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70 Years WTF · post

\"Self\"-promotion

Mike Wolf · 2025-03-01 · 897 words · original ↗

I’ve written this blog since I was 70. Now, (as I write this) I’m 821. And every day, older.

For the first many years, it was a write-only blog. Not even I read it My kids might sometimes have read it, but I didn’t care2. I was only in it for the writing.

Eventually, I started reading what I had written. And I liked it. I still do. Those Past Me’s3 were quite the dudes. I hope the Future Me’s (same link) feels likewise and appreciates Present Me (same, again.) And by the way, this post (same link) was a game-changer for me.

Heaven with slower internet

Now, I’m living in the afterlife, which I have described as “like heaven, but with slower internet.

The joys and woes of Substack

I moved from Google’s Blogspot to Substack in 2021. After several years, I tried adding

Subscribe now

buttons. I got a few subscribers4 You’d think that would be cool. But, as I wrote in this “draft” blog post having subscribers was a pain in the ass. (same link)

I became self-conscious about my writing. What if what I wrote didn’t meet the standard set by whatever I’d written that inspired someone to sign up? What if I disappointed people by not posting enough? What if I was losing it? What was the “it” that I was losing?

Something changed

But something changed. My mind, of course. What else can change?

And I went on a Hero’s Journey and stopped trying to play it both ways: trying to be visible and invisible.

I’ve decided to be visible.

I like the shit I write.

I’ve decided to make it visible.

I’m not “self-” promoting because I may have no self.

I’m going to write more.

There’s the book I wrote in 2021, “Self-Referential Metanovel Writing for Dummies.” I’m going to edit it, republish it, and promote it.

It needs visibility.

And I’ve got another book I’m going to write. A metanovel, of course.

“Finally!” says The God I Don’t Believe in, who has helped me write the book and everything else I write. “Finally!”

Some people will like what I write. If that’s you, and you’re not a subscriber:

Subscribe now

Or don’t. I love you either way.

Some people won’t like it. If that’s you, go fuck yourself7. But I say it with love.

So this is me, coming out in the open. Thanks, Grok, for the images.

1

Not now, as you you read this. Now, as I write this. I won’t update this post every time I get a year older, FFS.

2

Well, I did care. But it would spoil the narrative to say that.

3

Yeah, I know it’s not a possessive or a contraction. But it looks stupid if I say Mes instead of Me’s.

4

I’m now up to 70 subscribers! Not now, as you read this. Now, as I write this. I won’t update this post every time someone new subscribes, FFS.

5

Trust me, the formatting is shit. But it’s out there. So yay.

6

Used to be on Lulu but somehow got deleted. Now working on publishing on Amazon.

7

Really, I still love you.