It's sad really, as they aren't aware of how this comes across and that trying to make "arrangements" to always read and clap each others stories isn't authentic, as there maybe stories they're not interested in and vice versa. I agree that it's probably futile trying to explain and exasperating. Why waste our own time trying to do that.

I'm quite excited about Substack but still in the early stages. I've imported stories a few months ago but haven't updated with my newer stories. Today I was determined to navigate my way around Substack and work out about publications, etc. I updated a few things and feel I'm in a good place to seriously think about how best to go about posting content that subscribers will want to pay for. I think it's a great platform and keen to make a start on it. I have quite a clear vision of how to proceed now, having done quite a lot of research and asking some people. There is so much support on Medium and also on Substack. Yes, you should message your friend on LinkedIn to ask how he's getting on, but don't be afraid to test the waters yourself. I was quite afraid of it, and felt it was out of my reach but I was determined to delve more into it, and have quite a decent understanding of it now.