Hello Substack. Bye Bye X.
Last week, I deactivated my author X account and I’ll be honest: it felt like a massive relief. I’ve always enjoyed posting content to the slew of social media platforms I’m active on and building communities there too. But since the rebranding of Twitter to X, my enjoyment of that platform has gradually been chipped away. I ummed and arrhed about whether to stay but in the end, this is why I decided it was time to say bye bye to X:
No more blue bird
Twitter may not have worked out as a business model, but the branding was spot on. It felt distinctive, friendly, and clever. Instead of plain posts, we had tweets. Twitter influencers were Twitterati. And the blue bird icon was instantly recognisable. X has lost the charm, the personality, and the sense of community that Twitter built up over the years.
So many of my readers don’t use X
The main reason I use any social media platform as an author is because my readers are there. I share my writing progress, what’s in that month’s newsletter, blog posts, and books I’ve read. But more and more, my readers reach me on Facebook, Instagram, Substack, or Kofi, instead of via X.
X has been sold to xAI
When I found out that X had been sold to xAI, it didn’t sit well with me. We all know about the threat that AI poses to authors, artists, and all manner of creatives. That threat won’t become any less until the correct laws have been put in place globally. For now, like most authors, I’m doing my best to protect the content I create, whether that’s my books or my online posts.
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Of course, this is my own personal opinion. I’m not condemning anyone who is happy to remain on X. Social media should be all about what feels right. For me, that just isn’t X anymore.
So where else can you find me on social media? As it says in the title of this blog post, I’m now on Substack with so many other authors and creatives. I’m still on Facebook and Instagram (with an eye on any changes Meta may make to those platforms). You can also find me on BlueSky (this one is more of a try-it-and-see experiment). Finally, I share my blog posts and other thoughts on Kofi.
Here are the links if you’d like to connect on any of those platforms:
And of course, there’s Fi’s Bookish Catch-up. Sign up for my mailing list and I’ll email you a free short story to say thanks. Each month, I’ll share my writing and book news, blog posts, recommended reads, subscriber offers, and the Bookish Life of Fi. Sign up here.
