Things we talked about:

The value of owning your own audience
Building a brand for yourself around the work you’re doing
The growing online hunger for content by real people and the forging of real connections
We seem to be entering an era that Farrah calls, rather poetically, "the Time of the Writer": the world has passed the period of devouring all the content on the Internet, now we are more discerning, and only want to consume content that we genuinely enjoy
The continued return of demand for long-form content
The return of community: the value of hearing from and engaging with your audience
Giving your best work away from free (yes!)
The limitations of the stories that can be told in traditional media
And related, the limitations of creating content when you're in competition for followers or clicks
When you try to appeal to the masses, you bland out

Farrah's tips for what works well on Substack:

Niching works well. The more you niche, the more dedicated (as opposed to big) an audience you'll get
Publishing twice a week tends to grow a "stickier" audience
Use social media to point people to your Substack content
Use your "About" page to set expectations and declare a manifesto
Claim your real name, if you can

Where to find Farrah:

Where to find Sara:

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