How Publishing on Substack Can Change the Definition of Success

And the writers we need to pave the way

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Just some of the writers I'd love to see serialize a novel and/or memoir on Substack: (top row) Carmen Maria Machado, Haruki Murakami, Scott Smith; (middle row) Jean Hanff Korelitz, Kiley Reid, Leslie Jamison; (bottom row) Anthony Swofford, Joyce Carol Oates

People in every profession measure success in different ways. For some, it’s their salary. For others, it’s making a difference. For still others, it’s being appreciated by their coworkers and boss.

Success taps into the six primal human needs:

• certainty,

• significance,

• variety,

• connection,

• growth, and

• contribution.

Let me explain:

• money or a tenure-track job = certainty (safety)

• a “bestseller” label and winning awards = significance (feeling like you matter)

• media attention = variety (the thrill of being interviewed, featured, invited to read/speak, etc.)

• hearing from readers = contribution and connection

• writing full-time = growth (writing six to eight hours five days a week or every day will push you to the limit as a human being; it’s …