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I'm a fairly intelligent person and I have no idea what the program is about or how it is supposed to 'work.' I read the 'FAQ' page and left even more confused and decided to pass -- as I'd no idea what I was implementing.
What I'd love is a good old fashioned referral code/URL that I could give to people who want to promote my SS and them make a percentage of each subscription that is sold.
So just to clarify, does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral? Or is it just for people who sign up on their own? Also, what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
I’m pretty sure that anyone with a paid subscription is “empowered“ to gift temporary paid subscriptions to their friends. The writer has nothing to do with it.
I get that. But since writers have the ability to offer people discounted paid subscriptions, to the amount of having a zero dollar paid subscription, if I did that, I’m curious about the ability of me to do that.
Technically, I have a paid subscription to my own Substack. Could I as a paid subscriber, add some of my most active free subscribers a referral to a paid subscription?
It's on my list to get looked at this weekend, good idea too and hopefully might drive a few more onto paid subscriptions, got some more work to do on that as it is.
Has Substack considered an option to have a "Buy me a Coffee" option for posts, where the reader can tip the author via a one-time payment? Substack could (and should) still take their cut but it might be more palatable for some readers.
I've been advocating for this constantly. It's money leaving the native substack environment, and it would be great to leave a small tip for articles we like but don't feel compelled to invest in a full subscription. Honestly if I could leave tips, it would help me to realize which newsletters are already worth my money. I'm hesitant to subscribe but very willing to donate--which seems weird but I think explains the prevalence of "buy me a coffee" here on substack.
Co-sign this. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this at the last Office Hours. Not only are people more likely to loosen their purse strings for a one-off, but the one-off would also likely serve as a gateway to a subscription.
Great idea. It could also be another subscription option, like pay a few bucks to be a part of subscriber-only writer threads or to pick one article a month that's paywalled.
That is a great suggestion. Unlock a paywalled article with a one-time donation? It would be like buying a magazine from a newsstand--see a cover you like and go buy it!
This is SUCH a great idea, guy from the internet! Hopefully Substack implements this, but until then, I think it would be neat to offer a 24hr period of access to paywalled articles with a one-time donation via BMAC. That way, subscribers can see how they like it before committing. You would have to keep track manually, though, which isn't a big deal, but still.
I was about to suggest the same thing! One benefit to paywalled threads and comments: you weed out the trolls. Do you think one-time tips would also do this?
This is a really interesting response, Scoot -- do you often tip, when people have Paypal or Buy Me a Coffee links? Or would you be more likely to tip if Substack made this possible?
I have tipped using BMAC exactly once and paid for exactly one subscription. I really *want* to support the writers I enjoy financially, but am trying to be careful lest I ruin my budget with a thousand small subscriptions. If Substack made that possible I would 100% tip more frequently, because I see lots of good writing out there and it would help me feel less bad about not contributing financially with a recurring subscription.
Some have suggested that Substack have a "bundle" program where groups of writers/newsletters, e.g. about 20, can be assembled into a “magazine” or “newspaper“ by the reader.
This would allow the 20 writers or so to share the $5 subscription fee, and it would allow readers to get more content of their choosing for one low price.
Hmm, it's an interesting idea. As a reader, I'd be interested in checking something like that out, but I wonder if writers in a bundle might end up cannibalizing each other.
The way I imagine it could work is to allow the reader to choose *up to 20* newsletters to support with $5.
However, if the reader only wants to support one newsletter, then the $5 is not divided further. But if the reader wants to support two writers, then the $5 is split between the two writers and so on up to 20 writers—or some other number that makes it a good deal for the reader. Maybe 10 would be better.
The reader would have total control, so if the reader wants to unsubscribe from one newsletter the option to just split the $5 with the remaining writers is there, as is the option to add another newsletter to the "bundle".
I think it's a cool idea but it would prob-ly be difficult to monetize it in a way that makes sense and benefits everyone. Medium is essentially doing that right now but the system has a lot of kinks in it.
If inflation continues to be an issue, I feel that in order to have *some* financial support for writers that the cost of subscriptions should be lower for readers. Bundling is one option, but a "donate" button per post is another, as is lowering the cost of a subscription to $1 etc.
I recently tipped a Substack writer who currently uses the "buy me a coffee" option. Not sure I'd be willing to buy a monthly subscription, but I sure am willing to provide some monetary appreciation for particularly good posts, or as a one-time show of support :)
I am giving serious consideration to adding some sort of tip jar to my Substacks. There are lots of reasons why you might not want to ask for paid subscriptions, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be paid something.
On my personal Substack, Collected Rejections, I have this line in my closing paragraph on essays: "I keep these newsletters free by not worrying too much about typos and flow. But if you want to you can tip me, as a treat." It links to a PayPal tip jar. About once a month, someone tips me a few bucks. It's not making me rich, but I think it's nice alternative for people who can't afford to pay monthly or for writers who aren't ready to go full into paid subscriptions.
I use KoFi on both of my Substack newsletters and I like that it's non-invasive and simply a suggestion. I also have paid subscriptions, so tipping is a handy option.
Ramona, your newsletter was the first place I saw this option, and I thought it was a wonderful idea. I've been asking Substack for it for a while now, but KoFi might have to do.
My dream is to donate tips or donations to the Alzheimer's Association because my husband struggled the disease for several years. Checking it out is on my to-do list for the future.
What a wonderful idea. You should be able to do that by keeping track of your donations. even if they go to your bank account, and then sending them on to AA.
I love this thread and all the creative recommendations- from a built-in Substack "buy me a coffee" to readers being able to unlock one paid post or even bundle posts without an ongoing monthly commitment.
I think more options in more places just helps to further shift our collective awareness around the value exchange (and expectations) between reader and writer or creator and consumer. Even writer and platform.
Makes me think about the conversation we had in yesterday's Fictionista meet up, around reader push back to paid subscriptions, and the bigger global challenge in changing how we look at value, worth and sustainability.
I add a couple of options to my free posts for my readers to choose from. I add the regular 'subscribe now' in case my readers have the monthly or the yearly funds to support. I then add a PayPal link to encourage a one-time payment and explain to my readers that all funds given will be used for my wrestling travel to shows that I cover so they can get the exclusive behind-the-scenes info. But I wouldn't mind a Substack version of a one-time payment option for certain posts/podcast eps/video eps and more.
I just received a Buy Me a Coffee donation this week and it came from a substack subscriber. I'm still in the "free subscriptions" phase (just started writing this a few months ago) and the tips keep me going!
Lol it's so funny to feel so good from a $5 donation but I was in a writing rut and the free "coffee" gave me some serious motivation to keep going!
I like this idea. I had a "tip jar" on my website and would get occasional contributions of $20 or so. I don't think it would be a big money maker for most Substacks, but it's great encouragement when it happens.
I agree that this might work better for some people who can't afford a regular subscription. There have also been several times where I've read a single post written by someone, enjoyed it, but upon further review didn't actually want to subscribe. It would be nice to thank them for the one thing I got from their 'stack without having to commit to something long term.
I agree with this Mark. I'm sure some of us would like to go with a paid option but then if we don't have many subscribers, that part doesn't make sense. I have more views on my articles than subscribers, so not everyone has decided to subscribe yet. I like the "Tip" option on posts.
Interesting idea, Mark! Wondering if anyone has tried including a KoFi, Venmo, or PayPal account into each post? Kind of a pain to do it manually, but I’d be curious to know if any writers here have had success with tipping?
In the beginning, before turning on paid subscriptions, I added my Ko-fi button. Then moved away from that and used my paypal account. I explain now that the funds are used for traveling to wrestling events to cover the shows and bring them the exclusive backstage info. No success yet. Still trying. At least I'm trying.
I've done this in my footer, so it goes out with every email. I let people know that they can subscribe if they want to support me regularly, or do a one-off with "buy me a coffee". Once the email has gone out, I go into the web version and add the note about subscribing/ buy me a coffee. I'd also like the option within Substack to make a one-off payment. I understand their reasons for focusing on subscriptions, which works for the big writers who earn Substack the most money, but for those of us who aren't making a living from it, the one-off option would really help.
I didn't think about this. I just recently updated my header but not my footer. I'm still learning how those two tools work effectively. But I'll give it a try. Thanks.
Love this idea tbh. A tip jar/buy me a coffee would be a great halfway house for a lot of posts/readers. The post is free, building the audience, per Noahpinion's advice from y'day, but still on a nice side option
It's common among creatives to remind their audiences that doing their work for free eventually keeps them from doing their work. A one-time payment for work well done is not an insult, it's a compliment.
Could be semantics. I would be interested in buying individual articles because I'm not always sure if I want to commit to a subscription. I also subscribe to dozens of Substacks. I'm not going to subscribe to all of them (paid), but I would probably pay for the occasional paywalled article for a lot of them.
It's not desperate to give readers options to choose what's best for their money when looking at thousands and thousands of newsletters to support. For example, my newsletter is all about wrestling and my journey in wrestling, and it's difficult getting support. Sometimes, people can't buy their own coffee especially when bills rise, and work wage stays the same. Not everyone is lucky to keep giving the writer a monthly or yearly subscription but if they have the option for a one-time payment towards a post they really connected with, then that's something to look into and that quick payment can help the writer in their time of need. I really do hope your comment is sarcasm though. Everyone has different stories. Maybe we're all broke. Don't assume we're all the same.
Well said. It's OK to have options--it's OK not to use them. Not everyone makes a living on writing, or has the means to support every writer they love with a subscription. Tipping is a great way of showing support.
Streamers stream for free on their preferred platform. They are not guaranteed anything, the same way we aren't but the OPTION IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SUPPORT. Streamers ask you to do:
1) Tip/donate via their paypal
2) Tip/donate via their stream elements tip account (new)
3) Interact with the sponsored stream so the streamer can collect the money for that sponsorship. X-amount of people sign up, thus gives x-amount of money.
There's probably more but no, it's not desperate to ask for subscriptions / one-time payment on a free post. The free posts take time and effort and research to develop meaningful content rather than a dump and go. I don't understand the need to push against an option that might be beneficial for everyone and want to give their community of readers a different option because they understand the struggle. Giving away free posts often has nuggets of knowledge, motivation, ambitious, stories that are sensitive, personal stories, and more and sometimes people connect with that and if they can't be a monthly subscriber for whatever reason, they can donate one time to the writer because they feel like it. Again, not everyone is lucky. Not everyone is the same. And we want our growing community to feel included, leaving the option there while also being awesome with the information sent to their inboxes. After all, our readers/our communities are like family right? Why would you want to leave that option out? Maybe your community would like that one-time donation.
I agree with everything you say! I was responding to Eli, and it was he who used the word, "desperate," so I'll let him own it. Far be it from me to so desperately want to own something that's not mine!😊
Ok. I'm sorry. Next time, refer to him by name so I don't think it was in response to me. The whole thread lines can get confusing and since it was down from me, I thought it was in response to me. Again, sorry. This is slightly embarrassing. Apologies.
It's not begging, it's reminding. We're professionals. We can't always give our work away. When we do, it's a gift. If someone wants to reward our hard work, there's a place for them to do that.
Call it what you want. I currently use a "buy me a beer option" on my posts. If you wan't to sound a bit more high-falutin', I suppose you could ask readers to buy you champagne and canapés instead.
How would that differ, and be more beneficial, Mark (despite the 'Stack involvement and cut), than something like Ko-fi? I use that, but after several months, it's become nothing more than just a pretty QR code at the bottom of my posts as a lamentable, unused ornament.
I have no direct experience to bring to the table but I want to acknowledge that Substack is essentially providing the infrastructure and application rent-free to folks without paid subscribers and I'd like to see them get something.
But, until that happens (if it does), nothing wrong with using what's out there now. My little Ko-fi QR code is a lovely little ornament (apparently, and...sadly, nothing more) at the bottom of MY posts! Maybe it's the wrong color.
Well, and now that some folks have chimed in with, "tipping within the 'Stack environs" keeps people on the site, where a ko-fi link would send them off-site, I finally see the light (and occasionally the heavy).😊👍
Agreed--all this discussion and Time--precious time. The real question--to my mind--is WHY are people so unwilling to put $6 (or about $4.70 US, in my case!!) into something they enjoy... thinking of my hundreds of 4-5 star folks... why???? Why do we have to scramble for nickels and dimes when we are working hard, working to create quality, ultimately making $5/hour.
I think it's because there are so many subscription sites to choose from. That $5/mo multiplied by 10 or 20 adds up. And because it's so hard to choose, many readers would just rather not bother.
I'm sorry it's that way, but that's the reality. I'm grateful for all of my readers and consider the paid subscribers a welcome bonus. They're all special to me.
1) The musicians out there making pennies on their streaming songs probably ask similar questions, when the rock history books are filled with recording artists making tens of millions of $$ 30, 40, 50 years ago.
2) As I opined a couple weeks ago, the people who were quizzically muttering about "online auction sites??! WHAT?!?" in the general direction of eBay, 25 years ago, were, just a half-decade later, heavily involved themselves in this suddenly new and booming marketplace!
3) Not that I'm prognosticating, but we may be in the early days of "Paying for somebody's writing?! WHAT?!" that may, shortly, be more of the acceptable (paid writers and everything!) norm. When sitcom writers start including Substack in their scripts like they did 20 years ago with eBay, we should know we're on to something.
We should all be like doctors, and have a waiting room full of patience.
That's... a difficult question to answer. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and only pay for a small % of them so I imagine there are as many different answers as there are readers.
Please....you're bringing a delicious cake to my pity party, Nikhil! Dang, and there isn't enough room for you to join me on my pity pot, either!
Yes, you did, Nikhil, and you know I appreciate it!🤗But, like wide receiver Kenny Burrough on the awful '70s-era Houston Oilers, you're all alone in the end zone! But, yes, that ornament stands today as a far less lamentable ornament, thanks to you!💖
I do have a few who give to my Ko-Fi account and I'm always grateful, especially when they leave an encouraging note. Don't be afraid to highlight it. It's not an obligation, it's a gift.
Oh, yeah, I know....so much of my bloviating here is with tongue firmly in cheek. I just stick it at the bottom of each article....I'm waiting for my first "regular person" to donate....I've had one very sweet and generous fellow 'Stacker donate twice (and he certainly knows I appreciate 'em), but I'd like to see a reader who's truly inspired, say, by my writing to the point of pushing the button!
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: just like anything worth doing, writing is a commitment, a relationship. And every time you pour into it, it pours back into you in ways you can’t even imagine. So every single time you work on your writing in any way, you should be SO proud of yourself! You’re being shaped in ways you could never have planned, remade and reborn all the time, and your readers are just the lucky ones who get to witness that in real time and cheer you on while you take the journey! Remember: keep going, keep writing, and never ever give up! Someone out there needs to read your words! 🌿
I like to think of writing as both a hobby that's worth investing in (like someone who goes on ski trips) as well as public-facing journaling. Kind of like therapy where I work out whatever is on my mind but try to make it relatable to an audience.
As do I. As a matter of fact, I live very close to a wildfire in California. We've been on evacuation watch for four days, everything I love is packed in my car. And I've been writing like crazy, so much to say. My next post comes out tomorrow and I've already got the one after that written. I wouldn't wish a firestorm on anyone, but it sure is nice to have writing to sooth my soul a bit.
Be safe. I know about writing to soothe the soul. My writing began in earnest as my husband struggled with dementia and died of COVID. It has been a life-saver.
Writing keeps me going. Now if only I could get some clients for my writing business. I won't give up. Never give up. It's just stressful. I feel alone. Writing on my substack gets me thinking back on wonderful times, funny times, and sometimes serious times. Hopefully some of my writing will resonate with someone. And hopefully lead me to clients.
This is so good. I use my articles as a method of self help which hopefully helps other people also. You are so right writing is like therapy and the more you put into it the more you get from it.
As always, your words are so encouraging! I agree that writing benefits me in many ways, even though it's not yet generating much income, and my readers sometimes let me know my writing benefits them, too.
Thank you for the encouragement. . . I've been writing seriously for about a year - 87 articles, 224 subscribers. Slowly but surely, my dream is coming true.
Thanks for the reminder! It’s true that when you’re just at the beggining it’s a bit discouraging to see that you only have 10 or 20 subscribers but at the same time it feels like each of them are a part of a tiny little family
When I was in radio (mid-'70s), I made it a point to not say, on-mic, "How's everybody doing?" or something equally mass-inclusive. In any given bedroom or car, there's really only one person listening, and it was way more personal to (if you're gonna say anything like that!) say, "Hope you're doing OK today," or "How are YOU doing?" like DJs were so wont to do back in the days pre-automation and pre-satellite, heavily-terrestrial radio days!
Same here: You have a list of separate people subscribing, not a monolithic blob of e-mails and 'Stack stats.
Aw, shucks....just li'l ole me doin' my thing! I believe it was Barney Fife, long ago in the land of Mayberry, who said, "And that is, when you're a law man, and you're dealing with people, you do a whole lot better if you go, not so much by the book, but by the heart."💖
A suggestion to avoid blank screen: Record ideas into a voice recorder. When you sit down to write you will have something to type/transcribe onto the screen immediately. After two years of daily publishing I still have a backlog of ideas on my phone's voice app.
This is related more to a prior thread on paid subscriptions, but I thought I’d take a ride on the fully-deserved popularity of S. E. Reid and post it here.
I was pleased to see that Noah Smith (Noahpinion) was featured in a How to Grow piece that I haven’t had time to read yet. I had already sussed out what I thought was his strategy to increase paid subscribers, before I even joined Substack. He was already the only writer that I paid for due the fact that I am a economics fanboy and also globally concerned person, as I have grand and great grands and want them to have a chance to have a Happy Life, along with the rest of humanity.
When I stumbled onto him, I soon found out that he had a lot of free articles, but also some Paywalled writing and it seems like he offered enough of an opening before moving it behind the wall that made me decide to go paid, in spite of my total dependence on my average Social Security income for living expenses. I’ve been a paid subscriber to Noah for so long that I don’t recall exactly what he did to lure me in, except address my (very wide-ranging) interests.
I am interested to see how he made those decisions, because I have been thinking that might be my own strategy. But…how to implement it? My main area of expertise and the one most likely to provide enough value to readers to be worth paying for is “addiction.” However, that is the area where I am more interested in reaching a broad audience than making the money that could help me to help my Grands to have a sustainable Happy Life.
Congratulations. Please someone could educate me on the most meaningful subscriber to have before going paid and not destroy your brand. To ask for money is really scary
It doesn't have to be scary. Every paid subscription is optional. On both of my newsletters my posts are open to everyone, paid and unpaid subscribers alike. I make it clear that any payments are to support the writer and not to give them special access. I'm happiest doing it that way, but everyone has their own thoughts about it.
Just do it! You can always change your format later. Good luck!
Don’t be scared. Just turn it on as an option, offering something for free and see where it goes.  I recently re-wrote my welcome letter to free subscribers to encourage them to go paid, and has worked several times. 
Hi, Abaz! For me, I just turned on subs last fall, and just let it alone. People sub, people don't. I just let it be. Others, though, do full-scale pitches within their posts, and are rather shameless at how persistent they can be....for me, to the point of being a turn-off.
But, they're probably the ones who have the thousands of subs, with hundreds paid! So, maybe persistent belligerence is the way to go! Good luck!
It's possible to be persistent without being belligerent! Simple persistence is not necessarily obnoxious. Letting people know there's an upgrade option can be done in a classy way. What happens is that readers seeing this every week suddenly get the urge to support the Substack because one particular post hit a nerve, and there it was, the persistent notice on how they could pay.
I agree....it IS possible to be persistent without being obnoxious.....I guess, much like a rainbow unicorn, I've seen it fairly infrequently. But, I certainly don't believe it DOESN'T or can't exist. I'll keep looking!😊
It's difficult to figure out the best distribution. I do think some go too far, but perhaps a fairly regular friendly reminder within your substantive posts...?
Way to go, Benjamin! Encouragement and motivation is valid from anywhere! I love it that we share a focus and love for the recording artists who haven't sold units in the billions! They're still talented! Keep truckin', bruh!🎼🎹🎶🎵😁👍
I changed my Twitter handle about a month ago. They blocked me (or cancelled or whatever authoritarians do). I guess I must've said something against the regime!😱 Hit me up again on @BradKyl02584935
🤣I had to compromise, TBH. I wanted BradKylwjfoiaorfaw9jpafviosawinlfkjaijfldkndlksfdodiufflkmljdoudflfdkfnhufh8h8ruj2o4rj2u408jp4jrisfjoisfjpasfo;kpfkj, but was told I'd be taking up too much internet bandwidth. Honestly, and they call this HIGH tech?! I may just trash it all, and go find another world wide web!
Actually, after being bounced, I re-upped under another name, and they just threw that one at me, and I got bored typing in iterations that they kept swatting down! Your comment was brilliant, though! I know it was, cause I wish I'd-a thought of it!!!😊👍
This past week I got my first paid subscriber. I didn’t think it would happen so soon and it almost brought me to tears after a decade of toiling over my WIP and thinking it may never be good enough, but it was to someone and this has been a transformative experience for me in terms of how I view my writing. Thank you so much for this platform and for all the help.
It has been a goal of mine to create a comic strip for a long time, so I'm very happy to have done it, and of course the main thing that I learned in this process is that it is much harder than it looks!
It will probably take a month to publish issue #2, but here is issue #1 for your reading pleasure 🤗
Also, would love it if Substack created a "comic strip" category! Are there any other "newspaper" style cartoonists here?
Of course, thank you so much Substack for giving us a platform where we can fully express our creativity!!! I stopped writing "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies" for years because I couldn't find a place, a home, to publish it. The Substack editor made writing a pleasure, and now I have over 50 articles, a Guest Writer section that has allowed make some very nice connections with other writers, and now a cartoon! How amazing!
By the way, if anyone would like to write about a meaningful movie that they love, please visit:
I love the premise of moviewise! We seem to share a wheelhouse. I write about navigating real life through the lens of popular fiction over on Outsourced Optimism. My first series translated the themes of Everything Everywhere All At Once into an essay about failure, an experiment with an everything bagel, an email exchange between my feelings and a love letter. I subscribed last week and am excited to explore your library and brainstorm some ideas for a collab!
Love this! I have only just signed up yest but plan to write about lessons in entrepreneurship via tv/movies. Would be totally down for a collab when i figure out how this all works lol
Fantastic! It's so incredible to find likeminded people who look at movies and art as a way to learn about life. Please have a look through the "Guests Posts" section and feel free to email me with any questions (moviewise@icloud.com):
We should “crowd source” a similar substack, musicwise, because there is a lot of wisdom in songs. Hayes Carll has a line, “doesn’t anybody tell the truth anymore. Maybe that’s what songs are for…” And Mike Scott (Waterboys) had a song in the ‘80’s, *Red Army Blues* about Russian soldier who never returned home from Berlin, “all because Comrade Stalin said, ‘we’d become too Westernized.” I heard the surviving sailors on the Moskva were jailed and wondered if that isn’t kind of the same: They would tell family and friends the truth “it wasn’t exploding ammunition. It was a Ukrainian missile…” I am not a rap fan, but they have a lot of social commentary. And the early Dylan “protest” songs re Civil Rights *Only a Pawn in Their Game* and Antiwar, *With God on our Side.”
You are so right! Music is very powerful, and even more so when part of a movie. I've written a couple of articles about the message, meaning, and importance of music on "moviewise":
"Pretty in Pink, by the way, also has the best soundtrack of any movie I’ve ever seen, with many of the songs specifically written or re-recorded for the film. It is one of the most acclaimed musical compilations in modern cinema, and in 2013 was ranked #11 in Rolling Stone’s list of greatest soundtracks. The music, especially combined with the scenes, is so perfect, so beautiful, so touching."
I would love it if you'd considered writing a Guest Post on music and movies, or a single movie, on "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies". It can be a documentary, so you could just focus on the music:
I finally checked out Youtopian, just to support her supportive persona and found out that we have overlapping interests. Hers include Mental Health Disorders and mine Substance Misuse Disorders. A Venn diagram would have a lot of overlap due to the incredible Complexity and Connectivity common to *all* human brains and those of folks with Disorders, even more so. And yet, unique to all considering that C2 multiplied again by Community is C3 and so on. Our ability to Communicate C4 …
Thank you so much Paul! Maybe you could do a special edition of your newsletter highlighting "gag" comics? It would be nice to find other humorous Substacks.
For anyone out there who is NERVOUS to go paid: at least 50% of the people who go paid do it simply to support you. It is a monetary gesture of support. They don’t really care about getting anything special behind the payroll! Just go paid and produce decent to good to great content and you’ll have no regrets.
I agree. In my case, 100% of my paid subscribers are doing it to support me, as I offer no extra content for paid subscribers. There are a few reasons for that, partly I don't have the energy to write more than I'm doing, partly because I'm writing about the science behind important issues and I want as many people as possible to read and understand. It hasn't brought me a great conversion rate, but I'm truly grateful for those that have.
You can see my Welcome Email––how it requests folks to go paid. It has worked many times. Just sign up and the unsubscribe if you don't want to receive my essays.
Hey Substack, I just created my newsletter aimed at celebrating the strengths of neurodiversity, but also educating others on what it's like - from a lived experience point of view.
Hi everyone ! I’m really happy this week because I received a few emails from my subscribers and had real deep conversations, I’m really happy and proud to realise that my decision to launch my newsletter and writing about my path to be an illustrator even if I’m self taught can help other people living with their own fears and doubts ! If anyone wants to read https://boujouchantal.substack.com/
I’m also happy because I discovered a lot of wonderful newsletters on substack and see how much Instagram is not a place for connection 😅
I love the Instagram stickers. BUT it would be even better if there was a “Share to Instagram” button once you subscribe to someone’s substack. Right now, Twitter is the only option. I’ve had a number of subscribers complain that they are not on Twitter and would like a different option.
Hello lovely people ! I’ve recently fallen back in love with writing, thanks to Substack and the obligation I now feel to my (small number of) subscribers 💓 I write about sex, relationships, and the general ordeal of being in one’s early twenties, navigating big life transitions with a not-quite-fully-developed frontal lobe 🧠⚡️ I’d be grateful to anyone who has any tips on how to grow your audience on here ! Or just writerly tips in general 💘📝
Welcome to Substack! And welcome back to writing! My writing advice is to always have in mind a real person you're writing to and write something of value to that person. It's tempting as a writer to Write All The Things, but not everyone wants to read All The Things.
And just to take that a little further, have an idea of a specific reader on mind. I used to write subscriber names on a Post-it note and stick it on the side of my laptop.
You certainly have an eye-catching title! As a former wannabe “stud” I would imagine the eye would not be the only organ caught.
As far as tips, I used to advise my Speech Communication students who, unlike the poor, compulsive souls in this forum, were not really “writers” by nature, to use a technique I got from a book called “Rough Drafts.” The book actually advocated starting with a “Zero Draft.” In my own inelegant style, I suggested they just take their usually muddy notions of a useful topic and “Puke it on the screen.” Do not worry about punctuation, grammar or an orderly flow of ideas. Just capture those ideas, then sit back and sort them out. To facilitate that flow, I required them to submit outlines for me to review and annotate via email.
Even when I am not being an instructor, I feel embarrassment when someone embarrasses themselves in public. In outline format, it is hard to miss the fact that your reminiscence re that unique little bistro in Paris, does not belong under the London main point in your travelogue.
The zero draft should also free you of the notion that you need to begin your writing session with, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
In fact, I doubt that Dickens did either. An introduction is best written *after* you have developed the topic beyond the contrasts between those “times.”
Re the “be consistent” advice, if you are able to not only publish at the same time on the same day every week, but write at the same time every day that will set the expectations for your audience and your own brain. Establish the guidelines that “If you interrupt this budding Pulitzer Prize winning writer during Magic Time, it better involve blood or smoke or it will lead to your own blood being spilled.
First and foremost, stay the Hell out of Wikipedia during your scheduled Writing Time. I just checked the quote and found that I had reversed the order of the opening contrast. So far, so good. Love Wikipedia. Then, compulsively, I had to check out the “overview.” And then, the summaries of all three “Books…”
A little later that feeling of “magic” has departed, driven off by eating my supper as I read, ushering in my 7 PM slump and erasing who knows what brilliant insights I may have been able to impart to you.
And, never, never, never go near Quora. Their algorithm will zero in on your interests and flood your brain with curiosity, even long after you have attained an age where you should have a fully developed frontal cortex.
I have started to write essays this year. I'm nearing my mid-40s and it took me long enough to get started. I've always enjoyed the writing of Gore Vidal and Christopher Hitchens, and am writing in that spirit, but of course not anywhere near their level. Little steps forward accumulate. This week I published an essay on Pierre Poilievre winning the Conservative party leadership in Canada. I also drew the art to go along with it. It feels good to press that publish button! Keep writing people!
Big waves Zachary from a fellow Nova Scotian! Congratulations on your new writing adventure! I will check out the article you just published--sounds interesting. And as a fellow artist, I love that you illustrated it too. :)
Direct is when they click the link, Substack and Substack network could be referrals or just finding it here on office hours or a backlink in another newsletter.
In my limited experience, "direct" is when a link is directly sent to someone rather than a link clicked within a website. So if your site link was emailed out to someone outside of a substack newsletter or shared in a group messaging app, that would be direct. I think it may also be a catch-all if Substack can't work out the source, but I'm less sure about that.
Not sure about "Substack" vs "Substack Network." I'm curious to know myself!
I actually forgot there's a page that attempts to explain it but honestly it doesn't seem right at all (8 out of 14 people didn't find it helpful either--perhaps it's outdated):
I think "direct" is closer to your last assertion, that if it's not Twitter or FB, or any others they may list by name, it ends up in the "direct" bucket!
Otherwise, things are just bumping along. Publishing twice a week, constantly searching the depths of my own cluttered brain and the world at large for inspiration. Sending love and encouragement out to all of you showing up and putting words on the page. Keep going!
To everyone thinking that they can't build an audience without a niche - don't worry, just keep publishing and getting out there. In My newsletter Https:/fictitious.substack.com I cover everything from time travel movies to moral questions, and I've recently started posting my own fiction. The feedback I'm getting keeps me going forward and I really value every new connection I make through writing. Best of luck to everyone else out there!
I'm brand new to Substack. For 50+ years I've worked as a music journalist. Published a couple of books 22 years ago. At age 71, I'm essentially retired, which gives me time to tackle a project I've had in mind for quite some time: a compilation of interview transcripts with well-known musicians, each one with a short intro, plus a longer intro offering subjective tips on getting the best you can from your subject. I'd love to post it here, but I am a hopeless technophobe. Even simple instructions baffle me. Is it possible to dialog with someone who guides me into the process as if I were struggling through kindergarten? All input is welcome!
Welcome! Im a substack newb who joined yesterday so not much help but Im a songwriter writing a musical memoir WIP thru here! Would be happy to collab when we both figure it out
I can tell you this. You can play with Substack quite a bit before you actually send out any email post. Just so you know, if you click off the right buttons before “sending,“ you could experiment and not have to worry about messing up. Also, so you know, you can change the dates of your posts and easily delete them.  depending on your financial situation, you could hire a Substack consultant. 
I want to take a moment to thank both the Substack Team and members here that share so generously in these threads every week. They have been a valuable resource! Every week I attend, I learn something new. So appreciative! xx
Thanks so much Lisa! I am so happy I made the move to Substack. Love the calm atmosphere and ability to have deeper conversations here. I love how you "listen" to your community and thoughtfully upgrade or make meaningful changes. Way to go! xx
Whaaat! I'm 45min from Boston, I didn't even know this existed! Granted, I'm pretty new to Substack, but still. How do I learn more about these meetups?
Here is the selling point for me to use Substack over continuing to use Wordpress.com - I despise the ads that are part of the WP.com platform. Substack doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of WP or other platforms but it's solid and ad-free (unless you choose to do your own creative advertising (twirls moustache)) and that made the difference for me.
Discovering the community features was the secret sauce. :)
Wordpress was a royal PITA for me. I never had any ads, but every time an update happened my site would go wonky. I just made it so anyone going to my website now gets sent to my Substack. Writing here is so much easier!
Why has Substack removed the “ALL publications” toggle from their leaderboards? By eliminating this option and only highlighting 25 PAID publications per category, readers will have literally zero pathways to finding smaller publications/writers. I was getting 3 new random subscribers per week who were actively engaging in my writing and as a result of eliminating the "ALL" leaderboard, I have barely seen any new random subscribers.
Hey Andrew and others. I wanted to let you know that the "all" filter is back for each category on the leaderboards. There was a recent change that made that hidden for a moment but it is back now.
I noticed this and was really frustrated with it. Not so much for it affecting my newsletter getting found, since I'm pretty sure there aren't many readers who find newsletters that way, but because I was using it to find others who write about climate change because I'm trying to connect more with those who write on the same topic as me.
Hi Melanie, Have you tried a key word search from the home page of Substack? I don't know if this will show all of them, but I just entered "climate change" and found more than 100 listings... they may not all be about climate change but the word climate seemed to predominate. I did a second search on that page using my browser's (Safari) search field and found a column by Melanie Newfield. Here is the resulting URL (remove brackets) [[https://substack.com/search/climate%20change]] Hope that helps.
Thanks Dennis. I've done this from the discover page, both for climate change and also other New Zealand substacks. I've definitely found some this way (and for a real bonus, I found another climate change newsletter from New Zealand the other day).
Of course, no Substack reader in their right mind would ever know how to do that, hence why I'm confused about why Substack removed the user friendly toggle to switch between PAID and ALL.
I couldn't even find myself on the appropriate "ALL" leaderboard for my category and I think others had the same issue. I'm hoping this is a sign that enough people had this issue and they're taking it back a step to work it out.
You know, I've been wondering about the paid versus free thing. My strategy has been to focus on building my free subscriber base, but lately I've been wondering if Substack promotes newsletters with paid options differently than newsletters than don't have a paid option. Your comment seems to support that notion. It makes think it makes sense to incorporate a paid option for that reason alone.
I did the same thing. I don't care about the money as much as I care about getting more subscribers so, in an effort to gain access to the coveted "PAID" Leaderboard, I switched over to be a paid publication.
Now I definitely don't blame Substack for promoting their paid newsletters, because that is how they make their money. But at the same time, this platform is a place where new writers, both young and old, are able to connect with readers from all around the world, and by removing the "ALL" leaderboards, many of these new writers with a smaller platform are going to be buried in such a way that no random Substack reader will ever be able to find their publication without knowing the name of it.
I don't blame them either. I guess it didn't really compute until recently that I might be getting penalized for not having a paid option. Anyway, good to know.
With a last name like Clark most people don't believe I'm latina, but my mom is from El Salvador and I'm a first gen American. I don't write about immigrant issues much, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I'm trying to more publicly embrace my heritage and definitely looking to read more writing about similar issues. Subscribing to 401 Que? now!
I appreciate you subscribing, Valorie! You know what's funny? One of my friends' last name is Clarke, with an "e." His mother is Ecuadorian. Most people don't think he's latino.
Yeah, it's such an Irish/English name a lot of people assume that I couldn't possibly be latina. I mean, I *am* half Irish (on my dad's side, clearly) so I see where the confusion lies.
Yeah, I get that too. It's strange and frustrating how people think that being latinx has to look and sound like one thing when it's a very multifaceted identity.
Hi Eli, I just became a free subscriber as I share your concerns. My Substack deals mostly with mental health issues and steers clear of politics so as not to alienate readers who don't share my strong opinions, but I have many Medium articles about how it's inexcusable for anyone, especially people who claim to be Christian, to support Trump and keep spreading his lies. If you're interested in reading those, go to https://bio.link/wendigordon and scroll to the politics section.
Eli Merritt... thanks for this. Just subscribed and also recommended. Our new nonprofit is also working in this space to help stabilize the democracy and counter authoritarianism. -Vanessa Burnett
Hi everyone! Firstly, I have to say I love the recommendation feature which has brought me so many new subscribers. I’ve been a big fan of Substack from the start but to grow with it and see it keep improving is a ride!
I do have a question about sections - currently all posts are listed on the home page. Is there any way to only show section posts under the section header? Also, is it possible to link directly to the section? I’ve questioned running separate newsletters but everything I read recommends keeping to one.
I’m a psychotherapist writing about mental health but have a specialist section for eating disorders, which I know isn’t relevant to all readers.
You can link directly to a section. I have both of mine hidden as I don't have the content for one of them ready, but I can still link someone to them directly if I really wanted to.
I haven't seen a way to hide a section's posts from the homepage. It is easy to click over to the section you want, though. Are you worried about triggering someone going to your homepage for the general stuff but isn't in a place to handle ED info? You could try playing around with the "Exclude From Top" setting on each of those posts to help better hide them, if that's the case. I could see that being annoying to do for every post you want to include in that section though.
Will there be another version of the Substack Grow Fellowship available? I applied last year and would like to apply again! It seems like a great opportunity.
I've also got my eyes out. I haven't seen any new dates announced, but they do have a waitlist which I imagine they'll notify when/ if they host another round. I actually signed myself up yesterday!
You could make a pinned post with the table of contents and include links to the earlier chapters in each post. Though Dracula Daily has done incredibly well with its reordering of Dracula in chronological order without any special tricks.
Hi Paul! You should check out the Fictionistas community here on Substack. Quite a few writers have shared different ideas for how to do this well. Plus, it's a great community for fiction writers. https://fictionistas.substack.com/
I’m also serializing a work of fiction. I created a separate section for it, then created a pinned “Table of contents” post to link all of my chapters and other related materials where readers can easily access them.
You might try what I do, Paul.....I've had a singer/songwriter/guitarist, Stephen Michael Schwartz, writing his '70s-era involvement in the LA record biz, since February! I put them (and continue to add them as he writes 'em and I edit and format them) on Flipboard, which arranges them all in any order you choose to put them (and all links send you back to 'Stack, anyway).
I am another fiction writer who uses a table of contents with links to each chapter as I write them. I pin that index to the top, so any new reader can get started easily (and the table of contents could totally be linked in the welcome email as well.)
I put a little table of contents in the beginning of each post that has them in chronological order so that they can navigate to the beginning and go to the next chapter from there, or reread a previous chapter, etc.
Hi there, the tags mostly help readers discover your publication when they're using our search. They also affect which category you'd show up in on our leaderboard. Hope that helps!
I don't think tags are particularly important, as only a limited number of newsletters show up when you search tags. I've been trying to find other climate-change related substacks and I get more results typing "climate" into the search bar on the discover page than I do with the tag.
Our win for the week is that litthinkpodcast.substack.com was recommended in a teacher newsletter by one of the main gurus in AP Literature! We had several days in a row of record numbers for podcast downloads and the addition of about 10 new subscribers. She said that she is going to add us to her resource page, which is a huge boost of confidence and also a huge lift for our community.
Now we need to just keep growing our audience so we can justify adding a paid option in three months.
Hey everyone, I am a first generation student and immigrant who has begun writing on substack regarding human rights issues. I would appreciate if you guys could read my work and perhaps subscribe and add me to your list. I hit my first 50 subscribers, trying to get to 100!
Since you asked, I'd create a more creative title for your newsletter. Start there. Something that immediately, at least, hints to what you write about.
Welcome to 'Stack, but with your current title, you're one of many hundreds of thousands with a non-descript, "My name's Newsletter" title, and, I figure a writer who can't (or is unwilling to spend more than the 2 seconds it takes to come up with a banal one) conjure up a compelling title, probably isn't going to impress me with paragraphs of prose, but that may be just me.
I've yet (nor will I) to subscribe to someone's 'Stack whose first impression includes the word "Newsletter" in it. I've perused your site, and you may have already written something that could fly, quite compellingly, as a newsletter title! Go get 'em!
My question this week: what are some tips for keeping up a regular posting schedule? I'm trying to maintain a weekly cadence, and I'm having a little trouble keeping my internal momentum going. Any tips you guys have for keeping energized and creative would be great!
Akhil, I would start with a cadence that you can maintain easily. Maybe that's less than once a week -- maybe every other week, or even every three weeks is more do-able. Experiment to find a sweet spot that works for you, then stick with it. (And remember that you're the boss of your Substack so if something isn't working, try something else!)
I am publishing weekly as a personal goal because I want to work on consistency. I keep a list of topics I want to write about, and set aside a chunk of time each week for "substack writing," where I spend time massaging all my draft essays toward a final version for publishing. At any given time I have about 5-10 drafts in process so I can always find something to work on that energizes me. And the regular time I've set aside is something I look forward to. It's working for me now!
Not overwhelming for me. My brain is a half-idea factory, so getting something down on paper or in a doc that is a good enough chunk for me to work on later actually keeps my stress levels down. I'm not trying to hold all the ideas in my head.
Agreed! I'm three months in and assumed I'd post weekly from the get-go, which just meant that every week I didn't publish, I got hard on myself even though no one else noticed. Now, I'm working toward a consistent bi-weekly posting schedule for the rest of the year which still pushes me, but also gives me space to figure out my process and rhythm and build confidence in the meantime!
I keep a file of possible topics, and try to "write ahead" at least 3-4 weeks. Also, I run several different types of posts, which helps me keep it going. Some require research, others don't. Some require me to think through and do several drafts, others don't. Etc. If I only did one type of post, I might find myself "not in the mood" to write more often.
It's like working out. You just have to do it. Something that helps for me is I keep a notepad tab (if you have a Mac) where I just jot down random thoughts throughout the day. Then, when I want to write something, I refer back to that to see if I can cobble some together to make a coherent post. I did this throughout the dog days of the pandemic until it turned into an essay series about American work culture and our pandemic response:(https://thatguyfromtheinternet.substack.com/s/work)
This is an extreme example, because it was a year from writing random, fragmented thoughts and coming across articles/news that resonated with me until it turned into 6 essays. But although the finished product was big, it wasn't too hard to write because I had a solid foundation to work off of. It was mostly me organizing those thoughts and making them sound more coherent.
I do think the working out analogy is helpful. The more you do it, the more endurance you build up and the more efficient you become. Essentially, doing it makes it easier to do it.
I have experimented with this a lot--and that's ultimately going to be my advice, just keep experimenting.
I tried doing a regular, rigid posting schedule, and it was great at first because it forced me to write and helped me to develop my voice and figure out what things I enjoy writing about. But then there was a point where the schedule became limiting and I felt the things I was writing, I wasn't writing *well*--so I changed it to invest in quality. I am constantly experimenting with myself and my content and it's a perpetual learning experience.
If you are just starting, and you think the weekly schedule is helpful, then I would suggest you carry a notebook around everywhere (or use a notes app on your phone) and just jot little notes and idea ticklers down whenever they occur to you. Then when you dedicate time to write you can look at your notes and see what comes from that.
If you are still struggling, maybe consider a different posting cadence? The great thing about substack is that you are in 100% control--if something doesn't work or isn't helping you, don't do it. If you write what you love, then readers will pick up on that energy and will share your enthusiasm, and it won't matter how frequently you write.
So keep experimenting and see what works best for you! And at root of that--just keep writing whatever makes you happy.
100%! Framing it as an experiment feels so empowering and curious. I feel like I'm constantly coming back to this particular lesson. And reminding myself- the whole reason I began was to give myself creative freedom and autonomy, which applies to how I do it, not just what I do.
Thank you for this thoughtful response! I am caught between wanting to force myself to write more regularly and develop a voice vs. focusing heavily on quality. I really appreciate this advice. I will definitely use the notebook idea as well. ᵕ̈
I agree with keeping a list of ideas. I started out with over 100 topics roughly outlined with citations and ranked by importance. In the year since I started publishing, I’ve been able to touch on less than half of those original ideas because I keep coming up with new ones along the way!
As soon as I publish a newsletter, I immediately begin writing the next and get as many ideas down as I can. This ritual ensures I alway have a piece of writing started to return to whenever I feel like writing, or have a few extra minutes. It's really helped me stay on track to publish weekly.
I treat my Substack like a job, therefore missing deadlines is not an option. I put reminders on my mobile so I can't "forget" them. But as everyone else seems to agree, settling a schedule that you can maintain is crucial. I've been doing two weekly posts; one is brief, the second more in depth. I'm in the process of adding more, but it'll be only two articles more a month to start. My newsletter is young, but so far I haven't missed a deadline!!
I think that you should take advantage of the drafts and whenever you have a an idea, create a draft.
Did you choose a cadence that you don’t feel that you can maintain? Maybe you can change that and explain it to your audience. That’s why I decided to post every two weeks, it give me time to write, think, update and if anything happens there’s always some space to breathe
It doesn't work for everyone, but having a writing routine, where you get into the habit of allocating a certain time to your writing, can really help. Other than that, make sure your schedule is sustainable, quality is more important than quantity at this stage.
Hi Substack, quick bug report. I noticed the format/layout of the substack desktop website has changed slightly? When I initially opened this article, i voted in the poll and it gave me an error saying I needed to subscribe to vote, despite the button in the top right clearly showing I am subscribed. When I clicked on the comments, it switched from the new format to the old format and I was able to vote just fine. The new layout looks great and it feels more like a "reader" than a blogroll, which I appreciate.
I have a technical question too: If I make a new section on my newsletter, can I introduce different subscription tiers for that vs. my base newsletter? I'm contemplating some changes to my newsletter offering and it looks like even if I introduce a new section it will still abide by my existing paywall.
I was thinking about it because I was thinking about treating the sections informally like "classes". My theme is "Peasant Life", so my free content would be Peasant 101, I would put paid content at a basic tier like Peasant 201, and for advanced peasant life, they would pay more for access to Peasant 301. The idea would be to tailor the offering and value to match the price, but there's also no reason I couldn't say "access advanced (201/301) content with one basic subscription". It might be a better value that way. If it was possible I would use it! But since it's not it's not hindering me. Thank you for asking!
Hi Scoot, thanks for the bug report, we'll take a look at that! Regarding sections, unfortunately there's currently no way to customize subscription tiers on a per-section basis
I experienced the same issue, but couldn't pinpoint when it happens. Now, when I'm presented with that new page I click the title to go directly to the Substack I'm reading and vote or like and comment there.
So I have a paid question: Would it be so terrible if, for the time being, I kept paid on (I only have two paid out of 150 subscribers) but just made all of my work public for now. I like my work. I want everyone to read it. But I also want to give people the chance to support me and I know that those who have already paid genuinely don't care if they get anything extra.
We keep all of our content public to keep it available but ask for paid subscriptions to support the writing. There was another comment about 1/3 down this whole thread about that too - noting that many people pay primarily to support the writing and not necessarily to get extra features or bells and whistles. The audience we are seeking to grow also seems to align with this. I hope, anyway! -Vanessa Burnett
Hi Substack crew, I'm going to ask again for a Search box, where readers can type in a word or two to find an article they've read before and want to read again. Most blogsites have them and they're extremely useful.
As the writer of those pieces, it's a handy tool to go back and find them myself! Especially after I've written a few dozen or more. Saves having to scroll through everything to find them.
I have a Substack newsletter and a LinkedIn newsletter. Right now they are the same because I have a following on LI but not on SS. I don't think I can add a paywall to my LI newsletter and would like to do so on SS and offer additional content. I could drive traffic from LI. Just wondering if anyone else does this?
I use LinkedIn and Substack complementarily. The idea is to offer LinkedIn professionals my free newsletter articles to use with clients. My plan is to join certain mental health groups and rewrite my articles from the professional perspective - building a following on both sites. Paywalls are in the future at this point. . .but part of the plan.
After a certain point I stopped letting the mobile format decide my paragraph length and accepted that larger paragraphs are simply a cost to be paid with viewing on mobile. Definitely prefer desktop reading.
Also I'm curious, how do you approach your about pages? I'm going to revise mine to reflect the addition of a new section, but wondering if anyone has picked up insights on what makes for a compelling about page in general. I just tried to describe what I wanted to do and how often I intended to do it.
Lastly, does anyone else here write about fighting games? I keep on making blog posts that tie into them in some way, and I have a fiction project styled like a fighting games.
William, I am also in the process of trying to figure out and write my initial about page! I have been scouring everyone’s about pages for clues as to what resonates with me and it is one of the first things I have enjoyed reading when I find a Substack that seems intriguing.
I feel like the about page is a small peek of what kind of writer is behind the helm and maybe what kind of stories and newsletter you can expect if you subscribe. I tend to lean towards longer about pages, as they seem to show me right up front what I can expect from the author - the newsletter schedule, the free/paid subscription breakdown, and what the author really wants me to take away from their corner of Substack.
I've added to it over time, and it's everything a reader might need to understand the newsletter and to get in touch, but I don't think many people visit it.
However, I can't really tell since it's the only page that Substack does not track / give statistics for. So that could be a feature request!
Substack, could we get the stats for our "about" pages? 🙏
Someone shared this article with me when I was doing a course, and I used it to inspire my about page. It gives a simple template for how you can tell people about yourself. I also got
This is a great article, and I love how you applied it to your about page! Thanks for posting! Also, love your newsletter - I subscribed! Exclamation point! :)
I've been working on my About Page, too, and have changed it several times. My current version feels too long and formal, so I want to change it again. Following this thread and hope to get some ideas!
May I offer my handiwork? 'Twas a work-in-progress for a while, but I think I've hit on a handsome blend of HEY! LOOKA HERE! and subtlety to suit me! It looks something like this: https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
Hey, William.....I come from the "don't tell me.......show me" school (don't worry, it's accredited). So: https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
It's appropriately splashy, includes a couple enticing links as example posts, and of course, the requisite info teasers. I had no problem writing it in screamingly large fonts, but YOU DO YOU!!😊
Over the past 4 months since the launch, I see a tonne of one-time readers who read & like just one or two articles without ever subscribing. Just wondering if there is any way to engage more deeply with these folks?
Write them a personal comment in the middle of your article..."If you are enjoying this article, why not subscribe and support my writing, PLUS never miss an awesome post again!"
Last week I asked if there is a way to… create a "bubble-esque" space for text to appear in transient fashion when a reader mouses over text in my article? For instance, if I use an obscure word and I want to define or elaborate on it in superficial text for readers unfamiliar with it, I would like to allow those readers to hover over that word and learn more without having to bake the text into my overt portion of my article (for the benefit of those readers who are familiar with it). I did this five years ago at work on an open-source wiki site using a built-in feature of hypertext markup language. I know it can be done with ease, I just don’t know if it can be done on the Substack platform and how to do it.
Jackie was kind enough to respond and suggest that the capability may not yet be present. Assuming her understanding is correct, how can I petition that this feature be added? It is not only very important for my writing but I also think many other writers will appreciate the benefit of such a tool. I believe your primary means of receiving suggestions is from questions posted in forums like this (i.e., office hours). But because this capability is not easily tagged or characterized in a key word or two, I am doubtful that your weekly office hours metrics will flag it as something that many authors would like BUT I AM VERY CONFIDENT that many of them would use it if it were available. Is there a suggestion box or email where I can submit this important feature for consideration to the team?
I'd like to have a highlight option to colorfully highlight an important word or phrase. I'm sure the Substack team reads all these posts but if you contact them directly at support@Substack.com they should get back to you...
I've had some churn in subs, but generally the trend is upwards, but with some plateauing from t2t. August was a weird month with subs up and down, and a great response to two pieces, but maybe holiday time does things to people's attention?! 😉
I like mine thick crust.....Say, somebody ask Shane (I'm too bashful.....which is weird, 'cause I used to be completely bashless), if he were named Brian, would he be so bold as to name his 'Stack "Brian Pizza"?
It's kind of a play on words, and he'd get the dyslexic crowd who'd only see "Brain" anyway. Sounds like win-win! I'm gonna start a 'Stack, change my name to Shane, and call it "Shane On You, You Know Better"!
I guess I should get some REAL writing done, he says slinking away........😜
Yes! Elle has so many great pieces on the business of writing a newsletter. I especially loved the one you shared because growth and social media feel so sticky but inextricable.
I appreciate the extended discussion of tips and other marginal revenue strategies--but what would help me the most is more flexibility in subscription options. Has Substack ever explained why this feature is so limited? I love the Substack platform and want to use it more creatively, but the rigid subscription structure makes that hard. If improvements are on the roadmap that would be great to know--and if not, that would also be useful information.
Thanks for the response, Katie. The existing model is purely about billing (monthly or yearly), since every paid subscriber gets the same level of access/content. And the yearly option is required. I would like to offer both a basic and a premium monthly level. That would make it possible to integrate additional offerings (e.g., book chapters, lessons, etc.) seamlessly. Since the founding tier has to be a lump sum, it doesn't serve the same purpose.
I would also like some flexibility regarding the non-monthly tier--the option to leave it off entirely, and/or to offer a different period, such as quarterly. That would make it easier to create/promote a limited series, for example. And I think it would appeal to some readers who don't want to commit for a year, but would like to be more engaged.
I'm also a fan of one-time payments (for a specific story or set of stories) and micro-subscriptions, but those are in a different category.
From reading elsewhere, I think I understand the reasoning behind Substack's subscription model, as well as the logistical challenges (both for Substack and for writers) that would come with a more complex/flexible approach. But I see a lot of upside as well, especially for writers who want to go beyond the conventional newsletter model, while continuing to build on a Substack foundation.
I am curious - what other subscription options are you thinking of? Generally when people subscribe to a publication it's for one year, two years or three years. Substack includes an option to pay month by month and to pay more as a founding member. That's already several options.
Something I wish I was able to do that I haven’t seen commented here yet is to easily get a shareable link from the top right drop down menu of my posts on my dashboard without having to click on it. This might just be me though.
I post links to my writing on Reddit. When someone subscribes through one of these posts, sometimes the source is "reddit" while other times it is "direct."
What can I do to ensure these subscriptions are being properly tracked as "reddit"?
Double check the link or click on it yourself. Does the url have "?utm_source=reddit" in it somewhere? If not, you could try manually adding it to the end of your link when you post it on reddit going forward. It's what I've seen some folks do when sharing their posts on discord (they'll add "?utm_source=discord"), since discord always goes to Direct.
I wonder if the inconsistency lies in whether people are clicking your link using the reddit app vs from their browser.
So just to clarify, does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral? Or is it just for people who sign up on their own? Also, what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
> does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral?
Yes, all new and existing paid subscribers will get the email prompting them to give gifts. Only readers who pay for the publication will get this email, so comped and gifted subscriptions will not get the chance to send gifts.
> what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
Referrals are gifts given to other people from a single paid subscriber. Group subscriptions are multiple paid subscriptions that are purchased by a single person.
I'm really ignorant to all the requirements and rules involved in being writer within Substack. I don't have experience with a social media platform based forum so I'm unaware of any costs, rules, complying with copyrights and references to previous books or articles on certain subjects by other authors. I'd like to try if it would be helpful within the Substack community, but I'm all about truth and proof of it so my articles or news letters would stand as such. If any of you with experience could help get me off the ground I'd ike to make the attempt. Oh, and I hope that there's Spell Check.
Who's given the referral program a try?
I've got the box checked, but assumed it's automated from there? If not, someone please clue me in! 😀
I'm a fairly intelligent person and I have no idea what the program is about or how it is supposed to 'work.' I read the 'FAQ' page and left even more confused and decided to pass -- as I'd no idea what I was implementing.
What I'd love is a good old fashioned referral code/URL that I could give to people who want to promote my SS and them make a percentage of each subscription that is sold.
Yes! What do my subscribers get out of this referral program? As far as I can tell, nothing.
Great new feature! I don't have paid yet, so I can't try it, but I'm very curious how well this works for others.
Maybe someone in Fictionistas will do it and do a write up analyzing it. 👀
I'm thinking of posting about it today on my IG. Not sure where else to put it.
You can use the new stickers when you do it too!
The best thing to do would be to simply send out an email post to all your paid subscribers announcing the program to them.
Great idea!
I am working on the introduction to a collection of essays about Trump and the future of our democracy. I am looking for critical feedback, if anyone has a moment to read and comment. If you prefer, you can email me instead. You'll see my email address in the piece. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/what-single-word-best-sums-up-trump?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks!
Not me, I donut have paid subs yet.
Same, just focusing on building up my audience.
It’s important to me to have a loyal audience before having a paid audience.
When I'm officially back from hiatus, I'm giving this a try!
Is the referral program open to everyone? I don't see it in my Settings page.
I'm prepared to send an email to my subscribers, who already are sharing daily editions. I just need the button to turn it on.
Hi Dave, if you check your settings now, you should be able to access the feature.
Thanks. It appears to be automated. Is there a way I can include it as a button or some other way in a post? How do I send it to people directly?
So just to clarify, does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral? Or is it just for people who sign up on their own? Also, what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
Right now we are limiting it to those that have paid for their subscription. This doesn't include gifts or comps yet.
I’m pretty sure that anyone with a paid subscription is “empowered“ to gift temporary paid subscriptions to their friends. The writer has nothing to do with it.
I get that. But since writers have the ability to offer people discounted paid subscriptions, to the amount of having a zero dollar paid subscription, if I did that, I’m curious about the ability of me to do that.
Technically, I have a paid subscription to my own Substack. Could I as a paid subscriber, add some of my most active free subscribers a referral to a paid subscription?
Hi Andrew, I am working on the introduction to a collection of essays about Trump and the future of our democracy. I am looking for critical feedback, if you have a moment to read and comment. If you prefer, you can email me instead. You'll see my email address in the piece. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/what-single-word-best-sums-up-trump?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks!
It's on my list to get looked at this weekend, good idea too and hopefully might drive a few more onto paid subscriptions, got some more work to do on that as it is.
I've enabled it, but nothing has happened yet. Mind you, that was only yesterday
Looking for setting to do this and more info?
Hi Vivian, you can learn more here https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/8946512015892
Thank you for joining us today for Writer Office Hours! We will be back same time next week for more conversation.
Until then, our resources are here for you: https://substack.com/resources
Talk soon,
Katie, Kevin, Nikhil, Evans, Thomas, Kellyn, and Lisa
Has Substack considered an option to have a "Buy me a Coffee" option for posts, where the reader can tip the author via a one-time payment? Substack could (and should) still take their cut but it might be more palatable for some readers.
I've been advocating for this constantly. It's money leaving the native substack environment, and it would be great to leave a small tip for articles we like but don't feel compelled to invest in a full subscription. Honestly if I could leave tips, it would help me to realize which newsletters are already worth my money. I'm hesitant to subscribe but very willing to donate--which seems weird but I think explains the prevalence of "buy me a coffee" here on substack.
Co-sign this. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this at the last Office Hours. Not only are people more likely to loosen their purse strings for a one-off, but the one-off would also likely serve as a gateway to a subscription.
Totally
Great idea. It could also be another subscription option, like pay a few bucks to be a part of subscriber-only writer threads or to pick one article a month that's paywalled.
That is a great suggestion. Unlock a paywalled article with a one-time donation? It would be like buying a magazine from a newsstand--see a cover you like and go buy it!
Oh, I like that!
I *love* this idea.
Exactly!
I think this is a fantastic idea.
This is SUCH a great idea, guy from the internet! Hopefully Substack implements this, but until then, I think it would be neat to offer a 24hr period of access to paywalled articles with a one-time donation via BMAC. That way, subscribers can see how they like it before committing. You would have to keep track manually, though, which isn't a big deal, but still.
I was about to suggest the same thing! One benefit to paywalled threads and comments: you weed out the trolls. Do you think one-time tips would also do this?
Love this idea too!
Yes!
Love this idea! I think it would be a nice way to support more fellow Substack writers---pay it forward kind of idea.
This is an awesome idea. You could also do “buy a beer” for folks who don’t drink coffee 😁
This is a really interesting response, Scoot -- do you often tip, when people have Paypal or Buy Me a Coffee links? Or would you be more likely to tip if Substack made this possible?
I have tipped using BMAC exactly once and paid for exactly one subscription. I really *want* to support the writers I enjoy financially, but am trying to be careful lest I ruin my budget with a thousand small subscriptions. If Substack made that possible I would 100% tip more frequently, because I see lots of good writing out there and it would help me feel less bad about not contributing financially with a recurring subscription.
Some have suggested that Substack have a "bundle" program where groups of writers/newsletters, e.g. about 20, can be assembled into a “magazine” or “newspaper“ by the reader.
This would allow the 20 writers or so to share the $5 subscription fee, and it would allow readers to get more content of their choosing for one low price.
Hmm, it's an interesting idea. As a reader, I'd be interested in checking something like that out, but I wonder if writers in a bundle might end up cannibalizing each other.
The way I imagine it could work is to allow the reader to choose *up to 20* newsletters to support with $5.
However, if the reader only wants to support one newsletter, then the $5 is not divided further. But if the reader wants to support two writers, then the $5 is split between the two writers and so on up to 20 writers—or some other number that makes it a good deal for the reader. Maybe 10 would be better.
The reader would have total control, so if the reader wants to unsubscribe from one newsletter the option to just split the $5 with the remaining writers is there, as is the option to add another newsletter to the "bundle".
I think it's a cool idea but it would prob-ly be difficult to monetize it in a way that makes sense and benefits everyone. Medium is essentially doing that right now but the system has a lot of kinks in it.
I was told in a previous Office Hours that bundling is something Substack is not interested in doing. This was awhile ago, so maybe that’s changed?
If inflation continues to be an issue, I feel that in order to have *some* financial support for writers that the cost of subscriptions should be lower for readers. Bundling is one option, but a "donate" button per post is another, as is lowering the cost of a subscription to $1 etc.
I recently tipped a Substack writer who currently uses the "buy me a coffee" option. Not sure I'd be willing to buy a monthly subscription, but I sure am willing to provide some monetary appreciation for particularly good posts, or as a one-time show of support :)
Yes! "Tipstack".
love this!
Oh, that has a nice ring to it!
Great name!
Is Tipstack a thing, or did you just make that up? I like it.
I like it
Yes!
That's fun!
I am giving serious consideration to adding some sort of tip jar to my Substacks. There are lots of reasons why you might not want to ask for paid subscriptions, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be paid something.
On my personal Substack, Collected Rejections, I have this line in my closing paragraph on essays: "I keep these newsletters free by not worrying too much about typos and flow. But if you want to you can tip me, as a treat." It links to a PayPal tip jar. About once a month, someone tips me a few bucks. It's not making me rich, but I think it's nice alternative for people who can't afford to pay monthly or for writers who aren't ready to go full into paid subscriptions.
Love that option and love the idea of incorporating a consistent closing message like that into each post.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing it
I too love that option.
I use KoFi on both of my Substack newsletters and I like that it's non-invasive and simply a suggestion. I also have paid subscriptions, so tipping is a handy option.
Ramona, your newsletter was the first place I saw this option, and I thought it was a wonderful idea. I've been asking Substack for it for a while now, but KoFi might have to do.
My dream is to donate tips or donations to the Alzheimer's Association because my husband struggled the disease for several years. Checking it out is on my to-do list for the future.
Same. When I move to paid and/or tip jar, all proceeds will go to Alz Assn. I lost my mum to this last year.
What a wonderful idea. You should be able to do that by keeping track of your donations. even if they go to your bank account, and then sending them on to AA.
That's true . . .and certainly one way to do it . .maybe even the easiest.
I love this thread and all the creative recommendations- from a built-in Substack "buy me a coffee" to readers being able to unlock one paid post or even bundle posts without an ongoing monthly commitment.
I think more options in more places just helps to further shift our collective awareness around the value exchange (and expectations) between reader and writer or creator and consumer. Even writer and platform.
Makes me think about the conversation we had in yesterday's Fictionista meet up, around reader push back to paid subscriptions, and the bigger global challenge in changing how we look at value, worth and sustainability.
I'm all for more payment options. I tipped a Substack writer earlier this week.
I add a couple of options to my free posts for my readers to choose from. I add the regular 'subscribe now' in case my readers have the monthly or the yearly funds to support. I then add a PayPal link to encourage a one-time payment and explain to my readers that all funds given will be used for my wrestling travel to shows that I cover so they can get the exclusive behind-the-scenes info. But I wouldn't mind a Substack version of a one-time payment option for certain posts/podcast eps/video eps and more.
I just received a Buy Me a Coffee donation this week and it came from a substack subscriber. I'm still in the "free subscriptions" phase (just started writing this a few months ago) and the tips keep me going!
Lol it's so funny to feel so good from a $5 donation but I was in a writing rut and the free "coffee" gave me some serious motivation to keep going!
I like this idea. I had a "tip jar" on my website and would get occasional contributions of $20 or so. I don't think it would be a big money maker for most Substacks, but it's great encouragement when it happens.
Interesting. I might have to look at that for my website.
I agree that this might work better for some people who can't afford a regular subscription. There have also been several times where I've read a single post written by someone, enjoyed it, but upon further review didn't actually want to subscribe. It would be nice to thank them for the one thing I got from their 'stack without having to commit to something long term.
I use ko-fi, it's easy to set up, but yeah, a native donation option would make the experience more seamless
Agree! I don’t want to send people off to another site to buy me a coffee
I agree with this Mark. I'm sure some of us would like to go with a paid option but then if we don't have many subscribers, that part doesn't make sense. I have more views on my articles than subscribers, so not everyone has decided to subscribe yet. I like the "Tip" option on posts.
Interesting idea, Mark! Wondering if anyone has tried including a KoFi, Venmo, or PayPal account into each post? Kind of a pain to do it manually, but I’d be curious to know if any writers here have had success with tipping?
In the beginning, before turning on paid subscriptions, I added my Ko-fi button. Then moved away from that and used my paypal account. I explain now that the funds are used for traveling to wrestling events to cover the shows and bring them the exclusive backstage info. No success yet. Still trying. At least I'm trying.
I bet you could insert a payment button into the templated header or footer, so you didn't have to embed in each post.
I've done this in my footer, so it goes out with every email. I let people know that they can subscribe if they want to support me regularly, or do a one-off with "buy me a coffee". Once the email has gone out, I go into the web version and add the note about subscribing/ buy me a coffee. I'd also like the option within Substack to make a one-off payment. I understand their reasons for focusing on subscriptions, which works for the big writers who earn Substack the most money, but for those of us who aren't making a living from it, the one-off option would really help.
I love the way you've done it! It's neat and elegant!
Thank you, I appreciate it.
I didn't think about this. I just recently updated my header but not my footer. I'm still learning how those two tools work effectively. But I'll give it a try. Thanks.
I do it for many of my posts, but not all the time. It depends on what I'm writing about, if that makes any sense!
Love this idea tbh. A tip jar/buy me a coffee would be a great halfway house for a lot of posts/readers. The post is free, building the audience, per Noahpinion's advice from y'day, but still on a nice side option
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-16-noah-smith?utm_medium=reader2
I don’t know about this tip idea. It seems a little desperate to me, as though you’re so broke you can’t buy your own coffee.
"buy me a coffee" is a common term, it's just a micro-payment. tbh, if I did it I'd probably say "buy me a decent pen" or something like that.
"Buy me half-a-Pilot Metropolitan"
"Buy me a third of a Lamy Safari"
:-D
You're good, sir!
Hi Mark and Nikhil, I am working on the introduction to a collection of essays about Trump and the future of our democracy. I am looking for critical feedback, if you have a moment to read and comment. If you prefer, you can email me instead. You'll see my email address in the piece. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/what-single-word-best-sums-up-trump?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for considering it.
It's common among creatives to remind their audiences that doing their work for free eventually keeps them from doing their work. A one-time payment for work well done is not an insult, it's a compliment.
Well said, Ramona!
Could be semantics. I would be interested in buying individual articles because I'm not always sure if I want to commit to a subscription. I also subscribe to dozens of Substacks. I'm not going to subscribe to all of them (paid), but I would probably pay for the occasional paywalled article for a lot of them.
It's not desperate to give readers options to choose what's best for their money when looking at thousands and thousands of newsletters to support. For example, my newsletter is all about wrestling and my journey in wrestling, and it's difficult getting support. Sometimes, people can't buy their own coffee especially when bills rise, and work wage stays the same. Not everyone is lucky to keep giving the writer a monthly or yearly subscription but if they have the option for a one-time payment towards a post they really connected with, then that's something to look into and that quick payment can help the writer in their time of need. I really do hope your comment is sarcasm though. Everyone has different stories. Maybe we're all broke. Don't assume we're all the same.
Well said. It's OK to have options--it's OK not to use them. Not everyone makes a living on writing, or has the means to support every writer they love with a subscription. Tipping is a great way of showing support.
Is it any more desperate than a plea for subscriptions on a free post?
Streamers stream for free on their preferred platform. They are not guaranteed anything, the same way we aren't but the OPTION IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SUPPORT. Streamers ask you to do:
1) Tip/donate via their paypal
2) Tip/donate via their stream elements tip account (new)
3) Interact with the sponsored stream so the streamer can collect the money for that sponsorship. X-amount of people sign up, thus gives x-amount of money.
There's probably more but no, it's not desperate to ask for subscriptions / one-time payment on a free post. The free posts take time and effort and research to develop meaningful content rather than a dump and go. I don't understand the need to push against an option that might be beneficial for everyone and want to give their community of readers a different option because they understand the struggle. Giving away free posts often has nuggets of knowledge, motivation, ambitious, stories that are sensitive, personal stories, and more and sometimes people connect with that and if they can't be a monthly subscriber for whatever reason, they can donate one time to the writer because they feel like it. Again, not everyone is lucky. Not everyone is the same. And we want our growing community to feel included, leaving the option there while also being awesome with the information sent to their inboxes. After all, our readers/our communities are like family right? Why would you want to leave that option out? Maybe your community would like that one-time donation.
I agree with everything you say! I was responding to Eli, and it was he who used the word, "desperate," so I'll let him own it. Far be it from me to so desperately want to own something that's not mine!😊
Ok. I'm sorry. Next time, refer to him by name so I don't think it was in response to me. The whole thread lines can get confusing and since it was down from me, I thought it was in response to me. Again, sorry. This is slightly embarrassing. Apologies.
Absolutely not a problem....you're right about the jumbled thread lines. I think our points got across to the one intended!!
Never beg—anywhere, anyhow. It doesn’t work. Study nonprofit fundraising strategies. In a way, people aren’t really paying. They are donating.
It's not begging, it's reminding. We're professionals. We can't always give our work away. When we do, it's a gift. If someone wants to reward our hard work, there's a place for them to do that.
Oh.
Call it what you want. I currently use a "buy me a beer option" on my posts. If you wan't to sound a bit more high-falutin', I suppose you could ask readers to buy you champagne and canapés instead.
I would love to have this option. I may not want to read all the time but do want to recognize/reward someone for a particularly bonus piece.
How would that differ, and be more beneficial, Mark (despite the 'Stack involvement and cut), than something like Ko-fi? I use that, but after several months, it's become nothing more than just a pretty QR code at the bottom of my posts as a lamentable, unused ornament.
I have no direct experience to bring to the table but I want to acknowledge that Substack is essentially providing the infrastructure and application rent-free to folks without paid subscribers and I'd like to see them get something.
I would much prefer to use an internal Substack tip jar than link to an outside entity.
I agree.
But, until that happens (if it does), nothing wrong with using what's out there now. My little Ko-fi QR code is a lovely little ornament (apparently, and...sadly, nothing more) at the bottom of MY posts! Maybe it's the wrong color.
Me too. I'm sure SS would prefer that too.
Same.
Well, and now that some folks have chimed in with, "tipping within the 'Stack environs" keeps people on the site, where a ko-fi link would send them off-site, I finally see the light (and occasionally the heavy).😊👍
It's all spitballing here!
Agreed--all this discussion and Time--precious time. The real question--to my mind--is WHY are people so unwilling to put $6 (or about $4.70 US, in my case!!) into something they enjoy... thinking of my hundreds of 4-5 star folks... why???? Why do we have to scramble for nickels and dimes when we are working hard, working to create quality, ultimately making $5/hour.
I think it's because there are so many subscription sites to choose from. That $5/mo multiplied by 10 or 20 adds up. And because it's so hard to choose, many readers would just rather not bother.
I'm sorry it's that way, but that's the reality. I'm grateful for all of my readers and consider the paid subscribers a welcome bonus. They're all special to me.
1) The musicians out there making pennies on their streaming songs probably ask similar questions, when the rock history books are filled with recording artists making tens of millions of $$ 30, 40, 50 years ago.
2) As I opined a couple weeks ago, the people who were quizzically muttering about "online auction sites??! WHAT?!?" in the general direction of eBay, 25 years ago, were, just a half-decade later, heavily involved themselves in this suddenly new and booming marketplace!
3) Not that I'm prognosticating, but we may be in the early days of "Paying for somebody's writing?! WHAT?!" that may, shortly, be more of the acceptable (paid writers and everything!) norm. When sitcom writers start including Substack in their scripts like they did 20 years ago with eBay, we should know we're on to something.
We should all be like doctors, and have a waiting room full of patience.
That's... a difficult question to answer. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and only pay for a small % of them so I imagine there are as many different answers as there are readers.
I've scanned that lamentable ornament, Brad.
Please....you're bringing a delicious cake to my pity party, Nikhil! Dang, and there isn't enough room for you to join me on my pity pot, either!
Yes, you did, Nikhil, and you know I appreciate it!🤗But, like wide receiver Kenny Burrough on the awful '70s-era Houston Oilers, you're all alone in the end zone! But, yes, that ornament stands today as a far less lamentable ornament, thanks to you!💖
I do have a few who give to my Ko-Fi account and I'm always grateful, especially when they leave an encouraging note. Don't be afraid to highlight it. It's not an obligation, it's a gift.
Oh, yeah, I know....so much of my bloviating here is with tongue firmly in cheek. I just stick it at the bottom of each article....I'm waiting for my first "regular person" to donate....I've had one very sweet and generous fellow 'Stacker donate twice (and he certainly knows I appreciate 'em), but I'd like to see a reader who's truly inspired, say, by my writing to the point of pushing the button!
I love this idea!
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: just like anything worth doing, writing is a commitment, a relationship. And every time you pour into it, it pours back into you in ways you can’t even imagine. So every single time you work on your writing in any way, you should be SO proud of yourself! You’re being shaped in ways you could never have planned, remade and reborn all the time, and your readers are just the lucky ones who get to witness that in real time and cheer you on while you take the journey! Remember: keep going, keep writing, and never ever give up! Someone out there needs to read your words! 🌿
I like to think of writing as both a hobby that's worth investing in (like someone who goes on ski trips) as well as public-facing journaling. Kind of like therapy where I work out whatever is on my mind but try to make it relatable to an audience.
I totally relate to that.
As do I. As a matter of fact, I live very close to a wildfire in California. We've been on evacuation watch for four days, everything I love is packed in my car. And I've been writing like crazy, so much to say. My next post comes out tomorrow and I've already got the one after that written. I wouldn't wish a firestorm on anyone, but it sure is nice to have writing to sooth my soul a bit.
Be safe. I know about writing to soothe the soul. My writing began in earnest as my husband struggled with dementia and died of COVID. It has been a life-saver.
Oh my, glad you found writing. I'll be checking out your site. Thanks for commenting.
Oh, thank you Sue. I hope that you will find it enjoyable.
Keep soothing your soul, and please be careful! Best wishes!
Thank you, Lloyd. We'll take all the well wishes we can get.
I feel like this about my own writing and sometimes it’s hard for me to believe why anyone would want to read my public journal
Writing keeps me going. Now if only I could get some clients for my writing business. I won't give up. Never give up. It's just stressful. I feel alone. Writing on my substack gets me thinking back on wonderful times, funny times, and sometimes serious times. Hopefully some of my writing will resonate with someone. And hopefully lead me to clients.
This is so good. I use my articles as a method of self help which hopefully helps other people also. You are so right writing is like therapy and the more you put into it the more you get from it.
Thanks for saying that. That captures the essence of my essay writing on Substack perfectly.
As always, your words are so encouraging! I agree that writing benefits me in many ways, even though it's not yet generating much income, and my readers sometimes let me know my writing benefits them, too.
There it is!
As always, thanks for all you do to support everyone here.
Thank you for the encouragement. . . I've been writing seriously for about a year - 87 articles, 224 subscribers. Slowly but surely, my dream is coming true.
Thanks for the reminder! It’s true that when you’re just at the beggining it’s a bit discouraging to see that you only have 10 or 20 subscribers but at the same time it feels like each of them are a part of a tiny little family
When I was in radio (mid-'70s), I made it a point to not say, on-mic, "How's everybody doing?" or something equally mass-inclusive. In any given bedroom or car, there's really only one person listening, and it was way more personal to (if you're gonna say anything like that!) say, "Hope you're doing OK today," or "How are YOU doing?" like DJs were so wont to do back in the days pre-automation and pre-satellite, heavily-terrestrial radio days!
Same here: You have a list of separate people subscribing, not a monolithic blob of e-mails and 'Stack stats.
What a great reminder..
I think that the most heartwarming thing I’ve read today ! Human over number !
Aw, shucks....just li'l ole me doin' my thing! I believe it was Barney Fife, long ago in the land of Mayberry, who said, "And that is, when you're a law man, and you're dealing with people, you do a whole lot better if you go, not so much by the book, but by the heart."💖
This is lovely. Thank you for posting! We should keep sentiments like this on a Post-It note on our computers, particularly when the screen is blank!
A suggestion to avoid blank screen: Record ideas into a voice recorder. When you sit down to write you will have something to type/transcribe onto the screen immediately. After two years of daily publishing I still have a backlog of ideas on my phone's voice app.
Good suggestion for me since I'm a talker... I must like the sound of my own voice! :-)
It's great for mental health too. You don't mourn lost ideas. You have a treasure chest of them.
You're exactly right. Thanks for this reminder!
Bless you, S. E.
Thank you for that gentle reminder!
I needed this! Thanks for the encouragement. It comes at a time when I'm ending one newsletter to start another.
This is related more to a prior thread on paid subscriptions, but I thought I’d take a ride on the fully-deserved popularity of S. E. Reid and post it here.
I was pleased to see that Noah Smith (Noahpinion) was featured in a How to Grow piece that I haven’t had time to read yet. I had already sussed out what I thought was his strategy to increase paid subscribers, before I even joined Substack. He was already the only writer that I paid for due the fact that I am a economics fanboy and also globally concerned person, as I have grand and great grands and want them to have a chance to have a Happy Life, along with the rest of humanity.
When I stumbled onto him, I soon found out that he had a lot of free articles, but also some Paywalled writing and it seems like he offered enough of an opening before moving it behind the wall that made me decide to go paid, in spite of my total dependence on my average Social Security income for living expenses. I’ve been a paid subscriber to Noah for so long that I don’t recall exactly what he did to lure me in, except address my (very wide-ranging) interests.
I am interested to see how he made those decisions, because I have been thinking that might be my own strategy. But…how to implement it? My main area of expertise and the one most likely to provide enough value to readers to be worth paying for is “addiction.” However, that is the area where I am more interested in reaching a broad audience than making the money that could help me to help my Grands to have a sustainable Happy Life.
👋 everyone!
This week was very special to me! First I had my first Guest post on the newsletter of Kevin Alexander
(https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/p/guest-post-benjamin-from-small-ears) but today I also got my first paid subscriber! It’s a big achievement for me and it made me want to write even more! See you on Small Ears!
Nice! Did you and Kevin meet here?
Yes two or three weeks ago on a Writer Hours post !
Yep!
I got my first paid subscription in the last week also. I agree that it give you a major morale boost.
Congrats Stephen!
Congrats!
I love Kevin's newsletter - so much consistency and quality. Big ups!
Thank you! That means a lot coming from you. 😊
Congratulations. Please someone could educate me on the most meaningful subscriber to have before going paid and not destroy your brand. To ask for money is really scary
It doesn't have to be scary. Every paid subscription is optional. On both of my newsletters my posts are open to everyone, paid and unpaid subscribers alike. I make it clear that any payments are to support the writer and not to give them special access. I'm happiest doing it that way, but everyone has their own thoughts about it.
Just do it! You can always change your format later. Good luck!
I really appreciate this, Thanks
Don’t be scared. Just turn it on as an option, offering something for free and see where it goes.  I recently re-wrote my welcome letter to free subscribers to encourage them to go paid, and has worked several times. 
I've been hesitant to add a paid tier because I'm not sure what value to add behind the paywall.
We were just in touch here. I am working on the introduction to a collection of essays about Trump and the future of our democracy. I am looking for critical feedback, if you have a moment to read and comment. If you prefer, you can email me instead. You'll see my email address in the piece. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/what-single-word-best-sums-up-trump?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for considering it.
Hi, Abaz! For me, I just turned on subs last fall, and just let it alone. People sub, people don't. I just let it be. Others, though, do full-scale pitches within their posts, and are rather shameless at how persistent they can be....for me, to the point of being a turn-off.
But, they're probably the ones who have the thousands of subs, with hundreds paid! So, maybe persistent belligerence is the way to go! Good luck!
It's possible to be persistent without being belligerent! Simple persistence is not necessarily obnoxious. Letting people know there's an upgrade option can be done in a classy way. What happens is that readers seeing this every week suddenly get the urge to support the Substack because one particular post hit a nerve, and there it was, the persistent notice on how they could pay.
I agree....it IS possible to be persistent without being obnoxious.....I guess, much like a rainbow unicorn, I've seen it fairly infrequently. But, I certainly don't believe it DOESN'T or can't exist. I'll keep looking!😊
It's difficult to figure out the best distribution. I do think some go too far, but perhaps a fairly regular friendly reminder within your substantive posts...?
Way to go, Benjamin! Encouragement and motivation is valid from anywhere! I love it that we share a focus and love for the recording artists who haven't sold units in the billions! They're still talented! Keep truckin', bruh!🎼🎹🎶🎵😁👍
Messaged you on Twitter if you have time ! 👍
"Have time"? I'm retired, Boobie! I'll check it out! Thanks!
I changed my Twitter handle about a month ago. They blocked me (or cancelled or whatever authoritarians do). I guess I must've said something against the regime!😱 Hit me up again on @BradKyl02584935
was BradKyl02584934 taken?
🤣I had to compromise, TBH. I wanted BradKylwjfoiaorfaw9jpafviosawinlfkjaijfldkndlksfdodiufflkmljdoudflfdkfnhufh8h8ruj2o4rj2u408jp4jrisfjoisfjpasfo;kpfkj, but was told I'd be taking up too much internet bandwidth. Honestly, and they call this HIGH tech?! I may just trash it all, and go find another world wide web!
Actually, after being bounced, I re-upped under another name, and they just threw that one at me, and I got bored typing in iterations that they kept swatting down! Your comment was brilliant, though! I know it was, cause I wish I'd-a thought of it!!!😊👍
I read your guest post and subscribed. It works!
Nice work! Keep going! 😎
Congrats. Guest posts and collaborations are so helpful!
I’m always open for collaboration, send me a DM on Twitter if you want @thesmallears
Awesome, congrats!
Noice.
Congrats on getting your first paid subscriber!
Congrats
Congrats!
Thanks!!
This past week I got my first paid subscriber. I didn’t think it would happen so soon and it almost brought me to tears after a decade of toiling over my WIP and thinking it may never be good enough, but it was to someone and this has been a transformative experience for me in terms of how I view my writing. Thank you so much for this platform and for all the help.
Go Kerry!
Congrats! and Keep Going!
Bravo! Im just about to start publishing a WIP memoir thru Substack too! Glad to see someone else doing that!
That's amazing! Congratulations!
Right on! It feels really good, doesn’t it?
Congratulations! How gratifying and wonderful 🤗
That's so awesome, Kerry!! Congrats! 🌿
Thank you 😭❤️
What does WIP stand for?
Work in progress 😊
Makes perfect sense now.
Congratulations Katie that’s a great achievement
Ah, another Nikhil!
I just hit 200 subscribers, 16 paid!
annabelascher.substack.com
Congrats! Can you share how many subscribers came internally from Substack vs. an email list, direct invites?
Yay!! *happy dance time*
Woohoo!
Finally! I've published the first three panels of my comic strip, "It's ALL Good Times."
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/its-all-good-times
It has been a goal of mine to create a comic strip for a long time, so I'm very happy to have done it, and of course the main thing that I learned in this process is that it is much harder than it looks!
It will probably take a month to publish issue #2, but here is issue #1 for your reading pleasure 🤗
Also, would love it if Substack created a "comic strip" category! Are there any other "newspaper" style cartoonists here?
Of course, thank you so much Substack for giving us a platform where we can fully express our creativity!!! I stopped writing "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies" for years because I couldn't find a place, a home, to publish it. The Substack editor made writing a pleasure, and now I have over 50 articles, a Guest Writer section that has allowed make some very nice connections with other writers, and now a cartoon! How amazing!
By the way, if anyone would like to write about a meaningful movie that they love, please visit:
https://moviewise.substack.com/s/-guest-posts
We focus on the wisdom found in movies and share that wisdom with others 🤗
I love the premise of moviewise! We seem to share a wheelhouse. I write about navigating real life through the lens of popular fiction over on Outsourced Optimism. My first series translated the themes of Everything Everywhere All At Once into an essay about failure, an experiment with an everything bagel, an email exchange between my feelings and a love letter. I subscribed last week and am excited to explore your library and brainstorm some ideas for a collab!
How wonderful! Yes, I think we are looking at art through the same lens. Your perspective would be perfect as a Guest Writer on "moviewise":
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
Feel free to email me with any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration 🤗
Love this! I have only just signed up yest but plan to write about lessons in entrepreneurship via tv/movies. Would be totally down for a collab when i figure out how this all works lol
Fantastic! It's so incredible to find likeminded people who look at movies and art as a way to learn about life. Please have a look through the "Guests Posts" section and feel free to email me with any questions (moviewise@icloud.com):
https://moviewise.substack.com/s/-guest-posts
We should “crowd source” a similar substack, musicwise, because there is a lot of wisdom in songs. Hayes Carll has a line, “doesn’t anybody tell the truth anymore. Maybe that’s what songs are for…” And Mike Scott (Waterboys) had a song in the ‘80’s, *Red Army Blues* about Russian soldier who never returned home from Berlin, “all because Comrade Stalin said, ‘we’d become too Westernized.” I heard the surviving sailors on the Moskva were jailed and wondered if that isn’t kind of the same: They would tell family and friends the truth “it wasn’t exploding ammunition. It was a Ukrainian missile…” I am not a rap fan, but they have a lot of social commentary. And the early Dylan “protest” songs re Civil Rights *Only a Pawn in Their Game* and Antiwar, *With God on our Side.”
You are so right! Music is very powerful, and even more so when part of a movie. I've written a couple of articles about the message, meaning, and importance of music on "moviewise":
A Short History of Jazz in Movies (1927 - 2016)
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-short-history-of-jazz-in-movies
Facing Life’s Difficulties: Movies That Show The Value Of Acceptance
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/facing-lifes-difficulties
Featuring this quote:
"There is a song written in 1967 by American country singer Billy Joe Royal with the lyrics:
I beg your pardon—I never promised you a rose garden. Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometime."
Reaching Nirvana: Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind (2005) Documentary
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/reaching-nirvana
A Love Letter To "Pretty In Pink": The Impact Of A John Hughes Masterpiece
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/a-love-letter-to-pretty-in-pink
Featuring this quote:
"Pretty in Pink, by the way, also has the best soundtrack of any movie I’ve ever seen, with many of the songs specifically written or re-recorded for the film. It is one of the most acclaimed musical compilations in modern cinema, and in 2013 was ranked #11 in Rolling Stone’s list of greatest soundtracks. The music, especially combined with the scenes, is so perfect, so beautiful, so touching."
I would love it if you'd considered writing a Guest Post on music and movies, or a single movie, on "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies". It can be a documentary, so you could just focus on the music:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
I found this documentary on the band Rush to be full of wisdom:
https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/rush/
I use my graphic novel panels in my newsletter
I finally checked out Youtopian, just to support her supportive persona and found out that we have overlapping interests. Hers include Mental Health Disorders and mine Substance Misuse Disorders. A Venn diagram would have a lot of overlap due to the incredible Complexity and Connectivity common to *all* human brains and those of folks with Disorders, even more so. And yet, unique to all considering that C2 multiplied again by Community is C3 and so on. Our ability to Communicate C4 …
Glad you are digging it!
I forgot that C-squared notation would come out as C2 etc.
I had plans to write more to you today, but life "interfered." Same for reading your MH writing.
Had no idea that there was comics on substack ! Best news and congratulations 🎉
Yes! There is an area of Substack for comic book creators:
https://substack.com/comic-book-creators
https://on.substack.com/p/comics-on-panels
Thank you !
Great work on the Comic, LE!
Thank you so much Paul! Maybe you could do a special edition of your newsletter highlighting "gag" comics? It would be nice to find other humorous Substacks.
Good Idea!
For anyone out there who is NERVOUS to go paid: at least 50% of the people who go paid do it simply to support you. It is a monetary gesture of support. They don’t really care about getting anything special behind the payroll! Just go paid and produce decent to good to great content and you’ll have no regrets.
I agree. In my case, 100% of my paid subscribers are doing it to support me, as I offer no extra content for paid subscribers. There are a few reasons for that, partly I don't have the energy to write more than I'm doing, partly because I'm writing about the science behind important issues and I want as many people as possible to read and understand. It hasn't brought me a great conversion rate, but I'm truly grateful for those that have.
Yes, I think this is true of my publication as well.
You can see my Welcome Email––how it requests folks to go paid. It has worked many times. Just sign up and the unsubscribe if you don't want to receive my essays.
https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/it-all-started-with-rush-limbaugh?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
Totally with you! A monthly subscriber told me: "$5 a month to support a nice fellow like you is the least I can do!"
Hi guys, we were just in communication here. I am working on the introduction to a collection of essays about Trump and the future of our democracy. I am looking for critical feedback, if you have a moment to read and comment. If you prefer, you can email me instead. You'll see my email address in the piece. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/what-single-word-best-sums-up-trump?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for considering it.
Hey Substack, I just created my newsletter aimed at celebrating the strengths of neurodiversity, but also educating others on what it's like - from a lived experience point of view.
Welcome to Substack, Trisha!
Thanks Katie, excited to be here.
Nice. As a Pharmaceutical scientist, I can relate. You will impact so much lives with this, congratulations
Thank you Abaz.
Welcome, and best wishes going forward. There's a lot of info available in these Writer Office Hours.
Kudos on creating your Substack and launching!
Thank you, Kevin - now the learning begins.
Congrats, Trisha, and good luck with it!
Thanks Pablo 😊
Congrats on beginning, Trisha!
Thank you, Sarah. Now I just have to learn the ropes!
What does “Substack created my newsletter” mean? Are you one of the paid authors?
No, my newsletter is free for all.
Hi everyone ! I’m really happy this week because I received a few emails from my subscribers and had real deep conversations, I’m really happy and proud to realise that my decision to launch my newsletter and writing about my path to be an illustrator even if I’m self taught can help other people living with their own fears and doubts ! If anyone wants to read https://boujouchantal.substack.com/
I’m also happy because I discovered a lot of wonderful newsletters on substack and see how much Instagram is not a place for connection 😅
Newsletters that document people's progress are amazing, best of luck to you:)
Thank you very much ! 😊
I love the Instagram stickers. BUT it would be even better if there was a “Share to Instagram” button once you subscribe to someone’s substack. Right now, Twitter is the only option. I’ve had a number of subscribers complain that they are not on Twitter and would like a different option.
Sharing the feedback with our team, it's on their radar!
Wonderful!! Thank you!
I second this!
Third this! Im not even on twitter cuz i got hacked and blocked
Hello lovely people ! I’ve recently fallen back in love with writing, thanks to Substack and the obligation I now feel to my (small number of) subscribers 💓 I write about sex, relationships, and the general ordeal of being in one’s early twenties, navigating big life transitions with a not-quite-fully-developed frontal lobe 🧠⚡️ I’d be grateful to anyone who has any tips on how to grow your audience on here ! Or just writerly tips in general 💘📝
Welcome to Substack! And welcome back to writing! My writing advice is to always have in mind a real person you're writing to and write something of value to that person. It's tempting as a writer to Write All The Things, but not everyone wants to read All The Things.
100%.
And just to take that a little further, have an idea of a specific reader on mind. I used to write subscriber names on a Post-it note and stick it on the side of my laptop.
Wow, that's pretty cool, Kevin.
I do this too!
That's good advice, Jen. Freedom is good, but we can get lost in it. It's good to rein it in.
Keep writing about sex. That’s a winning topic. Catchy headlines help a lot. 
You certainly have an eye-catching title! As a former wannabe “stud” I would imagine the eye would not be the only organ caught.
As far as tips, I used to advise my Speech Communication students who, unlike the poor, compulsive souls in this forum, were not really “writers” by nature, to use a technique I got from a book called “Rough Drafts.” The book actually advocated starting with a “Zero Draft.” In my own inelegant style, I suggested they just take their usually muddy notions of a useful topic and “Puke it on the screen.” Do not worry about punctuation, grammar or an orderly flow of ideas. Just capture those ideas, then sit back and sort them out. To facilitate that flow, I required them to submit outlines for me to review and annotate via email.
Even when I am not being an instructor, I feel embarrassment when someone embarrasses themselves in public. In outline format, it is hard to miss the fact that your reminiscence re that unique little bistro in Paris, does not belong under the London main point in your travelogue.
The zero draft should also free you of the notion that you need to begin your writing session with, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
In fact, I doubt that Dickens did either. An introduction is best written *after* you have developed the topic beyond the contrasts between those “times.”
Re the “be consistent” advice, if you are able to not only publish at the same time on the same day every week, but write at the same time every day that will set the expectations for your audience and your own brain. Establish the guidelines that “If you interrupt this budding Pulitzer Prize winning writer during Magic Time, it better involve blood or smoke or it will lead to your own blood being spilled.
First and foremost, stay the Hell out of Wikipedia during your scheduled Writing Time. I just checked the quote and found that I had reversed the order of the opening contrast. So far, so good. Love Wikipedia. Then, compulsively, I had to check out the “overview.” And then, the summaries of all three “Books…”
A little later that feeling of “magic” has departed, driven off by eating my supper as I read, ushering in my 7 PM slump and erasing who knows what brilliant insights I may have been able to impart to you.
And, never, never, never go near Quora. Their algorithm will zero in on your interests and flood your brain with curiosity, even long after you have attained an age where you should have a fully developed frontal cortex.
Welcome, Alice. I've been on Substack for three months. I've heard a lot of advice, but the only consensus I've discovered is this: be consistent.
I have started to write essays this year. I'm nearing my mid-40s and it took me long enough to get started. I've always enjoyed the writing of Gore Vidal and Christopher Hitchens, and am writing in that spirit, but of course not anywhere near their level. Little steps forward accumulate. This week I published an essay on Pierre Poilievre winning the Conservative party leadership in Canada. I also drew the art to go along with it. It feels good to press that publish button! Keep writing people!
Hitch is a huge inspiration for me as well! That man could write
I like your PP article - subscribed!
Thank you!
Big waves Zachary from a fellow Nova Scotian! Congratulations on your new writing adventure! I will check out the article you just published--sounds interesting. And as a fellow artist, I love that you illustrated it too. :)
Waving at you both from New Brunswick!
How fun! Big waves back and so nice to meet you! Warm thanks for the Subscribe--following you now too.
I would love to know the difference between:
Substack
Substack Network
Direct
These seem to be the same thing but they are recorded separately in stats. Why is that?
Direct is when they click the link, Substack and Substack network could be referrals or just finding it here on office hours or a backlink in another newsletter.
Thank you!
In my limited experience, "direct" is when a link is directly sent to someone rather than a link clicked within a website. So if your site link was emailed out to someone outside of a substack newsletter or shared in a group messaging app, that would be direct. I think it may also be a catch-all if Substack can't work out the source, but I'm less sure about that.
Not sure about "Substack" vs "Substack Network." I'm curious to know myself!
I actually forgot there's a page that attempts to explain it but honestly it doesn't seem right at all (8 out of 14 people didn't find it helpful either--perhaps it's outdated):
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044729171-What-is-the-meaning-of-each-source-on-my-Stats-page-
Substack, it may be time to update this page? I'd love to be able to just share this link with anyone that has this question.
I think "direct" is closer to your last assertion, that if it's not Twitter or FB, or any others they may list by name, it ends up in the "direct" bucket!
Great question! I’d love a tutorial on how to make sense of the stats.
+1 to this question.
Came here to post the same question. Would love to better track how everyone is finding me.
Substack network : people found you through the search engine
Substack : recommendation or features
Direct : direct by clicking on your adresse
That’s what I understand
Okay, that's interesting.
Thanks, Nikhil. I have studied this resource and thank you for it, but questions still abound.
Excellent! Thanks so much.
Hi, folks! Excited to say that I’m two subscribers away from finally hitting SIX HUNDRED total subscribers. Woot!
The recent bumps have been from doing guest posts for other Substacks. The most recent one came out Tuesday night. Check it out! https://www.nightwater.email/p/late-night-vibes-lunch?utm_medium=email
Otherwise, things are just bumping along. Publishing twice a week, constantly searching the depths of my own cluttered brain and the world at large for inspiration. Sending love and encouragement out to all of you showing up and putting words on the page. Keep going!
It was great to have you on as a guest writer!
It was great to work with you. Thanks so much for the invitation!
Well done, Asha! Sounds like you've got that cadence down!
To everyone thinking that they can't build an audience without a niche - don't worry, just keep publishing and getting out there. In My newsletter Https:/fictitious.substack.com I cover everything from time travel movies to moral questions, and I've recently started posting my own fiction. The feedback I'm getting keeps me going forward and I really value every new connection I make through writing. Best of luck to everyone else out there!
Well said, Oleg!
Thanks for the encouragement!!
Fictitious is great!
Thank you for sharing u Oleg !
I'm brand new to Substack. For 50+ years I've worked as a music journalist. Published a couple of books 22 years ago. At age 71, I'm essentially retired, which gives me time to tackle a project I've had in mind for quite some time: a compilation of interview transcripts with well-known musicians, each one with a short intro, plus a longer intro offering subjective tips on getting the best you can from your subject. I'd love to post it here, but I am a hopeless technophobe. Even simple instructions baffle me. Is it possible to dialog with someone who guides me into the process as if I were struggling through kindergarten? All input is welcome!
Hi Robert! Welcome to Substack. Maybe these videos will help?
How to start a Substack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp1KRvM1wW8&t=25s
How to make a post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjc7GFFnkU4&t=4s
I will check this out. Thanks, Katie!
Welcome! Im a substack newb who joined yesterday so not much help but Im a songwriter writing a musical memoir WIP thru here! Would be happy to collab when we both figure it out
Welcome Heather!
Thank you! 💕
Welcome to SS, you'll find help on these pages.
I can tell you this. You can play with Substack quite a bit before you actually send out any email post. Just so you know, if you click off the right buttons before “sending,“ you could experiment and not have to worry about messing up. Also, so you know, you can change the dates of your posts and easily delete them.  depending on your financial situation, you could hire a Substack consultant. 
I want to take a moment to thank both the Substack Team and members here that share so generously in these threads every week. They have been a valuable resource! Every week I attend, I learn something new. So appreciative! xx
Thanks so much Lisa! I am so happy I made the move to Substack. Love the calm atmosphere and ability to have deeper conversations here. I love how you "listen" to your community and thoughtfully upgrade or make meaningful changes. Way to go! xx
BTW, I went to one of the Substack meetups in Boston yesterday. It was so fun to meet other Substackers!
Let’s please do more of these!
Yay! So happy you went.
It was so fun!
I missed the LA one, but totally agree- it would be fun to have a local chapter support group! Substack-hosted or otherwise...
Whaaat! I'm 45min from Boston, I didn't even know this existed! Granted, I'm pretty new to Substack, but still. How do I learn more about these meetups?
OMG! Substack! Can we do another one?!
Where are you? I’m out in Worcester.
👀
I'm actually in NH! Near Manchester.
Is there a way to find other Substacks based near your location?
Yay!
Cool...I'd would love to meet fellow writers!
Here is the selling point for me to use Substack over continuing to use Wordpress.com - I despise the ads that are part of the WP.com platform. Substack doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of WP or other platforms but it's solid and ad-free (unless you choose to do your own creative advertising (twirls moustache)) and that made the difference for me.
Discovering the community features was the secret sauce. :)
I think the simplicity is what makes Substack so great!
Wordpress was a royal PITA for me. I never had any ads, but every time an update happened my site would go wonky. I just made it so anyone going to my website now gets sent to my Substack. Writing here is so much easier!
But you can still disable ads on wp, right?
I should check that, I never knew that was an option. In retrospect I would still go with Substack though.
Why has Substack removed the “ALL publications” toggle from their leaderboards? By eliminating this option and only highlighting 25 PAID publications per category, readers will have literally zero pathways to finding smaller publications/writers. I was getting 3 new random subscribers per week who were actively engaging in my writing and as a result of eliminating the "ALL" leaderboard, I have barely seen any new random subscribers.
Hey Andrew and others. I wanted to let you know that the "all" filter is back for each category on the leaderboards. There was a recent change that made that hidden for a moment but it is back now.
Thanks, Katie!
This is why the Substack is awesome. Y'all listen and respond. Thanks, Katie!
Thanks, Katie! Really appreciate you and the rest of the team!
I noticed this and was really frustrated with it. Not so much for it affecting my newsletter getting found, since I'm pretty sure there aren't many readers who find newsletters that way, but because I was using it to find others who write about climate change because I'm trying to connect more with those who write on the same topic as me.
Hi Melanie, Have you tried a key word search from the home page of Substack? I don't know if this will show all of them, but I just entered "climate change" and found more than 100 listings... they may not all be about climate change but the word climate seemed to predominate. I did a second search on that page using my browser's (Safari) search field and found a column by Melanie Newfield. Here is the resulting URL (remove brackets) [[https://substack.com/search/climate%20change]] Hope that helps.
Thanks Dennis. I've done this from the discover page, both for climate change and also other New Zealand substacks. I've definitely found some this way (and for a real bonus, I found another climate change newsletter from New Zealand the other day).
Is there any place on Substack where you can view ALL substacks? I keep finding curated lists... but not long lists.
There is no *easy* way to find ALL Substacks based on category but here is a tip that I know:
At the end of the URL for each category (Politics, Humor, Fashion, etc), the word "PAID" shows up, seen below.
https://substack.com/discover/category/humor/paid
If you replace the word "PAID" with "ALL", you'll get a more comprehensive list of the Free and Paid publications based on category, as seen below:
https://substack.com/discover/category/humor/all
Of course, no Substack reader in their right mind would ever know how to do that, hence why I'm confused about why Substack removed the user friendly toggle to switch between PAID and ALL.
Hope this helps!
Thank you Andrew, now off to check out your substack!
I am puzzled by this, too. It's helpful to me to see where I rank amongst paid publications *and* all publications.
I couldn't even find myself on the appropriate "ALL" leaderboard for my category and I think others had the same issue. I'm hoping this is a sign that enough people had this issue and they're taking it back a step to work it out.
You know, I've been wondering about the paid versus free thing. My strategy has been to focus on building my free subscriber base, but lately I've been wondering if Substack promotes newsletters with paid options differently than newsletters than don't have a paid option. Your comment seems to support that notion. It makes think it makes sense to incorporate a paid option for that reason alone.
I did the same thing. I don't care about the money as much as I care about getting more subscribers so, in an effort to gain access to the coveted "PAID" Leaderboard, I switched over to be a paid publication.
Now I definitely don't blame Substack for promoting their paid newsletters, because that is how they make their money. But at the same time, this platform is a place where new writers, both young and old, are able to connect with readers from all around the world, and by removing the "ALL" leaderboards, many of these new writers with a smaller platform are going to be buried in such a way that no random Substack reader will ever be able to find their publication without knowing the name of it.
I don't blame them either. I guess it didn't really compute until recently that I might be getting penalized for not having a paid option. Anyway, good to know.
Hey Friends, The Author's Guild did a webinar with some general info and tips on Substack with Erin Lowry of Broke Millennial. Check it out here: https://www.authorsguild.org/whats-new/seminars-member-events/money-matters-the-road-to-financial-literacy/substack-getting-financial-support-from-your-readers/
https://brokemillennial.substack.com/
Oo! Excited for this Substack rec AND this webinar. Thanks!
Great find, thanks for sharing!
Happy Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month! Any other latino/a/x writers out there? Or writers who focus on immigrant issues? I'd love to connect!
With a last name like Clark most people don't believe I'm latina, but my mom is from El Salvador and I'm a first gen American. I don't write about immigrant issues much, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I'm trying to more publicly embrace my heritage and definitely looking to read more writing about similar issues. Subscribing to 401 Que? now!
I appreciate you subscribing, Valorie! You know what's funny? One of my friends' last name is Clarke, with an "e." His mother is Ecuadorian. Most people don't think he's latino.
Yeah, it's such an Irish/English name a lot of people assume that I couldn't possibly be latina. I mean, I *am* half Irish (on my dad's side, clearly) so I see where the confusion lies.
It happens to me for being light-skinned.
Yeah, I get that too. It's strange and frustrating how people think that being latinx has to look and sound like one thing when it's a very multifaceted identity.
I am a psychiatrist and political historian who is working hard to try to combat the presence of demagogues like Trump in American politics.  I would love your support and any advice and encouragement you can possibly provide. https://elimerritt.substack.com/p/it-all-started-with-rush-limbaugh?r=ezn4d&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
Hi Eli, I just became a free subscriber as I share your concerns. My Substack deals mostly with mental health issues and steers clear of politics so as not to alienate readers who don't share my strong opinions, but I have many Medium articles about how it's inexcusable for anyone, especially people who claim to be Christian, to support Trump and keep spreading his lies. If you're interested in reading those, go to https://bio.link/wendigordon and scroll to the politics section.
Yes!
Eli Merritt... thanks for this. Just subscribed and also recommended. Our new nonprofit is also working in this space to help stabilize the democracy and counter authoritarianism. -Vanessa Burnett
Thanks, Vanessa. I will have a look.
Hi everyone! Firstly, I have to say I love the recommendation feature which has brought me so many new subscribers. I’ve been a big fan of Substack from the start but to grow with it and see it keep improving is a ride!
I do have a question about sections - currently all posts are listed on the home page. Is there any way to only show section posts under the section header? Also, is it possible to link directly to the section? I’ve questioned running separate newsletters but everything I read recommends keeping to one.
I’m a psychotherapist writing about mental health but have a specialist section for eating disorders, which I know isn’t relevant to all readers.
Any advice would be super welcome.
You can link directly to a section. I have both of mine hidden as I don't have the content for one of them ready, but I can still link someone to them directly if I really wanted to.
I haven't seen a way to hide a section's posts from the homepage. It is easy to click over to the section you want, though. Are you worried about triggering someone going to your homepage for the general stuff but isn't in a place to handle ED info? You could try playing around with the "Exclude From Top" setting on each of those posts to help better hide them, if that's the case. I could see that being annoying to do for every post you want to include in that section though.
Same question
Following, because I want to understand this more. Thanks for asking the question!
Will there be another version of the Substack Grow Fellowship available? I applied last year and would like to apply again! It seems like a great opportunity.
No plans as of now, unfortunately.
I've also got my eyes out. I haven't seen any new dates announced, but they do have a waitlist which I imagine they'll notify when/ if they host another round. I actually signed myself up yesterday!
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-summer-22
I did the workshops last year. They were great!
yes they were.
Oh! Is that different than the fellowship you mentioned?
Yeah the fellowship picks about a dozen writers and they get a budget and coaching to help them grow.
I'm writing serialized fiction that needs to be presented in chronological order. How is this done?
You could make a pinned post with the table of contents and include links to the earlier chapters in each post. Though Dracula Daily has done incredibly well with its reordering of Dracula in chronological order without any special tricks.
Thanks very much for taking the time to answer this, William.
Hi Paul! You should check out the Fictionistas community here on Substack. Quite a few writers have shared different ideas for how to do this well. Plus, it's a great community for fiction writers. https://fictionistas.substack.com/
I’m also serializing a work of fiction. I created a separate section for it, then created a pinned “Table of contents” post to link all of my chapters and other related materials where readers can easily access them.
You can check it out here:
https://jmelliott.substack.com/p/table-of-contents
You might try what I do, Paul.....I've had a singer/songwriter/guitarist, Stephen Michael Schwartz, writing his '70s-era involvement in the LA record biz, since February! I put them (and continue to add them as he writes 'em and I edit and format them) on Flipboard, which arranges them all in any order you choose to put them (and all links send you back to 'Stack, anyway).
It's been great for Stephen, as he can send friends, family, and colleagues there, where they don't have to wade thru "this strange Brad guy's posts" to find HIS! Check it out here: https://flipboard.com/@schwartzstories/front-row-backstage-with-stephen-michael-schwartz-fcjpqreoy
Thanks very much for taking the time to answer this, Brad.
Happy to do it, Paul....Just hope it was helpful to you in some way! Cheers!
I am another fiction writer who uses a table of contents with links to each chapter as I write them. I pin that index to the top, so any new reader can get started easily (and the table of contents could totally be linked in the welcome email as well.)
Thanks so much for the tip, Jackie.
I put a little table of contents in the beginning of each post that has them in chronological order so that they can navigate to the beginning and go to the next chapter from there, or reread a previous chapter, etc.
Hi Kerry, Thank you for taking the time to help with this...Paul.
Newbie here, in my second month! (https://piecesbyleila.substack.com/)
I have a question that may or may not be insignificant in terms of growth:
How important are the three tags we can choose to help readers discover us through Substack?
And to my fellow writers, have you found you had a significant number of subscribers through Substack, and if so, do you have any tips?
Gracias! x
Hi there, the tags mostly help readers discover your publication when they're using our search. They also affect which category you'd show up in on our leaderboard. Hope that helps!
I don't think tags are particularly important, as only a limited number of newsletters show up when you search tags. I've been trying to find other climate-change related substacks and I get more results typing "climate" into the search bar on the discover page than I do with the tag.
+1 for the question! Substack we need a answer in your FAQ about that
+2 to this question too!
+1 to the question about tags!
Our win for the week is that litthinkpodcast.substack.com was recommended in a teacher newsletter by one of the main gurus in AP Literature! We had several days in a row of record numbers for podcast downloads and the addition of about 10 new subscribers. She said that she is going to add us to her resource page, which is a huge boost of confidence and also a huge lift for our community.
Now we need to just keep growing our audience so we can justify adding a paid option in three months.
Congrats!
Hey everyone, I am a first generation student and immigrant who has begun writing on substack regarding human rights issues. I would appreciate if you guys could read my work and perhaps subscribe and add me to your list. I hit my first 50 subscribers, trying to get to 100!
Since you asked, I'd create a more creative title for your newsletter. Start there. Something that immediately, at least, hints to what you write about.
Welcome to 'Stack, but with your current title, you're one of many hundreds of thousands with a non-descript, "My name's Newsletter" title, and, I figure a writer who can't (or is unwilling to spend more than the 2 seconds it takes to come up with a banal one) conjure up a compelling title, probably isn't going to impress me with paragraphs of prose, but that may be just me.
I've yet (nor will I) to subscribe to someone's 'Stack whose first impression includes the word "Newsletter" in it. I've perused your site, and you may have already written something that could fly, quite compellingly, as a newsletter title! Go get 'em!
Welcome, Ahmad!
Hi! Hope everyone is doing well! ♡
My question this week: what are some tips for keeping up a regular posting schedule? I'm trying to maintain a weekly cadence, and I'm having a little trouble keeping my internal momentum going. Any tips you guys have for keeping energized and creative would be great!
Also, I want to shout out my first full post on Standom, my newsletter about fan culture. It's about Nicki Minaj, the Barbz, and stan culture. Let me know what you think if you get a chance: https://standom.substack.com/p/a-queen-forever-defined-by-her-subjects
Thank you again! Happy to join this community! ♡
Akhil, I would start with a cadence that you can maintain easily. Maybe that's less than once a week -- maybe every other week, or even every three weeks is more do-able. Experiment to find a sweet spot that works for you, then stick with it. (And remember that you're the boss of your Substack so if something isn't working, try something else!)
True, I am the boss! ᵕ̈ Thank you for the advice!
You're welcome!
I am publishing weekly as a personal goal because I want to work on consistency. I keep a list of topics I want to write about, and set aside a chunk of time each week for "substack writing," where I spend time massaging all my draft essays toward a final version for publishing. At any given time I have about 5-10 drafts in process so I can always find something to work on that energizes me. And the regular time I've set aside is something I look forward to. It's working for me now!
I like the idea of having different drafts in progress at once! Do you find that gets overwhelming?
Not overwhelming for me. My brain is a half-idea factory, so getting something down on paper or in a doc that is a good enough chunk for me to work on later actually keeps my stress levels down. I'm not trying to hold all the ideas in my head.
Start with less frequency; you can always ramp up if you want to.
For the writing itself, not “find” time, MAKE time. Put it on your calendar the same way you might add going to the gym or anything else.
Agreed! I'm three months in and assumed I'd post weekly from the get-go, which just meant that every week I didn't publish, I got hard on myself even though no one else noticed. Now, I'm working toward a consistent bi-weekly posting schedule for the rest of the year which still pushes me, but also gives me space to figure out my process and rhythm and build confidence in the meantime!
Love the title outsourced optimism- just subscribed!
Thank you so much Heather! And welcome.
Content calendar <3
True, I need to make time otherwise it will never happen! Thanks for the tips!
I keep a file of possible topics, and try to "write ahead" at least 3-4 weeks. Also, I run several different types of posts, which helps me keep it going. Some require research, others don't. Some require me to think through and do several drafts, others don't. Etc. If I only did one type of post, I might find myself "not in the mood" to write more often.
It's like working out. You just have to do it. Something that helps for me is I keep a notepad tab (if you have a Mac) where I just jot down random thoughts throughout the day. Then, when I want to write something, I refer back to that to see if I can cobble some together to make a coherent post. I did this throughout the dog days of the pandemic until it turned into an essay series about American work culture and our pandemic response:(https://thatguyfromtheinternet.substack.com/s/work)
This is an extreme example, because it was a year from writing random, fragmented thoughts and coming across articles/news that resonated with me until it turned into 6 essays. But although the finished product was big, it wasn't too hard to write because I had a solid foundation to work off of. It was mostly me organizing those thoughts and making them sound more coherent.
Hope this helps!
I do think the working out analogy is helpful. The more you do it, the more endurance you build up and the more efficient you become. Essentially, doing it makes it easier to do it.
I definitely need to keep a running list of ideas. This advice is great, thank you so much!
I have experimented with this a lot--and that's ultimately going to be my advice, just keep experimenting.
I tried doing a regular, rigid posting schedule, and it was great at first because it forced me to write and helped me to develop my voice and figure out what things I enjoy writing about. But then there was a point where the schedule became limiting and I felt the things I was writing, I wasn't writing *well*--so I changed it to invest in quality. I am constantly experimenting with myself and my content and it's a perpetual learning experience.
If you are just starting, and you think the weekly schedule is helpful, then I would suggest you carry a notebook around everywhere (or use a notes app on your phone) and just jot little notes and idea ticklers down whenever they occur to you. Then when you dedicate time to write you can look at your notes and see what comes from that.
If you are still struggling, maybe consider a different posting cadence? The great thing about substack is that you are in 100% control--if something doesn't work or isn't helping you, don't do it. If you write what you love, then readers will pick up on that energy and will share your enthusiasm, and it won't matter how frequently you write.
So keep experimenting and see what works best for you! And at root of that--just keep writing whatever makes you happy.
Good luck!
100%! Framing it as an experiment feels so empowering and curious. I feel like I'm constantly coming back to this particular lesson. And reminding myself- the whole reason I began was to give myself creative freedom and autonomy, which applies to how I do it, not just what I do.
Thank you for this thoughtful response! I am caught between wanting to force myself to write more regularly and develop a voice vs. focusing heavily on quality. I really appreciate this advice. I will definitely use the notebook idea as well. ᵕ̈
I agree with keeping a list of ideas. I started out with over 100 topics roughly outlined with citations and ranked by importance. In the year since I started publishing, I’ve been able to touch on less than half of those original ideas because I keep coming up with new ones along the way!
As soon as I publish a newsletter, I immediately begin writing the next and get as many ideas down as I can. This ritual ensures I alway have a piece of writing started to return to whenever I feel like writing, or have a few extra minutes. It's really helped me stay on track to publish weekly.
I treat my Substack like a job, therefore missing deadlines is not an option. I put reminders on my mobile so I can't "forget" them. But as everyone else seems to agree, settling a schedule that you can maintain is crucial. I've been doing two weekly posts; one is brief, the second more in depth. I'm in the process of adding more, but it'll be only two articles more a month to start. My newsletter is young, but so far I haven't missed a deadline!!
I think that you should take advantage of the drafts and whenever you have a an idea, create a draft.
Did you choose a cadence that you don’t feel that you can maintain? Maybe you can change that and explain it to your audience. That’s why I decided to post every two weeks, it give me time to write, think, update and if anything happens there’s always some space to breathe
It doesn't work for everyone, but having a writing routine, where you get into the habit of allocating a certain time to your writing, can really help. Other than that, make sure your schedule is sustainable, quality is more important than quantity at this stage.
Hi Substack, quick bug report. I noticed the format/layout of the substack desktop website has changed slightly? When I initially opened this article, i voted in the poll and it gave me an error saying I needed to subscribe to vote, despite the button in the top right clearly showing I am subscribed. When I clicked on the comments, it switched from the new format to the old format and I was able to vote just fine. The new layout looks great and it feels more like a "reader" than a blogroll, which I appreciate.
I have a technical question too: If I make a new section on my newsletter, can I introduce different subscription tiers for that vs. my base newsletter? I'm contemplating some changes to my newsletter offering and it looks like even if I introduce a new section it will still abide by my existing paywall.
Thank you!
Thanks for flagging! Sending that to our team.
Currently, you can only set one standard payment tier for your full publication. Tell me more about why you'd want something like this.
Also, our guide to sections might be a good resource: https://on.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-publication-sections
Thank you for this!
I was thinking about it because I was thinking about treating the sections informally like "classes". My theme is "Peasant Life", so my free content would be Peasant 101, I would put paid content at a basic tier like Peasant 201, and for advanced peasant life, they would pay more for access to Peasant 301. The idea would be to tailor the offering and value to match the price, but there's also no reason I couldn't say "access advanced (201/301) content with one basic subscription". It might be a better value that way. If it was possible I would use it! But since it's not it's not hindering me. Thank you for asking!
Hi Scoot, thanks for the bug report, we'll take a look at that! Regarding sections, unfortunately there's currently no way to customize subscription tiers on a per-section basis
Thank you!
I experienced the same issue, but couldn't pinpoint when it happens. Now, when I'm presented with that new page I click the title to go directly to the Substack I'm reading and vote or like and comment there.
So I have a paid question: Would it be so terrible if, for the time being, I kept paid on (I only have two paid out of 150 subscribers) but just made all of my work public for now. I like my work. I want everyone to read it. But I also want to give people the chance to support me and I know that those who have already paid genuinely don't care if they get anything extra.
We keep all of our content public to keep it available but ask for paid subscriptions to support the writing. There was another comment about 1/3 down this whole thread about that too - noting that many people pay primarily to support the writing and not necessarily to get extra features or bells and whistles. The audience we are seeking to grow also seems to align with this. I hope, anyway! -Vanessa Burnett
Hi Substack crew, I'm going to ask again for a Search box, where readers can type in a word or two to find an article they've read before and want to read again. Most blogsites have them and they're extremely useful.
As the writer of those pieces, it's a handy tool to go back and find them myself! Especially after I've written a few dozen or more. Saves having to scroll through everything to find them.
Please, please, please??
Ramona, there is a search box on your landing page -- or do you mean adding one somewhere else?
Yes, I forget about that sometimes. I mean an actual search box, prominently displayed on the front page for easy access. As most blogs have.
Yes please!
I have a Substack newsletter and a LinkedIn newsletter. Right now they are the same because I have a following on LI but not on SS. I don't think I can add a paywall to my LI newsletter and would like to do so on SS and offer additional content. I could drive traffic from LI. Just wondering if anyone else does this?
I use LinkedIn and Substack complementarily. The idea is to offer LinkedIn professionals my free newsletter articles to use with clients. My plan is to join certain mental health groups and rewrite my articles from the professional perspective - building a following on both sites. Paywalls are in the future at this point. . .but part of the plan.
Thanks. I like your ideas here.
After a certain point I stopped letting the mobile format decide my paragraph length and accepted that larger paragraphs are simply a cost to be paid with viewing on mobile. Definitely prefer desktop reading.
Also I'm curious, how do you approach your about pages? I'm going to revise mine to reflect the addition of a new section, but wondering if anyone has picked up insights on what makes for a compelling about page in general. I just tried to describe what I wanted to do and how often I intended to do it.
Lastly, does anyone else here write about fighting games? I keep on making blog posts that tie into them in some way, and I have a fiction project styled like a fighting games.
I approached my with the goal of showing a reader 2 things:
1. What’s in it for them/what they can expect when subscribing.
2. That there is a very real person on the other side of the screen. Who I am, why I’m doing this, etc.
William, I am also in the process of trying to figure out and write my initial about page! I have been scouring everyone’s about pages for clues as to what resonates with me and it is one of the first things I have enjoyed reading when I find a Substack that seems intriguing.
I feel like the about page is a small peek of what kind of writer is behind the helm and maybe what kind of stories and newsletter you can expect if you subscribe. I tend to lean towards longer about pages, as they seem to show me right up front what I can expect from the author - the newsletter schedule, the free/paid subscription breakdown, and what the author really wants me to take away from their corner of Substack.
Hi Elea...........maybe this might give you an idea or two. I'm not shy, as you gotta grab 'em while you got 'em! https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
I have a very elaborate "About" page for my newsletter, "moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies":
https://moviewise.substack.com/about
I've added to it over time, and it's everything a reader might need to understand the newsletter and to get in touch, but I don't think many people visit it.
However, I can't really tell since it's the only page that Substack does not track / give statistics for. So that could be a feature request!
Substack, could we get the stats for our "about" pages? 🙏
I’m not sure. I usually look at the about pages. Especially for writing that I really enjoy. But I suppose there is no way to know for sure.
Someone shared this article with me when I was doing a course, and I used it to inspire my about page. It gives a simple template for how you can tell people about yourself. I also got
feedback from other Substack writers on my about page, which was helpful. http://www.alexandrafranzen.com/2015/12/31/manifesto/
This is a great article, and I love how you applied it to your about page! Thanks for posting! Also, love your newsletter - I subscribed! Exclamation point! :)
Thank you so much.
I've been working on my About Page, too, and have changed it several times. My current version feels too long and formal, so I want to change it again. Following this thread and hope to get some ideas!
May I offer my handiwork? 'Twas a work-in-progress for a while, but I think I've hit on a handsome blend of HEY! LOOKA HERE! and subtlety to suit me! It looks something like this: https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
Hey, William.....I come from the "don't tell me.......show me" school (don't worry, it's accredited). So: https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
It's appropriately splashy, includes a couple enticing links as example posts, and of course, the requisite info teasers. I had no problem writing it in screamingly large fonts, but YOU DO YOU!!😊
Over the past 4 months since the launch, I see a tonne of one-time readers who read & like just one or two articles without ever subscribing. Just wondering if there is any way to engage more deeply with these folks?
Write them a personal comment in the middle of your article..."If you are enjoying this article, why not subscribe and support my writing, PLUS never miss an awesome post again!"
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oooh I'm going to try this!! I get the views but not necessarily the subscribers!
Thanks Paul. Will try this
Last week I asked if there is a way to… create a "bubble-esque" space for text to appear in transient fashion when a reader mouses over text in my article? For instance, if I use an obscure word and I want to define or elaborate on it in superficial text for readers unfamiliar with it, I would like to allow those readers to hover over that word and learn more without having to bake the text into my overt portion of my article (for the benefit of those readers who are familiar with it). I did this five years ago at work on an open-source wiki site using a built-in feature of hypertext markup language. I know it can be done with ease, I just don’t know if it can be done on the Substack platform and how to do it.
Jackie was kind enough to respond and suggest that the capability may not yet be present. Assuming her understanding is correct, how can I petition that this feature be added? It is not only very important for my writing but I also think many other writers will appreciate the benefit of such a tool. I believe your primary means of receiving suggestions is from questions posted in forums like this (i.e., office hours). But because this capability is not easily tagged or characterized in a key word or two, I am doubtful that your weekly office hours metrics will flag it as something that many authors would like BUT I AM VERY CONFIDENT that many of them would use it if it were available. Is there a suggestion box or email where I can submit this important feature for consideration to the team?
We don't have exactly what you are looking for yet but perhaps you could use footnotes?
I'd like to have a highlight option to colorfully highlight an important word or phrase. I'm sure the Substack team reads all these posts but if you contact them directly at support@Substack.com they should get back to you...
Why is George Saunders always trying to upstage Subtack's Office hours with his office hours? lol
lol a battle of the office hours
I'm about to roll up to his office hours and start causing trouble lol
I've had some churn in subs, but generally the trend is upwards, but with some plateauing from t2t. August was a weird month with subs up and down, and a great response to two pieces, but maybe holiday time does things to people's attention?! 😉
This piece has some great notes on passing on SM for growing a subscriber list (tl, dr: lot of effort with low returns): https://ellegriffin.substack.com/p/artists-need-better-social-media
Everyone should try Brain Pizza!
I like mine thick crust.....Say, somebody ask Shane (I'm too bashful.....which is weird, 'cause I used to be completely bashless), if he were named Brian, would he be so bold as to name his 'Stack "Brian Pizza"?
It's kind of a play on words, and he'd get the dyslexic crowd who'd only see "Brain" anyway. Sounds like win-win! I'm gonna start a 'Stack, change my name to Shane, and call it "Shane On You, You Know Better"!
I guess I should get some REAL writing done, he says slinking away........😜
I agree!
Sounds delicious! Tell me more...
Lots on life thru' a neuroscience lens
https://brainpizza.substack.com/
Yes! Elle has so many great pieces on the business of writing a newsletter. I especially loved the one you shared because growth and social media feel so sticky but inextricable.
I appreciate the extended discussion of tips and other marginal revenue strategies--but what would help me the most is more flexibility in subscription options. Has Substack ever explained why this feature is so limited? I love the Substack platform and want to use it more creatively, but the rigid subscription structure makes that hard. If improvements are on the roadmap that would be great to know--and if not, that would also be useful information.
What kind of payment tiers would you like?
Thanks for the response, Katie. The existing model is purely about billing (monthly or yearly), since every paid subscriber gets the same level of access/content. And the yearly option is required. I would like to offer both a basic and a premium monthly level. That would make it possible to integrate additional offerings (e.g., book chapters, lessons, etc.) seamlessly. Since the founding tier has to be a lump sum, it doesn't serve the same purpose.
I would also like some flexibility regarding the non-monthly tier--the option to leave it off entirely, and/or to offer a different period, such as quarterly. That would make it easier to create/promote a limited series, for example. And I think it would appeal to some readers who don't want to commit for a year, but would like to be more engaged.
I'm also a fan of one-time payments (for a specific story or set of stories) and micro-subscriptions, but those are in a different category.
From reading elsewhere, I think I understand the reasoning behind Substack's subscription model, as well as the logistical challenges (both for Substack and for writers) that would come with a more complex/flexible approach. But I see a lot of upside as well, especially for writers who want to go beyond the conventional newsletter model, while continuing to build on a Substack foundation.
Thanks again!
I am curious - what other subscription options are you thinking of? Generally when people subscribe to a publication it's for one year, two years or three years. Substack includes an option to pay month by month and to pay more as a founding member. That's already several options.
Stickers are dope!
Right?!
Something I wish I was able to do that I haven’t seen commented here yet is to easily get a shareable link from the top right drop down menu of my posts on my dashboard without having to click on it. This might just be me though.
I could see where that would be helpful!
I post links to my writing on Reddit. When someone subscribes through one of these posts, sometimes the source is "reddit" while other times it is "direct."
What can I do to ensure these subscriptions are being properly tracked as "reddit"?
Double check the link or click on it yourself. Does the url have "?utm_source=reddit" in it somewhere? If not, you could try manually adding it to the end of your link when you post it on reddit going forward. It's what I've seen some folks do when sharing their posts on discord (they'll add "?utm_source=discord"), since discord always goes to Direct.
I wonder if the inconsistency lies in whether people are clicking your link using the reddit app vs from their browser.
Hey, that's good to know. Thank you!
Loving the Instagram stickers!! Thanks for those SS 😊❤️
So just to clarify, does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral? Or is it just for people who sign up on their own? Also, what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
> does the referral program apply to all paid subscriptions? For instance, if I gift someone a subscription as the writer, can they add people through the referral?
Yes, all new and existing paid subscribers will get the email prompting them to give gifts. Only readers who pay for the publication will get this email, so comped and gifted subscriptions will not get the chance to send gifts.
> what’s the difference between referrals and group subscriptions?
Referrals are gifts given to other people from a single paid subscriber. Group subscriptions are multiple paid subscriptions that are purchased by a single person.
Referrals: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/8946512015892
Group subscriptions: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037465732
Any progress on the Android app? I signed up (I think) for the beta, but never heard anything. I'm anxious to start using that as my primary reader.
Coming soon! I wish I could provide a more solid date but we promise it's coming along.
For anyone else interested, you can sign up for the waitlist here: https://8g5zau8cti6.typeform.com/to/YPiI2mMg?typeform-source=on.substack.com
Oh boy, we got stickers!
Interesting to see the poll results. It’s helpful when determining certain stylistic choices. As always, thanks to the Substack team.
I'm really ignorant to all the requirements and rules involved in being writer within Substack. I don't have experience with a social media platform based forum so I'm unaware of any costs, rules, complying with copyrights and references to previous books or articles on certain subjects by other authors. I'd like to try if it would be helpful within the Substack community, but I'm all about truth and proof of it so my articles or news letters would stand as such. If any of you with experience could help get me off the ground I'd ike to make the attempt. Oh, and I hope that there's Spell Check.