My Substack Summer kind of blew my mind
I thought I was a slacker. Turns out - not so much.
I’m a sucker for a wrap-up, so when I started seeing the “Substack Summer” posts popping up in my feed, I clicked right on over to check out my personal stat summary.
This nifty little overview of what the heck I’ve been doing on Substack (other than publishing) came at the perfect time. I’ve recently been feeling guilty because I’ve been unable to keep up with reading, commenting on, and sharing all the inspiring and insightful pieces published by so many talented and wonderful writers.
And while I’m still feeling some of that guilt, seeing — in black and white — how much I’ve engaged on Substack made me feel a tiny bit less like an utter slacker.
I’ve added some commentary below to give some context to the raw stats Substack provides.
Highlights
☕ I read the most in the afternoon — This is probably because afternoon is the point in the day when I have lost the will power to stay away from Substack and all the delicious reads that I know are waiting there for me.
💌 I subscribed to 96 new Substacks — This may be a problem, but I couldn’t help myself. (See “delicious reads” above.) And as a writer’s writer, I want to support All. The. Writers.
🎧 I listened to 901 minutes of podcasts — This one actually didn’t surprise me much. I am addicted to both podcasts and audio books. Though I wish (how dearly I wish!) that I had time to curl up on the couch and lose myself in a good book, I usually have to settle for enjoying my stories and other writing while on the go. (Who says multitasking isn’t a thing?)
📽️ I watched 1,541 minutes of video — This one DID surprise me a bit. I’m not quite sure how this happened, unless it’s because of being a member of
’s growth cohort. Being new to Substack, I have been turning to her videos for both instruction and inspiration. She never disappoints.❤️ I liked 467 posts — … which means I actually READ 467 posts. Based on the fact that I’ve only really been hanging out here in Substack Land since June 24th, that averages out to something like five posts a day.
💬 I left 295 comments on posts — And here is the source of my deepest guilt, because I haven’t had time to leave nearly as many comments as I’d like. My Substack To-Be-Commented-On list is starting to rival my real-life To-Be-Read book list. And that’s saying something.
📜 I scrolled 347 meters in Notes — I live in the U.S., so this didn’t mean much to me until I realized it converts to approximately a quarter mile. Yikes. That’s a lot of scrolling on a twelve-inch screen!
🕵️ I discovered 144 new posts via Notes — This means that roughly 30% of the posts I read came to me via Notes. That’s kind of cool to know as a writer on the platform.
Top Substacks
I was not super surprised that these three publications turned out to be my “top” reads. I don’t know how the algorithm calculates this ranking, but I’m guessing it has to do with engagement on several levels including reading, liking, sharing, and commenting. Each of these writers has earned a place in my heart and rent-free space in my head. I never miss a post. Even if I can’t read a particular piece right away, I always go back to it later. I guess that makes me some kind of Substack groupie, and I’m okay with that.
The Villager by
New writing on landscape, music, books, folklore, psychedelia, the natural world and other misty magical things outside the mainstream.
Top post this summer: Can You Please Stop Telling Me To Live My Best Life Please
Substack Writers at Work membership by
The only all-in-one annual membership to grow your Substack: Expert guidance to build your platform, produce your best work, and earn the income you deserve 🔸
Top post this summer: How to Make Money on Substack. Period.
Jenny’s Substack - Let's art together by
Join me as I share a drawing a week to rekindle the joy of creating. Includes random musings on inspiration, motivation and how to keep pouring from your creative cup even when it feels like there's a hole in it.
Top post this summer: THAT'S NO MOON
Share your own Summer Recap
You can see your own summer recap in the Substack app. If you decide to post it, please tag me. I’d love to see what you’ve been reading. Who knows, I’ll probably discover yet another Substack to add to my list!