Are unsubscribes really a problem?

Some thoughts on Substack's most frustrating metric.

I’ve already had 212 unsubscribes from Grow Your Newsletter since this publication became its own thing.

212 unsubscribes. In fewer than two weeks. And it doesn’t feel great!

If I look at statistics for the Freelance Writing Network, it’s even worse. Just yesterday saw me lose nearly 30 subscribers, and that’s despite me clearing 1000 people from my list recently (more on that soon).

And it’s like this with every single newsletter edition I share. No matter what the content, 20-30 people will choose to leave.

I’ll give you one key piece of advice: toggle the notification for free unsubscribes off (go to publication settings → notifications to make the change). This can really bog you down, especially if you’re just getting started or don’t have many subscribers yet.

I’m fine with them leaving. I’m not fine with being notified about it.

Why do unsubscribes not bother me?

On the surface, an unsubscribe is a frustrating and potentially demoralising thing to happen to your newsletter.

You’ve worked hard on your latest post. Spent hours, perhaps days, refining your words and obsessing over every piece of punctuation. Only to send it out, and see your subscribers have actually decreased. The thanks you get for all your hard work, huh?

But what you probably don’t appreciate in the moment is that an unsubscribe is a good thing. For whatever reason, that person doesn’t want to read your newsletter. And that’s fine! You’re (probably) not just some business or marketing platform, so you shouldn’t take an unsubscribe personally.

Ultimately, our email boxes are busy these days. Even just my Substack feed regularly ends up being too full, and I’m regularly trimming it down.

Those who unsubscribe are just not meant to be your readers. And other than for your own vanity, what’s the point in them being there? Sure, if nobody ever unsubscribed then I’d have thousands more subscribers, but my engagement metrics and open rate would be through the floor.

I’d rather they left, and made my life easier. The last thing I want is my engagement damaged to the point where my emails start arriving in spam folders.

Can you learn something from unsubscribes?

Sadly, Substack doesn’t offer much information on this. Only unsubscribes from paid subscribers give you any insight, plus the possibility of seeing written feedback. And only that written feedback is useful, given many unsubscribes generally share that ‘cost’ is the main reason they leave.

It’s annoying, but that’s the reality.

If a specific post sees lots more unsubscribes than usual, it could be for a reason. It might be that it was controversial, or stood out as too different from your usual content. Even that isn’t an issue, necessarily. If you think something is worth writing about, that’s what is important.

Yes, you obviously want to write content that resonates with your readers, but you don’t have to let that dictate everything you write. Write for yourself first and foremost, and you’ll be able to find the right audience one way or another.

Don’t take it personally!

Just because someone unsubscribes, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t make you a bad writer, or suggest that what you’re building isn’t valuable. Often, it has nothing to do with you at all.

People unsubscribe for all sorts of reasons: too many emails, changing priorities, tight budgets, or simply because your focus no longer aligns with theirs. That’s normal. I mean, you do it too, right?

Rather than view it as a rejection, see it as clarity. They weren’t the right fit for what you’re creating. And that’s okay! You’re not here to please everyone. You’re writing for the readers who do get it. The ones who open, read, click, comment, and if all goes well, pay!

So don’t dwell on their departure. Let them go. Your energy is better spent on the people still reading.

They’re the ones who matter.

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Have you noticed a pattern with unsubscribes after a certain post?

Let me know. I’m curious to hear your thoughts!