In which James Tynion IV gives his thoughts on the Substack platform, addresses concerns, and explains why he plans on moving there, and away from social media.
I stopped Twitter this year, but God if it doesn't leave you with a strange FOMO of not knowing something every second. Hopefully it won't get to you and congrats on all this success very excited for Blue Book as I'm sort of an Extra Terrestrial believer myself and had a rekindling of that flame with DoT.
Facebook/Twitter is the scourge of society and agree with your decision. I left months ago and don’t miss it. The IG comic community still seems like the last bastion of civility.
I got rid of social media when I got rid of the wife and life has been AMAZING ever since, so kudos to you for leaving! TBH, I had no idea regarding your orientation. Your writing is top-shelf and, honestly, beyond that, it doesn't matter to me. What you do is what you do and, until it impacts what I do, keep on doing it!
I remember I first made my Twitter just to follow my favorite comic writers and that’s it. Somehow the algorithm still finds a way to put something confrontational in front of you at all times. I am so happy the writers I joined Twitter for are all moving to Substack!!!
Good bye to the toxicity and toxic engagement that is twitter. I honestly spent more time muting trolls and bad faith screaming than reading actual content.
Congratulations on leaving social media, I only use instagram as a way to exclusively follow comic book artists but havent been on fb for a couple of years. It was the best decision I've ever made online, until I subscribed to your paid newsletter today. I can't wait for the next TBT and whatever else is to come.
I don't know what your personal standard is, but I found, like, one news site that seems to give me generally what I need (Multiversity) without posting really irritating, poorly written, BuzzFeed-style headlines (CBR), and beyond that I just look at PreviewsWorld and the Lunar Distro site once a week. Works well enough but my tastes are probably more specific than I think.
I personally am not or have never been on social media. Which gets me lots of funny looks considering that I am In my early 30s. I agree that the ability to connect with those of like minds or different minds is a great benefit, but it has proved to be more of a burden because it is used to push agendas. The best way I have found to get information is to look around do minor research and go with my gut which seems to serve me well. As far as information about where someone went or what they are or what someone says has never interested me. I hope that people start to follow suit and drop those platforms as well. People forget to think for themselves when they are constantly researching the thoughts of others. I say the news can go in the trash as well. It seems that free information is just bait for the trusting.
There was a time where I found Twitter to be really useful - I made a ton of friends through the platform and it really helped me, even if it wasn't the secret sales tool many thought it would be. Nowadays when I use it it's mostly to amplify vs engage. Sending out plugs for friends and their books, promoting artists and writers I love, and about 15 percent of the time - promoting my own work. There's no win falling down the rabbithole every time you disagree with someone, and I was told something wise not-too-long ago about Twitter: it was never meant to be an archive for our lives. It's a robot that wants you to talk to other people so the robot can make $$$$.
I moved away from social media a few years ago. I now find it awarkward to interact on it, I just go on to lurk and keep myself updated. Looking forward to see how this shakes out though. congrats 🍾
FWIW, I deleted Facebook in 2013. Best decision I made. I still use Instagram for following comics and news and Twitter for news, but those platforms feels more delimited and less exposed than Facebook. Plus I think Facebook's [non]privacy policies are probably worse than those of other social media companies.
Thanks, James. I shot a Q on Twitter about some of what you addressed here, so thanks for posting your thoughts. Well reasoned and said, of course. I need to digest this a little bit more before I will really understand my own position.
"Maybe every time an intelligent species grew advanced enough to invent a global computer network, they would then develop some form of social media, which would immediately fill these beings with such an intense hatred for one another that they ended up wiping themselves out within four or five decades."
While your Twitter account is where I was first introduced to your content (then ultimately purchased your books), I completely understand the decision to move away from the unhealthy time suck that is social media!
I stopped Twitter this year, but God if it doesn't leave you with a strange FOMO of not knowing something every second. Hopefully it won't get to you and congrats on all this success very excited for Blue Book as I'm sort of an Extra Terrestrial believer myself and had a rekindling of that flame with DoT.
Facebook/Twitter is the scourge of society and agree with your decision. I left months ago and don’t miss it. The IG comic community still seems like the last bastion of civility.
I got rid of social media when I got rid of the wife and life has been AMAZING ever since, so kudos to you for leaving! TBH, I had no idea regarding your orientation. Your writing is top-shelf and, honestly, beyond that, it doesn't matter to me. What you do is what you do and, until it impacts what I do, keep on doing it!
I remember I first made my Twitter just to follow my favorite comic writers and that’s it. Somehow the algorithm still finds a way to put something confrontational in front of you at all times. I am so happy the writers I joined Twitter for are all moving to Substack!!!
twitter is at least up front about all that vs. FB/IG, but they are all platforms that are hurting more than helping anything for sure.
Good bye to the toxicity and toxic engagement that is twitter. I honestly spent more time muting trolls and bad faith screaming than reading actual content.
Congratulations on leaving social media, I only use instagram as a way to exclusively follow comic book artists but havent been on fb for a couple of years. It was the best decision I've ever made online, until I subscribed to your paid newsletter today. I can't wait for the next TBT and whatever else is to come.
If social media wasn’t the most efficient way to get comics news, I would very likely get off it forever to avoid all the bad. Good for you.
I don't know what your personal standard is, but I found, like, one news site that seems to give me generally what I need (Multiversity) without posting really irritating, poorly written, BuzzFeed-style headlines (CBR), and beyond that I just look at PreviewsWorld and the Lunar Distro site once a week. Works well enough but my tastes are probably more specific than I think.
I personally am not or have never been on social media. Which gets me lots of funny looks considering that I am In my early 30s. I agree that the ability to connect with those of like minds or different minds is a great benefit, but it has proved to be more of a burden because it is used to push agendas. The best way I have found to get information is to look around do minor research and go with my gut which seems to serve me well. As far as information about where someone went or what they are or what someone says has never interested me. I hope that people start to follow suit and drop those platforms as well. People forget to think for themselves when they are constantly researching the thoughts of others. I say the news can go in the trash as well. It seems that free information is just bait for the trusting.
This all sounds like good things to me. Let's hope it stays that way 🙏
There was a time where I found Twitter to be really useful - I made a ton of friends through the platform and it really helped me, even if it wasn't the secret sales tool many thought it would be. Nowadays when I use it it's mostly to amplify vs engage. Sending out plugs for friends and their books, promoting artists and writers I love, and about 15 percent of the time - promoting my own work. There's no win falling down the rabbithole every time you disagree with someone, and I was told something wise not-too-long ago about Twitter: it was never meant to be an archive for our lives. It's a robot that wants you to talk to other people so the robot can make $$$$.
I moved away from social media a few years ago. I now find it awarkward to interact on it, I just go on to lurk and keep myself updated. Looking forward to see how this shakes out though. congrats 🍾
Totally agree with you about social discourse moving toward dystopia.
FWIW, I deleted Facebook in 2013. Best decision I made. I still use Instagram for following comics and news and Twitter for news, but those platforms feels more delimited and less exposed than Facebook. Plus I think Facebook's [non]privacy policies are probably worse than those of other social media companies.
Thanks, James. I shot a Q on Twitter about some of what you addressed here, so thanks for posting your thoughts. Well reasoned and said, of course. I need to digest this a little bit more before I will really understand my own position.
"Maybe every time an intelligent species grew advanced enough to invent a global computer network, they would then develop some form of social media, which would immediately fill these beings with such an intense hatred for one another that they ended up wiping themselves out within four or five decades."
Ernest Cline, Ready Player Two
While your Twitter account is where I was first introduced to your content (then ultimately purchased your books), I completely understand the decision to move away from the unhealthy time suck that is social media!
congrats on ditching social James. If it wasn't for business I'd have done the same a long time ago.