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Our team will be answering questions and sharing insights with you in the thread today from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. EDT. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
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Media assets: After you publish a new post on Substack, you will receive an email with a suite of images you can share on social media. You can also “view media assets” from the three-dot-menu on any of your published posts. The images are generated based on your publication theme and the social preview image in your post’s settings.
Here is an example of media assets in action on The Alipore Post’s Instagram:
In case you missed it: In our recent Grow interview, Justin Gage, who writes Technically, shares how he crystallized his value proposition while leaning into his skill set and interests—and gained an audience of nearly 30,000 readers.
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Great to see those returning again today and some new faces too! Thanks for all that shared feedback on media assets and other things they have noticed in the product recently, we're sharing with the rest of the team.
Our team is signing off today. We will be back next week.
See you then,
Katie, Jasmine, Sachin, Ben, James, Aaron, Ngoc-Quyen, Emmad, and Reid
Thanks, Katie, to you and the rest of the Substack team. I had a couple of my questions answered today. I always appreciate how attentive and proactive you all are. Have a great end to your week!
It's been a "slow" couple of weeks for Release and Gather in terms of views/new subscribers. I lost two subscribers, which I wish I hadn't noticed because it was a downer (I have notifications for that turned off, but when you have a small subscriber base, *you know*). I've told myself this newsletter is not about numbers, but I think it's just in us to want to see it reach more people. Pressing on, though!
I feel this hard. I just started on Substack, but it took me about 2 minutes to start feeling the pang of jealousy over others' successes who are in my same lane. I was a "mommy blogger" back in the early 2000s, and writing on Substack has surprisingly resurfaced all the fraudy feelings and FOMO I experienced back then. Something I've been trying to keep top of mind comes from an episode of American Idol several years ago... Some kid wanted to sing an original song during Hollywood Week and the voice coach talked her out of it, saying that her untested song would be competing with everyone else singing the greats, like Adele or Harry Styles. I've noticed there are a lot of writers on Substack who have previously published and come with an already-intact following. I am starting from scratch, having convinced 30 friends on Facebook to sign up. Nobody else knows my name. I've established other goals for this space besides the numbers (tho numbers are included), so I have a variety of levers I can dial to feel a sense of accomplishment. Anyhow, hang in there.
My first few newsletters went out to an audience of 4 people. It's crazy looking back at those days. I came onto substack with no previous following.
I've also been writing consistently on this platform to see more newsletters than I could count, come and go. Most people will not stick with their writing for longer than three months. The ones that do, start to build steady growth. Readers who come to you will look back on your consistent history and think you're someone they can depend on.
It feels good to know that it's possible to attract a following with consistent good work.
I think you are right about the three months. I’m six months in and going strong, adding 3-8 subs daily. But I have about 4400 followers on Medium and I added a blurb at the end of my daily articles there pitching my newsletter. That really changed things. I write for writers and Medium is full of them so it was a natural audience. But sticking to it worked these and it is working here now. It takes time to build momentum.
Hey Cole thanks for these encouraging words. Asides from being consistent, how did you get people to see your newsletter? Does Substack have built in discoverability like Instagram, or do you have to actively promote it on other platforms?
Yes, substack has its own discoverability. There are a few really strong pieces it offers. Occasionally it seems to just send your newsletter out to people with a substack account. I'm not quite sure how this is curated, but this drives a lot of the slow growth over time that many writers see.
The true power comes from the recommendations feature. Having a few people in your subject area recommending you gives you a few cool features.
1. you'll be able to use blurbs. If you look at my home page, here ( colenoble.substack.com/welcome ) you can see that I've selected testimonials from other writers to display on my home page. It's a nice way to give yourself a boost in credibility.
2. One-click subscribing. If someone signs up for your newsletter, they'll also be asked if they'd like to sign up for any or all of the publications you recommend. It's super easy for them to opt in, if it's clear these other newsletters are on a related subject.
Substack also does "featured publications." If you see anyone running around with yellow badges on their publication logo, that's why. On their homepage, substack cycles through different newsletters to showcase to new people landing on the site. I got featured back in February. I don't know how substack picks who gets featured, but I'm fairly confident they want you to be writing consistently for a while, first.
Grinding feels really crappy in the beginning. But it gets better over time. It took me 5 months to crack 100 subscribers. I hit 200 subscribers within 5 more weeks. Growth isn't linear. The bigger your subscriber pool, the better chance you have of a hit that brings you in a lot of people.
You will also want to share off platform. I've had the best luck sharing articles in Facebook groups related to the topics I write about. Just don't be spammy. Participate in the group when you're not sharing.
Stick with it. I’ve been writing for over a year (although only just moved to substack) and my subs keep on reading. Even if they don’t always comment. I can see they are opening and clicking on links. And that keeps me going. As well as the thought that I just want to do this so I have to make it work!
I think getting lost in the numbers is unhelpful. For me, for example, I can’t really enjoy reaching a milestone, e.g. 300 subscribers, because a new one, e.g. 1000 subscribers, immediately appears. It’s the hedonic treadmill. We adapt to the new circumstances and long for something new and better. To keep going I think it’s necessary to focus on your personal reasons for writing and let that be enough. Never compare yourself to others, just be happy that it’s possible to gain wide acclaim—and maybe one day your newsletter will be recognized—but in the meantime it has to be ok, and enough, to just write for yourself.
Yes, it's a bit difficult to avoid, but you can try to ignore the "stats" and the posts promoting other writers and just focus on your writing—if you find writing and sharing with others is intrinsically rewarding.
I find some of the posts about how other writers gained more readers to be instructive and helpful, and I've implemented as much as I can from them. For example, I created a profile on Hacker News because a few featured writers mentioned getting a boost from being listed there, and one day the same happened to me, which another Substack writer wrote about:
But focusing on getting more readers is tangential, and a distraction from writing, which most writers obviously don't want to do. This, marketing / self-promotion, is a very different skill that may even feel inauthentic to many writers. But if we are being truthful, it is more rewarding to get more readers and more engagement. I think building a community of readers, an audience, is the ultimate goal for most writers. And realistically that's unlikely to happen without the marketing etc. Many brilliant writers, artists, creators, etc. work in obscurity, so being great is no guarantee of being discovered by an audience.
I'm in a similar boat! It's definitely discouraging to set growth goals knowing that so many successful writers come in big audiences and are already established.
I started with 8 ( a few close friends and family) and I'm now up to almost 70 after 3 months of weekly posts.
I'm increasing to 2 posts a week so I hope that helps!
Increasing the frequency of your posts will increase the chance of any one piece being picked up and discovered. But it's also not the magic success button. There's something to be said for anticipation.
Check out Fog Chaser's newsletter. He uploads once a month and his engagement is through the roof. A new publication is an event that people eagerly wait for.
My feeling about things I have done, and continue to do, is not that the world is out to get me, but rather, that the world in general does not care. For my substack, I am pretty much at the moment offering my subs for free, and also allowing free commenting as I want to establish a community and a following. As I bring in more unpaid members I will add value by adding exclusive content.
Worse comes to worst, it is a place for me to express myself and experiment. If I keep trying new things, something is bound to work and resonate.
Ahh yes the impending critical voices of FOMO & imposter syndrome. Unfortunately, these emotions will keep coming up until you face it.
This is all coming from an empathetic place. Anyone with the courage to go outside of their comfort zone is going to feel a sense of these emotions. It's because you care & you want to make the most of this. That's truly amazing :)
Truth is, these emotions will keep coming up if you're focused on the outcome, comparing yourself to others, or ruminating in the past (I should've & could've done xyz).
I'd like to softly invite you to see what it feels like to be in the present moment & do your best with what you have. Who you were & what you experienced decades ago is going to be different now. HELL, yesterday is different today.
Maximize on what you currently have, make the most of it.
If your mind wanders to any thought with "should" in it, that's the voice of expectations, criticism, & judgment. Do you want to feed into those?
Good word. I'm definitely experiencing the FOMO and Imposter Syndrome differently now. It still pops up, but I don't entertain it like I used to. I'm much more confident in my own abilities after 20 years of life and learning. It's why I've set other goals beside just the numbers.
I just wrote a little bit about "impostor syndrome." My perspective is "fake it till you make it!" and be kind to yourself while you're in the process of growing:
In a way, losing subscribers is a good thing, because you know in fact you are writing to those who want to hear from you. I'd rather speak to a gathering of 7 people who are interested and attentive than to 50 wherein 43 are not paying attention (-:
I agree Eli. I’ve lost 79 subscribers but have gained over 500 in the past four months or so. And I’m up to nearly 70 paid subscribers. Just doing the work with a big toothy grin and allowing things to unfold as they may.
Crazily enough, I lay a book out on the table where I’m seated at one of the Denver area coffeehouses I frequent. Because my Substack is about books, it works like a charm. People just can’t resist the temptation to inquire about a book I’m reading. When they ask me what I do, I tell ‘em that “I read and write about books for a living.” Draws them right in as a free subscriber. A growing number are now converting to paid.
Having experience in email marketing for ecommerce brands, losing subscribers isn't considered "bad" or "good". It's just a metric of data that we consider when aligning back with our goals.
If the goal is volume of subscribers, focus on acquisition aka opt-in forms. In this scenario, losing followers could be considered a metric to consider. Then you just ask, "where are followers dropping off? is it one week after they subscribed or a few months?"
If the goal is quality of subscribers, focus on content & personalization. losing followers = scraping the list of unengaged and therefore unqualified followers. It's natural selection in your favor.
Are you showing up according to schedule and posting content that's true to your lived experience or niche? Are you engaging with your readers in a respectful and timely manner? Then you are doing everything and more that is expected of you. An email list is an evolving entity: people will come and people will go. If you enriched the time they were on your newsletter in any capacity, that's a win. Don't be afraid of people leaving, and likewise, let people go if they aren't engaging.
This is a great reminder Nikhil for everyone in here. I wanted to expand on this. All we can do is our best & if our best doesn't receive the outcome we want, there are only two options: be okay with the best we've got OR ask for feedback.
Definitely been there, Holly. It's been a rough couple weeks for me on this front (only, in addition to free unsubs, I've had a handful of paid unsubs too, which is a special little jab in the heart).
It's really not about numbers. I know it's hard to truly believe that, but keep repeating it to yourself and remember that the world needs your specific voice, perspective, and talent. No one else can do exactly what you're doing or write exactly what you're writing. Feel the feels, be gentle with yourself, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Thanks, Sarah. It's good (but not good!) to know this happens to everyone. Your newsletter is one I absolutely love. I know that in some seasons maybe people just don't have time to read or don't have the funds to spend on every newsletter they adore. I know it still feels personal. : (
I've had a couple kindly people "donate" subscription funds. A few times now, I've had people tell me they are unsub'ing for financial reasons...so I comp them for 6 ms. using these donated funds (though I've simply done it on my own, too). After the 6 ms. they re-subscribe. All times, to date, they've been very grateful for the continued subscription. It's worthwhile to do this, and keep them on board. I know how it is, I've been there :( So I feel I'm ending up with some really solid paid folks in this way. Lifers, I hope!
it's only natural that it feels personal bc you're putting yourself out there & bc people aren't recognizing you, it could feel like your worth is being questioned.
normalize this experience now bc its not going to go away. how can you separate your character from external circumstances like this?
can you find a way to be intrinsically motivated & feel fulfilled from writing alone?
if your goal is to grow the count of your readers, can you find out how to do that without jeopardizing how you feel about yourself?
You definitely need to turn off the subscriber loss notification. Make rules about yourself about when you can check in on your subscribers. Otherwise you'll lose your mind.
You do have to think about it like paying a cost to send out an edition. I usually lose 2 subscribers every time I send. It happens. Sometimes you have inactive people on your list, and your email is going to be the nudge they needed to unsubscribe. Use this as your motivation to focus on writing the best content possible.
(And once you get to a certain size, every newsletter will trigger a flurry of email-disableds, and sometimes a few paid unsubs. I doubt it can be avoided. Nobody's THAT good. It's just about whether your growth curve is upwards or downwards over the month. *That's* the figure to respond to / panic about!)
I have 2 subscribers who are inactive. They signed up, viewed a few posts, and then never viewed or opened my newsletter. One got sent 15 and the other 8. I don't know why people sign up and then don't do anything.
What ESP are they using? I ask because I seem to have a lot of readers that use Hey and Proton, and I get zero stats from either. Yet, I know they're reading regularly, because they respond to posts, comment on threads, etc..
Thanks, Cole. I've had the unsubscribe notification turned off from the beginning because I know how much it can sting. I just happened to notice on the actual subscriber page, which I keep checking because I am *so very close to 100*--I know, I need to stop. :D
Hey Holly, this will sound like a platitude, but make sure you're always writing for yourself first. That will keep you motivated and energized. I turned off unsub notifications and resist the urge to look at subscriber numbers as much as possible. It just distracts you from writing, which is the real goal. Keep fighting the good fight!
This reminds me of that scene in Forrest Gump where Jenny asks Forrest what he is going to be when he grows up. He asks in return "Aren't I going to be me?"
I love this, and honestly it feels like it leads to better results anyway. When I write something that I am just so excited to write about, when I let it just pour onto the page without much thought for how "well" it will do, I tend to get a lot of commentary and discussion on those posts, which is what I want anyway! I would much rather have an active and engaged community of a couple hundred than a totally disinterested community of tens of thousands.
So true Amran. I do not regret writing ONLY FOR MYSELF for a long time. Now, I just view good stats and bad stats as a learning experience. I find it intriguing that people cannot just do that and not care about the statistics. I only have 80 subscribers but never chose to just blast my email list (500+ people) or my Twitter. I find the folks that join seem to stick. I get about 150 opens per day and my open fraction remains stable at 70% +/- I genuinely believe, at least for me, the organic, mostly on Substack growth is satisfying and sustainable. The only instance I suffered on statistics are when people close to me unsubscribed b/c of politics.
"...writing for yourself first." Thanks, Amran! I'm going to write that on an index card and post it on my laptop. That's the whole point of it. And if readers join my journey along the way and follow along, great!
Agreed. I turned off unsub notifications - it is a downer for me, but check the subscriber numbers - probably too much - that number encourages me to keep going doing what I love - to write.
Keep it up, Holly. I was also going towards some rough patches when I started my newsletter, feeling nobody cares. How can it be that no one sees what I see?! Well, it so happens that we all have have a unique superpower to handle stress. We just need to "edit" the negative ending of that story we keep telling ourselves and replace it with a more hopeful outcome. Keep sharing your downsides along the way, as you can see many people here are going through the same journey.
I noticed the same thing but I am surprised that it is across multiple platforms. Would be cool to see if Substack has any seasonality data for the platform overall. With school and college starting back up, wouldn't be surprised if that keeps a lot of people find their summer substack time is greatly diminished. I'll have to consider the possible seasonality element--i've been gathering data for SUBtember and noticed things were down and I have to explore all the options and not just "Is it something I said?!"
I've been thinking the same. I'm making a mental note that maybe September will be a good month for a writing break should I decide to do that in the future.
I've been noticing a similar phenomenon in my own subscriber stats. Growth continues but at a slower pace and I've experienced some unsubscribes as well.
FWIW, your Substack is one of my favorites and I always appreciate it when I see you interacting on mine.
Thanks, Mark--yours is one I read nearly every post. Maybe it's a busy/stressful season for people and they don't have as much time to read these days? Let's go with that! I'm sure we'll see more growth soon enough.
it could be the season or it could be time to consider if your audience has changed. Where are you leading people to your newsletter? Are you using social media to lead people into your newsletter? Are you using a website?
Every time I send out an email I get 2-3 unsubscribes but that's just the way it is and I'm learning not to care. If they aren't interested them sod 'em. I also do this thing regularly to keep my list clean. So every few months I delete people who haven't opened any emails from me ever.
I did this too at first, but then I read that Substack can't track activity from some email clients. I might consider reaching out directly before purging anyone...
While just an opinion, the viability of worrying about some unsubscribes against a small subscriber base (that's me) sounds like somethhing you cannot control. I think that if a frequent commenter unsubscribed, I might take it hard. Since this dialog I've taken a look at a couple of your posts. You need not worry.
Thanks, Mark. I agree--it's silly to concern myself with it. I think it would be helpful to know if the unsubscriber was a frequent reader/commenter. But I'm not sure if I would want Substack to tell me who it was that unsubscribed. I'm just going to stay in my lane and keep writing. Thanks again for the encouragement!
There are many advantages of retirement. I have dipped my toe in grabbing statistics for ez insights in Google Sheets. I do it ONLY when I am responding to comments so the commitment in some ways is no time at all. Glad to share if you are interested. For me I originally wanted to manage my music links which I include in each post in case there is ever an inquiry over digitall rights managment (DRM). Like spreadsheets are want to do, I started out just tracking my music, then my posts and eventually subscriber statistics. It is largely automated and gives me a sense of a metric that matterrs to me. I have a percentage of my subscribers who open a given post. My path to about 80 subscribers has been slow and stead and that is cool. What I have been trying to keep to is 70% opens. I am not sure why that matters to me but it does :)
Since I could NEVER do this posting without music I decided to create a little spreadsheet of my past music and stuff I just like. It is fun after putting the work in to have 200+ songs on my Substack "playlist"...just a silly obsession :)
I commited to myself to just let it be once I reach that artificial threshold of 100 subscribers. My sense is if they are engaged, it will just snowball from there. Blind faith I guess.
Hello Holly. For me I started on Substack b/c someone was moving their primary output from Twitter. I was more than willing. Soon thereafter, I started writing a Newsletter and did not actively promote it even to my friends and acquaintances, only the small group in my creative writing group. I came to try and discover the joy of writing. It is hard to resist when people unsubscribe. I now have a modest following but find for me the organic growth of finding someone you enjoy and just start reading them. My subscriber base grows modestly and I resist the comparison game. I promise myself the dream is to write a historical fiction novel and the Newsletter, for now, can just be the venue to learn the craft of writing. For that, I now conclude I need at least a core group that does more than read or like but becomes willing to criticize. I am not sure this is relevant to you but I have come to scan your writing b/c of your input elsewhere. I will take another look at Release and Gather. Mine is https://markdolan.substack.com and is titled "Why Living Today Rocks".
Thanks for this, Mark. My reason for joining was similar--I wanted to force myself into the habit of writing most days. Release and Gather has done that for me, so it's a win! I just have to keep reminding myself (or have others remind me!). I'll check out your space. I'm learning that I can subscribe to a lot of interesting newsletters and be okay with not being able to read every post. But some days I run across one that is just what I needed for the season. That's the beauty of so many writers on this platform.
Well put. I am a browser and only a very small handful of must reads. I will circle back as I don't remember details of your writing yet. What I know is that we share an appreciation for Cafe Anne I believe. Join that large club I think.
Indeed. The positivity and embracing of the range of human behavior is awesome. So many Substacks can be "tribal" and reinforcing. Not what I need or want right now. Writing about what inspires you seems the antidote for me as I want to write a historical fiction novel in retirement and already have an outline. I need the repetitions and reading something like the Cafe is fantastic to instill style and flow.
Haha I was so happy to see the two of you connecting on this thread because I enjoy you both so much, and then I get to the end and you’re talking about me! So funny. Made my day!
It's also important to consider that some newsletter topics are inherently easier to grow on certain platforms. Controversy-based things spread extremely quickly. If you're a bombastic drama-monger, it's easy to start explosive exchanges on social media that generate massive amounts of clicks.
Of course, Substack's MO has always been that people may be willing to click on rage-based content, but they're less willing to pay for it. Also volatile topics make for fickle communities that leave the second you post something that they don't like.
I don't want to operate this way. I steer away from the conspiracy theories and drama, because it doesn't bring about a good end. Yet, these days even simple disagreement can be convoluted as "hate speech."
"No, I just don't like broccoli. I have nothing against broccoli, don't want to destroy all broccoli, just am not with the texture and taste of broccoli."
Holly just wanted to thank you for this! I’ve seen a major slowdown (along with a lot of unsubscribes too) these past few weeks. Hearing I’m not alone, and reading the thoughtful comments in the discussion provoked by your post really helped me tonight!
I think after Labor Day, people try a bunch of new "resolutions". They also are frantic as for some it is back to school. It is good people have two periods per year for resolutions since they rarely last long anyhow :) I would expect when you show off how much you've grown the rubber band ball the crowds will be back!!!
Hold that last thought! A newly revived buzz-phrase from a Hemingway novel, “Gradually, then suddenly,” applies to our mutual endeavors. I have a “Hockey Stick Graph” meme from my old Blogger effort that people in early recovery have found encouraging.
My short-term memory is measured in nano-seconds as I pass through my 80th year on the planet, but if it isn’t posted yet, I will do that tonight *without fail*. Even if I don’t think it is *perfect* yet. Like a lot of addicts, I am an insecure megalomaniac.
I think that as a result of Substack’s efforts to help us “grow” we are getting a lot of “window shoppers,” who just wanted to see what we are “selling.” Like a younger brother told me about applying for jobs at a low-point in my work life, “It is a numbers game. Employers have different needs. It isn’t about “you” as a candidate, but just that someone else had some particular trait, education or experience that was just what they think they need. Just keep putting yourself out there and at some point, you will be that person, for someone.”
Cold comfort with a new wife and new grandchild to support, but press on I did. All of a sudden, two agencies offered me a job at the same time. I played them off against each other, “A offered me $X…” and then, “B countered with…” After a few rounds of that, I figured I better pull the trigger, before they both hired someone else.
I made the right choice on many levels and worked for 21-years before retiring and staying in this town that I was “Just passing through…” for another nine years, so far.
In the meantime, you are an interesting person with a wide range of interests and useful values. You also have a knack for putting ideas in ways that make me grin. Or even chuckle. And honest enough to let me know when you are quoting Vonnegut, when I missed the footnote. And anyway, you have this compulsion to write.
It has been said that 80% of success, is just showing up!
Thanks, Pete! Your comments always brighten my day. Alas, I must leave the discussion and get back to my day job for a meeting, but I will for sure come back to re-read this comment and all it's treasures!
I have tried to think of my newsletter as an access ticket for myself. Telling people I write an outdoor newsletter generally allows me to get credentialed to cover really cool things that I want to experience myself, in person. I share that with my readers. Even if no one paid me, or subscribed, in the end, I'd still be having these great experiences with exciting people.
At the same time, external metrics are an indicator over time. If I find that what I do doesn't resonate with anyone, shouldn't it be my goal to also communicate and connect with them? I'm not saying completely revamp yourself, but at least get an idea of what else is out there. And then you can risk/reward possible choices.
Let's say that in the real world, you find yourself to be without friends. While friends don't determine your worth, they can be an indicator that perhaps you haveen't properly shown them, their worth. Still, I could be barking mad.
Not mad at all. Your worth shouldn't be compromised but if your goal is to grow & learn, you have to research, test things out, ask for feedback. you can do all of those growth driven actions without ever compromising your worth bc in this case, you're questioning your skills and skills can always be improved.
Hi everyone. I'm about to commit the awful sin of copying & pasting something I wrote in a previous comment on another Office Hours (so if you arrange to have me burnt at the stake, I fully understand):
Here's an idea I've put into action that you could steal if you think it might work for you.
I've been working in seasons of maybe 10-ish weeks of stuff, with a clear beginning and end. This has been helping me enormously in three ways:
- refreshing what I'm doing by having a few different themes for each season, within the overarching focus of the newsletter (in my case, the science of curiosity, awe & wonder). New season = new themes, new niche audiences to try to get the attention of, new stuff for me to learn & write about, etc.
- gives me a proper break occasionally! I'm always running a bit behind because of other writing commitments and a between-season break gives me a chance to get a little ahead of myself again and just...not write? (Just occasionally, not-writing is super nice.)
- getting new paid subscribers! At the end of the season I sing & dance about the benefits of a paid subscription, just to my free list, giving it a proper push with time-limited discounts and everything. So if you work in seasons, it'd allow you to have maybe 3 or 4 chances every year to push for paid subscriptions and solely focus your time & energy around that goal for around a week. And each time you can experiment with a slightly different way to attract them in, with different types of writing, different offers etc....
None of this is original & new. It's what podcasters, NPR, Netflix shows etc have been doing for ages in many different ways. But it's working well for my newsletter, so I thought it might work for yours too. Please adapt/steal wildly from me if you like the sound of it!
Totally into this idea. As someone who has MANY interests (and a hard time sticking to things long-term) it feels super refreshing. Stick to one topic and a deadline and then that's it. I also heard of this idea from another writer recently, too. Repetition makes me think it's telling me something...
I’ve been so shy about asking because to be honest, you support for the love of the work. Is that good enough? Depends on the person. I have felt validated in people’s support not to lean so much on paid only posts, but still figuring things out.
This is really great. You have inspired me at some point to write to my readers using the headline, "My NPR Moment." I think that will lead to opening of the email and perhaps, if my pitch is good, to conversions. Thanks!
I'll have to think about this. I'm committed to the Grillmaster method of low-and-slow growth, but in my experiment with self promotion I have gathered some data that indicates I need to change things up to start more of a conversation. Other newsletters do almost weekly themes with a set-up, exploration, and satisfaction of some topic, and I find that's a great tool for a "conversational layup". They feed readers what they want them to talk about (set up) and then talk about it (exploration) and finally have some closing thoughts (satisfaction). Whether it's one week, one month (like I am considering), or 10 weeks as you do, I think the principle is sound.
Do you get any feedback from paid subscribers about what pushed them over the edge? Do they subscribe because they support you and your project, or do they subscribe because they see your paid content as a value-add worth the dollars? Said more simply: Is there any indication that they are they subscribing to *you* or instead to *your content*? Does the distinction matter, I wonder?
Just thinking about mixing up my own content and your comment gave me some ideas and questions to ponder! Thank you for that!
>>"Do they subscribe because they support you and your project, or do they subscribe because they see your paid content as a value-add worth the dollars?"
All of the above, I reckon! Some people seem to be on board simply because they want to see the kind of work I'm doing, even if they don't (yet) have the time to read it. It's really a spectrum of motivations - so I'm trying to not presume there's one driving factor at work.
I'm also committed to an 80/20 policy, where I'm giving away 80% of what I do. I very much agree with Substack's advice that the bulk & the best of your work should be bouncing round the internet for free. But that 20% can be just as deep & interesting too! (Right now, I have a season-within-a-season going on just for paid subscribers, on how geology affects human behaviour.)
I know you weren't asking me, but I think most people pay because they support you in general, and not for any value adds you might be putting out there. The only exception might be if you're writing serialized fiction. In my case a few were people already reading my writing on Medium, and another was someone I met during a writing cohort.
Honestly, I'm still trying to work that out! But right now it's access to a storytelling course, (soon to be) chapters from a book I'm writing, and every season of my newsletter, a kind of mini-season with its own topic, only visible for people behind the paywall. I'm also experimenting with 1-1 video calls for paid subscribers, and....whatever I can think up next, or steal from folk much smarter than me.
The way I see it: as long as it's *something*, and as long as that something is worth getting for the people who enjoy the rest of the newsletter. But also, it has to be a practical workload. Adding 20% extra to what I've been doing feels doable. But promising I'm doubling my output, or something like that? That's the road to burnout and ruin. (And anyway, as Kevin said in another comment, a fair amount of folk *don't want* more stuff, they just want to champion and support the work you're already doing. The % who want that will vary from writer to writer, but - it's a thing. So we shouldn't feel like we need to start working two full newsletter jobs.)
1. Just headed over to your newsletter and, asides from loving your topic of curiosity, it also really inspired me to see your growth. I have (for a very long time, maybe since the age of 9) had this amorphous far-in-the-future dream that I can earn a living from writing, and I'm starting to feel like that may not be quite so amorphous.
2. I then made my way over to Twitter because my curiosity (lol!) demanded that I find out what the viral tweet was, and I am mind blown by the idea of the Zanclean Megaflood! I'm still going to read your piece on that, but just from the twitter thread it immediately brought to mind the legends of Atlantis and its destruction.
Thank you for sharing tips on how you've made Substack work for you, and I look forward to reading more of your work!
Good to note about the 3-4 times yr call for paid... I've been trying to limit that, but this gives it a natural rhythm with what you are doing. I'm finding that super-low-key, BRIEF captions with the sub button work.
I love this, Mike! I love the structure the seasonality provides and the clarity having themes allows- both for you to write, but also for the readers to know what niche they can cozy into.
I'm committing to a bi-weekly schedule for the rest of the year- both for structure and to give myself a chance to catch up a bit (since I'm also usually running behind). But, since I write so much about tv and film, I'm going to explore how seasonality could work next year.
My pleasure, Tami! And since you write about TV - "a season about a season" has a nice ring. A deep dive into how a hugely impactful season of a show you love got made, beginning to end? That'd be a grand story to read...
Good morning, writers! Here's a little encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you! Do you ever find yourself playing the comparison game? Watching from afar while other writers seem to do better than you or have more than you? It's SUCH an easy trap to fall into, and it can seriously rob you of both your creative verve and your joy! Here's what I hope we can all remember (myself included!): our creative paths are unique and uniquely our own for a reason. Each unique road, each set of risings and fallings is ours because it will make us into the writers WE need to be! Someone out there needs to read the writing that only we--with our unique journey behind us--can offer, so DON'T STOP! Write for you, write for them, and don't give up!! 🌿
Such encouraging words! I haven’t fallen into any traps like that here yet I wonder if it’s because Substack isn’t set up against vanity metics like social media is?! 👩🏽💻
So happy you take the time to spell this out for us. Most of us instinctively know what you're saying is true, but seeing it in writing and put so well is one extra step toward *believing* it. I hope all the positive energy you put out there is being paid back in kind, S.E. :)
Hello all! my name is Bih and I write Food for Thought which I launched last year. I just want to thank you for the encouragement and ask if you have any advise as it pertains to writing. I feel like as a writer I tend to lecture to my audience rather than talk to my audience. Does anyone have any tips on that? Other than that I'm really proud of the work I release on my newsletter but feedback is always helpful.
The media assets are amazing. I've pretty much abandoned the IG account I set up for my newsletter, but this has me thinking twice about that decision. Thank you! (And thank you for continuing to come up with new ways to make Substacking -- including self-promotion -- easier in a variety of different ways.)
I do. I set up another account because I didn't want my newsletter followers overlapping with my personal ones. Of course, some people DO overlap -- the people who know me in both ways -- but I really wanted to be able to shamelessly promote my newsletter without feeling like I was spamming my high school boyfriend and my first cousin once removed and my boss 😂 Like, there's me, and then there's my newsletter, you know? Two separate IGs.
I deleted my personal Instagram (I no longer felt like sharing every element of my life/being so distracted) but hung onto the newsletter-focused IG account. I haven't been using it much, because it feels like such a huge task to build a following there, and everything is about video now. I do want to consider how I can just use it for fun and enjoy it, not see it as homework to do.
My personal IG account has merged with my new (four month old) Substacking identity. I spent the summer running an experiment to see if more followers would translate to more substack traffic. I'm up about 800 followers and 50 click-throughs but have zero new subscriptions. Posting every other day with about 20% of the posts as direct advertisement for my newsletter to avoid spamminess. I'm just not sure if I should press on bc it's been a short time (2 newsletter cycles) or start thinking about a new strategy
I've said it before, Sarah....I'll say it again: I think we're on the cusp of being the unheard-of "online auction site? HUH?" late-'90s to becoming the everybody's-doing-it eBay of the early-2000s! Strap yourself in! One day we'll all look back on these "Golly, how do I reach more people?" threads, and will be too busy writing (and fielding subscriptions!) to even have these threads!😲👀😁👍
I don't know if you're right, Brad, but my imagination is working overtime right now, thinking ahead, deciding I should probably give up on ever winning an Oscar or a Pulitzer and just concentrate on Substack's glory days.
I'd better live long enough to be a part of it. I'm going to be pissed if I don't. 😠
I lived thru the eBay surge, starting as I did, selling my 2,000-unit LP collection and attendant promo items and autographs from about '97 thru 2008 or so.
Plus, my observations of that growth was measured in number of sitcoms whose writers mentioned eBay in the late '90s (none) to the sudden "normalization" of eBay as a less-than-subtle signal to viewers by hordes of sitcom writers that this was a hip show!
Plus, I have it on good authority (namely Katie's....hi, Katie!)🤗that she's planning on having you be a major part of the 'Stack brand in the very near future!😉👍
I have been off FB family of products for 12 years. My only SM is to auto-post on Twitter since I schedule all my posts in advance anyhow. I don't think it generates much traffic and I do have a background and understanding of SEO, Email campaign management.
I am sure it might generate eyeballs for prolific users.
I think that the platform largely depends on what you write about. I run an outdoor newsletter. The outdoor community seems totally dead on twitter. Some of the biggest names in mountaineering have followings similar to mine, and get zero engagement.
You need to think about where your community hangs out.
Holly, my POV: I was NEVER on SM for the last coupla decades everyone and their grandmas were; mainly because I had nothing, really, to say, and didn't need a place to say it! But, 2 Augusts ago ('21), I got 'em all, mainly just to tub-thump my 'Stack ramblings! Yes, I'm just that much of a show-biz ho!!!
(Warning: All humility flies out the window at this point): Even when I was covering the Houston Astros for 5 years on an all-sports web site (The Runner Sports) from '15-'20, I WAS NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, but, regardless, I was the top monthly page-view getter on a staff of 85 (all, I'm guessing, were plastered all over SM) for well over a year!! So, A) it's all about what and how you write, and B) I'm discovering my reach is exceeding my grasp on 'Stack when I post my links on SM sites!
Hahahah! Loved all of this, Brad (even your...ahem...absence of humility). I work in technology and had been on social media (a lot) for years (like since the inception of FB). I decided to take a break because of the way it negatively impacted my psyche. I've thought about going back just to tout my 'stack, but I also kind of like that most of my readers are complete strangers. Lots to think about, and I'll bear in mind your 2 cents because--clearly you know a thing or two, right??
I probably won't go back to FB; I just can't do it. But I more or less live on twitter. Using lists, and blocking one's time make for a much more pleasant experience.
I came up with an extremely effective Facebook ad campaign and it's gotten me absolutely nothing. I was able to build up almost 1500 followers of my newsletter's Facebook page. But Facebook wants to charge me money to get my posts seen by my own subscribers.
Well, I hear ya. I was on Twitter most of this past year under another "alias," and got spun up into ranting, too. My current re-boot there is nothing but a place to house my new posts! So, it's all in how you approach, but to my mind, it's worth having it out there if you can reel in your (and my!) temptations to interact with hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing! I say give it a shot! And, to answer your last question, Holly.......................(chuckle).....Clearly!😉
I'm trying to be more intentional with my IG posts (so only posting if I have something that really matters) but being way more active on my IG stories. This new feature will be great for my stories, if that makes sense.
My next post is going out tomorrow. I still have to finish it, but am already curious about what I am going to get! Glad to hear such a positive note on this new feature.
I just noticed it this week and love it! My only suggestion is the ability to choose text colors because sometimes it competes with the photo. I thought I had just missed it before so, thank you Sarah Miller, for mentioning it!
I'm writing a Substack about a friendship that I had in late elementary school from 1975-1978. Georg and I have had very little contact in 45 years. Yesterday I called him on the phone and we talked for an hour. By the end of the conversation, we both expressed an interest in rekindling our friendship.
This wouldn't have happened without the deadline that my weekly Substack offers me. This connection means so much more than those damn analytics/numbers that I check too often.
Free yourself from the numbers... call an old friend. :). Hal
I did it! I messaged her and it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be. I wanted to let you know because I was definitely thinking of you the substack stranger in a similar situation when mustering up my courage!
I retire at the end of the month from full-time employment and am looking forward to taking my Substack forward and start paid subscriptions very soon.
Welcome to retirement, Roland....an early greeting, I know! You'll find it's easier than it may seem to wrap your time and energies around your 'Stack. It sounds like you travel, so hopefully, your writing can happen more easily and time-efficiently while you're actually traveling! Have fun, and again, welcome!!😎👍
Don't say "hit the ground," Roland, to a retiree! You've got a month, but I thought I'd just let you in on a little tip!!! Me and the ground hardly get along (and, yes, I meant that pun)!😊
Oh! I'm excited about the media assets. I've been trying to get back to posting more often on Instagram and this will be so helpful.
I don't have any writing questions, just an unexpected report. So, this past weekend, after 2.5 years of staying clear I got Covid. I always publish on Mondays and Fridays, and I just didn't know what I was going to do on Monday. My brain felt stuffed full of cotton. But I also knew there are folks (like my mom. Ha!) who would worry if I didn't post at all. So, I ended up doing an discussion thread, just for my paying folks, on offering and receiving help, which for obvious reasons was at the forefront of my brain. And I told them that I had Covid so I was really hoping they would step up and help me, by offering some stories and wisdom, which THEY DID. I've never gotten that kind of response to a discussion thread before. It wasn't an Ask E Jean epic thread or anything, but it was enough to bolster my mood in the midst of my sickness.
Anyway, today's my last day of quarantine. I'm feeling much better already, thank god. And I just wanted to share that story to encourage you all, when you're feeling like you just can't show up to consider whether you could ask your subscribers to show up instead. They just might surprise you. Mine did.
Glad to hear you're feeling better! Honestly, I think discussion threads are something more people should think about. I hesitated for a long time thinking no one would jump in. I couldn't have been more wrong.
As a fellow Asha Substack writer, I just had to jump in this thread to say hello!  I’m really appreciating everyone’s input and creativity here. Have a great day and carry-on!
Asha, are you friends with Karen Walrond? I think we may have already given each other a shout-out on one of her comment threads on Facebook. :) Glad to find that we're both on here.
No way!! Yes I am! Now I remember that funny moment. Another funny coincidence — this is the SECOND time I’ve had a friendly chat with a Substack author who said, “hey wait, are you friends with Karen??”
Great idea! Glad you're feeling better. I've had covid twice now and can confirm its the worst brain fog! But sometimes its good for the brain to have a break :)
Glad you’re feeling better. I needed to step back to preserve my health as well. There wasn’t enough of me to go around! This reminds me to reach out to folks for cross promotions so I can get those breaks.
Technically, any post with comments on can lead to discussion, but a discussion thread is a type of post with little lead in and (hopefully) lots and lots of comments.
This week is a more simple one for the newsletter, I’m still looking for small artists to interview, if any of you have names or contact feel free to drop it as a comment
Other than that I also have spots for partnership inside my articles free or paid, feel free to send me a message on Twitter @thesmallears
See you tomorrow for the next artist!
PS: Found a little trick with media assets for people who wants to get them before publishing :
When you preview your post you can add /media-assets to the end of the link (that looks like ...-0d33-437...) of the publication to get them earlier!
I know a great developing artist who is 21 and will clearly be a star. Her name is Zen Zaahir and you can text her at 941-585-8698. Tell her that David Houle referred you so she will respond and be positive. here is her web site: https://zenzaahir.com/
As someone that literally had to ask how to make an IG post at last week's session, I'm very happy to see these media assets added! One more tool to use to help get the word out. Thank you!
Let us know if you have other ideas for helping with IG!
Also, if you search "Substack" in the Instagram stories sticker search, you'll find some amazing animated illustrations for things like "New post" or "Subscribe now."
What about Substack hosted hashtags to help connect and gather writers content across social media and build awareness within that app?
Could be standard Substack hashtags (a lot of publications have their own branded hashtags to aggregate their content but also engage their followers).
Could also be creating challenges or themes with a related hashtag....like Isolation Journals #100DayProject
Hi there I'm just wondering if there is any chance of being able to soon place photo images side-by-side and adjust the sizes to say, a small extent ...whereby one may place 2 or 3! next to each other. Or, am i missing something? Having photos one atop the other seems kinda high-school'ish. Hopefully its just me being unawares of something. Thx
I use Canva now to make all of my photo collages and it actually gives me even more freedom than I had with Wordpress. (I did several of these collages in my latest post: https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/a-family-visit-to-gettysburg) I had your exact frustration but once I figured out that I could do that, it was a game changer.
Great go-around...thx for posting. I'd kinda' sorta' prefer to not have to go to another place for basic functionality. Mind you yours looks fantastic. I've decided to parallel trial with another platform that makes posting & sizing a snap. Will see how it goes. All the best and wonderful post , yours!!!
This is a very rudimentary workaround: I put two or three images side by side in a Word document, then use the Snipping Tool on my computer to turn them into one image that I can upload to Substack. That's how I created the first image in my latest edition: https://coppellchronicle.substack.com/p/coppell-chronicle-vol-2-no-30
My thinking is that you can't get it to work because quite simply it doesn't work..as in..there is no 'there'... there! It seems beyond counter-intuitive/ inconceivable that a service designed to produce a newsletter in our visual age.. ...video and images et cetera doesn't allow you to put 2 small thumb size images side-by-side. Cheers!!
Hello! Dropping in here after reallllllyyy long to say A BIG THANK YOU for the new media assets feature! Loving it totally 💯💖
Also - many months ago, when my newsletter completed two years, I reflected upon my writing journey and wrote about my learnings here, in case anybody is interested :)
Hi fellow writers! I just had my first unsubscribe, which although inevitable at some point, still feels like a bit of a blow. It's a hard won effort getting folks on board, and so I'd really like to better understand why this person decided to leave. What's the best way forward here - do I reach out to them with a friendly email to enquire if there's anything I can do to tempt them back? Or do I just get over it an move on? I'd love to know how others deal with this. Many kind thanks!
I just tell myself I'm not for everyone, focus on the people who are still subscribed (and the new subs coming in) and keep going. I don't want to take up space in someone's inbox if they don't want me there -- AND, it's so often not even personal. (Think of all the times you unsubscribe from something -- is it because you think the writer is a garbage human who you can't stand to hear from one more day? Haha, no, it's just not content you're into anymore, or you're trying to reduce the noise.)
In short: move on. Don't give up. Your people are waiting to hear from you, and more will find you. Spend your time and energy on them and let everyone else go.
Don't take it personally. Someone decided that 1)They were too busy to read your newsletter, or 2)They didn't agree with something you wrote, or 3)They were just having a bad day.
Above all, do not contact them to try to get them back. You are better off with readers who very much want to hear from you. Concentrate on getting more of those
Ahh, I hear you. It is hard hard *hard* on the soul when that happens. (This is why I turned Unsubscribe notifications off.)
But I think it's also part of the deal we make with readers and subscribers. We make it super-easy for them to leave. There is real power in doing that, and it builds a huge amount of trust. In traditional businesses, there are all sorts of retention policies, and - while I get that they can work (and work well), when they're done badly they're so rage-inducing "Just....LET ME GO." So by making it easy to leave, we stand apart from the folk who don't...
Not an easy thing, and everyone's approach varies (and should vary!). But in my case, I don't follow up, unless I actually know that person. It's hard not to - but it's definitely easier on my anxiety to refocus on serving the people who want to stick around, and attracting new folk who might want to join them.
The most common reason is that people are getting too many emails. I never take it personally and I've turned off the notifications regarding unsubscribes.
One potential feature Substack might want to add is asking free subs why they are unsubscribing. This happens for paid subs although few seem to indicate why. Some have provided comments and it can be valuable feedback. For example, I decided to offer a student discount after reading that a student unsubscribed for financial reasons.
I have heard of writers who try to make a good thing out of unsubscribes or rejection letters. Make a jar and add a bead for each rejection or something like that. Over time you will have something beautiful.
To be honest, if they are not going to read the posts you are better off without them. It keeps your open rate up and helps deliverability. Numbers mean nothing - engagement means everything :-)
Move on and don't look back. An unsubscribe means that the reader no longer wants communication from you. It could be entirely for reasons outside of your control: they weren't invested to begin with, they subscribed to too many newsletters, they were "testing" yours out etc. On the other hand, are you getting unsubscribes in bulk after a post or a series of posts? Then it may be time to introspect and see if something you said made people want to leave.
Maintaining an email list is hard, and it's difficult to see people go, but the numbers are only part of the bigger game!
I wouldn't like it if someone asked me why I unsubscribed. I get overwhelmed at times, and if I find I have a zillion substack newsletters coming into my app - and I'm not reading them - I'll unsubscribe. It has absolutely nothing to do with the writer or even the newsletter. It's me having to focus on my own work and only having so much time. Personally, I don't look at unsubscribes - maybe you should just keep writing. People unsubscribing are more often than not simply too busy. It has nothing to do with you. Though I'm sorry you're going through this - I see it as a sign of success. Someone tried you out - more people will also.
I probably unsubcribe from a couple of SS each week. As I will signup initially to see what someone's about, what their output flow follows, etc. I find that people who post 3 or 4 times a week are the ones I bail on first. Interesting.
Perhaps my comment might be to your disapproval, but could you not check their archive on the website to see if their content is to your taste? Subbing just to find out what their style is like and unsubbing soon could make someone feel bad.
I like to get the organic experience of meeting the SS in real time. Arriving in my email, reading it to see if they have skills as a writer, waiting for the next one, noting improvement or just phoning it in, etc.
Kidding, of course. But you are making me rethink that term. Like Kevin said below, I think "prolific" is a better term. I actually had to go look at your archives just now to know just how often you post--so obviously I don't find that you post too much for my tastes. :)
But as I said in my response below to Kevin, I do get fatigued by several posts throughout the week that take a lot of attention. Or maybe it's just that I'm not digging the content and should probably just unsubscribe. Something I need to think about more...
Thank you for the kind words and your engagement with other readers on there!
I definitely post a lot (can I describe it as "prolific" instead? lol). Interestingly, my metrics improved when I started posting shorter emails more often.
That said, I'm *really* mindful of inbox fatigue. The 2 ways I try to mitigate that are:
1) Telling people what they can expect in my Welcome email, and mentioning the app.
I'm liking "prolific" too, Kevin (especially after reading Caitlin's question above that I need to answer). I think the difference is that I always love what you bring to the inbox. Your posts are short (something I haven't exactly mastered in my writing yet), and they add value to my life (music soothes my soul but I don't take enough time to discovery new artists/albums).
I actually delete most emails that come in and mostly rely on the app for reading. Yours is one I revisit if I've missed it on the day you posted (like that awesome Gorillaz post!).
I’ve had quite a few and while I don’t get the notifications, I see the buoy of my subscribe numbers. There’s a sting, but people can’t always keep up with everything, they lose interest, or other reasons. I try to move on and not dwell too much on it.
Sorry to hear that, Chevanne. But it's also a valuable life lesson to really do due diligence before we sign up for other people's newsletters, so that we don't inadvertently do the same to them when we unsubscribe.
I've found the best way to deal with it is to make sure your unsubscribe email say what you want it to, and to also make sure your "unsubscribe notifications" are turned off. That's all you can really do.
As hard as it is, I think it's important to try not to take it personally. While it may be informative to note if they were long time readers or not, ultimately the reasons why they unsubscribe may have more to do with them then anything you are doing. I used to direct plays a great deal, and I always explained to the cast before and after casting that casting is not a commentary on ability--so many factors go into the decision that are outside the control of the actor, it isn't a true metric for evaluation. I think the same goes for unsubscribes. Keep chugging and keep your head up!
I had two this week, Alchemilla. They may not be the first two, but it was the first I've noticed. It was certainly deflating, and for a moment I wanted to know why. But here's the thing--my newsletter isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. I'm choosing to believe they subscribed because of a recommendation from another page then realized it wasn't for them. Keep writing! Your words are for *someone*!
Yes that's so true. Thanks for your kindness. I know from personal experience that people unsubscribe from things simply because life is busy and they don't have time to read everything we put out there. This is one of the reasons I love Substack - having access to the archive is great for bingeing. I have a tendency to write quite long posts, and so have been using the audio voice over feature to offset that and keep the busier folks tuning in. I've only being doing this for three months, so am still learning what works. Thanks again for your words of encouragement!
I'm with you, but we've also been (collectively) conditioned to think more numbers are somehow better. It's a weird sort of social proof that I wish didn't exist.
Happy Thursday, y'all! I'm looking to connect with other Substackers who write about the immigrant experience or personal finance. If that's you, drop me a line! Here's my Substack: https://401que.substack.com/
Hey! I just wanted to say that two weeks ago I decided to take the leap and make my newsletter my full time job. I write Apricitas, a newsletter about economic data analysis—if that sounds interesting to you consider taking a look!
I've leveraged the "website" aspect of Substack to post my portfolio of copywriting samples, speculative ads and other goodies. It's on my frontpage if you want to check it out. These weren't sent to my readers as an email because that wouldn't have been ethical of me.
I'm taking advantage of this platform to market my copywriting and newsletter strategy service to help other authors address pain points in their growth or messaging strategy. Also working on an inbound marketing certification to hone my skills and ideas. To anyone reading this: don't just depend on a monthly subscription model because that takes too long to implement and a lot of luck too. Find your niche and use the Substack platform to spread your reach.
So, you write a post, but in the Publish settings, DESELECT send to readers via email and Substack app. and hit Publish. IGNORE the prompt that says your post's reach will be diminished if you don't send to readers by email.
Now that post is on your web version of Substack only. You can then "pin" that post at the top of your substack so that people see it the minute they access your Substack.
You can leave a hyperlink in your regular emails to your readers at the end, so that it doesn't come across as spammy.
Actually I know that part. What I don't know, and what I am asking, is how you got the extra links "Guests" "Interviews" and "Work With Me" onto the Substack site. Thanks in advance for your explanation!
You go to Settings-->scroll down to Add a Section-->Add New-->Newsletter-->Type in the section name (e.g. Work with me!) in the newsletter name field
Since the details of working with me, my portfolio etc are unrelated to my music recommendation offerings, I would untick "Add new subscribers by default" and "Copy your email list". If your section is still in tune/sync with your existing topic of publication, then you could leave those two ticked!
Substack is there a specific time/day to post for a higher open rate? I know everyone says avoid Mondays, or 11am before lunch hour, whatever, but looking for actual data.
I get so many emails on Mondays, and I find that I often have to skip reading a lot of those. I think it'd be great to know when readers are more apt to open.
Oh, see I've been sending mine out on Mondays. Maybe I should do Wednesdays for my regular posts??? For litthinkpodcast.substack.com we do Wednesdays because that seemed to be a good day for new podcast episodes and our blog posts followed the same pattern by default.
Mondays are usually busy days for my day job, so I don't always have time to read. By Tuesday I've caught my breath and have some extra time. The Wednesdays seem to be busy again but Thurs/Fri have more down time. Just my perspective.
It just dawned on me that I should just send out a quick survey and see where that lands. Honestly, I'm going to be hard pressed to get mine out by Monday, so it might give me a reprieve ;-)
Might be a good idea. I know in my case, I have some newsletters I read right away, and others I purposely save until later. You may have people in your audience doing the same?
Normally for me I post 10am Monday - Thursday. I used to do 7 days a week at 10am. Covering professional wrestling can give me a lot of content to explore.
I've been slacking a bit on following that, but for the most part everyone opens the email during those morning hours. Also, make sure you have a good headline as everyone says. Also have a good subtitle below your headline to intrigue your readers to open the email. Sometimes you can send out a little reminder like at the end of the week like a round-up link post so if they did miss a post, the link is easily accessible for them. Hopes this helps!
This is an interesting question. I send mine out at different days and times; no set day/time. I'm surprised sometimes when I get a notification from people that read it in the middle of the night. It's almost like people are up 24/7. It always amazes me.
I post my Tidbits every day at 7:00 PM ET (U.S.) and my long form articles on various days of the week. I have not seen any differences in overall open rates. Some open shortly after posting, others the next morning.
How did I not know about the social previews??? I'm so excited about using these as another item to put into my IG stories, especially now that I've figured out how to schedule them ahead of time.
I like the idea of the gift referral program that allows current subscribers to give their friends or colleagues free subscriptions. However, I would suggest that writers should be able to set the term of those subscriptions rather than just have it fixed at one month. Also, it would be good if we could have more transparency regarding exactly when our subscribers will receive this opportunity or, better yet, allow us to control this completely. For example, writers could send out an email to paid subscribers informing them of this opportunity and providing a button to click to use up to three referrals.
That's a great idea. I also like the idea of rewarding paid subscribers for their loyalty. I'd like to give them a free month at Christmas by way of thanks (for example.)
Hi folks - Excited to share that my future of work substack (https://futurexwork.substack.com) is now the No. 1 category substack on internet! Couldn’t have done this without you awesome people & this incredible community. Feeling grateful & inspired.
After the advice I got last week on how to approach about pages I did a rewrite of the about page for my substack. Thanks again to everyone who responded to my comment last week. I just started the second character story for my fighting game like fiction project, so that's an exciting substack development I figured I'd share.
Announced plans this week to publish a print and ebook version of some of my online fiction content, and it was really interesting to see how enthusiastic the Substack crowd were for it. Despite the content being free to read online in serial form, people still really value a physical product, it would seem. Am now thinking I should bundle up more stuff and make it available in other forms.
In other news, thanks go to Fictionistas for the great online meet-up last week!
I would like to do something like this eventually too. How did you communicate it to the substack crowd? I wonder about publishing something that is available for free. Is the format difference enough to make the sale?
Responses there and elsewhere have been more enthusiastic than I expected, for a crowd already committed to reading digitally (ie Substack readers!). Turns out that 'a book' is still a value thing, even if the content itself isn't exclusive to the physical thing.
I do get it, though. For a finished story (I write and publish chapters weekly), it's much more convenient and satisfying to have the 'finished product' in your hands, in one convenient place, rather than having to navigate different web pages/newsletters/etc.
I subscribe to a lot of 'stacks, but there are a handful that I read without fail. It doesn't mean the others aren't good. I like to keep my options open--never know what article I will run across that will make my day!
This is why have a good hook to grab readers is so important. If you want to stand out from a crowd of substacks. I definitely go through my app and check out the hooks that make me want to keep reading.
Hi everyone! Media assets feature looks great :) thank you for the tip as well. I'm quite new to substack and do more personal writing, it feels like talking to someone and as a stay at home mom I feel sometimes I need someone to talk to.
Do you guys feel there is any space for growth for personal blogs or did we fully leave them in 2008? If anyone wants to be friends though, let me know/check out my writing tootah.substack.com 🌝
I will out myself as completely biased on this topic because I have been singing the praises of personal blogs since I started one in the early 2000s (I was a new-ish mom at the time!). I believe now more than ever people crave personal stories as vehicles for connection and feeling less lonely. That’s part of what’s driving my newsletter, Parent of Adults (ashadornfest.substack.com) -- let’s see how it goes. I say: Follow your gut on this and trust it!
I just checked out your newsletter and I think we may have some overlap in audiences. Many of my subscribers are looking for what's next when the nest is empty. I started trying to learn/try 50 new things every year about the time my kids all left:)
I checked out your newsletter, I love the look of it! Will be looking forward to kids going to bed (not college yet haha) so i have some time to read a bit more!
Thank you, Anastasia! Oh I remember the non-sleeping years. When I met people whose kids were grown, it seemed like an impossibility. And yet, here I am. It’s hard to believe sometimes!
I write two newsletters - one is work related and not aimed at the general public but my other (and much newer) is related to personal growth. It covers my experience trying and learning 50 new things a year and encourages others to do the same. A subscriber commented that it reminded them of the old school personal blogs and appreciated that it wasn't filled with affiliate links. I am still experimenting with what works best but I enjoy writing it and will keep it going for at least a year. I'll check your newsletter out:)
Hi Substack Team. How do I track stats for visitors to my ABOUT page? I visit a lot of About pages to help me decide whether or not to subscribe and I'd love to see those stats for my own About page.
This is a great idea, we'll give it a think! Relatedly, we've made some improvements recently to the email you get when someone new subscribes, and are thinking about ways to provide even more detail around where that subscriber came from (e.g. a particular post, your about page, etc.).
I've mentioned this before, but I'd also love a way to create categories for our content (similar to tags in the traditional blog format) to help organize posts by themes or format and create recommendations for other content they may like based on the post they're currently reading.
I am planning to use a pinned 'Start Here' post as an organized guide, but it would be so nice to have tags and a directory of categories so readers can choose their own adventure.
Yes! In fact, I’d love a one-stop view of traffic stats for all of my non-email posts (ie posts I’ve made directly to the site, not just stats for emailed posts.) In the interest of not overwhelming subscribers, I publish about half of my content directly to my page and it’s very difficult to gauge total post activity.
I noticed I do the same thing - visiting the About page to decide whether or not to subscribe- which made me realize I really need to spend time on my own. What are the best About pages you've seen so far?
In the meantime, I've also been thinking about creating a 'Start Here' post to guide readers and visitors through the overall experience of Outsourced- sort of an elaboration on the About- which would live as a post and would reflect stats!
Can we put paid ads in our newsletters? I read through the terms and whatnot but didn't see much about not doing it - anyone have any thoughts on this?
I write an alcohol-free newsletter and brands are interested in ad placement.
Great! Glad someone else does too. I will go ahead and start planning! If you don't mind sharing - do you have tiers? Ads throughout for different prices?
I’ve added affiliate links, with the accompanying disclaimer. There’s nothing in the T&Cs that prohibits this. Still, to preserve the general non-commercial vibe here, I’d do it sparingly and only for products you’ve tested and can personally refer readers to in the context of a good discussion.
I don’t think there’s a problem on Substack’s end but I do worry that if you have ads, people might think you don’t need paid subscribers. Then if you have trouble getting advertising, you might limit your paid subscriber growth when you need it.
That is definitely something to think about. I've managed to surpass 500 free subscribers in less than two months of having my newsletter out. I have 5 paid subscribers. I find that people don't want to pay for it - so I thought ads would be a great way to make income on the free posts. Now I'm trying to figure out how to change things up and make my paid posts "different" and worth it.
Well one thing to consider is the frequency. The other day Substack posted an interview where he had a writer who says feedback from unsubscribers is they didn’t get enough posts. Where did you find your advertising? I am curious about the potential for it.
Question: I would like to try the Referrals for my paid subscribers. However I don't want the email that goes to them to seem too "spammy." Can we customize the email that goes to them explaining the referrals? if so, how? thank you.
I'd love it if the Instagram image actually linked to the article. I think there is a way to do this with "stickers," but this is not an option for me on a desktop computer. I wonder if it is available only on the phone app?
Does anyone know how to actually post a link on an image published on instagram?
So, please forgive me if anything is out of order. I feel like sharing how Substack, and especially writing a newsletter has been an overwhelming experience for me, maybe even life changing.
🙌 Commitment —
I think and I have finally accepted I have been a procrastinator all my life, with no hope. Maybe it is the way to be. At least when it comes to writing, who isn’t? But even otherwise I guess as we grow older we learn to live with it and now and then, once in a while perhaps ponder what would life be if I would just get up and not postpone. Committing to writing a post every day (yes, I made that deal with the devil) has challenged what I thought was possible. Though I am still a late riser, though that call to Mum is still pending, maybe there is hope.
🙌 Friends —
I do not know if it is an Indian thing, but let us say my computer breaks down, what do I usually do? Scour all over for that nifty little trick which fixes the jinx. Usually from forums where there are a million people as if with all the time in their life to help strangers with obscure wicked problems with stuff. I have wondered where they find the time, but moved quickly on and grabbed the solution. Making a mental note to give back to the community one day, but knowing I’d never do that.
Yes, it is an Indian thing 😅. You see, we are in a hurry. We speak fast, don’t we?
Bam, writing a Substack forces you to give. The friends you make as a result — a blessing in the world where every second person is a narcissist. So, I have learnt to give. Perhaps this post is an example of what that means to me. Old friends, they wonder what is with the dystopian word that I describe myself by — Substacker!
The best thing, is that each one of you, writing a newsletter on Substack is an early adopter. Bursting with ideas, fingers flying long form on the keyboard finally — what better friends, a man can have.
🙌 Human. Irreverent. Joyful. Real.
Four mantras I want to live by. They are weird words. They work in reverse, beautifully. I mean being real makes you not worry much about mistakes you make while writing. You stop caring. Cliches don’t chase you. It results in joyful writing fit for Substack, maybe writing that will never clear a sane editor. Who cares? See, being real leads to Joy. And joy? Well, you can pretty much cook a snook, see there I go, at everything. Starting with yourself. Fcuk with grammarly. You are in a rush. You are on adrenaline. The emperor’s new clothes, you are the one wearing them! You become irreverent.
🙌 Result : You are human. Finally. It feels good to be free, that way. No? Yes, I am not going to go back over what I have written. This is what it is. This is what it is going to be.
🙌 Markdown —
Yes, I wrote it that way, using Paper (https://papereditor.app). It allows me to finally abandon the mouse, or trackpad as things might be. Clunky word processors, buttons to make things bold. The time for all that has come to an end. I am a keyboard Hans Solo. That is the way to be. One ship to rule it all.
🙌 Cigarettes —
The lesser said, the better about this. But I noticed, I smoke less when I write. I smoke more before. I smoke one, afterwards. The formula is clear. Think less, write more. Smoke a solitary friend afterwards.
🙌 Music —
For two months after I started, it was fatigue. Music was something that you listen to before, or afterwards. Like sex. Before the act, or afterwards. The act of a procrastinator. Not anymore. Writing a newsletter and music goes wonderfully together. Wait, let me switch Spotify on. Faure it is! What are you going to listen to tonight?
🙌 The Bluebird —
I sinned once (https://medium.com/illumination/i-have-sinned-henry-13f6ecd7c8c3), a long time ago. Substack is redemption. You can finally answer Henry! You can finally BIM BIM BIM. Finally, it can come all out. Finally, you do not need to tell the bluebird to sleep.
🙌 That was a proud moment of giving out a Medium article I wrote about sinning and the Bluebird long time ago. Faure made me do that 😅.
🙌 What next then?
Tell me what I have missed. I write Voisegram that gives you a real storybook in your inbox every day. Do check it out if you have a storybook situation tonight with a loved little one. What can you send through a newsletter? I have seen Music (https://eons.substack.com) on Substack, a brilliant game (https://if50.substack.com) even — Can I send my love?
🙌 Take care.
PS. I was scared and did a spell check. Sorry. But promise, I just only did a spell check, no edits, no re-reads. What came out trumps? Procastinator, Fcuk, Substacker and Grammerly
On 9/10 I sat down behind my microphone and recorded my first “personal” episode for the podcast feature. I host a podcast with guests (just published 131st episode Tuesday). Solo episodes, not so much.
So I was nervous about this one. But I had a deadline because 9/11...and it was the topic. I did it! I scheduled it for 9:11am NY time. Later that day I added it to Apple Podcasts and they made it available within minutes.
Yesterday received an email from some podcast trend peeps who said it was in the top 100 in History and Film...94.
I have to thank Betty in Substack for helping me figure out why I wasn’t getting the email to get it into Spotify, now it’s there.
Anyway, I am grateful to this platform and hope it keeps on keeping on because it’s everything I dreamed for! Videos, audio, photos, writing...all that I need now is to finally have that coffee I keep putting off. Been up since 6am and it’s past 10:30am!
You’re all rockstars!!! Thank you to those subscribing to me too. Luv ya! :)
In case you miss the shoutout thread (I love the opportunity to share about great Substackers I like), just head over to Twitter and use the hashtag #substackshoutout.
This week I've been reading Don't Mind Rick (been reading that since over a decade, but now it's on Substack, too!) and The Sneaky Art Post. How about you?
Your engineers and UI team keep leaning hard on the greatness button. The new generated media assets are killer. Makes the promotion of my WOODRUFF SS a breeze. Thank you SS tribe.
New post going out tomorrow and I'm so excited to try the media assets!
Normally I design slides in Canva for each essay, but it's an extra step that is not particularly quick and usually throws me into my long running, way overdue, branding 'to do' list, which eventually becomes a more existential crisis about the overall direction of my business and therefore life...
I've been reading Greg McKeown's book, Effortless, and I feel like having pre-populated media assets aligns perfectly with the idea of paring things down to the absolute minimum necessary in favor of ease. So- thanks @Substack team!
I'm serializing a novel here on Substack and this week the introductory free chapters were done and the first post went up only for subscribers. It was weird—I was both excited and felt somehow mean. To assuage my strange guilt, I quickly also posted a free essay about how much I liked being read to and now I get to read to others, even though, at seventy, my voice sounds like an old rocker chick who has played in too many smokey bars.
I’m in the same boat. I made the first chapter and a part of the second free and then put a paywall on the rest of them. It’s different for me though. I’ve been working very hard on this and basically have to choose between eating and having savings for the rest of my life so there’s no guilt lol. Like many people my age without financial assistance from an inheritance or something similar, I will never retire and I will never own a home. In a different world I’d volunteer all my free time to art and community service but that’s not the case. I also have been putting pressure on myself to make free posts so I understand that. Besides, that’s the only way new subscribers will be able to determine if they want to become paid ones.
Any plans on more comics-related events/initiatives? There's a lot of world-class talent in the comics category and would love some community building with those creators and the other writers/creators in that category.
Anyone like formal poetry? Embracing the new paradigm of self-publishing, I am now posting my own formal poems here on substack, instead of trying the usual publication route. Eventually I hope to build a readership rather than win prizes. DantheMeterMan is totally free!
Hi Caitlin, I mean I write in received forms, like sonnets, or other lyric forms, and pay attention to how formal aspects like meter and rhyme can bring heightening and emphasis to the content of the poem, such that the form is inseparable from the content. It can be personal, though too!:)
Anybody with more than one Substack, have you had success promoting between the different newsletters? I'm considering starting a second one, although the topic is different so I'm not sure people would cross over.
I agree with Sarah - why not just make different tabs/sections? They're considered their own newsletter. I have a few - and at the bottom of each post, I tell people how they can pick and choose which section/newsletter they want to subscribe to. I have the info on my about page also. I think that's wayyyyyy easier than having completely separate substacks - and you might get crossover readers. I started with everyone subscribed to everything - then let them pick and choose what they want to get.
I wanted to do this with my second blog, but I also needed to import old posts using an old blog’s url, and I wasn’t sure how that would work on my current substack. So I just went with separate sites. And to answer the original question, no, there has been no cross-pollination between them so far... which is fine. They’re two totally different topics (ancient history/fiction and horse training/farm life).
The topics I want to write about are too different. My current Substack is called "401 Que?" It's about money and the immigrant experience. The other topics I'm interested in writing about are writing/publishing and gaming.
I have a different tab too, but it goes out to the same subscriber list. You're saying that each tab can have its own subscription list? I am not tech savvy, so perhaps I missed this...
Yes. If you go to my About page and scroll to “a little housekeeping” you’ll see instructions for yr subscribers to only sign up for certain sections. I’ve yet to find out if we can do it manually ourselves....
I'm in a similar situation. I write on random, varying topics, but I'm starting a new newsletter so I can geek out about music. I know most people irl glaze over when I want to get into the weeds, so to speak, about music, musicians etc. so I don't expect much crossover.
I got into winemaking recently and started watching this couple on YouTube who have advice for at home winemakers. They said they used to include wine related content on their main YouTube page, but decided to branch out. Once they did, they saw their subscribers skyrocket. Having a niche page worked way better for them.
Based on their experience, I am curious to see if my music specific newsletter exceeds my general topic newsletter. (It wouldn't be too hard since I have a small number of subscribers anyhow.)
Thanks for your response, K.D. I appreciate that winemaking example. I do think niches work especially well in an increasingly fragmented landscape. Good luck with your music newsletter!
I'm a fan of niche and then spreading gently within that space. In my personal opinion (again, take very liberally since I'm an internet stranger), the whole "random" topics and posting without focus can cause your growth to stall. Who are you and what is your area of expertise, or wisdom, that readers can come to you for consistently? The more diverse you are, the greater the risk of sending graymail--email that a section of your subscribers never wanted or asked for but gave consent for receiving previous content they did want.
Is there a way you could just add tabs within your newsletter? I have a main theme but different tabs that are not truly related. If someone wants to subscribe to specific tabs or unsubscribe to specific tabs they can. You can see that on my Substack.
I appreciate the suggestion, but the other topics I'm looking to write about are far afield. My newsletter is about the immigrant experience. The other topics I'm interested in writing about are writing/publishing or gaming. I might've been able to use tabs if my Substack was my personal "brand," but my newsletter is called 401 Que?, which is specific to money and immigrants.
Then that makes perfect sense. I would just let people know with a special newsletter and then make sure you are recommending the pages toward each other.
To everyone who was late to the party: My name is Cole, I write about outdoor adventures. I've been at this a while. If you have questions about getting started -- or anything really -- I've been at this a while. Feel free to email me at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com
Great change to have Founding Tier perks. It's a nice way to say thank you in a unique way for their patronage.
I also love the integration with social media. I like to blast my posts on Twitter and IG (@theone_chiv) and it's nice to have a consistent aesthetic. Cheers to Substack for the continued innovation!
How do you guys think on the new referral program? (i.e., "paid subscribers can bring new readers to your publication by gifting them access to your paid content for a limited time").
I think it's cool to empower our paid members this way. But since it's capped at 3 gifts, I would add two extra options: for paid, get a one time x% off your monthly sub fee. This way paid members has a clear and uncapped incentive to spread the word out. Second, I'd also offer a similar referral mechanism for free subscribers, and give them x months free membership of the paid program or extra perk (service or gift).
Great feedback! We are planning to iterate on this feature, and giving paid subscribers a discount or similar as an incentive to give gifts is a great idea.
I'm getting ready to try the referral program this week but I would like a way to give paid subscribers an extra month or two free if they refer a specific number of subscribers who convert to paid subscribers. I am a little uneasy about having a separate referral email go out since I really try to limit the number of emails I send them.
Recommendations are great, but a warning: it could lead to a game of tit-for-tat (i.e., you recommend me and I recommend you). Or in rare instances, a game of guilt-tripping (i.e., hey, I recommended your newsletter *months* ago...I'd appreciate you return the favour). Only recommend if you REALLY vibe with that person's content and you genuinely think your readers could benefit from checking them out.
All great thoughts, Nikhil! Allow me to dovetail, and I might suggest we just do if it makes sense and fits your article (and not just 'cause you're trading shout-outs, even-up)! Ex: Saturday morning, I'm dropping an article about Stephen Michael Schwartz and an example of his songwriting, where he wrote a TV sitcom theme song, sang it on the show, kept the publishing, and re-purposed it as a pop/rock love song, giving all the tech data, etc! (We see a clip of the show with him singing it, as well as hear a produced demo song file of the re-worked song)!
All of that means nothing here, but, I'm putting a link box to the Michael Acoustic 'Stack at the bottom of my piece, solely BECAUSE IT FITS THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE (Michael doesn't even know I'm doing it)!
Michael writes about (and his readers eat it up) the art and craft of songwriting and music composition and instruments, so it makes sense to send my like-minded readers to him after they read Stephen's own words about his song! If he tits-for-tats, great, but I'll be drawing breath the next day just fine even if he doesn't, and won't think any less of him!
All of the above! Recommendations are great (and also the lowest hanging fruit) but I also regularly do guest posts (invite others to guest on my newsletter + write for others) and do collaborations (this usually means one of us writes half a post and the other writes the other half). They're all fun and all bring in new subs, in my experience.
I've found this here thread is a great way to intro/probe/decide a collab. I've had a small handful where a fellow 'Stacker and I "link" articles....What's that? Don't tell..........show? OK: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/brett-morgens-moonage-daydream-a Steve Goldberg's Earworms and Song Loops and my FR&B literally posted the same article on both our 'Stacks, BUT we added new/exclusive info when we posted on each of our own 'Letter sites! Hope this helps, and again, feel free to tap the cyber-shoulders of some of us here!
I haven’t been able to successfully email other writers using the [substackname]@substack.com structure suggested in a previous Office Hours. So short of posting in comments, I don’t know how to reach out to other writers. I’m a pro writer with a lifetime of publishing cred, and I’ve crafted great blurbs for other Substack writers. None have reciprocated, and none of them are using the rec feature to recommend others, either.
The author of the person you try to connect with must have their settings tweaked to accept emails sent to [nameofstack]ATsubstack.com from everyone. Some have it disabled, or to accept it only from their subscribers. A more reliable way to communicate with them is to reply to their email you get in your inbox. If you are using the Substack app, I don't think you can do this. Hope this helps, and good luck.
Thank you for that. It does seem like a frustrating thing. I get the feeling that people don't really check their Substack e-mails - or don't take those inboxes seriously. Good to know that that's your experience as well.
Thanks for the media assets! Only problem I've found is with trying to share to my Insta or my Google photos (for later) but that might be me or my phone... We can send posts specifically to Founders now? 😍😍😍
I'm sure this question gets asked a thousand times but I'd like to meet more people via Substack. I am a novelist and fiction writer and I write about a different topic every week. Most of my subscribers tend to come from Twitter and I have built up a decent readership, but I'd like to expand. How do I get more organic growth, being that I am a more personality/creative writing based substack and not a technical one?
Generally, Shoutout Threads are a great place to meet other writers and do a bit of self-promotion. For fiction writing, I've met lots of great people in these three Stacks:
Guest Blogging? Is anyone out there interested in guest blogging on my page? I've read that is one of the best ways to increase our followers. I write on Leadership, Sales, and Culture called the Kole Hard Facts ... https://michaelkole.substack.com . If you have something complimentary, I would be interested in having a guest blog, and you in turn could publish a blog from me? mike@koleperformancegroup.com ... let me know!
Mike, good to meet you via Office Hours (I was on vacation, slowly catching up). I research and write about strategy - looks like our newsletters are complementary. Will follow up re guest post appearances via email gabthinking (at) gmail (dot) com.
I don’t have anything I would consider complementary to your “Leadership, Sales…” topics, but I do have a lot of thoughts about “Culture.” If you are only talking about the “culture” of a business, I am probably not able to contribute much useful. My thoughts are more general, like “A culture is only as useful as it is adapted to a group’s ability to thrive in the environment in which they live.” Polish cavalry that were useful in WWI, defending against Hitler’s tanks in the opening days of WWII were wiped out in short order.
Hi Pete! Thanks for the reply. I’m talking about more business centered blogs to be complimentary. If you sent one of my ‘business blogs’ to your readers, would it help or hurt you in building a following? I try to be pretty focused on what goes out to my readers, so your content although good, is not why they open Kole Hard Facts. Thanks for the response though! Good Luck in your blogging!
Is anyone interested in connecting and reviewing each other's substack? Like "here's what I like", " here are a few areas you could improve" type of feedback?
I try to regularly review my substack from a higher level to see how to improve but that's a challenge being so engrained in it!
Hey Sara! I'd be interested in something like this. I'm pretty new to Substack, so it would be nice to get some extra eyes + make sure I sound remotely coherent, haha
Yes. I intend to ask a few friends to be beta readers to catch typos and “wordos” and let me know what they didn’t understand or agree with.
I required my speech students to present (from their seat) their Main Points, before they started to write their outline and also write a Con outline for their Persuasive Speech to make it clear that they knew what objections were likely to come up and address them in their presentation. You can deliver the most eloquent and compelling speech, but if someone leaves thinking, “But what about…” then you haven’t convinced them to act on it.
You seem to be the kind of person that would not only be useful to interact with re my interests, but, like my students, allow me to learn about their interests or see them from a different perspective.
I mean if all goes well, on a semi-regular basis would be nice! Maybe we can get a handful of those interested and set up a zoom or email chain to work out the details!
First time commenting here! My friend and I are writing a fitness newsletter for people over 40, and we're also about to launch a podcast!
Curious if anyone has had success in attracting search traffic from Google? I was able to verify the site through Search Console (it took a few weeks). However, haven't seen much search traffic yet. Any tips? Thank you in advance!
Hi, Katie. My site comes up in search when I search for the publication title (Practically Fit), but I was more curious about how long it took for people to see positive returns from search.
Hey all,
Great to see those returning again today and some new faces too! Thanks for all that shared feedback on media assets and other things they have noticed in the product recently, we're sharing with the rest of the team.
Our team is signing off today. We will be back next week.
See you then,
Katie, Jasmine, Sachin, Ben, James, Aaron, Ngoc-Quyen, Emmad, and Reid
Katie,
How may I contact Substack Tech guys? I send out my newsletter, but the email is never sent/received, and I did set it for emails.
Thank you!
DL Mullan
A Novelist Idea Newsletter
Thanks, Katie, to you and the rest of the Substack team. I had a couple of my questions answered today. I always appreciate how attentive and proactive you all are. Have a great end to your week!
Thanks! Have a great week!
As always, thanks for what you all do. We're having fun out here. :)
You got that right, Mike!
Even reading a thank you for comments I made feels good and you are one of those who tends to do that
How much is a paid subscription to sub stack app!
Thanks Katie! Have a great week!
It's been a "slow" couple of weeks for Release and Gather in terms of views/new subscribers. I lost two subscribers, which I wish I hadn't noticed because it was a downer (I have notifications for that turned off, but when you have a small subscriber base, *you know*). I've told myself this newsletter is not about numbers, but I think it's just in us to want to see it reach more people. Pressing on, though!
I feel this hard. I just started on Substack, but it took me about 2 minutes to start feeling the pang of jealousy over others' successes who are in my same lane. I was a "mommy blogger" back in the early 2000s, and writing on Substack has surprisingly resurfaced all the fraudy feelings and FOMO I experienced back then. Something I've been trying to keep top of mind comes from an episode of American Idol several years ago... Some kid wanted to sing an original song during Hollywood Week and the voice coach talked her out of it, saying that her untested song would be competing with everyone else singing the greats, like Adele or Harry Styles. I've noticed there are a lot of writers on Substack who have previously published and come with an already-intact following. I am starting from scratch, having convinced 30 friends on Facebook to sign up. Nobody else knows my name. I've established other goals for this space besides the numbers (tho numbers are included), so I have a variety of levers I can dial to feel a sense of accomplishment. Anyhow, hang in there.
My first few newsletters went out to an audience of 4 people. It's crazy looking back at those days. I came onto substack with no previous following.
I've also been writing consistently on this platform to see more newsletters than I could count, come and go. Most people will not stick with their writing for longer than three months. The ones that do, start to build steady growth. Readers who come to you will look back on your consistent history and think you're someone they can depend on.
It feels good to know that it's possible to attract a following with consistent good work.
I think you are right about the three months. I’m six months in and going strong, adding 3-8 subs daily. But I have about 4400 followers on Medium and I added a blurb at the end of my daily articles there pitching my newsletter. That really changed things. I write for writers and Medium is full of them so it was a natural audience. But sticking to it worked these and it is working here now. It takes time to build momentum.
Hey Cole thanks for these encouraging words. Asides from being consistent, how did you get people to see your newsletter? Does Substack have built in discoverability like Instagram, or do you have to actively promote it on other platforms?
Yes, substack has its own discoverability. There are a few really strong pieces it offers. Occasionally it seems to just send your newsletter out to people with a substack account. I'm not quite sure how this is curated, but this drives a lot of the slow growth over time that many writers see.
The true power comes from the recommendations feature. Having a few people in your subject area recommending you gives you a few cool features.
1. you'll be able to use blurbs. If you look at my home page, here ( colenoble.substack.com/welcome ) you can see that I've selected testimonials from other writers to display on my home page. It's a nice way to give yourself a boost in credibility.
2. One-click subscribing. If someone signs up for your newsletter, they'll also be asked if they'd like to sign up for any or all of the publications you recommend. It's super easy for them to opt in, if it's clear these other newsletters are on a related subject.
Substack also does "featured publications." If you see anyone running around with yellow badges on their publication logo, that's why. On their homepage, substack cycles through different newsletters to showcase to new people landing on the site. I got featured back in February. I don't know how substack picks who gets featured, but I'm fairly confident they want you to be writing consistently for a while, first.
Grinding feels really crappy in the beginning. But it gets better over time. It took me 5 months to crack 100 subscribers. I hit 200 subscribers within 5 more weeks. Growth isn't linear. The bigger your subscriber pool, the better chance you have of a hit that brings you in a lot of people.
You will also want to share off platform. I've had the best luck sharing articles in Facebook groups related to the topics I write about. Just don't be spammy. Participate in the group when you're not sharing.
Best of luck!
Stick with it. I’ve been writing for over a year (although only just moved to substack) and my subs keep on reading. Even if they don’t always comment. I can see they are opening and clicking on links. And that keeps me going. As well as the thought that I just want to do this so I have to make it work!
I love the reminder that consistency builds trust with your readers, both current and potential. Thanks for that.
I think getting lost in the numbers is unhelpful. For me, for example, I can’t really enjoy reaching a milestone, e.g. 300 subscribers, because a new one, e.g. 1000 subscribers, immediately appears. It’s the hedonic treadmill. We adapt to the new circumstances and long for something new and better. To keep going I think it’s necessary to focus on your personal reasons for writing and let that be enough. Never compare yourself to others, just be happy that it’s possible to gain wide acclaim—and maybe one day your newsletter will be recognized—but in the meantime it has to be ok, and enough, to just write for yourself.
Yes, it's a bit difficult to avoid, but you can try to ignore the "stats" and the posts promoting other writers and just focus on your writing—if you find writing and sharing with others is intrinsically rewarding.
I find some of the posts about how other writers gained more readers to be instructive and helpful, and I've implemented as much as I can from them. For example, I created a profile on Hacker News because a few featured writers mentioned getting a boost from being listed there, and one day the same happened to me, which another Substack writer wrote about:
https://pau1.substack.com/p/how-to-grow-your-newsletter-with
But focusing on getting more readers is tangential, and a distraction from writing, which most writers obviously don't want to do. This, marketing / self-promotion, is a very different skill that may even feel inauthentic to many writers. But if we are being truthful, it is more rewarding to get more readers and more engagement. I think building a community of readers, an audience, is the ultimate goal for most writers. And realistically that's unlikely to happen without the marketing etc. Many brilliant writers, artists, creators, etc. work in obscurity, so being great is no guarantee of being discovered by an audience.
Absolutely relatable. My list started with me signing up my wife & kids, and adding my work email for good measure.
"Hey Kevin Jr.."
"Yeah, Dad?"
"Want those concert tickets for this weekend's show?"
"Yes!"
"Then sign up for my music newsletter. What's your Gmail ID again?"
"o_o"
Lol.
Haha the work email! I did that on my mailchimp!
I'm in a similar boat! It's definitely discouraging to set growth goals knowing that so many successful writers come in big audiences and are already established.
I started with 8 ( a few close friends and family) and I'm now up to almost 70 after 3 months of weekly posts.
I'm increasing to 2 posts a week so I hope that helps!
Increasing the frequency of your posts will increase the chance of any one piece being picked up and discovered. But it's also not the magic success button. There's something to be said for anticipation.
Check out Fog Chaser's newsletter. He uploads once a month and his engagement is through the roof. A new publication is an event that people eagerly wait for.
https://fogchaser.substack.com/p/wingbeat?r=nzp2a&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Excellent advice. More of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.
Fair point. I'm definitely someone that eagerly waits for those to show up!
My feeling about things I have done, and continue to do, is not that the world is out to get me, but rather, that the world in general does not care. For my substack, I am pretty much at the moment offering my subs for free, and also allowing free commenting as I want to establish a community and a following. As I bring in more unpaid members I will add value by adding exclusive content.
Worse comes to worst, it is a place for me to express myself and experiment. If I keep trying new things, something is bound to work and resonate.
Hey Jen -- keep on keeping on.
A post I posted on this theme might be a boon for you. Check it out: t.ly/QAtX
Ahh yes the impending critical voices of FOMO & imposter syndrome. Unfortunately, these emotions will keep coming up until you face it.
This is all coming from an empathetic place. Anyone with the courage to go outside of their comfort zone is going to feel a sense of these emotions. It's because you care & you want to make the most of this. That's truly amazing :)
Truth is, these emotions will keep coming up if you're focused on the outcome, comparing yourself to others, or ruminating in the past (I should've & could've done xyz).
I'd like to softly invite you to see what it feels like to be in the present moment & do your best with what you have. Who you were & what you experienced decades ago is going to be different now. HELL, yesterday is different today.
Maximize on what you currently have, make the most of it.
If your mind wanders to any thought with "should" in it, that's the voice of expectations, criticism, & judgment. Do you want to feed into those?
Good word. I'm definitely experiencing the FOMO and Imposter Syndrome differently now. It still pops up, but I don't entertain it like I used to. I'm much more confident in my own abilities after 20 years of life and learning. It's why I've set other goals beside just the numbers.
I just wrote a little bit about "impostor syndrome." My perspective is "fake it till you make it!" and be kind to yourself while you're in the process of growing:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/fake-it-till-you-make-it
In a way, losing subscribers is a good thing, because you know in fact you are writing to those who want to hear from you. I'd rather speak to a gathering of 7 people who are interested and attentive than to 50 wherein 43 are not paying attention (-:
I agree Eli. I’ve lost 79 subscribers but have gained over 500 in the past four months or so. And I’m up to nearly 70 paid subscribers. Just doing the work with a big toothy grin and allowing things to unfold as they may.
You're inspirational! Have you been doing anything outside of writing to attract new subscribers?
Crazily enough, I lay a book out on the table where I’m seated at one of the Denver area coffeehouses I frequent. Because my Substack is about books, it works like a charm. People just can’t resist the temptation to inquire about a book I’m reading. When they ask me what I do, I tell ‘em that “I read and write about books for a living.” Draws them right in as a free subscriber. A growing number are now converting to paid.
Having experience in email marketing for ecommerce brands, losing subscribers isn't considered "bad" or "good". It's just a metric of data that we consider when aligning back with our goals.
If the goal is volume of subscribers, focus on acquisition aka opt-in forms. In this scenario, losing followers could be considered a metric to consider. Then you just ask, "where are followers dropping off? is it one week after they subscribed or a few months?"
If the goal is quality of subscribers, focus on content & personalization. losing followers = scraping the list of unengaged and therefore unqualified followers. It's natural selection in your favor.
Amen from a recovering SalesForce SME :)
100% agree with you. But even knowing that, it can still sting.
Good point!
Are you showing up according to schedule and posting content that's true to your lived experience or niche? Are you engaging with your readers in a respectful and timely manner? Then you are doing everything and more that is expected of you. An email list is an evolving entity: people will come and people will go. If you enriched the time they were on your newsletter in any capacity, that's a win. Don't be afraid of people leaving, and likewise, let people go if they aren't engaging.
This is a great reminder Nikhil for everyone in here. I wanted to expand on this. All we can do is our best & if our best doesn't receive the outcome we want, there are only two options: be okay with the best we've got OR ask for feedback.
There is a third option, and that is attempt to find out where your subscribers are hanging out, if not on substack, and find them there.
Definitely been there, Holly. It's been a rough couple weeks for me on this front (only, in addition to free unsubs, I've had a handful of paid unsubs too, which is a special little jab in the heart).
It's really not about numbers. I know it's hard to truly believe that, but keep repeating it to yourself and remember that the world needs your specific voice, perspective, and talent. No one else can do exactly what you're doing or write exactly what you're writing. Feel the feels, be gentle with yourself, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Thanks, Sarah. It's good (but not good!) to know this happens to everyone. Your newsletter is one I absolutely love. I know that in some seasons maybe people just don't have time to read or don't have the funds to spend on every newsletter they adore. I know it still feels personal. : (
I've had a couple kindly people "donate" subscription funds. A few times now, I've had people tell me they are unsub'ing for financial reasons...so I comp them for 6 ms. using these donated funds (though I've simply done it on my own, too). After the 6 ms. they re-subscribe. All times, to date, they've been very grateful for the continued subscription. It's worthwhile to do this, and keep them on board. I know how it is, I've been there :( So I feel I'm ending up with some really solid paid folks in this way. Lifers, I hope!
Excellent advice! Thanks!
it sounds like you really care about your readers. you're listening to their feedback & making adjustments :)
it's only natural that it feels personal bc you're putting yourself out there & bc people aren't recognizing you, it could feel like your worth is being questioned.
normalize this experience now bc its not going to go away. how can you separate your character from external circumstances like this?
can you find a way to be intrinsically motivated & feel fulfilled from writing alone?
if your goal is to grow the count of your readers, can you find out how to do that without jeopardizing how you feel about yourself?
You definitely need to turn off the subscriber loss notification. Make rules about yourself about when you can check in on your subscribers. Otherwise you'll lose your mind.
You do have to think about it like paying a cost to send out an edition. I usually lose 2 subscribers every time I send. It happens. Sometimes you have inactive people on your list, and your email is going to be the nudge they needed to unsubscribe. Use this as your motivation to focus on writing the best content possible.
Bingo. This.
(And once you get to a certain size, every newsletter will trigger a flurry of email-disableds, and sometimes a few paid unsubs. I doubt it can be avoided. Nobody's THAT good. It's just about whether your growth curve is upwards or downwards over the month. *That's* the figure to respond to / panic about!)
I have 2 subscribers who are inactive. They signed up, viewed a few posts, and then never viewed or opened my newsletter. One got sent 15 and the other 8. I don't know why people sign up and then don't do anything.
What ESP are they using? I ask because I seem to have a lot of readers that use Hey and Proton, and I get zero stats from either. Yet, I know they're reading regularly, because they respond to posts, comment on threads, etc..
gmail
Turning off that unsubscribe notification is essential!
Thanks, Cole. I've had the unsubscribe notification turned off from the beginning because I know how much it can sting. I just happened to notice on the actual subscriber page, which I keep checking because I am *so very close to 100*--I know, I need to stop. :D
Hey Holly, this will sound like a platitude, but make sure you're always writing for yourself first. That will keep you motivated and energized. I turned off unsub notifications and resist the urge to look at subscriber numbers as much as possible. It just distracts you from writing, which is the real goal. Keep fighting the good fight!
This reminds me of that scene in Forrest Gump where Jenny asks Forrest what he is going to be when he grows up. He asks in return "Aren't I going to be me?"
There really is no escaping it.
I love this, and honestly it feels like it leads to better results anyway. When I write something that I am just so excited to write about, when I let it just pour onto the page without much thought for how "well" it will do, I tend to get a lot of commentary and discussion on those posts, which is what I want anyway! I would much rather have an active and engaged community of a couple hundred than a totally disinterested community of tens of thousands.
Love this Mikala - in my latest post (just shared today) I speak about how the pressure to perform or see engagement can kill all creativity
So true Amran. I do not regret writing ONLY FOR MYSELF for a long time. Now, I just view good stats and bad stats as a learning experience. I find it intriguing that people cannot just do that and not care about the statistics. I only have 80 subscribers but never chose to just blast my email list (500+ people) or my Twitter. I find the folks that join seem to stick. I get about 150 opens per day and my open fraction remains stable at 70% +/- I genuinely believe, at least for me, the organic, mostly on Substack growth is satisfying and sustainable. The only instance I suffered on statistics are when people close to me unsubscribed b/c of politics.
"...writing for yourself first." Thanks, Amran! I'm going to write that on an index card and post it on my laptop. That's the whole point of it. And if readers join my journey along the way and follow along, great!
Trust me, I remind myself all the time too!
Agreed. I turned off unsub notifications - it is a downer for me, but check the subscriber numbers - probably too much - that number encourages me to keep going doing what I love - to write.
Amran, this is a broken skill for anyone in any industry. If you can master intrinsic motivation, no external circumstance can derail your progress.
Ooh. Good idea. Turn off unsubs notifications [goes to do that immediately].
Keep it up, Holly. I was also going towards some rough patches when I started my newsletter, feeling nobody cares. How can it be that no one sees what I see?! Well, it so happens that we all have have a unique superpower to handle stress. We just need to "edit" the negative ending of that story we keep telling ourselves and replace it with a more hopeful outcome. Keep sharing your downsides along the way, as you can see many people here are going through the same journey.
This reminds me of a scene from "What About Bob" where he considers people who don't care about him as just "temporarily out of order"
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2c/ff/64/2cff64c00f0ec4a3b8fc3a04a6886ff4.jpg
Ha! Luv it :)
I think it has been slow for everyone these past few weeks, including me. Keep your head up!
My newsletter had a real summer slump in terms of growth speed. I think my target audience (outdoors) was probably out busy doing stuff.
I noticed the same thing but I am surprised that it is across multiple platforms. Would be cool to see if Substack has any seasonality data for the platform overall. With school and college starting back up, wouldn't be surprised if that keeps a lot of people find their summer substack time is greatly diminished. I'll have to consider the possible seasonality element--i've been gathering data for SUBtember and noticed things were down and I have to explore all the options and not just "Is it something I said?!"
I've been thinking the same. I'm making a mental note that maybe September will be a good month for a writing break should I decide to do that in the future.
I've been noticing a similar phenomenon in my own subscriber stats. Growth continues but at a slower pace and I've experienced some unsubscribes as well.
FWIW, your Substack is one of my favorites and I always appreciate it when I see you interacting on mine.
Thanks, Mark--yours is one I read nearly every post. Maybe it's a busy/stressful season for people and they don't have as much time to read these days? Let's go with that! I'm sure we'll see more growth soon enough.
it could be the season or it could be time to consider if your audience has changed. Where are you leading people to your newsletter? Are you using social media to lead people into your newsletter? Are you using a website?
Every time I send out an email I get 2-3 unsubscribes but that's just the way it is and I'm learning not to care. If they aren't interested them sod 'em. I also do this thing regularly to keep my list clean. So every few months I delete people who haven't opened any emails from me ever.
I did this too at first, but then I read that Substack can't track activity from some email clients. I might consider reaching out directly before purging anyone...
Ok thanks for the heads up on that
While just an opinion, the viability of worrying about some unsubscribes against a small subscriber base (that's me) sounds like somethhing you cannot control. I think that if a frequent commenter unsubscribed, I might take it hard. Since this dialog I've taken a look at a couple of your posts. You need not worry.
Thanks, Mark. I agree--it's silly to concern myself with it. I think it would be helpful to know if the unsubscriber was a frequent reader/commenter. But I'm not sure if I would want Substack to tell me who it was that unsubscribed. I'm just going to stay in my lane and keep writing. Thanks again for the encouragement!
There are many advantages of retirement. I have dipped my toe in grabbing statistics for ez insights in Google Sheets. I do it ONLY when I am responding to comments so the commitment in some ways is no time at all. Glad to share if you are interested. For me I originally wanted to manage my music links which I include in each post in case there is ever an inquiry over digitall rights managment (DRM). Like spreadsheets are want to do, I started out just tracking my music, then my posts and eventually subscriber statistics. It is largely automated and gives me a sense of a metric that matterrs to me. I have a percentage of my subscribers who open a given post. My path to about 80 subscribers has been slow and stead and that is cool. What I have been trying to keep to is 70% opens. I am not sure why that matters to me but it does :)
Since I could NEVER do this posting without music I decided to create a little spreadsheet of my past music and stuff I just like. It is fun after putting the work in to have 200+ songs on my Substack "playlist"...just a silly obsession :)
I commited to myself to just let it be once I reach that artificial threshold of 100 subscribers. My sense is if they are engaged, it will just snowball from there. Blind faith I guess.
Hello Holly. For me I started on Substack b/c someone was moving their primary output from Twitter. I was more than willing. Soon thereafter, I started writing a Newsletter and did not actively promote it even to my friends and acquaintances, only the small group in my creative writing group. I came to try and discover the joy of writing. It is hard to resist when people unsubscribe. I now have a modest following but find for me the organic growth of finding someone you enjoy and just start reading them. My subscriber base grows modestly and I resist the comparison game. I promise myself the dream is to write a historical fiction novel and the Newsletter, for now, can just be the venue to learn the craft of writing. For that, I now conclude I need at least a core group that does more than read or like but becomes willing to criticize. I am not sure this is relevant to you but I have come to scan your writing b/c of your input elsewhere. I will take another look at Release and Gather. Mine is https://markdolan.substack.com and is titled "Why Living Today Rocks".
Thanks for this, Mark. My reason for joining was similar--I wanted to force myself into the habit of writing most days. Release and Gather has done that for me, so it's a win! I just have to keep reminding myself (or have others remind me!). I'll check out your space. I'm learning that I can subscribe to a lot of interesting newsletters and be okay with not being able to read every post. But some days I run across one that is just what I needed for the season. That's the beauty of so many writers on this platform.
Well put. I am a browser and only a very small handful of must reads. I will circle back as I don't remember details of your writing yet. What I know is that we share an appreciation for Cafe Anne I believe. Join that large club I think.
Cafe Anne is GOLD. She must have a bazillion subscribers!
Indeed. The positivity and embracing of the range of human behavior is awesome. So many Substacks can be "tribal" and reinforcing. Not what I need or want right now. Writing about what inspires you seems the antidote for me as I want to write a historical fiction novel in retirement and already have an outline. I need the repetitions and reading something like the Cafe is fantastic to instill style and flow.
Haha I was so happy to see the two of you connecting on this thread because I enjoy you both so much, and then I get to the end and you’re talking about me! So funny. Made my day!
It's also important to consider that some newsletter topics are inherently easier to grow on certain platforms. Controversy-based things spread extremely quickly. If you're a bombastic drama-monger, it's easy to start explosive exchanges on social media that generate massive amounts of clicks.
Of course, Substack's MO has always been that people may be willing to click on rage-based content, but they're less willing to pay for it. Also volatile topics make for fickle communities that leave the second you post something that they don't like.
I don't want to operate this way. I steer away from the conspiracy theories and drama, because it doesn't bring about a good end. Yet, these days even simple disagreement can be convoluted as "hate speech."
"No, I just don't like broccoli. I have nothing against broccoli, don't want to destroy all broccoli, just am not with the texture and taste of broccoli."
Holly just wanted to thank you for this! I’ve seen a major slowdown (along with a lot of unsubscribes too) these past few weeks. Hearing I’m not alone, and reading the thoughtful comments in the discussion provoked by your post really helped me tonight!
If CAFE ANNE had unsubscribes, it's definitely not us (it's them!). :)
I think after Labor Day, people try a bunch of new "resolutions". They also are frantic as for some it is back to school. It is good people have two periods per year for resolutions since they rarely last long anyhow :) I would expect when you show off how much you've grown the rubber band ball the crowds will be back!!!
Hold that last thought! A newly revived buzz-phrase from a Hemingway novel, “Gradually, then suddenly,” applies to our mutual endeavors. I have a “Hockey Stick Graph” meme from my old Blogger effort that people in early recovery have found encouraging.
My short-term memory is measured in nano-seconds as I pass through my 80th year on the planet, but if it isn’t posted yet, I will do that tonight *without fail*. Even if I don’t think it is *perfect* yet. Like a lot of addicts, I am an insecure megalomaniac.
I think that as a result of Substack’s efforts to help us “grow” we are getting a lot of “window shoppers,” who just wanted to see what we are “selling.” Like a younger brother told me about applying for jobs at a low-point in my work life, “It is a numbers game. Employers have different needs. It isn’t about “you” as a candidate, but just that someone else had some particular trait, education or experience that was just what they think they need. Just keep putting yourself out there and at some point, you will be that person, for someone.”
Cold comfort with a new wife and new grandchild to support, but press on I did. All of a sudden, two agencies offered me a job at the same time. I played them off against each other, “A offered me $X…” and then, “B countered with…” After a few rounds of that, I figured I better pull the trigger, before they both hired someone else.
I made the right choice on many levels and worked for 21-years before retiring and staying in this town that I was “Just passing through…” for another nine years, so far.
In the meantime, you are an interesting person with a wide range of interests and useful values. You also have a knack for putting ideas in ways that make me grin. Or even chuckle. And honest enough to let me know when you are quoting Vonnegut, when I missed the footnote. And anyway, you have this compulsion to write.
It has been said that 80% of success, is just showing up!
Thanks, Pete! Your comments always brighten my day. Alas, I must leave the discussion and get back to my day job for a meeting, but I will for sure come back to re-read this comment and all it's treasures!
Thanks holly! Your appreciation always brightens my day!
Yes, those unsubscribes sting. I am trying SO hard to not look at the numbers all the time.
I have tried to think of my newsletter as an access ticket for myself. Telling people I write an outdoor newsletter generally allows me to get credentialed to cover really cool things that I want to experience myself, in person. I share that with my readers. Even if no one paid me, or subscribed, in the end, I'd still be having these great experiences with exciting people.
say it with me, external metrics such as unsubscribes don't determine your worth!!!
At the same time, external metrics are an indicator over time. If I find that what I do doesn't resonate with anyone, shouldn't it be my goal to also communicate and connect with them? I'm not saying completely revamp yourself, but at least get an idea of what else is out there. And then you can risk/reward possible choices.
Let's say that in the real world, you find yourself to be without friends. While friends don't determine your worth, they can be an indicator that perhaps you haveen't properly shown them, their worth. Still, I could be barking mad.
Not mad at all. Your worth shouldn't be compromised but if your goal is to grow & learn, you have to research, test things out, ask for feedback. you can do all of those growth driven actions without ever compromising your worth bc in this case, you're questioning your skills and skills can always be improved.
Hi everyone. I'm about to commit the awful sin of copying & pasting something I wrote in a previous comment on another Office Hours (so if you arrange to have me burnt at the stake, I fully understand):
Here's an idea I've put into action that you could steal if you think it might work for you.
I've been working in seasons of maybe 10-ish weeks of stuff, with a clear beginning and end. This has been helping me enormously in three ways:
- refreshing what I'm doing by having a few different themes for each season, within the overarching focus of the newsletter (in my case, the science of curiosity, awe & wonder). New season = new themes, new niche audiences to try to get the attention of, new stuff for me to learn & write about, etc.
- gives me a proper break occasionally! I'm always running a bit behind because of other writing commitments and a between-season break gives me a chance to get a little ahead of myself again and just...not write? (Just occasionally, not-writing is super nice.)
- getting new paid subscribers! At the end of the season I sing & dance about the benefits of a paid subscription, just to my free list, giving it a proper push with time-limited discounts and everything. So if you work in seasons, it'd allow you to have maybe 3 or 4 chances every year to push for paid subscriptions and solely focus your time & energy around that goal for around a week. And each time you can experiment with a slightly different way to attract them in, with different types of writing, different offers etc....
None of this is original & new. It's what podcasters, NPR, Netflix shows etc have been doing for ages in many different ways. But it's working well for my newsletter, so I thought it might work for yours too. Please adapt/steal wildly from me if you like the sound of it!
Totally into this idea. As someone who has MANY interests (and a hard time sticking to things long-term) it feels super refreshing. Stick to one topic and a deadline and then that's it. I also heard of this idea from another writer recently, too. Repetition makes me think it's telling me something...
Mike has the Substack Knowledge.
Mike has no knowledge, being something of an idiot, but thanks Mark anyway. ;)
You are totally underselling yourself!
In British terms, that was reckless self-promotion! You should see what we're like when we self-deprecate *properly*....
I’ve been so shy about asking because to be honest, you support for the love of the work. Is that good enough? Depends on the person. I have felt validated in people’s support not to lean so much on paid only posts, but still figuring things out.
This is really great. You have inspired me at some point to write to my readers using the headline, "My NPR Moment." I think that will lead to opening of the email and perhaps, if my pitch is good, to conversions. Thanks!
I'll have to think about this. I'm committed to the Grillmaster method of low-and-slow growth, but in my experiment with self promotion I have gathered some data that indicates I need to change things up to start more of a conversation. Other newsletters do almost weekly themes with a set-up, exploration, and satisfaction of some topic, and I find that's a great tool for a "conversational layup". They feed readers what they want them to talk about (set up) and then talk about it (exploration) and finally have some closing thoughts (satisfaction). Whether it's one week, one month (like I am considering), or 10 weeks as you do, I think the principle is sound.
Do you get any feedback from paid subscribers about what pushed them over the edge? Do they subscribe because they support you and your project, or do they subscribe because they see your paid content as a value-add worth the dollars? Said more simply: Is there any indication that they are they subscribing to *you* or instead to *your content*? Does the distinction matter, I wonder?
Just thinking about mixing up my own content and your comment gave me some ideas and questions to ponder! Thank you for that!
>>"Do they subscribe because they support you and your project, or do they subscribe because they see your paid content as a value-add worth the dollars?"
All of the above, I reckon! Some people seem to be on board simply because they want to see the kind of work I'm doing, even if they don't (yet) have the time to read it. It's really a spectrum of motivations - so I'm trying to not presume there's one driving factor at work.
I'm also committed to an 80/20 policy, where I'm giving away 80% of what I do. I very much agree with Substack's advice that the bulk & the best of your work should be bouncing round the internet for free. But that 20% can be just as deep & interesting too! (Right now, I have a season-within-a-season going on just for paid subscribers, on how geology affects human behaviour.)
Great thoughts--thank you for this!
I know you weren't asking me, but I think most people pay because they support you in general, and not for any value adds you might be putting out there. The only exception might be if you're writing serialized fiction. In my case a few were people already reading my writing on Medium, and another was someone I met during a writing cohort.
Excellent advice, Mike. Please repeat as often as you'd like!
What are you offering in your paid subscription? New to Substack but have had my newsletter for years.
Honestly, I'm still trying to work that out! But right now it's access to a storytelling course, (soon to be) chapters from a book I'm writing, and every season of my newsletter, a kind of mini-season with its own topic, only visible for people behind the paywall. I'm also experimenting with 1-1 video calls for paid subscribers, and....whatever I can think up next, or steal from folk much smarter than me.
The way I see it: as long as it's *something*, and as long as that something is worth getting for the people who enjoy the rest of the newsletter. But also, it has to be a practical workload. Adding 20% extra to what I've been doing feels doable. But promising I'm doubling my output, or something like that? That's the road to burnout and ruin. (And anyway, as Kevin said in another comment, a fair amount of folk *don't want* more stuff, they just want to champion and support the work you're already doing. The % who want that will vary from writer to writer, but - it's a thing. So we shouldn't feel like we need to start working two full newsletter jobs.)
Hey Mike!
Couple of things:
1. Just headed over to your newsletter and, asides from loving your topic of curiosity, it also really inspired me to see your growth. I have (for a very long time, maybe since the age of 9) had this amorphous far-in-the-future dream that I can earn a living from writing, and I'm starting to feel like that may not be quite so amorphous.
2. I then made my way over to Twitter because my curiosity (lol!) demanded that I find out what the viral tweet was, and I am mind blown by the idea of the Zanclean Megaflood! I'm still going to read your piece on that, but just from the twitter thread it immediately brought to mind the legends of Atlantis and its destruction.
Thank you for sharing tips on how you've made Substack work for you, and I look forward to reading more of your work!
Good to note about the 3-4 times yr call for paid... I've been trying to limit that, but this gives it a natural rhythm with what you are doing. I'm finding that super-low-key, BRIEF captions with the sub button work.
All good info--thank you!
I love this, Mike! I love the structure the seasonality provides and the clarity having themes allows- both for you to write, but also for the readers to know what niche they can cozy into.
I'm committing to a bi-weekly schedule for the rest of the year- both for structure and to give myself a chance to catch up a bit (since I'm also usually running behind). But, since I write so much about tv and film, I'm going to explore how seasonality could work next year.
Thanks for the refreshed suggestion!
My pleasure, Tami! And since you write about TV - "a season about a season" has a nice ring. A deep dive into how a hugely impactful season of a show you love got made, beginning to end? That'd be a grand story to read...
Ooooh- a season about a season. That's so fun! Wheels are spinning...
Thanks for the idea, Mike!
Good morning, writers! Here's a little encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you! Do you ever find yourself playing the comparison game? Watching from afar while other writers seem to do better than you or have more than you? It's SUCH an easy trap to fall into, and it can seriously rob you of both your creative verve and your joy! Here's what I hope we can all remember (myself included!): our creative paths are unique and uniquely our own for a reason. Each unique road, each set of risings and fallings is ours because it will make us into the writers WE need to be! Someone out there needs to read the writing that only we--with our unique journey behind us--can offer, so DON'T STOP! Write for you, write for them, and don't give up!! 🌿
Listen to her, she knows what she is saying! Thank you. You never know who will be affected by what you write. It may just change someone's life.
Such encouraging words! I haven’t fallen into any traps like that here yet I wonder if it’s because Substack isn’t set up against vanity metics like social media is?! 👩🏽💻
So happy you take the time to spell this out for us. Most of us instinctively know what you're saying is true, but seeing it in writing and put so well is one extra step toward *believing* it. I hope all the positive energy you put out there is being paid back in kind, S.E. :)
Grazie
Gracias
Merci
Thank you
Hello all! my name is Bih and I write Food for Thought which I launched last year. I just want to thank you for the encouragement and ask if you have any advise as it pertains to writing. I feel like as a writer I tend to lecture to my audience rather than talk to my audience. Does anyone have any tips on that? Other than that I'm really proud of the work I release on my newsletter but feedback is always helpful.
Well said, S.E.!
As always, thank you for your wise words, your kindness and your positive energy, S.E.!
Learn from others - be yourself.
You *always* bring the encouragement, S.E., and I needed it today more than ever. Thank you!
Thanks once again S.E.
The media assets are amazing. I've pretty much abandoned the IG account I set up for my newsletter, but this has me thinking twice about that decision. Thank you! (And thank you for continuing to come up with new ways to make Substacking -- including self-promotion -- easier in a variety of different ways.)
Curious - do you have a personal IG that you use? And if so, why did you set up another account for your newsletter?
I do. I set up another account because I didn't want my newsletter followers overlapping with my personal ones. Of course, some people DO overlap -- the people who know me in both ways -- but I really wanted to be able to shamelessly promote my newsletter without feeling like I was spamming my high school boyfriend and my first cousin once removed and my boss 😂 Like, there's me, and then there's my newsletter, you know? Two separate IGs.
I like your style, Sarah.......an IG OG!😊
I deleted my personal Instagram (I no longer felt like sharing every element of my life/being so distracted) but hung onto the newsletter-focused IG account. I haven't been using it much, because it feels like such a huge task to build a following there, and everything is about video now. I do want to consider how I can just use it for fun and enjoy it, not see it as homework to do.
My personal IG account has merged with my new (four month old) Substacking identity. I spent the summer running an experiment to see if more followers would translate to more substack traffic. I'm up about 800 followers and 50 click-throughs but have zero new subscriptions. Posting every other day with about 20% of the posts as direct advertisement for my newsletter to avoid spamminess. I'm just not sure if I should press on bc it's been a short time (2 newsletter cycles) or start thinking about a new strategy
I've said it before, Sarah....I'll say it again: I think we're on the cusp of being the unheard-of "online auction site? HUH?" late-'90s to becoming the everybody's-doing-it eBay of the early-2000s! Strap yourself in! One day we'll all look back on these "Golly, how do I reach more people?" threads, and will be too busy writing (and fielding subscriptions!) to even have these threads!😲👀😁👍
I don't know if you're right, Brad, but my imagination is working overtime right now, thinking ahead, deciding I should probably give up on ever winning an Oscar or a Pulitzer and just concentrate on Substack's glory days.
I'd better live long enough to be a part of it. I'm going to be pissed if I don't. 😠
I lived thru the eBay surge, starting as I did, selling my 2,000-unit LP collection and attendant promo items and autographs from about '97 thru 2008 or so.
Plus, my observations of that growth was measured in number of sitcoms whose writers mentioned eBay in the late '90s (none) to the sudden "normalization" of eBay as a less-than-subtle signal to viewers by hordes of sitcom writers that this was a hip show!
Plus, I have it on good authority (namely Katie's....hi, Katie!)🤗that she's planning on having you be a major part of the 'Stack brand in the very near future!😉👍
I love your stories, Brad, but don't you be joshing me now! (Hi Katie!)
The dream, right? 😉
Preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-cisely!😊
Great point!
You have great taste in writing!!😉
I agree--I have not been using social media at all, but these media assets are tempting me...
I have been off FB family of products for 12 years. My only SM is to auto-post on Twitter since I schedule all my posts in advance anyhow. I don't think it generates much traffic and I do have a background and understanding of SEO, Email campaign management.
I am sure it might generate eyeballs for prolific users.
I think that the platform largely depends on what you write about. I run an outdoor newsletter. The outdoor community seems totally dead on twitter. Some of the biggest names in mountaineering have followings similar to mine, and get zero engagement.
You need to think about where your community hangs out.
Holly, my POV: I was NEVER on SM for the last coupla decades everyone and their grandmas were; mainly because I had nothing, really, to say, and didn't need a place to say it! But, 2 Augusts ago ('21), I got 'em all, mainly just to tub-thump my 'Stack ramblings! Yes, I'm just that much of a show-biz ho!!!
(Warning: All humility flies out the window at this point): Even when I was covering the Houston Astros for 5 years on an all-sports web site (The Runner Sports) from '15-'20, I WAS NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, but, regardless, I was the top monthly page-view getter on a staff of 85 (all, I'm guessing, were plastered all over SM) for well over a year!! So, A) it's all about what and how you write, and B) I'm discovering my reach is exceeding my grasp on 'Stack when I post my links on SM sites!
In short, GO NUTS, HOLLY!!!
Hahahah! Loved all of this, Brad (even your...ahem...absence of humility). I work in technology and had been on social media (a lot) for years (like since the inception of FB). I decided to take a break because of the way it negatively impacted my psyche. I've thought about going back just to tout my 'stack, but I also kind of like that most of my readers are complete strangers. Lots to think about, and I'll bear in mind your 2 cents because--clearly you know a thing or two, right??
I probably won't go back to FB; I just can't do it. But I more or less live on twitter. Using lists, and blocking one's time make for a much more pleasant experience.
I came up with an extremely effective Facebook ad campaign and it's gotten me absolutely nothing. I was able to build up almost 1500 followers of my newsletter's Facebook page. But Facebook wants to charge me money to get my posts seen by my own subscribers.
Not worth your time.
I'm a terrible time-blocker. :) I block it...and it melts into a puddle about 1/4 in!
I have to set an obnoxious alarm. Otherwise I'm there for hours.
Well, I hear ya. I was on Twitter most of this past year under another "alias," and got spun up into ranting, too. My current re-boot there is nothing but a place to house my new posts! So, it's all in how you approach, but to my mind, it's worth having it out there if you can reel in your (and my!) temptations to interact with hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing! I say give it a shot! And, to answer your last question, Holly.......................(chuckle).....Clearly!😉
I'm also a social avoider. It is helpful to have an option though for IG, (which is the only platform I'm signed up to and use very sporadically.)
Definitely easier for those of us that might not have a taste for promotion.
I'm trying to be more intentional with my IG posts (so only posting if I have something that really matters) but being way more active on my IG stories. This new feature will be great for my stories, if that makes sense.
Yes, my first thought was Stories, too.
My next post is going out tomorrow. I still have to finish it, but am already curious about what I am going to get! Glad to hear such a positive note on this new feature.
I feel the same way. And I have been using carousels to showcase the photos that didn’t make the cut for the featured photo.
I just noticed it this week and love it! My only suggestion is the ability to choose text colors because sometimes it competes with the photo. I thought I had just missed it before so, thank you Sarah Miller, for mentioning it!
At the top of this post.
You can read the details at the top of this thread. Substack describes it better than I could.
I'm writing a Substack about a friendship that I had in late elementary school from 1975-1978. Georg and I have had very little contact in 45 years. Yesterday I called him on the phone and we talked for an hour. By the end of the conversation, we both expressed an interest in rekindling our friendship.
This wouldn't have happened without the deadline that my weekly Substack offers me. This connection means so much more than those damn analytics/numbers that I check too often.
Free yourself from the numbers... call an old friend. :). Hal
That sounds wonderful. 😊
Very cool. People aren't numbers. Efficiency is not a human value, it's a machine value. Even a readership of one is worth it, if it's the right one.
I totally agree that focussing on the analytics/numbers can be counterproductive. I'm working on limiting how often I check.
That's so incredible! I've also been thinking of messaging someone who may or may not be my second cousin that I only met once and we spent a week hanging out, 17 years ago when we were 12. (I even wrote about it recently https://open.substack.com/pub/tootah/p/they-say-you-cant-choose-family?r=j286f&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post )
How did you start that conversation with someone you had no contact with for so long?
It was easy. We were friends again within minutes. We talked all about our adventures as kids
I did it! I messaged her and it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be. I wanted to let you know because I was definitely thinking of you the substack stranger in a similar situation when mustering up my courage!
Hi everyone. This is the first time I have had chance to join in here.
My Substack is Roland's Travels https://www.rolandmillward.com
I retire at the end of the month from full-time employment and am looking forward to taking my Substack forward and start paid subscriptions very soon.
Welcome to retirement, Roland....an early greeting, I know! You'll find it's easier than it may seem to wrap your time and energies around your 'Stack. It sounds like you travel, so hopefully, your writing can happen more easily and time-efficiently while you're actually traveling! Have fun, and again, welcome!!😎👍
Thank you Brad. Lots in planning right now so I can hit the ground running.
Don't say "hit the ground," Roland, to a retiree! You've got a month, but I thought I'd just let you in on a little tip!!! Me and the ground hardly get along (and, yes, I meant that pun)!😊
I will try to keep it as a saying and not a reality! 😂😂😂
Welcome Roland!
Thank you Matthew
Congrats on your retirement from FT employment and retiring /to/ a life of traveling & writing.
Thanks Kevin
As a recent retiree from full-time, welcome to the pack.
Thank you Mark. I have a growing to-do list for my Substack.
Good luck embarking on this exciting journey. We are all behind you :)
Thank you.
Welcome, Roland!
Thank you Holly.
I have just subscribed to your Substack. Looks interesting :-)
Hi Shanna.
Hi Shanna.
Oh! I'm excited about the media assets. I've been trying to get back to posting more often on Instagram and this will be so helpful.
I don't have any writing questions, just an unexpected report. So, this past weekend, after 2.5 years of staying clear I got Covid. I always publish on Mondays and Fridays, and I just didn't know what I was going to do on Monday. My brain felt stuffed full of cotton. But I also knew there are folks (like my mom. Ha!) who would worry if I didn't post at all. So, I ended up doing an discussion thread, just for my paying folks, on offering and receiving help, which for obvious reasons was at the forefront of my brain. And I told them that I had Covid so I was really hoping they would step up and help me, by offering some stories and wisdom, which THEY DID. I've never gotten that kind of response to a discussion thread before. It wasn't an Ask E Jean epic thread or anything, but it was enough to bolster my mood in the midst of my sickness.
Anyway, today's my last day of quarantine. I'm feeling much better already, thank god. And I just wanted to share that story to encourage you all, when you're feeling like you just can't show up to consider whether you could ask your subscribers to show up instead. They just might surprise you. Mine did.
That's awesome! I've seen with writer time and time again, being vulnerable and asking for support is powerful.
Glad to hear you're feeling better! Honestly, I think discussion threads are something more people should think about. I hesitated for a long time thinking no one would jump in. I couldn't have been more wrong.
I agree with you. I am going to try and do them more often.
As a fellow Asha Substack writer, I just had to jump in this thread to say hello!  I’m really appreciating everyone’s input and creativity here. Have a great day and carry-on!
Asha, are you friends with Karen Walrond? I think we may have already given each other a shout-out on one of her comment threads on Facebook. :) Glad to find that we're both on here.
No way!! Yes I am! Now I remember that funny moment. Another funny coincidence — this is the SECOND time I’ve had a friendly chat with a Substack author who said, “hey wait, are you friends with Karen??”
She does seem like a good friend to have. 🙂
Great idea! Glad you're feeling better. I've had covid twice now and can confirm its the worst brain fog! But sometimes its good for the brain to have a break :)
Ooooo--I love this story, Asha. Wonderful idea!
Glad you’re feeling better. I needed to step back to preserve my health as well. There wasn’t enough of me to go around! This reminds me to reach out to folks for cross promotions so I can get those breaks.
So glad you're feeling better, Asha and thanks so much for sharing this story!
This is great, makes me want to do a discussion thread! I'm so interested in cultivating conversations, not just throwing my own words into the ether.
And when I had Covid it felt like I couldn't write for monthssss. My brain wouldn't cooperate. I got past it. Glad you're on the upswing!
Nice to hear you're recovering.
Good to hear your Thread worked well too.
Glad to hear you're feeling better. I was under the impression that any post that leaves commenting on is a discussion thread.
Technically, any post with comments on can lead to discussion, but a discussion thread is a type of post with little lead in and (hopefully) lots and lots of comments.
Maybe I should lean into more overt lead ins, that is something to think about.
👋 everyone!
This week is a more simple one for the newsletter, I’m still looking for small artists to interview, if any of you have names or contact feel free to drop it as a comment
Other than that I also have spots for partnership inside my articles free or paid, feel free to send me a message on Twitter @thesmallears
See you tomorrow for the next artist!
PS: Found a little trick with media assets for people who wants to get them before publishing :
When you preview your post you can add /media-assets to the end of the link (that looks like ...-0d33-437...) of the publication to get them earlier!
You da man, Benjamin! I love your style! You're.....how do the kids say it?.....FIRE💥😁👍
Thanks Brad, as with your newsletter, your comment always lit up mine !
I know a great developing artist who is 21 and will clearly be a star. Her name is Zen Zaahir and you can text her at 941-585-8698. Tell her that David Houle referred you so she will respond and be positive. here is her web site: https://zenzaahir.com/
Hey thank you! I think it's not a musical artist ? Sorry if my post wasn't clear about it ! I will still keep the link in my bookmark !
Okay. Know that she incorporates music to her art. Read what she says on her web site
Shameless Mama plug here. https://www.instagram.com/renaissanceboy.jpg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@renaissanceboy/video/7103605427119656235?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7103605427119656235&q=renaissance%20boy&t=1663863529257
What a lovely newsletter idea! I know a couple small musicians - Telo Hoy (telohoy.bandcamp.com), Clover (cloveronthemic.com), Eva Lovullo (evalovullo.com)
Thanks for the recommendations ! I will try to contact them !
Check out my substack, maybe there is a fit.
Hey can you messaged me on Twitter (@thesmallears) ?
Just email me at info@shaungold.com
Except for the fact that I'm a musician with 2 million followers on TikTok, I'm a "small artist." I'd love to connect.
Messaged you on Twitter !
Hm. I don’t see a message. Hal
It's a mention, your DM are closed, I followed you I think
Small graphic artists? I know a great one
As someone that literally had to ask how to make an IG post at last week's session, I'm very happy to see these media assets added! One more tool to use to help get the word out. Thank you!
Let us know if you have other ideas for helping with IG!
Also, if you search "Substack" in the Instagram stories sticker search, you'll find some amazing animated illustrations for things like "New post" or "Subscribe now."
Oooooo, thanks!!
Found them.
Oh, that is fun!
What about Substack hosted hashtags to help connect and gather writers content across social media and build awareness within that app?
Could be standard Substack hashtags (a lot of publications have their own branded hashtags to aggregate their content but also engage their followers).
Could also be creating challenges or themes with a related hashtag....like Isolation Journals #100DayProject
Kevin, if you have IG questions, just reach out. I may be able to help you out.
Will do, and thank you!!
Hi there I'm just wondering if there is any chance of being able to soon place photo images side-by-side and adjust the sizes to say, a small extent ...whereby one may place 2 or 3! next to each other. Or, am i missing something? Having photos one atop the other seems kinda high-school'ish. Hopefully its just me being unawares of something. Thx
I use Canva now to make all of my photo collages and it actually gives me even more freedom than I had with Wordpress. (I did several of these collages in my latest post: https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/a-family-visit-to-gettysburg) I had your exact frustration but once I figured out that I could do that, it was a game changer.
Looks great, Sarah! Thanks for the idea.
Thanks! I figure for my travel posts, having that realization is going to be a game changer.
Great go-around...thx for posting. I'd kinda' sorta' prefer to not have to go to another place for basic functionality. Mind you yours looks fantastic. I've decided to parallel trial with another platform that makes posting & sizing a snap. Will see how it goes. All the best and wonderful post , yours!!!
Ooh, well done!!
It would be nice to have a smaller photo so we can wrap text to one side.
I recommend Google Photos which makes it easy to make collages of all kinds and 15GB free.
I hadn't thought of doing that as well! Thanks!
This is a very rudimentary workaround: I put two or three images side by side in a Word document, then use the Snipping Tool on my computer to turn them into one image that I can upload to Substack. That's how I created the first image in my latest edition: https://coppellchronicle.substack.com/p/coppell-chronicle-vol-2-no-30
Great question! I was just trying to do a side by side on my last post but couldn't get it to work.
My thinking is that you can't get it to work because quite simply it doesn't work..as in..there is no 'there'... there! It seems beyond counter-intuitive/ inconceivable that a service designed to produce a newsletter in our visual age.. ...video and images et cetera doesn't allow you to put 2 small thumb size images side-by-side. Cheers!!
Agree 100%. This is a much needed feature. Something similar to the image wrapping on Wordpress would be great.
Hello! Dropping in here after reallllllyyy long to say A BIG THANK YOU for the new media assets feature! Loving it totally 💯💖
Also - many months ago, when my newsletter completed two years, I reflected upon my writing journey and wrote about my learnings here, in case anybody is interested :)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-things-have-helped-me-sustain-my-newsletter-two-years-chawla/
Thanks for sharing -- loved this.
Hi fellow writers! I just had my first unsubscribe, which although inevitable at some point, still feels like a bit of a blow. It's a hard won effort getting folks on board, and so I'd really like to better understand why this person decided to leave. What's the best way forward here - do I reach out to them with a friendly email to enquire if there's anything I can do to tempt them back? Or do I just get over it an move on? I'd love to know how others deal with this. Many kind thanks!
I just tell myself I'm not for everyone, focus on the people who are still subscribed (and the new subs coming in) and keep going. I don't want to take up space in someone's inbox if they don't want me there -- AND, it's so often not even personal. (Think of all the times you unsubscribe from something -- is it because you think the writer is a garbage human who you can't stand to hear from one more day? Haha, no, it's just not content you're into anymore, or you're trying to reduce the noise.)
In short: move on. Don't give up. Your people are waiting to hear from you, and more will find you. Spend your time and energy on them and let everyone else go.
What Sarah said! (perfectly, so no sense in repeating)
This!!!! Perfect, Sarah!
Don't take it personally. Someone decided that 1)They were too busy to read your newsletter, or 2)They didn't agree with something you wrote, or 3)They were just having a bad day.
Above all, do not contact them to try to get them back. You are better off with readers who very much want to hear from you. Concentrate on getting more of those
Thank you Marcia. I appreciate that :)
Ahh, I hear you. It is hard hard *hard* on the soul when that happens. (This is why I turned Unsubscribe notifications off.)
But I think it's also part of the deal we make with readers and subscribers. We make it super-easy for them to leave. There is real power in doing that, and it builds a huge amount of trust. In traditional businesses, there are all sorts of retention policies, and - while I get that they can work (and work well), when they're done badly they're so rage-inducing "Just....LET ME GO." So by making it easy to leave, we stand apart from the folk who don't...
Not an easy thing, and everyone's approach varies (and should vary!). But in my case, I don't follow up, unless I actually know that person. It's hard not to - but it's definitely easier on my anxiety to refocus on serving the people who want to stick around, and attracting new folk who might want to join them.
This is such an excellent point, Mike. So true.
Well said, Mike.
Great advice as always :) Thanks so much for all your encouragement and kind words.
The most common reason is that people are getting too many emails. I never take it personally and I've turned off the notifications regarding unsubscribes.
One potential feature Substack might want to add is asking free subs why they are unsubscribing. This happens for paid subs although few seem to indicate why. Some have provided comments and it can be valuable feedback. For example, I decided to offer a student discount after reading that a student unsubscribed for financial reasons.
Financial is a reason for a lot of people
I have heard of writers who try to make a good thing out of unsubscribes or rejection letters. Make a jar and add a bead for each rejection or something like that. Over time you will have something beautiful.
Don't put your energy into the people who leave.
I love that, Caitlin.
To be honest, if they are not going to read the posts you are better off without them. It keeps your open rate up and helps deliverability. Numbers mean nothing - engagement means everything :-)
I was going to say this same thing - better to have subscribers committed to engaging.
Great point, Roland. It really is about the engagement.
Move on and don't look back. An unsubscribe means that the reader no longer wants communication from you. It could be entirely for reasons outside of your control: they weren't invested to begin with, they subscribed to too many newsletters, they were "testing" yours out etc. On the other hand, are you getting unsubscribes in bulk after a post or a series of posts? Then it may be time to introspect and see if something you said made people want to leave.
Maintaining an email list is hard, and it's difficult to see people go, but the numbers are only part of the bigger game!
They also might have died. Just sayin'.
I wouldn't like it if someone asked me why I unsubscribed. I get overwhelmed at times, and if I find I have a zillion substack newsletters coming into my app - and I'm not reading them - I'll unsubscribe. It has absolutely nothing to do with the writer or even the newsletter. It's me having to focus on my own work and only having so much time. Personally, I don't look at unsubscribes - maybe you should just keep writing. People unsubscribing are more often than not simply too busy. It has nothing to do with you. Though I'm sorry you're going through this - I see it as a sign of success. Someone tried you out - more people will also.
I probably unsubcribe from a couple of SS each week. As I will signup initially to see what someone's about, what their output flow follows, etc. I find that people who post 3 or 4 times a week are the ones I bail on first. Interesting.
Agh, I've felt this way too. It's not even that they've done something wrong, it just feels like an avalanche sometimes.
Perhaps my comment might be to your disapproval, but could you not check their archive on the website to see if their content is to your taste? Subbing just to find out what their style is like and unsubbing soon could make someone feel bad.
I like to get the organic experience of meeting the SS in real time. Arriving in my email, reading it to see if they have skills as a writer, waiting for the next one, noting improvement or just phoning it in, etc.
I bail on the over-posters, too, with two notable exceptions:
On Repeat by Kevin Alexander
https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/
Thanks for Letting Me Share
https://thanksforlettingmeshare.substack.com/
Good content keeps me reading.
What would you consider an overposter?
Ha! Now you're going to get me in trouble. :)
Kidding, of course. But you are making me rethink that term. Like Kevin said below, I think "prolific" is a better term. I actually had to go look at your archives just now to know just how often you post--so obviously I don't find that you post too much for my tastes. :)
But as I said in my response below to Kevin, I do get fatigued by several posts throughout the week that take a lot of attention. Or maybe it's just that I'm not digging the content and should probably just unsubscribe. Something I need to think about more...
I think is different for everyone, but definitely want to be cognizant of overposting.
Thank you for the kind words and your engagement with other readers on there!
I definitely post a lot (can I describe it as "prolific" instead? lol). Interestingly, my metrics improved when I started posting shorter emails more often.
That said, I'm *really* mindful of inbox fatigue. The 2 ways I try to mitigate that are:
1) Telling people what they can expect in my Welcome email, and mentioning the app.
2) Writing something I would want to read myself.
I'm liking "prolific" too, Kevin (especially after reading Caitlin's question above that I need to answer). I think the difference is that I always love what you bring to the inbox. Your posts are short (something I haven't exactly mastered in my writing yet), and they add value to my life (music soothes my soul but I don't take enough time to discovery new artists/albums).
I actually delete most emails that come in and mostly rely on the app for reading. Yours is one I revisit if I've missed it on the day you posted (like that awesome Gorillaz post!).
Brb. Need to create a burner account so I can like this more than once. :)
Seriously though; thank you- that means a LOT to me.
I’ve had quite a few and while I don’t get the notifications, I see the buoy of my subscribe numbers. There’s a sting, but people can’t always keep up with everything, they lose interest, or other reasons. I try to move on and not dwell too much on it.
Sorry to hear that, Chevanne. But it's also a valuable life lesson to really do due diligence before we sign up for other people's newsletters, so that we don't inadvertently do the same to them when we unsubscribe.
I've found the best way to deal with it is to make sure your unsubscribe email say what you want it to, and to also make sure your "unsubscribe notifications" are turned off. That's all you can really do.
Hmmmm...the unsubscribe email. I haven't even thought about that. I'm going to work on that this week. Thanks!
Excellent point. I will revisit this and see how it can be tweaked for improvement. Sometimes the simplest tips are the best!
Excellent point. Not sure when was the last time I looked at how my unsubscribe email sounded. Cheers, Kevin!
I have the alerts for unsubscriptions 'unchecked.'
Why do I want to add any angst to my already full schedule of keeping my SS up to date and great. Just move forwards. The central law.
As hard as it is, I think it's important to try not to take it personally. While it may be informative to note if they were long time readers or not, ultimately the reasons why they unsubscribe may have more to do with them then anything you are doing. I used to direct plays a great deal, and I always explained to the cast before and after casting that casting is not a commentary on ability--so many factors go into the decision that are outside the control of the actor, it isn't a true metric for evaluation. I think the same goes for unsubscribes. Keep chugging and keep your head up!
Thanks for the kind response. I'm a sensitive soul but I will get over it :) !!
I had two this week, Alchemilla. They may not be the first two, but it was the first I've noticed. It was certainly deflating, and for a moment I wanted to know why. But here's the thing--my newsletter isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. I'm choosing to believe they subscribed because of a recommendation from another page then realized it wasn't for them. Keep writing! Your words are for *someone*!
Yes that's so true. Thanks for your kindness. I know from personal experience that people unsubscribe from things simply because life is busy and they don't have time to read everything we put out there. This is one of the reasons I love Substack - having access to the archive is great for bingeing. I have a tendency to write quite long posts, and so have been using the audio voice over feature to offset that and keep the busier folks tuning in. I've only being doing this for three months, so am still learning what works. Thanks again for your words of encouragement!
I'm with you, but we've also been (collectively) conditioned to think more numbers are somehow better. It's a weird sort of social proof that I wish didn't exist.
This 👆🏽
Happy Thursday, y'all! I'm looking to connect with other Substackers who write about the immigrant experience or personal finance. If that's you, drop me a line! Here's my Substack: https://401que.substack.com/
Hey! I just wanted to say that two weeks ago I decided to take the leap and make my newsletter my full time job. I write Apricitas, a newsletter about economic data analysis—if that sounds interesting to you consider taking a look!
https://www.apricitas.io/p/taking-the-leap
Joseph, I did the same on July 1st and am having a blast. Best of luck on your journey.
Thank you, and congratulations!!
As someone who cross-promotes on Instagram, I just want to say 'thank you' for the media assets. They are very helpful!
I've leveraged the "website" aspect of Substack to post my portfolio of copywriting samples, speculative ads and other goodies. It's on my frontpage if you want to check it out. These weren't sent to my readers as an email because that wouldn't have been ethical of me.
I'm taking advantage of this platform to market my copywriting and newsletter strategy service to help other authors address pain points in their growth or messaging strategy. Also working on an inbound marketing certification to hone my skills and ideas. To anyone reading this: don't just depend on a monthly subscription model because that takes too long to implement and a lot of luck too. Find your niche and use the Substack platform to spread your reach.
I like that idea! I could add a pinned post that advertises my book and not have it sent to subscribers. Thx!
Great tip. Thank you.
Aha! I'd like to do that, too. Where in Settings do you create those extra top-level links?
So, you write a post, but in the Publish settings, DESELECT send to readers via email and Substack app. and hit Publish. IGNORE the prompt that says your post's reach will be diminished if you don't send to readers by email.
Now that post is on your web version of Substack only. You can then "pin" that post at the top of your substack so that people see it the minute they access your Substack.
You can leave a hyperlink in your regular emails to your readers at the end, so that it doesn't come across as spammy.
Actually I know that part. What I don't know, and what I am asking, is how you got the extra links "Guests" "Interviews" and "Work With Me" onto the Substack site. Thanks in advance for your explanation!
Ah gotcha!
You go to Settings-->scroll down to Add a Section-->Add New-->Newsletter-->Type in the section name (e.g. Work with me!) in the newsletter name field
Since the details of working with me, my portfolio etc are unrelated to my music recommendation offerings, I would untick "Add new subscribers by default" and "Copy your email list". If your section is still in tune/sync with your existing topic of publication, then you could leave those two ticked!
Substack is there a specific time/day to post for a higher open rate? I know everyone says avoid Mondays, or 11am before lunch hour, whatever, but looking for actual data.
I get so many emails on Mondays, and I find that I often have to skip reading a lot of those. I think it'd be great to know when readers are more apt to open.
Note to self: Don't send on Mondays!
Oh, see I've been sending mine out on Mondays. Maybe I should do Wednesdays for my regular posts??? For litthinkpodcast.substack.com we do Wednesdays because that seemed to be a good day for new podcast episodes and our blog posts followed the same pattern by default.
Mondays are usually busy days for my day job, so I don't always have time to read. By Tuesday I've caught my breath and have some extra time. The Wednesdays seem to be busy again but Thurs/Fri have more down time. Just my perspective.
It just dawned on me that I should just send out a quick survey and see where that lands. Honestly, I'm going to be hard pressed to get mine out by Monday, so it might give me a reprieve ;-)
Might be a good idea. I know in my case, I have some newsletters I read right away, and others I purposely save until later. You may have people in your audience doing the same?
Normally for me I post 10am Monday - Thursday. I used to do 7 days a week at 10am. Covering professional wrestling can give me a lot of content to explore.
I've been slacking a bit on following that, but for the most part everyone opens the email during those morning hours. Also, make sure you have a good headline as everyone says. Also have a good subtitle below your headline to intrigue your readers to open the email. Sometimes you can send out a little reminder like at the end of the week like a round-up link post so if they did miss a post, the link is easily accessible for them. Hopes this helps!
Oh, if this is something the team could work on, tracking this data, that would be AMAZING.
This is an interesting question. I send mine out at different days and times; no set day/time. I'm surprised sometimes when I get a notification from people that read it in the middle of the night. It's almost like people are up 24/7. It always amazes me.
FWIW, I ship on M/W/H/F, at 7AM Central. Friday's emails are almost always the least read of the week.
6:00 am MT works like a charm for me. Usually a 35-40% open rate by 11:00 am
Yep. 6:00 AM is a good time. I'm just wondering if I should change the day, now that someone mentions it :-)
I post my Tidbits every day at 7:00 PM ET (U.S.) and my long form articles on various days of the week. I have not seen any differences in overall open rates. Some open shortly after posting, others the next morning.
Great question.
How did I not know about the social previews??? I'm so excited about using these as another item to put into my IG stories, especially now that I've figured out how to schedule them ahead of time.
I like the idea of the gift referral program that allows current subscribers to give their friends or colleagues free subscriptions. However, I would suggest that writers should be able to set the term of those subscriptions rather than just have it fixed at one month. Also, it would be good if we could have more transparency regarding exactly when our subscribers will receive this opportunity or, better yet, allow us to control this completely. For example, writers could send out an email to paid subscribers informing them of this opportunity and providing a button to click to use up to three referrals.
That's a great idea. I also like the idea of rewarding paid subscribers for their loyalty. I'd like to give them a free month at Christmas by way of thanks (for example.)
Hi folks - Excited to share that my future of work substack (https://futurexwork.substack.com) is now the No. 1 category substack on internet! Couldn’t have done this without you awesome people & this incredible community. Feeling grateful & inspired.
Thanks Boujou!
After the advice I got last week on how to approach about pages I did a rewrite of the about page for my substack. Thanks again to everyone who responded to my comment last week. I just started the second character story for my fighting game like fiction project, so that's an exciting substack development I figured I'd share.
Awesome!
For everyone else, this is something we also discussed in last week's Fictionistas Zoom chat! https://fictionistas.substack.com/p/define-and-tackle-your-writing-goals
Announced plans this week to publish a print and ebook version of some of my online fiction content, and it was really interesting to see how enthusiastic the Substack crowd were for it. Despite the content being free to read online in serial form, people still really value a physical product, it would seem. Am now thinking I should bundle up more stuff and make it available in other forms.
In other news, thanks go to Fictionistas for the great online meet-up last week!
That’s very encouraging! It’s nice to have the work all in one place and puts your personal touch on things.
I would like to do something like this eventually too. How did you communicate it to the substack crowd? I wonder about publishing something that is available for free. Is the format difference enough to make the sale?
So far just a mention in a post here: https://simonkjones.substack.com/p/im-publishing-an-actual-book
Responses there and elsewhere have been more enthusiastic than I expected, for a crowd already committed to reading digitally (ie Substack readers!). Turns out that 'a book' is still a value thing, even if the content itself isn't exclusive to the physical thing.
I do get it, though. For a finished story (I write and publish chapters weekly), it's much more convenient and satisfying to have the 'finished product' in your hands, in one convenient place, rather than having to navigate different web pages/newsletters/etc.
I love the subscriber emails that list the source, however it is a bit disheartening to see the subscriber also reads 200 other substacks.
No worries - just be your best. They may prioritise your posts over others.
I subscribe to a lot of 'stacks, but there are a handful that I read without fail. It doesn't mean the others aren't good. I like to keep my options open--never know what article I will run across that will make my day!
This is why have a good hook to grab readers is so important. If you want to stand out from a crowd of substacks. I definitely go through my app and check out the hooks that make me want to keep reading.
I got one like that the other day. Tbh, I'm worried it's someone subscribing to just scrape content and repost it elsewhere.
😂
Hi everyone! Media assets feature looks great :) thank you for the tip as well. I'm quite new to substack and do more personal writing, it feels like talking to someone and as a stay at home mom I feel sometimes I need someone to talk to.
Do you guys feel there is any space for growth for personal blogs or did we fully leave them in 2008? If anyone wants to be friends though, let me know/check out my writing tootah.substack.com 🌝
I will out myself as completely biased on this topic because I have been singing the praises of personal blogs since I started one in the early 2000s (I was a new-ish mom at the time!). I believe now more than ever people crave personal stories as vehicles for connection and feeling less lonely. That’s part of what’s driving my newsletter, Parent of Adults (ashadornfest.substack.com) -- let’s see how it goes. I say: Follow your gut on this and trust it!
I just checked out your newsletter and I think we may have some overlap in audiences. Many of my subscribers are looking for what's next when the nest is empty. I started trying to learn/try 50 new things every year about the time my kids all left:)
What a fantastic goal. And thanks for checking out my newsletter — I feel like this is such a ripe time in life, lots to explore.
I checked out your newsletter, I love the look of it! Will be looking forward to kids going to bed (not college yet haha) so i have some time to read a bit more!
Thank you, Anastasia! Oh I remember the non-sleeping years. When I met people whose kids were grown, it seemed like an impossibility. And yet, here I am. It’s hard to believe sometimes!
I write two newsletters - one is work related and not aimed at the general public but my other (and much newer) is related to personal growth. It covers my experience trying and learning 50 new things a year and encourages others to do the same. A subscriber commented that it reminded them of the old school personal blogs and appreciated that it wasn't filled with affiliate links. I am still experimenting with what works best but I enjoy writing it and will keep it going for at least a year. I'll check your newsletter out:)
Reeeeally like this idea! Reminds me of some of my favourite self help books. Definitely will have a look :) 50 things a year is a lot!
I think there's room for personal blogs even in 2022! Subscribed. Thank you for sharing.
Aw thank you so much! Welcome!
Mine can be seen as personal growth, so there is room for everything here.
Ooh, that's smart :) I've been struggling to find other personal blogs on here
Not so much personal but drawn from personal experiences we can all relate to, check it out.
Love the new media assets! Thanks!
Hi Substack Team. How do I track stats for visitors to my ABOUT page? I visit a lot of About pages to help me decide whether or not to subscribe and I'd love to see those stats for my own About page.
This is a great idea, we'll give it a think! Relatedly, we've made some improvements recently to the email you get when someone new subscribes, and are thinking about ways to provide even more detail around where that subscriber came from (e.g. a particular post, your about page, etc.).
I've mentioned this before, but I'd also love a way to create categories for our content (similar to tags in the traditional blog format) to help organize posts by themes or format and create recommendations for other content they may like based on the post they're currently reading.
I am planning to use a pinned 'Start Here' post as an organized guide, but it would be so nice to have tags and a directory of categories so readers can choose their own adventure.
I've really liked the the new subscriber notices- seeing where they came from and what they read!
Thank you!
I've noticed the added info for inbound subscribers. That really helps a lot, so thanks for adding that!
Yes! In fact, I’d love a one-stop view of traffic stats for all of my non-email posts (ie posts I’ve made directly to the site, not just stats for emailed posts.) In the interest of not overwhelming subscribers, I publish about half of my content directly to my page and it’s very difficult to gauge total post activity.
Agreed- that would be great.
I noticed I do the same thing - visiting the About page to decide whether or not to subscribe- which made me realize I really need to spend time on my own. What are the best About pages you've seen so far?
In the meantime, I've also been thinking about creating a 'Start Here' post to guide readers and visitors through the overall experience of Outsourced- sort of an elaboration on the About- which would live as a post and would reflect stats!
Can we put paid ads in our newsletters? I read through the terms and whatnot but didn't see much about not doing it - anyone have any thoughts on this?
I write an alcohol-free newsletter and brands are interested in ad placement.
Thanks!
Yes you can! Plenty of newsletters have paid sponsors.
Thank you!!!!!
I simply copy and past the ad and the link. It is that easy and if you have a demand, go for it.
Great! Glad someone else does too. I will go ahead and start planning! If you don't mind sharing - do you have tiers? Ads throughout for different prices?
No, I just charge a flat rate.
Got it, thank you!
I’ve added affiliate links, with the accompanying disclaimer. There’s nothing in the T&Cs that prohibits this. Still, to preserve the general non-commercial vibe here, I’d do it sparingly and only for products you’ve tested and can personally refer readers to in the context of a good discussion.
Definitely! I have links like that now. And it's only for brands that I have a relationship with and consume their product.
I know of a few people who have put ads in their newsletters. It’s not a frequent thing I have seen though.
OK good to know! I wasn't sure if it was "allowed." Thanks!
I don’t think there’s a problem on Substack’s end but I do worry that if you have ads, people might think you don’t need paid subscribers. Then if you have trouble getting advertising, you might limit your paid subscriber growth when you need it.
That is definitely something to think about. I've managed to surpass 500 free subscribers in less than two months of having my newsletter out. I have 5 paid subscribers. I find that people don't want to pay for it - so I thought ads would be a great way to make income on the free posts. Now I'm trying to figure out how to change things up and make my paid posts "different" and worth it.
Well one thing to consider is the frequency. The other day Substack posted an interview where he had a writer who says feedback from unsubscribers is they didn’t get enough posts. Where did you find your advertising? I am curious about the potential for it.
I love the new media assets, thanks Substack! Here's how I used one yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiyDUhKvNMj/
Question: I would like to try the Referrals for my paid subscribers. However I don't want the email that goes to them to seem too "spammy." Can we customize the email that goes to them explaining the referrals? if so, how? thank you.
YES, I want to know about customizing the referral email too! I want to write my own pitch, in my own voice.
Will do. Thanks, Reid.
That looks so nice!
I'd love it if the Instagram image actually linked to the article. I think there is a way to do this with "stickers," but this is not an option for me on a desktop computer. I wonder if it is available only on the phone app?
Does anyone know how to actually post a link on an image published on instagram?
That is amazing and this gives me some really good ideas...
Folks,
This is my first contribution in the group.
So, please forgive me if anything is out of order. I feel like sharing how Substack, and especially writing a newsletter has been an overwhelming experience for me, maybe even life changing.
🙌 Commitment —
I think and I have finally accepted I have been a procrastinator all my life, with no hope. Maybe it is the way to be. At least when it comes to writing, who isn’t? But even otherwise I guess as we grow older we learn to live with it and now and then, once in a while perhaps ponder what would life be if I would just get up and not postpone. Committing to writing a post every day (yes, I made that deal with the devil) has challenged what I thought was possible. Though I am still a late riser, though that call to Mum is still pending, maybe there is hope.
🙌 Friends —
I do not know if it is an Indian thing, but let us say my computer breaks down, what do I usually do? Scour all over for that nifty little trick which fixes the jinx. Usually from forums where there are a million people as if with all the time in their life to help strangers with obscure wicked problems with stuff. I have wondered where they find the time, but moved quickly on and grabbed the solution. Making a mental note to give back to the community one day, but knowing I’d never do that.
Yes, it is an Indian thing 😅. You see, we are in a hurry. We speak fast, don’t we?
Bam, writing a Substack forces you to give. The friends you make as a result — a blessing in the world where every second person is a narcissist. So, I have learnt to give. Perhaps this post is an example of what that means to me. Old friends, they wonder what is with the dystopian word that I describe myself by — Substacker!
The best thing, is that each one of you, writing a newsletter on Substack is an early adopter. Bursting with ideas, fingers flying long form on the keyboard finally — what better friends, a man can have.
🙌 Human. Irreverent. Joyful. Real.
Four mantras I want to live by. They are weird words. They work in reverse, beautifully. I mean being real makes you not worry much about mistakes you make while writing. You stop caring. Cliches don’t chase you. It results in joyful writing fit for Substack, maybe writing that will never clear a sane editor. Who cares? See, being real leads to Joy. And joy? Well, you can pretty much cook a snook, see there I go, at everything. Starting with yourself. Fcuk with grammarly. You are in a rush. You are on adrenaline. The emperor’s new clothes, you are the one wearing them! You become irreverent.
🙌 Result : You are human. Finally. It feels good to be free, that way. No? Yes, I am not going to go back over what I have written. This is what it is. This is what it is going to be.
🙌 Markdown —
Yes, I wrote it that way, using Paper (https://papereditor.app). It allows me to finally abandon the mouse, or trackpad as things might be. Clunky word processors, buttons to make things bold. The time for all that has come to an end. I am a keyboard Hans Solo. That is the way to be. One ship to rule it all.
🙌 Cigarettes —
The lesser said, the better about this. But I noticed, I smoke less when I write. I smoke more before. I smoke one, afterwards. The formula is clear. Think less, write more. Smoke a solitary friend afterwards.
🙌 Music —
For two months after I started, it was fatigue. Music was something that you listen to before, or afterwards. Like sex. Before the act, or afterwards. The act of a procrastinator. Not anymore. Writing a newsletter and music goes wonderfully together. Wait, let me switch Spotify on. Faure it is! What are you going to listen to tonight?
🙌 The Bluebird —
I sinned once (https://medium.com/illumination/i-have-sinned-henry-13f6ecd7c8c3), a long time ago. Substack is redemption. You can finally answer Henry! You can finally BIM BIM BIM. Finally, it can come all out. Finally, you do not need to tell the bluebird to sleep.
🙌 That was a proud moment of giving out a Medium article I wrote about sinning and the Bluebird long time ago. Faure made me do that 😅.
🙌 What next then?
Tell me what I have missed. I write Voisegram that gives you a real storybook in your inbox every day. Do check it out if you have a storybook situation tonight with a loved little one. What can you send through a newsletter? I have seen Music (https://eons.substack.com) on Substack, a brilliant game (https://if50.substack.com) even — Can I send my love?
🙌 Take care.
PS. I was scared and did a spell check. Sorry. But promise, I just only did a spell check, no edits, no re-reads. What came out trumps? Procastinator, Fcuk, Substacker and Grammerly
😅
Sanjukt
Hey everyone! Happy Thursday!!!!
On 9/10 I sat down behind my microphone and recorded my first “personal” episode for the podcast feature. I host a podcast with guests (just published 131st episode Tuesday). Solo episodes, not so much.
So I was nervous about this one. But I had a deadline because 9/11...and it was the topic. I did it! I scheduled it for 9:11am NY time. Later that day I added it to Apple Podcasts and they made it available within minutes.
Yesterday received an email from some podcast trend peeps who said it was in the top 100 in History and Film...94.
I have to thank Betty in Substack for helping me figure out why I wasn’t getting the email to get it into Spotify, now it’s there.
Anyway, I am grateful to this platform and hope it keeps on keeping on because it’s everything I dreamed for! Videos, audio, photos, writing...all that I need now is to finally have that coffee I keep putting off. Been up since 6am and it’s past 10:30am!
You’re all rockstars!!! Thank you to those subscribing to me too. Luv ya! :)
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. Glad you published the episode
Thank you, Katie!
In case you miss the shoutout thread (I love the opportunity to share about great Substackers I like), just head over to Twitter and use the hashtag #substackshoutout.
This week I've been reading Don't Mind Rick (been reading that since over a decade, but now it's on Substack, too!) and The Sneaky Art Post. How about you?
https://rickmans.substack.com/
and
https://sneakyart.substack.com/
Join the fun: https://twitter.com/hashtag/substackshoutout
Thank you for that!
Your engineers and UI team keep leaning hard on the greatness button. The new generated media assets are killer. Makes the promotion of my WOODRUFF SS a breeze. Thank you SS tribe.
New post going out tomorrow and I'm so excited to try the media assets!
Normally I design slides in Canva for each essay, but it's an extra step that is not particularly quick and usually throws me into my long running, way overdue, branding 'to do' list, which eventually becomes a more existential crisis about the overall direction of my business and therefore life...
I've been reading Greg McKeown's book, Effortless, and I feel like having pre-populated media assets aligns perfectly with the idea of paring things down to the absolute minimum necessary in favor of ease. So- thanks @Substack team!
That is great about being able to publish a post exclusively for Founding Members. This makes it easier to offer perks for that tier.
I'm serializing a novel here on Substack and this week the introductory free chapters were done and the first post went up only for subscribers. It was weird—I was both excited and felt somehow mean. To assuage my strange guilt, I quickly also posted a free essay about how much I liked being read to and now I get to read to others, even though, at seventy, my voice sounds like an old rocker chick who has played in too many smokey bars.
I’m in the same boat. I made the first chapter and a part of the second free and then put a paywall on the rest of them. It’s different for me though. I’ve been working very hard on this and basically have to choose between eating and having savings for the rest of my life so there’s no guilt lol. Like many people my age without financial assistance from an inheritance or something similar, I will never retire and I will never own a home. In a different world I’d volunteer all my free time to art and community service but that’s not the case. I also have been putting pressure on myself to make free posts so I understand that. Besides, that’s the only way new subscribers will be able to determine if they want to become paid ones.
Any plans on more comics-related events/initiatives? There's a lot of world-class talent in the comics category and would love some community building with those creators and the other writers/creators in that category.
As a comic creator, I second this.
A few have been asking about this for months. Hopefully there is something in the works.
I just started a comic strip and would love to connect with other "gag" humor writers/artists:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/its-all-good-times
Twitter @moviewise
Anyone like formal poetry? Embracing the new paradigm of self-publishing, I am now posting my own formal poems here on substack, instead of trying the usual publication route. Eventually I hope to build a readership rather than win prizes. DantheMeterMan is totally free!
I do write some poetry. I’m not as interested right now in hunting down publishers or getting prizes either.
What do you mean by formal poetry?
I write poetry, probably would be called personal poetry.
Hi Caitlin, I mean I write in received forms, like sonnets, or other lyric forms, and pay attention to how formal aspects like meter and rhyme can bring heightening and emphasis to the content of the poem, such that the form is inseparable from the content. It can be personal, though too!:)
https://danthemeterman.substack.com/
Cool! Subscribed.
Thanks, Castalia!
Anybody with more than one Substack, have you had success promoting between the different newsletters? I'm considering starting a second one, although the topic is different so I'm not sure people would cross over.
I agree with Sarah - why not just make different tabs/sections? They're considered their own newsletter. I have a few - and at the bottom of each post, I tell people how they can pick and choose which section/newsletter they want to subscribe to. I have the info on my about page also. I think that's wayyyyyy easier than having completely separate substacks - and you might get crossover readers. I started with everyone subscribed to everything - then let them pick and choose what they want to get.
I wanted to do this with my second blog, but I also needed to import old posts using an old blog’s url, and I wasn’t sure how that would work on my current substack. So I just went with separate sites. And to answer the original question, no, there has been no cross-pollination between them so far... which is fine. They’re two totally different topics (ancient history/fiction and horse training/farm life).
The topics I want to write about are too different. My current Substack is called "401 Que?" It's about money and the immigrant experience. The other topics I'm interested in writing about are writing/publishing and gaming.
I have a different tab too, but it goes out to the same subscriber list. You're saying that each tab can have its own subscription list? I am not tech savvy, so perhaps I missed this...
Yes. If you go to my About page and scroll to “a little housekeeping” you’ll see instructions for yr subscribers to only sign up for certain sections. I’ve yet to find out if we can do it manually ourselves....
Thank you! Very helpful.
It starts out with everyone being subscribed but new subscribers can choose and old subscribers can "unsubscribe" to specific newsletters.
Thanks for your assistance.
I'm in a similar situation. I write on random, varying topics, but I'm starting a new newsletter so I can geek out about music. I know most people irl glaze over when I want to get into the weeds, so to speak, about music, musicians etc. so I don't expect much crossover.
I got into winemaking recently and started watching this couple on YouTube who have advice for at home winemakers. They said they used to include wine related content on their main YouTube page, but decided to branch out. Once they did, they saw their subscribers skyrocket. Having a niche page worked way better for them.
Based on their experience, I am curious to see if my music specific newsletter exceeds my general topic newsletter. (It wouldn't be too hard since I have a small number of subscribers anyhow.)
Thanks for your response, K.D. I appreciate that winemaking example. I do think niches work especially well in an increasingly fragmented landscape. Good luck with your music newsletter!
I'm a fan of niche and then spreading gently within that space. In my personal opinion (again, take very liberally since I'm an internet stranger), the whole "random" topics and posting without focus can cause your growth to stall. Who are you and what is your area of expertise, or wisdom, that readers can come to you for consistently? The more diverse you are, the greater the risk of sending graymail--email that a section of your subscribers never wanted or asked for but gave consent for receiving previous content they did want.
Is there a way you could just add tabs within your newsletter? I have a main theme but different tabs that are not truly related. If someone wants to subscribe to specific tabs or unsubscribe to specific tabs they can. You can see that on my Substack.
I appreciate the suggestion, but the other topics I'm looking to write about are far afield. My newsletter is about the immigrant experience. The other topics I'm interested in writing about are writing/publishing or gaming. I might've been able to use tabs if my Substack was my personal "brand," but my newsletter is called 401 Que?, which is specific to money and immigrants.
Then that makes perfect sense. I would just let people know with a special newsletter and then make sure you are recommending the pages toward each other.
Good points. Thanks, Sarah.
I have seen a newsletter with lots of tabs and no idea how they did it.
Go all the way down to the bottom on settings and add sections. Once you figure it out, it's pretty easy.
Thank you!
To everyone who was late to the party: My name is Cole, I write about outdoor adventures. I've been at this a while. If you have questions about getting started -- or anything really -- I've been at this a while. Feel free to email me at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com
I am loving listening to the music. Exploring the trail with you.
Great change to have Founding Tier perks. It's a nice way to say thank you in a unique way for their patronage.
I also love the integration with social media. I like to blast my posts on Twitter and IG (@theone_chiv) and it's nice to have a consistent aesthetic. Cheers to Substack for the continued innovation!
How do you guys think on the new referral program? (i.e., "paid subscribers can bring new readers to your publication by gifting them access to your paid content for a limited time").
I think it's cool to empower our paid members this way. But since it's capped at 3 gifts, I would add two extra options: for paid, get a one time x% off your monthly sub fee. This way paid members has a clear and uncapped incentive to spread the word out. Second, I'd also offer a similar referral mechanism for free subscribers, and give them x months free membership of the paid program or extra perk (service or gift).
What's your take?
Great feedback! We are planning to iterate on this feature, and giving paid subscribers a discount or similar as an incentive to give gifts is a great idea.
I'm getting ready to try the referral program this week but I would like a way to give paid subscribers an extra month or two free if they refer a specific number of subscribers who convert to paid subscribers. I am a little uneasy about having a separate referral email go out since I really try to limit the number of emails I send them.
Hey fellow writers! What is your fav / best way of doing cross collabs on Substack? Guess posts? Recommendations? Or something else?
Recommendations are great, but a warning: it could lead to a game of tit-for-tat (i.e., you recommend me and I recommend you). Or in rare instances, a game of guilt-tripping (i.e., hey, I recommended your newsletter *months* ago...I'd appreciate you return the favour). Only recommend if you REALLY vibe with that person's content and you genuinely think your readers could benefit from checking them out.
All great thoughts, Nikhil! Allow me to dovetail, and I might suggest we just do if it makes sense and fits your article (and not just 'cause you're trading shout-outs, even-up)! Ex: Saturday morning, I'm dropping an article about Stephen Michael Schwartz and an example of his songwriting, where he wrote a TV sitcom theme song, sang it on the show, kept the publishing, and re-purposed it as a pop/rock love song, giving all the tech data, etc! (We see a clip of the show with him singing it, as well as hear a produced demo song file of the re-worked song)!
All of that means nothing here, but, I'm putting a link box to the Michael Acoustic 'Stack at the bottom of my piece, solely BECAUSE IT FITS THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE (Michael doesn't even know I'm doing it)!
Michael writes about (and his readers eat it up) the art and craft of songwriting and music composition and instruments, so it makes sense to send my like-minded readers to him after they read Stephen's own words about his song! If he tits-for-tats, great, but I'll be drawing breath the next day just fine even if he doesn't, and won't think any less of him!
All of the above! Recommendations are great (and also the lowest hanging fruit) but I also regularly do guest posts (invite others to guest on my newsletter + write for others) and do collaborations (this usually means one of us writes half a post and the other writes the other half). They're all fun and all bring in new subs, in my experience.
Guest posts & shoutouts are a potent 1-2 combo.
I've found this here thread is a great way to intro/probe/decide a collab. I've had a small handful where a fellow 'Stacker and I "link" articles....What's that? Don't tell..........show? OK: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/brett-morgens-moonage-daydream-a Steve Goldberg's Earworms and Song Loops and my FR&B literally posted the same article on both our 'Stacks, BUT we added new/exclusive info when we posted on each of our own 'Letter sites! Hope this helps, and again, feel free to tap the cyber-shoulders of some of us here!
I haven’t been able to successfully email other writers using the [substackname]@substack.com structure suggested in a previous Office Hours. So short of posting in comments, I don’t know how to reach out to other writers. I’m a pro writer with a lifetime of publishing cred, and I’ve crafted great blurbs for other Substack writers. None have reciprocated, and none of them are using the rec feature to recommend others, either.
Hi Brunette,
The author of the person you try to connect with must have their settings tweaked to accept emails sent to [nameofstack]ATsubstack.com from everyone. Some have it disabled, or to accept it only from their subscribers. A more reliable way to communicate with them is to reply to their email you get in your inbox. If you are using the Substack app, I don't think you can do this. Hope this helps, and good luck.
Yep, using the app, so that won’t work.
Thank you for that. It does seem like a frustrating thing. I get the feeling that people don't really check their Substack e-mails - or don't take those inboxes seriously. Good to know that that's your experience as well.
Keep on going!
Thanks for the media assets! Only problem I've found is with trying to share to my Insta or my Google photos (for later) but that might be me or my phone... We can send posts specifically to Founders now? 😍😍😍
Yes there is founding tier posts now in "More options" under the audience picker!
Thanks, Jasmine!! That's so much easier!! 😍
I'm sure this question gets asked a thousand times but I'd like to meet more people via Substack. I am a novelist and fiction writer and I write about a different topic every week. Most of my subscribers tend to come from Twitter and I have built up a decent readership, but I'd like to expand. How do I get more organic growth, being that I am a more personality/creative writing based substack and not a technical one?
Generally, Shoutout Threads are a great place to meet other writers and do a bit of self-promotion. For fiction writing, I've met lots of great people in these three Stacks:
George Saunders: https://georgesaunders.substack.com/
Chuck Palahniuk: https://chuckpalahniuk.substack.com/
Fictionistas: https://fictionistas.substack.com/
Thank you, I am already subscribed to Chuck but I'll check out some of the others!
Amran writes for Fictionistas; I suppose he forgot to list the conflict of interests.
Is there a way to search for particular writer’s posts or mentions of them in the Writers’ Hour Discussion? Or “topics?”
Yes, there could be tags and that will be very helpful.
Guest Blogging? Is anyone out there interested in guest blogging on my page? I've read that is one of the best ways to increase our followers. I write on Leadership, Sales, and Culture called the Kole Hard Facts ... https://michaelkole.substack.com . If you have something complimentary, I would be interested in having a guest blog, and you in turn could publish a blog from me? mike@koleperformancegroup.com ... let me know!
Mike, good to meet you via Office Hours (I was on vacation, slowly catching up). I research and write about strategy - looks like our newsletters are complementary. Will follow up re guest post appearances via email gabthinking (at) gmail (dot) com.
- George
I don’t have anything I would consider complementary to your “Leadership, Sales…” topics, but I do have a lot of thoughts about “Culture.” If you are only talking about the “culture” of a business, I am probably not able to contribute much useful. My thoughts are more general, like “A culture is only as useful as it is adapted to a group’s ability to thrive in the environment in which they live.” Polish cavalry that were useful in WWI, defending against Hitler’s tanks in the opening days of WWII were wiped out in short order.
Hi Pete! Thanks for the reply. I’m talking about more business centered blogs to be complimentary. If you sent one of my ‘business blogs’ to your readers, would it help or hurt you in building a following? I try to be pretty focused on what goes out to my readers, so your content although good, is not why they open Kole Hard Facts. Thanks for the response though! Good Luck in your blogging!
Is anyone interested in connecting and reviewing each other's substack? Like "here's what I like", " here are a few areas you could improve" type of feedback?
I try to regularly review my substack from a higher level to see how to improve but that's a challenge being so engrained in it!
Hey Sara! I'd be interested in something like this. I'm pretty new to Substack, so it would be nice to get some extra eyes + make sure I sound remotely coherent, haha
Yes. I intend to ask a few friends to be beta readers to catch typos and “wordos” and let me know what they didn’t understand or agree with.
I required my speech students to present (from their seat) their Main Points, before they started to write their outline and also write a Con outline for their Persuasive Speech to make it clear that they knew what objections were likely to come up and address them in their presentation. You can deliver the most eloquent and compelling speech, but if someone leaves thinking, “But what about…” then you haven’t convinced them to act on it.
You seem to be the kind of person that would not only be useful to interact with re my interests, but, like my students, allow me to learn about their interests or see them from a different perspective.
I mean if all goes well, on a semi-regular basis would be nice! Maybe we can get a handful of those interested and set up a zoom or email chain to work out the details!
First time commenting here! My friend and I are writing a fitness newsletter for people over 40, and we're also about to launch a podcast!
Curious if anyone has had success in attracting search traffic from Google? I was able to verify the site through Search Console (it took a few weeks). However, haven't seen much search traffic yet. Any tips? Thank you in advance!
Welcome, Alex! Are you searching for your name / co-authors name or publication title? Or something else?
hi Katie! I’m new to Substack and have a few questions (not in FAQ). Where can I send them?
Hi, Katie. My site comes up in search when I search for the publication title (Practically Fit), but I was more curious about how long it took for people to see positive returns from search.