Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help!
We’re gathering the writer community and members of the Substack team together in this discussion thread to answer writer questions for an hour. Drop your questions in the thread by leaving a comment, and we’ll do our best to share knowledge and tips.
Our team will be answering questions and sharing insights with you in the thread today from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.–2 p.m. EST. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
Some updates and reminders from the Substack team:
Polls: Today we are excited to introduce polls on Substack! We have regularly heard writers ask for polls at Office Hours. Now, polls can be added to any Substack post from the “More” drop down in the Editor. Give it a try!
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Podcasting: Last week we shared a guide to going paid with your podcast on Substack. The first article in a new podcasting 101 series. More from this series is coming soon, and we have exciting audio feature updates to share in the coming weeks too.
Resources: Have you visited our Resource center? Here you’ll find insider tips and expert advice for writers on getting started, growing your list, building a community and more.
Got questions about Substack or feedback about what’s new? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
Thanks for being here at Office Hours today. We experienced technical issues sending out the Office Hours thread via email today. Thank you for your patience!
We'll be checking in on the thread over the next day and be back next week at the scheduled time to answer your questions.
One thing that might be interesting for writers to know - polls can be offered to only free subscribers or paid subscribers (the writer can choose), but *not* to the open internet. If a reader wants to comment, they will need to be logged in and at bare minimum be a free subscriber of your Substack. That will hopefully help with capturing new free and paid subscribers to your lists. Would be curious to see how that goes for you all!
Have you tried using it to encourage people to sign up? If I put myself in the position of someone who has only just encountered the Substack, I'll be reticent to sign up/create an account. I'm curious to know your experience as I'm aware I'm probably not a common denominator.
I'll be honest here. As soon as I see that I have to be a subscriber to comment I just navigate away from that stack and subscribe to another. I don't like having to jump through hoops to do something as simple as leave a comment. Often leaving a comment is a way for me to see how engaging the writer of the stack is before I decide to subscribe.
It smacks of corporate ideology to me where corporations require you to lay all your cards on the table before they will even interact with you. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I can accept that one has to be a subscriber to comment - that is true for most platforms. But I get seriously annoyed when one has to be a PAID subscriber to comment.
I think substackers should value their free subscribers more. Many readers have very little money, and most people will want to read and support more writers than they want to (or can) support financially. But they may be supportive in other ways - eg posting the article on social media and getting it a wider readership that way.
I agree. Personally I go either no comments on my fiction and comments open to all on my essays. Interesting discussions can happen in comments and everyone starts out as a lurker, so why paywall a potential way in for future readers? Seems short sighted to me.
This is true, comments at least, increase engagement for the writer, no matter where they come from. So to choke this source of implicit engagement is self-limiting behaviour.
You make a very good point here. It annoys me too when comments are for paid subscribers only. If Substack recommends that our best work be always available to free subscribers, then why not also the opportunity to engage with us as writers.
I'm excited for polls; maybe readers who are shy to comment can voice their opinion through this new option. However, I must warn authors to use this option very sparingly (like once in a blue moon's blue moon). I have seen some very cringe-inducing "polls" on LinkedIn where the question is jokey and the options aren't serious.
Use polls to ask about scheduling changes, changes in delivery times, drastic changes in content styles, going paid and such topics. Posting a poll question along the lines of "Are you excited for Thursday" and options being "Yes", "No" and poop emoji is not productive.
Yes, for all content it's only worth putting out there if it adds value. This is also the kind of thing that makes me groan when I have to use LinkedIn (other than that everything owned by Microsoft induces that reaction for me...) I get that quantity gets you quality, but there are some stuff out there that's seriously pointless.
Yay polls! I'm actually really excited to play around with them.
One word of caution I would share for other writers is not to rely on polls to get your audience to decide your content for you. I think it can set a dangerous precedent and make it seem like you're not structuring your newsletter in a way that's comfortable for your audience. When you seem uncertain, it can make your audience feel uncertain. By all means, give your audience specific options, like choosing between two topics you've already chosen or something. But I've seen a lot of writers/creators feel shackled to their audience's whims because they take their feedback as gospel, and that can cause problems with reader confidence. Just my two and a half cents!
That makes sense. I used to do some tutorials as a grad student. One time I told my students that their questions would guide our tutorials, and of course I used their questions to get us through all the week's material. But the perception that I was responding to their questions really bugged a lot of students. So next time I told them I had a plan but they could ask questions and I'd check items off the plan to make sure we got through the whole thing. They greatly preferred that. My actual method was exactly the same, but I think they felt better just being reassured that there was in fact a plan.
Totally agree! A poll can inspire a post, but I wouldn’t subscribe to a writer who writes to the polls all the time. At the end of the day the writer is the best authority of their work; polls are a useful tool, not a substitute for editorial judgment
People who respond to polls are inherently more interested in the topic than the general public, to the point of wanting to influence the politicians. “The tail winds up wagging the dog,” the politician realizes that they have let something get out of hand, like, say, anti-vaxxing, tries to tone it down and gets booed.
Another factor to bear in mind is that polls tend to skew towards particular personality types. A small number of highly opinionated readers (who aren’t necessarily representative of your overall readership) can give you a false idea of what the silent majority think. And good polls are surprisingly hard to construct! It’s very easy to be trapped inside your own presuppositions, and fail to offer an option that many would like to choose. So, use polls, but don’t be ruled by them. Take advice, take feedback, but you still have to steer the ship.
I appreciate this advice – especially about staying confident about what I’m writing. My readers are important, of course, and I listen to their feedback, but I also know they value my writing most when I’m passionate about the topic.
You should always be the creative driver for your work. The audience is important, but they also change as people subscribe and unsubscribe. There are acceptable scenarios where an author never needs to use a poll.
I agree - I want to stay passionate about what I write. If some readers want me to go down a path I would prefer not to, I end up either disappointing them or writing half-heartedly. Not a good scenario for anyone. I want to use the poll feature but at this stage, it will be: podcast narration - yes or no?
Really good point. I think I will only use them to decide content when I'm undecided about which direction to take with something. This is particularly true with our media/teacher Substack because we want to do episodes over things people have actually watched.
Excited about this new feature! I usually end my posts with some questions to encourage conversation. That’s worked well for me, but I know that not everyone who wants to participate feels comfortable leaving a comment. So I’m planning to use polls as a way of bringing in more reader voice but with a lower barrier to entry
Yeah, they should really help for audience surveys, assuming there’s a relevant sample size. And I’m really eager to see how you use them for game mechanics. Adventure Snack is about to level up the fun, people!👍😁
Have you considered adding them to your games as a way to show players whether they made the same choices as others, a la Tell-Tale games?
One of my favorite parts of finishing one of those stories was finding out whether I'd thought of a solution or gone down a different path compared to everyone else.
Happy Thursday to everyone and welcome to any new writers. I could see myself using polls to get reader feedback on potential topics or new directions to take my newsletter.
I just had an idea! You know those Goosebumps books from the 90's? Where at the end of a chapter you can choose what the characters do next, and then turn to a different page?
Could you use polls to give readers a choice, and then it either:
- directs them to the substack post that follows that story line
- they get put on a separate mailing list, and then next week they get the next chapter for their story line.
I bookmarked this post, so much useful stuff in here. A suggestion: you could consider re-posting this to Twitter and LinkedIn. You can turn it into a new post or thread with the list of resources and a link to your Substack post at the bottom. In times of economic volatility, people often invest in education and self-improvement, so your post will be extra relevant for the foreseeable future.
First, join LinkedIn, if you haven't already. I always post my new article links on LI just as I do Twitter, FB, and several others! For example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-kyle-018898145/
As some other people have mentioned, I'll use them sparingly - maybe twice a year. I can't even buy a loaf of bread anymore without getting a survey asking about my experience (which, to me, is a poll). So I'm happy we have the option but they will be used sparingly.
Very interesting to hear about Polls on Substack! I use these on Twitter (@markdykeman) as an unscientific way to connect and get info from my fellow Twitter users. The extra comments these polls generate are also great for discussion.
I expect I'd use Polls the same way in my Substack newsletter (howaboutthis.substack.com). I think these might replace my use of Substack Threads. Ultimately, I'd use Threads as a means to spur discussion and engagement, and perhaps get ideas for new newsletter posts.
If you are looking to grow on Twitter, https://newslettertosocials.com auto-creates engaging tweets directly from your publication! I've scheduled weeks of content in like 15-30 minutes
I doubt if I'll use them myself, but I'll probably check in on others. I'm not sure they'll mean much to us as writers. I'd much rather ask questions in an essay and read and interact with lengthier comments.
I don't know about 'tips' but I try to make my newsletter a community event, where everyone (I hope) feels comfortable enough to share in the conversation. I write in conversational first person, so that may help as an ice-breaker.
I want us to feel as if we're sitting around my parlor just hanging out, each of us having something to say. I usually ask a question at the end, just to get it going.
Celebrating one year on Substack this week! I started with a handful of essays from by BlogSpot page and 16 friends / family members whom I’d cajoled into signing up. Now I’m at 57 posts and 146 subscribers, with no plans to slow down! Thank you to Substack for making this splendid and fun environment, and enabling my writing to flourish!
Hey all! Happy Office Hours, and here's a little encouraging thought for your week: Is your Inner Critic allowed to drown out all the other good, creative influences in your writing journey? Don't let it! Our Inner Critic is a vital part of the team, and they have a specific job to do during revisions, but NOT during the initial phases of writing, and NOT to keep you from creating without shame. When they escape their boundaries they can do serious damage! Don't let them bully, discourage, or silence you. Make sure you're balancing them out with patience and compassion for yourself and plenty of play! And as always, remember: DON'T give up! 🌿
How do YOU keep your Inner Critic from stifling your creativity? Give us your tips!
One thing I try to do is write first thing in the morning. Ideally, I roll out of bed, make some coffee, and start writing. Usually, my inner critic wakes up late, after I check email and social media, so it helps to get going before the critic has a chance to comment.
Hitting publish by a deadline, even though I know I will find mistakes later. I often want to hold back because something feels incomplete or imperfect. So making a deadline for myself forces me to let go of that need for perfection. Then when nobody points out any glaring mistakes I breathe a sigh of relief and keep going.
Also it has been important to learn how to accept constructive feed back.
Deadlines work for me too. I have 4 mornings each week to complete the newsletter for the next week, so the inner critic can just chatter as much as it wants but the ticking clock holds more weight!
Also writing about what I love, from my own unique point of view, helps. It lessens the trap of comparisons, an inner critic's favourite food, lol.
For me, a first draft is never a place to do revisions. It's just a tool for getting all my thoughts out of my head. I'll even use filler text like "blah blah this point needs researched" rather than start revising before a first draft is complete.
Besides the @ signs to address the single *perfect* word issues, I will select and highlight in yellow, bigger issues with that post or reminding me that this notion begs for a post of its own.
As an addiction counselor, the insight, “I am not the only one…” always came up and was reinforced by other group members. There is enough (unwarranted) shame associated with the brain disorder, popularly known as “Addiction” as it is. No need to add self-shame to that obstacle to a successful recovery.
Yes, that is the way that I took it. I was just responding to the word “Glad” that made it sound like you were relieved to find that you are not some kind of Odd Duck. As a recovering addict and retired addiction counselor/speech teacher, it is hard for me to pass up an opportunity to throw in something about that plague on humanity (and many writers).
Very good distinction! It's SO helpful to put yourself in that mental space, that the first draft is purely for getting it out "on paper". Thanks for the wisdom!
I'm new and struggled to hit Publish at first, since my prior foray into journalism was long ago! To overcome the Inner Critic and get rolling, this is what worked: I have many (really rough!) drafts on hand. Each week I choose one or two to finish and then choose the one that's shaping up better. I'm also doing a soft rollout, letting my contacts know about the newsletter gradually as I hit Publish on more pieces over time, so it doesn't feel too daunting too quickly.
The inner critic or narrative is always a trap for me that maybe contributes to writer's block, procrastination, or falling down too many rabbit holes of small things not related to getting into the writing flow. It inspired me to do an article on the topic, inspired by an actual editor helping me then. https://www.inmindwise.com/p/the-wisdom-from-an-editor
I appreciate all this! I have something called a kick-ass file on my desktop and try to keep up with testimonials for many of my projects in there. And I just subscribed to yours!
Same here. Substack’s fast turnaround on the implementation of polls is another great example of how they listen to writers and proactively move on requests to give us great tools to work with, making us feel both heard and supported. I sure wish another platform (whose name I won’t mention but rhymes with tedium) would show as much care and concern for its writers.
I am so new here that I barely understand what is happening and how this works!
Seems like we are adding comments to the bottom but they are a range of topics, are we only talking about polls? Are we talking about anything specific or can we? I literally started on Substack last week and am looking forward to writing another newsletter tomorrow.
I just wanted to participate here so this might be completely irrelevant and not a good use of anyone's time, but just wanted to be part of it!
It's overwhelming at first. Wait, I've been doing this for 15 months and these discussions (as well as all the new features) can STILL be overwhelming. Small bites. Pick up what you can. Jump in with questions or with responses. Great group of folks here - all willing to help! Welcome to the Substack circle! :)
Thanks for the welcome! Have you found it necessary to speak about just one subject? Along those 15 months, did you start off speaking about one topic and then move to something else? What was that process like? And what kind of results have you seen after those 15 months?
You can start your own conversation/question right here and people will respond, or you can join in on someone else's conversation. We're just a bunch of friendly folk here, all doing our best to figure things out.
Welcome to Substack! I've found the community of writers here to be super friendly. Substack has a great selection of resources in their "on writing" section about setting up the basics and getting started.
But one of my favorite things about Substack is how receptive it is to the writing community. A lot of features here have been added at the suggestion of community members themselves. Huge shoutout to the engineers, development team, and EVERYONE at working to keep this a great place to write and grow.
By the way, if you need any help on your journey, or find yourself with substack questions, feel free to reach out to me directly at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com.
I've been at this for a little longer than a year and have tried to be at EVERY SINGLE writer office hours since. I'd be more than happy to help you as needed!
Thanks so much for displaying the very quality you're praising! I'll definitely be in touch, I'm still wrapping my head around it all. I'll be sure to check out the resources as well to see about fine tuning this machine.
Katie from substack usually comes on with a starter question - today it's about polls. Right after her question, you should see "reply" "collapse". if you click on collapse, it'll hide all the answers/comments to her posts. You can then see other posts. People ask and comment on anything substack related. Hope that helps.
Gotcha, yes that did seem like the format. I guess I thought that I barely have subscribers and started last week, polls seemed so far on the horizon now anyway.
Greetings, C.A., and welcome! If I may offer a suggestion as you're just starting out, and haven't settled on a pattern/theme, etc yet....see if you can come up with a creative title for your 'Stack! Sadly, Substack is literally littered with "Bill's Newsletter" and "Susie's Newsletter"s. El yawn-o!
My theory is that if a writer can't spend more than the two seconds it's obvious was spent to just slap one's given name in front of the word, "Newsletter," I'm not about to assume they're able to put any care, creativity, and thought into what's IN said newsletter!
I make it a point to avoid like a COVID-riddled leper any 'Stack scribe who has named their work, "So-and-so's Newsletter." Be better......PLEASE!
By the same token, I've subscribed to several letters precisely because I was attracted to their immediate and quite apparent ingenuity displayed in their 'Stack name/title! Examples?
Sean L. McCarthy's "Piffany": https://piffany.substack.com/ Not that you have to make up a word, but Sean simply took "epiphany," and gives his readers "a piffany" in his comedy-laden posts!
With a name like "Piffany," I feel like I'd miss more if I didn't subscribe than if I passed up "Sean's Newsletter," which says absolutely nothing about what I'd be reading or missing!
You don't even have to KNOW what Mitchell Stirling's "The Run-Out Grooves" (https://therunoutgrooves.substack.com/) is about! His concise, yet clever title suggests record albums, and indeed, the last song on an album is what he details, impressively, on each post!
I know I wouldn't even consider subscribing to "Mitchell's Newsletter," even if all his content was just as it is now! Such is the importance of a thoughtfully-conceived title, in my rarely humble opinion!
Aren't we glad Tolstoy didn't stop at just, "Leo's Book" for his "War and Peace"!? Hearing THAT title would certainly force me to side-step it if I was looking for a book on ancient Egyptian macramé for yaks. "Leo's Book"? I'd have no idea.
I offer these two cents gently, and with the hopes your 'Stack will be successful, with the passing along of just how important your key coupla/few words can be in introducing new readers to your work! By the way, it makes it easier (depending on what you settle on as your title)---and more fun to advertise!
Many times on Twitter or FB, I've said something like, "May I lift the rope line to "Front Row & Backstage" for you? You're always welcome!"
By now, I'm sure I've over-sold the point. May Martin Mull have the last word: "Some people have a way with words; others, not have way."
And, bless your heart for taking it with the kind intent I had hoped you would! 'Tis a lesson so many 'Stackers would/could learn!!! "What do I think?" I'll TELL you what I think! I'm subscribing immediately, and I should have a long line of fellow 'Stackers following my lead!!! For support and encouragement, if no other reason! Beard on, C.A.!
And, bless your heart for taking it with the kind intent I had hoped you would! 'Tis a lesson so many 'Stackers should/could learn!!! "What do I think?" I'll TELL you what I think! I'm subscribing immediately, and I should have a long line of fellow 'Stackers following my lead!!! For support and encouragement, if no other reason! Beard on, C.A.!
The polls may be a primary topic, but you can also use this time to ask general questions and most likely you will be able to find someone answer your question.
I think polls will be a great way to drive content - not in the sense of "what do you want me to write about?" but to give me more sense about what's relevant to my readers.
I write about food and culture and some of the questions that I'm going to ask will be things like "Do you shop at a farmers market?" or "Has inflation changed how you shop for food?" and those answers can drive the direction of my content.
That sounds like a great way to incorporate polls! I like the idea of using the questions to drive content but not necessarily asking readers to choose between specific topics.
I also just popped over to your newsletter and as a fellow food culture writer (although I’m based in Spain) it looks right up my alley. Already subscribed and excited to read more!
Great use of the polls feature! I'm still not sure how I will use polls yet, but I like your example. It's helping my brain move in the right direcion.
This is wise. Unless a poll has a very large, representative sample, the findings are qualitative in nature. These types of insights are perfect for idea sourcing though.
Shoutout to the Substack team for their continued innovation and commitment to writers. Just have one ask: several writer friends want better ways to render chapters to their serials and be able to toggle to different chapters. Can chapter buttons but put on one row? Currently custom buttons have a carriage return.
Thanks to all my subscribers and writer friends for being a great support. Looking forward to another paid subscriber as my next win. I’m a busy bee! Gotta run! 😘
A kudo and a plea: Thanks for the info and the easy way to use polls! My plea: can someone confirm what happens when I recommend more than five substacks to new subscribers or visitors using the recommendations feature? I thought they would rotate but it is not clear that they are. Is there a way to manually rotate/select those that appear ? If not, would you consider making that easier to do? I would like to make sure to share those newsletters that I'm loving. Thank you.
But do they rotate so that a different group pops up randomly? Or is it randomly selected once and then remains static? I love this feature but it doesn't seem to do what was originally described when it comes to rotating automatically.
This has been a request of mine as well. I’d like to be able to feature all of my recommendations, not just the few that happen to appear at the top of the list. It would be great if I could manually reorder them or they rotated automatically….
I don’t use pills but I do ask questions on Facebook and gauge reaction. So far my question about women and beauty as we age has struck the strongest nerve, with around 175 comments.
and, as I think about it, not too suprised. We women have a lot to say about beauty as we age - that definitely hits a nerve! Keep those questions coming!
Ooh! I love this new feature! I think it’s a good way to commit people to reading the piece. Also, I would love a quizzes feature while you’re on this line of development. :)
At my last job with a symphony orchestra, we were doing Respighi's "Pines of Rome", and I remember thinking that the composer's name sounded like a pasta dish. I made a quiz called "Is it pasta, or is it music?" and it's by far the most visited page on the website to this day. We sent it out in emails and people kept sharing it.
I think for a quick piece of light-hearted content a quiz feature could be a lot of fun and a piece that our audiences would love to share.
I’m some questions or feedback around UI, currently I have 2 newsletters in the same account but they are not linked, I’m finding it a few steps too many to toggle between them.
Could we have a toggle button?
2. Header and Footers don’t appear in the app, this means that I have to think of many permutations of how The newsletter will show up in all the different scenarios…
Could we have some version of footer or header in the app?
This is my situation too. I’m thinking of copying my content from the less used one and making a brand new Substack account for that one. I assumed since they promote having multiple newsletters on an account as a useful feature that it would be useful but I’ve found it not to be the case.
I figured out that you can disable publications, so that the one you are actively writing for is the only one visible. It's in "Edit Profile" -- "Listed publications." I was hoping to add a screen shot to show this but it won't let me. But it would be great if you could drag the publications in the order you choose instead of having to disable. But it does work.
Hi all. I am new here and love this resource. Thanks to everyone for sharing such great insights. My subscriptions are basically zilch, so I'm looking forward to implementing some suggestions found here to see how they help grow my numbers.
I have a question regarding video usage. I have terrible YouTube numbers (last video had 5 views) and I really want to see how I can get videos to get both more views and engagement here. Has anyone here switched from YouTube to just using the video feature here? Has it made a difference? Any advice?
I don't intend to use video content here for the simple reason I enjoy reading text and I'm catering to people who also enjoy the same. Not overyone enjoys audio/video format, some people specifically want content not on those formats for personal reasons. It really comes down to who your audience are and what they want. If you aren't getting views on a video hog site like YouTube then maybe video is not the best format for what you offer?
I It's important to consider where you shine, if your writing is stronger than your voice acting or video production why waste time with those formats? No video is better than a bad one.
Since part of my Substack is about travel, I see video as an enhancement, not a replacement. I personally like reading and I'm a much better writer than video maker, but I also understand that there is something to be said for being able to see a place in addition to reading about it. I'm trying to find the balance.
Your question is kind of like debating between buying a Jeep, or a Corvette, but your deciding factor is gas mileage. I think you're missing out on the actual strengths and weaknesses of the platform.
Flat out -- if the big problem you're looking to solve is viewership, I don't think Substack will fix that for you. Substack does not curate content, which means if someone isn't on your email list, they will not see your video, period. YouTube's discoverability isn't great, but at least it exists.
Granted, I think that there are strong arguments for switching your video platform to Substack:
-Business model that makes it easier to succeed with a smaller following
-Fairly applied community guidelines
-No concerns with demonetization or de-ranking because you discuss topics the platform doesn't consider "advertiser friendly."
In short, you're building a brand in a spot where you are only beholden to your audience, not advertisers or an esoteric rules committee.
But still, Substack will not make it easier, per se to pull in new viewers. You'll still have to be a bit creative when attracting an audience.
Not at all! I use both occasionally, but I have no plans to devoting my full time to cultivating a YouTube following. It's just not the road I want to go down.
Hi-- I write about addiction and recovery and have podcast--"Breakfast with an Alcoholic'" at https://thanksforlettingmeshare.substack.com and love being here! I wonder if there are some benchmarks/metrics that are available so that I could get a clearer picture of where I am and where some of the thresholds might be? Would it be possible to share anonymized data from across substack--or something like that?
Thanks so much, did I mention that I love it here?
There is a lot of information on your dashboard: subscriber numbers, podcast downloads. As far as bench marks that depends on your goals. Do you want to build a email list for a future book? Are you trying to build an audience for your pod? Are you wanting to be paid for your work? Is this just a place to build a community? Knowing your goals will help you define your thresholds and bench marks.
I'm pretty obsessive about my numbers--was wondering more about benchmarks: avg podcast downloads, avg views, etc---I see my numbers growing--which is a good thing, but it's hard to get a sense for where that puts me as far as considering when to go paid.
A lot of writers recommend launching a paid tier from the beginning - but it just depends on how you're planning on dividing paid/free content! I hear your ask for benchmarks - but the truth is, there is no one answer re: the right time to go paid. Everyone's publication and audience size is so different!
I have a paid option even though I only have just over a 100 subs. This is because there are people who are kind enough to support me because they care. I put out a little extra just for them (not much though). My average views lately have been several hundred and that results in some new subs. I am happy with this slow growth, but that may not be your temperament or mindset and that is fine.
How does the hundreds of views generate new subs? Just wondering because I haven’t been able to understand a correlation. My views are often in hundreds but never have I added subs. I am almost positive that 99 percent of the views are in the email so little to no app or site views. Can’t tell if that is a factor or not. is there a place to promote newsletter in Substack?
Hmm, from everything I see, you should be able to edit the comment. However, if you are on the app, then we don't have the edit comment functionality available yet :(
Wow oh wow oh -- da bomb! Love the option for polls, SS folks. THANK YOU. 😍
A request that's critical for me: Something I loved about working in WordPress back in the day was that I had the ability to take a published post and shift it back to DRAFT mode, so it stayed in my dashboard but was no longer publicly on the site. Please add an option like this! 🙏🏼
You can do this today by going into a published post > settings > scroll to the bottom and click [Unpublish] and it will just show up in your dashboard but not in the public feed.
Hi there!! I’m a fiction writer here on substack and I am releasing a novela in a serial format.
Finding unique ways to promote this project has been difficult. What, aside from posting on twitter and other social media, would be a good way to bring more attention to it?
One suggestion: Find potential readers where they’re at. After you define your ideal reader (we’ll do this together in chapter 1 of orientation), research where these people congregate online and in real life: conferences, Facebook groups, subreddits, and more. Create a rolodex of potential outreach opportunities, and start engaging in these spaces and sharing your work. For his local news publication, Tony Mecia partnered with Charlotte’s local radio station, local Facebook Groups, and even hosted an awards show. (https://on.substack.com/p/spotlight-on-local-news-with-tony#details)
I've done this promoting stuff for my employer (which is a media company). I find when you arrive in a new facebook group or forum people assume you are a troll or spamming even if what you have to offer is pretty relevant. Also a lot of people hate anything that smacks of 'commercial' which is a bit ridicuolus when we all have to make money somehow. Just my two penneth.
Awesome! Thank you so much! How do you recommend getting eyes on it from in person events? Bookmarks/printed collatoral? Some kind of other “swag.”
I want to make sure I am still in service to my readers while just kind of letting them know I exist in this capacity. 😂 The struggle for me is always the sharing part.
How do I report a spam subscriber? I deleted them, but in my stats, that email is viewing my newsletter every minute, making my stats really ridiculous. (I wish they were authentically that high). I don’t know how to alert the Substack authorities. Thanks.
Ok, I'll jump in headfirst instead of dipping my toes. First and foremost, polls sound awesome. Once I have more people who are interacting and following me, I'm assuming polls will be a great tool to hear and listen to my audience, and cater to what people want to hear (without sacrficing what I want to talk about).
That leads me to my second point. How do you figure out what to talk about? For now, I'm just getting started with online writing and more strucuted writing. I had an identity as a writer for such a long time, and I write a lot of short promos these days, but now I'm getting in the flow of figuring what it is that I want to do. I appreciate the journey of figuring it out, but when I see quotes like 'do many things outside. do one thing online.' it seems counterintuitive to my non-linear thinking.
What have you done to figure it out? Did you try writing about different subjects until you 'settled'? What's your journey been like? This is @everyone and @anyone who wants to listen.
I just responded to your first post. Perhaps, for now, the focus of your writing might be the journey itself to discovering what to write about. Keep it authentic, from your heart. Don't try to find the right formula. Personally, I can't imagine starting this kind of project without knowing what topic you are compelled to write on, so that's why I think maybe it's the journey that is your topic. Also sounds like there has been a big shift in your life. Maybe write about that.
This is all great advice. Yes, I've noticed that what I am gravitating toward in my writing is expressing 'figuring this out', so that's cool to think that THAT is what I'm writing about. Instead of thinking of a subject now and getting caught up in the fact that I'm not 'niching' down. A big shift? For sure. Tectonic since 2016 haha.
Trying to grow on social media? I created the first newsletter-specific social media tool. Many of the features integrate directly with your newsletter. You can auto-generate social media posts for all platforms and schedule them to auto-post. I now spend only 15 minutes on promoting my newsletter on social media each week and have had great results!
Interesting. I have to say, I'm using Substack primarily as an alternative to social media. I was able to use social to grow large audiences but that was in 2010-2015 times. But the days of organic growth on social are long past. These days, I don't think you can reach many new people without dedicating hours and hours to sharing in groups, etc. or paying to promote -- neither of which are acceptable strategies or investments IMO. I do occasionally share posts on FB, IG and Twitter, but I absolutely detest spending any time on those platforms, so I think it's safe to say my ability to make a splash is not great.
Yes the game has certainly changed. Now, just sharing your content or url's on social media will not give you any return. It's much more of a long game, but when it starts working, it is powerful.
You need to pull out the golden nuggets of content from your newsletter. Things like the stats, hooks, questions, quotes, etc. When presented to your target audience, these sorts of things will catch their attention. They won't immediately subscribe, but they may follow and listen to what you say on social media. Over time, these people do convert to subs when every once and while you mention your newsletter, or they check out your bio. It's not as nice and easy as the 2010's, but it is so worth it in my opinion
Polls sound like a great way to engage audiences and collect general vibes about a topic.
I'm new to Substack and have a more basic question.
I've been sharing a weekly newsletter using MailChimp and grew my list of free subscribers to 2k. The newsletter is to drive thought leadership and consulting/training. What are your thoughts about the sensible way to migrate the newsletter to Substack with free and paid options without upsetting existing subscribers?
I would just tell everyone what you're doing and say you're migrating them all to free. Offer the paid option for people who want to support you but don't push it. I started a paid feature with nothing extra and I have a few people who are supporting me just because. I would just suggest you not push the paid portion too hard. You can start working on that once you're in substack and your readers are comfortable with the switch. And welcome to Substack!
Initially, I had thought maybe offer the paid option with the weekly cadence and the free with a monthly cadence. But I see your point, it's less rocking the boat.
With future subscribers the paid option might be with clean slate :)
I don't have any experience with migrating an old newsletter over to Substack, but I do want to welcome you. Visual storytelling - love that. I look forward to seeing what you produce!
Welcome! Like others said, we usually recommend folks build up a sizable free list and get into a regular posting cadence before going paid — that way, your readers know what to trust and expect from you.
When you decide to go paid, we recommend being super clear about the benefits for free vs. paid subscribers (what they'll get) and making a big deal from the paid launch announcement. We have a guide on going paid here: https://on.substack.com/p/grow-5
The prompt question is posted two hours before the published start time, which is what gets the process started. I find it annoying, but promise to never mention it again.
I'm new to Substack and to being a published author ... my first novel has just been released. I find Substack a wonderful writers' environment for using my portal "AFTERTHOUGHTS" to share political essays I'm writing and build a following as part of my next book project. Can I share information about my recent publication, a novel, from my Substack portal? Are there Substack protocols with which I should be compliant in promoting my book projects such as fiction and essay books? Phil Church
Thanks, Lulu. I hope to use the Novel to drive subscriptions to my AFTERTHOUGHTS portal and essay posts, and to use my AFTERTHOUGHTS portal to share word about the novel.
Welcome, Phil! Yes, share anything you want. Congratulations on the publication of your novel. Go ahead and tell us what it is (I'm interested). As for sharing from AFTERTHOUGHTS, share anything you want - it's your space! Consider including great details like this in your "About" section. In the end, you're selling yourself so... go for it!
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but this thread is really for questions about substack - not for promoting your work. Your substack can be all about your book. I'm soft launching my fiction book 7/6 and will be doing a lot around it with my newsletter. What's your novel about/the genre?
Hi, Jan. Hi, Diane. Just FYI the novel, "The Hong Kong Gambit - A Plot to Buy Thailand," is in the international thriller/social justice genre - if there is such a thing. Kinda like John le Carre's "The Constant Gardner" but less moody and with a happier ending. Anyway the link to my Substack AFTERTHOUGHTS portal posting - for the Story Synopsis, Author's note and Chapter 1 is:
I'd love to hear about plans/strategy for your 7/6 fiction book soft launch. I plan to do a book launch at my residence here in Northern Virginia on July 23 for neighbors and friends networks. My thinking was to direct everyone to my AFTERTHOUGHTS Substack portal for details about the novel.
Ps - 7/6 is soft launch. That is when I’m getting people to buy book and review it. I’ll do a wider media outreach in Sept so this is just to build buzz around it and to get blurbs from public figures, etc.
I did not go the step of getting reader reviews ahead of publishing but had my (hybrid) publisher just put the book out their in print and digital formats on Amazon and B&N. I'm now gifting the book to a few "influencer friends" in professional and social circles of which I'm a part., including Facebook and LinkedIn. I'm also "going for the gold" by getting out press releases to mainstream media book reviewers with the NYT and WashPost, for example. "Building buz" ... I like that, poetic and well as practical.
I’m in the process of putting a street team together for the 9/6 official launch. Still developing mktg strategy. So much to do! You can find more at https://www.wholehealthygroup.com/rock-gods - it’s one woman’s search for herself through a crazed and surreal record company in the 1990s. I’m happy to give yr book a plug in my newsletter if you do same. Feel free to email for more info. I’ll subscribe to yr substack also.
Ditto on both counts. I'll take a look at your link and follow up with you. Happy to subscribe to "Next Draft" as well. I like the portal name. There's always a next draft to writing and to life ... to get a bit philosophical.
Hey everyone. How have you grown on social media? What has worked and was hasn't?
I'm writing my publication about helping newsletter creators grow across the internet. My latest issue was about the top 5 different tools you can use to grow your newsletter on social media!
Those are some fascinating resources. I am excited to check them out. For the most part I just share on Twitter, FB, and IG. I also use The Sample to help spread my newsletter as well. https://thesample.ai/?ref=b66a
Most people get a few subs from it, but nothing earth shattering at this stage. Hopefully that'll change if I can figure out how to make it grow faster :).
Can amyone help with info on how writers can do a financial arrangement and contract with illustrators for creating illustrated work/books for Substack?
E.g. Substack has comic artists and writers who collaborate to make work. How do they get paid and how does the agreement work?
I did this. Download your Medium data, then find the "import posts" section in the settings of your Substack page. Worked like a charm, though I ended up editing some after the fact to account for style/interface changes.
Hi Substack folks! Thanks for hosting these threads each week and for implementing features that writers mention in them.
Quick question though... if "office hours" is at 2am in the part of the world we're in, is there another way we ought to raise new feature suggestions?
Hey team! Sharing my latest from my biweekly newsletter on behavior, books, and the brain: White Noise :)
“By perfecting our minds, bodies, souls, we are made more perfect for those around us.
By loving ourselves, we are better able to love others.
From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, our relationships make up the colorful threads that together weave our live’s tapestry. When we unspool these four virtues, we increase our likelihood of living a Good Life.”
Creating more interaction, immersion and community can be done through Polls, and I'm curious how it can be implemented in a Newsletter format.
As someone who does this a lot on LinkedIn posts, and who asked for this feature, I'm pretty satisfied with the quick turn-around of Substack's team on this feature.
I actually think Polls can be used to get audience feedback on the subject matter in various places in most Newsletter formats, not just as a way to "survey" our audience at the end.
Polls to me can help Creators sync public opinion on a "shared narrative or reaction" to something that happend in the real world. How could micro-feedback loops inform your story-telling?
Will there be metrics on which Email accounts participate on polls? Is there the ability to adjust for how long they are live? I'll have to experiment with this feature to better uncover its scope.
A lot of creators don't mix up emojis, embedded Tweets, Videos, Curated bullet lists and other types of formats within their Newsletter (including me). Polls is yet another Substack tool within our Creator tool-kit. Highlight your hyper links guys! I can't wait!
What is the role of SEO in writing our newsletters? Do we need to stack our posts with keywords so that people searching for our content online will find us?
My question is not about polls (but they look like a great thing!)
How do I create a post that is on my substack but not mailed out to anyone? I want to have a stand-alone page or two and then link to it later on as bonus material.
Once you post your article, the share link puts this "?sd=pf" onto the end of your article url. I've seen it in search engines. What does this stand for and what is it?
Hi Matthew! We add that to the end of the URL to help us understand where the link was shared from on our site so that we know what tools are most helpful to our writers and readers. You can remove it without breaking the link.
About the polls: they are nice, but I need more space for the options. Why are they so short? I have a philosophy Substack, so sometimes phrasing the options in a bit more detail is necessary. And there's a lot of space there, anyway. Thanks!
Great idea—thanks for the feedback! As for now, you might consider leaving full details outside the poll. For example, you can write a paragraph (or just bullet points) with longer descriptions of each option before the poll.
I was unavailable for office hours yesterday but was wondering if someone in the community could answer a quick question. Yesterday I noticed that in the app, there was an audio option in many articles to listen to the article read by an AI voice. How do I add this feature to my posts? I couldn’t find anything about it in the support page. Thanks.
Ok I'm a noob and this is A LOT but now I guess I have to learn how to make a poll and also be on time for these little talks. I love how supportive this community is!
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for being here at Office Hours today. We experienced technical issues sending out the Office Hours thread via email today. Thank you for your patience!
We'll be checking in on the thread over the next day and be back next week at the scheduled time to answer your questions.
See you then,
Katie, Bailey, Kelsa, Jasmine, Lulu, Chris, Jack, Mills, Kerianne, Jomarc, Alex, Shaiyan, Kellyn, Rishi, and Varun
Thanks Katie and team!
Please address what I wrote.
Thank you, AM! I really, super appreciate all the support. Love out to you and all.
Eek! Top of my poll vanishes under the subscribe bar so I can't edit title!
In edit mode you can move your subscribe button to different places by dragging and dropping.
Thanks!
📊How do you plan to use polls?
We’re eager to hear creative ways you plan to use the new feature to engage with readers.
One thing that might be interesting for writers to know - polls can be offered to only free subscribers or paid subscribers (the writer can choose), but *not* to the open internet. If a reader wants to comment, they will need to be logged in and at bare minimum be a free subscriber of your Substack. That will hopefully help with capturing new free and paid subscribers to your lists. Would be curious to see how that goes for you all!
Have you tried using it to encourage people to sign up? If I put myself in the position of someone who has only just encountered the Substack, I'll be reticent to sign up/create an account. I'm curious to know your experience as I'm aware I'm probably not a common denominator.
I'll be honest here. As soon as I see that I have to be a subscriber to comment I just navigate away from that stack and subscribe to another. I don't like having to jump through hoops to do something as simple as leave a comment. Often leaving a comment is a way for me to see how engaging the writer of the stack is before I decide to subscribe.
It smacks of corporate ideology to me where corporations require you to lay all your cards on the table before they will even interact with you. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I can accept that one has to be a subscriber to comment - that is true for most platforms. But I get seriously annoyed when one has to be a PAID subscriber to comment.
I think substackers should value their free subscribers more. Many readers have very little money, and most people will want to read and support more writers than they want to (or can) support financially. But they may be supportive in other ways - eg posting the article on social media and getting it a wider readership that way.
I agree. Personally I go either no comments on my fiction and comments open to all on my essays. Interesting discussions can happen in comments and everyone starts out as a lurker, so why paywall a potential way in for future readers? Seems short sighted to me.
This is true, comments at least, increase engagement for the writer, no matter where they come from. So to choke this source of implicit engagement is self-limiting behaviour.
You make a very good point here. It annoys me too when comments are for paid subscribers only. If Substack recommends that our best work be always available to free subscribers, then why not also the opportunity to engage with us as writers.
True.
One reason is spammers - they won't pay to comment. If substack would work harder to get rid of spammers there would be more free comment substacks.
Thanks, Bailey and Katie. Very helpful!
Thanks Bailey!
I see. Thanks!
I'm excited for polls; maybe readers who are shy to comment can voice their opinion through this new option. However, I must warn authors to use this option very sparingly (like once in a blue moon's blue moon). I have seen some very cringe-inducing "polls" on LinkedIn where the question is jokey and the options aren't serious.
Use polls to ask about scheduling changes, changes in delivery times, drastic changes in content styles, going paid and such topics. Posting a poll question along the lines of "Are you excited for Thursday" and options being "Yes", "No" and poop emoji is not productive.
This was going to be my entire content strategy going forward!
Seriously though; great point about using them effectively.
Yes, for all content it's only worth putting out there if it adds value. This is also the kind of thing that makes me groan when I have to use LinkedIn (other than that everything owned by Microsoft induces that reaction for me...) I get that quantity gets you quality, but there are some stuff out there that's seriously pointless.
Great guidance and wisdom.
Yay polls! I'm actually really excited to play around with them.
One word of caution I would share for other writers is not to rely on polls to get your audience to decide your content for you. I think it can set a dangerous precedent and make it seem like you're not structuring your newsletter in a way that's comfortable for your audience. When you seem uncertain, it can make your audience feel uncertain. By all means, give your audience specific options, like choosing between two topics you've already chosen or something. But I've seen a lot of writers/creators feel shackled to their audience's whims because they take their feedback as gospel, and that can cause problems with reader confidence. Just my two and a half cents!
That makes sense. I used to do some tutorials as a grad student. One time I told my students that their questions would guide our tutorials, and of course I used their questions to get us through all the week's material. But the perception that I was responding to their questions really bugged a lot of students. So next time I told them I had a plan but they could ask questions and I'd check items off the plan to make sure we got through the whole thing. They greatly preferred that. My actual method was exactly the same, but I think they felt better just being reassured that there was in fact a plan.
Totally agree! A poll can inspire a post, but I wouldn’t subscribe to a writer who writes to the polls all the time. At the end of the day the writer is the best authority of their work; polls are a useful tool, not a substitute for editorial judgment
Like poll focused politicians. Never ends well.
Lol I was going to say, we know how Referenda turn out...
People who respond to polls are inherently more interested in the topic than the general public, to the point of wanting to influence the politicians. “The tail winds up wagging the dog,” the politician realizes that they have let something get out of hand, like, say, anti-vaxxing, tries to tone it down and gets booed.
Totally agree!
Another factor to bear in mind is that polls tend to skew towards particular personality types. A small number of highly opinionated readers (who aren’t necessarily representative of your overall readership) can give you a false idea of what the silent majority think. And good polls are surprisingly hard to construct! It’s very easy to be trapped inside your own presuppositions, and fail to offer an option that many would like to choose. So, use polls, but don’t be ruled by them. Take advice, take feedback, but you still have to steer the ship.
I appreciate this advice – especially about staying confident about what I’m writing. My readers are important, of course, and I listen to their feedback, but I also know they value my writing most when I’m passionate about the topic.
You should always be the creative driver for your work. The audience is important, but they also change as people subscribe and unsubscribe. There are acceptable scenarios where an author never needs to use a poll.
I agree - I want to stay passionate about what I write. If some readers want me to go down a path I would prefer not to, I end up either disappointing them or writing half-heartedly. Not a good scenario for anyone. I want to use the poll feature but at this stage, it will be: podcast narration - yes or no?
Really good point. I think I will only use them to decide content when I'm undecided about which direction to take with something. This is particularly true with our media/teacher Substack because we want to do episodes over things people have actually watched.
Fair point, S.E., could be a double-edged sword if not used with care.
thanks, so true!
Excited about this new feature! I usually end my posts with some questions to encourage conversation. That’s worked well for me, but I know that not everyone who wants to participate feels comfortable leaving a comment. So I’m planning to use polls as a way of bringing in more reader voice but with a lower barrier to entry
Yay for integrated polls! I'll be using them for my end of the year reader survey for sure. I'm also going to experiment with them as a game mechanic.
Very curious to see if participation increases without the extra step of having to click to a Google Form.
Thanks for adding polls! I already have two feature suggestions, lol.
1. I'd love the option to hide the results of the poll, which is typical for a survey.
2. I'd also love the option for a write-in answer vs. multiple choice.
I definitely agree with both of your points, Geoffrey.
I concur on both point!
I love the idea of a write-in so people can come up with things you hadn't thought of!
I’m assuming it will. Less friction is usually a good thing!
Yeah, they should really help for audience surveys, assuming there’s a relevant sample size. And I’m really eager to see how you use them for game mechanics. Adventure Snack is about to level up the fun, people!👍😁
Haha, thank you! I did a poll-based snack recently...
https://adventuresnack.substack.com/p/giant-robot-spring-break
...but I think an integrated poll like this would've made it more convenient and fun!
I love the end of the year survey idea!
I do a survey before my holiday break, so I have time to really think about the results.
Have you considered adding them to your games as a way to show players whether they made the same choices as others, a la Tell-Tale games?
One of my favorite parts of finishing one of those stories was finding out whether I'd thought of a solution or gone down a different path compared to everyone else.
That's a neat idea. In the early days, I would tweet how players responded using links clicked stats. Maybe I'll bring that back.
Sounds fun!
Happy Thursday to everyone and welcome to any new writers. I could see myself using polls to get reader feedback on potential topics or new directions to take my newsletter.
Ryan Butta asks "Should I return to the office?"
98% of the audience responds "yes"
Ryan Butta: Well, damn, I walked into that one didn't I?
:-D
Ha! Yes, I won't be asking that!!
would be sweeeeet to see some choose-your-own-adventure style fiction on Substack using polls
Geoffrey is on it! https://on.substack.com/p/office-hours-44/comment/7308988
Ha! We posted a similar reply at the same time.
I always recommend Adventure Snack. He’s the go-to for choose your adventure.
Subscribed! Thanks for the rec.
That's awesome!
That is indeed a lovely idea.
I just had an idea! You know those Goosebumps books from the 90's? Where at the end of a chapter you can choose what the characters do next, and then turn to a different page?
Could you use polls to give readers a choice, and then it either:
- directs them to the substack post that follows that story line
- they get put on a separate mailing list, and then next week they get the next chapter for their story line.
Am I making things complicated? :')
I LOVE that idea!
so fun. I love a choose your own adventure book.
I'd love to see this happen!
I can let readers vote on premium content.
I could also show two versions of an illustration and ask which they prefer.
I could ask about posting schedule
I could ask them to pick their side on an issue
That’s a good idea.
Oh I love the two versions of an illustration idea!
The possibilities for the use of polls on my “Great Books, Great Minds” Substack are INFINITE! Just sayin.
I just used polls for the first time a couple of weeks ago on LinkedIn and my engagement went stratospheric.
Wow that's awesome to hear! Will you please keep us posted as you experiment?
Absolutely!
I've just tried it at https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/a-zen-story?sd=pf. I think it's a great idea, but am I right in thinking only one question can be asked?
Looks like per poll, one question. But maybe you can embed multiple polls?
That's right: one question per poll, but you can embed multiple polls.
And Terry, I really like that story.
That might be an idea, thanks!
I've always wanted to know what type of articles my readers want more of as I cover a lot.
My most popular post with 1k+ views is still the one I wrote about self learning after dropping out from school
https://mindvoyage.substack.com/p/a-dropouts-guide-to-self-education
I bookmarked this post, so much useful stuff in here. A suggestion: you could consider re-posting this to Twitter and LinkedIn. You can turn it into a new post or thread with the list of resources and a link to your Substack post at the bottom. In times of economic volatility, people often invest in education and self-improvement, so your post will be extra relevant for the foreseeable future.
Interesting idea...I haven't made a post on LinkedIn before.
How would I do this?
Go to LinkedIn, then go to your Profile (by clicking your face), then scroll down to your Activity, then click "Start a post."
First, join LinkedIn, if you haven't already. I always post my new article links on LI just as I do Twitter, FB, and several others! For example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-kyle-018898145/
Good luck!--Brad
As some other people have mentioned, I'll use them sparingly - maybe twice a year. I can't even buy a loaf of bread anymore without getting a survey asking about my experience (which, to me, is a poll). So I'm happy we have the option but they will be used sparingly.
"Please answer this quick 50 question poll about the quality of this post..."
Please answer this quick 50 question poll about whether you find polls useful...
Very interesting to hear about Polls on Substack! I use these on Twitter (@markdykeman) as an unscientific way to connect and get info from my fellow Twitter users. The extra comments these polls generate are also great for discussion.
I expect I'd use Polls the same way in my Substack newsletter (howaboutthis.substack.com). I think these might replace my use of Substack Threads. Ultimately, I'd use Threads as a means to spur discussion and engagement, and perhaps get ideas for new newsletter posts.
If you are looking to grow on Twitter, https://newslettertosocials.com auto-creates engaging tweets directly from your publication! I've scheduled weeks of content in like 15-30 minutes
I must look into this. I'm not on Twitter, and am currently relying on Instagram. Thanks for the tip.
This is such good news. I plan to use it to get more insight about my readers about why they read me.
I doubt if I'll use them myself, but I'll probably check in on others. I'm not sure they'll mean much to us as writers. I'd much rather ask questions in an essay and read and interact with lengthier comments.
Ramona you see to have great engagement in your comments section. Do you have any tips for that?
I don't know about 'tips' but I try to make my newsletter a community event, where everyone (I hope) feels comfortable enough to share in the conversation. I write in conversational first person, so that may help as an ice-breaker.
I want us to feel as if we're sitting around my parlor just hanging out, each of us having something to say. I usually ask a question at the end, just to get it going.
Does that help?
As a subscriber to Ramona's newsletters, she has achieved her goal very well.
Thank you, Janice. I'm happy to see you there!
Certainly, thanks for sharing!
Great! Always nice to see you there.
Celebrating one year on Substack this week! I started with a handful of essays from by BlogSpot page and 16 friends / family members whom I’d cajoled into signing up. Now I’m at 57 posts and 146 subscribers, with no plans to slow down! Thank you to Substack for making this splendid and fun environment, and enabling my writing to flourish!
Go William!
Congratulations!
Congrats! We're lucky to have you and your work on the platform.
Well thank you sir!
Awesome!
Way to go!!!
Thats a big win. Congratulations William!
Congrats!
Congrats on the anniversary!
Happy anniversary, William!!
Congratulations! That's great progress, William.
Great work!
Celebration indeed!
Little win share: 2 days ago one of my issues made it to the homepage of Hacker News and racked up +20,000 views in a couple hours.
I will have a pretty unusable stats page for 30 days (all the other days are flat at the bottom in comparison) but feeling pretty accomplished ❤
Well done! Hacker News is a great community that enjoys Substackers...
Why are you so talented
See, I eat all my veggies.
Extra broccoli dipped in ranch is the answer.
Yes. Probably regardless of the question.
Awesome! Well done! Did you get much conversation to subscribers from those views?
Not a lot of them, just enough to keep me from changing hobbies.
Sometimes, that’s enough!
I don't know Kevin I've been looking into paddle lately and let me just say there's no such thing as racket block
Congrats! 👏 And the thumbnails on your publication are great: eyepopping, stylish, and diverse! 👀
Awww my designer is gonna be overjoyed when I tell him about this comment.
(It's me. I am overjoyed)
Did it net a lot of new subscribers?
Let's just say my HN virality was more about the journey than the subs I made along the way
Hell yeah. That's at least a medium win, Loudt :) Can you share the link?
Oh well if it's a medium win then the wine I bought to celebrate is gonna be too cheap.
Here's the link: https://www.welltechnically.news/p/sex-is-going-out-of-fashion
Here's the HN post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31822549
That's awesome. Would you be game to share the link here?
Well now I regret not having gone through 18 more rounds of edits and 12 extra hours of research to make sure it was my finest work.
the article: https://www.welltechnically.news/p/sex-is-going-out-of-fashion
the HN post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31822549
Hey all! Happy Office Hours, and here's a little encouraging thought for your week: Is your Inner Critic allowed to drown out all the other good, creative influences in your writing journey? Don't let it! Our Inner Critic is a vital part of the team, and they have a specific job to do during revisions, but NOT during the initial phases of writing, and NOT to keep you from creating without shame. When they escape their boundaries they can do serious damage! Don't let them bully, discourage, or silence you. Make sure you're balancing them out with patience and compassion for yourself and plenty of play! And as always, remember: DON'T give up! 🌿
How do YOU keep your Inner Critic from stifling your creativity? Give us your tips!
One thing I try to do is write first thing in the morning. Ideally, I roll out of bed, make some coffee, and start writing. Usually, my inner critic wakes up late, after I check email and social media, so it helps to get going before the critic has a chance to comment.
It's always good to know your Inner Critic's habits. 😁 Such a good tip!
Totally hear that, Michael! And I just subscribed to yours!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy the stories, got a great one coming your way this Sunday!
Looking forward to it!
Yes! Beat the inner critic out of bed!
If you have to eat the frog, make it the first thing you do...
Ha! Good answer! I like your style.
Thanks! Now I just wish I could put into practice everyday, instead of some days. 😁
Hitting publish by a deadline, even though I know I will find mistakes later. I often want to hold back because something feels incomplete or imperfect. So making a deadline for myself forces me to let go of that need for perfection. Then when nobody points out any glaring mistakes I breathe a sigh of relief and keep going.
Also it has been important to learn how to accept constructive feed back.
Having a deadline as a forcing function really helps drown out the inner critic.
100%!! Learning to accept critique can make ALL the difference! 🌿
Deadlines work for me too. I have 4 mornings each week to complete the newsletter for the next week, so the inner critic can just chatter as much as it wants but the ticking clock holds more weight!
Also writing about what I love, from my own unique point of view, helps. It lessens the trap of comparisons, an inner critic's favourite food, lol.
For me, a first draft is never a place to do revisions. It's just a tool for getting all my thoughts out of my head. I'll even use filler text like "blah blah this point needs researched" rather than start revising before a first draft is complete.
I’m glad to see I’m not alone here! My drafts are riddled with TKs and weird notes in all caps.
Besides the @ signs to address the single *perfect* word issues, I will select and highlight in yellow, bigger issues with that post or reminding me that this notion begs for a post of its own.
Good tips!
“I’m glad to see I’m not alone here!”
As an addiction counselor, the insight, “I am not the only one…” always came up and was reinforced by other group members. There is enough (unwarranted) shame associated with the brain disorder, popularly known as “Addiction” as it is. No need to add self-shame to that obstacle to a successful recovery.
I was just talking about the odd notes and other markers I leave to myself in rough drafts.
Yes, that is the way that I took it. I was just responding to the word “Glad” that made it sound like you were relieved to find that you are not some kind of Odd Duck. As a recovering addict and retired addiction counselor/speech teacher, it is hard for me to pass up an opportunity to throw in something about that plague on humanity (and many writers).
Ok
Very good distinction! It's SO helpful to put yourself in that mental space, that the first draft is purely for getting it out "on paper". Thanks for the wisdom!
You're quite welcome!
I love that - blah, blah. Hahaha.
I'm new and struggled to hit Publish at first, since my prior foray into journalism was long ago! To overcome the Inner Critic and get rolling, this is what worked: I have many (really rough!) drafts on hand. Each week I choose one or two to finish and then choose the one that's shaping up better. I'm also doing a soft rollout, letting my contacts know about the newsletter gradually as I hit Publish on more pieces over time, so it doesn't feel too daunting too quickly.
“I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggonit people like me.”
Oldie but goodie SNL sketch quote.
The redoubtable Stuart Smalley!
Here's the thing - I ain't a writer - if I can put it out there on Substack and beat the confounded inner beast 💪 then anyone can...just saying.
If you're writing you're a writer. Just do your thing. The rest is noise.
I was never very good at listening, I just keep writing and put it out there.
I love this thought for the week! Thank you!
I'm so glad it resonated, Jessica!
Totally!
Hey, S. E.! Always good to read your replies. At a minimum, you are always supportive and have good suggestions when you offer them.
I am writing and planning to post a new comment before the end of the actual “hour,” that will address your other posts as well.
Hi Pete! Happy Thursday! 🌿
See what I mean! At least always "supporitive!"
My inner critic usually clams up as soon as I start writing. The earlier start, the better.
Thinking too much is often the death of a good writing session, I find. Thanks for the tip, Kevin!
This is a good point...the same happens to me. Procrastination is fodder for Inner Critic. She gets quiet once I start actually doing stuff.
The inner critic or narrative is always a trap for me that maybe contributes to writer's block, procrastination, or falling down too many rabbit holes of small things not related to getting into the writing flow. It inspired me to do an article on the topic, inspired by an actual editor helping me then. https://www.inmindwise.com/p/the-wisdom-from-an-editor
Yes, reading first drafts before they're completed is a good way to lose the will to complete them.
Yep...this is my biggest problem!
I appreciate all this! I have something called a kick-ass file on my desktop and try to keep up with testimonials for many of my projects in there. And I just subscribed to yours!
Oh, these are GREAT tips! Thank you, Astrid! 🌿
I’m really happy to see polls being rolled out! I’d like to do a lot more surveying of both paid & free subscribers and this’ll let me do it.
Same here. Substack’s fast turnaround on the implementation of polls is another great example of how they listen to writers and proactively move on requests to give us great tools to work with, making us feel both heard and supported. I sure wish another platform (whose name I won’t mention but rhymes with tedium) would show as much care and concern for its writers.
We love hearing this. The engineer who built polls is in office hours today :)
Give them a raise. I have spoken.
I couldn’t agree more, Chris.
100%. The one you mention seems to be doing their level best to push writers away. I don’t get it.
I am so new here that I barely understand what is happening and how this works!
Seems like we are adding comments to the bottom but they are a range of topics, are we only talking about polls? Are we talking about anything specific or can we? I literally started on Substack last week and am looking forward to writing another newsletter tomorrow.
I just wanted to participate here so this might be completely irrelevant and not a good use of anyone's time, but just wanted to be part of it!
It's overwhelming at first. Wait, I've been doing this for 15 months and these discussions (as well as all the new features) can STILL be overwhelming. Small bites. Pick up what you can. Jump in with questions or with responses. Great group of folks here - all willing to help! Welcome to the Substack circle! :)
It's so true! It's hard to keep up with the writing and the social mediaing and the implementing new tools and the .... LOL
Thanks for the welcome! Have you found it necessary to speak about just one subject? Along those 15 months, did you start off speaking about one topic and then move to something else? What was that process like? And what kind of results have you seen after those 15 months?
You can start your own conversation/question right here and people will respond, or you can join in on someone else's conversation. We're just a bunch of friendly folk here, all doing our best to figure things out.
There are no dumb questions. So welcome!
Thanks Ramona!
You're welcome!
Welcome to Substack! I've found the community of writers here to be super friendly. Substack has a great selection of resources in their "on writing" section about setting up the basics and getting started.
But one of my favorite things about Substack is how receptive it is to the writing community. A lot of features here have been added at the suggestion of community members themselves. Huge shoutout to the engineers, development team, and EVERYONE at working to keep this a great place to write and grow.
By the way, if you need any help on your journey, or find yourself with substack questions, feel free to reach out to me directly at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com.
I've been at this for a little longer than a year and have tried to be at EVERY SINGLE writer office hours since. I'd be more than happy to help you as needed!
Thanks so much for displaying the very quality you're praising! I'll definitely be in touch, I'm still wrapping my head around it all. I'll be sure to check out the resources as well to see about fine tuning this machine.
I didn't realize this was such a big deal to be at. I RSVP'd last week but didn't show up. Lesson learned.
Katie from substack usually comes on with a starter question - today it's about polls. Right after her question, you should see "reply" "collapse". if you click on collapse, it'll hide all the answers/comments to her posts. You can then see other posts. People ask and comment on anything substack related. Hope that helps.
Gotcha, yes that did seem like the format. I guess I thought that I barely have subscribers and started last week, polls seemed so far on the horizon now anyway.
Greetings, C.A., and welcome! If I may offer a suggestion as you're just starting out, and haven't settled on a pattern/theme, etc yet....see if you can come up with a creative title for your 'Stack! Sadly, Substack is literally littered with "Bill's Newsletter" and "Susie's Newsletter"s. El yawn-o!
My theory is that if a writer can't spend more than the two seconds it's obvious was spent to just slap one's given name in front of the word, "Newsletter," I'm not about to assume they're able to put any care, creativity, and thought into what's IN said newsletter!
I make it a point to avoid like a COVID-riddled leper any 'Stack scribe who has named their work, "So-and-so's Newsletter." Be better......PLEASE!
By the same token, I've subscribed to several letters precisely because I was attracted to their immediate and quite apparent ingenuity displayed in their 'Stack name/title! Examples?
Sean L. McCarthy's "Piffany": https://piffany.substack.com/ Not that you have to make up a word, but Sean simply took "epiphany," and gives his readers "a piffany" in his comedy-laden posts!
With a name like "Piffany," I feel like I'd miss more if I didn't subscribe than if I passed up "Sean's Newsletter," which says absolutely nothing about what I'd be reading or missing!
You don't even have to KNOW what Mitchell Stirling's "The Run-Out Grooves" (https://therunoutgrooves.substack.com/) is about! His concise, yet clever title suggests record albums, and indeed, the last song on an album is what he details, impressively, on each post!
I know I wouldn't even consider subscribing to "Mitchell's Newsletter," even if all his content was just as it is now! Such is the importance of a thoughtfully-conceived title, in my rarely humble opinion!
Aren't we glad Tolstoy didn't stop at just, "Leo's Book" for his "War and Peace"!? Hearing THAT title would certainly force me to side-step it if I was looking for a book on ancient Egyptian macramé for yaks. "Leo's Book"? I'd have no idea.
I offer these two cents gently, and with the hopes your 'Stack will be successful, with the passing along of just how important your key coupla/few words can be in introducing new readers to your work! By the way, it makes it easier (depending on what you settle on as your title)---and more fun to advertise!
Many times on Twitter or FB, I've said something like, "May I lift the rope line to "Front Row & Backstage" for you? You're always welcome!"
By now, I'm sure I've over-sold the point. May Martin Mull have the last word: "Some people have a way with words; others, not have way."
And, good luck, and go get 'em, C.A.!😉👍
Wow thank you for such an awesome response! I took this to heart and just updated my newsletter name and description. What do you think?
And, bless your heart for taking it with the kind intent I had hoped you would! 'Tis a lesson so many 'Stackers would/could learn!!! "What do I think?" I'll TELL you what I think! I'm subscribing immediately, and I should have a long line of fellow 'Stackers following my lead!!! For support and encouragement, if no other reason! Beard on, C.A.!
And, bless your heart for taking it with the kind intent I had hoped you would! 'Tis a lesson so many 'Stackers should/could learn!!! "What do I think?" I'll TELL you what I think! I'm subscribing immediately, and I should have a long line of fellow 'Stackers following my lead!!! For support and encouragement, if no other reason! Beard on, C.A.!
The polls may be a primary topic, but you can also use this time to ask general questions and most likely you will be able to find someone answer your question.
I think polls will be a great way to drive content - not in the sense of "what do you want me to write about?" but to give me more sense about what's relevant to my readers.
I write about food and culture and some of the questions that I'm going to ask will be things like "Do you shop at a farmers market?" or "Has inflation changed how you shop for food?" and those answers can drive the direction of my content.
That sounds like a great way to incorporate polls! I like the idea of using the questions to drive content but not necessarily asking readers to choose between specific topics.
I also just popped over to your newsletter and as a fellow food culture writer (although I’m based in Spain) it looks right up my alley. Already subscribed and excited to read more!
Thanks for subscribing! I've subscribed to yours too!
Great use of the polls feature! I'm still not sure how I will use polls yet, but I like your example. It's helping my brain move in the right direcion.
Great ideas here, Sarah! And I just subscribed to yours :)
This is wise. Unless a poll has a very large, representative sample, the findings are qualitative in nature. These types of insights are perfect for idea sourcing though.
I would very interested in seeing the results of those polls, Sarah...
I'm going to give one of those questions a try this week!
Shoutout to the Substack team for their continued innovation and commitment to writers. Just have one ask: several writer friends want better ways to render chapters to their serials and be able to toggle to different chapters. Can chapter buttons but put on one row? Currently custom buttons have a carriage return.
Thanks to all my subscribers and writer friends for being a great support. Looking forward to another paid subscriber as my next win. I’m a busy bee! Gotta run! 😘
GRATEFUL for polls! Thank you. That saves going outside (and $$)! YES... to finding our what readers want.
A kudo and a plea: Thanks for the info and the easy way to use polls! My plea: can someone confirm what happens when I recommend more than five substacks to new subscribers or visitors using the recommendations feature? I thought they would rotate but it is not clear that they are. Is there a way to manually rotate/select those that appear ? If not, would you consider making that easier to do? I would like to make sure to share those newsletters that I'm loving. Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth. They are randomly selected at this time. Hope that helps!
But do they rotate so that a different group pops up randomly? Or is it randomly selected once and then remains static? I love this feature but it doesn't seem to do what was originally described when it comes to rotating automatically.
It is randomly selected each time, so if you have 10 publications recommended, a different set will display each time. Hope that helps!
Mine have never reset themselves. If this is a new feature, is there something I need to do to activate it?
Hi! I just subscribed to a new publication that had 7 recommendations – and all 7 were listed. So I’m not sure there is a limit of 5.
Good question - I'd like clarification on this as well, which is why i haven't used the recommend feature yet
This has been a request of mine as well. I’d like to be able to feature all of my recommendations, not just the few that happen to appear at the top of the list. It would be great if I could manually reorder them or they rotated automatically….
Seconding a request to sort recommendations, or have them randomized!
So excited we're finally getting polls. This is going to be an awesome feature!
I wish the new Poll feature didn't proclaim how many people have voted. It's a bit embarrassing when only two or three have!
Good feedback. I will share this with the team!
Agreed. Percentages would be better.
I don’t use pills but I do ask questions on Facebook and gauge reaction. So far my question about women and beauty as we age has struck the strongest nerve, with around 175 comments.
I use this to help decide what to write about.
That's awesome Annabel! I'm subscribing to yours now :)
wow - that's a FANTASTIC response rate!!
and, as I think about it, not too suprised. We women have a lot to say about beauty as we age - that definitely hits a nerve! Keep those questions coming!
Ooh! I love this new feature! I think it’s a good way to commit people to reading the piece. Also, I would love a quizzes feature while you’re on this line of development. :)
How do you imagine you'd use quizzes?
At my last job with a symphony orchestra, we were doing Respighi's "Pines of Rome", and I remember thinking that the composer's name sounded like a pasta dish. I made a quiz called "Is it pasta, or is it music?" and it's by far the most visited page on the website to this day. We sent it out in emails and people kept sharing it.
I think for a quick piece of light-hearted content a quiz feature could be a lot of fun and a piece that our audiences would love to share.
Great idea! I could show a picture with lots of Chinese characters and ask my readers what that sign is all about.
Right!? For the more educational publications, it could be great!
Such a fun idea!
Quizzes,YES Kathleen. Love that idea.
Right? :D
Exciting! Can’t wait to try it!
I’m some questions or feedback around UI, currently I have 2 newsletters in the same account but they are not linked, I’m finding it a few steps too many to toggle between them.
Could we have a toggle button?
2. Header and Footers don’t appear in the app, this means that I have to think of many permutations of how The newsletter will show up in all the different scenarios…
Could we have some version of footer or header in the app?
Thanks!
This is my situation too. I’m thinking of copying my content from the less used one and making a brand new Substack account for that one. I assumed since they promote having multiple newsletters on an account as a useful feature that it would be useful but I’ve found it not to be the case.
I figured out that you can disable publications, so that the one you are actively writing for is the only one visible. It's in "Edit Profile" -- "Listed publications." I was hoping to add a screen shot to show this but it won't let me. But it would be great if you could drag the publications in the order you choose instead of having to disable. But it does work.
Hi all. I am new here and love this resource. Thanks to everyone for sharing such great insights. My subscriptions are basically zilch, so I'm looking forward to implementing some suggestions found here to see how they help grow my numbers.
Welcome to Substack!
I just subscribed!
Thank you!! I am heading to Finding Home now.
I have a question regarding video usage. I have terrible YouTube numbers (last video had 5 views) and I really want to see how I can get videos to get both more views and engagement here. Has anyone here switched from YouTube to just using the video feature here? Has it made a difference? Any advice?
I don't intend to use video content here for the simple reason I enjoy reading text and I'm catering to people who also enjoy the same. Not overyone enjoys audio/video format, some people specifically want content not on those formats for personal reasons. It really comes down to who your audience are and what they want. If you aren't getting views on a video hog site like YouTube then maybe video is not the best format for what you offer?
I It's important to consider where you shine, if your writing is stronger than your voice acting or video production why waste time with those formats? No video is better than a bad one.
Since part of my Substack is about travel, I see video as an enhancement, not a replacement. I personally like reading and I'm a much better writer than video maker, but I also understand that there is something to be said for being able to see a place in addition to reading about it. I'm trying to find the balance.
why wouldn't you use both? you can post youtube videos here.
True, but I'm still not sure which platform I prefer.
That makes sense. Good luck w deciding!
Your question is kind of like debating between buying a Jeep, or a Corvette, but your deciding factor is gas mileage. I think you're missing out on the actual strengths and weaknesses of the platform.
Flat out -- if the big problem you're looking to solve is viewership, I don't think Substack will fix that for you. Substack does not curate content, which means if someone isn't on your email list, they will not see your video, period. YouTube's discoverability isn't great, but at least it exists.
Granted, I think that there are strong arguments for switching your video platform to Substack:
-Business model that makes it easier to succeed with a smaller following
-Fairly applied community guidelines
-No concerns with demonetization or de-ranking because you discuss topics the platform doesn't consider "advertiser friendly."
In short, you're building a brand in a spot where you are only beholden to your audience, not advertisers or an esoteric rules committee.
But still, Substack will not make it easier, per se to pull in new viewers. You'll still have to be a bit creative when attracting an audience.
You use YouTube, correct? Would it be foolishly redundant to upload the videos to both locations?
Not at all! I use both occasionally, but I have no plans to devoting my full time to cultivating a YouTube following. It's just not the road I want to go down.
Same. I guess it doesn't hurt to post to YouTube for potential exposure and then posting in Substack to send to my subscribers :-)
@Katie Some of us had trouble getting in today. No link and could only get into last week's. Just so you're aware.
Thanks for flagging, Ramona! We are aware and our engineers are working on it.
Thanks. You all do such a great job here. I should have known...
Hi-- I write about addiction and recovery and have podcast--"Breakfast with an Alcoholic'" at https://thanksforlettingmeshare.substack.com and love being here! I wonder if there are some benchmarks/metrics that are available so that I could get a clearer picture of where I am and where some of the thresholds might be? Would it be possible to share anonymized data from across substack--or something like that?
Thanks so much, did I mention that I love it here?
I would love to see a data set of total Substack newsletters, average readership size, etc.
There is a lot of information on your dashboard: subscriber numbers, podcast downloads. As far as bench marks that depends on your goals. Do you want to build a email list for a future book? Are you trying to build an audience for your pod? Are you wanting to be paid for your work? Is this just a place to build a community? Knowing your goals will help you define your thresholds and bench marks.
I'm pretty obsessive about my numbers--was wondering more about benchmarks: avg podcast downloads, avg views, etc---I see my numbers growing--which is a good thing, but it's hard to get a sense for where that puts me as far as considering when to go paid.
Hi there!
A lot of writers recommend launching a paid tier from the beginning - but it just depends on how you're planning on dividing paid/free content! I hear your ask for benchmarks - but the truth is, there is no one answer re: the right time to go paid. Everyone's publication and audience size is so different!
We have some resources to help shape your thinking around going paid here - https://substack.com/going-paid-guide?utm_source=menu-dropdown
ok--was just trying to get a sense for those different audience sizes.
I have a paid option even though I only have just over a 100 subs. This is because there are people who are kind enough to support me because they care. I put out a little extra just for them (not much though). My average views lately have been several hundred and that results in some new subs. I am happy with this slow growth, but that may not be your temperament or mindset and that is fine.
How does the hundreds of views generate new subs? Just wondering because I haven’t been able to understand a correlation. My views are often in hundreds but never have I added subs. I am almost positive that 99 percent of the views are in the email so little to no app or site views. Can’t tell if that is a factor or not. is there a place to promote newsletter in Substack?
I’d like those metrics too, but there’s 5-6 outliers that might skew everything.
By the way I used to be able to correct typos on my comments. How come I can’t do that anymore?
Are you using the app or a webpage to comment?
The app
We don't yet have "edit" in the app. Sorry about that :/
Hi Maria! I just tried it and was able to edit one of my own comments. Are you logged in as the same user as the one who wrote the comment?
Also, would you be able to share a link to the comment you're trying to edit?
Yes this is the only account I have for substack
https://on.substack.com/p/office-hours-44/comment/7309514?r=j06gq&utm_medium=ios
I wanted to edit pills to “polls”
Hmm, from everything I see, you should be able to edit the comment. However, if you are on the app, then we don't have the edit comment functionality available yet :(
Oh 😂 that explains a lot. Thank you so much for looking into this. I will continue making typos for sure 😆
Hit the ellipsis
I only see three dots and options to share, delete or report the comment.
Mmm... when I hit the 3 dots it comes up Edit comment. Maybe a tailored feature recognising my awful typing!
I used to get the edit option but not anymore
I will use pills to ask readers what they want me to write more about: recipes or nutrition articles or a little of both
I use "pills" when readers tell me what they really think of my writing. 😉
I can’t correct my typos 😂 I don’t see the option to edit. I only see delete or hide
And my immediate reaction was that here is a new social media tool I was just learning about :)
Wow oh wow oh -- da bomb! Love the option for polls, SS folks. THANK YOU. 😍
A request that's critical for me: Something I loved about working in WordPress back in the day was that I had the ability to take a published post and shift it back to DRAFT mode, so it stayed in my dashboard but was no longer publicly on the site. Please add an option like this! 🙏🏼
Hi Frederick,
You can do this today by going into a published post > settings > scroll to the bottom and click [Unpublish] and it will just show up in your dashboard but not in the public feed.
#winning -- thanks Katie.
Hi there!! I’m a fiction writer here on substack and I am releasing a novela in a serial format.
Finding unique ways to promote this project has been difficult. What, aside from posting on twitter and other social media, would be a good way to bring more attention to it?
One suggestion: Find potential readers where they’re at. After you define your ideal reader (we’ll do this together in chapter 1 of orientation), research where these people congregate online and in real life: conferences, Facebook groups, subreddits, and more. Create a rolodex of potential outreach opportunities, and start engaging in these spaces and sharing your work. For his local news publication, Tony Mecia partnered with Charlotte’s local radio station, local Facebook Groups, and even hosted an awards show. (https://on.substack.com/p/spotlight-on-local-news-with-tony#details)
I've done this promoting stuff for my employer (which is a media company). I find when you arrive in a new facebook group or forum people assume you are a troll or spamming even if what you have to offer is pretty relevant. Also a lot of people hate anything that smacks of 'commercial' which is a bit ridicuolus when we all have to make money somehow. Just my two penneth.
Awesome! Thank you so much! How do you recommend getting eyes on it from in person events? Bookmarks/printed collatoral? Some kind of other “swag.”
I want to make sure I am still in service to my readers while just kind of letting them know I exist in this capacity. 😂 The struggle for me is always the sharing part.
How do I report a spam subscriber? I deleted them, but in my stats, that email is viewing my newsletter every minute, making my stats really ridiculous. (I wish they were authentically that high). I don’t know how to alert the Substack authorities. Thanks.
Hey, you can't just delete them, you have to ban them.
Copy their email, and head over to your general settings page in your dashboard. Scroll down to "manage bans," and type their address in there!
Hi Steve. Drop us a line at safety@substackinc.com and we can get to the bottom of this.
Okay I’ll do that. I did ban the email from subscribers and commenting but doesn’t stop viewing and inflating numbers
This is really strange. I'm curious to see what's been going on here.
I’m assuming at least that anyone/bots can view posts and inflate stats so bans are limited in scope.
Ok, I'll jump in headfirst instead of dipping my toes. First and foremost, polls sound awesome. Once I have more people who are interacting and following me, I'm assuming polls will be a great tool to hear and listen to my audience, and cater to what people want to hear (without sacrficing what I want to talk about).
That leads me to my second point. How do you figure out what to talk about? For now, I'm just getting started with online writing and more strucuted writing. I had an identity as a writer for such a long time, and I write a lot of short promos these days, but now I'm getting in the flow of figuring what it is that I want to do. I appreciate the journey of figuring it out, but when I see quotes like 'do many things outside. do one thing online.' it seems counterintuitive to my non-linear thinking.
What have you done to figure it out? Did you try writing about different subjects until you 'settled'? What's your journey been like? This is @everyone and @anyone who wants to listen.
This sounds like a good time to figure out what you want to write.
I have a format that I came up with that allows me to be creative but also helps when I have writers block.
I just responded to your first post. Perhaps, for now, the focus of your writing might be the journey itself to discovering what to write about. Keep it authentic, from your heart. Don't try to find the right formula. Personally, I can't imagine starting this kind of project without knowing what topic you are compelled to write on, so that's why I think maybe it's the journey that is your topic. Also sounds like there has been a big shift in your life. Maybe write about that.
This is all great advice. Yes, I've noticed that what I am gravitating toward in my writing is expressing 'figuring this out', so that's cool to think that THAT is what I'm writing about. Instead of thinking of a subject now and getting caught up in the fact that I'm not 'niching' down. A big shift? For sure. Tectonic since 2016 haha.
Trying to grow on social media? I created the first newsletter-specific social media tool. Many of the features integrate directly with your newsletter. You can auto-generate social media posts for all platforms and schedule them to auto-post. I now spend only 15 minutes on promoting my newsletter on social media each week and have had great results!
https://newslettertosocials.com/
Interesting. I have to say, I'm using Substack primarily as an alternative to social media. I was able to use social to grow large audiences but that was in 2010-2015 times. But the days of organic growth on social are long past. These days, I don't think you can reach many new people without dedicating hours and hours to sharing in groups, etc. or paying to promote -- neither of which are acceptable strategies or investments IMO. I do occasionally share posts on FB, IG and Twitter, but I absolutely detest spending any time on those platforms, so I think it's safe to say my ability to make a splash is not great.
Yes the game has certainly changed. Now, just sharing your content or url's on social media will not give you any return. It's much more of a long game, but when it starts working, it is powerful.
You need to pull out the golden nuggets of content from your newsletter. Things like the stats, hooks, questions, quotes, etc. When presented to your target audience, these sorts of things will catch their attention. They won't immediately subscribe, but they may follow and listen to what you say on social media. Over time, these people do convert to subs when every once and while you mention your newsletter, or they check out your bio. It's not as nice and easy as the 2010's, but it is so worth it in my opinion
Hi everyone and happy Office hours!
Polls sound like a great way to engage audiences and collect general vibes about a topic.
I'm new to Substack and have a more basic question.
I've been sharing a weekly newsletter using MailChimp and grew my list of free subscribers to 2k. The newsletter is to drive thought leadership and consulting/training. What are your thoughts about the sensible way to migrate the newsletter to Substack with free and paid options without upsetting existing subscribers?
Many thanks!
Shlomi
I would just tell everyone what you're doing and say you're migrating them all to free. Offer the paid option for people who want to support you but don't push it. I started a paid feature with nothing extra and I have a few people who are supporting me just because. I would just suggest you not push the paid portion too hard. You can start working on that once you're in substack and your readers are comfortable with the switch. And welcome to Substack!
Thanks, Diane. I like your idea.
Initially, I had thought maybe offer the paid option with the weekly cadence and the free with a monthly cadence. But I see your point, it's less rocking the boat.
With future subscribers the paid option might be with clean slate :)
You can certainly do that but maybe get everyone over first and go from there.
I second this advice. That's what I did with both my Mailchimp subscribers and adding the paid feature.
I don't have any experience with migrating an old newsletter over to Substack, but I do want to welcome you. Visual storytelling - love that. I look forward to seeing what you produce!
Thanks, Jan :) You can get a flavor here: https://www.visualstorytell.com/blog
Welcome! Like others said, we usually recommend folks build up a sizable free list and get into a regular posting cadence before going paid — that way, your readers know what to trust and expect from you.
When you decide to go paid, we recommend being super clear about the benefits for free vs. paid subscribers (what they'll get) and making a big deal from the paid launch announcement. We have a guide on going paid here: https://on.substack.com/p/grow-5
Can we do a poll on how many participants get the "Office Hours are starting now" email two hours late each week?
Oh really! How long has this been happening for you?
I only got the email today after the session was over. Did not get the advance email.
Since I joined, so two months.
I was told people often come early, as the Office Hours are not time dependent. Folks can start way before the posted time.
The prompt question is posted two hours before the published start time, which is what gets the process started. I find it annoying, but promise to never mention it again.
I'm new to Substack and to being a published author ... my first novel has just been released. I find Substack a wonderful writers' environment for using my portal "AFTERTHOUGHTS" to share political essays I'm writing and build a following as part of my next book project. Can I share information about my recent publication, a novel, from my Substack portal? Are there Substack protocols with which I should be compliant in promoting my book projects such as fiction and essay books? Phil Church
Congratulations on your novel, Phil! And your Substack is your space, go for it
Thanks, Lulu. I hope to use the Novel to drive subscriptions to my AFTERTHOUGHTS portal and essay posts, and to use my AFTERTHOUGHTS portal to share word about the novel.
Welcome, Phil! Yes, share anything you want. Congratulations on the publication of your novel. Go ahead and tell us what it is (I'm interested). As for sharing from AFTERTHOUGHTS, share anything you want - it's your space! Consider including great details like this in your "About" section. In the end, you're selling yourself so... go for it!
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but this thread is really for questions about substack - not for promoting your work. Your substack can be all about your book. I'm soft launching my fiction book 7/6 and will be doing a lot around it with my newsletter. What's your novel about/the genre?
Hi, Jan. Hi, Diane. Just FYI the novel, "The Hong Kong Gambit - A Plot to Buy Thailand," is in the international thriller/social justice genre - if there is such a thing. Kinda like John le Carre's "The Constant Gardner" but less moody and with a happier ending. Anyway the link to my Substack AFTERTHOUGHTS portal posting - for the Story Synopsis, Author's note and Chapter 1 is:
https://philchurch.substack.com/p/book-launch-the-hong-kong-gambit?r=1fcok1&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I'd love to hear about plans/strategy for your 7/6 fiction book soft launch. I plan to do a book launch at my residence here in Northern Virginia on July 23 for neighbors and friends networks. My thinking was to direct everyone to my AFTERTHOUGHTS Substack portal for details about the novel.
Ps - 7/6 is soft launch. That is when I’m getting people to buy book and review it. I’ll do a wider media outreach in Sept so this is just to build buzz around it and to get blurbs from public figures, etc.
I did not go the step of getting reader reviews ahead of publishing but had my (hybrid) publisher just put the book out their in print and digital formats on Amazon and B&N. I'm now gifting the book to a few "influencer friends" in professional and social circles of which I'm a part., including Facebook and LinkedIn. I'm also "going for the gold" by getting out press releases to mainstream media book reviewers with the NYT and WashPost, for example. "Building buz" ... I like that, poetic and well as practical.
I’m in the process of putting a street team together for the 9/6 official launch. Still developing mktg strategy. So much to do! You can find more at https://www.wholehealthygroup.com/rock-gods - it’s one woman’s search for herself through a crazed and surreal record company in the 1990s. I’m happy to give yr book a plug in my newsletter if you do same. Feel free to email for more info. I’ll subscribe to yr substack also.
Ditto on both counts. I'll take a look at your link and follow up with you. Happy to subscribe to "Next Draft" as well. I like the portal name. There's always a next draft to writing and to life ... to get a bit philosophical.
thanks!!
Hey everyone. How have you grown on social media? What has worked and was hasn't?
I'm writing my publication about helping newsletter creators grow across the internet. My latest issue was about the top 5 different tools you can use to grow your newsletter on social media!
https://newslettertosocials.substack.com/p/top-5-social-media-tools-for-newsletter
Those are some fascinating resources. I am excited to check them out. For the most part I just share on Twitter, FB, and IG. I also use The Sample to help spread my newsletter as well. https://thesample.ai/?ref=b66a
Hi Caitlin, how has The Sample been working for you?
We've got some stats here: https://thesample.ai/performance/
Most people get a few subs from it, but nothing earth shattering at this stage. Hopefully that'll change if I can figure out how to make it grow faster :).
Good to know, thank you!
Caitlin, thanks for the recommendation to “The Sample.” I’ll dive into it over the weekend.
Hi.
Can amyone help with info on how writers can do a financial arrangement and contract with illustrators for creating illustrated work/books for Substack?
E.g. Substack has comic artists and writers who collaborate to make work. How do they get paid and how does the agreement work?
Can anyone help? Thank you.
Simon
Can I migrate stories on Medium to Substack?
I did this. Download your Medium data, then find the "import posts" section in the settings of your Substack page. Worked like a charm, though I ended up editing some after the fact to account for style/interface changes.
Hi Substack folks! Thanks for hosting these threads each week and for implementing features that writers mention in them.
Quick question though... if "office hours" is at 2am in the part of the world we're in, is there another way we ought to raise new feature suggestions?
Hey team! Sharing my latest from my biweekly newsletter on behavior, books, and the brain: White Noise :)
“By perfecting our minds, bodies, souls, we are made more perfect for those around us.
By loving ourselves, we are better able to love others.
From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, our relationships make up the colorful threads that together weave our live’s tapestry. When we unspool these four virtues, we increase our likelihood of living a Good Life.”
https://www.whitenoise.email/p/virtues
OMG thank you for the polls functionality!!! Will try it out and let you know what happens! Yay!
Dear Substack team,
I was waiting for this feature for a long time!
In my newsletter 10+1 Things, I plan to use it at the end to engage users in interesting polls. Some ideas i can think right of the head are:
1. How much money would be enough for you to never work again? ( 1m/5m/25m)
2. How often do you use pen/pencil for writing?
3. What do you do in the last hour before you sleep? ( Meditate/Read/Write/Smartphone)
Very curious to do some experiments!
Thanks a ton again!
Creating more interaction, immersion and community can be done through Polls, and I'm curious how it can be implemented in a Newsletter format.
As someone who does this a lot on LinkedIn posts, and who asked for this feature, I'm pretty satisfied with the quick turn-around of Substack's team on this feature.
I actually think Polls can be used to get audience feedback on the subject matter in various places in most Newsletter formats, not just as a way to "survey" our audience at the end.
Polls to me can help Creators sync public opinion on a "shared narrative or reaction" to something that happend in the real world. How could micro-feedback loops inform your story-telling?
Will there be metrics on which Email accounts participate on polls? Is there the ability to adjust for how long they are live? I'll have to experiment with this feature to better uncover its scope.
A lot of creators don't mix up emojis, embedded Tweets, Videos, Curated bullet lists and other types of formats within their Newsletter (including me). Polls is yet another Substack tool within our Creator tool-kit. Highlight your hyper links guys! I can't wait!
What is the role of SEO in writing our newsletters? Do we need to stack our posts with keywords so that people searching for our content online will find us?
Weird, this email just came in at the end of the office hours.
Yeah, we had a bug unfortunately! Sorry everyone about the delayed email.
My question is not about polls (but they look like a great thing!)
How do I create a post that is on my substack but not mailed out to anyone? I want to have a stand-alone page or two and then link to it later on as bonus material.
When you go to publish you can toggle in the Delivery to deselect "Send via email and Substack app inbox" and just publish to web.
thanks, I knew it was easy but couldn't find this magic toggle.
Once you post your article, the share link puts this "?sd=pf" onto the end of your article url. I've seen it in search engines. What does this stand for and what is it?
Hi Matthew! We add that to the end of the URL to help us understand where the link was shared from on our site so that we know what tools are most helpful to our writers and readers. You can remove it without breaking the link.
I'm setting up one newsletter but want to create a second newsletter with feeds visible only from the tab, not the home feed. Is that possible?
Hi Joe,
You will always have a main feed of you posts but you can utilize sections to organize beyond that how you wish.
You can reference our guide to Substack sections: https://on.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-publication-sections
I want to create a post with a table with two columns. Is there a way to do that other than creating a photo (which wouldn't allow me to have links)?
I don't think we can yet - people create them in canva. I think you can put one link in if you do it there? you'd have to check tho.
Yep, unfortunately it's not possible yet, so folks usually create them elsewhere and download images / screenshots.
About the polls: they are nice, but I need more space for the options. Why are they so short? I have a philosophy Substack, so sometimes phrasing the options in a bit more detail is necessary. And there's a lot of space there, anyway. Thanks!
Great idea—thanks for the feedback! As for now, you might consider leaving full details outside the poll. For example, you can write a paragraph (or just bullet points) with longer descriptions of each option before the poll.
I was unavailable for office hours yesterday but was wondering if someone in the community could answer a quick question. Yesterday I noticed that in the app, there was an audio option in many articles to listen to the article read by an AI voice. How do I add this feature to my posts? I couldn’t find anything about it in the support page. Thanks.
A slight correction: It's slandermen, not slandersmen that is the sexual harrasser. Please make sure he is backdoor banned from my substack.
Launching a paid version of my newsletter this week! Wish me luck!
Ok I'm a noob and this is A LOT but now I guess I have to learn how to make a poll and also be on time for these little talks. I love how supportive this community is!
Interested in using the poll. Will see how it turns out.
Hope Substack isn't going to be sold and turned into another woke-algorithm-censoring-data-harvesting site. If it goes that route, I'll be gone.