Oh Hillary, I struggled with this decision for the same reason as you. Especially as an old-school blogger who had been providing free content for so long, I was really worried that my audience would be upset. I agonized over the decision, but ultimately made it for the reasons you mentioned (growth!) and was totally shocked: my audience was really receptive and supportive of my decision, and my growth exploded. Maybe "exploded" is a dramatic word, but in a world where growth can be so hard, I think I've gained around 8,000 subs via the app since turning it on a year ago.
It's been so beneficial to me, not because of the subscription money (of course, that's nice!), but because of the growth. I think you'll have the same experience.
I think there are elegant ways to do it. You could add on a little extra content behind the paywall in your existing letters. Or, to your point, paywall the archive. I do a monthly giveaway with beauty and book extras for my paid tier. I really do think there are ways to provide value without isolating your base.
Wow - this is such a helpful discussion. I also have a free substack that I've kept free because of my background as a blogger and also my own frustration with there being more substacks that I WANT to read vs have the bandwidth to pay for... but like everyone else, the goals isn't to write in a vacuum -- growth is important to all of us who take the time to do this! Thank you so much for this thoughtful discussion.
Hi Hillary, I am judicious with my Substack subscriptions (they add up fast!) and I would pay for Hi Everyone. Full stop. I get so much value out of it and appreciate your expertise and the level of research and thoughtfulness that goes into your recommendations.
You have led me to discovering my absolute favorite pants (The Row, on incredible sale at Nordstrom) which I wear weekly. You also helped me fall back in love with J Crew.
Re London, my tactic is to take a trench (yes, mine is Burberry, but I have a rule that I buy outerwear made by people who understand the weather I'm dressing for. Dank weather? Brits. True cold winter? Canadians.) and then a small liner puffer. My favorite is Herno (I've gotten two at my favorite London consignment shop, Pandora, which is near Herrod's). It rolls up so tight I can fit it in a small crossbody. I also wear them like a cardigan. Very versatile! And then a light cashmere shawl to use as blanket on the plane, scarf, or just a wrap. Safe travels!
Hard agree on ‘buy outerwear by people who understand the weather’. My serious winter coats are all by Mackage or Soia & Kyo. I’ll plug rain sisters for pretty, twirly, and thoughtfully designed trench coats that are ‘dress coat’ style.
Your transparency and sharing of the Substack backstory is greatly appreciated and TBH refreshing to see. Not a lot of sharing of Why these days, just asking for more $.
I agree with others, you deserve yo achieve your goals and a single paid edition per month feels like a good option to balance access and Substack management. Safe travels.
I love the idea of one paid story per month, such as a deep dive on Towels etc. And as a consumer I am trying to be intentional about paying for content/creators who I truly appreciate. I would pay the $5 per month for this newsletter.
Hi Hilary! Love your posts as always. London weather is tricky at the moment, because the hottest part of the day is about 4pm, so it’s much cooler when you leave the house in the morning. But honestly you’d be fine with a trench or other light jacket. A wool coat/jacket is definitely too much. I say this as an Australian living in London! Have a great trip 🏴
I appreciate this post and the lesson re: Substack. I'm struggling with the platform. I would likely at least consider paying for your content because you seem transparent regarding sponsorship. In general, though, I feel like the platform is being presented as being the place where content creators can be more honest/open/truthful ... and recommendations aren't sponsored by brands. But, how long will that hold? If a brand knows Substack is the place where "real" recommendations are made, they'll soon (if not already) require their influencers to post there. And I REFUSE to pay someone for content that they are being paid to produce. That would be insane:)
This may be my optimism showing, but I truly believe that the most important thing one was as a writer/creator/whatever is the trust they have with their audience. And if someone starts monetizing secretly, in an off brand way, or in a non-authentic way that's just pure cash grab, the audience will leave. Like it all regulates, to a degree.
I 100% believe that you, like many talented writers who are putting our heart and soul into these posts, deserves to be paid. The issue is with scale. It’s impossible to be a paid subscriber to every newsletter and for us smaller writers, we really struggle with growth— esp these days as the platform gets more and more crowded. I wish Substack would introduce bundles or a way to support more writers financially! Whatever you decide, I’ll still keep reading! Xo
I ❤️ Hi Everyone! It’s the substack I look forward to reading the most. When I found myself not always reading my paid subs, I became a paid supporter. I want to be friends forever. I never want you to leave.
I appreciate the in depth explanation of how subscriptions work (or can work) on this platform. Totally understand the subscription < growth equation. I love your newsletters and read them all. I think the option of one deep dive/heavily researched piece per month behind the paywall is a good place to start.
Thanks for explaining the subscription thing! I’m going to start one soon and that’s good to know. I absolutely think you should turn it on and start with one paid story a month! So worth it 🥰
I choose to not pay for content. Not because I don’t think someone doesnt deserve to be paid. And it’s not personal. It’s just not how I choose to spend my $. However I would be totally fine if you were to charge for some of your content. You provide a monetizing service and if it helps you grow your brand I say go for it! And as long you throw me the occasional bone, I’ll keep coming back!
Hi Everyone was one of the first fashion newsletters I subscribed to back in 2022 and I was so happy to find this as an avid Who What Wear reader (I still have both of the WWW books and will never part with them). Agree with everything you wrote about turning on paid subs to grow and agree with everyone in the comments that your newsletter is worth the paid subscription - your writing and curation is incredible. Also, I was so happy to see a Scruples mention, it's one of my all-time favorite books that's surprisingly under the radar. The series is next on my list to reread after I finish rereading Wives Like Us :)
Yay another Scruples fan!!!! It's so funny, folks always say "oh that was before my time" when I talk about it and I'm like, it was before mine too! Not an excuse! Fun writing is fun writing!
100%! I stumbled across Scruples decades after it was published and have reread her books so many times. Happy to finally have someone that understands Billy, Valentine, and Maggie references :)
Also, I'm in the same boat with the Stratus pants. The medium is too big but the small is - less relaxed? - that I want them to be. So I've had the waist tailored to perfection. Annoying but worth it bc these are perfect pants!
Oh Hillary, I struggled with this decision for the same reason as you. Especially as an old-school blogger who had been providing free content for so long, I was really worried that my audience would be upset. I agonized over the decision, but ultimately made it for the reasons you mentioned (growth!) and was totally shocked: my audience was really receptive and supportive of my decision, and my growth exploded. Maybe "exploded" is a dramatic word, but in a world where growth can be so hard, I think I've gained around 8,000 subs via the app since turning it on a year ago.
It's been so beneficial to me, not because of the subscription money (of course, that's nice!), but because of the growth. I think you'll have the same experience.
I think there are elegant ways to do it. You could add on a little extra content behind the paywall in your existing letters. Or, to your point, paywall the archive. I do a monthly giveaway with beauty and book extras for my paid tier. I really do think there are ways to provide value without isolating your base.
If you want to chat more, feel free to DM me! :)
Either way, I'd pay! Have a great trip.
Thank you, Grace. This is so very generous and kind of you, and I appreciate your comment and support tremendously.
Yes to everything Grace said. In Grace we trust!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I look forward to your post each week and would def pay! Xo
Wow - this is such a helpful discussion. I also have a free substack that I've kept free because of my background as a blogger and also my own frustration with there being more substacks that I WANT to read vs have the bandwidth to pay for... but like everyone else, the goals isn't to write in a vacuum -- growth is important to all of us who take the time to do this! Thank you so much for this thoughtful discussion.
Hi Hillary, I am judicious with my Substack subscriptions (they add up fast!) and I would pay for Hi Everyone. Full stop. I get so much value out of it and appreciate your expertise and the level of research and thoughtfulness that goes into your recommendations.
You have led me to discovering my absolute favorite pants (The Row, on incredible sale at Nordstrom) which I wear weekly. You also helped me fall back in love with J Crew.
I look so forward to reading Hi Everyone!
They do add up fast! I think about that all the time. And I so appreciate this message and for seeing me. ❤️❤️❤️
Ditto this.
Hi Hillary! I would also pay for your newsletter.
Re London, my tactic is to take a trench (yes, mine is Burberry, but I have a rule that I buy outerwear made by people who understand the weather I'm dressing for. Dank weather? Brits. True cold winter? Canadians.) and then a small liner puffer. My favorite is Herno (I've gotten two at my favorite London consignment shop, Pandora, which is near Herrod's). It rolls up so tight I can fit it in a small crossbody. I also wear them like a cardigan. Very versatile! And then a light cashmere shawl to use as blanket on the plane, scarf, or just a wrap. Safe travels!
Oh my god I love this so much!!!! And the strategy!!!!
Hard agree on ‘buy outerwear by people who understand the weather’. My serious winter coats are all by Mackage or Soia & Kyo. I’ll plug rain sisters for pretty, twirly, and thoughtfully designed trench coats that are ‘dress coat’ style.
Oh I don't know them! Thank you for the idea.
You are going to adore Rain Sisters! I can't justify the price, being in Houston, but they are gorgeous.
Your transparency and sharing of the Substack backstory is greatly appreciated and TBH refreshing to see. Not a lot of sharing of Why these days, just asking for more $.
I agree with others, you deserve yo achieve your goals and a single paid edition per month feels like a good option to balance access and Substack management. Safe travels.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love the idea of one paid story per month, such as a deep dive on Towels etc. And as a consumer I am trying to be intentional about paying for content/creators who I truly appreciate. I would pay the $5 per month for this newsletter.
I hear you on the intentionality. I am trying too, and appreciate this message tremendously.
Hi Hilary! Love your posts as always. London weather is tricky at the moment, because the hottest part of the day is about 4pm, so it’s much cooler when you leave the house in the morning. But honestly you’d be fine with a trench or other light jacket. A wool coat/jacket is definitely too much. I say this as an Australian living in London! Have a great trip 🏴
Thank you so much! This is helpful as I have a 10-min walk to the office from my hotel, and I don't want to freeze and/or sweat.
I appreciate this post and the lesson re: Substack. I'm struggling with the platform. I would likely at least consider paying for your content because you seem transparent regarding sponsorship. In general, though, I feel like the platform is being presented as being the place where content creators can be more honest/open/truthful ... and recommendations aren't sponsored by brands. But, how long will that hold? If a brand knows Substack is the place where "real" recommendations are made, they'll soon (if not already) require their influencers to post there. And I REFUSE to pay someone for content that they are being paid to produce. That would be insane:)
This may be my optimism showing, but I truly believe that the most important thing one was as a writer/creator/whatever is the trust they have with their audience. And if someone starts monetizing secretly, in an off brand way, or in a non-authentic way that's just pure cash grab, the audience will leave. Like it all regulates, to a degree.
I 100% believe that you, like many talented writers who are putting our heart and soul into these posts, deserves to be paid. The issue is with scale. It’s impossible to be a paid subscriber to every newsletter and for us smaller writers, we really struggle with growth— esp these days as the platform gets more and more crowded. I wish Substack would introduce bundles or a way to support more writers financially! Whatever you decide, I’ll still keep reading! Xo
I too wish Substack would find a way that allows for one-off reads and bundles.
I ❤️ Hi Everyone! It’s the substack I look forward to reading the most. When I found myself not always reading my paid subs, I became a paid supporter. I want to be friends forever. I never want you to leave.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️not me crying at the breakfast table.
I appreciate the in depth explanation of how subscriptions work (or can work) on this platform. Totally understand the subscription < growth equation. I love your newsletters and read them all. I think the option of one deep dive/heavily researched piece per month behind the paywall is a good place to start.
Thank you!!!
Thanks for explaining the subscription thing! I’m going to start one soon and that’s good to know. I absolutely think you should turn it on and start with one paid story a month! So worth it 🥰
I choose to not pay for content. Not because I don’t think someone doesnt deserve to be paid. And it’s not personal. It’s just not how I choose to spend my $. However I would be totally fine if you were to charge for some of your content. You provide a monetizing service and if it helps you grow your brand I say go for it! And as long you throw me the occasional bone, I’ll keep coming back!
Hi Everyone was one of the first fashion newsletters I subscribed to back in 2022 and I was so happy to find this as an avid Who What Wear reader (I still have both of the WWW books and will never part with them). Agree with everything you wrote about turning on paid subs to grow and agree with everyone in the comments that your newsletter is worth the paid subscription - your writing and curation is incredible. Also, I was so happy to see a Scruples mention, it's one of my all-time favorite books that's surprisingly under the radar. The series is next on my list to reread after I finish rereading Wives Like Us :)
Yay another Scruples fan!!!! It's so funny, folks always say "oh that was before my time" when I talk about it and I'm like, it was before mine too! Not an excuse! Fun writing is fun writing!
100%! I stumbled across Scruples decades after it was published and have reread her books so many times. Happy to finally have someone that understands Billy, Valentine, and Maggie references :)
I would pay to support you. Go and get that growth.
🥰🥰🥰
Also, I'm in the same boat with the Stratus pants. The medium is too big but the small is - less relaxed? - that I want them to be. So I've had the waist tailored to perfection. Annoying but worth it bc these are perfect pants!
Oh that's a really smart idea!
I love this format. Thank you for the antipasto of ideas
I love this phrase!