How does one build an audience on Substack anyway? It seems most of the successful authors there already had an outlet and a following in a major publication and took their readers with them.
That crosses a red line for me and I will not support their business.
The key is to follow long-form writers who can be succinct. The quality of concise communication of concepts then flows into their longer writing.
Books catch attention with a cover, with interviews, with reviews. Building an audience requires a lot more work than people expect, and people's attention span is the shortest its ever been.