Whenever I log on for a live session, particularly one about how Substack works the attendees are almost always women.
It’s not that guys aren’t on Substack - many of the most successful ones are written by men - but they don’t seem to be that interested in the Substack community, passing on their knowledge or learning how to improve and get better results.
Happy to be proved wrong - I just find it curious . . .
(Do look at Matt Inwood’s comment below which rather proves my point. And this is a man saying the same thing which is perhaps more acceptable 😉
Incidentally this was my first attempt at a Substack thread which I thought would appear in its own section like Notes or Chat so I kept it short but it’s popped up here. Goodness knows what I pressed to make that happen. Anyway that’s why it’s shorter than my usual posts but because people are piling in with some useful thoughts and comments (thankyou, readers!) I’m leaving it here ….
I was sad to have to miss both of Mark Diacono's recent Substack sessions due to work commitments, though did manage to tune in for much of Sara Tasker's live Q&A Instagram session recently. But to your point, I think this is very much the case, and beyond Substack too. Over six years of running workshops and my attendees have been overwhelmingly women (at a guess, I'd say between 80-85%). The community I speak with and who comment on Instagram and in my previous life on Twitter are/were also overwhelmingly women. Though I'm wary of generalising and also the bubbles and chambers I move and interact within, I've always found women to be far more open to the community and collaborative aspects of these kinds of platforms and forums.
I beg to disagree, Fiona--@Simon K Jones, @Russell Nohelty, @Martin Prior, @Tim Denning, @Tom Kuegler. Each has a different take, unique and helpful. Some have done long PDFs to explain various aspects of Substack, others simply detailed essays w/ lots of ideas.
I have to confess that I've not yet figured out (or found sufficient energy) how to get much out of Substack's community features. Tried posting some notes but it seemed like nothing but tumbleweed. Guess I need to try harder.... (I am a substack newbie, just 4 months in)
I love this post and the discussion. As I launch my writing career, I have been taking some Writing Workshops and find that these programs too, are populated by probably a 10:1 female to male ratio. The heart of these experiences is sharing/getting feedback on writing, a collaborative experience that requires vulnerability and risk taking. On the other side of the coin, I teach Executive Education courses for a highly acclaimed university and find a more equal male: female ratio. Maybe because the offering includes the term "executive" which somehow connotes something that is more about individual leadership and not collaboration and group risk-taking. Who knows! But a provocative set of experiences to think about.
I am very conscious that I need to contribute more to the Substack community. I am also keenly aware of needing to learn more and improve. As a relative newbie (Nov last year) I'm not sure what I can share about using this this platform in particular as I am still figuring it out, but I am always up for pontificating on the writing process. Thanks for providing the opportunity to post something!!
I only follow two people on Substack: you, and Richard Godwin (The Spirits). You because I am a long time reader of your matching food and wine site, and I like your writing, and the way you engage with your readers; and Richard because his cocktail book, also called The Spirits, is the best book on cocktails I have ever read - I’ve read an awful lot, and even written my own, but his is the best.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a man thing but I am so busy with four completely separate compartments of my life (actual job-type work, working musician - I play in and manage a 22-piece jazz big-band; husband, father and grandfather, and churchwarden, not to mention an abiding interest in wine, sprits and cocktails) that I have to actively limit what I do outside those four core activities. I wish I had more time to explore, but there are only so many hours in a day!
I'm right here... it is just that mine is more fictional memoir rather than factual reading. I still take my food and wine qualifications seriously, though, and enjoy your posts and many others that vere to the sensible and serious.
This is a very interesting observation! Particularly because, up until now and apart from Mumsnet, pretty much all forums (especially wine forums) are dominated by men. I wonder if this might be a positive thing? Perhaps women find Substack a safer, more collaborative, more gender-neutral space? Who knows, but intriguing...
Valid point! Having just finished an online group masterclass with Farrah Storr, I was thinking exactly that. Looked like only one man on the call (who was very happy to share his expertise). Having said that, my subscribers/ social media following is evenly split with men engaging just as much as women (not necessarily on Substack though!)
Interesting. I have lady friends who are all about “the image” and Facebook and Instagram like mad. They seem to want to present the fact they lead perfect lives. Blokes? They really can’t be arsed.
I was sad to have to miss both of Mark Diacono's recent Substack sessions due to work commitments, though did manage to tune in for much of Sara Tasker's live Q&A Instagram session recently. But to your point, I think this is very much the case, and beyond Substack too. Over six years of running workshops and my attendees have been overwhelmingly women (at a guess, I'd say between 80-85%). The community I speak with and who comment on Instagram and in my previous life on Twitter are/were also overwhelmingly women. Though I'm wary of generalising and also the bubbles and chambers I move and interact within, I've always found women to be far more open to the community and collaborative aspects of these kinds of platforms and forums.
Men don't read the instructions except as a last resort, nor do they ask for directions.
I beg to disagree, Fiona--@Simon K Jones, @Russell Nohelty, @Martin Prior, @Tim Denning, @Tom Kuegler. Each has a different take, unique and helpful. Some have done long PDFs to explain various aspects of Substack, others simply detailed essays w/ lots of ideas.
I have to confess that I've not yet figured out (or found sufficient energy) how to get much out of Substack's community features. Tried posting some notes but it seemed like nothing but tumbleweed. Guess I need to try harder.... (I am a substack newbie, just 4 months in)
I love this post and the discussion. As I launch my writing career, I have been taking some Writing Workshops and find that these programs too, are populated by probably a 10:1 female to male ratio. The heart of these experiences is sharing/getting feedback on writing, a collaborative experience that requires vulnerability and risk taking. On the other side of the coin, I teach Executive Education courses for a highly acclaimed university and find a more equal male: female ratio. Maybe because the offering includes the term "executive" which somehow connotes something that is more about individual leadership and not collaboration and group risk-taking. Who knows! But a provocative set of experiences to think about.
I am very conscious that I need to contribute more to the Substack community. I am also keenly aware of needing to learn more and improve. As a relative newbie (Nov last year) I'm not sure what I can share about using this this platform in particular as I am still figuring it out, but I am always up for pontificating on the writing process. Thanks for providing the opportunity to post something!!
I only follow two people on Substack: you, and Richard Godwin (The Spirits). You because I am a long time reader of your matching food and wine site, and I like your writing, and the way you engage with your readers; and Richard because his cocktail book, also called The Spirits, is the best book on cocktails I have ever read - I’ve read an awful lot, and even written my own, but his is the best.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a man thing but I am so busy with four completely separate compartments of my life (actual job-type work, working musician - I play in and manage a 22-piece jazz big-band; husband, father and grandfather, and churchwarden, not to mention an abiding interest in wine, sprits and cocktails) that I have to actively limit what I do outside those four core activities. I wish I had more time to explore, but there are only so many hours in a day!
I'm right here... it is just that mine is more fictional memoir rather than factual reading. I still take my food and wine qualifications seriously, though, and enjoy your posts and many others that vere to the sensible and serious.
The men are there. I went to an Adnams tasting and half of us were men. I just rarely do substack
This is a very interesting observation! Particularly because, up until now and apart from Mumsnet, pretty much all forums (especially wine forums) are dominated by men. I wonder if this might be a positive thing? Perhaps women find Substack a safer, more collaborative, more gender-neutral space? Who knows, but intriguing...
Valid point! Having just finished an online group masterclass with Farrah Storr, I was thinking exactly that. Looked like only one man on the call (who was very happy to share his expertise). Having said that, my subscribers/ social media following is evenly split with men engaging just as much as women (not necessarily on Substack though!)
Thank you!
Interesting. I have lady friends who are all about “the image” and Facebook and Instagram like mad. They seem to want to present the fact they lead perfect lives. Blokes? They really can’t be arsed.