My two biggest mistakes on Substack – Monthly review for April 25

A month in a publishing rut, realizing my mistakes, and getting a new grip of consistency

Moi (hi in Finnish 🌺)

It’s time for April review. This one’s open for everyone, because I feel like whining about my mistakes a bit more broadly. (Read this on Substack if it’s too long for your email.)

I wouldn’t be writing this without my blogs

When I started this newsletter 18 months ago, I wanted to have fun. Online writing and blogging are my cup of tea. I really enjoy them.

I began blogging in 2005, which means I’ve been doing this for twenty years. (It’s not a secret, I’m 41 years young.)

My first blog was all about dogs, life with dogs, dog hobbies like agility and obedience, traveling with dogs, loving dogs.

I got to be a part of the Finnish dog blogger community, which was full of wonderful people (and dogs). Years after my last dog blog entry, I ran into one of the bloggers at a dog obedience trial. She came over and asked, “Is it you?” (It was. 🫂)

My second blog was a photography blog. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to establish my business as a dog portrait photographer (but that’s a story for another time).

When I announced I was leaving my day job at the end of 2011 to pursue my dream of becoming a full-time photographer, my blog readers cheered me on.

This Substack is a combination of all those past blogs: my original photography blog, my business blog (launched alongside my podcast in 2017), and my street/travel photography blog called Runaway from time.

Having a direct connection to readers is scary

I love Substack, or at least the idea of having a direct relationship with my readers. To me, the best part of online writing isn’t the writing. It’s getting to know the readers, to hear what they think, to know someone is out there.

Blogging probably saved me from the lonely stretches that come with being a solopreneur.

But I’m also a little afraid of that directness. There’s more distance with a traditional blog. Sending an email feels more… in-your-face. Like rubbing your ideas on someone’s screen.

Whenever I hit send on one of these posts, I think of my friend Janina (of

NIIN IHANII NAAKKOI

) who coined the term blogletter to describe this platform and what we’re doing. Pretty awesome, right?

In April, I realized my hesitance comes from not having a solid foundation for this newsletter. I’m sure it would be easier to write if I felt confident that people were genuinely looking forward to hearing from me. ( I know some of you are, and I’m incredibly grateful for that!)

To make things easier, I tried to pinpoint what’s holding me back. These are the two biggest challenges I’m facing on Substack right now:

1. I have a cloudy goal - What am I really here to do?

2. I lack consistency - I publish whenever I happen to have time

Let’s take a closer look at both.

First mistake: I have a cloudy goal

My lifetime goal as a creative?

To make a living by writing and photographing whatever the hell my soul desires. That's why I’m here. That’s why I was ecstatic when I found out about Substack.

At first, I thought I could just type away. I imagined writing personal essays that would connect me and the reader to the world around us. Essays that would make us all feel a little less lonely. (We’re in this together, friend.)

But writing those essays takes time and energy. An I didn’t consider my most limited resource: time.

I’m writing this at 9:13 AM, and at 10:00 I need to start working on an article for a comms client. This newsletter is built on “an hour here, 15 minutes there” kind of energy.

So, if it’s not personal essays, what is it?

Honestly? I don’t know.

I’m interested in too many things to choose just one. And yet, I’ve written about some topics for so long that I almost want to leave them out. Unfortunately, those are exactly the topics people still come looking for: photography, building a sustainable creative business, and practical tips and tricks.

For now, I’ve decided on this mix:

• Photography & creative business – 2–3 times per month

• Lifestyle (books, travel, life joys) – once a month

• Personal essays – every other month

Which brings us to the second problem… (Not this wonderful Note I sent about collaging in April.)

Second mistake: I lack consistency

Whoever said “Content is king, but consistency is queen” has my eternal gratitude.

That idea has kept me going as a photographer, a business owner, and a creative in general. I’ve made a living just by showing up. With good images, bad images, and most of them somewhere in between. I’ve been showing up since 2010.

I remember when there was nothing in my work calendar but my blog. I kept posting old photos, telling stories, sharing tips, and reminding people I existed.

And eventually, the tide turned, as it often does.

So which is more important: having a crystal-clear message or showing up consistently with a fuzzier one?

I believe it’s the latter, and that’s why I’ve decided to send out a new post every Monday.

It won’t be easy, but I’m taking my own advice here: stay consistent and see what happens. I’m hoping clarity will follow.

April Substack stats

Even during this publishing rut, I’ve kept believing in the value of having a direct line to my readers. I believe I have something to say and something to share. This is my blog 2.0.

I did publish a few things in April:

I'm going to be a teacher

Losing subscribers, finding focus: A Substack review for March 25

One article in Finnish about Substack statistics (this is a separate list/section):

Miten Substack-statistiikka toimii?

And here are my April stats.

The subscriber drop after changing the name (from Northern Wind to —of light, life, love) continued. New subscribers? +/- 0.

It was oddly comforting to know I’m not alone in this—Substack is a crowded place these days. All the more reason to chase clarity and consistency.

As you can see, it has been a downhill. Very discouraging.

If you’ve ever wondered what stats look like when you don’t publish much—here you go. 😀

Buuut… If you don’t publish, there’s no traffic.

This isn’t technically from April, because I forgot to grab a screenshot at the end of the month. But hey—at least my most important metric, 30-day views, is on the rise at the moment. (They were below 1000 at one point.)

Laugh a little, hit send, laugh some more

Losing subscribers isn’t personal. Social media taught me to wave at the people who leave.

It’s not fun to watch those graphs dip, but I know the direction will change eventually. And if not, I’ll reassess then.

Right now, I’m carving out more time for Substack because I believe it matters. But I’m taking it more lightly, too. Important doesn’t have to mean serious.

Let’s see what happens.

In the mean time I’ll write and photograph whatever my soul wants.

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Have you had similar thoughts? What’s your take on writing, blogging or Substack at the moment?

See you next Monday 👋🏻

—Nani

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