Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help! Our team will answer questions and share insights with you in the comments today from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT / 1 p.m.–2 p.m. ET. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
Updates from the Substack team:
Upgrading Substack’s recommendation network. Today, Recommendations, along with the Substack app, powers a network that drives 50% of all new subscriptions and 25% of new paid subscriptions on Substack. In its short life, Recommendations has become an indispensable part of the Substack network, which in recent months has swelled to more than 3 million paid subscriptions to writers and creators. Now we’re taking Recommendations to the next level, expanding its reach and giving writers the ability to curate their own “scenes” on Substack. Learn more.
Introducing the Subsctack chatbot. Our team is using new technologies and programs to close that gap and offer a first line of support to writers for simple issues. In your dashboard, the new chatbot contains all of the knowledge our team has generated for writers over the past six years—for our blog posts, resource pages, email support, and help center articles. Learn more.
Office Hours housekeeping. Next week we are going to host the last Office Hours as we know it. But this isn’t goodbye! We’re excited to direct our team’s energy we put into these weekly threads into new spaces for writers to connect and now the chatbot can answer your pressing questions faster than ever before.
Got questions about Substack or feedback about a feature or tool? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
🧠 I'm seeing A LOT of comments here from very new Substackers asking lots of questions. There are no dumb questions, of course, but I do want to remind everyone that as writers and people in general, it also benefits us to do a little Googling, a little searching within Substack, and read some of the amazing resources out there.
Some resources for Substack newcomers to shout out:
- Found Kristi in Office Hour comments as well. If you are genuinely lost when it comes to working on computers in general, getting a virtual assistant like Kristi doesn't sound like a bad idea if you have a little to invest in the start up!
➡️ The System Reboot's How to Get Your Substack on Google Series:
- This was super helpful to me when I first started my newsletter up!
Just a few pieces to get the ball rolling, here! Everyone, please feel free to add more resources to this list! (Full disclosure, I haven't read all of the works above, but after a cursory glance I would imagine they'd be helpful to people!) Remember, if you have access to the internet, you have access to the same Google and Substack website that I do!
Hello, Substackers. I have had a Substack account for one year, but still cannot resolve an issue which greatly saddens me. When I established my account, Google gave me a Twitter (X) address. I already have one for which I pay monthly (blue check mark). I have tried everything to get my Twiiter address updated, to no avail. I've dumped cookies, browsing history, etc. but nothing has changed. It would greatly help me spread the word about my new Substack devotional if I could reach my Twitter audience. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
I wanted to add to this old thread now that office hours is sadly defunct - but a resource for newbies, or anyone, could be the places where you can list your newsletter outside of Substack to earn some more eyeballs. I created a list - https://sleepyhollowink.substack.com/p/newsletter-listings. Hope that helps someone!
When I finally specified a title for my proposed newsletter, nothing was said about that title already being used. So, I assumed it was available. Now that I'm ready to start publishing under that title, I've learned that it is indeed in use by someone else. How do I find out whether a title I have in mind is available, so this doesn't happen again? Also, how can I cancel my original registration (and desired title) and simply start over, to avoid further confusion? Thank you.
I am a newbie here, and the comments have also been helpful. My content are not the typical traditional content for a platform such as this and I would love to get more feedback on how to get more readers and subscribers.
how do i post a photo in my article that others who read it can see? the photo shows up on my substack post, but others who read it, don't see the photo. thanks!
To Substack editors and anyone else: I have a publishing idea which I need some help with. I have put together several dozen op-ed columns I have written since Trump emerged on the scene in 2015, mostly published in the Jacksonville (IL) Journal_Courier, and other websites, like LAProgressive. The result is a short book called The Trump Chronicles, which I want to make accessible online. Could that work with Substack? I am thinking about charging a nominal fee, say $1, because I am looking to spread this as widely as possible before November. Can you offer some guidance?
I would appreciate some help regarding troubleshooting my posts on Substack.. I have tried numerous times through your AI customer service as well as even texting Hamish as I cannot get even an email reply to my issue. I would like to post more and need a tech support person to assist. Thank you.. ME
Dear Ramona, et al, I am here once again in frustration. I’m trying to post and having difficulty. Simply finding a way to message someone has me in a tizzy. Why is it not working for me to use the same picture to add to my header as I did last post?
Anyone that wants to tutor me, please do. Either I’m stupid or this platform is. 💕
✏️ How can I start getting more recommendations and subscriptions? I just opened a blog 3 days ago and I'm still trying to figure out how Substack works, so I'd like to know someone's experience with this feature. Thank you in advance
I did not realize that a substack can block comments on a restack. I chose to restack a pay to comment site to illustrate a point, not to show any mindless support. However, the restack went through-without my proviso.
I would like to cancel my restack, since I am prevented from explaining why I restacked, yet it seems I cannot do such.
I am an investigative journalist and radio news reporter who publishes The Morningstar Report on Substack.com
I regret to inform you that you are engaged in a partnership with an internet criminal organization, namely Stripe.com, whom you have assigned to collect and process funds derived from paid subscribers.
Over the past 3 weeks, I've had a lot of trouble with Stripe.com in regard to transferring funds due to me from Paid Subscribers to my Substack articles (in The Morningstar Report) and after going through their rigmarole at length last year and repeated again this year, I recognized an online scam pattern and I conclude that they are stealing funds not just from me, but from hundreds of other people on Substack and other businesses like real estate brokers and other small businesses.
It took me 2 weeks to arrange a phone call with a live rep who refused to give me his full name (and gave me 3 nicknames) while refusing to provide me with Stripe's corporate headquarters address.
I conduced an online search to find their headquarters and it turns out that they are situated in San Francisco.
During my investigation, I also discovered a huge list of complaints with the Better Business Bureau confirming Stripe's use of exactly the same scam methods what I have experienced.
They use the same scheme over and over again to forestall payment of monies due to the client employing an endless stream of identical AI-generated emails (signed off with different names for Stripe representatives) to block access to one's account by repeatedly asking or more Identification when all ID requested had been previously submitted, vetted and verified (as I did last summer when I Faced the same problems with Stripe.com representatives.
At the moment, Stripe (as a collection agent for Substack) owes me $1260. When I complained (during a phone conversation on February 12th, with a live representative) demanding payment, the Stripe representative (who was native Chinese) stopped communicating, stopped replying to phone calls or returning emails.
I'd like to speak with Substack representative to resolve this problem before initiating legal action and contacting Federal authorities (i.e,, The FBI, the FCC and Federal Trade Commission).
Perhaps this is not the right forum for this, but: I have received about ten emails from Stripe over the past 24 hours with post-dated threats to close down my account (they already have) because they need new info. Their platform down't make it easy to figure out what they are looking for, or why. These disturbing emails are written in a way that leads me to believe they were originally written by a bot in another language. Substack needs another financial partner. (Or at least one that has a clue about English (since that's the language extant), and tense, in particular.)
🟧 Um guys... this is a tad embarrassing, but check that headline ☝️ again "Introducing the Subsctack chatbot" ?
While I have your attention, is someone looking into what's up with the transcription engine? It's now failing on new videos uploaded this week. I've logged a report in with the "Subsctack chatbot," but no word yet.
If y'all haven't used it yet, I have to tell you it IS incredible as compared to other paid services I've used from YouTube and Vimeo to Descript and Video Milk. When it works.
<Sigh, I'm giving you that look my mother gave me when she was disappointed in me... do ya feel it?>
I am trying to stop being registered with you as a writer. I got some advice from another writer on another thread but could make it work for me. I am a reader. I want to continue to pay to read my favourite columnists. I do NOT want to get this kind of email or several recent ones. Your questions and chatbox are useless for me. At 87 I could do without this hassle.
🟧 I'm loving substack and looking forward to sharing on here. I am in South Africa and Stripe does not have an option for a number of countries. Is there a way around this?
I spent a full day trying to figure out how to upload my first post, & made zero headway. I couldn't find any resource page outlining the process in a clear step by step format. I finally gave it up.
The above link starts right in giving advice on hope to expand one's subscription number, skipping over giving advice on how to get started, how to upload a post.
Good evening, Bees! In the market for a beat-up charter plane with which to fly out on archaeological expeditions in search of occultesque artifacts. next stop? Pella Macedonia - to see the origins of The Pella Curse Tablet. A small crew in tow and there we go.
I would dearly love to ask some questions. I live in Tokyo in a typically tiny home that doesn't afford much privacy...and it would have to be at a very inconvenient hour for me... What to do?
I'm sad Writer office hours will disappear since it was also a great opportunity to connect and know many great writers. I'm faithful you will find a way to not to lost this great component.
I have tried numerous avenues to get in touch with Beri Weiss. For the second year in a row, my account has automatically paid her a subscription fee of $250. I did not authorize that amount. I want a refund of the $250 paid to her from my credit union bank on Feb 16, 2024. How can I contact her directly? Or does this note suffice? Please advise.
I would absolutely love to participate in one of these but it has been difficult for me to coordinate as I live in Vietnam. I am definitely going to make an attempt to catch the next one!
Hi there. I have tried googling to get the answer to this question and also the chat but still not clear. I transferred my Mailchimp list of 2k + subscribers to substack. They now successfully receive my posts as emails. Does this mean they are automatically subscribed or is there another step they need to take?
✏️ I've been on Substack for 13 months now. I've yet to gain a paid subscriber that isn't comped. I'm not sure if it's what I'm putting out, my niche or that I haven't been on long enough that's resulting in not gaining paid subscribers.
I love writing each week and I'm not relying on my publication to pay any bills however I would like the extra support.
Does anyone have any feedback on what I could do to either improve my publication or encourage subscribers to become paid?
I’ve been waiting to hear back from Substack tech as to what’s been done to fix the fact that my latest enewsletter post Democraticus- the Democratist didn’t appear on the Substack app. I inquired about this last week. I was promised the tech folks would look into it and get back to me. So far I’ve heard nothing- just crickets. I’m a disappointed Substack author right now.
✏️ I’ve been holding off for a long time before using Chat. I’d like to give it a shot.
What is your best advice? Content-wise? Frequency? Approach to questionable posting? Do you use it as a premium channel for paid subscribers? If so did you experience a conversion spike?
As you can see lots of questions. In my mind, I see Chat as a private WhatsApp group vs. Notes which is more like X. Short vs. long response time expectations.
🧠 I'm seeing A LOT of comments here from very new Substackers asking lots of questions. There are no dumb questions, of course, but I do want to remind everyone that as writers and people in general, it also benefits us to do a little Googling, a little searching within Substack, and read some of the amazing resources out there.
Some resources for Substack newcomers to shout out:
➡️ Substack's Help Section: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us
- A wealth of searchable knowledge!
➡️ Ramona Gigg's Writer Everlasting - Substack for Newbies Series
https://writereverlasting.substack.com/p/exploring-the-mysteries-of-substack
- Ramona has posted this in the comments of this office hours, and I think it would be a great place for a lot of folks to start!
➡️ Simon K Jones' Substack for Beginners Series
https://simonkjones.substack.com/s/substack-for-beginners
- A quick cursory Google search yeilded this, which seems like a great resource!
➡️ Kristi Keller's Virtual Assistance
https://www.unstacksubstack.com/
- Found Kristi in Office Hour comments as well. If you are genuinely lost when it comes to working on computers in general, getting a virtual assistant like Kristi doesn't sound like a bad idea if you have a little to invest in the start up!
➡️ The System Reboot's How to Get Your Substack on Google Series:
https://boodsy.substack.com/p/get-your-substack-on-google-part1-backlinks
- This was super helpful to me when I first started my newsletter up!
Just a few pieces to get the ball rolling, here! Everyone, please feel free to add more resources to this list! (Full disclosure, I haven't read all of the works above, but after a cursory glance I would imagine they'd be helpful to people!) Remember, if you have access to the internet, you have access to the same Google and Substack website that I do!
To help organize the conversation, please use one of the following emojis when you start a new comment.
🧠 - when sharing strategy or advice for fellow writers
✏️ - when asking questions or seeking feedback from fellow writers
🟧 - when asking a question you hope the Substack team can help answer
Use your emoji keyboard or simply copy and paste the emoji at the beginning of your comment.
Hello, Substackers. I have had a Substack account for one year, but still cannot resolve an issue which greatly saddens me. When I established my account, Google gave me a Twitter (X) address. I already have one for which I pay monthly (blue check mark). I have tried everything to get my Twiiter address updated, to no avail. I've dumped cookies, browsing history, etc. but nothing has changed. It would greatly help me spread the word about my new Substack devotional if I could reach my Twitter audience. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
I wanted to add to this old thread now that office hours is sadly defunct - but a resource for newbies, or anyone, could be the places where you can list your newsletter outside of Substack to earn some more eyeballs. I created a list - https://sleepyhollowink.substack.com/p/newsletter-listings. Hope that helps someone!
Hi. I have a paid subscription to Peter McCulloughs Courageus discourse, nevertheles i cant comment nor se his videos. Can you help me? Best regards
Jearungby@dadlnet.dk
When I finally specified a title for my proposed newsletter, nothing was said about that title already being used. So, I assumed it was available. Now that I'm ready to start publishing under that title, I've learned that it is indeed in use by someone else. How do I find out whether a title I have in mind is available, so this doesn't happen again? Also, how can I cancel my original registration (and desired title) and simply start over, to avoid further confusion? Thank you.
Do we have AI foraging through Substack to train ChatGPT or a family member of it?
Is substack a niche for followers let’s say in the sense that are sub responding to a higher thread , post, or blogger ?
I am a newbie here, and the comments have also been helpful. My content are not the typical traditional content for a platform such as this and I would love to get more feedback on how to get more readers and subscribers.
https://open.substack.com/pub/umubenjamin/p/the-impact-of-psychological-stress?r=2b8p5y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
how do i post a photo in my article that others who read it can see? the photo shows up on my substack post, but others who read it, don't see the photo. thanks!
To Substack editors and anyone else: I have a publishing idea which I need some help with. I have put together several dozen op-ed columns I have written since Trump emerged on the scene in 2015, mostly published in the Jacksonville (IL) Journal_Courier, and other websites, like LAProgressive. The result is a short book called The Trump Chronicles, which I want to make accessible online. Could that work with Substack? I am thinking about charging a nominal fee, say $1, because I am looking to spread this as widely as possible before November. Can you offer some guidance?
Thanks. Steve Hochstadt shochsta@ic.edu
find it confusing and awkward to use
hi I just started here and write about tennis and what I learned from books I read
I have read daily stoic, emotional intelligence and other books like that, I have read physology books and books about tennis
Not sure if my post came through as I cannot see it in the string.. Can someone let me know if they saw it or if I need to repost. Thank you. ME
I would appreciate some help regarding troubleshooting my posts on Substack.. I have tried numerous times through your AI customer service as well as even texting Hamish as I cannot get even an email reply to my issue. I would like to post more and need a tech support person to assist. Thank you.. ME
Dear Ramona, et al, I am here once again in frustration. I’m trying to post and having difficulty. Simply finding a way to message someone has me in a tizzy. Why is it not working for me to use the same picture to add to my header as I did last post?
Anyone that wants to tutor me, please do. Either I’m stupid or this platform is. 💕
✏️ How can I start getting more recommendations and subscriptions? I just opened a blog 3 days ago and I'm still trying to figure out how Substack works, so I'd like to know someone's experience with this feature. Thank you in advance
I did not realize that a substack can block comments on a restack. I chose to restack a pay to comment site to illustrate a point, not to show any mindless support. However, the restack went through-without my proviso.
I would like to cancel my restack, since I am prevented from explaining why I restacked, yet it seems I cannot do such.
No, I am not going to pay to comment either.
Via Marsh you have a lot of time at your hand?
Where are you based?
Hello, Substack Management:
I am an investigative journalist and radio news reporter who publishes The Morningstar Report on Substack.com
I regret to inform you that you are engaged in a partnership with an internet criminal organization, namely Stripe.com, whom you have assigned to collect and process funds derived from paid subscribers.
Over the past 3 weeks, I've had a lot of trouble with Stripe.com in regard to transferring funds due to me from Paid Subscribers to my Substack articles (in The Morningstar Report) and after going through their rigmarole at length last year and repeated again this year, I recognized an online scam pattern and I conclude that they are stealing funds not just from me, but from hundreds of other people on Substack and other businesses like real estate brokers and other small businesses.
It took me 2 weeks to arrange a phone call with a live rep who refused to give me his full name (and gave me 3 nicknames) while refusing to provide me with Stripe's corporate headquarters address.
I conduced an online search to find their headquarters and it turns out that they are situated in San Francisco.
During my investigation, I also discovered a huge list of complaints with the Better Business Bureau confirming Stripe's use of exactly the same scam methods what I have experienced.
They use the same scheme over and over again to forestall payment of monies due to the client employing an endless stream of identical AI-generated emails (signed off with different names for Stripe representatives) to block access to one's account by repeatedly asking or more Identification when all ID requested had been previously submitted, vetted and verified (as I did last summer when I Faced the same problems with Stripe.com representatives.
At the moment, Stripe (as a collection agent for Substack) owes me $1260. When I complained (during a phone conversation on February 12th, with a live representative) demanding payment, the Stripe representative (who was native Chinese) stopped communicating, stopped replying to phone calls or returning emails.
I'd like to speak with Substack representative to resolve this problem before initiating legal action and contacting Federal authorities (i.e,, The FBI, the FCC and Federal Trade Commission).
Thank you for your assistance.
Robert D Morningstar
To set up a phone conference, Please reply to -> robert.morningstar@gmail.com
how can i post an article to my seemingly inaccessible substack account? henry lesnick
Perhaps this is not the right forum for this, but: I have received about ten emails from Stripe over the past 24 hours with post-dated threats to close down my account (they already have) because they need new info. Their platform down't make it easy to figure out what they are looking for, or why. These disturbing emails are written in a way that leads me to believe they were originally written by a bot in another language. Substack needs another financial partner. (Or at least one that has a clue about English (since that's the language extant), and tense, in particular.)
Thank you.
What is the point of Substack? Money? Success? Quality?
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/what-is-the-point-of-substack-making
Is it possible to write poetry on Substack? I've been informed that it's not possible (or easy) to make line breaks.
🟧 Um guys... this is a tad embarrassing, but check that headline ☝️ again "Introducing the Subsctack chatbot" ?
While I have your attention, is someone looking into what's up with the transcription engine? It's now failing on new videos uploaded this week. I've logged a report in with the "Subsctack chatbot," but no word yet.
If y'all haven't used it yet, I have to tell you it IS incredible as compared to other paid services I've used from YouTube and Vimeo to Descript and Video Milk. When it works.
<Sigh, I'm giving you that look my mother gave me when she was disappointed in me... do ya feel it?>
How do I transfer all my work from Wordpress to Substack?
How can I start a post via the app?
I am trying to stop being registered with you as a writer. I got some advice from another writer on another thread but could make it work for me. I am a reader. I want to continue to pay to read my favourite columnists. I do NOT want to get this kind of email or several recent ones. Your questions and chatbox are useless for me. At 87 I could do without this hassle.
Good
Please add crypto for subscription. Your user will grow .
🟧 I'm loving substack and looking forward to sharing on here. I am in South Africa and Stripe does not have an option for a number of countries. Is there a way around this?
This advice section is not 0% useful.
I spent a full day trying to figure out how to upload my first post, & made zero headway. I couldn't find any resource page outlining the process in a clear step by step format. I finally gave it up.
The above link starts right in giving advice on hope to expand one's subscription number, skipping over giving advice on how to get started, how to upload a post.
I'm resigned now to staying a reader. So be it.
Thank you Karen. How can they leave a comment? Do they need to be on the app?
The Inbox tries to show two stories side by side and does so terribly. Is this a glitch or an "update", if the latter how do I turn it TF off.
Good evening, Bees! In the market for a beat-up charter plane with which to fly out on archaeological expeditions in search of occultesque artifacts. next stop? Pella Macedonia - to see the origins of The Pella Curse Tablet. A small crew in tow and there we go.
I would dearly love to ask some questions. I live in Tokyo in a typically tiny home that doesn't afford much privacy...and it would have to be at a very inconvenient hour for me... What to do?
I'm sad Writer office hours will disappear since it was also a great opportunity to connect and know many great writers. I'm faithful you will find a way to not to lost this great component.
Thank you for your work
Just keep writing.
I have tried numerous avenues to get in touch with Beri Weiss. For the second year in a row, my account has automatically paid her a subscription fee of $250. I did not authorize that amount. I want a refund of the $250 paid to her from my credit union bank on Feb 16, 2024. How can I contact her directly? Or does this note suffice? Please advise.
Shireen McQuade
shireenmcquade@verizon.net
703-915-2648 for texts and telephone calls.
I would rather say the best way to utilize this last days of writers hour is to follow as much people as possible
I would absolutely love to participate in one of these but it has been difficult for me to coordinate as I live in Vietnam. I am definitely going to make an attempt to catch the next one!
Hi there. I have tried googling to get the answer to this question and also the chat but still not clear. I transferred my Mailchimp list of 2k + subscribers to substack. They now successfully receive my posts as emails. Does this mean they are automatically subscribed or is there another step they need to take?
Hi everyone, what are some very easy tips to grow your substack?
If you want to read and listen to stories about police and public policy with a focus on western NC I invite you to subscribe.
AnnieDance.substack.com
Thanks!
✏️ I've been on Substack for 13 months now. I've yet to gain a paid subscriber that isn't comped. I'm not sure if it's what I'm putting out, my niche or that I haven't been on long enough that's resulting in not gaining paid subscribers.
I love writing each week and I'm not relying on my publication to pay any bills however I would like the extra support.
Does anyone have any feedback on what I could do to either improve my publication or encourage subscribers to become paid?
I’m in the UK is anyone aware of a Substack expert you can meet face to face with ?
I’ve been waiting to hear back from Substack tech as to what’s been done to fix the fact that my latest enewsletter post Democraticus- the Democratist didn’t appear on the Substack app. I inquired about this last week. I was promised the tech folks would look into it and get back to me. So far I’ve heard nothing- just crickets. I’m a disappointed Substack author right now.
Thomas E. Brymer
✏️ I’ve been holding off for a long time before using Chat. I’d like to give it a shot.
What is your best advice? Content-wise? Frequency? Approach to questionable posting? Do you use it as a premium channel for paid subscribers? If so did you experience a conversion spike?
As you can see lots of questions. In my mind, I see Chat as a private WhatsApp group vs. Notes which is more like X. Short vs. long response time expectations.
Thanks for sharing your ideas :)