Oh wow - I had this one as a mental note, to come back and leave a comment - and now I'm doing so, I see it's got 180+ Likes and loads of comments, so clearly I wasn't the only one! A banger, as the kids say.
I kinda think about this stuff as the Nope Horizon: the point where the normal % of people reacting negatively to your work suddenly becomes visible on all your statistics, and from that point onwards only grows more pronounced. Like you, my sawtooth has got more jagged as time went on (and I think I see from your graph you're also seeing the slowdown in signups that seems to have happened to everyone on Substack from this summer onwards, because of tweaks to the algo? Ghagh).
And every time I publish anything, I lose upwards of 40-50 free readers...
But, as you explain so beautifully here, that's inevitable, and it's a sign that necessary, healthy and above all *respectful* filtering is happening - because, isn't it so great how easy it is for someone to unsubscribe from our stuff? I feel very happy we newsletter writers can offer that, when in comparison there are still major newspapers that force you to RING them and tell them, on the phone, using your actual face, that you want to cancel, here in the year of 2025. That's not the way, guys.
Email can feel like tumbleweeds. So I ask one question at the end: “What did you try because of this?” Two real answers beat a hundred likes. Action > applause.
For a bit, I thought you were asking what I did differently because of the tumbleweeds. And I realised that, though I may not have changed much, Substack arrived allowing a space to discuss/respond to 'emails', and email providers like Gmail introduced emoji reactions, perhaps following the giant success of emojis on Slack.
Excellent explanation and one I could’ve used when I was writing a nonprofit newsletter that was stopped when I left the board. The folks who took over my job thought it was pointless because all they saw were the unsubscribes (nevermind the fact we got more new subscribers than drops each month, the list “wasn’t growing fast enough to make it worthwhile”.) 🤷♀️ Lack of long-term vision, refusal to learn and develop new skills, and understand the importance of making a connection were big reasons for my quitting that board, even though I loved the mission, the work, and many of the people involved.
I appreciate your newsletter and admire your creativity and insight. Thanks for sharing your gifts with the world!
I guess I'm taking a risk that by responding rather than saying nothing you'll unsubscribe me, but at least I can know that I've said how much I enjoy seeing, thinking about, and sometimes even acting on your work. Thank you, please keep them coming (or not if you want your fanbase to keep growing!)
Great analysis Jono! In my case, I feel I like some of your posts more than others. As you said, you're your self and we're ourselves. But that's still ok because you're doing a great contribution to helping understand many things to a great variety of people. You're a noble man Jono!
So spot on! I wish Substack had an option to simply hide subscriber data in the dashboard, but I suppose it's pushed me to get to what you're talking about. If my work isn't for someone, then it's ok for them to move on! Please keep surprising me with your fantastic idea distillations.
Sometimes I simply get overwhelmed with emails and I go on an unsubscribe binge. Later, I find myself resubscribing to some of them. This newsletter has gone through several purges without me clicking that unsubscribe link. Thank you.
A very valuable practice! I had a boss who wouldn't schedule a recurring meeting without an end date and a future decision point to decide if it's still needed. Could be a valuable newsletter/inbox feature!
Honoured to make it pass the cull on previous occasions 😊
Enjoy your Sunday sketch tremendously. Keep up the great work. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a sketch is worth 10,000!
Thank you, Bill!
Oh wow - I had this one as a mental note, to come back and leave a comment - and now I'm doing so, I see it's got 180+ Likes and loads of comments, so clearly I wasn't the only one! A banger, as the kids say.
I kinda think about this stuff as the Nope Horizon: the point where the normal % of people reacting negatively to your work suddenly becomes visible on all your statistics, and from that point onwards only grows more pronounced. Like you, my sawtooth has got more jagged as time went on (and I think I see from your graph you're also seeing the slowdown in signups that seems to have happened to everyone on Substack from this summer onwards, because of tweaks to the algo? Ghagh).
And every time I publish anything, I lose upwards of 40-50 free readers...
But, as you explain so beautifully here, that's inevitable, and it's a sign that necessary, healthy and above all *respectful* filtering is happening - because, isn't it so great how easy it is for someone to unsubscribe from our stuff? I feel very happy we newsletter writers can offer that, when in comparison there are still major newspapers that force you to RING them and tell them, on the phone, using your actual face, that you want to cancel, here in the year of 2025. That's not the way, guys.
Hear hear!
Email can feel like tumbleweeds. So I ask one question at the end: “What did you try because of this?” Two real answers beat a hundred likes. Action > applause.
Spot on. A great suggestion 🙏
For a bit, I thought you were asking what I did differently because of the tumbleweeds. And I realised that, though I may not have changed much, Substack arrived allowing a space to discuss/respond to 'emails', and email providers like Gmail introduced emoji reactions, perhaps following the giant success of emojis on Slack.
Excellent explanation and one I could’ve used when I was writing a nonprofit newsletter that was stopped when I left the board. The folks who took over my job thought it was pointless because all they saw were the unsubscribes (nevermind the fact we got more new subscribers than drops each month, the list “wasn’t growing fast enough to make it worthwhile”.) 🤷♀️ Lack of long-term vision, refusal to learn and develop new skills, and understand the importance of making a connection were big reasons for my quitting that board, even though I loved the mission, the work, and many of the people involved.
I appreciate your newsletter and admire your creativity and insight. Thanks for sharing your gifts with the world!
Thank you, Carol. A successful newsletter is not a quick-win project—a shame that they didn't see the value! It can be such a great way to connect.
Thank you for sharing this Jono. I look forward to your newsletter every Sunday. I really appreciate it! It’s always so interesting!
What you shared will keep me going as I build my own. Thank you.
Thanks, Coté! I love your drawing style ❤️
I guess I'm taking a risk that by responding rather than saying nothing you'll unsubscribe me, but at least I can know that I've said how much I enjoy seeing, thinking about, and sometimes even acting on your work. Thank you, please keep them coming (or not if you want your fanbase to keep growing!)
Ha! I'm not sure I've ever unsubscribed someone who didn't ask =)
Cheers, Adrian.
Maybe I could really grow this thing by taking a month off 😅
And yet, we never give up! 😉
Excellent advice that =)
I read and appreciated the post. Some valuable reflections in here on what gets traction and what can move people away.
And I so often see your sketches in talks and social media posts
Cheers, Jason!
It is always nice to see them appear in the wild.
You are in a small, esteemed group of mailing lists I'll neva eva depart from
Thanks, Jonathan 😊 — I'll try and live up to that =)
I very much liked that post.
I will not be unsubscribing.
Ta!
I enjoy your emails and they’re one of the few I am guaranteed to read, your experience reflects my own typical interactions though.
You've inspired me to try and start my own newsletter. Thank you
Bravo!
Great analysis Jono! In my case, I feel I like some of your posts more than others. As you said, you're your self and we're ourselves. But that's still ok because you're doing a great contribution to helping understand many things to a great variety of people. You're a noble man Jono!
Probably each one resonates with someone, right? 😅
Cheers, Moises!
So spot on! I wish Substack had an option to simply hide subscriber data in the dashboard, but I suppose it's pushed me to get to what you're talking about. If my work isn't for someone, then it's ok for them to move on! Please keep surprising me with your fantastic idea distillations.
Keep on sharing what matters to you!
https://sketchplanations.com/truth-and-beauty
Ah, I love Brenda’s book so much. Cool that you know it!
Sometimes I simply get overwhelmed with emails and I go on an unsubscribe binge. Later, I find myself resubscribing to some of them. This newsletter has gone through several purges without me clicking that unsubscribe link. Thank you.
A very valuable practice! I had a boss who wouldn't schedule a recurring meeting without an end date and a future decision point to decide if it's still needed. Could be a valuable newsletter/inbox feature!
Honoured to make it pass the cull on previous occasions 😊
Thank you! A very thoughtful post.