A Change of Home...
Friends,
Platforms almost always begin with generous promises of freedom and partnership. Over time those promises tend to narrow. It’s the way of worldly business and we live in an imperfect world. Visibility becomes conditional, ever-shifting algorithmic patterns make engagement uncertain, and the platform’s internal systems start demanding more of a creator’s time while the work itself remains locked inside their walls. I have hit the edge of those ever-tightening constraints and I either decide to move to new ground or quit.
I decided I want to move to new ground and continue forward.
I really enjoy what I created and I think the work is worthy of more effort. Yet I don’t want to keep moving platforms and discomforting the readers. So I have decided to skip another platform like Beehiiv or Ghost and create my own website so I never have to move again. At first the site will use email and ordinary web visits as the main ways to connect. (If you currently access the newsletter by email…nothing changes.) Later I will turn on a Progressive Web App (PWA) feature. Readers who wish can install it to their home screen so it opens full-screen, without browser chrome, and can support offline reading and push notifications. It becomes app-like with a direct connection if readers desire one.
I know this choice makes the road harder. Without a large platform connecting people, reaching readers on the open web requires far more deliberate effort. Still, the freedom to own 100% of what is produced, and to decide how it lives and travels, is worth the extra lifting.
I have greatly appreciated every person who has ever read the work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
At some point a person has to choose a sustainable path forward…and change is a part of living. This post is both information and an honest request for your continued presence.
What this means and the timeline
I am sending this out about five to six weeks ahead of the actual transition so you have time to prepare.
I will finish the current series on the Minor Prophets here on Substack. Once that discussion is complete, there will be a clean cutoff.
From that point forward, all new writing will appear on my own site.
The existing Substack publication will remain in place as an archive for the time being. All older material stays right where it is. I may eventually move some of the archive, but that is not happening now.
The new site will begin with fresh work only. There will be no republication or rehashing of material already published here. The conversation continues unbroken, but without regenerating what has already been said.
I will invite you to visit the finished webpage in the coming weeks to see the new home and get a sense of the direction once it is up and running.
The Explorers Edition will continue on the new site. I will be in touch soon with the simple details of how that works going forward.
If I have read your work or follow you, then you have my thanks for your generous conversation and passion for what you do. Substack has made the road harder for many producers, but I see your work and I applaud you.
I am grateful for the time we have shared here. I hope you will join me on the new ground. Your continued reading and companionship mean a great deal.
Thank you,
William (Bill)