What is Substack Notes?

And what is Substack?

Hi Everyone!

I recently published my first note on Substack Notes, and I would love for you to join me there!

But let’s take a step back. What even is Substack Notes? I don’t know! Well, to a hammer, everything looks like a nail, they say.

And to a cartoonist, everywhere looks like a place to post a cartoon. (Also, every napkin looks like a place to draw a cartoon. Every interaction can be turned into a cartoon, etc…)

But to understand Notes, we need to take another step back! (Be careful.) What even is Substack? According to Substack itself:

Substack helps anyone set up a blog and email newsletter. No tech knowledge is required. Without ads and algorithms to get in the way, you can sustain a direct relationship with your readers and retain full control over your creative work.

Substack had me at “no tech knowledge is required.”

Also, no algorithms? I think that’s good?

Here, I can hone my writing, work on long-form content, and connect with new readers. Also, I don’t necessarily have to know where this will take me/you/everyone.

When I first started posting to Instagram, at my friend’s insistence, (thank you Rivvy!) I had only a vague notion that maybe one day I could sell more cartoons to more people? I was already drawing for The New Yorker, and Rivvy said it was time to figure out what more I could do. I created the handle @steinbergdrawscartoons without really thinking about it and got to work.

It ended up changing my life.

I drew all the time. I tried out new styles without any set goals in mind. I played with humor and content, and I connected and met some incredible artists and people. So when my girlfriend suggested I try out Substack, it only took her a little bit of convincing. She already followed the incredibly talented

Zoe Si

here, and wanted to see what I could do.

What will happen through Substack? Who knows, and who cares! As long as I’m having fun, growing, and making people laugh.

I also want this to be a place where I can share what other cartoonists are working on. They are amazing! For example, Ellis Rosen just came out with a new book all about Pickleball!

Chaz Hutton

is on here too! So is

Liza Donnelly

!

And of course, it’s a chance to actually make some tangible income off of my cartoons instead of simply posting for free to other social media apps and letting them benefit from my hard work. Thank you to everyone who supports me through likes, comments, and sharing. And thanks to everyone who supports me by signing up to my paid option! I don’t take any of it for granted.

I hope Substack, and Substack Notes, continues to grow into a creative, diverse, and inspiring community. And I hope to play my small part in it.

So please subscribe, share, and let me hear from you!

-Avi Steinberg

Here are some Notes instructions, from Substack itself:

Notes is a new space on Substack for us to share links, short posts, quotes, photos, and more. I plan to use it for things that don’t fit in the newsletter, like work-in-progress or quick questions.

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How to join

Head to substack.com/notes or find the “Notes” tab in the Substack app. As a subscriber to Steinbergdrawscartoons’s Substack, you’ll automatically see my notes. Feel free to like, reply, or share them around!

You can also share notes of your own. I hope this becomes a space where every reader of Steinbergdrawscartoons’s Substack can share thoughts, ideas, and interesting quotes from the things we're reading on Substack and beyond.

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If you encounter any issues, you can always refer to the Notes FAQ for assistance. Looking forward to seeing you there!