Writers As Heroes
An Overview Of The Writers As Heroes Project
What’s This About?
Hi there, thanks for visiting.
The purpose of Writers As Heroes is to encourage discussion in the Substack community regarding how we can further enhance Substack by adding a public service component to this network.
What’s The Plan?
Any final decision about how to improve Substack will of course be made by Substack leadership, because it’s their network. The purpose of this blog is to float various ideas as a way of encouraging discussion of how we Substackers can work together as a community to make the world a better place.
CHARITY TAX: One idea is that a $1 per month “charity tax” be applied to all Substack accounts that are making money from subscriptions. Such a tax would raise a minimum of $200,000 every year in charitable donations to good causes selected by Substack leadership.
DONATION BLOG: Another idea is a regular Substack blog that users can become paid subscribers of, with all proceeds going to good causes selected by Substack leadership.
Generally speaking, the plan is to somehow create a charity fund raising machine that raises tons of money for good causes, and that costs we Substack users close to nothing.
Where Does The Money Go?
Again, Substack leadership would make any decisions regarding how a public service component of their network would operate. This blog can only offer suggestions for review by the community.
One suggestion is that every month Substack leadership could choose a good cause to support with the raised funds, and then let the community know how much money was raised that month, and what good cause received it. We could all watch the amount of good work being done grow each month along with the network.
By choosing a different good cause each month many good causes could be served over time, so that it wouldn’t be necessary to pick just one cause to support.
It wouldn’t be in the interest of Substack leadership to chose controversial causes, so my guess is that they would choose causes that can receive wide support in the community, such as serving the needs of children, and efforts to improve the environment.
Why?
Adding a social justice charity component to the Substack experience is something we can do together as a community that would both:
Make the world a better place, and…
Be good for business.
Please note that the most successful companies in the world have public service projects incorporated in to their business models. They do this from a recognition that public service enhances their brand, builds trust with customers, and helps boost sales and profits. We on Substack can receive these same benefits by being good citizens together.
Sure, each of us can donate to any good cause on our own without Substack. But most of us have limited funds and our own personal donation may seem like a drop in the bucket that’s not very inspiring. But if we pool our donations we can experience having more impact, and we can experience having more impact in community with our friends on Substack.
What You Can Do?
You’re a writer. You can write!
At this point the work that needs to be done is to encourage discussion of a public service project across the Substack community. Each of us can do this using the publishing tools Substack has so generously provided to us.
Subscribe To This Blog: By subscribing to this blog you can stay up to date on what’s happening with this project. Just as importantly, the number of subscriptions to this blog can be used by Substack the company to gauge the level of interest in adding a public service feature to the Substack experience. To avoid any possible confusion, this blog will always be free.
If You’re Short On Time: Feel free to restack, cross post, share, discuss, and otherwise promote this page if you’d like to be involved but your time is short.
If You Have More Time: Better yet, if you have more time and enthusiasm available, please consider writing your own articles on this matter to share your own ideas with your own audience.
What Do We Get Out Of This?
Those participating in a public service feature of Substack will gain the satisfaction of knowing that they’re doing their part to make the world a better place, along with their friends on Substack. We’re the rich, the lucky ones. We can make good use of those blessings, which are denied so many others.
If we raise significant funds for good causes that will generate positive media coverage for Substack the company, and the Substack community at large. This will bring in more readers and subscribers we can all benefit from.
If we act as good public citizens that will enhance our brands, build trust with readers, and grow our businesses.
I don't think it would be wise to make this an obligatory thing but maybe those on board with the idea can chose to allocate a portion of their subs to charity. I would also hope that Substack would swallow any admin and not take any out of the fund to cover the costs.
The biggest issue is, who decides what causes to support? I'm definitely not in on giving money to any of the bigger charities, firstly because they already have massive fundraising machines and such a small proportion of their funds go to where it's actually needed. While on principle I think its a worthwhile idea I think there are areas of contention to be addressed.
Great idea here Phil. I’d say give writers a choice to be part of the charity. I’m sure many would sign up.