There are two main types of Substack writers:

• Wake the f*ck up (WTFU)

• Chill the f*ck out (CTFO)

There are positives and negatives of both.

For instance, WTFU writers can get people to subscribe really quickly, usually because they can cause big feelings in people that churn them into action.

However, it’s really tiring to be constantly told to wake up and do things, so they tend to overwhelm people and make them run away before too long.

Meanwhile, CTFO writers can keep people on their email list forever, but they have problems getting new subscribers since they aren’t waving something exciting in front of their face.

Additionally WTFU writers have an easier time asking for money and getting it, but they are so aggressive that people usually will only do that thing once before running away.

CTFO writers have real problems turning their publication into money because they just don’t have that kind of relationship with their readers, but when they do, they can keep them forever.

Ideally, you can find a balance between the two, but everyone seems to default to one or the other.

The problem comes when one tries to tell the other what works for them because they have very different business models.

This is what we see with the Author Ecosystems all the time.

CTFO writers are the Deserts, Grasslands and Forests.

WTFU writers are the Tundras and Aquatics.

Neither is wrong, but if you don’t know which you are and what you’re after, you’re going to take in a lot of bad advice.