How to kickstart a community with your peers on Substack
Finding and connecting with the right people to support you on your journey
There are a number of reasons you might want to connect with fellow writers and creators on Substack. You might be seeking collaboration opportunities so you can grow, or perhaps you want to garner support in building your publication. Whatever the reason, it starts with finding the right people and creating ways to connect. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to do both and kickstart a community with your peers in the process.Â
Finding the right people
Who is it you want to connect with? Perhaps it’s writers or creators in the same category you write about, or maybe it’s other Substackers who are at the same stage as you, getting started or growing. Getting clear on who you want to connect with will help guide where to look.
Substack’s home, where you can explore notes, is a window into the rest of the Substack universe. Here are a few places you might find your people:
Writers and creators you are subscribed to. Comment on conversations other writers have started, whether they are notes or posts. Other writers and creators notice thoughtful comments and you never know who might end up as a new subscriber or sending you a direct message as a result.Â
Post a note. Make a call for the type of writer you are looking to connect with. Be specific, like
’s post looking for fellow photographers. Be sure to tag so we can restack your note and help get the word out.
Get familiar with the Browse tab. Here, you’ll see category leaderboards plus trending posts on each topic. Follow writers who are emerging as leaders in your category to learn from them and start engaging with their work. Â
Creating ways to connect
Why do you want to connect with fellow writers? If you are looking for ongoing accountability and support, starting an online space might be the best path. But, if you are just looking to check-in every once and awhile, to swap stories, share guidance and have some fun, then you might consider hosting a meetup.
Start an online community space. Create a space you can drop questions, ask for peers to help promote your work, or share insights, wins, and challenges in real time. If you want to start a community-run publication on Substack, you might take inspiration from
. Consider turning on chat to so anyone can start a thread or giving everyone contributor status so they can write posts about what they’ve learned. Alternatively, you can start an email chain of all the people you’d like to connect or a group chat on another platform you all already use.
Host a meetup. Maybe you don’t need a space to talk on an ongoing basis and just want to get together in person or on Zoom every once in a while to swap stories and share what you are learning. A meetup is a great way to do just that and our team can help get the word out. Learn more.
Send the invite
Sending out invitations can feel a bit like a shot in the dark—you're not sure who's going to say yes and that’s nerve racking. We find, more often than not, people are looking for an invitation to the right community and if for whatever reason they can’t participate, they are flattered to be invited. So don’t be shy! If you’ve found people you want to connect with and have an idea of how you’d like to do so, reach out to them via DMs.
It only takes one or two people who really care about a space for it to be meaningful. Listen to the first people that show up, ask them what they need most and for their help to create the space together.
We can’t wait to hear stories of how you connect with fellow writers and creators. Be sure to tag
with any stories that come out of meeting your peers. Happy connecting!
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