Your writing is valuable and I am more than happy to pay. I never listen to or watch BBC output or ITV or Channel4. I pay little attention to the mostly unintelligent and shallow mainstream media. I follow the advice I once saw written of the side of a canal bridge: " Never drink from the mainstream". So I have recourse to Substack, The Daily Sceptic, Spiked online and Talktv.
When I am not engaged with the above I indulge listlessly in the study of history, theology and philosophy, pausing now and then to learn a foreign language whilst doing pushups and drinking tea. I haven't tasted alcohol since my youth. One night when I was young returning from an evening out drinking with my mates, and having consumed too much beer, I leaned against a lamppost, more for support than illumination, and asked myself,
"Why am I drinking this stuff? I don't even like it." Whisky is a foreign country.
Ti dico. Continua così. Ciò che scrivi è molto importante.
David, I can be very, very silly without the influence of alcohol. Long ago, I did try whisky, Irish of course, but I didn't like it. I have no objection to anybody else drinking alcohol if that is what they enjoy. My favourite character in Macbeth is the drunken porter but unlike him I am unequivocal about my personal abstemiousness with respect to alcohol. I trust this makes sense for I have just consumed as very strong cup of tea!
You write like a God and I am absolutely delighted to have found your Substack. I would certainly pay for your excellent content and the sheer pleasure of your writing style and wit. Don’t feel pressure to produce - concentrate on quality rather than quantity - all your readers are offered more than they can reasonably consume, so well-curated feeds are more valuable than copious ones.
Like a God! I will have that put on my headstone. On the quality over quantity point - I agree, and this is something that I have thought about. I may pivot to one piece a week, but have by no means made my mind up about that.
Good luck with the paywall - you deserve something for all that work and your incisive and stimulating writing. I shall have to continue my habit of occasionally taking out a month’s sub to read a particular item - I simply can’t afford to take out subs to all the Substacks I follow. Hopefully one day Substack will come up with a pay per view option. I see a lot of authors are using tip jars and buy me a coffee options which is surely losing Substack revenue. But as someone above said, perhaps Substack is only interested in really big substacks with lots of paying subscribers
Pay per view or some sort of pooled subscription. I don't know the economics nor business model of substack but I, like many, cannot afford every substack that interest me. However you are certainly first in line for what I can afford.
Don’t see why. I deposit say 100 €$£ with Substack, and each time I see a paywalled article I want to read, if the author has enabled the pay-per-view option and set the price, I can click to read and the fee is deducted from my balance and sent to the author, less whatever commission Substack chooses to charge.
I came across this Substack on Daily Sceptic last year. Like telegraph wires twitching, other substacks signpost to others, and many new contacts have been made. Some have been 'cut off' because there is neither the 'press-up' time nor the 'whisky drinking time' to follow them all ( only like whisky in Raspberry Cranachan, and as for 'press ups', it's more like press down...once) nor the financial wherewithal....unless one has that lottery lump sum, or, pennies rain down from heaven.
If it is possible to do one off contributions (as and when, rather than signing up to regular outlays), I will subscribe because the Articles are thought provoking and take the reader back through time, and, makes the mind do some 'press ups'.
The photo uploaded is a bleak one....maybe it represents how, in this time, the ugly underbelly of life is around many corners, whether it's violent knife crimes, or attacks by the State on the people as has occurred through the vehicle of 'Covid-19', and is occurring through the 'climate crisis/emergency'. I think we need to see the bleakness, it is with us, always has been....life isn't milk and honey, it's gritty and full of ups and downs, unexpected blows, or pools of joy....as we know!
Whatever you decide there will still be readers....a good year's writing behind you on Uncibal.
P.S...why that title? What is the meaning? Perhaps I missed you explaining it?
"I spend about two hours, every day (Saturdays and Sundays included) writing entries for News from Uncibal, and that is time that I could spend writing academic work (I am an academic, after all), learning a new language, doing push-ups, or drinking whisky - or possibly all of those things at once."
If you post a video of yourself doing pushups and drinking whisky simultaneously I will pay to subscribe...
Many thanks for your insightful, thought provoking and excellent wrriting, David. I've just filled in a subscription pledge. Don't want to miss a single one!
I could see this moment coming! You are definitely worth taking out a paid subscription for, David, and you're now in a position where you can start paywalling - quite a few of us are hooked! . The way Substack creates that wall, with individual subscriptions for each writer, and my own lack of an independent income, make this a tough call each time for me, though. The subs stack up and I've already been a bit of a floosie. I'll go reassess my situation!
I have to come clean about my relationship with the DS, though. It was a lifeline during 2020-22. I couldn't quite get my head around my suddenly being on the same page as Toby, but there we were. October last year changed all that though, and I can hardly visit the site anymore. I know I'll be on a different page from many of your readers on that one, but the most painful part of it was not being able even to discuss it. Criticising Israel gets you cancelled over there. Ironically. Rusere Shoniwa is writing some excellent pieces on this subject. (He's the other writer I don't currently have a paid subscription for but would seriously have to consider it if he paywalled 🙂.)
Congratulations on clearing 1,000 subscribers! You have now reached such a size that you if you monetize (as is the plan), Substack should lean into promoting you further, since its internal algorithm is evidently geared to drive their revenue over and above all else. This will further drive growth, and eventually you will barely be able to stay on top of the comments. 🙂
I don't know whether the paywall is the answer to your subscription fees issue or not. Many high-subscriber Substacks have thrived without a paywall simply by having the high volume and then 'fishing for whales', which is what drives money in free-to-play videogames (i.e. the knowledge that some proportion of your subscribers will be able to afford to subscribe for money, given an incentive to pay). It's not at all clear to me that a paywall drives paid subscriptions effectively, from what little data I can glean - but I suppose you will have a chance to explore this issue empirically! 😁
On a personal note, thanks for the rising tide that has helped Stranger Worlds grow. My aim was to find 200 people over five years who would be interested in reading short reflections on philosophy that attempts to rescue our badly-endangered principles for life. Philosophy is a tough sell, as the difference in unit sales for my philosophy versus videogame books makes clear! Yet I am going to hit my target before my second year is up, and I must thank you for this: the bulk of my growth during this second year has come from floating on the edge of your 'rising tide'.
So congratulations on a phenomenal first year, David, and here's to many more to come! 🎉
Thanks Chris. Yes, the question as to what drives subscriptions/clicks is a really interesting one, and I’m heading into the unknown. We’ll have to see what happens!
I tried to upgrade to paid subscriber, but that was easier said than done. Substack does seem a bit clunky in the works sometimes, but I will try again later.
Whatever you do, David, don't stop!
I am a stubborn so-and-so, so I won’t likely stop now.
Your writing is valuable and I am more than happy to pay. I never listen to or watch BBC output or ITV or Channel4. I pay little attention to the mostly unintelligent and shallow mainstream media. I follow the advice I once saw written of the side of a canal bridge: " Never drink from the mainstream". So I have recourse to Substack, The Daily Sceptic, Spiked online and Talktv.
When I am not engaged with the above I indulge listlessly in the study of history, theology and philosophy, pausing now and then to learn a foreign language whilst doing pushups and drinking tea. I haven't tasted alcohol since my youth. One night when I was young returning from an evening out drinking with my mates, and having consumed too much beer, I leaned against a lamppost, more for support than illumination, and asked myself,
"Why am I drinking this stuff? I don't even like it." Whisky is a foreign country.
Ti dico. Continua così. Ciò che scrivi è molto importante.
You just need to try some of the good stuff!
David, I can be very, very silly without the influence of alcohol. Long ago, I did try whisky, Irish of course, but I didn't like it. I have no objection to anybody else drinking alcohol if that is what they enjoy. My favourite character in Macbeth is the drunken porter but unlike him I am unequivocal about my personal abstemiousness with respect to alcohol. I trust this makes sense for I have just consumed as very strong cup of tea!
You write like a God and I am absolutely delighted to have found your Substack. I would certainly pay for your excellent content and the sheer pleasure of your writing style and wit. Don’t feel pressure to produce - concentrate on quality rather than quantity - all your readers are offered more than they can reasonably consume, so well-curated feeds are more valuable than copious ones.
Like a God! I will have that put on my headstone. On the quality over quantity point - I agree, and this is something that I have thought about. I may pivot to one piece a week, but have by no means made my mind up about that.
Good luck with the paywall - you deserve something for all that work and your incisive and stimulating writing. I shall have to continue my habit of occasionally taking out a month’s sub to read a particular item - I simply can’t afford to take out subs to all the Substacks I follow. Hopefully one day Substack will come up with a pay per view option. I see a lot of authors are using tip jars and buy me a coffee options which is surely losing Substack revenue. But as someone above said, perhaps Substack is only interested in really big substacks with lots of paying subscribers
Pay per view or some sort of pooled subscription. I don't know the economics nor business model of substack but I, like many, cannot afford every substack that interest me. However you are certainly first in line for what I can afford.
Ironically, pay-per-view options are one of the genuine benefits of programmable currency……
Don’t see why. I deposit say 100 €$£ with Substack, and each time I see a paywalled article I want to read, if the author has enabled the pay-per-view option and set the price, I can click to read and the fee is deducted from my balance and sent to the author, less whatever commission Substack chooses to charge.
I came across this Substack on Daily Sceptic last year. Like telegraph wires twitching, other substacks signpost to others, and many new contacts have been made. Some have been 'cut off' because there is neither the 'press-up' time nor the 'whisky drinking time' to follow them all ( only like whisky in Raspberry Cranachan, and as for 'press ups', it's more like press down...once) nor the financial wherewithal....unless one has that lottery lump sum, or, pennies rain down from heaven.
If it is possible to do one off contributions (as and when, rather than signing up to regular outlays), I will subscribe because the Articles are thought provoking and take the reader back through time, and, makes the mind do some 'press ups'.
The photo uploaded is a bleak one....maybe it represents how, in this time, the ugly underbelly of life is around many corners, whether it's violent knife crimes, or attacks by the State on the people as has occurred through the vehicle of 'Covid-19', and is occurring through the 'climate crisis/emergency'. I think we need to see the bleakness, it is with us, always has been....life isn't milk and honey, it's gritty and full of ups and downs, unexpected blows, or pools of joy....as we know!
Whatever you decide there will still be readers....a good year's writing behind you on Uncibal.
P.S...why that title? What is the meaning? Perhaps I missed you explaining it?
I’ve been planning a post about the title - it comes from an old SF novel by one of my favourite authors.
Look forward to an expose ( can't get the acute accent to stick on the last 'e').
PS - Thanks. As I wrote to Helen above, most content will remain free.
"I spend about two hours, every day (Saturdays and Sundays included) writing entries for News from Uncibal, and that is time that I could spend writing academic work (I am an academic, after all), learning a new language, doing push-ups, or drinking whisky - or possibly all of those things at once."
If you post a video of yourself doing pushups and drinking whisky simultaneously I will pay to subscribe...
Ha. I would have to drink through a straw, and I wouldn't wasted good whisky on that!
Many thanks for your insightful, thought provoking and excellent wrriting, David. I've just filled in a subscription pledge. Don't want to miss a single one!
Thanks, Adam!
I could see this moment coming! You are definitely worth taking out a paid subscription for, David, and you're now in a position where you can start paywalling - quite a few of us are hooked! . The way Substack creates that wall, with individual subscriptions for each writer, and my own lack of an independent income, make this a tough call each time for me, though. The subs stack up and I've already been a bit of a floosie. I'll go reassess my situation!
I have to come clean about my relationship with the DS, though. It was a lifeline during 2020-22. I couldn't quite get my head around my suddenly being on the same page as Toby, but there we were. October last year changed all that though, and I can hardly visit the site anymore. I know I'll be on a different page from many of your readers on that one, but the most painful part of it was not being able even to discuss it. Criticising Israel gets you cancelled over there. Ironically. Rusere Shoniwa is writing some excellent pieces on this subject. (He's the other writer I don't currently have a paid subscription for but would seriously have to consider it if he paywalled 🙂.)
Thanks, Helen. Most content will remain free, so please be reassured about that!
Yeah, but I'll have massive FOMO about the bits that aren't 😆.
Hi David,
Congratulations on clearing 1,000 subscribers! You have now reached such a size that you if you monetize (as is the plan), Substack should lean into promoting you further, since its internal algorithm is evidently geared to drive their revenue over and above all else. This will further drive growth, and eventually you will barely be able to stay on top of the comments. 🙂
I don't know whether the paywall is the answer to your subscription fees issue or not. Many high-subscriber Substacks have thrived without a paywall simply by having the high volume and then 'fishing for whales', which is what drives money in free-to-play videogames (i.e. the knowledge that some proportion of your subscribers will be able to afford to subscribe for money, given an incentive to pay). It's not at all clear to me that a paywall drives paid subscriptions effectively, from what little data I can glean - but I suppose you will have a chance to explore this issue empirically! 😁
On a personal note, thanks for the rising tide that has helped Stranger Worlds grow. My aim was to find 200 people over five years who would be interested in reading short reflections on philosophy that attempts to rescue our badly-endangered principles for life. Philosophy is a tough sell, as the difference in unit sales for my philosophy versus videogame books makes clear! Yet I am going to hit my target before my second year is up, and I must thank you for this: the bulk of my growth during this second year has come from floating on the edge of your 'rising tide'.
So congratulations on a phenomenal first year, David, and here's to many more to come! 🎉
With unlimited love,
Chris.
Thanks Chris. Yes, the question as to what drives subscriptions/clicks is a really interesting one, and I’m heading into the unknown. We’ll have to see what happens!
Glad you're continuing! I am happy to hear more English Voices Against Managerialism (EVAM).
Your piece made me think of Dylan's line, "Because something is happening here / But you don’t know what it is / Do you, Mister Jones?"
PS - Managerialists seem to love acronyms so I made one up.
I wonder if 'A hard rain's gonna fall' is more appropriate...?
I tried to upgrade to paid subscriber, but that was easier said than done. Substack does seem a bit clunky in the works sometimes, but I will try again later.
Now, dinner!
Thanks Walter - you managed it, I think twice, as I got two notifications. Please make sure you aren’t actually paying twice!
I subscribed back in Oct 2023.
The best decision I could have made - your essays have been consistently excellent.
Thank you.
Thanks for the very kind comment!
Some wonderful writing here, David. The opening could be the start of an excellent novel. Slainte!
Thanks!
I'll take out a paid subscription for sure
Great - thanks, Robert.