I have created a Substack: https://bondeconomics.substack.com/. It will handle email delivery of my articles, as well as seeing whether it offers an improved web delivery for me and my readers. With Feedspot ending its email delivery service in July, existing email subscribers will have to subscribe to the substack to keep getting email delivery.
Not Importing Existing Email List
It is a tough decision as to whether to import my existing email subscriber list into Substack. I have decided against doing so since readers had opted into Feedspot delivery, not to sign up with Substack. Although the end result is the same from my perspective — the reader gets free email delivery of my articles — some might object to my signing them up to a different service.
The main alternative for email delivery was to manage the email list. Although the usual view is that an email list is commercially valuable, I am selling short niche books that I write at about one per year. I am not sure what I can do with my list, other than send an email once per year saying I have a new book out. I can do that much more easily on my website and Twitter. So, I have no desire to spend time managing my email list, and worrying about its security.
Free
I have no plans to create a paid version of my substack. I sell books, and prefer to keep it that way. If I sell a one-year subscription to a newsletter, I have an obligation to provide a year’s worth of future work. When I sell a book, I am selling a finished product, and the buyer knows what they are getting. (I have a Patreon for my open source software work.)
Upcoming Developments
Readers who immediately subscribe to the substack should get two copies of my articles, but that redundancy will end by some time in July. Since I am heading into summer mode, this may only be a few articles.
Finally, to repeat the main point: readers need to opt in to my Substack to keep getting email delivery. I will probably post a few reminders of this in the coming weeks.
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