If you're still using Substack for your newsletter and want to migrate to Ghost, which has announced that it will join the fediverse this year, here's a step-by-step guide by @wes. It covers costs, what you'll need, setting up Mailgun and Cloudflare, how to move over your posts and subscribers and numerous other helpful details.
"I wanted a solution that was based on the open web and that was entirely under my control... from centralized platform to open web, from corporate to indie, from being controlled to taking back control."
"The newsletter was hosted on Substack for a period, but following the controversy over the presence of monetized newsletters by violent extremists on the platform... I decided to move the newsletter."
"In my opinion this is NOT a free speech issue at all... If you own a bar or a restaurant and someone starts yelling Nazi slogans, you have the right to throw them out. I’d go so far as to say you have the moral obligation to throw them out."
Anybody who posts that they're leaving #Substack for a new platform, I will boost whether I have subscribed/followed them or not. Presumably they have good values if they want to leave Substack, and I want to do my part to help them reach their whole audience.
"It seems clear why Substack doesn't want to "censor" transphobia, conspiracies, health disinformation, and even Nazis... It really looks like spreading disinformation is the cornerstone of their business, and that's not something I'm prepared to support."
Want to move your newsletter to a self-hosted Ghost installation? @wes has written this comprehensive step-by-step guide, covering how much it will cost, what you'll need, how to import your posts and subscribers and more.
"I wanted a solution that was based on the open web and that was entirely under my control... from centralized platform to open web, from corporate to indie, from being controlled to taking back control."
"The Reframe isn't a “Substack” any more than it was a “Revue.” It's you. You, whether you're a paid up founding member or a casual reader. You and me. Readers and writers. We can take our ball and go elsewhere. This is our newsletter. We built it. Me by writing and you by reading..."
I just sent my very first newsletter for #TheRealists via #Ghost (love love love this platform) after ditching #substack.
The topic? A bit of personal history about being a geriatric millennial, living my whole life in between two worlds... and raising a small child away from screens.
Well, it took a bit more effort than I expected, but I'm completely off Substack as of today.
I dunno if Better Bits, the supporting site for my on-again, off-again book will make a reappearance elsewhere. But Net API Notes, the API industry newsletter I've written since 2015, can now be found at http://netapinotes.com.
If you’re looking for some longer form content on cities, transit, technology, and other off-topic ideas check out @reecemartintransit He just moved off Substack and has embraced federated Wordpress
Thanks to @parismarx moving Disconnect to Ghost in the #SubstackMigration I am now a paying subscriber. I've been an unpaid subscriber for a year but couldn't justify sending skim to #Substack . Hopefully more of my creators leave so I pay them as well.
Thanks to @caseynewton and Platformer moving to Ghost in the #SubstackMigration I have now become a paying subscriber. Casey shared this link to get a 20% off annual subscription for new subscribers. #Substack#Ghost
This may seem trivial but it's an essential step to do when you are migrating from #Substack to another plaform (#Ghost in my case):
I edited Substack's welcome message to new subscribers to alert them that my account there is no longer active and that I migrated to another publishing platform (see screenshot).
I initially thought I'd delete my Substack account but I've decided to keep it to avoid #cybersquatting (same with #x)
Those moving off of Substack will likely lose subscribers. For many this is their livelihood. Their principle and courage should be rewarded. Known Substack migrants are listed below. Please consider subscribing to them.
If you've migrated off Substack, please provide the name, new URL, and a brief description in a reply. Will add mentions into the top comments.
To the Substack migrants, you rock! Thank you for your bravery and resolve.
Yesterday I:
✔️ set up my new newsletter on #Ghost (Pro)
✔️ migrated / cleaned old #Substack posts
✔️ ported over subscribers
Today I:
✔️ deleted all Substack mentions / signup prompts from my #Wordpress blog
✔️ deleted all my Substack posts (except the one announcing the move)
✔️ created a new subdomain pointing to my Ghost newsletter
I've just migrated all my blog posts from #Substack to #Ghost.
If you are tempted to do the same, I can assure you the process is super simple - especially when using Ghost (Pro).
All you have to do is export your Substack data and then go to Ghost Settings → Advanced → Lab -> Substack Migration... the process takes just a few minutes, it's all drag and drop.
ETA: Most of the #Substack tagged posts I can see here are about #SubstackMigration, while most posts with that tag on LinkedIn are from people (still) hosting on that platform. Not surprising
One of my goals for 2024 is to fully embrace the #Fediverse and enable #ActivityPub for my websites... about to install its new plugin for my website https://therealists.org – I will report back on how it goes.
Number one motivation for this is #Substack and their profiting from abhorrent content. Ready for my #SubstackMigration and grateful I can code and run my own independent site