simplifying that content, too, so they can read it faster or download it for later.
Key takeaways
More rule-hacks. I’m expanding these and aiming for system-inclusive content. I want them table-ready for any table.
More free stuff. I’m condensing my tables and such into more one-sheets. I also plan to reach into short-form zines you can download and print.
Archive the solo-play journal. I’m bundling my first campaign into a long-form read that folks can download. I’m ending the second campaign and removing it from the publication.
A final note
Thank you to everyone for supporting me. You’ve helped me grow as an artist, as a writer, and as a GM.
Watch for the Wenderweald is watching.
—Odinson.
Sad to hear the solo journal is not popular. I’m obviously in the minority but it helps me greatly to judge if a game is worth playing by reading other people’s play reports.
I think this makes a lot of sense, regardless of the disappointment. I had some similar situations come up with various "projects" I've started here on Substack and abandoned. The readership just isn't there, consistently, for long-form reading content in the TTRPG space.