Building a Writer’s Online Platform

I need your help.

In 2025, my primary goal was to immerse myself into my creative endeavors: writing, drawing, crafting, and photography. On all measures, I exceeded my goals. Much of what I accomplished was private and not done with the intention of sharing with a larger audience. The focus was to dedicate more time to art and craft, which I did.

Now that we are in 2026, my goal is to do something more public with those creative endeavors. While I did accomplish publishing two works (Prism and Light), I am now shifting my focus to writing – and submitting for publication – shorter works to traditional markets (both online and print magazines and journals).

This I can do on my own. It’s a largely personal journey as a writer to, well, write; it’s also a solo pursuit to seek out appropriate markets and writing contests for my work.

[Aside: Another major shift for me this year is that I will not be writing for a contest or publication; rather, I will be writing stories, essays, and even poems without a market in mind. Then, when they are finished, I will seek out appropriate places where I can submit. This will absolutely change everything about my writing process for shorter works. In essence, I am taking my approach for novel-length works and applying to shorter pieces. I am ecstatic about this new shift.]

What I can’t do on my own is figure out what my online presence needs to look like.

Now, if I were reading this post, my advice would be: “Don’t worry about what everybody else is doing! Your online presence is totally up to you! Go for it, you crazy individual!”

I like that advice, but it’s not what I am looking for. I think I have the basics figured out for some things.

First, when it comes to sharing my writing, I think that everything is going to originate here from my website, rusvanwestervelt.org, and then pushed to Facebook, X, and Threads.

Second, this means that I will be expanding this site to include more information about my published works, what I am reading, and strategies for writing both fiction and creative nonfiction.

It’s when I get to Substack and Medium that I need your help.

My questions for you:

Would you consider Substack and Medium to be equal in weight to publishing blog-type posts on my website? Or do they serve a unique purpose that I should consider in addition to what I post here? Should I repost/republish my original blog posts on Substack and Medium and identify them as being originally posted here? Or should I just stick with developing my website and building an audience here?

Or, should I consider writing and publishing original content on these other platforms?

I would love your input into how a writer builds an online platform using Substack, Medium, and any other publishing sites for writers that would be beneficial for me to consider.

Even if you are more of a reader than a writer, what makes the most sense to you? Where will you most likely read writers who are building their online platform?

Be honest. The more input I receive, the more I will be able to make a solid, informed decision as I continue to expand my outreach as a writer, educator, and creative.