Let’s be honest.
Watching people unsubscribe hurts.
It doesn’t matter if you have 50 subscribers or 5,000. When that number drops, even by one, you feel it. You can pretend you don’t. You can say it’s part of the process. But there’s always that moment where you stop and think:
What did I do wrong?
And that’s where most writers lose themselves.
Because the easy answer is to blame the platform. The algorithm. The timing. The audience.
But the real answer is harder.
Sometimes… it’s you.
Not in a way that should break you. But in a way that should wake you up.
Losing subscribers on Substack is normal. That’s the part no one tells you clearly enough. As you grow, people will leave. It’s not a sign you’re failing. It’s a sign your writing is finding its shape—and not everyone is meant to stay for it.
But there are also real reasons people unsubscribe. And if you ignore them, you will keep losing people without ever understanding why.
A lot of subscribers aren’t as invested as you think.
Some came from a quick recommendation. One click. No real commitment. They liked something they saw in a moment, but they didn’t fully choose your work.
And when that happens, they leave just as easily.
That’s not your audience.
That’s traffic.
Then there’s something harder to face.
You changed.
Or your writing did.
Maybe when people subscribed, you were writing one way. A certain tone. A certain subject. A certain level of honesty. And over time, something shifted.
You got safer.
Or louder.
Or more polished.
Or less real.
Or maybe you went in a completely different direction.
And the people who came for the first version of you didn’t recognize the second.
So they left.
That’s not betrayal.
That’s misalignment.
And it happens more often than people admit.
Then there’s inconsistency.
This one is simple, but it kills more writers than anything else.
You disappear.
Or you post too much.
Both are problems.
If you vanish for weeks, people forget why they subscribed. You lose rhythm. You lose presence. You lose connection.
But if you flood their inbox, you become noise.
And people unsubscribe from noise.
There’s a balance here. And most writers don’t find it because they’re reacting instead of building something steady.
But here’s the part that cuts the deepest.
Engagement.
Or the lack of it.
Substack is not a one-way street.
If you write and disappear, people notice. If someone takes the time to comment, to respond, to connect—and you ignore it—you slowly break the relationship.
People don’t just subscribe to content.
They subscribe to a person.
And if that person feels distant, unavailable, or disconnected, the writing starts to feel the same way.
So they leave.
Not because your writing is bad.
But because it stopped feeling human.
There are also things outside your control. The platform shifts. Attention moves. People’s lives change. Not every unsubscribe has meaning behind it.
But enough of them do that you should pay attention.
Not emotionally.
Honestly.
Because losing subscribers is not failure.
It’s refinement.
It’s your audience telling you, without words, what is and isn’t resonating anymore.
And most writers panic when that happens.
They start changing everything.
They chase trends.
They adjust their voice.
They try to be what they think people want.
That’s where it all falls apart.
Because the one thing that actually builds connection on Substack is consistency in truth.
Not perfection.
Not performance.
Truth.
Direct. Sometimes harsh. Sometimes uncomfortable. But real.
That’s what people stay for.
If you’re writing to please everyone, you will lose everyone.
If you’re writing honestly, you will lose some people—but the ones who stay will matter more.
So what do you do?
You stop writing just to fill space.
You start writing something people can feel.
You engage—not as a tactic, but as a person. You respond. You read others. You show up in the same way you expect your readers to.
You pay attention to what you promised your audience when they subscribed.
And then you either honor it…
Or you clearly evolve from it.
But you don’t drift.
Because drifting is what loses people quietly.
The hardest truth is this:
Subscribers don’t leave all at once.
They leave slowly.
First, they stop opening your emails.
Then they stop recognizing your voice.
Then one day, they unsubscribe.
And by the time it happens, the connection was already gone.
So don’t wait for the unsubscribe to tell you something is off.
Pay attention now.
Because this platform will give you exactly what you put into it.
If you treat it like content, you’ll get attention.
If you treat it like connection, you’ll build something that lasts.
And that’s the difference between writers who grow…
…and writers who disappear.
Your Fellow Writer,
— Rinaldo
Here are 10 lessons drawn from that experience real, simple, and earned:
Your words matter—but not to everyone, and that’s the point. Write for the ones who feel it.
Subscribers don’t leave suddenly; they disconnect slowly long before they unsubscribe.
Growth brings churn—losing people is not failure, it’s refinement of your audience.
If your voice changes, your audience will too. Be clear or be consistent, but don’t drift.
Inconsistency breaks trust faster than bad writing ever will. Show up.
Overposting creates noise; underposting creates distance. Find your rhythm and protect it.
Engagement is not optional—if you don’t respond, you’re not building relationships.
Followers are curious; subscribers are committed. Earn the second, don’t chase it.
Writing to please everyone will disconnect you from yourself—and your readers will feel it.
The only thing that keeps people is truth—raw, direct, and human.
Thank you for reading. This work is reader-supported, and your presence here matters.
About the Author
The Positive Pen by John Rinaldo is a weekly publication centered on soul work, reflection, and the quiet process of becoming. Through honest writing and lived experience, he explores what it means to grow, endure, and find your voice.
He also hosts the live podcast The Positive Pen: Stories, Soul Work & Substack, where writers, authors, and artists share their journeys through meaningful, real conversations. The show airs every Monday at 4 PM EST.
John is currently working on Ciao Bella: Forgotten in the Shadows, a documentary project telling the story of Italian families who, during World War II, risked everything to help Jewish families escape to safety across the Alps.
The Positive Pen © is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
© 2026 John V. Rinaldo. All rights reserved.
This work is protected under U.S. and international copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, displayed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission. Official publications are released only through verified accounts directly controlled by John V. Rinaldo.
Thank you, John! Great points to keep in mind. I have actually had very few unsubscribe since I became active in January, so think this is good! In fact, I noticed a number of my followers turned into subscribers. I aim to publish 1 post a week and post daily notes. I love supporting and engaging with others.
We all eventually grow to have subscribers who don’t read our work. This has increased since Substack grew and many writers subscribe in the hope we subscribe in return. Some of those people unsubscribe even if we subscribe to them as they go on their infinite search of more subscribers. Personally, I would rather have 100 subscribers who all read my stories than hundreds with only a percentage doing so.