Solid post with some useful takeaways. I appreciate Anne taking the time share to her insights. Having said that, it's clear Anne already had a platform cultivated over many years when she started her Substack. I would love to see a success story of someone starting from scratch. The takeaways may be a bit different.
Solid post with some useful takeaways. I appreciate Anne taking the time share to her insights. Having said that, it's clear Anne already had a platform cultivated over many years when she started her Substack. I would love to see a success story of someone starting from scratch. The takeaways may be a bit different.
Pablo, I had a following based on decades of writing books, true. But I hadn’t blogged regularly, and I wasn’t sure how engaged my list was when I launched Substack. And I wasn’t courted by Substack and came on my own. So, I had a lot of skin in the game, I have written consistently and thought of this venture as something entrepreneurial. I didn’t have to collaborate, you might think, because I had a platform. But I’ve learned the new subscribers I have gained from growing through collaborations are more invested in me.
Appreciate you taking the time to respond to me, Anne. I see what you mean about not knowing how engaged your list was. I didn't intend to downplay your efforts, which I've no doubt have been substantial. (And I did find your interview useful.) My comment was really directed at the Substack team.
Hey there! We mix up these interviews to combine both folks without a major audience, and also folks that brought an audience over to Substack and had to build a strategy to make that work here.
If you want to read stories about writers who didn't have a big existing audience, I'd look through our archives, especially -->
I very much appreciate this response, Bailey. It's why I so appreciate the Substack team. Y'all are so responsive and helpful. I'm going to dig into these. Thank you.
Also, in the early days a little over a year ago when a bunch of food writers who started together got to know each other through Substack’s many programs that help writers grow, we also made real friendships, and started our own Food Writers Meetups. I’ve also found that collaborating with other writers NOT in your category is another fun way to extend your reach and theirs, lots of mutual benefit.
They are incredibly helpful. I’ll shoutout one person from these comments who has built from the ground up too, and that’s Jolene at Time Travel Kitchen. She came in, networked, wrote consistently, and just went paid.
Solid post with some useful takeaways. I appreciate Anne taking the time share to her insights. Having said that, it's clear Anne already had a platform cultivated over many years when she started her Substack. I would love to see a success story of someone starting from scratch. The takeaways may be a bit different.
Pablo, I had a following based on decades of writing books, true. But I hadn’t blogged regularly, and I wasn’t sure how engaged my list was when I launched Substack. And I wasn’t courted by Substack and came on my own. So, I had a lot of skin in the game, I have written consistently and thought of this venture as something entrepreneurial. I didn’t have to collaborate, you might think, because I had a platform. But I’ve learned the new subscribers I have gained from growing through collaborations are more invested in me.
Appreciate you taking the time to respond to me, Anne. I see what you mean about not knowing how engaged your list was. I didn't intend to downplay your efforts, which I've no doubt have been substantial. (And I did find your interview useful.) My comment was really directed at the Substack team.
Hey there! We mix up these interviews to combine both folks without a major audience, and also folks that brought an audience over to Substack and had to build a strategy to make that work here.
If you want to read stories about writers who didn't have a big existing audience, I'd look through our archives, especially -->
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-13-nishant-jain
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-11-michael-fritzell
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-9?s=w
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-7?s=w
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-6?utm_source=url
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-5
https://on.substack.com/p/going-paid-stuart-winchester
I very much appreciate this response, Bailey. It's why I so appreciate the Substack team. Y'all are so responsive and helpful. I'm going to dig into these. Thank you.
Also, in the early days a little over a year ago when a bunch of food writers who started together got to know each other through Substack’s many programs that help writers grow, we also made real friendships, and started our own Food Writers Meetups. I’ve also found that collaborating with other writers NOT in your category is another fun way to extend your reach and theirs, lots of mutual benefit.
Love these suggestions, Jolene. Thank you for sharing!
They are incredibly helpful. I’ll shoutout one person from these comments who has built from the ground up too, and that’s Jolene at Time Travel Kitchen. She came in, networked, wrote consistently, and just went paid.
Thank you so much, Anne. I'll definitely check out Jolene's newsletter.
With a lotta help from you and Kate, Anne!
You’re a fast learner, Jolene, and I’m still amazed you create your newsletter using your phone!
One of my many quirks. 😂 Thanks, Kate! :)