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What Should You Expect When Subscribing to My Stories on Substack
William F. Spivey’s History Channel
With all the options available to writers on Substack and given that readers don’t have unlimited time and funds, readers (and writers) have to choose where to spend their resources, you deserve to know what to expect if you subscribe to William F. Spivey’s History Channel, here’s a summary and some examples of what to expect.
CONSISTENCY
I write a lot, except when I was on my honeymoon three years ago; I’ve published an average of three weekly stories for over five years. I also have a catalog of evergreen stories, which I’ll work in on Substack. In the almost three weeks I’ve been serious about Substack, I’ve published 44 stories, of which 31 were brand new.
FOCUS
My primary focus is on history. Even when I write about the current political situation or world events, I try to provide historical context. I write about politics, education, and race. A lot about race: I discuss the history of whiteness as a concept and how it didn’t formally exist until Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676. That led to the wholesale conversion from indentured servitude to enslavement as the basis for cheap labor in America. I discuss how forced breeding and rape led to a dramatic increase in the number of enslaved people, which historians call a natural increase. I don’t pull punches and do name names. Some Founders don’t come out so well when I tell the story.
IT’S FREE… FOR NOW
The first 150 stories will be free to read until I reach 150 stories. As of this writing, I’ve published 48 stories, 44 in the last three weeks and four previously about a year ago. I discussed my catalog of evergreen stories. If that were my intent, I could reach 150 stories in a couple of days, but I choose to maintain the present pace. I’ll likely hit 150 stories published in the next 50–60 days before converting to paid subscriptions. The rates will be the lowest available, at $5 monthly and a $40 annual subscription. I thank those who already chose paid subscriptions when the free option was available. Most of those have been some of my Medium followers; almost everything I publish on Substack will be available on Medium, but…
