Substack Account Suspended
I was suspened from Substack, read about my experience, what I did, and what this means going forward for Plant Based Pleasures.
TL;DR: My Substack account was temporarily suspended but is now restored. I've created a new site, PlantBasedProof.com, where you'll find all my new and old recipes. Substack will still have the full recipes every week, but for detailed tips, tricks, and research, visit the new site. Thanks for your support!
Key Takeaways for other writers:
Don’t rely on just one platform.
Have an emergency backup plan for content and communication.
Invest in a personal website, or at least a domain, for more control and certainty.
My Journey & Path Forward
I wanted to share a recent crisis I faced. Early Sunday morning, my Substack account was suspended without warning—no email, no explanation.
Suddenly, I couldn’t access any content, including the community posts and notes that have become a meaningful part of my morning and daily life. Everything, including some of my latest recipes, I’d worked on for the past four months seemed to evaporate in front of my eyes, leaving me frustrated and depressed.
This experience made me realize just how important it is to me to keep sharing my recipes, ensuring that those who need healthy, affordable plant-based options still have access. I believe healthy eating should be accessible to everyone, even if they are limited by budget or have limited cooking equipment and skills.
What Happened:
After the initial shock and confusion, I immediately appealed to Substack but didn’t hear back until late Tuesday afternoon. Not knowing if I’d ever be allowed back on Substack was agonizing. While waiting, I realized I needed to take control of the situation and my content.
I decided to invest in my own blog and newsletter, despite the time and cost. I wasn’t going to let this situation decide my fate. Even if I lost what I love about Substack — the community — I could still help people with healthy recipes to fight disease.
The Outcome:
When Substack finally responded, they confirmed that my account had been “incorrectly flagged as potential spam,” and that the issue was now corrected.
While I’m relieved, I’m still a little disheartened and concerned about the potential damage already done — seeing my Substack page marked as a spam/phishing site may have impacted the trust and confidence of current and new subscribers.
Moving Forward:
This experience taught me that I need to have a platform I control as my base of operations, as it were. That’s why I’m excited to announce that I’ve registered a new domain name — PlantBasedProof.com — which will now serve as the main hub for all my recipes.
You’ll still get complete recipes on Substack, but for more detailed instructions, tips, cooking techniques, and research visit PlantBasedProof.com. The website is still evolving, and I’d appreciate any thoughts or ideas you might want to share.
I also appreciate any suggestions, feedback, concerns, recipe suggestions, or anything else you want to discuss: just reply to this email directly or contact me at contact@plantbasedproof.com. Also, connect with me on Instagram for another communication channel.
-Robert (Chef Rob) Leigh
If you know someone who would benefit from my healthy, NCD-fighting recipes, please let them know about my work.
Thank you for your continued support as I adapt and grow. I’m excited to keep sharing my recipes and research with you during this new chapter, starting tomorrow with No Bake Pepperoni Pizza to Fight Obesity and Lose Weight!
P.S. Can’t wait for Pepperoni Pizza? Check it out right now on PlantBasedProof!
If you’re not subscribed yet, please consider subscribing. If you can afford to support my work, it would mean the world to me. Sharing healthy food is my mission, but it takes a lot of time and money to research, verify, test, photograph, write, and perfect these recipes.
Glad to have you back and that Substack straightened it out. Smart decision to have other options!
So sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately this is an issue that occurs on almost every single platform. That's why having humans review flagged accounts instead of robots is essential.