We invited Leslie Stephens, who writes morning person, to share how engaging in genuine, honest conversations with her subscribers and collaborating with fellow writers led to her biggest spikes in growth after launching.
I loved Leslie’s description of the challenge with Instagram, “As an Instagram creator, I realized I was no longer capturing my life on Instagram but living my life in order to capture it on Instagram”.
This is a good reminder not to fall into that trap here on Substack. 💜
Wow, impressive! You've grown your readership and your subscriber base significantly in a short amount of time. It's great to see that you are also giving away subscriptions to those who are in need. Keep up the great work!
I loved this post! These are always my favorite ones to read. The slowness of getting started can sometimes feel a bit defeating, so it's inspiring to read about another writers journey.
I love that Leslie meets readers for coffee. It was also great to read the anecdote about accidentally sending an unfinished post. I so much fear doing something like that and it was nice to hear about the readers reacting so kindly.
Leslie, thanks so much for these great insights! I was wondering if you'd be willing to give more specifics on how you interact with other writers on Substack to get recommendations? Do you primarily comment on their posts and ask questions? Or do you directly ask them to review your posts and consider recommending you? Or is it both, and what's the balance? If you'd even be willing to delve into how much time per day you spend on this, that would be truly amazing. Thanks so much!
The core point is making sure to present a case. Why would it make sense for the author to recommend me? What is my unique perspective? Where am I coming from?
For instance, I write on principles for personal impact, growth and decision making. Combining rational techniques with grounding methods. With a focus on analytical people.
My partners deal with burnout (which is often a consequence of overanalysis and pure rational thinking), bioenergetics analysis (which helps grounding) and the nervous system (which relates to the body mind connection).
Sometimes I ask directly, sometimes I wait for the right moment.
For sure, I need to do my homework first. Know the articles well, comment, interact. Then enter in direct contact, via email or in other ways. Establish a dialogue. And ask when the time is right. Like in judo ;) following the Wu Wei (= the art of not forcing).
I just did it today, and it has worked. And I’m now recommended by an author I love. It’s one of my greatest achievements, regardless of the results it will bring.
I wish you can find your own way, my friend. And happy to be updated on what works for you.
Congrats, Leslie! Funny how honesty cuts through even the most carefully crafted fluff pieces...
I used to manage a traditional finance newsletter many years ago. By far the most positive reader mail I saw was when an analyst who had made a bad call simply said, “You know what? Im sorry, but I got that one wrong. Oh, and here’s why...”
He then outlined his mistake, thoughtfully and candidly, and by doing so proved he was attentive to the lessons to be learned from the experience.
Some folks want airbrushed “perfection”...but most of us want honest humans we can identify with and learn from along the way.
It has always been a winning formula to write a mommy blog, cooking blog, influencer buying things blog (from blenders to stocks)... I think the real test for Substack is whether its formula can work for people who write about news, politics, the law, etc. Not seeing it yet.
There are all kinds of successful Substacks devoted to discussing the news and politics. Those two categories might be the most numerous among the ones that support themselves via a paid subscriber base.
I don’t know of any that discuss the law. They may be out there but I’m not familiar with them off the top of my head. If you are able to write about the law that void may represent a market opportunity for you. There are so many ways to go about that too. You could take a populist approach where you write for a non-lawyer audience and teach them about the law and our legal system or you could focus on making a publication that lawyers would value. You could even do both. Certain days are for the Everyman and other days are for legal professionals.
Focusing exclusively on lawyers may narrow your potential subscribers it also allows you to price your subscription higher because it represents specialized knowledge. It really could be a great opportunity for you.
Very cool. Helpful info. I’ve been slowly growing my Stack. I wonder though: Do we get to hear from stackers who DON’T start with a big following from previous work/writing/Instagram? Absolutely nothing wrong with starting higher up on the bar, but I know there are many of us (perhaps the majority?) who start like I did, with 50 friends and family and are slowly gaining traction. Do we get a voice for these? (I also may have just missed some!)
That said: I subscribed just now to Leslie’s Stack 🙏
I’m in the same boat - started with 15 friends who subscribed at the beginning, and now I’m over 100 after a few months. My ‘stack is growing slowly and steadily with a range of 1-5 new subscribers per post.
Frankly, I find other people like us in the comment sections of office hours and posts like this. I think we just need to keep finding each other and maybe start our own threads for sharing our growth stories.
Thanks for this insightful newsletter. Most important lesson I get from this article is being genuine. A paywall might be interesting but does not feel right. Feel better about having a paywall on the archive. That's another way of getting people to subscribe for free and read the newsletter once it's published. It all depends on your sources of income. My goal is to be in an ecosystem of photography related Substacks because I believe the strength of us all for the readers rather than doing it all by yourself.
I love this, and welcome the encouragement to write with honesty and authenticity. I’ve just launched my newsletter after a year of crippling self-consciousness and self-doubt paralysed my writing, but now I am seeing my newsletter as the home for my writing and doing it for myself. I’m also disillusioned by Instagram - talk about doing a LOT of work for very little return! Your newsletter sounds great, and good luck with your masters!
Having a blog (or newsletter) that provides enough to live off without the worry of forcing affiliate links or display ads on your newsletter or blog, is the goal. Nice to see it’s possible.
It's refreshing to hear about someone making a living on Substack.
I loved Leslie’s description of the challenge with Instagram, “As an Instagram creator, I realized I was no longer capturing my life on Instagram but living my life in order to capture it on Instagram”.
This is a good reminder not to fall into that trap here on Substack. 💜
Wow, impressive! You've grown your readership and your subscriber base significantly in a short amount of time. It's great to see that you are also giving away subscriptions to those who are in need. Keep up the great work!
I loved this post! These are always my favorite ones to read. The slowness of getting started can sometimes feel a bit defeating, so it's inspiring to read about another writers journey.
This is true but I guess we have to keep trying. ☺️
I love that Leslie meets readers for coffee. It was also great to read the anecdote about accidentally sending an unfinished post. I so much fear doing something like that and it was nice to hear about the readers reacting so kindly.
I would be HORRIFIED if a reader wanted to meet for coffee ☕️ 😂😂😂
(Half kidding. Sort of. Or am I?)
I have that fear, as well! And feel fairly certain one day it will happen! Yes, such a relief to read about their kind reactions.
Leslie, thanks so much for these great insights! I was wondering if you'd be willing to give more specifics on how you interact with other writers on Substack to get recommendations? Do you primarily comment on their posts and ask questions? Or do you directly ask them to review your posts and consider recommending you? Or is it both, and what's the balance? If you'd even be willing to delve into how much time per day you spend on this, that would be truly amazing. Thanks so much!
Yeah. Very interested to know this too.
Personally, I now subscribe, engage in comments and, when the time feels right, I reach out via email (or other social networks).
What is crucial is that I can clearly identify topic complementarity.
Do you ask directly for people to recommend your publication?
Well, this is a very good question.
The core point is making sure to present a case. Why would it make sense for the author to recommend me? What is my unique perspective? Where am I coming from?
For instance, I write on principles for personal impact, growth and decision making. Combining rational techniques with grounding methods. With a focus on analytical people.
My partners deal with burnout (which is often a consequence of overanalysis and pure rational thinking), bioenergetics analysis (which helps grounding) and the nervous system (which relates to the body mind connection).
Sometimes I ask directly, sometimes I wait for the right moment.
For sure, I need to do my homework first. Know the articles well, comment, interact. Then enter in direct contact, via email or in other ways. Establish a dialogue. And ask when the time is right. Like in judo ;) following the Wu Wei (= the art of not forcing).
I just did it today, and it has worked. And I’m now recommended by an author I love. It’s one of my greatest achievements, regardless of the results it will bring.
I wish you can find your own way, my friend. And happy to be updated on what works for you.
If you wanna check it out, this is my Substack ;) https://livmkk.substack.com/
Fair and good question: I’m steadily growing subscribers but getting RECS seems nearly impossible!
Which approaches have you tried to gain new recommendations, if you feel like sharing?
Congrats, Leslie! Funny how honesty cuts through even the most carefully crafted fluff pieces...
I used to manage a traditional finance newsletter many years ago. By far the most positive reader mail I saw was when an analyst who had made a bad call simply said, “You know what? Im sorry, but I got that one wrong. Oh, and here’s why...”
He then outlined his mistake, thoughtfully and candidly, and by doing so proved he was attentive to the lessons to be learned from the experience.
Some folks want airbrushed “perfection”...but most of us want honest humans we can identify with and learn from along the way.
Kudos again!
Yes! Unlearning that expectation of perfection is something I'm actively working toward every day!
It has always been a winning formula to write a mommy blog, cooking blog, influencer buying things blog (from blenders to stocks)... I think the real test for Substack is whether its formula can work for people who write about news, politics, the law, etc. Not seeing it yet.
There are all kinds of successful Substacks devoted to discussing the news and politics. Those two categories might be the most numerous among the ones that support themselves via a paid subscriber base.
I don’t know of any that discuss the law. They may be out there but I’m not familiar with them off the top of my head. If you are able to write about the law that void may represent a market opportunity for you. There are so many ways to go about that too. You could take a populist approach where you write for a non-lawyer audience and teach them about the law and our legal system or you could focus on making a publication that lawyers would value. You could even do both. Certain days are for the Everyman and other days are for legal professionals.
Focusing exclusively on lawyers may narrow your potential subscribers it also allows you to price your subscription higher because it represents specialized knowledge. It really could be a great opportunity for you.
👍👍🔥
👍
Substack proving they’re not just social media for writers (but also not NOT social media for writers).
Very cool. Helpful info. I’ve been slowly growing my Stack. I wonder though: Do we get to hear from stackers who DON’T start with a big following from previous work/writing/Instagram? Absolutely nothing wrong with starting higher up on the bar, but I know there are many of us (perhaps the majority?) who start like I did, with 50 friends and family and are slowly gaining traction. Do we get a voice for these? (I also may have just missed some!)
That said: I subscribed just now to Leslie’s Stack 🙏
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
I’m in the same boat - started with 15 friends who subscribed at the beginning, and now I’m over 100 after a few months. My ‘stack is growing slowly and steadily with a range of 1-5 new subscribers per post.
Frankly, I find other people like us in the comment sections of office hours and posts like this. I think we just need to keep finding each other and maybe start our own threads for sharing our growth stories.
Your stack looks interesting: just subscribed 🙌
Thanks!
Awesome!! Sounds like a great idea!
5,700+ paid subscribers to talk about how to arrange your pantry
Not trying to be nagative or jealous, it's just funny the extent to which I will never understand women
😂😂😂
I hear ya man , it baffles me too no end what an army of women,
will or will not pay money for. 🤣😂
🤓🤓
An inspiring story for Substackers!
🔥
Thanks for this insightful newsletter. Most important lesson I get from this article is being genuine. A paywall might be interesting but does not feel right. Feel better about having a paywall on the archive. That's another way of getting people to subscribe for free and read the newsletter once it's published. It all depends on your sources of income. My goal is to be in an ecosystem of photography related Substacks because I believe the strength of us all for the readers rather than doing it all by yourself.
I love this, and welcome the encouragement to write with honesty and authenticity. I’ve just launched my newsletter after a year of crippling self-consciousness and self-doubt paralysed my writing, but now I am seeing my newsletter as the home for my writing and doing it for myself. I’m also disillusioned by Instagram - talk about doing a LOT of work for very little return! Your newsletter sounds great, and good luck with your masters!
Your SS looks interesting. I’ll check it out.
Thank you! Yours looks interesting too, I’m perusing.
Inspiring
Leslie is living the dream!!
Having a blog (or newsletter) that provides enough to live off without the worry of forcing affiliate links or display ads on your newsletter or blog, is the goal. Nice to see it’s possible.