The Hard Truth About Why Your Writing Isn’t Working

Why no one’s reading your heartfelt posts—and how to fix it.

Still struggling to grow on Substack? Use my Notes Playbook. 14 proven templates to help you get noticed, start conversations, and win new subscribers. Best bit? It’s free. Snag it here.

---

I was sure I’d written a masterpiece.

The morning we packed my son’s car for university, I held it together. Right up until the motorway. That silence in the car—thick, foreign—pressed on my chest like a weight I hadn’t trained for.

I wrote about the mug he forgot. The smell of his room. How I passed his door three times before I could open it.Raw. Honest. Full of ache and pride.

But it landed with all the impact of a dropped sock.

A few polite likes. A couple of “thinking of you” messages. But not what I wanted. No “I felt this too.” No “This helped me.” Just… silence.

Here’s what I didn’t get at the time:

The story wasn’t really about him leaving. It was about me wanting someone—anyone—to witness my grief. To validate it. I wasn’t offering a hand. I was waving a flag.

That’s when it hit me.

If you want people to read your story, it has to be about them. Even though it’s yours. Even though it happened to you.

It needs to be for them.

Why your beautiful post got ignored

This might sting.

(But the “you’ll thank me later” kind of sting. Like plucking your first chin hair.)

Nobody cares how hard you tried. Or how much heart you poured into it. Or that your sentences sparkle like a Pinterest quote board. Not until they know what your words do for them.

It’s not your fault. We’ve been trained to “share your truth.” Be vulnerable. Authentic. Raw. All that jazz. But vulnerable without valuable? That’s just a digital diary entry.

Your audience isn’t selfish. They’re just human. Scanning for something that helps. Something that makes them feel less weird, more brave, more understood. But If they don’t see help in your words, they scroll. Not because you’re not good. But because your writing didn’t whisper…

“Hey. This is for you.”

The question that changed everything I wrote

Everything changed when I filtered every piece through one question:

How does this help someone else?

Not: Do I sound clever?
Not: Is this deep enough?
Not even: Will this go viral?

Just that one question. And suddenly, my writing changed. I stopped narrating every detail like a personal memoir no one asked for. I cut the ramble. I picked one takeaway. I made space for the reader to see themselves in the story.

I stopped writing like a main character. Started writing like a guide.

I’ll be honest it was hard. Some stories didn’t make the cut. Some favourite lines? Deleted. It hurt. But not as much as pouring my heart out to no one.

Instead of: “Here’s what I learned.” It became:

• “Here’s what I learned… and how it might help you.”

• “Here’s what went wrong… so you don’t fall into the same trap.”

• “Here’s what worked… and the steps to try it yourself.”

I didn’t erase myself. I just stopped being the star.

Want recognition? Earn this first.

Since I started filtering everything I write through one question—How does this help someone else?—I’ve discovered something better than going viral. Better than waking up to “You just made a sale.”

This 9-word reply to my newsletter:

“I didn’t know how much I needed this.”

That’s the hit I chase now. Not going viral. Not another $99 Stripe ping at 2am (though, yes please). But that kind of message. Because it means something clicked. It means the words didn’t just land—they landed where they were needed. And that changes everything.

When you write for someone, not just about yourself, it shows.

You go from:

• “Nice post” to “You HAVE to read this”

• Polite lurkers to people who quote you at dinner

• A sea of unsubscribes to stickier than superglue subscribers

It builds something better than a fan base. It builds trust.

And trust? Trust turns quiet readers into customers. It turns ghost followers into people who hit “buy now” without blinking. It’s what makes your words spread, your name stick, and your work matter.

Recognition is lovely. But trust pays the bills—and keeps the writing going when the likes don’t.

Write with one goal: Make someone feel seen.

That’s when they’ll see you.

The easiest way to grow online

Growing online is simple.

You don’t need a new writing tool. Or a new app. Or to burn it all down and live in a yurt in the woods You need to get over yourself—in the best possible way.

Drop the pressure to be profound. Be helpful instead. Because when people feel helped by your words? Everything changes. They don’t care if it’s clever. They care that it clicks. That you see them. And they come back for more.

So if your words aren’t getting the attention they deserve? Maybe it’s not about writing harder. Maybe it’s about writing for someone.

You can still tell your story. Just don’t stop there. Be the guide. Be the mirror. Be the voice in their inbox that says: You’re not alone. And here’s what might help.

That’s when people care.

Derek

PS. I’ve found Notes the easiest way to grow to 3,5000 subscribers. Steal all the tactics that worked for me here.