I’ve used Substack to send out newsletters for almost three years now, and I think it is time for a change. I want to chat for a moment about why I have been asking all of these survey questions over the past few months.
I’ve been wondering if you’ve used any of Substack’s features, if you’ve encountered issues claiming free issues, or if you've had problems with in-issue polling.
Here is what I found and what has led me to the decision to move
I want to be transparent about my move instead of just surprising you. Here are the reasons why. If you don’t care, scroll to What Happens Next? or A Note for Paid Subscribers. I tried to bold key points for quicker reading.
You don’t use the features—polls, notes, podcasts, apps, free issues, or liking—and why have all the bells and whistles if all you want is Los Angeles tips, events, and updates?
It’s ugly, and there isn’t a lot I can do to change it. It doesn’t lend well to skimming for what you want to read. I’ve had complaints about the UX, and there isn’t anything I can do about its rigid and convoluted structure. (Photo editing keeps changing, you’ve told me about the problems answering poll questions, and no pop-ups to add to my website to get new subscribers.)
I don’t want to fund yet another social media empire. Do we need another Facebook or X? When I first started, Substack was a way to support creators’ newsletters and articles; now it has video, a podcast, and a Twitter/Threads-like feed, and they want you to participate in all of it. It’s too much and is starting to feel like all the others.
I am a small business, a team of one, and it costs a lot to be here. For every subscription, Substack’s cut is 13%-15% plus the fees charged by Stripe. I get around $4 for every $5 monthly subscription and less than $5 for every $6 subscription. This is more like 20% gone, and that is too much. Other newsletter platforms take less, leaving me room to give to organizations I love instead.
I realize that I am writing to feed Substack, but not any new content on my website. This is personal, but I realized that the last post I published on This Ugly Beautiful City was in 2024, but Substack gets new stuff from me all the time. It was time to decide whether I am a Substack author or a This Ugly Beautiful City author. I am choosing my business. I’m dividing my time and money by being here.
When Substack recommended a racist publication to many people on its platform this past July, I knew our time together was coming to an end. They said it was a mistake, but that is a big mistake to me. Not the first time either. (I didn’t add the article because the imagery is not safe for work.)
I’m moving to Kit, which allows me to be autonomous, doesn’t want me to feed a social media algorithm, doesn’t cost me so much, and doesn’t push additional content to you.
What happens next?
Timeline:
Payments are now frozen on Substack.
There will be no issues of Los Angeles Curated in October as I move things over to Kit.
On October 15th, I will move all current subscribers over to Kit. You do not have to do anything. Unless you want to unsubscribe, which you should do before then. (Please give me a little grace if you unsubscribe from This Ugly Beautiful City in October as I reconcile my lists.)
All subscribers with yearly subscriptions with time left will have a tag associated with them so that they get the benefits of their subscription. Two new and improved tiers are coming that are more in line with what I have gathered from subscribers. (Paid subscribers read below.)
If you are a follower, please consider subscribing.
If you have a Substack and recommend me, please delete the recommendation.
If you are ready to move now, here is the sign-up.
A Note to Paid Subscribers
First, I want to say thank you for supporting this newsletter. You have really encouraged me over the last few years. Being a solopreneur is hard, and meeting you, chatting with you, and talking about a city we love has been great.
You will receive an email from me tomorrow at 2:00 PM PST with what happens next and a special meet-up for you. (If you didn’t receive it, check your spam or promotions folder.)
Thank you for reading, keep loving Los Angeles, and see you in November.
Kristen
Questions can be left in the comments. Other people might have them too.
I can't remove any of the messages asking you to upgrade on this newsletter due to the Substack platform.