The Biggest Problem On Substack Isn't The Algorithm

It's self-promotion masquerading as engagement.

Image via Substack.

When I first started writing on Substack, I convinced myself that visibility was the problem. If I wasn’t growing fast enough, I blamed the algorithm. It was an easy excuse. But as time went on, I noticed something interesting.

The real problem wasn’t the algorithm.

It was the comments.

Not the thoughtful ones. Those were gold. I loved reading comments where someone genuinely connected with what I wrote, shared their perspective, or asked an insightful question. Instead, I’m talking about the other kind of comments. The ones that made it clear that someone only skimmed the surface of my newsletter before pivoting to self-promotion.

“Great post! Here’s a link to my latest article. Check it out!”

The thing is, I get it. Years ago, when I was trying to grow my writing career, I thought those kinds of comments were a smart strategy. I assumed if I got my name and link out there enough, someone might click it.

But they didn’t.

No one did.

That’s why I decided to try somethi…