Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?ย
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help!
Weโre gathering the writer community and members of our Community, Product, and Writer Development teams together in this discussion thread to answer writer questions for an hour today.
Drop your questions in the thread by leaving a comment, and weโll do our best to share knowledge and tips. Our team will be answering questions and sharing insights with you in the threadย today from 10 a.m.โ11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.โ2 p.m. EST. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.ย
Some updates from the Substack team:
New: Full-width images. We now support the option to add full width images to your Substack posts. To add an image that exceeds the column width, upload or drag the image into your posts, then click it and select "Toggle full width" from the formatting options in the corner of the image. Toggle again to return the image to column width.
Youโre invited! To mark the end of the year, we're inviting all the writers whoโve engaged with the Substack community to a virtual Holiday Party. Weโll kick off this virtual celebration with small group discussions, sprinkle in some surprises, and finish with a toast.ย We hope youโll join us andย other writers on December 20 on Zoom! Details and RSVP.
Reminder: Writer insurance stipend. Last month, we launched Substack Health, a new program designed to help subsidize health care for writers and connect them to insurance plans. The deadline to apply is January 20th, 2022. Learn more and apply here.
Weโll host this thread again next week, but itโll be a day later than usual, on Friday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m.โ11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.โ2 p.m. EST. Itโll be the last Office Hours of the year, so save it to your calendar so you donโt miss it.
It was a busy Office Hour today! Thank you all for coming and for supporting fellow writers in answering questions.
Weโll host our final Office Hours of the year next week, but itโll be a day later than usual, on Friday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m.โ11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.โ2 p.m. EST. We hope you will join us!
I meant the team at Substack (Katie + Bailey + Rose + Kelsa + Jasmine + Kristen + Alex + Linda + Server + Seth + Ben ). And by "us" I meant, those of us using Substack - but really, I meant me, because I shouldn't try to speak for everyone, because in my experience that never goes well. ๐
I figured that one of the groups consisted of employees and affiliates of substack and that the other group consisted of users of substack. I wonder who was doing the inspiring. Presumably, you opine the the employees are doing the inspiring. Perhaps I am not deemed worthy of being inspired.
I probably seem like a discontented SOB. If you think I am just a lot of maladjusted drivel, I invite you to take a look at my posts. What can I say? MY Wechsler IQ is in the upper reaches of the 99th percentile, I graduated from an IV league law school, and all around me are mental midgets making a killing so I am , without doubt, quite a discontented SOB. Take care.
Although some of my posts are exquisitely written, I don't think that's what sets them apart. My unique, original ideas are I think their finest attribute.
I probably sound as loony as Nietzsche did in his ;last book. "Ecce Homo," as he was descending into the madness of tertiary sphyilis and wrote chapters with titles such as "Why I am so wise" and "Why I write such good books"
Shoot, sorry I missed Office Hours. I do have a question which youโve probably answered somewhere (Iโll look): is there any step to connecting Twitter other than clicking the button and displaying the URL on our Twitter profile? When I hit the share button on my posts and select Twitter it goes to my feed? Does that mean itโs all working?
Thanks! Yes I figured it out and Iโve got it all working now. I found on my profile where it says that my Twitter account is connected and Iโve learned how to share my posts now.
One tip I wanted to share: every Substack writer should try, at least once, to do a discussion thread (a "new thread" vs "new post") and ask a provocative question or two. Because I didn't have time to create a full post the week of Thanksgiving, instead I asked for people to share memories, and I was astonished by the amount of engagement and the number of people that commented - it was far more than people usually comment on one of my standard posts.
So if you're short on time or just want to change things up a little, give it a try. Just make sure you ask a question that people will be excited to answer!
I've wanted to do a thread for a while but have been nervous to have it flop. If you don't mind me asking: did you promote in advance? what kind of subscribers/engagement did you have going into the thread?
- I heard from multiple people that they liked the "service" aspect of it. They were getting actual help instead of just a discussion.
- I think having a specific ask rather than just a general "what's your favorite book" made it easier to participate. (I know I find those questions overwhelming.)
- I asked a few friends and family members ahead of time to make sure to participate, which I think added a veneer of legitimacy to the whole thing.
I did advertise ahead of time. I included it in my regular Monday newsletter and then shared the thread on Friday.
I tried it and had it flop! ZERO responses. Nothing to do but just continue, perhaps repost later. Maybe think of something else. You might fail. You might not.
This is a great idea. I've been hesitant to start a thread because I felt like I'd need to "manage" it, but it sounds like you set it up with a great question and then were able to sort of set it and forget it.
I've said it here a lot, but I'll say it again. Subscribing to other Substack newsletters and really engaging via the comments on their posts will get eyes on your newsletter, and may very well lead to subscribers. I've gotten a host of sign-ups via my comments on Cheryl Strayed's Substack, E Jean Carrol's Substack, Courtney Martin's Substack, and Nadia Bolz-Weber's Substack. Not because I was promoting my newsletter, per se, but because I was offering substantive, thoughtful commentary that grabbed folks' attention, and Substack put that handy-dandy link to my newsletter right by my name, so they pop on over.
Not another question, but a small bit of encouragement to my compatriots. I went paid in early September. Like many folks I got a huge influx of paid folks at the beginning, and then it slowed to a sedate but steady pace. I struggle with promotion on any other social media platform other than FB, where I've been building a platform for a long, long time. I'm not as consistent as I should be, and it's also hard to know sometimes how to promote content that's great but behind a paywall. Still, after three months of inconsistent promotion and a lot of great actual writing I've got 368 folks on my list and 50 (FIFTY!!) of them are paid. That's just over a 13.5% conversion rate, which is high. Is is growing as fast as I'd like? No, but that's entirely on me. But it IS growing simply by continuing to do really good work and a modicum of promotion. Your newsletter will, too.
More encouragement: whenever I feel down about my newsletter not growing fast enough, I have to remind myself that my writing basically remained completely unpublished for the better part of my life. More people than ever before are now reading what I have to say on a consistent basis, and that's pretty cool!
It's so cool that 50 people find value (and can afford to subscribe) in your writing. What do you think you'll do differently next year? And do you have goals for the number of paid subscribers you want?
I'm just sending out a survey/questionnaire to my paying folks today to see what aspects of the newsletter they most appreciate already and what they'd like to see discussed more. I'm also hosting my first discussion thread next Friday and am asking my paying folks to definitely show up and post at least one comment. I'd like to do more threads in the next year, for sure, to amp up the community feeling. Behind the scenes, I'd like to develop a better habit of drafting things in advance so I have time to do a couple of rounds of edits. I tend to be motivated by time-pressure, so often wait until the day of to write my newsletters. Years of social media posting makes that work for me, but I also know that when I do get an initial draft done in advance that the final piece is stronger, so I'd like to get better at my planning so everything can get stronger.
Thanks. I feel like one of the reasons I've stuck with Substack is because of the resources they're investing in creating community among writers, especially new and emerging writers. It's an isolating life, and even more so during Covid, so we have to get together and encourage each other.
Hi people! I'm brand spankin' new to Substack. Recently retired, I'm finally writing what I enjoy (instead of reports for my boss!) It's great to be here!
Welcome! This is a very helpful group and these sessions are solid gold, especially for not only a "newbie" but a very old (one of few advantages of getting old- you no longer try to hide it!) one at that so struggling to learn just the basics necessary to keep up with the technology. Good luck! Jim
Welcome Adam. I just started here too, and am equally excited to not be writing for others. If you'd like to share stories, email me sigwrite@ gmail.com
First off, want to say I'm really glad we did a Christmas promotion like Substack suggested. We did a 50% discount and got twenty new paid subscriptions which pushed our paid rate to 8%. Woo hoo!
In terms of discoverability, I'm frustrated that the tag for travel is only revealed when a user clicks on the + on the Subtack main page. I can't see any reason why all of the tags aren't visible, since discoverability is already difficult enough. Any chance of changing this, Substack?
Hey, all. I, too, love the continual improvements to Substack. I'd still like to see an option to "tip" or give a one-off donation to a writer. I still believe that a tip-jar feature could provide another regular revenue stream for Substack writers, as many folks just won't commit to $5 a month but would contribute $5 after reading a couple of free posts.
I agree. I know that Substack has chosen the model they have because it's better for writers to get a sustainable income, but for those who write less frequently or who have smaller subscriber bases and would just like something to supplement their day job, a one off payment option would work well. "Buy me a coffee" is a separate site that you can add a link to for people to pay you for a one-off donation. Substack don't get a cut of that so they don't encourage it, but they don't actively discourage it either.
Hi there! Thanks for the kindness. Our engineers and designers will be happy to hear this!
As for one-off donations, our founders have a principled stance on this one so I don't think we will build to support that in the near future. The simple explanation is that they created Substack to help writers create sustainable media businesses, and thus want them to be able to rely on a stable and growing revenue (which monthly/yearly payments create). Whereas micropayments actually can be pretty volatile for the writers' income.
Totally understand, but writers currently have the option of free or paid. Why not a third way as well? I do appreciate the response that Substack won't be offering this feature in the near future; I'll have to look elsewhere for something like it.
I did not open the "founding members" option for weeks after going paid. I thought 'WHO is going to do that?' Then I did, on a whim, and was shocked when people did! You never know :)
I set up a "buy me a coffee" option in the beginning and had it at the end of my newsletter. It was really simple to set up. But--I ended up taking it off because (like Anthony said) I was worried it would confuse people. I'd like to go paid at some point, and having an initial "buy me a coffee" option + a "please share" button and then a premium subscription later option seemed a bit convoluted to me.
Buy me a coffee is a third party site. I have one. Never put it on substack, though. Personally, I like the subscription model. Too many offers confuse people.
Pretty sure the "buy me a coffee" option is a third-party site. Writers can link out to their profiles there, but it's another site with another membership/logon for both writer and reader.
I'm curious to hear how other people are growing their subscriber base. Would love to learn from those who are starting more grassroots and building a following, rather than from those that have large social medial followings and then launched a Substack.
Hi Paul. I can definitely recommend using storified Twitter threads - that's been my strategy for about 6 months now (half the time I've been running my newsletter) and each one gives me a steady stream of subscribers. Plus, you never know when one will really take off and reach people who never knew you existed. I just had this one go massively viral - https://twitter.com/Mikeachim/status/1466763517487370246 - and I got nearly 600 new subscribers off the back of it. Worth an experiment or two!
That's awesome, wow! My issue is I don't really ever post on Twitter and I have pretty much no followers there. Don't fully understand how Twitter works for gaining followers, so I feel like I won't see much impact. I tried thread style posts a couple months ago but would never get any engagement.
There have already been some great responses to this post, but we wanted to add a few things. Twitter is the core engine of our newsletter, so we've had to pay close attention to the trends on the site.
Folks on Twitter like to follow an account with a theme, even if it's a personal account. Fast-growing accounts tend to have ultra-tight scopes. So, if you want to grow, we recommend finding a lane and sticking to it. For some, that's comedy and memes. For others, it's political commentary or film criticism. And so on.
The most important factor in growth on Twitter isn't massive virality. It's consistency your chosen lane. People follow you not because you get 500,000 likes on a single tweet, but because they've seen your tweets pop up in their timelines two, three and four times and, if they enjoy them, they feel like they can follow you to see more of that stuff. That's true no matter your size.
Like Melanie wrote, Twitter isn't useful if you only use it to promote. You have to bring something to the table. Twitter users want to use Twitter -- that's why they're there. Generally, that means they don't want to click links and go to other sites. And they definitely don't want to follow an account that does nothing but direct them elsewhere.
This doesn't mean that Twitter is a dead end for promotion (far from it). All it means is that you need to give in order to get. The larger your following becomes, the greater your chance of reaching the people who want to read your newsletter. Think of it like this: if only 5% of the people who see your tweet want to click the link, then your job is to make sure that 5% is 1,000 people and not 1.
One word of warning about scoping your Twitter account, though. The tightest scopes often burn the brightest, but also the fastest. People get sick of seeing the exact same stuff in their timeline after a while. Keeping your scope tight, but not so tight that you strangle your future, can be a big help.
I appreciate this post. I've struggled with Twitter, too, feeling as if I'm just spinning my wheels when I could be writing. Thanks for this thought process.
>>"You have to bring something to the table. Twitter users want to use Twitter -- that's why they're there. "<<
I think this is a critical point. If anyone shares your tweets/threads, it's probably not because they're saying "check out this awesome newsletter I found" (hardly ever that, in my case). It's actually about sharing that stuff you did on Twitter - and most of the audience reading & sharing it will *only* care about that Twitter-based stuff. Any subscriptions you get are off the back of that, from people who decided they wanted more, are in the very small minority.
Like any social platform, what happens on Twitter mostly stays on Twitter. It's smart to tailor your approach (and your expectations) accordingly.
It's not easy! But the value of Twitter is that if you find a topic that lots of people will care about, and make a thread that's fun to read, and you get a few initial shares, there's a point where your actually following doesn't matter, because it quickly becomes about how many followers the sharer has, and how many *they* have, and on and on... It can take on a life of its own that is out of all proportion to how many people follow you.
In fact, this is most viral tweets. There are folk with 50-100 followers who hit it big and get shared 10-20k times, just because of that cascade effect. It's amazing when it happens. Unpredictable! And hard as hell to engineer at scale. But worth a try...
I've built an organic following on Twitter for about 13-yrs. Trouble is, when I started it was all about a different subject, cycling. I've been trying to shift topics for a year now, and it's been only vaguely successful.
I've had this problem too. My twitter was mostly used to promote my fiction writing. And I was stuck in the writers community vortex. Getting outdoorsy followers is tough.
I really hear both of you here - my initial Twitter following was 99% travel-related, since when I started I was a travel blogger/writer. Now I'm going sideways into more sciencey stuff, I'm having to find a new audience. It's a messy business! But with my newsletter, I'm trying to spend some of my time on topics that (I hope) have wide appeal, and I'm also working in seasons, where each season has a different overarching theme. This allows me to aim for a few crowdpleaser topics here and there, and when I write them up, that's what I post on Twitter, in the hope that it'll reach the most people. Seems to be working so far...
I didn't understand how Twitter worked or have any followers either. But I decided to give it a go for a few weeks, and I've grown my following and have new subscribers out of it. It takes work though. The thing with promoting on social media is that if you want people to follow you, you need to do more than just promote your newsletter. You need to offer something/ add value. One of the key things that helps with Twitter promotion is finding some people who are interested in what you are posting, and tagging them when you post. Then hopefully they will like or comment or retweet and their followers will see your post.
The trick I've been using for newsletter promotions is threads. Do a multi-tweet thread with pictures and graphics, etc. It helps correct your ratio of link tweets to non-link tweets in the algorythim
Yeah, I feel like the story is so much of the thing. Every good story holds something critically important back from the reader until later (aka. dramatic tension, or even, The Plot), which lends itself really easily to Twitter threads. It's a good way to drive folk all the way down to where you're plugging your newsletter, and have them care enough to click when they get there!
A number of people (largely but not exclusively writing fiction) have noted on the Substack Writers discord that BookFunnel newsletter promotions have brought in a significant number of new subscribers. For these you need to subscribe to BF and have a "reader magnet" (like a short story or book or similar) available as a freebie, so it might not work for everyone, but the people who have tried it are seeing good results. I'm about to join one or two myself - I am just about done with my own reader magnet - and have my fingers crossed!
I've done this before using substack, and book funnel works. The magnet can be just about anything you want to offer. It's also easy to use. Frist month brought in 100 new subscribers. You do need to promote everyone on your own newsletter, however. It is a give and take deal.
Jackie, this sounds promising. Quick question: for the "reader magnet", can it be the first chapter of a book that is offered as the sample from the book?
I think it ultimately should be something that has enough value to a potential reader for them to be willing to subscribe. I donโt Think something that would amount to a โfree previewโ on its own is enough. In my case, my reader magnet is three short stories +3 chapters of my novel. The value is in the short stories - the three free chapters are a bonus/teaser to let them know what they would get if they joined my paid newsletter.
And Iโm not even 100% sure this is the right strategy for me because I havenโt tried it yet, but itโs what Iโm using.
I posted this in a previous Office Hours post, sharing here again-
So far, the promotion methods I've used are:
1) cross promotions with other writers - this is a mixed bag, depending on the reach of the collaborator, your content's resonance with their audience, etc. All in all, this is something that continues to not deliver until it does so handsomely
2) try submitting your content to recommendation services. Some examples would be
I've heard of the Sample, but not Recomendo, will have to check it out. Would be nice if Substack had sites like these listed on a reference page. I know they have a few articles about growing your subscriber base and these (and other sites like them) would be a useful tool for most of us here.
These recommendations are terrifically helpful. I notice that if I search for some topic or keyword, substack comes back (understandably) with only for-pay newsletters, so for someone new, getting found and subscribed to by readers coming to substack doesn't work. There seems to be no substack effort to give newcomers a boost so as to help them reach the for-pay state.
Hi Paul, I have been speaking on the most high profile podcasts that will have me. It is working amazingly well. I added 200 subscribers and 5 paid subscribers in one day. I was relatively unknown coming on to Substack and I write about the scientific evidence for life after death, consciousness, and my life as a medium so it couldn't be more obscure! I see you write about health and fitness. SO MANY podcasts exist on this topic. Find an angle and go for it, I'm sure you'll do great. Also, the episode doubles up as content so it lightens the writing load a bit while positioning you as an expert.
Brittney, a follow up thank you - I have just been matched for my first podcast as guest next week! That was fast! I highly recommend podmatch! Have a great weekend, George
Hi Zachary. I started with the podcasts that I personally listen to, and moved on to ones that are similar which I found through Google, Itunes, recommendations on Facebook etc. I made a one sheet with controversial conversation topics and a snappy email template. I committed to applying to 10 podcasts per week.
Hi Brittney, I started with the podcasts that I personally listen to, and moved on to ones that are similar which I found through Google, Itunes, recommendations on Facebook etc. I made a one sheet with controversial conversation topics and a snappy email template. I committed to applying to 10 podcasts per week. You already write on quite a thought-provoking subject, so don't be afraid to stick your flag in the sand, pick a side, and ruffle some feathers. That's what podcast hosts want, dynamic guests with a different take on things.
Thanks for sharing, Lauren. This is really insightful! I'm aiming to grow my Substack in the coming year via podcast guesting, so this is really helpful to know.
Thank you for your response! I am nervous to start my own podcast which is a concern others have from the comments but with all of the tech we have available to use, there is no reason to be so I'm going to try :)
Love this idea, Lauren, as I am hesitant to start my own podcast. If anyone out there has a podcast already and is interested in having me participate as a strategy expert, I can talk about the subject meaningfully at length.
Find the type of community who you think might be interested in it and then promote yourself / the Substack heavily where they hang out. Twitter, specific Subreddits. For Twitter, check out Hypefury's guide on how to build a following.
Just to add here: shoot for the most specific community possible on reddit. When I shared an article I thought would be a slam dunk on r/climbing, I got like 6 upvotes.
My next article I took to r/coloradohikers. The community is a fraction of the size, but my post is now sitting at the top of the subreddit. If it keeps getting eyeballs, it's liable to stay there for a bit
I saw somebody on Twitter say: "don't write a book of plant-based recipes, write a book of plant-based recipes for bodybuilders on a budget!" I think it's the same story for any online content, niching down works
I really wanted Reddit to work for me, but I struggle with it. I have replicated my articles in a specific subreddit and they just get banned. Any advice on making Reddit work Cole?
Write a catchy headline. Then try to find the most specific community you can, one you think will actually get utility out of your post. It's also important that you actually engage with that community beyond sharing your post.
Oh -- and put your substack link in your reddit bio!
I'm just over a month in and I'm averaging about 2 new subscribers a day. I mainly promote through Facebook. I've tried promoting through other sites like Twitter or Reddit, but 99.9% of the time I post any reference or link, it gets flagged as spam even when it is specifically related to the post/thread I am commenting on, so I have given up on those sites (Twitter actually suspended my account permanently without any warning or specific reason as to why and will not reply back to my emails asking for clarification).
Have you tried quote graphics featuring snippets of your article? It means you can get 7-10 posts out of one article and if done well, will titivate your readers to click the link to the full piece. This is working well for me.
This is what I'm honestly afraid of. 2/day is nice. I seem to be around that number as well! Are you just sharing posts to Facebook directly, along with some posts asking people to check out and subscribe? Any FB ads?
My newsletter is related to streaming movie recommendations, so I comment on related Facebook posts about the movies I'm recommending that day and recently created a Facebook page where I share my daily posts. Haven't done ads yet, but I'm actually meeting with a member of their marketing team tomorrow to discuss. Since I don't plan on going paid for a while, the budget for ads will be extremely low, so not sure what that will look like yet.
I've formed a creative partnership with a wildlife nonprofit to create branded merchandise. I never thought I'd be designing tees after my big-assed art career, but it's great fun. They're just now launching our project, and since they have quite a following and membership, I'm hoping to grow with them. I'm more interested in writing content about the water world and this should provide an opportunity. (Wrote about water/environment for Sacramento Bee for 9 years.)
I always mention it to every one I meet, I engage in newsletter swaps, tried running adds, reddits, collaborate with different companies and organizations, news sites, etc.
Just to add a bit: your prospects are better in reddit if you post in smaller or mid-sized subreddits. These tend to have less strict rules about self-promotion. Also, if you do get traction, you snowball to the top of the subreddit much faster.
I've done AMA-style posts in Reddit groups that I'm fairly active in. I'll either take a chunk of my Substack piece or write a quick summary then ask about their experiences with something similar. Then I casually monitor the thread and interact with people. It's boosted my engagement and steadily added to my subscriber list.
I'm currently figuring out how to up my Quora game, as I've heard it can be very effective at building an email list. If anyone has any tips on that, please let me know!
Are you well-known? I feel like if I try that on Reddit I'll be Michael Scott from the Office trying to position myself in front of people who don't know who I am or what my authority is. Is that just my imagination or...? How do you get people on Reddit to engage?
I am using instagram, but started with nothing a few months ago. My stories coicide well with visual images, so it helps my content. I have found it to be a great funnel into my newsletter. My process right now is to test out short stories on that platform, and if they perform well, I turn them into longer stand-alone posts Substack or put them in my newsletter.
- I heard from multiple people that they liked the "service" aspect of it. They were getting actual help instead of just a discussion.
- I think having a specific ask rather than just a general "what's your favorite book" made it easier to participate. (I know I find those questions overwhelming.)
- I asked a few friends and family members ahead of time to make sure to participate, which I think added a veneer of legitimacy to the whole thing.
We have a Substack writers Unite Twitter hype pod, follow me @youtopianj and I will add you to it, you could get some new eyes and support on your posts.
We follow each other there, but I struggle with Twitter and I don't think I'm in the pod. Could you add me and I will make a concerted effort to get over there more often? Thanks!
Here's an unsolicited suggestion: if you ever start a Substack Reader app, including a community chat function in it!
I use a Telegram chat group for community building, but a problem with that is that I continuously have to keep track of who is subscribing and not. Since Substack already knows who is subscribing and not, why not include such functionality right there in the app? Just a random idea.
Squishy/subjective question: how do you continue to write when there's been a lull in traction for a few weeks?
I find it hard to predict how well a piece will be received/shared. Sometimes, it's much better than expected and other times, it's quiet. I don't think there's a huge difference in my writing quality, so I'm guessing it's more that some topics/ideas resonate more than others.
I like the way Mason Currey talks about the slow burn of writing.
"In my experience, growthโpersonal growth, creative growth, professional growthโtends to happen the way that one of Hemingwayโs characters says he went bankrupt: Gradually, then suddenly."
Honestly, this is a problem pretty much every writer faces. I know that some of the pieces I think are kind of weak tend to do great while the ones I labor over don't always have the same results. But I just keep going and keep doing the best I can.
If you're not sure if your topics resonate with your subscribers, you can always run a poll or survey (Google forms, or survey monkey, etc) asking what they want to read. Or you can do a discussion thread and ask for ideas.
But mainly my advice is to not second-guess yourself TOO much and just keep going! :)
My half-assed thanksgiving post became the most popular thing I've ever-written, overnight. This has also caused me to re-think whether I should keep posting even on holidays.
Well one thing about holidays - lots of people aren't working. And while some may be crazy busy with family obligations, others are bored and spending more time than usual online.
I think it is a good idea to post on holidays if you have the personal bandwidth to do so, but also to use the holidays to skip a post if that is more beneficial for you as a writer.
just coming back to this with today's OH โ that's an excellent point! I will probably continue to publish during the holidays, though they may not be my usual type of pieces I put out (thinking a bit more introspective/reflective/a tad more personal next week)
As for google forms ; itโs a great idea to gain a better understanding of your audience this way. Your Substack is made for others to read - thatโs why weโre doing it! So find out their interests on your chosen topic!
Iโve had work outside Substack where I wasnโt even thinking hard about the impact then boom. Others I was really rooting for and didnโt get much response. I volley between paying attention to what resonates and essentially writing blind to impact. Itโs weird. You have to stay on the road no matter how well or poorly work does. Be proud to publish it all. Thatโs probably the only thing that counts.
That happened to me from October to mid-November. It'll sound cliche, but just don't pay attention to the metrics and keep writing. If you enjoy it, the numbers should be secondary. Obviously, we'd all like to grow and have an engaged audience, but in the early stages, you just have to be in it for the love of the craft.
Honestly, I try to remember that 99.9% of my readers' lives and attention are completely out of my hands. Who knows what's going on in their lives or how overloaded they are? When I write something that I am absolutely confident is really great and it doesn't get much of a response, I just figure folks have other stuff going on that has nothing to do with me or the quality of my work. And then I sit down to write again. You just keep showing up and doing your best work. It's all you can do, ultimately.
I try to pre-slate writing in advance, and always keep some kind of big project on the horizon. I.e. "oh, subscribers are slow now, but I have a great interview coming up that I'm sure everyone will love."
Hi Christina, I'm just copying some guidance I gave earlier as it helped me so much to get consistent opens, clicks, shares and engagement. And that feedback really fueled my desire to write. Read the books Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, and Contagious by Jonah Berger. These books will teach you how to shape your ideas into the most compelling package possible starting with your article titles and not 'burying the lead'. They have been indispensable for me. These books will help you whip up your audience into a frenzy more consistently.
hello everyone - didn't get a chance to respond last week but wanted to write a note to all of you that I appreciate your feedback, advice, support! โค๏ธ Happy holidays :)
I've been trying to track the days of the week and time of day I hit send posts in an effort to increase open rates but I don't have enough data yet to know what's best for my readers. Perhaps you can check this on the pieces that have the greatest engagement?
There are so many possibilities with this feature. Hereโs one example:
Say you ask readers to fill out a survey in each post. But you only want to include the survey if the reader hasnโt already filled it out.
Solution: assign a โsurvey_completedโ label to people who have completed the survey.
Now, you can easily send the post so that readers with the โsurvey_completedโ label will not see the survey while readers without the label will still see it.
Hi. Has anyone else seen their open rate jump in the last couple of months? I write every day, and mine has jumped 50+% since September. But, I can't point to anything I'm doing differently. It's a good problem to have obviously but I'd love to figure it out. Thanks!
Yes, it's because of Apple Mail. Users can now say they want to "Protect Mail Activity," which screws with the way sites like Substack track open rates. Basically, Apple Mail sends a false positive to Substack saying the email was opened, whether it actually was or not.
Substack, I am also waiting on a referral program. I don't want to use an outside third party system, this could be game changing as it would allow us to see which subscribers are sharing it the most and reward them in some way.
I remember hearing some other writer doing this with merch and gift subs and thought it was brilliant, but it would be cool if we had it integrated into substack
Anyone else getting lots (and I mean LOTS) of email opens per user? Was looking at one of my most engaged readers earlier and they're opening every email like 15-20 times. While I don't think I have any others that are quite so extreme, I definitely see multiple opens a lot. Until now I've assumed it was because Substack counts an email forward as an 'open' but now I'm just confused โ six months down the line I'd be surprised if people were forwarding my emails to that extent three times a week, just seems weird. If it's just that people are super engaged then that's great, of course, but I do wonder if there's something I don't understand about how the analytics work.
I write seventysomething and many of my subscribers are by definition older. Quite a few have difficulty with the comment function (find it onerous) and end up emailing responses which isnโt as good for me. Is there a straightforward procedure for commenting that I can provide?
Many of my readers are also in this age range and like to comment by replying to their email. Although it doesn't show up publicly, it does reduce the chances of your newsletter getting sucked into the spam filter, so it's good from that perspective. Once, a reader added their expert opinion on my article (covering a point I'd not understood or covered well) so I asked them for permission to put it as a comment so others could read it. In the end, I've accepted that a certain demographic of reader aren't using "likes" and comments, but I appreciate that they're taking the effort to respond to me at all.
I absolutely appreciate all efforts to engageโฆ.But in order to be authorized to comment, subscribers need to set up a password and so on and itโs more than they want to do. By replying on email, their remarks are only read by me. This is particularly a loss on Discussion Threads which I put up every second week.
I would love for writers to have the option of comment-by-email for our readers that primarily engage through their inboxes. I'm sure there are plenty of technical limitations here, but I think it would be great.
All of these are great ideas - something for us to bring to our product team! Meanwhile - Susie makes a great point. If you can get readers to click on an email or respond to it, your future posts are much less likely to end up in spam!
Great point. Iโm seeing this too with some of my readers. If I add a comment button and they click it, it doesnโt go directly to the comment box of the post. (They have to scroll down to find it.) So it might be confusing for some readers.
Susie, I write for the over-40 crowd and they are having trouble as well. I've gotten six or seven emails from people saying they can't comment, or have to log in in order to comment, which can't be right.
Thank you for this feedback (and to the rest of the writers in the thread). Interesting ideas! I shared your thoughts with our product team thinking about commenting.
My readers are older too and constantly e-mail me to ask how to comment. I donโt know how to help them. This week, a friend was at his parents house and sent me a photo of his father and said he had spent 30 minutes trying to comment to me. Ack !
Same issue here - I get lots of email responses and wish it could be a unified conversation in my comments... The "reply to comments" feature would be great!
I've been getting a lot of attention, but then very few subscribe. My newsletter is how to help heal our relationships and thereby heal our country. I am trying to figure out what the barriers are. Is that people think it doesnโt apply to them, or they are tired of the topic or they think there is no chance of success? Or is it all bots? What do you all think? I'd appreciate your own reaction.
Karen, one thing you might want to try is making a super-clear call-to-action to your readers, requesting them to provide their email address, right in the middle of your posts. There's a useful button for that: in your menu ribbon at the top of the Substack post editor, go to More > Button > Subscribe with caption. Having a caption with a call-to-action works better than the Subscribe button on its own. You can edit the caption to whatever's authentic to your publication's voice
Read the books Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, and Contagious by Jonah Berger. These books will teach you how to shape your ideas into the most compelling package possible starting with your article titles and not 'burying the lead'. They have been indispensable for me. These books will help you convert your visits into subscribers.
Great topics! I write about some similar ideas and there is definitely a need. I agree with Lauren's suggestion about shaping the ideas in a way that hooks the audience. Don't give up, you have good ideas to share!
I have a brand question. So, my schtick is that my work has weight. Itโs about connection. When though does a brand steer into territory thatโs not in the original intention? How do you change? I have a leadership book still in scraps and while itโs what I do and what I may be good at, itโs not necessary what moves me. I may, however, want to release that book when itโs done. Iโm not sure it has a place in my current Substack.
Start a Substack section? Another altogether? Maybe guest post on topics outside the newsletter? Okay, this is like 19 questions but you get the idea.
Cheyenne - I have a main Substack related to my profession (it's a small niche) but I have two unrelated Substacks planned for 2022 which are each related to books I hope to write on the same subjects (not related to my profession at all). You will see that all of your Substacks will use the same bio which isn't the best for very different topics so you might want to consider setting up a second Substack account with a second email. It's a pain to switch back and forth but I haven't figured out another way around it.
That's a good idea. Another Substack writer I know of has two film-related newsletters, and a third where she only talks about food. She uses the same profile, though, so I guess it's a matter of what you can get away with / what you think your readers will prefer.
I asked this a few weeks ago. The advice I got was separate if they are separate topics, but use sections more like categories for the same type of subject.
I have a similar challenge. Multiple newsletters, however, segment your audience, but if they are there because they like you, they may need to subscribe to several... not good, I think. Someone suggested that you make yourself the niche. I am trying that, but diverse interests make that a challenge too.
Yeah, I donโt really focus necessarily on topics but feels. A bit of the fuzzies. Leadership talk is a bit different, but can be very much a personal story.
I love the post embed feature -- it's great for building on ideas we've covered in earlier posts. But is there a way to make the embeds show up with the thumbnail image from the post too? I try to incorporate wildlife and nature photography into my articles, and I think I have some really cool stuff to look at that may improve the click rate. Thanks!
That's where my head is at. Also, I like to get creative with formatting to avoid having huge chunks of text... and the embeds have become yet another source of huge chunks of text
Hello! Question for today - Is there any harm to having many subscribers and a lower open rate or is it better to weed out the subscribers who don't open emails so that open rates go up? I think I know the answer but I received a fairly terse email from another Substack writer last week saying he would unsubscribe me unless I open his newsletters and I am just wondering if there is any benefit to taking this step myself. Thanks!
Our systems engineers have signaled to us that we can (and should) advise writers to "prune" inactive readers. Let me see if any of those engineers have specific guidance on when to consider a reader "inactive." If other writers have instincts, please share.
How do we know if they are even getting the substack or if its going to their spam folder? Sometimes my own substack goes to my own spam folder randomly.
I think one of the problems is that not all of your subscribers will show whether or not they open things. I had one subscriber who is a friend of mine and a fan of my writing, and it showed that she had NEVER opened one of my newsletters. But then she said on FB how much she liked something I had written. So either her open rate calculation is faulty or she is using a reader app or going directly to the website to read them... I don't know. But if I unsubbed her based on her never having opened something, I would lose a valuable subscriber and possibly offend a friend. So it's best to proceed with caution and at the very least send out an email saying, "do you want to remain on my list?" (maybe worded better than the one you received!)
So can I trust the star rating and filters under the 'subscribers' tab? I asked one of your colleagues about this and he told me they were accurate. I've been pruning based on those. I did email people beforehand to ask if they wanted to stay subscribed. But now I'm worried about who I've deleted.
I also have some readers who follow me on social media and open the articles from there, which makes me hesitant to prune. I'd be interested to hear from Bailey what the engineers say -- is there a specific open rate percentage at which the newsletter is flagged as spam? Right now I'm sitting at 40-50%
The way Gmail and other email services decide whether or not an email is spam / promotions is based partly on sender reputation and open rates. So if lots of subscribers aren't opening your emails, it becomes more likely that email service providers will treat your next newsletter as spam.
Over the summer, I sent all my subscribers who weren't opening any emails a nice message asking if they still wanted to be on the list. I cleared out everyone who didn't confirm. The result was a noticeable boost in open rates. Personally, I'd rather have an engaged and healthy list than a larger one.
One caveat is that there are debates on how reliable the internal stats are on open rates. Which is why I like to ask folks before removing them, in case there was a mistake.
I have what may be a super simple question but I can't figure out the answer. When you look at a Substack you don't follow, or when you embed Substacks into a post, sometimes they say "by author name" and sometimes they don't.
Geoffrey Golden and I created a Substack for fiction writers on Substack but because I am the "owner" it shows "by Jackie Dana" and I don't want it to show that. How do I change it?
Hi Jackie, great question! We just looked into it and it appears that if the author's name appears in the name of the publication, it won't also display their name below the publication name in the embed.
In terms of what shows as the author in the publication "About" page, you can also add Geoffrey and whoever else you'd like to display as a co-author by going into the publication settings and inviting other writers in the "Team" section. But you can't have no authors listed at all.
Yes and no. It sounds like thereโs no way I can remove my name from the display of the name of the publication, so thatโs disappointing. But I also canโt get Geoffreyโs name to show up on the โpeopleโ page for the Substack despite me having added him as an admin on the team in the settings. Is there anyway that can be done?
I'm interested in making all of my posts older than a year sub-only instead of accessible to all. While automation would be one way to do this, I might prefer something more manual like a mass-edit function that lets me change the audience of many posts at once. Is this anywhere on the roadmap?
Any thoughts on when the best time to go paid is? I had set up paid subscriptions but then thought twice about it as I didnโt actually have any paywalled content up yet.
How many pieces of paywalled content, or content ready to be paywalled, do you think are necessary before enabling paid subscriptions?
I didn't go paid until about 3 1/2 years into writing my newsletter (not that you should wait that long!). What those years gave me, though, was time to establish a relationship with my readers, though lots of conversation back-and-forth over replies to each issue. That is really important, especially if you're not already famous (which is most of us, right?).
I'm thinking of doing the same thing depending on how my subscriber growth goes. Curious, do you plan on keeping your archive free or putting it behind the paywall? My plan is to keep my archive free and then new content would be paid but not sure if that's the best route.
I'm with you on this, but then I've heard from others that you don't have to wait to monetize. You can start now if you feel ready. So many different thoughts on this, and I just feel like their are no "rules" But I'm with you, Cole. I'm looking for a target subscriber base as well as average open rate to decide when.
I don't think there's a single strategy that works for everyone. I think you have to try something out to get a feel for how well it's working. You can always make adjustments later.
I just hit that mark, and am trying to figure out what will be the most appealing for paid subscribers. You mention below that you'll likely paywall most of your archive. Would you keep the most recent 2-3 posts open? 4-5?
It really depends on your newsletter and what works for you. One of the newsletters I pay for has nothing paywalled at all. Every newsletter is free. I pay because I consider her work valuable and I've used it to help my own. (I also pay to support a media platform that has everything free.) And in terms of timing and numbers of subscribers, I've never seen advice on Substack about time, but for subscribers they recommend 500 on your free list. But some people have paid as an option right from the start. For me, I've been writing on Substack for a year and a half and I'm still free, because my main job has been one that doesn't really permit side hustles. Now I'm doing a different job, I'm going to offer the paid option soon, but I'm not going to paywall my writing for various reasons. I'm just going to let people know that they can support my writing if they think it is valuable.
I should add that if you want people to take an annual subscription, you've got to have enough content to convince them that you're going to keep going long enough to make it worthwhile.
I made a very pragmatic decision of when to start. I'd been on unemployment since the beginning of the pandemic, though I was still able to do a little freelancing on the side. When unemployment ran out and I knew I had about three months worth of income saved up, I moved to paid so that I would have time to build up my paid list before my money ran out.
Thanks everyone, it's been fun chatting with me. I look forward to doing more cross promotion in the near future. If anyone is interested, hit me up at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com
Hey writing friends: my brother-in-law works with in communications and recently did a great series on newsletters. I found it super helpful as I designed my first newsletter and think through future content.
If you go to his profile activity, you can all the newsletter videos he did with Lesley Sim over the past month.
Thank you for this Substack, dope as always! As usual, I am down to cross promote as well as invite you to our Twitter hype pod so we can all grow together. Feel free to subscribe to my stack, you may find it useful. https://youtopianjourney.substack.com/
Hi y'all! I'm late to the party today, but I'm back to make a request again for diacritics in the text editor. I was writing a post last night and wished I had this feature once again instead of having to type the text elsewhere then copy and paste! :)
P.S. I've got holiday and winter-themed posts all month at PopPoetry if you want to swing by!
Hello everyone! I just flipped my writing into a newsletter and launched it the past week!
Question: I am wondering about paid advertising, such as running facebook ads for a newsletter. Anybody done this? Have you done A/B testing with messaging? Any thoughts and experiences are appreciated!
I've tried paid (Facebook etc) ads for my own website ages ago, and it was $$. So this time, here, I am having to do without that. There was never enough to justify it...was my experience.
I had a free subscriber leave a like on every post I have made, one every two minutes which is impossible for humans to do given my lengthy articles and short book are generally 3,000 words or more each. I sent emails to the subscriber trying to find out more but I think it is simply a bot copying all my work. What does Substack do to stop that from happening?
I have behavior sometimes like this from accounts I know aren't bots. I.e. a lot of people read my newsletter on social media... we'll talk about it... then a week later they'll realize they never left a like or comment... and they'll go back and do it in bulk.
There seems to be a rash of highly suspect possibly-bot activity going on. Elsewhere in this thread people are talking about suspicious subscribers who might be bots, and a while back there were some reports of spambots leaving comments. I do hope you get an answer to your question; this sort of thing is quite obnoxious.
Cross-promotion anyone? I tell stories about leadership and culture with a focus on 30-50 year old professionals interested in fun and poignant insights to help them grow. ~7000 subscribers. Anybody hitting the same market interested in cross promo?
(I did one with @ColeNoble last month that worked out well!)
Just started this, but will be adding war stories about how to persist as a creative, any kind of creative. Ex: how I survived a project with what I thought was mafia, worked with Disney, etc. Fun stuff. https://stephaniet.substack.com/s/how-to-be-an-artist
Omg! Iโve just started talking about leadership. I absolutely will not help your numbers with cross promotion but if youโd like to interview me, Iโd be up for that.
I'm not as concerned about numbers, Chevanne. There are always unique ways to create a win-win if the audience makes sense. Is The Flare the one that is about leadership? if you want, ping me at jeff at bytitleonly dot com
If you have a movie, perhaps a documentary, with insights to help people grow, then please consider writing a Guest Post on "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies." Please see the link below and email: moviewise@icloud.com if interested:
Your greeting reminded me of how Alexander Graham Bell famously wanted the standard greeting for phone calls to be "Ahoy!", but Edison made it to be "Hello!", haha.
So sorry can't be here today. I have a question. How can I find and hire someone to guide me personally to understand Substack fully and be able to offer technical support. My personal email is topspeaker@yahoo.com. Thank you.
Top tip: On your welcome email try to get the subscriber to click a link. If they do, future email will not go to spam as the interaction proves the mail is not spam and beats the algorithm
Thank you Substack for creating such a community on here. Love the threads you do!!
Iโm currently in the beginning stages of my wellness Newsletter (what I call my โjournalโ), and a place where I share all contemplations and learnings on life. Meditations, journal prompts etc - as well as podcast chats to discuss self development + discovery!
Iโve had a lot of traction because of my past career as a race car driver in Canada - and really wanting to expand in Substack and share my knowledge. Where is everyone finding the best interest for areas on self help + development? Reddit has been great to gain some new networks as well!!!
Thanks in advance for your input. Wishing you all successful Substacks!! (Love this platform!!!!)
I would like the option to charge 99ยข for monthly subs. It encourages readers to take a chance on unknown writers while reducing buyer's regret. It also gets revenue flowing into Substack and my account.
I'd rather have 1 million subscribers billed at 99ยข rather than 5000 subscribers at $5.
Maybe I'm missing something, but with rampant inflation taking placeโand people becoming more conscious of expendituresโ I don't see how this does not make sense.
Is this pricing option something we can see in the near future?
Thanks again Substack for considering my question.
It's also about valuing your work - and demonstrating that ALL of the Substacks have value.
It's the same issue I have with people who only charge $10 to write a blog post for someone (or will take gigs like that) and people who do super cheap work on Fivvr or whatever. Devaluing our work is not the answer. If people don't want to pay $5 a month for a newsletter, then it isn't providing them with enough value.
And keep in mind that we can always give people comp subscriptions. I tell people that if they want to subscribe to my Substack to read my novels and can't afford it (or if they're teachers or students, since I write YA), all they need to do is ask. There's no reason you can't even offer that on your newsletter itself.
+2! And you could always give comps, create discounts (can limit to students, special links, or do it for everyone), or an annual rate that's discounted from your monthly.
To be frank, people can't afford the price I would like to charge for my work.
But since the model here consists of unlimited digital copies, the only logical thing to do is to reduce the price to make the work available to as many individuals as possible. This economic model is eschewed by the trad publishing industry. Sadly, it will likely be their downfall.
Thanks for letting me know. I would like the option to offer my readers a semi-annual subscription at $6. I think it would also help lesser known writers offer a pricing option that lets readers take unknown work for an inexpensive test driveโwhile covering Stripe's fees.
At the risk of being the fly in the ointment here is an update to my o.p. above:
I would like the option to charge my readers $6(or more)for a semi-annual (6 month) subscription.
It would be great if Substack would consider the earnings potential with this pricing model. A lower monthly pricing model will mean more readers to more Substacks. Since the digital supply is defined only by the number of readers, the potential is higher for more people to support more lesser-known creators.
Demand for amazing work will only increase while the digital supply remains unlimited. Subscribers would even blink at 99ยข for great work.
Also, when writers like Chuck Palahniuk, Salman Rushdie, and George Saunders are only charging $6 per month, it's easy to see that readers might shy away from less well-known or unknown writers/newsletters.
In closing, offering copies of one's digital work for a low price does not devalue the work. It only creates opportunities for wider readership.
Hi Steve, two comments here, philosophical and pragmatic. Philosophically, a founding principle of Substack is that great writing is worth paying for, and we want writers to be able to build sustainable businesses. Practically, Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents a transaction, so if the absolute-dollar fee is low, the percentage given up in fees ends up being extortionate. That's the rationale behind the minimum subscription rates of $5 a month or $30 a year. We always encourage writers to think about how they can offer more value to entice subscribers to pay, and to treat building their subscriber base as a marathon not a sprint
I appreciate the philosophical and practical aspects you've mentioned.
If we were to boil this thread down to a reduction of brass tacks, what would remain is the real issue:
Stripe wants their cut from Substack, and Substack wants their cut from the writers here.
I should have edited and reframed my original post, which I will do now.
I would like the option to offer my readers a semi-annual subscription at $6.
I hope Substack will consider the earning potential of my requestโcompared to the scenario currently available to writers here โwhich is that writers either charge nothing for their work, or they charge a minimum of $5 per month.
Another question for today - I currently send out two newsletters - one free and one paid (the paid subscribers get the free as well and the paid version includes more valuable and additional resources. I'd like to try the Paywall feature and change to one newsletter with the paid subscriber content behind a paywall at the bottom but when experimenting with this feature, I do not think it will work. Does anyone do something like this and/or offer any advice?
I pose this question with some trepidation as I already proffered this query.
Getting โIndexedโ on Google
I have been advised that I should be indexed on google and that toward this end I must avail myself of google console. I tried to do this but was unsuccessful. Do you have any articles, primers or insights on how I might do this.
Thanks for rendering concrete advice. I will examine this ASAP. And, by the way, I love the title of your newsletter, "Brent and Michael are Going Places." I can't wait to check it out.
Your site is being indexed in Google. To see which pages are starting their road to ranking, go to this url site:https://davidgottfried.substack.com It takes some time to start ranking for keywords, etc. I have an article if you check my substack. Good Luck.
Hey, Writer Friends! Here's my (perhaps) odd question... I've started doing audio recordings of my newsletter. Folks have been encouraging me to "do a podcast", but the reality is that I don't want to do a podcast. What I would like to do is find some podcasts that I could pitch to in order to be featured as a guest in order to promote my newsletter. I'm a great writer. I'm also a great talker. The trouble is that I don't know how to go about researching podcasts to pitch to. Most of the podcasts I listen to are very popular ones, and those are right out. But there are so many podcasts out there with much smaller audiences that may be looking for folks to interview. How do I go about doing the research to find them? Has anyone undertaken such a process successfully? How did you go about it?
I think in general with such a crowded marketplace, itโs hard to get noticed. There are some Substackers who also podcast. The Sneaky Artist is one. I agree that audio recordings are not podcasts and wanting to do one doesnโt mean you want the other. There another Substacker who runs PIG who does audio of his poetry. No podcast. Itโs kind of cool to hear his cadence and inflection.
Stick with the idea you want. Might try it myself. And just like that, this has also become a shout out thread. ๐
Hi Asha, one resource you might want to look at for sourcing podcasts to be on, is ListenNotes.com which lets you search the whole universe of podcasts by topic. There's also matchmaker.fm which is a platform that connects podcasters with people who want to be guests on podcasts -- I noticed a lot of smaller podcasters on there. Just a couple of ideas for you
I really love all the new features being added! I have one question: Will Instagram posts be able to embed like Twitter? I know Instagram can be embedded, but I was wondering if it will be expanded so you can see the text as well as the image, or you can play videos like you can on Twitter embeds, or scroll through an album without leaving Substack? I guess the same goes for Tik Toks as well.
This is great feedback and I can see where this would be helpful. I can share this with our product team as they continue to make improvements to embeds.
New writer here so apologies for the very basic Q. I love the easy-to-use podcast functionality. Is this limited to audio only? or do writers drop video recordings here as well? I know you can easily embed YouTube or other videos from other sources. But can you record on say on iMovie or QuickTime and upload that here in a similar manner?
Stephanie, that is a great video! thank you for sharing. And your approach of posting to YouTube and then copying to Substack makes sense. I suppose given YouTube's focus on copyright, etc., there is a logic to Substack wanting writers to go that route for videos.
Busy adapting a rewarding (50 year) professional art career from original art to digital opportunities. I have two subjects: "Mostly About Water" and "How to be an Artist." My online following is too minimal to start asking for money. I'm interested in the symbiotic relationship between Substack and Medium. I've often written first on Medium, using an auto upload to Substack, and that slowly my sites will build.
Geoffrey, we don't have any specific recommended dimensions for the full-width images. For banners generally, typically the width should be 1000 px to 1200 px for it to look correct. The maximum aspect ratio for our full-width image is 1:1 for height -- taller images will be automatically cropped to 1:1
This is a very basic question: Every now and then I receive a message with the following email address - reaction@mg1.substack.com. From whom are these coming?
- Would you consider an embed feature for TikTok the way you have for YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify? As someone who likes to link out to external media for one of my newsletter franchises it would be so helpful!
- What is a good open rate, or even an average open rate? I'd love to understand that number in context.
We are also learning about open rates with the latest changes to Apple emails. Our recommendations (see Kelsa's note below) from months ago may need to adjust.
Morning everyone! I write Cole's Climb, sharing news and stories from the outdoors. Would substack ever consider adding a vanishing subscribe button? I've noticed that if you've subscribed to a newsletter, the button becomes grayed out. It would be a really handy tool if we could clear the space for people who are already supporting us!
Hey Cole! Where are you seeing the greyed out Subscribe button? There should be a few places where it defaults to "Gift a subscription" if someone is subscribed. Additionally, it there's an embedded subscribe button it should still be clickable, but would direct the person to their account page if they're subscribed. Just want to make sure I know where to check this out. Thanks!
I would love for it either to be greyed out or show "You are already subscribed".
I would also like there to be a distinction between "subscribed" (as a free subscriber") and "paid member" or something similar, as this is really confusing to readers.
It was a busy Office Hour today! Thank you all for coming and for supporting fellow writers in answering questions.
Weโll host our final Office Hours of the year next week, but itโll be a day later than usual, on Friday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m.โ11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.โ2 p.m. EST. We hope you will join us!
In the meantime, our resources are here for you: https://substack.com/resources
Happy writing,
Katie + Bailey + Rose + Kelsa + Jasmine + Kristen + Alex + Linda + Server + Seth + Ben
Thank YOU for the huge support & inspiration you give us. It's appreciated and it always puts a bit more speed into our wheels. Thanks for all of it.
I don't want to sound snarky, but who is "YOU" and who is "us."
Who is supporting and inspiring whom.
I meant the team at Substack (Katie + Bailey + Rose + Kelsa + Jasmine + Kristen + Alex + Linda + Server + Seth + Ben ). And by "us" I meant, those of us using Substack - but really, I meant me, because I shouldn't try to speak for everyone, because in my experience that never goes well. ๐
I figured that one of the groups consisted of employees and affiliates of substack and that the other group consisted of users of substack. I wonder who was doing the inspiring. Presumably, you opine the the employees are doing the inspiring. Perhaps I am not deemed worthy of being inspired.
I probably seem like a discontented SOB. If you think I am just a lot of maladjusted drivel, I invite you to take a look at my posts. What can I say? MY Wechsler IQ is in the upper reaches of the 99th percentile, I graduated from an IV league law school, and all around me are mental midgets making a killing so I am , without doubt, quite a discontented SOB. Take care.
Although some of my posts are exquisitely written, I don't think that's what sets them apart. My unique, original ideas are I think their finest attribute.
I probably sound as loony as Nietzsche did in his ;last book. "Ecce Homo," as he was descending into the madness of tertiary sphyilis and wrote chapters with titles such as "Why I am so wise" and "Why I write such good books"
Cheers, but I'll stick with the "mental midgets". Best wishes, sir.
๐ฆธ
In retrospect, I should not have made these comments. I am usually not that irritated.
Thank you!
Shoot, sorry I missed Office Hours. I do have a question which youโve probably answered somewhere (Iโll look): is there any step to connecting Twitter other than clicking the button and displaying the URL on our Twitter profile? When I hit the share button on my posts and select Twitter it goes to my feed? Does that mean itโs all working?
Hey Ben! Sounds like you'd like to share a new post to Twitter automatically every time you post. Is that right?
The flow you are doing sounds correct! Publish post --> hit share --> post to twitter
Thanks! Yes I figured it out and Iโve got it all working now. I found on my profile where it says that my Twitter account is connected and Iโve learned how to share my posts now.
One tip I wanted to share: every Substack writer should try, at least once, to do a discussion thread (a "new thread" vs "new post") and ask a provocative question or two. Because I didn't have time to create a full post the week of Thanksgiving, instead I asked for people to share memories, and I was astonished by the amount of engagement and the number of people that commented - it was far more than people usually comment on one of my standard posts.
So if you're short on time or just want to change things up a little, give it a try. Just make sure you ask a question that people will be excited to answer!
I've wanted to do a thread for a while but have been nervous to have it flop. If you don't mind me asking: did you promote in advance? what kind of subscribers/engagement did you have going into the thread?
Cole, I just did my first one and was super nervous but it went well. Copying and pasting the comment I left below:
In the thread I recommended books for people working on their holiday shopping lists. https://whattoreadif.substack.com/p/what-to-gift-if-find-the-book-for/comments
What I learned:
- I heard from multiple people that they liked the "service" aspect of it. They were getting actual help instead of just a discussion.
- I think having a specific ask rather than just a general "what's your favorite book" made it easier to participate. (I know I find those questions overwhelming.)
- I asked a few friends and family members ahead of time to make sure to participate, which I think added a veneer of legitimacy to the whole thing.
I did advertise ahead of time. I included it in my regular Monday newsletter and then shared the thread on Friday.
I tried it and had it flop! ZERO responses. Nothing to do but just continue, perhaps repost later. Maybe think of something else. You might fail. You might not.
Nooooo! Maybe try it again with a more enticing question? You need to ask something that everyone has an opinion about and wants to talk about. :)
I will. Maybe Iโll take a poll on what topic the thread should be. Double engagement!
I do one a month, and some fizzle and others fly.
I just posted it like a regular post. Here it is: https://storycauldron.substack.com/p/thanksgiving-stories/comments
...and do they need to be live?
Not necessarily!
This is a great idea. I've been hesitant to start a thread because I felt like I'd need to "manage" it, but it sounds like you set it up with a great question and then were able to sort of set it and forget it.
Well, I did try to reply to everyone, but it wasnโt like a live discussion.
Excellent advice. The same has worked for me.
Definitely trying this - thank you!
Awesome suggestion Jackie
Thanks! That's a great idea
Thanks for the advice! Discussion threads are something I would like to do more of. What time of day / day of the week has worked best for you?
I just posted mine the same time I send out my regular newsletter (8am Tuesday CST). But people kept replying for a few days!
I've said it here a lot, but I'll say it again. Subscribing to other Substack newsletters and really engaging via the comments on their posts will get eyes on your newsletter, and may very well lead to subscribers. I've gotten a host of sign-ups via my comments on Cheryl Strayed's Substack, E Jean Carrol's Substack, Courtney Martin's Substack, and Nadia Bolz-Weber's Substack. Not because I was promoting my newsletter, per se, but because I was offering substantive, thoughtful commentary that grabbed folks' attention, and Substack put that handy-dandy link to my newsletter right by my name, so they pop on over.
Such a good tip Asha, thanks for sharing your experience!
This makes a lot of sense. Iโve had a bit more traffic over at my Substack recently and I think itโs largely due to this. Thanks, Asha!
That's a great idea!
Not another question, but a small bit of encouragement to my compatriots. I went paid in early September. Like many folks I got a huge influx of paid folks at the beginning, and then it slowed to a sedate but steady pace. I struggle with promotion on any other social media platform other than FB, where I've been building a platform for a long, long time. I'm not as consistent as I should be, and it's also hard to know sometimes how to promote content that's great but behind a paywall. Still, after three months of inconsistent promotion and a lot of great actual writing I've got 368 folks on my list and 50 (FIFTY!!) of them are paid. That's just over a 13.5% conversion rate, which is high. Is is growing as fast as I'd like? No, but that's entirely on me. But it IS growing simply by continuing to do really good work and a modicum of promotion. Your newsletter will, too.
More encouragement: whenever I feel down about my newsletter not growing fast enough, I have to remind myself that my writing basically remained completely unpublished for the better part of my life. More people than ever before are now reading what I have to say on a consistent basis, and that's pretty cool!
Congrats well-deserved, Cole
Thank you!
This is a fabulous trajectory. So very well done, Asha.
Thank you!
It's so cool that 50 people find value (and can afford to subscribe) in your writing. What do you think you'll do differently next year? And do you have goals for the number of paid subscribers you want?
I'm just sending out a survey/questionnaire to my paying folks today to see what aspects of the newsletter they most appreciate already and what they'd like to see discussed more. I'm also hosting my first discussion thread next Friday and am asking my paying folks to definitely show up and post at least one comment. I'd like to do more threads in the next year, for sure, to amp up the community feeling. Behind the scenes, I'd like to develop a better habit of drafting things in advance so I have time to do a couple of rounds of edits. I tend to be motivated by time-pressure, so often wait until the day of to write my newsletters. Years of social media posting makes that work for me, but I also know that when I do get an initial draft done in advance that the final piece is stronger, so I'd like to get better at my planning so everything can get stronger.
VERY good! And yes, you encourage us all. With the focus on solid content, Word seeps out :)
Thanks. I feel like one of the reasons I've stuck with Substack is because of the resources they're investing in creating community among writers, especially new and emerging writers. It's an isolating life, and even more so during Covid, so we have to get together and encourage each other.
Love this!! And congrats. Very very cool.
Thanks!
Hope I can do the same!
I hope you can, too! Good luck!
Hi people! I'm brand spankin' new to Substack. Recently retired, I'm finally writing what I enjoy (instead of reports for my boss!) It's great to be here!
Welcome! This is a very helpful group and these sessions are solid gold, especially for not only a "newbie" but a very old (one of few advantages of getting old- you no longer try to hide it!) one at that so struggling to learn just the basics necessary to keep up with the technology. Good luck! Jim
Welcome!!!
Good to have you
Welcome!
Welcome, Adam!
Welcome, Adam!
Welcome Adam. I just started here too, and am equally excited to not be writing for others. If you'd like to share stories, email me sigwrite@ gmail.com
Welcome!
Congrats!!!! Love that youโre writing for you Adam. All the best!
First off, want to say I'm really glad we did a Christmas promotion like Substack suggested. We did a 50% discount and got twenty new paid subscriptions which pushed our paid rate to 8%. Woo hoo!
In terms of discoverability, I'm frustrated that the tag for travel is only revealed when a user clicks on the + on the Subtack main page. I can't see any reason why all of the tags aren't visible, since discoverability is already difficult enough. Any chance of changing this, Substack?
Whoa, so glad the discount brought in new subscribers for you :)
Good point about the tags. Will forward that to our team!
Thanks! And it's continued to bring in new paid subscriptions!
Hey, all. I, too, love the continual improvements to Substack. I'd still like to see an option to "tip" or give a one-off donation to a writer. I still believe that a tip-jar feature could provide another regular revenue stream for Substack writers, as many folks just won't commit to $5 a month but would contribute $5 after reading a couple of free posts.
I agree. I know that Substack has chosen the model they have because it's better for writers to get a sustainable income, but for those who write less frequently or who have smaller subscriber bases and would just like something to supplement their day job, a one off payment option would work well. "Buy me a coffee" is a separate site that you can add a link to for people to pay you for a one-off donation. Substack don't get a cut of that so they don't encourage it, but they don't actively discourage it either.
I'd even give Substack a small percentage of these tips, as I'm not capturing anything now.
Love this idea. Something between free and subscription.
Hi there! Thanks for the kindness. Our engineers and designers will be happy to hear this!
As for one-off donations, our founders have a principled stance on this one so I don't think we will build to support that in the near future. The simple explanation is that they created Substack to help writers create sustainable media businesses, and thus want them to be able to rely on a stable and growing revenue (which monthly/yearly payments create). Whereas micropayments actually can be pretty volatile for the writers' income.
Totally understand, but writers currently have the option of free or paid. Why not a third way as well? I do appreciate the response that Substack won't be offering this feature in the near future; I'll have to look elsewhere for something like it.
I did not open the "founding members" option for weeks after going paid. I thought 'WHO is going to do that?' Then I did, on a whim, and was shocked when people did! You never know :)
Iโll look into that. Thanks!
I saw one person's newsletter with a "buy me a coffee" option. Didn't look into it at all; does anyone know more about this?
I set up a "buy me a coffee" option in the beginning and had it at the end of my newsletter. It was really simple to set up. But--I ended up taking it off because (like Anthony said) I was worried it would confuse people. I'd like to go paid at some point, and having an initial "buy me a coffee" option + a "please share" button and then a premium subscription later option seemed a bit convoluted to me.
Buy me a coffee is a third party site. I have one. Never put it on substack, though. Personally, I like the subscription model. Too many offers confuse people.
Pretty sure the "buy me a coffee" option is a third-party site. Writers can link out to their profiles there, but it's another site with another membership/logon for both writer and reader.
Yes please!
I'm curious to hear how other people are growing their subscriber base. Would love to learn from those who are starting more grassroots and building a following, rather than from those that have large social medial followings and then launched a Substack.
Hi Paul. I can definitely recommend using storified Twitter threads - that's been my strategy for about 6 months now (half the time I've been running my newsletter) and each one gives me a steady stream of subscribers. Plus, you never know when one will really take off and reach people who never knew you existed. I just had this one go massively viral - https://twitter.com/Mikeachim/status/1466763517487370246 - and I got nearly 600 new subscribers off the back of it. Worth an experiment or two!
That's awesome, wow! My issue is I don't really ever post on Twitter and I have pretty much no followers there. Don't fully understand how Twitter works for gaining followers, so I feel like I won't see much impact. I tried thread style posts a couple months ago but would never get any engagement.
There have already been some great responses to this post, but we wanted to add a few things. Twitter is the core engine of our newsletter, so we've had to pay close attention to the trends on the site.
Folks on Twitter like to follow an account with a theme, even if it's a personal account. Fast-growing accounts tend to have ultra-tight scopes. So, if you want to grow, we recommend finding a lane and sticking to it. For some, that's comedy and memes. For others, it's political commentary or film criticism. And so on.
The most important factor in growth on Twitter isn't massive virality. It's consistency your chosen lane. People follow you not because you get 500,000 likes on a single tweet, but because they've seen your tweets pop up in their timelines two, three and four times and, if they enjoy them, they feel like they can follow you to see more of that stuff. That's true no matter your size.
Like Melanie wrote, Twitter isn't useful if you only use it to promote. You have to bring something to the table. Twitter users want to use Twitter -- that's why they're there. Generally, that means they don't want to click links and go to other sites. And they definitely don't want to follow an account that does nothing but direct them elsewhere.
This doesn't mean that Twitter is a dead end for promotion (far from it). All it means is that you need to give in order to get. The larger your following becomes, the greater your chance of reaching the people who want to read your newsletter. Think of it like this: if only 5% of the people who see your tweet want to click the link, then your job is to make sure that 5% is 1,000 people and not 1.
One word of warning about scoping your Twitter account, though. The tightest scopes often burn the brightest, but also the fastest. People get sick of seeing the exact same stuff in their timeline after a while. Keeping your scope tight, but not so tight that you strangle your future, can be a big help.
Hope some of this is useful. Good luck!
I appreciate this post. I've struggled with Twitter, too, feeling as if I'm just spinning my wheels when I could be writing. Thanks for this thought process.
๐ Excellently said, all of this.
>>"You have to bring something to the table. Twitter users want to use Twitter -- that's why they're there. "<<
I think this is a critical point. If anyone shares your tweets/threads, it's probably not because they're saying "check out this awesome newsletter I found" (hardly ever that, in my case). It's actually about sharing that stuff you did on Twitter - and most of the audience reading & sharing it will *only* care about that Twitter-based stuff. Any subscriptions you get are off the back of that, from people who decided they wanted more, are in the very small minority.
Like any social platform, what happens on Twitter mostly stays on Twitter. It's smart to tailor your approach (and your expectations) accordingly.
Good advice. Thanks.
Super insightful. My Twitter presence is abysmal, so this really helps. Thank you for sharing!
Wow thank you for this thoughtful reply <3
It's not easy! But the value of Twitter is that if you find a topic that lots of people will care about, and make a thread that's fun to read, and you get a few initial shares, there's a point where your actually following doesn't matter, because it quickly becomes about how many followers the sharer has, and how many *they* have, and on and on... It can take on a life of its own that is out of all proportion to how many people follow you.
In fact, this is most viral tweets. There are folk with 50-100 followers who hit it big and get shared 10-20k times, just because of that cascade effect. It's amazing when it happens. Unpredictable! And hard as hell to engineer at scale. But worth a try...
I've built an organic following on Twitter for about 13-yrs. Trouble is, when I started it was all about a different subject, cycling. I've been trying to shift topics for a year now, and it's been only vaguely successful.
I've had this problem too. My twitter was mostly used to promote my fiction writing. And I was stuck in the writers community vortex. Getting outdoorsy followers is tough.
I really hear both of you here - my initial Twitter following was 99% travel-related, since when I started I was a travel blogger/writer. Now I'm going sideways into more sciencey stuff, I'm having to find a new audience. It's a messy business! But with my newsletter, I'm trying to spend some of my time on topics that (I hope) have wide appeal, and I'm also working in seasons, where each season has a different overarching theme. This allows me to aim for a few crowdpleaser topics here and there, and when I write them up, that's what I post on Twitter, in the hope that it'll reach the most people. Seems to be working so far...
So unpredictable. And can't be replicated easily. Here's is the story about my one viral tweet. It helps if you have influential people who share your posts: https://pau1.substack.com/p/the-one-about-the-viral-tweet
I didn't understand how Twitter worked or have any followers either. But I decided to give it a go for a few weeks, and I've grown my following and have new subscribers out of it. It takes work though. The thing with promoting on social media is that if you want people to follow you, you need to do more than just promote your newsletter. You need to offer something/ add value. One of the key things that helps with Twitter promotion is finding some people who are interested in what you are posting, and tagging them when you post. Then hopefully they will like or comment or retweet and their followers will see your post.
The trick I've been using for newsletter promotions is threads. Do a multi-tweet thread with pictures and graphics, etc. It helps correct your ratio of link tweets to non-link tweets in the algorythim
I'm in that same boat.
Thanks for sharing the link, Mike. I'm a visual learner! Good stuff.
Hey, thanks! This is a simple, easy to execute, great idea! A great teaser!
Nice work Mike! And a brilliant marketing effort - a true story that engages.
Thank you, Lloyd! Appreciate your kind words.
Yeah, I feel like the story is so much of the thing. Every good story holds something critically important back from the reader until later (aka. dramatic tension, or even, The Plot), which lends itself really easily to Twitter threads. It's a good way to drive folk all the way down to where you're plugging your newsletter, and have them care enough to click when they get there!
Amazing strategy.
And just followed you on Twitter.
That's really clever and I can see exactly how to use it for us. Thanks!
Nice, Mike. Congrats๐
Thank you. :)
Interesting.
A number of people (largely but not exclusively writing fiction) have noted on the Substack Writers discord that BookFunnel newsletter promotions have brought in a significant number of new subscribers. For these you need to subscribe to BF and have a "reader magnet" (like a short story or book or similar) available as a freebie, so it might not work for everyone, but the people who have tried it are seeing good results. I'm about to join one or two myself - I am just about done with my own reader magnet - and have my fingers crossed!
I've done this before using substack, and book funnel works. The magnet can be just about anything you want to offer. It's also easy to use. Frist month brought in 100 new subscribers. You do need to promote everyone on your own newsletter, however. It is a give and take deal.
Jackie, this sounds promising. Quick question: for the "reader magnet", can it be the first chapter of a book that is offered as the sample from the book?
I think it ultimately should be something that has enough value to a potential reader for them to be willing to subscribe. I donโt Think something that would amount to a โfree previewโ on its own is enough. In my case, my reader magnet is three short stories +3 chapters of my novel. The value is in the short stories - the three free chapters are a bonus/teaser to let them know what they would get if they joined my paid newsletter.
And Iโm not even 100% sure this is the right strategy for me because I havenโt tried it yet, but itโs what Iโm using.
Hello Paul,
I posted this in a previous Office Hours post, sharing here again-
So far, the promotion methods I've used are:
1) cross promotions with other writers - this is a mixed bag, depending on the reach of the collaborator, your content's resonance with their audience, etc. All in all, this is something that continues to not deliver until it does so handsomely
2) try submitting your content to recommendation services. Some examples would be
The Sample (https://thesample.ai/?ref=hu) - this results in a nice slow drip of subs over time
Or
Recomendo (https://www.recomendo.com/) -this can give a huge boost, but depends on them picking you.
Hope this helps!
There's also Rad Letters. I've had a few from there. https://www.radletters.com/
Rad Letters is also a great way to connect with other writers!
Thank you for this!
I've heard of the Sample, but not Recomendo, will have to check it out. Would be nice if Substack had sites like these listed on a reference page. I know they have a few articles about growing your subscriber base and these (and other sites like them) would be a useful tool for most of us here.
These recommendations are terrifically helpful. I notice that if I search for some topic or keyword, substack comes back (understandably) with only for-pay newsletters, so for someone new, getting found and subscribed to by readers coming to substack doesn't work. There seems to be no substack effort to give newcomers a boost so as to help them reach the for-pay state.
Good point. I had noticed I was not searchable.
This is fantastic, thanks Punit!!! I posted on a few sites like these but haven't heard of these ones before. Will check out now!
I'll second The Sample.
Thank you for that information. I followed up while visiting here and will hopefully find it a powerful resource. https://tinytexashouses.com/2021/12/has-anyone-proposed-to-you-lately-i-am/
Hi Paul, I have been speaking on the most high profile podcasts that will have me. It is working amazingly well. I added 200 subscribers and 5 paid subscribers in one day. I was relatively unknown coming on to Substack and I write about the scientific evidence for life after death, consciousness, and my life as a medium so it couldn't be more obscure! I see you write about health and fitness. SO MANY podcasts exist on this topic. Find an angle and go for it, I'm sure you'll do great. Also, the episode doubles up as content so it lightens the writing load a bit while positioning you as an expert.
I second question, how do you find podcasts and pitch them?
Hi there. I just started on podmatch.com.
Brittney, a follow up thank you - I have just been matched for my first podcast as guest next week! That was fast! I highly recommend podmatch! Have a great weekend, George
OMG CONGRATS! Thatโs amazing! Very exciting! Donโt forget-YOU ROCK!
Thank you for this!
Thanks, Brittney, just signed up for podmatch (took a half hour to fill it all out). Fingers crossed!
also radioguestlist.com
Thank you! This will make my life a lot easier!
Hi Zachary. I started with the podcasts that I personally listen to, and moved on to ones that are similar which I found through Google, Itunes, recommendations on Facebook etc. I made a one sheet with controversial conversation topics and a snappy email template. I committed to applying to 10 podcasts per week.
Thank you for sharing! How did you put yourself out there to let hosts of podcasts know your availability and topics?
Hi Brittney, I started with the podcasts that I personally listen to, and moved on to ones that are similar which I found through Google, Itunes, recommendations on Facebook etc. I made a one sheet with controversial conversation topics and a snappy email template. I committed to applying to 10 podcasts per week. You already write on quite a thought-provoking subject, so don't be afraid to stick your flag in the sand, pick a side, and ruffle some feathers. That's what podcast hosts want, dynamic guests with a different take on things.
Thanks for sharing, Lauren. This is really insightful! I'm aiming to grow my Substack in the coming year via podcast guesting, so this is really helpful to know.
Thank you for your response! I am nervous to start my own podcast which is a concern others have from the comments but with all of the tech we have available to use, there is no reason to be so I'm going to try :)
Yes! Great question. Thank you.
Love to hear this. Have others found success with podcasts driving free / paid subscriptions?
Thanks Bailey, it's been fun and fruitful so far.
Love this idea, Lauren, as I am hesitant to start my own podcast. If anyone out there has a podcast already and is interested in having me participate as a strategy expert, I can talk about the subject meaningfully at length.
Find the type of community who you think might be interested in it and then promote yourself / the Substack heavily where they hang out. Twitter, specific Subreddits. For Twitter, check out Hypefury's guide on how to build a following.
Just to add here: shoot for the most specific community possible on reddit. When I shared an article I thought would be a slam dunk on r/climbing, I got like 6 upvotes.
My next article I took to r/coloradohikers. The community is a fraction of the size, but my post is now sitting at the top of the subreddit. If it keeps getting eyeballs, it's liable to stay there for a bit
I saw somebody on Twitter say: "don't write a book of plant-based recipes, write a book of plant-based recipes for bodybuilders on a budget!" I think it's the same story for any online content, niching down works
I really wanted Reddit to work for me, but I struggle with it. I have replicated my articles in a specific subreddit and they just get banned. Any advice on making Reddit work Cole?
Write a catchy headline. Then try to find the most specific community you can, one you think will actually get utility out of your post. It's also important that you actually engage with that community beyond sharing your post.
Oh -- and put your substack link in your reddit bio!
Thanks!
Thanks for the tip, Michael!
I'm just over a month in and I'm averaging about 2 new subscribers a day. I mainly promote through Facebook. I've tried promoting through other sites like Twitter or Reddit, but 99.9% of the time I post any reference or link, it gets flagged as spam even when it is specifically related to the post/thread I am commenting on, so I have given up on those sites (Twitter actually suspended my account permanently without any warning or specific reason as to why and will not reply back to my emails asking for clarification).
Have you tried quote graphics featuring snippets of your article? It means you can get 7-10 posts out of one article and if done well, will titivate your readers to click the link to the full piece. This is working well for me.
I've had completely reasonable posts booted off FB.
My new subscribers tent to come in bursts, though that could be because I don't publish daily...
This is what I'm honestly afraid of. 2/day is nice. I seem to be around that number as well! Are you just sharing posts to Facebook directly, along with some posts asking people to check out and subscribe? Any FB ads?
My newsletter is related to streaming movie recommendations, so I comment on related Facebook posts about the movies I'm recommending that day and recently created a Facebook page where I share my daily posts. Haven't done ads yet, but I'm actually meeting with a member of their marketing team tomorrow to discuss. Since I don't plan on going paid for a while, the budget for ads will be extremely low, so not sure what that will look like yet.
Very cool, thanks for sharing Stan!
I've formed a creative partnership with a wildlife nonprofit to create branded merchandise. I never thought I'd be designing tees after my big-assed art career, but it's great fun. They're just now launching our project, and since they have quite a following and membership, I'm hoping to grow with them. I'm more interested in writing content about the water world and this should provide an opportunity. (Wrote about water/environment for Sacramento Bee for 9 years.)
Promote the hell out of it. Promote, promote, promote. Socials aren't doing much other than having a presence here and there.
Totally. How are you promoting Youtopian!? Would love to hear your thoughts.
I always mention it to every one I meet, I engage in newsletter swaps, tried running adds, reddits, collaborate with different companies and organizations, news sites, etc.
Just to add a bit: your prospects are better in reddit if you post in smaller or mid-sized subreddits. These tend to have less strict rules about self-promotion. Also, if you do get traction, you snowball to the top of the subreddit much faster.
^ this. Especially if you're already fairly active in the subreddit. I share my Substack through AMA-style threads, and it's been positively received.
Send cold email to potential subscribers in your field.
I've been thinking about trying cold email.
I've done AMA-style posts in Reddit groups that I'm fairly active in. I'll either take a chunk of my Substack piece or write a quick summary then ask about their experiences with something similar. Then I casually monitor the thread and interact with people. It's boosted my engagement and steadily added to my subscriber list.
I'm currently figuring out how to up my Quora game, as I've heard it can be very effective at building an email list. If anyone has any tips on that, please let me know!
Are you well-known? I feel like if I try that on Reddit I'll be Michael Scott from the Office trying to position myself in front of people who don't know who I am or what my authority is. Is that just my imagination or...? How do you get people on Reddit to engage?
That Guy, Nicholas Cole was the #1 writer on Quora in 2015, he now writes two Substacks, Category Pirates https://categorypirates.substack.com/ and Daily Writing Habits https://dailywritinghabits.substack.com/. You might want to read some of what he's written on the topic of Quora writing
I am using instagram, but started with nothing a few months ago. My stories coicide well with visual images, so it helps my content. I have found it to be a great funnel into my newsletter. My process right now is to test out short stories on that platform, and if they perform well, I turn them into longer stand-alone posts Substack or put them in my newsletter.
I had my first ever open thread a few weeks back and I thought I'd share what I learned. I was nervous but it went really well.
In the thread I recommended books for people working on their holiday shopping lists. https://whattoreadif.substack.com/p/what-to-gift-if-find-the-book-for/comments
What I learned:
- I heard from multiple people that they liked the "service" aspect of it. They were getting actual help instead of just a discussion.
- I think having a specific ask rather than just a general "what's your favorite book" made it easier to participate. (I know I find those questions overwhelming.)
- I asked a few friends and family members ahead of time to make sure to participate, which I think added a veneer of legitimacy to the whole thing.
Happy holidays all!
Thank you for sharing the learnings! A good prompt goes a long way and looks like it made a vibrant thread.
Great idea. I love how generous and generative this is.
We have a Substack writers Unite Twitter hype pod, follow me @youtopianj and I will add you to it, you could get some new eyes and support on your posts.
Just followed. Would love to get added!
Just followed, but unsure of how to get in the Unite group. Please add me! Thanks @riceracingTO is my handle
Done.
Just followed. Would love to be a part of the group.
Just followed as well - I'm @Flow_With_Film. Thank you so much for this!
I just followed. You'll see me as @letsfixcountry. Thanks!
Ooooh, I didn't realize I wasn't following you on Twitter! Just fixed that.
We follow each other there, but I struggle with Twitter and I don't think I'm in the pod. Could you add me and I will make a concerted effort to get over there more often? Thanks!
I don't have a Twitter, but I would love to be a part as well!
It's super helpful^
Here's an unsolicited suggestion: if you ever start a Substack Reader app, including a community chat function in it!
I use a Telegram chat group for community building, but a problem with that is that I continuously have to keep track of who is subscribing and not. Since Substack already knows who is subscribing and not, why not include such functionality right there in the app? Just a random idea.
๐
Hi Michael !
Also: we hear you :)
Squishy/subjective question: how do you continue to write when there's been a lull in traction for a few weeks?
I find it hard to predict how well a piece will be received/shared. Sometimes, it's much better than expected and other times, it's quiet. I don't think there's a huge difference in my writing quality, so I'm guessing it's more that some topics/ideas resonate more than others.
Moral support/input appreciated!
I like the way Mason Currey talks about the slow burn of writing.
"In my experience, growthโpersonal growth, creative growth, professional growthโtends to happen the way that one of Hemingwayโs characters says he went bankrupt: Gradually, then suddenly."
More from him here: https://on.substack.com/p/growing-advice-mason-currey
Great description via Currey!
Honestly, this is a problem pretty much every writer faces. I know that some of the pieces I think are kind of weak tend to do great while the ones I labor over don't always have the same results. But I just keep going and keep doing the best I can.
If you're not sure if your topics resonate with your subscribers, you can always run a poll or survey (Google forms, or survey monkey, etc) asking what they want to read. Or you can do a discussion thread and ask for ideas.
But mainly my advice is to not second-guess yourself TOO much and just keep going! :)
My half-assed thanksgiving post became the most popular thing I've ever-written, overnight. This has also caused me to re-think whether I should keep posting even on holidays.
Well one thing about holidays - lots of people aren't working. And while some may be crazy busy with family obligations, others are bored and spending more time than usual online.
I think it is a good idea to post on holidays if you have the personal bandwidth to do so, but also to use the holidays to skip a post if that is more beneficial for you as a writer.
just coming back to this with today's OH โ that's an excellent point! I will probably continue to publish during the holidays, though they may not be my usual type of pieces I put out (thinking a bit more introspective/reflective/a tad more personal next week)
Happens to me often too!!
As for google forms ; itโs a great idea to gain a better understanding of your audience this way. Your Substack is made for others to read - thatโs why weโre doing it! So find out their interests on your chosen topic!
I agree! Thanks for the words of wisdom...
Iโve had work outside Substack where I wasnโt even thinking hard about the impact then boom. Others I was really rooting for and didnโt get much response. I volley between paying attention to what resonates and essentially writing blind to impact. Itโs weird. You have to stay on the road no matter how well or poorly work does. Be proud to publish it all. Thatโs probably the only thing that counts.
Nicely saidโthank you.
That happened to me from October to mid-November. It'll sound cliche, but just don't pay attention to the metrics and keep writing. If you enjoy it, the numbers should be secondary. Obviously, we'd all like to grow and have an engaged audience, but in the early stages, you just have to be in it for the love of the craft.
Hope this helps!
Yes โจโจโจ Write because you want to. Your work will resonate with people if youโre being authentic and doing what your heart wants to do!
Thanks for this. Iโm brand new and Iโm simply doing just this - itโs going well so far!
I wish I could say that. I can't help but obsess.
Honestly, I try to remember that 99.9% of my readers' lives and attention are completely out of my hands. Who knows what's going on in their lives or how overloaded they are? When I write something that I am absolutely confident is really great and it doesn't get much of a response, I just figure folks have other stuff going on that has nothing to do with me or the quality of my work. And then I sit down to write again. You just keep showing up and doing your best work. It's all you can do, ultimately.
I try to pre-slate writing in advance, and always keep some kind of big project on the horizon. I.e. "oh, subscribers are slow now, but I have a great interview coming up that I'm sure everyone will love."
Hi Christina, I'm just copying some guidance I gave earlier as it helped me so much to get consistent opens, clicks, shares and engagement. And that feedback really fueled my desire to write. Read the books Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, and Contagious by Jonah Berger. These books will teach you how to shape your ideas into the most compelling package possible starting with your article titles and not 'burying the lead'. They have been indispensable for me. These books will help you whip up your audience into a frenzy more consistently.
just coming back to this during today's OH โ I will check those book recs out! Have a bit of extra time during the holidays for reading :)
hello everyone - didn't get a chance to respond last week but wanted to write a note to all of you that I appreciate your feedback, advice, support! โค๏ธ Happy holidays :)
Maybe more shares with certain topics.
I've been trying to track the days of the week and time of day I hit send posts in an effort to increase open rates but I don't have enough data yet to know what's best for my readers. Perhaps you can check this on the pieces that have the greatest engagement?
Feature request: the ability to assign labels to specific readers.
This would be useful because writers would then be able to send emails to different groups of readers based on their assigned labels.
love this idea!
There are so many possibilities with this feature. Hereโs one example:
Say you ask readers to fill out a survey in each post. But you only want to include the survey if the reader hasnโt already filled it out.
Solution: assign a โsurvey_completedโ label to people who have completed the survey.
Now, you can easily send the post so that readers with the โsurvey_completedโ label will not see the survey while readers without the label will still see it.
Super duper excited for full width images. My newsletter's header is gonna look so hot now!
Subscribe at https://hellouniverse.substack.com/ for a fun poem every week! ๐ค
Really looking forward to the Dec 20 hangout sesh. Hope lots of us can make it!
This sounds super fun! I've just been over to check out your poems. I like the latest one about dreams!
Thanks a lot, Cole! Love your writing too.
Let's collab if you're up for it?
Sure! Email me, colenobleclimbs@gmail.com
Glad to hear you'll be using the full width!
Hi. Has anyone else seen their open rate jump in the last couple of months? I write every day, and mine has jumped 50+% since September. But, I can't point to anything I'm doing differently. It's a good problem to have obviously but I'd love to figure it out. Thanks!
Yes, it's because of Apple Mail. Users can now say they want to "Protect Mail Activity," which screws with the way sites like Substack track open rates. Basically, Apple Mail sends a false positive to Substack saying the email was opened, whether it actually was or not.
I'd been under the impression it was the opposite -- whether the email was opened or not, it showed as *not* opened. Not the case?
Geoffrey is correct! We are monitoring this, and don't yet know what the impact is on the average writer.
Ah well, that's interesting. Thanks Bailey!
Mine did the exact same thing. I went from consistently having open rates in mid 40s, to now lover 50s, with no change in editorial or growth.
You're killing it!
thanks, Bill!!
Mine was consistent until October to mid-November, where I experienced a lull. The past few weeks have been the highest engagement I've had.
I have had low open rate but with more people because my subscriber count is up, so its up and down at the same time.
Just followed you on Twitter...as you saw, I think. Could have sworn I had already followed you... Thanks for adding me to your group!
Of course.
Substack, I am also waiting on a referral program. I don't want to use an outside third party system, this could be game changing as it would allow us to see which subscribers are sharing it the most and reward them in some way.
I would love that!
I remember hearing some other writer doing this with merch and gift subs and thought it was brilliant, but it would be cool if we had it integrated into substack
Yes, there should be one.
We've definitely heard this feedback, and the team is thinking it through. How would you like to see a referral program work for you?
I want something to showcase which subscriber is sharing the substack link, how many signups are coming from it and from where, pretty simple stuff.
Anyone else getting lots (and I mean LOTS) of email opens per user? Was looking at one of my most engaged readers earlier and they're opening every email like 15-20 times. While I don't think I have any others that are quite so extreme, I definitely see multiple opens a lot. Until now I've assumed it was because Substack counts an email forward as an 'open' but now I'm just confused โ six months down the line I'd be surprised if people were forwarding my emails to that extent three times a week, just seems weird. If it's just that people are super engaged then that's great, of course, but I do wonder if there's something I don't understand about how the analytics work.
Anyone else encountered this, or know what's up?
I am seeing this as well.
I *believe* with some mail platforms (e.g. Outlook) that everytime they open their platform, the emails reload and show it as an open.
I did wonder about it being something like this, but not sure I can accept someone reloading their Outlook 20 times in 24 hours!
I get this as well. I thought I had a crazy superfan and better get a PO Box instead of my read address on there!
It will also count opens if they forward it to other people.
I just asked the same question. Bots are copying out works it appears.
I write seventysomething and many of my subscribers are by definition older. Quite a few have difficulty with the comment function (find it onerous) and end up emailing responses which isnโt as good for me. Is there a straightforward procedure for commenting that I can provide?
Many of my readers are also in this age range and like to comment by replying to their email. Although it doesn't show up publicly, it does reduce the chances of your newsletter getting sucked into the spam filter, so it's good from that perspective. Once, a reader added their expert opinion on my article (covering a point I'd not understood or covered well) so I asked them for permission to put it as a comment so others could read it. In the end, I've accepted that a certain demographic of reader aren't using "likes" and comments, but I appreciate that they're taking the effort to respond to me at all.
I absolutely appreciate all efforts to engageโฆ.But in order to be authorized to comment, subscribers need to set up a password and so on and itโs more than they want to do. By replying on email, their remarks are only read by me. This is particularly a loss on Discussion Threads which I put up every second week.
I would love for writers to have the option of comment-by-email for our readers that primarily engage through their inboxes. I'm sure there are plenty of technical limitations here, but I think it would be great.
All of these are great ideas - something for us to bring to our product team! Meanwhile - Susie makes a great point. If you can get readers to click on an email or respond to it, your future posts are much less likely to end up in spam!
Great point. Iโm seeing this too with some of my readers. If I add a comment button and they click it, it doesnโt go directly to the comment box of the post. (They have to scroll down to find it.) So it might be confusing for some readers.
Susie, I write for the over-40 crowd and they are having trouble as well. I've gotten six or seven emails from people saying they can't comment, or have to log in in order to comment, which can't be right.
Thank you for this feedback (and to the rest of the writers in the thread). Interesting ideas! I shared your thoughts with our product team thinking about commenting.
The Comment button is hopelessly complicated for the casual reader. My own family won't use it and simply send me direct emails.
Thanks, Bailey! As you can see I am not alone in this particular concern. I hope the Substack team gets on this and figures out a solution.
My readers are older too and constantly e-mail me to ask how to comment. I donโt know how to help them. This week, a friend was at his parents house and sent me a photo of his father and said he had spent 30 minutes trying to comment to me. Ack !
Same issue here - I get lots of email responses and wish it could be a unified conversation in my comments... The "reply to comments" feature would be great!
I have the same issue.
I've been getting a lot of attention, but then very few subscribe. My newsletter is how to help heal our relationships and thereby heal our country. I am trying to figure out what the barriers are. Is that people think it doesnโt apply to them, or they are tired of the topic or they think there is no chance of success? Or is it all bots? What do you all think? I'd appreciate your own reaction.
Karen, one thing you might want to try is making a super-clear call-to-action to your readers, requesting them to provide their email address, right in the middle of your posts. There's a useful button for that: in your menu ribbon at the top of the Substack post editor, go to More > Button > Subscribe with caption. Having a caption with a call-to-action works better than the Subscribe button on its own. You can edit the caption to whatever's authentic to your publication's voice
Read the books Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, and Contagious by Jonah Berger. These books will teach you how to shape your ideas into the most compelling package possible starting with your article titles and not 'burying the lead'. They have been indispensable for me. These books will help you convert your visits into subscribers.
Stay the course. I think youโre doing well.
Great topics! I write about some similar ideas and there is definitely a need. I agree with Lauren's suggestion about shaping the ideas in a way that hooks the audience. Don't give up, you have good ideas to share!
Do you embed CTA's in your posts?
Hello! ๐๐พ
I have a brand question. So, my schtick is that my work has weight. Itโs about connection. When though does a brand steer into territory thatโs not in the original intention? How do you change? I have a leadership book still in scraps and while itโs what I do and what I may be good at, itโs not necessary what moves me. I may, however, want to release that book when itโs done. Iโm not sure it has a place in my current Substack.
Start a Substack section? Another altogether? Maybe guest post on topics outside the newsletter? Okay, this is like 19 questions but you get the idea.
Cheyenne - I have a main Substack related to my profession (it's a small niche) but I have two unrelated Substacks planned for 2022 which are each related to books I hope to write on the same subjects (not related to my profession at all). You will see that all of your Substacks will use the same bio which isn't the best for very different topics so you might want to consider setting up a second Substack account with a second email. It's a pain to switch back and forth but I haven't figured out another way around it.
That's a good idea. Another Substack writer I know of has two film-related newsletters, and a third where she only talks about food. She uses the same profile, though, so I guess it's a matter of what you can get away with / what you think your readers will prefer.
I put in all my bios that Iโm a leader so I guess itโs general enough to apply.
I asked this a few weeks ago. The advice I got was separate if they are separate topics, but use sections more like categories for the same type of subject.
Ahhโฆ I might tell the personal side of leadership as a section and release that book (when Iโm done) as something separate. Thanks!
I have a similar challenge. Multiple newsletters, however, segment your audience, but if they are there because they like you, they may need to subscribe to several... not good, I think. Someone suggested that you make yourself the niche. I am trying that, but diverse interests make that a challenge too.
Yeah, I donโt really focus necessarily on topics but feels. A bit of the fuzzies. Leadership talk is a bit different, but can be very much a personal story.
I love the post embed feature -- it's great for building on ideas we've covered in earlier posts. But is there a way to make the embeds show up with the thumbnail image from the post too? I try to incorporate wildlife and nature photography into my articles, and I think I have some really cool stuff to look at that may improve the click rate. Thanks!
I would very much like this.
Yes, please! My thumbnails would be much more likely to grab interest than the first line or two of my newsletters, sometimes.
That's where my head is at. Also, I like to get creative with formatting to avoid having huge chunks of text... and the embeds have become yet another source of huge chunks of text
Hello! Question for today - Is there any harm to having many subscribers and a lower open rate or is it better to weed out the subscribers who don't open emails so that open rates go up? I think I know the answer but I received a fairly terse email from another Substack writer last week saying he would unsubscribe me unless I open his newsletters and I am just wondering if there is any benefit to taking this step myself. Thanks!
Our systems engineers have signaled to us that we can (and should) advise writers to "prune" inactive readers. Let me see if any of those engineers have specific guidance on when to consider a reader "inactive." If other writers have instincts, please share.
How do we know if they are even getting the substack or if its going to their spam folder? Sometimes my own substack goes to my own spam folder randomly.
I think one of the problems is that not all of your subscribers will show whether or not they open things. I had one subscriber who is a friend of mine and a fan of my writing, and it showed that she had NEVER opened one of my newsletters. But then she said on FB how much she liked something I had written. So either her open rate calculation is faulty or she is using a reader app or going directly to the website to read them... I don't know. But if I unsubbed her based on her never having opened something, I would lose a valuable subscriber and possibly offend a friend. So it's best to proceed with caution and at the very least send out an email saying, "do you want to remain on my list?" (maybe worded better than the one you received!)
Very true. This is one of the challenges!
So can I trust the star rating and filters under the 'subscribers' tab? I asked one of your colleagues about this and he told me they were accurate. I've been pruning based on those. I did email people beforehand to ask if they wanted to stay subscribed. But now I'm worried about who I've deleted.
I also have some readers who follow me on social media and open the articles from there, which makes me hesitant to prune. I'd be interested to hear from Bailey what the engineers say -- is there a specific open rate percentage at which the newsletter is flagged as spam? Right now I'm sitting at 40-50%
The way Gmail and other email services decide whether or not an email is spam / promotions is based partly on sender reputation and open rates. So if lots of subscribers aren't opening your emails, it becomes more likely that email service providers will treat your next newsletter as spam.
Over the summer, I sent all my subscribers who weren't opening any emails a nice message asking if they still wanted to be on the list. I cleared out everyone who didn't confirm. The result was a noticeable boost in open rates. Personally, I'd rather have an engaged and healthy list than a larger one.
One caveat is that there are debates on how reliable the internal stats are on open rates. Which is why I like to ask folks before removing them, in case there was a mistake.
I am wondering this myself. I am growing but the open rate is lower, although the number of opens is higher.
I delete subscribers who haven't opened anything every quarter.
I have what may be a super simple question but I can't figure out the answer. When you look at a Substack you don't follow, or when you embed Substacks into a post, sometimes they say "by author name" and sometimes they don't.
Geoffrey Golden and I created a Substack for fiction writers on Substack but because I am the "owner" it shows "by Jackie Dana" and I don't want it to show that. How do I change it?
You can see what I mean if you go to this list of authors - some have their names and some don't: https://fictionistas.substack.com/p/fiction-substacks-to-follow
And while I have your attention, if you write fiction on Substack you should totally join us. :)
Hi Jackie, great question! We just looked into it and it appears that if the author's name appears in the name of the publication, it won't also display their name below the publication name in the embed.
In terms of what shows as the author in the publication "About" page, you can also add Geoffrey and whoever else you'd like to display as a co-author by going into the publication settings and inviting other writers in the "Team" section. But you can't have no authors listed at all.
Does that answer your question?
Yes and no. It sounds like thereโs no way I can remove my name from the display of the name of the publication, so thatโs disappointing. But I also canโt get Geoffreyโs name to show up on the โpeopleโ page for the Substack despite me having added him as an admin on the team in the settings. Is there anyway that can be done?
If you change the "Publicity" setting from private to public, Geoffrey will appear as an author
Wow, I had never seen that before! Thank you! โค๏ธ
hi everyone! a new poem is out today, and as someone who has been here a while, with you all, it be great for any support!
^ as a subscriber, I recommend.
The new order of the writing tools is perfect!
Awesome!
I'm interested in making all of my posts older than a year sub-only instead of accessible to all. While automation would be one way to do this, I might prefer something more manual like a mass-edit function that lets me change the audience of many posts at once. Is this anywhere on the roadmap?
Hi Miguel! I don't believe that's on the roadmap, but we'll note the feedback!
Any thoughts on when the best time to go paid is? I had set up paid subscriptions but then thought twice about it as I didnโt actually have any paywalled content up yet.
How many pieces of paywalled content, or content ready to be paywalled, do you think are necessary before enabling paid subscriptions?
Lots of great advice in here from fellow writers.
In this video we take a look at lining up your personal and financial goals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsQtpZP9Ujs&feature=emb_title
I didn't go paid until about 3 1/2 years into writing my newsletter (not that you should wait that long!). What those years gave me, though, was time to establish a relationship with my readers, though lots of conversation back-and-forth over replies to each issue. That is really important, especially if you're not already famous (which is most of us, right?).
True, you've certainly established some credibility after 3 years.
Good points! Thank you for that โบ๏ธ
I am waiting until year one anniversary, which is a few months away. At least then I will have an archive for people to dive into.
I'm thinking of doing the same thing depending on how my subscriber growth goes. Curious, do you plan on keeping your archive free or putting it behind the paywall? My plan is to keep my archive free and then new content would be paid but not sure if that's the best route.
Not sure yet. Probably some free stuff but majority would be paywalled.
That's a good idea. Personally, I have a subscriber target I want to hit before I go paid.
I'm with you on this, but then I've heard from others that you don't have to wait to monetize. You can start now if you feel ready. So many different thoughts on this, and I just feel like their are no "rules" But I'm with you, Cole. I'm looking for a target subscriber base as well as average open rate to decide when.
I don't think there's a single strategy that works for everyone. I think you have to try something out to get a feel for how well it's working. You can always make adjustments later.
I just hit that mark, and am trying to figure out what will be the most appealing for paid subscribers. You mention below that you'll likely paywall most of your archive. Would you keep the most recent 2-3 posts open? 4-5?
It really depends on your newsletter and what works for you. One of the newsletters I pay for has nothing paywalled at all. Every newsletter is free. I pay because I consider her work valuable and I've used it to help my own. (I also pay to support a media platform that has everything free.) And in terms of timing and numbers of subscribers, I've never seen advice on Substack about time, but for subscribers they recommend 500 on your free list. But some people have paid as an option right from the start. For me, I've been writing on Substack for a year and a half and I'm still free, because my main job has been one that doesn't really permit side hustles. Now I'm doing a different job, I'm going to offer the paid option soon, but I'm not going to paywall my writing for various reasons. I'm just going to let people know that they can support my writing if they think it is valuable.
I should add that if you want people to take an annual subscription, you've got to have enough content to convince them that you're going to keep going long enough to make it worthwhile.
This post has some guidance on how to determine the right time given your goals - https://on.substack.com/p/grow-1
I made a very pragmatic decision of when to start. I'd been on unemployment since the beginning of the pandemic, though I was still able to do a little freelancing on the side. When unemployment ran out and I knew I had about three months worth of income saved up, I moved to paid so that I would have time to build up my paid list before my money ran out.
Thanks everyone, it's been fun chatting with me. I look forward to doing more cross promotion in the near future. If anyone is interested, hit me up at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com
Hey writing friends: my brother-in-law works with in communications and recently did a great series on newsletters. I found it super helpful as I designed my first newsletter and think through future content.
If you go to his profile activity, you can all the newsletter videos he did with Lesley Sim over the past month.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chikodi_laying-out-your-newsletter-for-better-readability-ugcPost-6872187840164429824-z3DX
Thanks, Hillaire!
Thank you for this Substack, dope as always! As usual, I am down to cross promote as well as invite you to our Twitter hype pod so we can all grow together. Feel free to subscribe to my stack, you may find it useful. https://youtopianjourney.substack.com/
Hi! I'd love to join the Twitter Hype pod haha. I followed you on Twitter
Hi y'all! I'm late to the party today, but I'm back to make a request again for diacritics in the text editor. I was writing a post last night and wished I had this feature once again instead of having to type the text elsewhere then copy and paste! :)
P.S. I've got holiday and winter-themed posts all month at PopPoetry if you want to swing by!
I SO appreciate the Dylan Thomas post--thank you!
Thank you so much for reading, Alison! :)
Noted, thanks for the feedback!
Hello everyone! I just flipped my writing into a newsletter and launched it the past week!
Question: I am wondering about paid advertising, such as running facebook ads for a newsletter. Anybody done this? Have you done A/B testing with messaging? Any thoughts and experiences are appreciated!
I've tried both facebook ads and google ads, and got lots of attention, but no subscribers. But maybe it's because of my topic.
Did you send them to substack or a dedicated landing page that sold your newsletter?
To substack, to a particular newsletter
I've tried paid (Facebook etc) ads for my own website ages ago, and it was $$. So this time, here, I am having to do without that. There was never enough to justify it...was my experience.
Congrats!!!!
I had a free subscriber leave a like on every post I have made, one every two minutes which is impossible for humans to do given my lengthy articles and short book are generally 3,000 words or more each. I sent emails to the subscriber trying to find out more but I think it is simply a bot copying all my work. What does Substack do to stop that from happening?
I have behavior sometimes like this from accounts I know aren't bots. I.e. a lot of people read my newsletter on social media... we'll talk about it... then a week later they'll realize they never left a like or comment... and they'll go back and do it in bulk.
There seems to be a rash of highly suspect possibly-bot activity going on. Elsewhere in this thread people are talking about suspicious subscribers who might be bots, and a while back there were some reports of spambots leaving comments. I do hope you get an answer to your question; this sort of thing is quite obnoxious.
Cross-promotion anyone? I tell stories about leadership and culture with a focus on 30-50 year old professionals interested in fun and poignant insights to help them grow. ~7000 subscribers. Anybody hitting the same market interested in cross promo?
(I did one with @ColeNoble last month that worked out well!)
Just started this, but will be adding war stories about how to persist as a creative, any kind of creative. Ex: how I survived a project with what I thought was mafia, worked with Disney, etc. Fun stuff. https://stephaniet.substack.com/s/how-to-be-an-artist
Omg! Iโve just started talking about leadership. I absolutely will not help your numbers with cross promotion but if youโd like to interview me, Iโd be up for that.
I'm not as concerned about numbers, Chevanne. There are always unique ways to create a win-win if the audience makes sense. Is The Flare the one that is about leadership? if you want, ping me at jeff at bytitleonly dot com
Itโs personal essays, poetry, and fiction. Iโve started tweeting about leadership and thinking about a subsequent post on the subject.
It's true! Fun to share new voices with your readers. Also here to encourage people to think outside the box with cross promos.
I am down! Around 7k subscribers as well.
info@shaungold.com lets connect.
If you have a movie, perhaps a documentary, with insights to help people grow, then please consider writing a Guest Post on "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies." Please see the link below and email: moviewise@icloud.com if interested:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
cool stuff! how many subscribers do you have?
Hey everyone!
Morning!
ahoy!
Your greeting reminded me of how Alexander Graham Bell famously wanted the standard greeting for phone calls to be "Ahoy!", but Edison made it to be "Hello!", haha.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/10/saying-ahoy-hoy-was-at-one-time-the-preferred-way-to-answer-the-phone/
So sorry can't be here today. I have a question. How can I find and hire someone to guide me personally to understand Substack fully and be able to offer technical support. My personal email is topspeaker@yahoo.com. Thank you.
I got you, I can help.
Hi Brenda, would be glad to help you out! Will send you an email
Any tips and tricks to increase open rates? I find it discouraging that sometimes my substack goes to my own spam folder randomly.
Top tip: On your welcome email try to get the subscriber to click a link. If they do, future email will not go to spam as the interaction proves the mail is not spam and beats the algorithm
Great tip, Rory!
I think that's true. I do the same.
Thank you Substack for creating such a community on here. Love the threads you do!!
Iโm currently in the beginning stages of my wellness Newsletter (what I call my โjournalโ), and a place where I share all contemplations and learnings on life. Meditations, journal prompts etc - as well as podcast chats to discuss self development + discovery!
Iโve had a lot of traction because of my past career as a race car driver in Canada - and really wanting to expand in Substack and share my knowledge. Where is everyone finding the best interest for areas on self help + development? Reddit has been great to gain some new networks as well!!!
Thanks in advance for your input. Wishing you all successful Substacks!! (Love this platform!!!!)
Lindsay Rice
Dope, check out my substack, you may dig it. Reddit is pretty solid if you know how to really use it.
https://youtopianjourney.substack.com/
Very cool! Just followed it. Yes Reddit has been great.
Cool to see your comic! Iโll be following.
I would like the option to charge 99ยข for monthly subs. It encourages readers to take a chance on unknown writers while reducing buyer's regret. It also gets revenue flowing into Substack and my account.
I'd rather have 1 million subscribers billed at 99ยข rather than 5000 subscribers at $5.
Maybe I'm missing something, but with rampant inflation taking placeโand people becoming more conscious of expendituresโ I don't see how this does not make sense.
Is this pricing option something we can see in the near future?
Thanks again Substack for considering my question.
Stripe requires $5 minimum, that is why.
I like that idea too! I can't see charging people $5
Substack talked about this a while back: I think it's a logistics limit imposed by their payment processor.
It's also about valuing your work - and demonstrating that ALL of the Substacks have value.
It's the same issue I have with people who only charge $10 to write a blog post for someone (or will take gigs like that) and people who do super cheap work on Fivvr or whatever. Devaluing our work is not the answer. If people don't want to pay $5 a month for a newsletter, then it isn't providing them with enough value.
And keep in mind that we can always give people comp subscriptions. I tell people that if they want to subscribe to my Substack to read my novels and can't afford it (or if they're teachers or students, since I write YA), all they need to do is ask. There's no reason you can't even offer that on your newsletter itself.
+1!
+2! And you could always give comps, create discounts (can limit to students, special links, or do it for everyone), or an annual rate that's discounted from your monthly.
Yes.
Unfortunately for me, my work is only worth what others are willing to pay.
This is true for everyone, but if you don't value you own work, why should anyone else? (I mean that in the most kind way possible, not as snark).
Also, it looks like you write fiction. You should join us! https://fictionistas.substack.com/
PS thank you for the invite
Nice!
To be frank, people can't afford the price I would like to charge for my work.
But since the model here consists of unlimited digital copies, the only logical thing to do is to reduce the price to make the work available to as many individuals as possible. This economic model is eschewed by the trad publishing industry. Sadly, it will likely be their downfall.
Thanks for letting me know. I would like the option to offer my readers a semi-annual subscription at $6. I think it would also help lesser known writers offer a pricing option that lets readers take unknown work for an inexpensive test driveโwhile covering Stripe's fees.
At the risk of being the fly in the ointment here is an update to my o.p. above:
I would like the option to charge my readers $6(or more)for a semi-annual (6 month) subscription.
It would be great if Substack would consider the earnings potential with this pricing model. A lower monthly pricing model will mean more readers to more Substacks. Since the digital supply is defined only by the number of readers, the potential is higher for more people to support more lesser-known creators.
Demand for amazing work will only increase while the digital supply remains unlimited. Subscribers would even blink at 99ยข for great work.
Also, when writers like Chuck Palahniuk, Salman Rushdie, and George Saunders are only charging $6 per month, it's easy to see that readers might shy away from less well-known or unknown writers/newsletters.
In closing, offering copies of one's digital work for a low price does not devalue the work. It only creates opportunities for wider readership.
Hi Steve, two comments here, philosophical and pragmatic. Philosophically, a founding principle of Substack is that great writing is worth paying for, and we want writers to be able to build sustainable businesses. Practically, Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents a transaction, so if the absolute-dollar fee is low, the percentage given up in fees ends up being extortionate. That's the rationale behind the minimum subscription rates of $5 a month or $30 a year. We always encourage writers to think about how they can offer more value to entice subscribers to pay, and to treat building their subscriber base as a marathon not a sprint
Hi Linda. Thank you for taking time to reply.
I appreciate the philosophical and practical aspects you've mentioned.
If we were to boil this thread down to a reduction of brass tacks, what would remain is the real issue:
Stripe wants their cut from Substack, and Substack wants their cut from the writers here.
I should have edited and reframed my original post, which I will do now.
I would like the option to offer my readers a semi-annual subscription at $6.
I hope Substack will consider the earning potential of my requestโcompared to the scenario currently available to writers here โwhich is that writers either charge nothing for their work, or they charge a minimum of $5 per month.
Many thanks again.
Hi Steve, I appreciate the thoughtful comment and will definitely pass it along to our product team, thank you!
Another question for today - I currently send out two newsletters - one free and one paid (the paid subscribers get the free as well and the paid version includes more valuable and additional resources. I'd like to try the Paywall feature and change to one newsletter with the paid subscriber content behind a paywall at the bottom but when experimenting with this feature, I do not think it will work. Does anyone do something like this and/or offer any advice?
I'd like info on this too.
4th Question of the Day
I pose this question with some trepidation as I already proffered this query.
Getting โIndexedโ on Google
I have been advised that I should be indexed on google and that toward this end I must avail myself of google console. I tried to do this but was unsuccessful. Do you have any articles, primers or insights on how I might do this.
I just did this yesterday. It took a little fiddling but this Substack gave great directions: https://rsilt.substack.com/p/how-i-got-my-substack-to-be-google
Thanks for rendering concrete advice. I will examine this ASAP. And, by the way, I love the title of your newsletter, "Brent and Michael are Going Places." I can't wait to check it out.
Hi David! You can find some SEO tips on this page: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407702258836-How-can-I-optimize-my-Substack-publication-for-SEO-
Your site is being indexed in Google. To see which pages are starting their road to ranking, go to this url site:https://davidgottfried.substack.com It takes some time to start ranking for keywords, etc. I have an article if you check my substack. Good Luck.
include site: in front of the url
I too was unsuccessful.
Hey, Writer Friends! Here's my (perhaps) odd question... I've started doing audio recordings of my newsletter. Folks have been encouraging me to "do a podcast", but the reality is that I don't want to do a podcast. What I would like to do is find some podcasts that I could pitch to in order to be featured as a guest in order to promote my newsletter. I'm a great writer. I'm also a great talker. The trouble is that I don't know how to go about researching podcasts to pitch to. Most of the podcasts I listen to are very popular ones, and those are right out. But there are so many podcasts out there with much smaller audiences that may be looking for folks to interview. How do I go about doing the research to find them? Has anyone undertaken such a process successfully? How did you go about it?
I think in general with such a crowded marketplace, itโs hard to get noticed. There are some Substackers who also podcast. The Sneaky Artist is one. I agree that audio recordings are not podcasts and wanting to do one doesnโt mean you want the other. There another Substacker who runs PIG who does audio of his poetry. No podcast. Itโs kind of cool to hear his cadence and inflection.
Stick with the idea you want. Might try it myself. And just like that, this has also become a shout out thread. ๐
radioguestlist.com is a good start
Thank you!!
Hi Asha, one resource you might want to look at for sourcing podcasts to be on, is ListenNotes.com which lets you search the whole universe of podcasts by topic. There's also matchmaker.fm which is a platform that connects podcasters with people who want to be guests on podcasts -- I noticed a lot of smaller podcasters on there. Just a couple of ideas for you
Thanks so much! I will check those out, for sure.
I really love all the new features being added! I have one question: Will Instagram posts be able to embed like Twitter? I know Instagram can be embedded, but I was wondering if it will be expanded so you can see the text as well as the image, or you can play videos like you can on Twitter embeds, or scroll through an album without leaving Substack? I guess the same goes for Tik Toks as well.
Thanks, and I appreciate all the great work!
This is great feedback and I can see where this would be helpful. I can share this with our product team as they continue to make improvements to embeds.
New writer here so apologies for the very basic Q. I love the easy-to-use podcast functionality. Is this limited to audio only? or do writers drop video recordings here as well? I know you can easily embed YouTube or other videos from other sources. But can you record on say on iMovie or QuickTime and upload that here in a similar manner?
I'm going to guess (until the experts respond) that you must upload either to YouTube and then copy link. Example: https://stephaniet.substack.com/p/beaver-and-otter-wildlife-with-camera-from-a-kayak-on-lake-natoma-a-section-of-the-american-river-sacramento
Stephanie, that is a great video! thank you for sharing. And your approach of posting to YouTube and then copying to Substack makes sense. I suppose given YouTube's focus on copyright, etc., there is a logic to Substack wanting writers to go that route for videos.
Hi Arjun. Right now, we do have native podcasting, but not yet video -- so you do need to use YouTube or Vimeo for that (could be Unlisted).
thank you Jasmine. The videos you and your colleagues have posted were super helpful to me as I have been ramping up. Thank you.
Of course, and keep coming to these threads to share any questions and feedback for us :)
I think video stuff needs to be embedded the way you describe
Hey Cole, you might be interested in my "Mostly About Water," as it's the opposite: I dive below the surface to things.
Busy adapting a rewarding (50 year) professional art career from original art to digital opportunities. I have two subjects: "Mostly About Water" and "How to be an Artist." My online following is too minimal to start asking for money. I'm interested in the symbiotic relationship between Substack and Medium. I've often written first on Medium, using an auto upload to Substack, and that slowly my sites will build.
I'm still playing with the Substack/Medium relationship, and have come to no conclusions yet.
Excited for full-width images! What image size / dimensions do you recommend, so the graphic still looks sharp when it's expanded?
Geoffrey, we don't have any specific recommended dimensions for the full-width images. For banners generally, typically the width should be 1000 px to 1200 px for it to look correct. The maximum aspect ratio for our full-width image is 1:1 for height -- taller images will be automatically cropped to 1:1
Thank you, good to know! I'm going to experiment with larger headers for next year's posts.
Also, I only seem to be receiving email notifications when a post is liked, but not when there's a reply. Just me?
This is a very basic question: Every now and then I receive a message with the following email address - reaction@mg1.substack.com. From whom are these coming?
Confirming what the others said. These are sent out when someone likes (reacts to) your comment or post.
Hello James,
Usually this id mails you when someone likes your post on Substack.
Hope this helps!
When someone likes your comment here, it auto emails you that info.
Hi everyone! Two questions from me:
- Would you consider an embed feature for TikTok the way you have for YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify? As someone who likes to link out to external media for one of my newsletter franchises it would be so helpful!
- What is a good open rate, or even an average open rate? I'd love to understand that number in context.
Thank you! Roya
I also would like an embed for TikTok!!! Great suggestion, Roya!
Also interested in open rate. As my subscribers grow, my open rate goes down.
For free subscribers, 40-50% is considered a great open rate! If you have paid subscribers, over 50% is a good target.
@Roya - re: TikTok, I'll flag with our product team!
Thank you so much, Kelsa!!
How about to our own sites on LinkedIn and Facebook?
We are also learning about open rates with the latest changes to Apple emails. Our recommendations (see Kelsa's note below) from months ago may need to adjust.
Morning everyone! I write Cole's Climb, sharing news and stories from the outdoors. Would substack ever consider adding a vanishing subscribe button? I've noticed that if you've subscribed to a newsletter, the button becomes grayed out. It would be a really handy tool if we could clear the space for people who are already supporting us!
Hey Cole! Where are you seeing the greyed out Subscribe button? There should be a few places where it defaults to "Gift a subscription" if someone is subscribed. Additionally, it there's an embedded subscribe button it should still be clickable, but would direct the person to their account page if they're subscribed. Just want to make sure I know where to check this out. Thanks!
I would love for it either to be greyed out or show "You are already subscribed".
I would also like there to be a distinction between "subscribed" (as a free subscriber") and "paid member" or something similar, as this is really confusing to readers.
Or maybe "you're on the free plan" or "you're a paid member" or something
Seconded! Just "subscribe" is ambiguous
Hello, a question about Instagram embeds: they don't seem to include captions anymore?
We will look into this for you.
Thank you!