Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help!
We’re gathering the writer community and members of the Substack team together in this discussion thread to answer writer questions for an hour. Drop your questions in the thread by leaving a comment, and we’ll do our best to share knowledge and tips.
Our team will be answering questions and sharing insights with you in the thread today from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EDT. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
Some updates and reminders from the Substack team:
Podcast “Listen” page: We added a new page that makes it easier for subscribers to listen to your free or paid podcast on their player of choice. When a listener visits yourdomain.substack.com/listen (e.g. read.substack.com/listen), they are prompted to set up and add the feed to a podcast app, such as Apple or Google Podcasts.
Speaking of podcasts, listen to Hamish McKenzie talk to Jessica Reed Kraus episode two of our new podcast, The Active Voice, here.
Office Hours has a new home: When you visit On Substack, you can now find the full archive of past Office Hours in their own dedicated section.
In case you missed it: We invited Marlee Grace, who writes Monday Monday, to share insights on bringing their audience over from Instagram and creating a steady writing practice in our recent Grow interview.
Got questions about Substack or feedback about what’s new? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
Aspiring substacker here. I'm struggling with the editing part of writing. It feels like a never-ending process because writing can always be improved. Any advice (from anyone!) on knowing when a post is 'ready'?
Part of this is probably because I'm nervous to publish my writing. It feels vulnerable.
Such a great question! I struggle with this too. What writer do you dream might answer this question? (Bonus: if they are on Substack) We should ask for our next Dear Writer advice column.
That vulnerability never goes away (at least for me, anyway). At some point, you'll have to be okay with a post being "good enough." To be clear, that doesn't mean low quality- I'm talking about the sort of endless edits/tweaks that trip us up.
*I write a first draft almost without looking up.
*Let it sit while I go do something (anything) else
*Edit it for style (mostly moving pieces of the puzzle around)
*Let it sit again
*Edit for grammar/do a close read/check that links work/etc.
This may sound kind of weird, but I miss typos or other things I should change depending on the platform on which I'm reading. To maximize my ability to see these things I
(a) read my original Word document,
(b) read in the Substack editor, and
(c) send a test email which I read on my tablet and my phone.
Each of these has a different paragraph width or maybe a slightly different font or whatever, but whenever I think something is ready, I almost always find something I didn't see when I switch to another platform. And it frequently involves a rinse and repeat cycle.
I've spent the last couple of months going through old blog posts (from WordPress and Substack) and turning them into a book of essays that I hope to self-publish in January. Seriously, the pieces are never done. I've done so much revision already and I have a feeling I will send to the publisher and STILL feel like I need to make more revisions. And I'm an English teacher with a Master's degree in English!
It is vulnerable! I give myself two rounds of edits, and I always print it out to edit. I figure once I’ve done that, and no new ideas have come to me, I just need to trust that it’s good enough. I can always rework it if I want to publish in another format someday, but you’ll always have reasons NOT to publish. Better to get it out there.
It's never "done". I just get a feeling of "diminishing returns" when it might be called "ready". Balzac once described his day as "I spent the morning putting a comma in a sentence, and I spent the afternoon taking it out." We've all been there. John Lennon said he never liked to listen to Beatles songs on the radio because he would always find something that could have been improved. At some point, I think you just get the sense that extra time and effort isn't worth the small extra improvement it's going to give to a piece.
Your nervousness and feeling of vulnerability is natural. We all feel it . I do. You just have to make a point of pushing through it. Like jumping into a pool.
The hardest part is hitting the Publish button! You are so right about the vulnerability --and it sucks when you publish and later find a mistake [like I did when I spelled "right" incorrectly here and had to edit it!]. The cool thing is that it makes you human. And people want to connect with other humans, not robots.
My process involves reading aloud as my last edit. I catch so much in that step. Also, if I'm feeling super uneasy, I email it to my husband for an extra set of eyes. He's great at catching grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and words that just don't flow well.
In the end, you'll never get better unless you publish. Just do it! :)
Honestly, setting deadlines is one of the best way to handle this.
I've published every Thursday morning, without fail, for more than a year. Come deadline, something is going out to the inboxes.
Aside from setting deadlines and a regular publishing schedule, I'd suggest that after your first edit, you schedule your post for publication. You can tweak it here and there, but there will be a sense of finality.
None of my writing used to feel done until I committed to putting out a short essay every Saturday. So now, it's not so much about being done as being good enough to get on with my weekend. I also know that whenever I start the essays, they won't feel "done" until I'm up against the deadline, so I try not to start them too early in the week.
Ooof, I feel this Collin! I edit by reading out loud, and once I can read a post out loud without stumbling or thinking something sounds weird, I consider it good enough.
But before I got that to point, I had to get comfortable with the idea that done is better than perfect. When I tried to edit things until they were perfect, they never got done! I finally had to accept that done and published is better than leaving it to languish in drafts.
I publish in Substack every day and twice several times per month. If you are struggling with the editing itself, I find Grammarly very useful. It suggests changes, but mostly forces me to look at awkward phrasing.
It is vulnerable! Think of yourself on a high dive. You can stand there all day pep-talking yourself, but at some point you’ve got to climb down or jump. And think of the story you can tell by saying you jumped! Sure, maybe your swim suit falls off and you’re embarrassed for a bit, or maybe you do a perfect swan dive and everyone is talking about it for days. Either way, at least you went for it!
As for editing. If I have someone who is free to edit (usually my mom, who has loved red penning my work since I was a child), then I type it up and, without reading it through, I send it off for the red pen massacre. She finds the grammatical errors and will tell me if something doesn’t make sense, needs to be added, or taken out. This method prevents me from overthinking it. Once I get it back, I make the simple fixes, read through it again and make any changes I think it might need.
If I don’t have that luxury, then I try to follow the same method on my own. Write it in a single draft, then go back and read through for things I may need to change or add, then a final read through for grammatical errors. I try to limit it to 3 editing sessions. The cut off at three gives me a point to say it’s now or never and make the leap. (Of course this is with posts, not books.)
Yup, others have mentioned before. Art is never done. You will always grow, and then your art will grow with you. So just remembering that you can always create more art, and that it's never supposed to be perfect. In fact, it's better if it's not perfect :) For me, a gut feeling usually hits me like "okay done".
Try and prep post content through the week which calms post day anxiety considerably. When you do the final read through read slowly and in a monotone voice this will aid in catching missed words, prepositions and sentence structure mix ups. When your final edit has the intended flow she should be good to go. (you may quote me on that) 😄 Keyboard wasn't working properly and I wasn't sure if my text went through, but later saw that it did but not complete. Also noticed substack was acting up as well yesterday
Collin, you nailed it. This is the big downside of a platform like SubStack. We are all self-editing here and it shows. Maybe find a friend willing to go over your drafts and you theirs.
I am new! angelisivaraman.substack.com <3 I write about spirituality, self-growth, and words of inspiration. I include a quote at the end of every post because I love quotes. Can I create an "about" (pinned post) for when people land on my page?
Hi Katie, hello all. I have 8 posts but I'm still fairly new to Substack. I had plans to write 2 newsletters - one to help other artists find their lost Mojo, which I'm currently writing, and a second one where i could share my experimental poems and stories. I'm already overwhelmed with everything i have to do, though (I'm also an indie musician doing it all on my own). I just can't think of how to incorporate my experimental side into this newsletter. Or even monetising. Thanks - Jo
Hi Jo, and welcome! About your indie musician lane, I write about recorded music (mostly from the last few decades)! If you've got any recorded output, throw an eye at my 'Stack, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE linked just to the right of my name, and if you think you'd like to interview/share your music, give a holla, yo! And, again, welcome!
I'm new! I'm about to launch my Substack, and I've had such a hard time determining what to write in my "About" section vs. my first post! They're pretty similar. I also think I just need some general encouragement about putting myself out there;). I'm confident in what I write about, but the SHARING part is difficult....
Hi Katie, great questions! Chances are there is a good bit of the overlap. I think the biggest difference is the amount of "logistics" you share.
A great first post reads like a manifesto—it tells a story about the vision of what you wnat to do here. Of course at the end you want to make a clear pitch and include a subscribe button.
Andy's a great example of a good about page and launch post.
Thanks Katie.. quick question for you. I published, but didn't email anyone. Sigh. I'd like to share the post with potential subscribers (which for now will just be my personal contacts). Do I need to delete the post and do it again? How can I send it out to my contacts? Thanks..
This is a bit of an unconventional take, but I actually use my about page to host a kind of "intro video." I use it to explain the story behind why I started my publication and got invested in the outdoor writing space.
I'd say customize your About page a bit to get started and remove the default look/feel. But don't get too worried about it. You'll modify as you go. I've only been here a month and have edited my About page several times.
I don't really know how often people check out an About page when they arrive at a publication. I like to, though and a few more experienced people have said it's important.
I think people are more likely to read the About page if its pinned to the homepage, so I think I'll do that. (if I can figure it out) I'm glad to hear you've revised your about page as well...nothing is set in stone;)
Totally! Nothing is set in stone -- you can revise your About page and before long, you'll have lots of posts and your first post won't be on the main page anymore.
I review my About page and Welcome email every few months to make sure they still feel aligned with my recent work and what I want to present about my newsletter. Good luck!
That sounds great! Right now, my About page and my first post are super similar. It makes sense to keep checking in and making sure the About page stays updated.
Katie......If you'll pardon the shameless self-promotion, my About page may be a bit stylized, and it took time and hammering out, but it will, at least, give you a look at something on the "non-blah" list! https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
Re: the About section - what about finding a quiet spot to just sit down, closing your eyes and putting your hand on your heart while you ask the question again? Then just sit in silence and listen for the answer. It will probably be something about your basic message.
Don't get too caught up, do your best and put it out there. You will learn as you go and probably change it up periodically as you learn more. I've been here three months and I just revised my about page last week.
Yes, there are articles on Substack which offer advice and I've also studied other writers' About pages. I definitely did not set my original page up ideally, but this newest version is getting closer. I'll probably change it going forward again. But it's important not to get caught up on the details to the point that I don't press send.
I use that space to explain who I am, why I started my project, and what readers can expect from me. I post a LOT, so I also note that people can receive my work through the app if they'd prefer that over their inbox.
You got this Katie! Can’t wait to see what you wrote about.
As for About versus first post: What is your Substack about? For instance, if you’re posting recipes, you can talk about the kinds of recipes you’ll post in your about page, but for your first post you can just dive in with a recipe. Does that help?
It definitely helps. My newsletter is detailed children's book recommendations-- mostly chapter books and middle grade novels. (I'm a former teacher with SUCH a passion for these books!) I wasn't sure if I should have the first post as more of an introduction about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, or if I should just jump into the recs.
Personally I think just jumping in is best, so people have an example of what you’ll post when they subscribe! About 9 months into writing Unruly Figures, I had a “let’s get to know each other” thread where I talked more about me personally and invited other people to share. That was a fun way to get to know readers personally and share why I got into it!
I would do an introduction to who you are so that people know why they should trust you as a former educator and lover of literature.
Side note, still a high school English teacher (year 21 here), love reading, and have a second Substack for a former teaching partner and good friend where we talk about pop culture through the lens of being lit teachers: litthinkpodcast.substack.com
I'm new (not to the planet, look at my hair) and would like to know about the automatic, computer generated audio (i.e. text to speech) that I have heard is available, at least with certain platforms.
First, is it true? (I haven't seen it)
If so, what platforms (web, iOS, Android)? And can we turn it off? Thanks!
Thanks Katie. Is there a way to opt-out of automatic text-to-speech? I haven't seen anything in the settings for a post and I didn't see any mention of that in the article you linked.
There's a Voiceover option that's really simple to use! If I can do it so can you, Victor. :) I've been a critic of my voice for such a long time. This has helped me get over that silliness.
Hi Barbara - I was referring to automatic computer generated audio. I'm not sure if that's a rumor because I haven't seen it, but then someone mentioned it might be only in the iOS app (which I don't have)
If you find something out, please let us know. I suppose I could go find somebody with an IPhone and see if the darn thing is there, but seems I only know Android users... :)
I started this substack to help connect people who love the outdoors, food, and music. All of this ties in with the mission of living in the present and taking care of your mental health.
I write a business newsletter under my name but this newsletter is a mission, I wanted to do something bigger than myself. I want it to be a community that I may pass on to other writers one day.
It's also to show others that you can grow from scratch.
Hello! I’m relatively new to Substack, and excited to see how others are using the platform to share their voice and build an audience. I’ve been wanting to scratch the writing itch for years now... something I never thought I’d enjoy when I was younger. Over the years, I’ve made it a habit of journaling, and have always found writing therapeutic. I recently launched a podcast called “Live Your Values”, because I love helping people get to the core of what matters to them and helping them connect with their values and life a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
I recently decided that I’d like to start writing as a complement to my podcast, and topics related to values and fulfillment.
I’ve been feeling very stuck on how to get started. I’d love to get a little more clarity on why Substack may be a better choice for growing an audience over a more traditional ESP.
Would love to hear others’ experiences, especially in the early phases of starting to write and grow an audience, and how that led to accomplishing broader goals.
Barbara has good advice—just start. It's funny, I've been talking to more writers lately in the investing and finance space for a little series we are running and they keep saying that. What Genevieve Roch-Decter said stayed with me:
“It can be quite confusing deciding what you want to start your newsletter about. You can overthink it and that can prevent you from starting. What I would advise, and this is exactly what I did, it sounds selfish but it really isn't, write for yourself first. Spend a lot of time thinking, ‘What would I actually read? What would I actually find entertaining and insightful?’ Bet on yourself that there are other people like you out there.”
As for the benefits of writing on Substack, we make money only when writers make money, which means we have a very strong incentive to help writers grow their revenue and their subscribers. Happily, we’re now in a position where Substack can drive growth for writers without them having to think about it (unless they choose to). Growth can happen magically in the background.
Today, the Substack network is driving more than 40 percent of all subscriptions across the platform, and 12 percent of paid subscriptions. That means you essentially get readers and money for free just by publishing on Substack.
Thanks for sharing this perspective and more context for how Substack is structured and what drives you all! It's funny, I did an episode on my podcast about "Just Starting", and it's absolutely been the #1 piece of advice I've been hearing from everyone in my network as well. Guess I should take their & your (and my own) advice ;)
"Write for you" resonates as well. I think that's a good starting point for sure. I feel lucky that I have assembled a network of great people who are willing to help and share feedback with me as well. And it sounds like there's a strong community and support structure here too.
Totally agree with Katie and it's not selfish at all! I'll bet your muse will be on it in a heartbeat. :) Mine won't stop flinging ideas at me since I came over here!
Just START! Substack makes it so easy. I've been blogging on my website and writing a newsletter since 2009 but I decided to close them both and just write here. I am LOVING the simplicity and finding so many great writers, as well. Good luck!
-Much easier platform to navigate than other ESPs (I'm looking at you, Mailchimp).
-A thriving, supportive community of writers
-A proactive platform that's not afraid to iterate, but is also transparent about it
-Discovery on here has vastly improved over the last 6-8 months. The wheel still moves a bit slower than on other platforms, but the other positives cancel that out.
I am still new to Substack. I have 3 solid posts now and am set up to publish weekly. My question is, I am about to start inviting all of my contacts. Should I do that now with only 3 posts and they will get new ones? Or should I wait until I have a stronger library to entice them to more likely subscribe?
Go ahead and invite them! If you haven't already, write a dedicated launch post. Let the world know you are starting something new. Talk about why you’re launching a Substack, why it’s important to you, what readers can expect, and why they should join you. This should be a free post so everyone can see it and is great to share with your contacts prompting them to subscribe.
I'm in the same boat - 3 posts so far, my recent one yesterday - and I am not sure how to grow. I've decided on a weekly newsletter which seems doable for me. I invite people as I go, as I am more of an organic, if you like what I offer come along, otherwise I don't like to force friends to feel like they have to subscribe (only my closest haha!)
Hi Faith! My go-to in the "how to grow" dept is BUSINESS CARDS...y'know, the ones on paper! Mine's two-sided, with the pic you see here on the front, with my 'Stack title and web address.
I realize some 'Stackers may not have a photo, ready to go, from 1977, of themselves backstage with a 2002 Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame-inducted punk group, but go with what you have! On the back I've got two QR codes ('cause that's what the kids tell me they're into!).
One goes directly to my 'Stack page, the other goes to Flipboard.com, which houses (and sends you back to 'Stack, anyway) the autobio of a singer/songwriter (one album in '74 for RCA Records, Stephen Michael Schwartz) who's been writing for me since February, his serialized reveals of his '70s and '80s inside peek at the Hollywood record biz!
Bottom line? Business cards! Hang 'em up on Starbucks and Panera bulletin boards, pass 'em out to folks you meet in line (I'm putting one in every trick'r'treater's pumpkin bucket on Halloween)! Good luck!
Do those still work??? My partner and I are going to a podcasters mixer in Indy in a month and I suggested that to her and she was like "is that still a thing?"
Let's put it this way: Out of 1,000 cards I'm going thru now, if I get one reader and/or subscriber from all those cards (whether one deems it's "worth it" or not), it's one person who otherwise would never have discovered it!
I met a high schooler at my local Panera last Saturday who was wearing a Ramones t-shirt. How much easier was it for me to start chatting to him while handing him a photo/collector's item of his favorite band in 1977 (with a 22-year-old me)!
He immediately subscribed, sent me a couple of YT vids of some friends of his playing in a rock band at his school, and expressed interest in "doing" an article in my "Inside Tracks" recurring series!
So, with one of those wacky paper cards (who, for some, is still a "thing"), I gained a new friend, a subscriber, a reader (and a mentee, apparently) and a possible contributor! Plus, at his request, I gave him half-a-dozen cards to pass out to his friends (and dad, who also loves that era/genre of music)!
So, for THIS writer, however all alone in the end zone I might be, paper is still "a thing." An indispensable thing, at that! But, that's just me........................apparently. And, maybe you, Sarah! Good luck!
Yeah, that's why I would say it's still worth doing it. Hey, when I go to an art and craft fair I pick up cards of venders I like because I want to be able to look up their social later. I think it's worth trying at least a little. Where did you order your cards from?
Thanks, Faith! It seems to get lost, with many/most 'Stackers, who only seem to fret about "which social media sites are the best to help grow my 'Stack?"-type questions. I use 'em all, and have the advantage of having something to HAND people in the real world.
It takes the initial trepidation of "talking to strangers" when you can have something for them to look at while you're giving your impassioned plea to subscribe!!
Great idea, Brad! I still use cards for my consulting business, but it didn't occur to me to do a special card for my Substack. Time to dust off the old Photoshop.
I'm so blessed to have a picture of me from '77 with an eventual Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame group, backstage....to be the "face" of my 'Stack, "FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE"! I almost HAD to take advantage of that! If I had that photo, and wanted to write about plumbing, accounting, hiking, or "personal development," it wouldn't be nearly as impactful or even helpful....to the point where I'd likely not even think about a biz card!
I even signed, in silver paint pen, my first batch of cards a year ago, taking even more advantage of what (to Ramones fans anyway) is a true collector's item!✨
I'd invite them now. It can feel frustrating when you're growing from scratch, and you go a week or two without a new subscriber. Having people sign on is heartening, but in all honesty, any social media posts I make get a bunch of likes from my contacts, but few, if any, subscriptions.
Don't get me wrong there! I'm really not complaining, because the thing I find is that people I know in person seem disinclined to open my email newsletters. It is those who understand what Substack is and who understand what it is they're subscribing to that generate much more engagement.
My advice would be to invite them now but look for subscribers who are motivated by more than personal obligation, for your sanity as much as anything, in that they are much more likely, in my experience, to interact with your newsletter and to support you.
I'm setting up inklingstar.substack.com to try to publish on regularly with others. I've come up against a few questions:
Can you do live events, exchanges, interviews and/or conversations (written, audio, or with video) on Substack (or is that coming)?
How do I best connect up my website, Wordpress, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts? Landing page on Substack and my webpage?
Does Substack have an option for people to read for free but leave their email address without getting emails? In other words, you can see the free content for leaving your email, but you can opt out of emails going into your inbox.
Is there automated push out to Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook, Linked In or is it manual (I can post a link to my Substack)?
Can you do live events, exchanges, interviews and/or conversations (written, audio, or with video) on Substack (or is that coming)?
-- You can host written live event on Substack for example like the discussion thread we are hosting today. We have thought more about audio and video live events. What do you dream of hosting?
How do I best connect up my website, Wordpress, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts? Landing page on Substack and my webpage?
--On social media we encourage you to add your publication homepage to your bio.
Does Substack have an option for people to read for free but leave their email address without getting emails? In other words, you can see the free content for leaving your email, but you can opt out of emails going into your inbox.
Thank you guys! On the live video, I was thinking about a post on the subject that schedules a live discussion. It would be like a panel discussion with my Substack contributors group, but we could take questions or even interact with subscribers (if there weren't too many in attendance). For example, the Author's Guild hosts panel discussion on Manuscript to Marketplace with authors, publisher, and agents. When I register to attend the live event, I am asked to submit a question. During the live event, they answer questions received plus they might take questions spontaneously from the chat. For a smaller group, you could actually unmute audience members.
When you schedule a post to be published, there's an option to automatically push it out to Twitter as well. Depending on what your title is, the text generated can be a little wonky, so that's something to keep in mind.
Welcome Jess! Great questions. A few things that are different about podcasting on Substack.
- You can share more than just an episode. Each episode can become a bigger, richer experience by adding supporting multimedia material around it—writing, images, or bonus audio and video content.
- You can build a custom landing page and domain.
- You have more pricing options, you can do monthly, annual, and a founding tier option. Plus you can offer a free option. This can be episodes sent to a free list or teasers of an episode prompting free listeners to upgrade.
- More ways to monetize through gift subscriptions and free trials.
Unfortunately, as Valorie mentioned, we don't have in the product audio etting, you can simply upload your final audio or record something directly into a new podcast post.
I straddle this exact line! The biggest difference I’ve found is that Anchor has a music library and Substack’s podcast creator doesn’t. (yet?! Is someone listening? 😉) Anchor also has built-in ad services but the whole thing with Substack is to stop having to rely on ad revenue and getting people to pay for content they love. They both have options for people to pay money for your podcast. Everything else is pretty much the same.
We started litthinkpodcast.substack.com on Anchor and and switched everything to here and we haven't looked back. One stop shop, easier to add show notes, we can have a blog, and we can send out newsletters.
Hi folks, also new, planning to launch in the next couple of weeks but was wondering should I begin promoting from Day 1 or wait til I have a few posts up?
Keep your eyes On Substack tomorrow, we will post a guide that will offer guidance on the launch moment.
The short is, definitely start promoting from day one. A few steps to consider:
Draft an announcement post
Let the world know you are starting something new! Talk about why you’re launching a Substack, why it’s important to you, what readers can expect, and why they should join you. This should be a free post so everyone can see it. Don’t forget a button for readers to subscribe.
Link to your publication everywhere you can
Add your Substack URL to your email signature, personal website, and social media bios. You want it to be the only link you direct people to.
Rally friends to spread the word
Tell your friends and peers, especially those with large followings and in your industry, when you’re launching so they can help share it. Lean on existing Substack writers you know.
We started promoting on our socials about 2 weeks out so we could get a base of readers for our first posts. Depending on your goals, the excitement of "the first post" might be worth considering as a tool to build your initial audience. We are excited for you!
Thank you, that's great advice. I read somewhere that they suggested 8 posts before promoting but that seems excessive! Maybe I'll do an intro post and promoting after the first topic post
Hi! We're a few months in and we're just as lost as you are. We are hungry to befriend other substack users and help each other grow an audience. Cuz when the tide comes in, all boats rise, right? So reach out, please! (sub4sub? lolz) On here (https://misguidancecounselors.substack.com) and socials (@misguidance4u). We really think engaging and building each other up makes us better writers.
On the business side: we are wanting to learn about unique tips or tricks that you found highly effective for growing numbers, upping engagement, and converting social media views/clicks into subscriptions. Now that we have reached our initial growth boom, we need to grow to outside just our social circle. We are reading everything we can to learn how to keep the momentum going. Thanks for your insight!
About us: we tell our prospective campers (campers is the moniker we affectionately forced on our readership) that MC is our misguidance, embarrassments, musing, and essays (essays not dissimilar to early-00s TV actresses with a book deal) from the two of us (Marilyn Hayward Haines and Sam Beasley).
We are filthy rich with the jealousy-inducing creative friends and decided it was imperative to signal boost their work with MC. So we invited them to be (low commitment) contributors. Because where would we all be without friends?
We can't wait to get to know you all, engage, and signal boost!
Hey Sam and Marilyn! I have a monthly travel humor newsletter and think we might have overlapping audiences. I'd like to try an experiment in cross-promotion if you're willing. We could do a shout out at the ends of our next issues or we could recommend one another's newsletters for a month or two if you're interested. https://eoconnors.substack.com
Let's chat about it! Sounds like you got a plan in mind. Just read your first post. That was me running through a museum last weekend with my little brother because I need to pee every 15 minutes. Shoot us an email themisguidancecounselors@gmail.com!
Lately, I’ve been thinking that newsletters are no different than podcasts. Both are stories that use different media formats.
So the same way, podcasts are distributed on podcast networks (Spotify and iTunes), newsletters should also have external distribution platforms.
So far I identified these newsletter aggregators:
The Sample
InbosReads
Thanks For Subscribing
Find Your Newsletter
Rad Letters
It could be great if Substack can either share a full list of aggregators or better yet offer integration for newsletter submission - same logic we publish podcasts.
I am. I am facing issue of different cover images size on home page.
I think Substack should provide ways to upload different size thumbnail images OR make the magazine home page layout with cover images of same size. Currently it becomes a mess with 3 different sizes. You can check my home page https://humanworkhistory.substack.com/ to see. All images end up as different sizes.
Currently substack offers 3 design styles. And it didn't work for me.
Thanks for subscribing. You are using same theme like me. So wished to ask if you don't face the same problem? Currently the image on "The sound of Muzak" post, (on your home page), will get cropped when you publish the next post.
You can resize them easily by dragging cursor to the right bottom corner of JPEG image and reducing or increasing it. At least that’s worked for me. Helpful? - ac
I am talking about the "Cover image", or "thumbnail image" that comes across on right side of every post. You can see 3 images on my home page. They all are automatically cropped by substack. Further on substack app, the image is shown in "square" format.
The Substack team is signing off for today. Thanks for being here and sharing your insights. There will be no Office Hours or Shoutout Thread next Thursday, November 3. We’ll be back on November 10 with Office Hours as usual.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: Can you remember when you first decided you wanted to be a writer? When was it? Were you a child, or a young adult, or was it last year or even last week? If you could go back in time and speak with that version of you, what encouragement would you give yourself? What words of affirmation would you say? Share below, because maybe those are the words you or someone here needs most to hear, today!
No matter who you are, no matter when your journey began, make no mistake: YOU are a writer, because you write. And no matter what, KEEP writing! Someone out there is waiting to read your words. Whatever you do, keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
I wrote and illustrated “Jan and the Jumprope” and “Jan’s Bad Day” at the age of 8, and was sure I was a writer. Then I shelved that dream for a long time. When I reluctantly stepped into a writing workshop for bereaved mothers, I learned the healing power of writing, and that “a writer is someone who writes.” It changed everything about my grief, my work, my life.
Yes! Twenty years on that same random group of mothers is still writing together—at my house tomorrow. Several of us now help others write for healing. Powerful stuff!
I wrote my first "book" at the age of four. I wanted to be a writer as soon as I could form the letters "C" "A" "T" and make an actual word. Then I was hooked and wanted more words. I haven't stopped since!
My 4th grade teacher returned the book I wrote for her 40 years later! That she kept it all those years and thought to return it confirmed why she was a favorite teacher for many of us.
I’ve been creating stories, since I was a little kid. I would make up stories with my Barbies, I would make up stories with other people on the playground, or I would just tell stories to myself. But when I was little, books seemed so big, and I never thought I could write so much. But I was writing stories down regularly in high school, and I just kept going eventually, after I graduated college, I was well on my way to writing my first novel. Since that time I have written countless articles for myself, as a freelancer, and for newspapers and other publications, I’ve written several books, and published one, and I just keep going. I love that sub stack allows me to write about my personal interests, *and* find an audience for them, because that’s something I’ve never really been able to achieve on other platforms.
I've decided to be a writer when I was very young, because my mother read constantly and encouraged me to write. I think having someone important in your life that encourages you is very important to making the long-term commitment required to achieve your goals.
This early start helped immeasurably in developing the skill sets, the imagination, and the desire to succeed. Now I write 4-6 hours a day in three different writing styles - legal, academic, and popular, without even thinking its work.
Like other forms of creative expression, my writing has refined itself and change substantially over time. I can't imagine living without writing and I encourage my graduate students to think about writing with that attitude. It's enormously satisfying and invigorates my life in ways I don't anticipate.
I love that you said writing "invigorates" your life and in ways you "don't anticipate" That in itself is inspiring and a darn good reason to keep writing!
I just wrote about this! I've been writing since I was a little kid with a fabric covered, lined, blank journal. Ever since then, I feel like I'm never not writing - it just doesn't always make it onto a page. I would tell my younger self to meet more writers and get connected to a little writing group for encouragement and feedback. It can be a lonely craft.
I wrote, edited, and "published" the Kyle Klan Kronikles at age 8! It was filled with all the family news that was fit to print! Circulation? My family of 4....well, 3 not counting me!
I also seem to recall cutting pix out of newspapers and gluing and/or taping them onto my pages. I can't imagine I'd not want more elements I saw in other papers, and wanted those same things in my paper!
LOL. I'm pretty sure I'm correct in thinking that some quite famous magazine or com ics person started by writing his own comic by hand and selling photocopies to friends and family.
You're right, but I was nowhere close to being a tycoon or someone who even cared about monetizing my little endeavor! I WAS Music and Entertainment Editor of my high school's daily newspaper, The Three Penny Press (Bellaire High/Houston, TX) in the early '70s. It was a one- (and on some days) two-page mimeographed sheet that sold for...you guessed it.....3c!
that's so cute, Brad! I wonder if your family knew where you'd be today! I used to write poems and songs at age 8 and make mixtapes of me singing lead vocals, then tape backing vocals 1, B/V 2, etc on to 'A Hard Day's Night' until it had about 6 backing vocalists! :)
I wrote a 60 page drama about the life of an ant family and it’s colony entitled “Too Many Fathers”, that had divorce, death, immigration and work conflicts--at age 9.
aw lovely question! I have been a life-long journal writer. Stacks of books have travelled with me all over the world as I have written about my day to day. I never considered myself a writer until the last few years. I just didn't think that someone who leads a relatively small life would ever say anything that anyone else would want to read. It didn't ever seem like there was much of a story to tell.
I would tell myself that small quiet stories about life ARE worthy.
I just subscribed! I'm allowing myself to subscribe to three new writers per Office Hours. Any more than that and I won't have the time to explore their writing. I'm looking forward to reading your work! 💟
Beautiful advice, Kat! (And sorry for a quick fangirl moment, but I've been a longtime follower of your Instagram and I love the glimpses you share of your life, there! Lovely to see you in this space!)
I can remember wanting to be a writer as a young child, but I can also remember feeling quite sure that I wasn't good enough to do so, not talented enough, not organised enough, not smart enough. I'm not sure exactly what I thought wasn't good enough about me, but I was very sure about it. So, I'd tell my child self who wanted to write that writing is a skill. If you want to be good at it, you practise it, and you get better. Write without judging the quality, just keep going and you will get better and better. When I finally came to this realisation, it was so freeing.
I used to make up stories as a kid and imagine writing, but never did much. And high school English knocked my confidence because I wasn't as strong at English Lit as I was at Maths. I came to writing as a bored 33 year old. A reading of my astrology chart informed me that I might be good at writing and it was like a lightbulb going on. I worked through Julia Cameron's The Right To Write and The Artist's Way. That was over 20 years ago and it has been one hell of a journey. I have two books published and two more on the boil at the moment as well as my weekly Substack, which is about nudging people through the obstacles of being a writer.
My advice would be to others - just start. Figure it out as you go. Don't expect to be perfect. Everything will take longer than you want it to be. Fear and obstacles are normal, just KEEP GOING
Great story. My Substack is about "Unintended Consequences". I love yours. Would you be a writer today IF you had never read your astrology chart? How different would your life be? What did that moment change in the trajectory of your life? If you are interested in me turning that into a story on my Substack, I'd love to hear more from you about the circumstances and your thoughts. Reach out on my Substack anywhere.
I definitely knew when I was a child that I would be a writer. Even though my mom was a nurse and my dad was a salesman and money was tight, they never once tried to push me to go into a more lucrative career. And as it turned out, I was able to make a living as a novelist, which was definitely not something I expected to happen when my first and second books came out with a whisper!
I have always wanted to be a writer, and I have been for many years. On the face of it, it looks like my focus has changed but in truth, it's only the tools I use that have changed. These days I write fiction and essays on in-depth elements of fiction. Here on SS I have what looks like a new newsletter, but it is only new here. Once or twice a month I write an essay on some aspect of writing, usually within the Fantasy genre. Sometimes the pieces are on a craft element, sometimes a more journalistic angle is taken. Hopefully, I’ll surprise you with what I cover. I also share short fiction I'm writing.
Can't remember when I decided I wanted to write, but I wish I could go back and encourage myself to keep a journal at all times. So many ideas lost forever because I didn't write them down!
Thanks for mentioning journaling. I have been writing in mine for almost thirty years and find it a great place to have imaginary conversations and try out ideas as well as chronicle daily events.
I used to do creative writing as a kid and then stopped for many years. I started writing again as a young adult because I was very passionate about combat sports and wanted to share that passion. If I could give my younger self advice it would be not to worry about what others think. Write because you like expressing yourself and the rest will come. Also, keep reading and working on your craft. If you do that, you will improve. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes along the way. That’s how you learn and grow. Keep giving it your all!
I wrote constantly when I was a child, and was even published in a Chicken Soup book when I was a younger teen! Somewhere along the way, I lost confidence. I'm actually joining this discussion for the very first time today! I am about to launch my Substack...its super exciting but really hard to put myself out there. I'm a pretty private person and don't really engage much with social media! I really think the Substack community is so supportive, however (at least I've gleaned as much from creeping around!)
Just wanted to say thanks to the people of Office Hours last week when I read someone shared they made their Substack public with the option to pay to subscribe (for no additional content, just out of support). I added the paid option this week to my newsletter and didn't tell anyone, just let it roll, and within 30 minutesI had two subscribers who went for the full year and became "Founding subscribers". We often doubt our own abilities until someone reminds us that we can be confident and put ourselves out there. We need reminders that what we put into the world does matter and people believe in you. For me it's less for the $ and more for the accountability to keep writing. Having people who financially support your work encourages you to keep writing. Thanks Office Hours folks for encouraging me to do so!
That's so awesome! This is the approach I take, and while I don't have many paid subscribers, I feel good knowing the option is there if someone wants to support my work.
Thank you for this, Maria! I've been dragging my heels adding the Pay option. This is exactly how I want to do it - free content always but letting people send some support my way if they choose.
I opened my paid option this week too! Didn't get the same response, but hearing about your success is encouraging. Can someone explain the "Founding Subscribers" option? How does it work exactly?
Hey Andrew, we are given the option for 3 pricing tiers. Monthly, Yearly, and Founding Member. The founding member is just a way for people who are your extra fans, to support you in a bigger way. For example my monthly price is 7, yearly is 84, and founding member is $199 for a year. in my experience I was able to convert two people into founding members immediately without promotion. I hope to start sharing the other subscribing options over the next few weeks. just easing into it
Bailey I need help. Can you email me? Talktothefuture@gmail.com — see my post above. I’ve tried the tutorials/tips but no go. So
Did a friend with more tech ability. No luck… i seem to have done something to screw up my page. Can’t seem to have latest post go to free subscribers and have deleted paid subscriber button as a result. Need to fix overall setting to allow for free, paid and founding.
Hi Maria. I’ve run into a wall teting to add paid subscribers so reaching oit to community for help. Would you be available to troubleshoot with me? I’ve messed up and can’t seem to fix my stack to have free, paid and founding. If yes, my email is talktothefuture@gmail.com. Thanks AC
Hi! Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the subscribers. while not an expert at the settings, I think Bailey @ Substack (a few comments above) might be able to better help troubleshoot
This is SO awesome!! Congratulations, Maria! That’s such a weight off to hear people wanting to support just because, no extras *needed*! And love the idea of it holding you accountable. I went paid but never got a chance to announce it before life hit hard.
Been wanting to come back recently and this is amazing to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Yes, that’s what I do, too. Rarely get paid subscribers but 2 or 3 paid is better than none! You have nothing to lose by offering that option with no additional content!
I so needed this! I've really been doubting/wondering if/when I should launch paid subscriptions.. You're so right though I think it would really help me not only stay accountable but also bring more value to the table. Thanks so much, Maria. I just subscribed to your newsletter, can't wait to read!
Aw thanks for sharing that, Keaton! It’s good knowing people are counting on your to deliver, and that they value what you write. Appreciate you subscribing to my publication, hope you enjoy!
Pulling back on my twice-a-week schedule for the next couple of months during the holidays. It was a great decision--this is supposed to be fun, not stressful, and I want to keep it that way!
Have you considered writing ahead of time? My Substack has content up to the end of April already figured out. That way you can keep the schedule and reduce stress.
This is partly why I am choosing to only post weekly the next couple of months. I would love to have lots of content banked, but I have a day job, a small business, and four adult kids to connect with. It's too much for the holidays to think I can get two posts out per week.
I keep a OneNote page where I capture all ideas that occur to me. There, I can drop in notes, thoughts, links, etc. to provide the information I need. THEN, I rank them top to bottom in order of what I want to write. This does a couple of things. One: it makes sure I'm not stuck on a blank page "what am I going to write about". Two: it puts these things in the back of my mind where they kind of start writing themselves and percolating until the whistle blows and I'm ready to write them.
Yeah, I used to use spreadsheets and other tools. I eventually moved to OneNote because it allows me to have Notebooks, Subsections, and Pages so I can break everything down. When I'm working on a book, I have a separate Notebook for that, breaking out build information, pages, outlines, etc. into Subsections and pages. It has been a lifesaver for me. Takes a while to get the hang of though. USE TABLES if you ever decide to go that way.
Well I try to limit myself so I don’t end up in a scenario of having no content coming up. Though I have considered adding some content behind a paywall since I’m so far ahead.
This is something I aspire to, although I can never wait to see my name in print. This is why I don't write obituaries: I'd be wishing the person I wrote about would hurry up and die!
That was my line of thought, Martin. My "Midweek Musings" had grown to more than just musings (maybe I'm incapable of small posts?!), so the twice per week schedule was too much. I'd rather offer my very best once a week rather than a frazzled effort twice.
I laughed at this, because my Monday and Wednesday posts are supposed to be short, and now I find myself writing longer and longer posts. Could be we ARE incapable of saying just a little bit!
Thanks, Holly. The same can be said about how I feel about your longer posts. Go enjoy your holidays and we'll all be here when you get back. And of course, we will still have your once a week posts!
I hit the heart button, but that's not exactly how I feel about only getting to read half as much--but it's fine, go live your life and what-not. Seriously, I think one of your essential ingredients is the sense of immediacy and authenticity in your writing and that's a lot to do twice a week as thoughtfully as you do, especially with as much as you have going on! I'll be grateful for everything you can manage to publish.
How often we post seems a common refrain. My circumstance differs from yours as no longer a full-time career and kids grown up. I started with a simple goal of getting competent through repetiition and actually posted DAILY FOR A WHILE -- ridiculous but at that point I did not even seek subscribers! After about 45 days moved to 4X then 3X per week. Eventually I took 3 months off. When I returned it was 2X per week. I have finally approached a COMFORT with topics and length and will begin 1X a week which was ALWAYS the end goal next week. I am now, finally, paying some attention to subscribers and it is a lot of fun. You sound like you have a GREAT outlook as the goal needs to be FUN and COMFORT or things cannot be sustainable. It just goes to show that all of us are different as our priorities hopefully. I have now posted about 170 times since about October of 2021. There is a calmness now to the draft to publish cycle. I am excited as the change to fall this year will mean new hobbies, travel and writing as one of the passions, but moderated. Substack is for everyone. I have FINALLY pivoted to not overwhelming the reader and trying to limit my production to one ten minute story per week. I think that is fair and not a burden for the reader. I am so glad in the first months I did not actively seek ANY READERS, I might have burned them out and driven them away! It is FUN to look back at the those early posts and be able to see the progress in style, content, tone and consistency. Fun. I will take a look at your Substack. Enjoy the holidays.
I definitely have been considering my readers' time--how much do they really have time for? I think once a week is plenty since my posts are generally about a 10-12 minute read. My problem is that I want to publish as soon as a post is ready! Ha! But I'm committed to sticking to this once-a-week schedule for a couple of months and reevaluating at the start of the new year.
RE: Posting ASAP -- I am a planner and hate deadlines. For me, in the beginning especially, I would try to understand how much time I was putting into a post. The weird engineer in me. I operate with a lot of drafts in progress. I use automation tools like Grammarly to help me be accurate. It is funny as I used to use Grammarly professionally and it was awesome for tone analysis. It is fun to see that a post I am working on is the "right" tone I was aiming for like hopeful, positive, etal. I have not done a last-minute edit and post in a long time. Just gotta find out what works for each of us. It sounds like you are thinking and prioritizing the reader...that is very cool!
Looking back, I am now proud that for the first couple months one like was more than enough for me. I had entered into it with a good attitude and genuinely was writing for me. Only the members of my creative writing group were even looking. Funny in perspective. I am a retired engineer / scientist and the numbers and demands on readers was always in my mind. Nowadays, I feel I am a bit more serious about it.
I have come to really care most about whether folks open and read it. Those numbers have settled out pretty high with a pretty smallish set of readers. As I reduced the length and frequency, I am now getting a fair amount of new subscribers. Less is more :) at least for me.
I never set out to have a subscriber goal. I only wanted to migrate within a year to a once a week post I could be proud of. I feel I am there now and think the rest will take care of itself. However, my background in math and statistics can be limiting. It is most fun for me now to see that the writing I enjoyed writing the most is rarely the most popular! I am okay with that as I figure it means I can now confidently write a bunch of different style and topic posts and there is a different audience for each.
Yes 2x a week is a lot! I thought when I started I could pull that off - and I realized in this short time I've been here that it's just not possible. My ideas need time to germinate and reproduce and then integrate again. We can only do what we can!
I understand what you are saying. I am making the decision to go weekly to bimonthly for a while. My substack is a summary of non-fiction works and also essays that connect the book ideas to current events. I have realized that he pace I was on for an entire year of weekly is not allowing me time to think through those connections and produce quality essays. I hope this helps. I am also excited to be working with another write and do guest pieces and that takes time. But still loving every minute of what I do.
I received my very first paid subscriber and I couldn't be more thrilled! I also recently did an interview with Mark Dykeman over at https://howaboutthis.substack.com for Creator Spotlight (posted soon). Be sure you check out his Substack.
I hope you're encouraged this week. Know that it takes time, and consistency is key to building an audience. Find your community and support them. The fiction community is one of the best. Check them out at https://fictionistas.substack.com.
Congrats Brian! I also received my first subscriber last week. What surprised me is A) I don't recognize the person at all B) they went straight for the annual subscription option. Best of luck with growing that base!
Way to go, Brian! I just got my first paid subscriber this week, too, pretty much right around the time that my newsletter turned a year old. So heck yes, consistency is key.
Thank you Jo! An pal on Twitter recently screenshotted their inbox at 666 emails, and I told him he was legally obligated to subscribe to my newsletter haha. I would cry if I had that many emails!
That's great, Brian! I have a few paid subscribers who are friends or acquaintances, but recently got ONE who is a total stranger! So, I totally can relate to your joy. Here's to many more to come.
Happy Thursday, all. Why do I have this feeling that there's going to be a sudden rush of people signing up to Substack during the next week as the Twitter sale to Elon Musk is apparently going to happen after all? People ready for a change?
I can’t see substack as a replacement for Twitter- it’s a completely different animal. Twitter is all about interaction while this place is about reading and writing longer form stuff. But I’d be happy if Elon would just disappear…
Similar to what I just wrote to Victor Santiago, I'm looking more at the community potential than the pithy (or, alternately, nasty) quips which come with Twitter's character length. Cheers.
Happy Thursday, Mark! Gosh, I waved goodbye to Twitter a long time ago - but I'm sure any ex-Twitterati (and anyone else!) will be made very welcome here on Substack!
Hey, I wonder if the rush of people you speak of might want to help in my push to reach 100 subscribers by the end of October.... just 5 more to go. And yes, I know a Twitter presence would help in my marketing of my newsletter.... oh never mind! 😉🤣
I said goodbye to Twitter and FB (all social media, actually) back in 2014 and haven't looked back. Best thing I've ever done for my writing/relationships/sanity. I've had a web site since 1996 but I've also recently started a Substack. Here's the essay I wrote about leaving social media:
Cool! I am looking forward to reading this. I never got onto social media - I mean, not never. But when everyone got an FB account I didn't. I did start an IG account last year to personally challenge myself but as one does, I couldn't keep up with the needed daily posts etc and got discouraged and lost in a quagmire. I am seriously questioning what I want to put my energy into and while I'd like to reach people with my message/writing, I am not entirely sure that that is where I need to be.
I am a big fan of not using social media. I didn't use it for years. Though, when I started writing online I did start using my Twitter again. Mostly as an outlet for the divine wisdoms that drop into my mind. But I say do what feels right to you, your recipe might not match anybody else's!
I think Substack and Twitter are different things for different purposes. One of the reasons I don't like Twitter is that it's mostly about punching (in the face sometimes) with a short short message. That format doesn't work well for me. In both reading and writing, I prefer things more in depth.
I've tried promoting my stack on twitter, but I don't think it's done a whole lot. I don't have a large amount of followers there, so maybe for someone with a large following it works better.
I quadrupled my subscriber count in about two weeks by getting involved with Twitter, but it wasn't as simple as making an account, following a few people, and advertising my work. My success came through finding likeminded independent creators and promoting their work, while they promoted mine. I suggest finding other writers that produce fiction in the same vein as yours and working together!
I actually enjoy Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to a lesser extent, although I certainly don't have huge followings on any of the three. I do promote my posts on all three networks and have gotten more subscribers from Facebook simply because most of my contacts really are my "friends"!
My own Substack experience to date (6 months, so not extensive) suggests to me that it's possible to build a network and community through the various opportunities available to a Substack publisher, one that could rival what one has via Twitter, even thought the medium and context are different. My reply to you is an example, as is your comment to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)
I've been writing here just over a year, and I agree. I got the BULK of my subscribers from a recommendation here on Substack. And I've been promoting my newsletter on Instagram and Twitter, but rarely do I get any subscribers from there. Ahh well!
Well it depends on how it changes things. I don’t expect a sudden change, more gradual. There’s also a possibility that many people who don’t like that Musk is taking over might try out this platform. Which might not be a great thing.
That's a great question. For me Substack is about intelligent writing, both long and short form. While Twitter feels like it's a 140 characters of outrage and hatred at least half the time.
On Substack you can't be lazy and just retweet stuff or get a following with little effort. Substack requires not only intelligence, as Michael noted, but also effort - i.e., work.
I agree the mechanics are very different but there are Twitter users who value the community aspects that can be done well. Those might or might not translate to Substack well. Don't forget that Twitter has always had the ability to link to long form content, too, it's just not great at generating it.
For me, it's not that Substack replaces Twitter, it's that the wasted time on Twitter is better spent on writing things that matter, things that will have a longer life in the universe than a tweet. I've been on Twitter for 13 years. I've made a few friends, but I've made many more in two years on Substack.
I see people (possibly) abandoning Revue. there has also been a long simmering shift in taste from traditional social media (FB, Twitter, etc.) to longer tail forms like Substack. The sale of the platform might be the nudge a lot fo people have been waiting for to pull the exit handle.
Does Revue even have an actual cultural impact? I know about it because I researched the topic when considering Substack, but they seemed like a non-starter.
It’s really hit or miss. It is very hard to know which threads will resonate but when it works, it really works and can generate a lot of new subscribers.
I suggest that the pending change in ownership might motivate people to try different mediums which do not have Twitter's limitations. There are community aspects to both and Substack can simulate many of them, perhaps best Twitter at them. And I'm saying this as someone who's been a devoted Twitter use for 15 years.
Yes, that's a good point. People might be motivated by the change in ownership. I've certainly seen a lot of "I'm going to leave if" tweets, but hard to know if people will follow through or just adapt to the new [whatever].
Hi Lloyd! Good for you. I've never really used Twitter much, and from what I hear from others, I'm glad I haven't. It sounds too harsh for my tender heart, lol. 💟
God I hope so. And I'm so glad I have not spent any more time trying to build a twitter following. It's dominated already by establishe authors and pundits anyways.
Nice! That's the idea that's catching, isn't it? Spoiler: once I celebrate a year on Substack on Monday, I'll have an audio section dedicated specifically to poetry readings.
Go for it! I've had a great response to pieces with poems read aloud. I think readers welcome the extra layer of meaning they get from hearing the author's voice. My favorite so far was a collaboration between two Alabama friends--a poet and musician--that combined spoken poetry with rootsy music. It's here, if you want to check it out: https://juke.substack.com/p/alabama-50
Oh, lovely! I particularly enjoyed the second poem, and I think poems lend themselves to being read aloud by their authors. That adds another dimension to the work. I loved your cartoons in the first one. The humor in your approach and humility of your offering is very engaging! Did you draw those? Here's a wonderful example of poetry reading. The lyrical Irish author's voice brings the words of the poetry to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX5JwSWNG9I
Thank you Linda for your kind words. I did draw everything in the "Monetize it" poem, yes. I keep doodling often - there's another example in this post of a wedding invitation I made for my best friend's wedding -
I have a big scary goal I want to name out loud here because, well you know. Then it won't roam around my head and scare me forever. Plus, manifestation and goal-setting and all that.
I'm at 187 free subscribers after two months. I want to grow to 5000 readers and have 250 readers (5%) as paid subscribers. That would financially be a huge help to my family and enable me to write full-time on a number of projects.
I'm so grateful to Substack for all the incredible resources that have helped me see this is possible with consistent work put in over time. I love the Grow series.
Okay, that's all. Excuse me while I throw up from vulnerability and owning the dreams that call us. :)
Name it! I love the specificity here ~~ calling out what you want is so important. Can't wait to see you in some future comments section saying you got there!
I hear you Jenny! It's hard being vulnerable, but I do think it gets a little easier as we go. I used to fret much more about putting myself out there. These days I think to myself, even if I try something that doesn't work, people are moving so quickly in their own lives that they don't have time to hold onto my faux pas. :)
Just subscribed! We have some similar themes—a focus on helping folks pay attention and find the meaning in their own stories. For me that's through encouraging them to write. I look forward to reading more of yours! That thread image in your first post resonates with me. Welcome!
I’ve been thinking a bit about embarrassment and people seeing your work and thinking it’s silly. I remind myself and all of you, that you’re DOING something, they’re not. However fanciful your Substack with its photos or essays, you’re the one putting yourself out there. Be proud! You’re doing something that actually scary and risky. Be gentler on yourself. You’re doing fine. 😊
Yes! I love this. Just the act of putting your work out there and being vulnerable is praise-worthy. If you're nervous about it, that just means you're doing something authentic. And you never know who will find you or how you will grow in the process.
That's for sure. I've put so much silly stuff out there on my substack that I may actually now require a "Hazardous Goofiness Ahead" warning on my subscription page. But hey, I gotta be me and other will just have to deal with it.
What a great reminder! I think the word "embarrassment" is on point. It can be scary to put a piece of work out there and see the response (or perhaps no response which can feel more embarrassing). And yet you are bang on - we are the ones putting the effort and the work and if it lands it does and if it doesn't no harm done (usually). And maybe all that effort lands for one person, a person you'll never know, and it helped a bit. Isn't it worth it knowing that?
Probably. I remember my high school art teacher responding to a student who said they could have done x. “Yeah, but you didn’t.” It’s a dot and a line on a white page but you didn’t think of it. That’s the difference.
Hi Everyone. I want to share my celebration with you. This week I got to 750 subscribers. Woo-hoo. I started on Substack in January and bought over an aweber list of 300ish. I get a few unsubscribes every week (which is normal). Most of my new subscribers come from Recommendations. I also make an effort to regularly comment on other Substacks.
My substack is called Gentle Creative and I give gentle, realistic advice about writing with an occasional dollop of tough love. Think of me as your gentle cheerleader. You can read more here: https://gentlecreative.substack.com/about
A weekly article on a Friday. On Mondays I do a shorter round up of useful articles/quotes for my paid subscribers. At the end of each month, for paid subscribers, I also give a round-up of how the month has been for me - the good, the bad and the ugly!
I'm sure there are more ways of attracting new readers then just your social media profiles and Substack recommendations (which are great BTW!).
If you haven't tried The Sample yet, I highly recommend it to all. It's basically a servce that sounds out a sample of your NL to hundreds of readers, and some of them might even subscribe! There's both a free and a paid option, I've tried both and helped me get new readers and subscribers. It can also be a good tool to discover new writers in the area you're intrerested in (be it on Substack or other platforms). Here's a link - https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d (full disclosure - this is a referral link, hope that doesn't go against the rules, happy to remove it if it does)
Another example of such a service is htttps://inboxreads.co. Doesn't cost a thing and can help you find new readers who share the same interests.
Be more efficient and active on social media. tools like https://newslettertosocials.com/ can help you quickly curate and post content for more traction. This way social media is effective and doesn't take as much time
Hi, everyone! A question for the more academic/educational writers out there: any tips for translating academic knowledge into something more accessible and easily digestible for a newsletter?
And a more general question for everyone -- How do you write for a target audience? Do you have an imagined target audience in mind, and write for them? Or do you try to ascertain what your current audience enjoys, and write what you think they'll like? I find myself struggling between the two.
Write in your own voice. It's cheesy, but YOU are the brand.
As for the audience, I definitely have a group in mind (music fans, in my case). I've mentioned it previously, but when my list was small, I literally would have a specific reader or two in mind when writing. I'd put their names on a Post -It note and stick it to the side of my laptop.
I love this, Kevin! I'm going to try the post-it note thing because I'm great at writing letters, but sometimes not so good at keyboarding on a blank editor on the screen.
I know I'm probably not your typical "audience" but I still love your posts. I learn so much about music and artists I'd never heard of (or *thought* I'd never heard of!).
I've been thinking a lot about this and trying to use lessons I've learned working in museums
There's a great book by Nina Simon called the Art of Relevance that has a lot of great thoughts about what attracts people to things and what makes them stick around. It's written for cultural institutions, but I think about it a lot. She uses the image of doors and rooms. How do people feel about the door? Do they think it's inviting or off putting? It's different for different people/communities/identities. Then what value do people get once they get in to the room? Do they feel welcome or excluded?
These things have literal interpretations in a museum, but I think there are equivalents in writing. I ask myself if the intro invites people in and makes the value clear. Am I using terms or a writing style that brings people along or is it off putting? Then I keep asking myself how I'd feel if I were in the shoes of the people I'm hoping to reach. Often I imagine specific people.
Too funny... I wrote a post about humour in writing for children for my newsletter this morning! And wrote a lengthy response not realizing it was THIS thread :)
You made me think about the story possibilities when other characters are making inside jokes and the main character feels lost. How that might work in a YA novel. Thanks for the inadvertent...
Oh, this is right up my alley! I’m a historian and I try to make my history podcast, Unruly Figures, as relatable and fun as possible. My key is to pretend that I’m telling each story to a friend. We’ve all told a friend about something we’re REALLY excited about or told a dishy story over coffee or drinks, right? I try to bring that energy into it. If that means I go on tangents or add in little asides, that’s fine! That’s how I’d naturally tell the story anyway.
I don't have a target audience and I don't try to write what I think someone else will enjoy. I just show up, write what's on my mind, and hope it resonates and helps someone. The best advice I see here consistently is use your authentic voice, write (consistently) what you're passionate about, and that will drive your audience.
Thinking back, I've been surprised at how people resonate with posts that I didn't think would be that popular, but I was just excited to write. Great advice, thanks Holly!
Re making technical knowledge more accessible, I used to write technical "explainer" videos about complex products and ideas. I would always imagine myself sitting in a coffee shop explaining to my mom how it worked - she's a smart and curious lady, but not super technical, so it helped me find the words to explain something in simple terms without dumbing it down. Another exercise I tried was explaining it to a 5th grader -- it's an age where they are old enough to grok stuff but they haven't hit the I-know-everything-and-you-have-nothing-to-teach-me stage yet.
Re a target audience, I do imagine a person or small group when I write, and I write to them. I write in my own voice and plan the content I think they might value, but I have to narrow down my audience so I can better curate my ideas. It's interesting to observe what readers respond to and comment on, though. it's not always what I assume will resonate. Sometimes they latch onto something I write that feels minor, but they connected in a much bigger way than I expected. When that happens, I make a note to expand on that topic in a future post, because clearly, it resonates. So for me, it's a balance of being and writing for yourself, and responding to how the readers engage.
I write history articles for non-history/non-academic people. I think, focusing less on documenting sources, and more on the story is important. Adding personal elements and using a colloquial tone can help.
I think the most important thing is to just ask yourself what is it that you want people to know, and how can you talk about it in an engaging and simple way that won’t feel like you’re talking over their heads. How would you explain your subject to your mom or your best friend?
As you consistently write and get a better idea of your audience, you mellow some of your academic educational writing habits into the flow of good creative non-fiction. It has challenged me to make my writing more engaging for my readers. My academic writing and teaching background was part of my professional career. I thought I was making good progress until I got a note from an older brother, who said I read your entire article and found it interesting, but I didn’t understand half of what you were talking about as it went over my head. That was good to hear to remind me that I’m a work in progress. Good luck to you. Your audience will find you in how you write if you are consistent and constantly improving.
I've done a LOT of work for engineering firms and academies. One of the biggest tools is to turn everything you can into a visual diagram/chart/infographic/model of some description. Lists are also helpful. And anecdotes - whatever is the point/conclusion of a whole academic journal can usually be reduced into 5 sentences. Use an anecdote to illustrate that point, and insert dialogue (it then becomes a short story that's quite entertaining).
It's important to keep the audience in mind so that you don't write over their heads or down to them. I find that if you explain technical or in-group things casually and unobtrusively you will carry along both the knowledgeable and the unknowledgeable but interested folks.
Hi Rebecca, I try to do exactly that in my substack. I write about art without the confusing art speak. The approach that I take is to write in language that I would speak to someone (although a bit more tidily). I also do a voiceover for my posts, and that helps keep me on track with how it sounds.
I write about the science behind important issues for people without a background in science. I always have in mind that I want my readers to feel smart when they read my writing - they should read it once and get it. Having that thought in mind really helps me. It reminds me to check for jargon words and complicated grammar, which might make the writer look smart - not my goal.
I also have two people read my articles before publishing. If they have to read any sentence twice, or don't quite absorb a point, I rewrite it.
Wow, a peer-reviewed newsletter, haha! I love it. I think my newsletter is similar in that it discusses topics in linguistics with (I think?) a mostly non-linguist audience. I like how bluntly you mentioned your goal to "make the readers feel smart" -- I think that's really the value that comes from an academic/educational newsletter!
A good example of a writer who makes academic knowledge easier to understand is Etienne from Atlas of Wonders and Monsters; his piece about the near-industrial revolution in Bengal is worth reading if you want to pick up some pointers on how to do it well: https://etiennefd.substack.com/p/the-industrial-revolution-that-almost
Hey Rebecca, I'm in the same boat, and this is a super hard question! Being an active full-time scientist by day, I write my Substack on climate change economics by night. For my target audience, I imagine a whiteboard in my tiny office with a bunch of curious buddies, and me explaining to them fairly complex topics - Its informal.
Though they are smart, they are not experts in my area. So they still expect me to make the topic accessible and dial down the complexity to only the bare essentials. They are somewhat technically inclined to appreciate my content. I think this strategy is working.. but Time will tell. I am consistent, regardless.
Love all the disco balls! I notice you have a lot behind the paywall. We recommend you make your best work free.
High-quality writing is your best marketing tool. When you publish, it stands a chance at getting picked up by other websites, people with big audiences, or press outlets that match your target audience. There’s no magic formula for doing this, but one big hit can bring you thousands of new readers.
PS - Keep your eyes out on On Substack tomorrow, we have a new getting started guide we will share that you can reference but looks like you already did a great job setting up.
Excited to see this. We're already set up, but it's always great to get advice from the horse's mouth like we regularly do on Substack. It's one of the best things about Substack, honestly.
Don't listen to all the voices of doubt and fear that will come calling inside your head. If I could, allow me to quote Goethe in this regard, he once wrote, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” Just go forth in great confidence and belief in what you have to say - do that, and I'm convinced an audience will follow you!
Welcome to all the new writers! One FAQ from new writers on I see a lot is “how do I grow subscribers?”
The short answer is to post consistently good work. But I think one thing that sometimes gets lost in that conversation is expectations. We all want to grow as fast as we can, but I think it’s important to talk about a realistic pace. I’ve been on Substack for nearly two years. I’ve grown subscriptions quite a bit in that time, but the pace of growth was REALLY slow in the first year, compared to the second year.
Some of the uptick in pace is due to new Substack tools like recommendations. But as great as those tools are, they don’t work without the writer putting out consistent, strong work.
So as you think about how you’re going to grow audience, I urge you to think about setting realistic expectations and practicing patience. Stick with it, and the audiences will come & subscribe!
Agree 100%. I see this on Medium all the time, too, and I originally quit writing there when I made $25 my first month and thought that sucked. I later learned the top writers now making lots of money earned less than that at first! Some people look at the people with tons of followers or paid subscribers here and compare themselves unfavorably. Just keep writing long enough to give people time to discover your work, and don’t rush to promote paid content or other products. Focus on providing valuable content that you enjoy writing consistently.
Great observation, Wendi! Comparing your success to another writer is a recipe for failure. But learning what successful writers did before they hit it big (whatever that means) is a great way to grow.
Congrats!!! I've been feeling the same kind of momentum ticking up lately in the number of subscribers rolling in. It's such a credit to the work you're doing and I think it's an indication of the strength of the Substack platform too. More and more people are looking for their daily reading here.
I never knew I wanted to write until I was in my 40's. My husband's aunt asked me if I would help her write her memoir about living through the holocaust. It wasn't a book, but just her story. I was hooked from that time on, looking for new things to write about. I asked a fellow writer how to get started, and what to write about. He answered, "write about what you know." So I wrote my own memoir! 💟
Starting to see momentum on organic subscribers after three months of posting twice weekly (which is a lot of work for someone otherwise employed). Do subscribe to larger publications and comment. It absolutely attracts new readers if your comments build on the author's writing. Just don't spam.
I've started experimenting with super-long (for me) posts. I know the last one was long because Substack flagged up a warning saying "Blimey, this is long" (or words to that effect). Anyway, some people found the first, a round-up of writing reviews, useful, so I might do a few more of them. My latest one is a round-up too, of a slightly different kind. This comment is not just the barefaced self-promotion it looks like: I genuinely think other 'Stackers might find round-up posts useful for their own readers too.
I have been ignoring the warning that my posts are getting too long for ages now. Long posts do not seem to cause any problems, and they do just as well as shorter ones.
There is a definite need for more long-form essays. I believe the culture is getting tired of quick takes and wants something of more substance. I'm glad it's going well for you so far!
I started doing weekly posts where I talk about the 7 essays, 7 stories and 7 poems I read that week (it's a part of a challenge). I keep to spice things up, but it's quite a lot of text! Luckily, people seem to like it.
I like your idea, and I've just subscribed to your newsletter because I like the idea of experimentation. In fact, that was the subject of my latest article (published just before Office Hours). I also like Ray Bradbury's stuff.
Hi Terry, yeah, blimey, I get those messages every once in a while but I consider it helpful information, not a deterrent. There are many emails that I get in my gmail inbox (e.g. every Pitchbook daily blast) that run over the gmail limit but I don't mind reading it in my browser. It is a bit of a hassle on a smartphone but long-form reading on a smartphone is problematic for many reasons, not just length.
I call mine a 'zine - once a month, I do a roundup of my writing and include other tidbits like other substacks, interesting things I've found. I thought at first that people didn't like it because the reader numbers were lower - but over time, it had a huge amount of reads. So agree with you! (And I also get that 'too long' message and just ignore it.)
The explanation was that when it arrives in Gmail, the message would get truncated. So it was basically saying: Be warned, rather than an inbuilt Substack limitation.
Your style, whether long or short, will get traction if the content is appealing, well-written, and engages the curiosity and interest of the reader. However, I’m always struggling with shorter on the longer form. I got carried away with my last article, which was almost 4000 plus words. So, I decided to break it up into two pieces and republish them, feeling a shortened form might work better in my newsletter. A big problem with a longer article, as I love to edit and do rewrites, is that the editing process takes me too long. With shorter-form articles, I can more consistently get them out. Go long or short when you are inspired to do so.
The "too long" notification is meant to just inform you that the post is likely to be truncated by email clients (eg: Gmail); it's not meant to discourage you from writing long posts. Perhaps we need to update the notification copy.
I just started doing a my "Weekly Gratitude Round-Up" and it includes links to the posts during the week--it's been popular since we publish a lot and it's easy to miss things:
Talk about encouragement ... I had been publishing my newsletter The Nett Report using my CRM platform for 2.5 years. I co-published the last three issues. This week I brought my list over and only published it on Substack. I took a reader poll and 89% thought the new version was great, with 11% having no preference. Nobody wanted to go back to the previous format. And reader rates remained essentially the same. Yay! https://carlnettleton.substack.com/
I started serializing my novel on substack a few weeks ago and plan on releasing a chapter a week until it's done. That should take the better part of a year. My question is, do you think I can hold a readers attention for that long this way? Writing quality and story aside, both of which I hope are good.
Yes. I'm doing this and I don't have a large readership but the few people who are following my weekly releases are responding surprisingly well. It's also super motivating to continue writing it (this is a WIP for me) as I see people react to the plot as it unfolds. It then creates ideas for posts where you talk about your writing based off of the feedback and general response you get and us writers like that behind the scene material.
That's interesting in that the feedback might direct the plot. Cool idea! I might have to try that for my second novel. This first one is already complete. I do plan to release paid for posts with behind the scene material.
Thanks for the post. I am going to take the same approach for my novel and attended a Zoom call hosted by The Authors Guild on Substack and Vella which was helpful. Are you adding a series of posts? In addition to the chapters, want to have a 'behind the story' series of posts as my book is historical and I think some readers will want more background and references as well as bonus chapters.
I second what Martin said--back in the day, we had to wait to see what happened on the next episode of our favorite TV show. I love the anticipation. I would definitely view a weekly chapter as a delicious treat in my week if the story appealed to me.
Depending on the type of story, you can always change things based on trusted reader suggestions. I always think of how a fan helped Vince Gilligan write the end of Breaking Bad.
doing this to build a fanbase is precisely what can launch a self-published book on Amazon successfully. Most of these folks will probably buy the book as a thank-you.
Hi all. I'd love to correspond/connect with anyone who has tried advertising for their Substack. Over the last couple weeks, I've run some ads on Facebook as well as some Google ads, and even ran a few on a newsletter ad network (LiveIntent). Not a big spend, but just to test the waters a bit.
So far Facebook has been the most "successful", but that's definitely in quotes...
If you haven't tried it yet, the Sample (https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d) might be a good way of promoting your newsletter. It basically sends out samples of your newsletter to people with the same interests. They have a free tier, and the paid is something around $4 per subscriber.
Yes! The Sample is great. It gets you actual readers--people who are already interested in newsletters. I like it as a reader, too. I've found a few new Substacks that way. Also, I'm trying Inbox Reads. Too early to say much, but I got a new subscription from them the other day, so it can't hurt.
I've had the same experience. Facebook ads seem to be the most successful at getting people to actually click on a link (you have to hyper-target them, though). Instagram ads get tons of "likes" but few actual reads. Twitter ads seem completely untargetable... It's all a pain, and I definitely question the value of any of it, but I do throw a few dollars at it on a regular basis.
Haven't tried Google Ads yet. How have they worked for you?
I actually have a network of newsletter distribution services I advertise through, but I haven’t tried social quite yet. I do social media management, content marketing and a little digital marketing as a freelancer, and 1) yes, Facebook is the best ads platform. You get the most engagement and it has the best targeting. And 2) a lot of times your ad campaign success has a lot to do with the community you’ve built on that platform. You actually have an ideal publication for starting a Facebook/social community if you haven’t already.
And for added info, I'm pushing folks here on my author website: https://nealbascomb.com/work-craft-life/ --- Once I get them here, I'm converting a good percentage (15%)....
This is fairly common knowledge at this point, but consistency is king in this game! Without fail we’ve each got to show up and publish publish publish each week (or whatever your schedule is). This is easy on the days we feel motivated and excited to get writing. My question is: what do people do to keep themselves motivated when they don’t feel like writing?
I have been having one of those "don't feel like writing" weeks, M. E., and my readers keep me going. Seriously. Knowing they subscribed because they want to read what I publish keeps me accountable.
I struggle sometimes, but I remind myself that people read my work and I've basically made them a promise that they'll get a newsletter every week. For me, not letting my readers down is a powerful motivation. This worked for me even when I had only a few dozen readers.
I also have several in the hopper as well as some a physical tablet in which I journal daily. Sometimes those journaled thoughts turn into a post (like yesterday!).
That’s a good idea, I tend to only work on one at a time but have a list of other things knocking about in my brain. Perhaps I should start jotting bits down when the inspiration first strikes.
I do this--jotting things down on a notepad or in my notes app. Also, I take photos of things that strike me. When I need inspiration, I go straight to those notes, my photo album, or my journaling tablet.
You just have to do it. I've missed a couple of weeks due to ill-health and I've also taken a week or two out for vacation. Other than that, you need to come up with something. Maybe have some time where you write a few drafts - then you have something to play with on the weeks where you're not feeling it.
I recently started Substack and decided to publish once a week. That works for me because it doesn't shove me into overload.
It's the commitment that motivates me. That - and I do have a queue of work. If I'm not up to writing something new, I take a look at the queue, grab a piece, dust if off, cough a few times, and begin cleaning it up.
Another thing that motivates me is reading other stacks. Sometimes something goes "ping" in my head.
I try to stay ahead of the game a bit. I have a bunch of articles that I write when I'm motivated, then they can wait in the draft stage until the day comes that I am sick, or travelling ...
Whenever I'm on social media and I find myself disgusted by the lack of anything worth reading or looking at, I think, well I better write something myself then. Since this happens constantly, I've trained myself to write on a very regular basis!
I write however I'm feeling, though if I'm not feeling great the writing isn't either, in which case I might not publish it. Also, I read a lot more if I'm not in a writing frame of mind, as good writing starts to reignite my fire.
Good day all! I quietly published my first post yesterday! Woohoo! As I enter this space I’m looking to explore new ways of finding authentic community, and therefore have not “advertised” my newsletter with my friends or social media followers. I’m curious to see if there is another way. I’d love to hear ideas of ways to cultivate new connections, and if it’s possible to have subscribers on Substack without using your current contacts.
Coming here is a good step at making connections. It’s where I met people for cross promotion and other projects. That in itself helps promote your work by being featured elsewhere. There’s also the simple thing of leaving thoughtful comments or questions on people’s posts. It goes a long way in building community.
Hi Erin, you might consider joining the Soaring Twenties Social Club - https://soaringtwenties.substack.com/p/the-soaring-twenties-social-club. It's tight-knit community of writers, artists, creatives and genuinely interesting people. There's a Discord serve attached to the community as well. I have a hunch you'd like it there.
Hey Substack! Wondering if you can help me understand how the subscriber gold stars work? I thought it was about engagement, but most of my 4-5 star subscribers never engage via comments or likes. How should I be thinking about the stars? 🌟
Reading on the Substack app and reading on the web should be equivalent as far as I know. However, some email apps have better privacy features than others. So for example, we have no way to know if a subscriber read a newsletter in Apple Mail.
I read the article, Nadav, and I'm wondering email filters. For example, if a subscriber has a filter to mark an email as read and move it to trash, does that show up as a true read?
Actually, that's me--except I don't send to trash, I send to a folder where I usually go send them to trash. Why? Because I prefer to read everything via my Substack inbox in the app or on the web. :)
No offense taken! I think it's interesting to hear what works and what doesn't work for actual subscribers. When I tire of a subscription, I do try to unsubscribe rather than just trashing the emails.
I think it’s about how often they open. My friend has never listened to a podcast episode, liked a post, or commented on a thread, but she opens every single thing I publish and she’s a five-star reader.
Seems like the stars reflect how many of your posts they're reading. So, even if they aren't commenting or liking, those are the people really tuning into your posts. (That's my guess, though. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows for sure.)
I am very curious about what the overall metrics are for Substack. Hamish wrote about the higher end- how many writers gross more than a million dollars. That of course is the upside. potential for all of us theoretically. My questions:
-what is the average number of free subscribers per writer across the platform?
-what is the average number of paid subscribers per writer " "
-what is the average number of founding members per writer/
-how much of all three categories does the 100th best writer have?
I am just trying to get context on my own numbers and what the potential might be.
I can do two things at once. I can focus on my writing, which I have done for 16 years, and at the same time I can be curious about the size of and the revenue from my audience. I am curious.
Hi David, statistics are useful and powerful for us - I'd like to have, in addition, the overall distribution graphs (no doubt the averages are skewed by the high end performers)...
Thank you for laying these out so clearly! I've been trying to get a sense for what my numbers mean and have been trying to figure out some crude yardsticks to see where we are--but Substack must have this data and it would be great to see.
first define your objective, then compare...for example, I'm not trying to earn income off this platform at all. I may never push paid subscriptions. I'm trying to build a 1,000 person audience for a book launch in 2024. Flooding the Amazon KDP zone in the first 90 days will build word-of-mouth and a successful book launch. The book is my income goal at 70% royalty rates...So, for me, I like to understand what it takes (and how long) for non-media professionals to build 1,000 free subscriptions without the help of a massive Twiter following.
I understand. I have published a number of books via KDP so a good strategy. I am VERY INTERESTED in building up paid and founding member subscriptions. So far, after three weeks I have 49 paid and founding member subscriptions. My goal is 1,000.
Someone on here published a great case study of getting to 1,000 from zero with no outside social media following...it took them two years of steady work...I’m sure there are ways to shave six months off of that, but my own trajectory is hit below his, right now....
I imported 4,000 subs from my blog. I try to send out at least a dozen emails a day requesting people to subscribe. 3.5 weeks in and I have 3900 subs and 49 paid/founding member. I want to get to 10,000 subs and 200 paid ASAP. Open to any suggestions.
I was in high school when I realized I wanted to be a writer, in some capacity. If I could go back and give myself some advice it would be pretty basic:
I am finding it hard to grow my audience beyond my close circle. Besides social media, what are your suggestions/tips for reaching new audiences/subscribers?
I do no marketing on social media. 95% of my readers have come from recommendations by others or by finding my posts on Substack usually because they appreciated a comment I made on another post. Find other Substacks that have similar topics then engage in them via sharing and comments and recommendations.
I'm thinking that this is something I should do more of? Commenting on others work, that is. Have you really found that helps with organic growth? I need to figure out the time to do meaningful networking while also working (and being a wife and mom and...)
It absolutely works, and as a bonus, the things I read stick in my head and sometimes come together as a big idea for a post. Engaging here has been key for me. I understand the time issue, but find something you can cut out and fill in with Substack reads. I cut out all social media this year and have not looked back. I have so much more time now!
That's a good time saving tip, cutting off social media. I logged out of Twitter a while back because it was just too easy to have a quick peek that turned into an hour or two :)
All of my subscribers have come directly from Substack - it’s been happening organically. I subscribe to some amazing newsletters and I love the buzz of discussions in the comments. And here in Office Hours, of course. I’m deeply, deeply allergic to all social media other than Substack.
For me, I found that the recommendations came as my subscribers grew. Also, there were several Substacks I followed at first (now, it's too many to count!) and engaged with a lot in the comments (not for attention or in a spammy way, but simply because I truly enjoyed the conversation). Those writers appreciated that and began taking a look at my work. Then they would recommend it. It truly all starts with 1) good, interesting posts, and 2) genuine engagement with others on this platform.
Agreed. Unless you already have a large following or are within a certain niche, social media promotion will only have so much of an effect. I still do it though and hope for the best.
I thought I would starting using these wonderfully supportive Office Hours as a forcing function to list topics for my next newsletter. Thanks for letting me think out loud with my community!
Context: My newsletter is about being a human in progress. Yes... it's a broad audience. As such, I'm actively working on finding my people by not watering things down, and maybe even being polarizing.
A) On coming out as an intuitive who offers channeled soul readings
B) Maybe try doing an entirely channeled post for my subscribers as a collective
C) "5 unspoken benefits of divorce and co-parenting"
A and B blend into one another and I think could potentially lead to a lot of other posts as you see the responses. It could also render a new section on your Substack if it isn't already there which is always interesting and helps give your online space nuance. I'm a numerologist so I find this topic fascinating!
Wow, your first "topic" sounds intriguing. If Substack's strength is one-way communication potentially with comments, that lends itself to thought-provoking posts that people can think about.
Following up: Today's newsletters was a first step towards A) On coming out as an intuitive who offers channeled soul readings. Working my way up to it!
Analytics question: Is there a possibility of getting options for per month and per year stats for both newsletter and podcasts? I much prefer Substack to WordPress, but I miss having those analytics to look at growth over time and compared to previous months/years. I don't want to have to do the math ;-)
I agree! In some ways, it may be better for my mental health to have such vague metrics, but I'd love to be able to really get into the nitty-gritty progress of each post over time, and easily compare months of reader stats. I miss those cpanel-type numbers.
Hi everyone, I'm just writing my personal essay for this week - it's about realising in my 30s that I have ADhD. If you'd like to read it tomorrow please hit subscribe :)
I'd like to start publishing 2x a week, with one exclusively for paying customers. What days do you think would be best? (Ex: Monday & Thursday, Tuesday & Thursday, etc.)
Hi Joe! This is a common question, and I don't have an answer. But if I may, I'd like to suggest reframing this. I don't think there's a one-sized fits all best day. Instead, I try to think about two things when choosing pub days. (FYI, I started with regular Sunday posts, then added Wednesday's in year two).
The first thing I think about is me. That is, what is a schedule that I can pull off consistently throughout the year?
The second thing I think about is what role I want my work to play in reader's daily lives? I chose Sunday morning for my longer slice of life stories because they just feel like the kind of thing you might read lounging in bed, or over breakfast. Also, the experience usually takes about 20 minutes. For my second weekly post, I wanted to be more conversational and offer some quicker bite-sized humor. I picked Wednesday under the assumption that most people are probably busy, but maybe need a quick laugh or a funny chat to get them through the week. So far, both posting days seem to be working in terms of various metrics (open rates, reads, comments, Likes), but above all, they both bring in new subs.
I've grappled with this too. Anymore, I don't think it much matters as long as you're delivering great writing (which you are!). In my case, I read some immediately, some later int he day, and a few several days later, when I can really sit down and pore over them. If anyone; is paying attention to their metrics, I'm the one totally skewing them. lol.
Specifically for paid folks, they're paying to hear from you on a consistent basis, not so much on a specific day/time.
I’ve heard that earlier in the week is better for opens, like Monday through Wednesday, but I find my Sunday afternoon news round up always does SUPER well in the first few hours after I post, so I suspect it depends on exactly what you’re publishing on each day. (Also, in my experience, very few people listen to podcast episodes the day they drop.)
I like a Tuesday and a Friday as there is enough time in between to get my thoughts together and open rates don't tend to be great on a Monday in my experience.
I've recently established a posting schedule for my substack and turned on paid subscriptions as a 'support the author' option. Feels nice to already have most of the writing for November done already, the list of scheduled posts is great to look at, and gives me more time to polish them before posting.
It's very satisfying to be ahead of schedule and now that you've opened the door to paid subscribers, Substack will do the work for you if you have to be absent from writing for a couple of weeks. I've got scheduled posts up to the end of December (as far as it'll go for now) as I neurotically try to get on top of the writing that I have to do after I've published all my existing content. Not to mention several drafts for free content that are in the works (this is overwhelming me at the moment, but one post at a time). Anyway, keep up the good work William!
hi everyone ~~ anyone have any grief- and death awareness-focused Substacks that they read and appreciate?
I'm a longtime culture writer/editor and nowadays a creative coach and grief, death, and funeral care worker and I just hurdled mine out into the world and am looking for folks to trade ideas and stories with!
I describe my newsletter as not-grim but still sincere; it's centered on multimedia interviews and bounces up against music (specifically the playlists we create in our grief) as well as really great creative resources for living with death and grief.
thank you Bailey -- yes, have done that ! was just wondering if I might be able to surface some personal rec's too! I appreciate you connecting --- just signed up for your newsletter!
No reccomemdations but absolutely checking out yours. I’ve been reading the book Advice for Future Corpses & love everything it says about loving with each other & ourselves.
Anyone here in the CA Bay Area who might like a portrait of themselves?
My newsletter is about being a human in progress, and I want to do a series of photos of people in their lived-in habitats. If you have a studio/workspace/office/home/writing corner you like to work in and would like a portrait, reach out with a way to contact you :)
Hi Milan, what an interesting offer - I'd have to ask my spouse first (but I'm in the Bay Area). Let's continue to chat on email gabthinking (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks, George
I discovered Substack just last month and decided to start publishing my odd fiction here. I would like subscribers (who doesn't) but my main motivation is to get my (admittedly un-mainstream) work collected in one place for enjoyment now and for whatever future reference.
I've been submitting for years to various magazines, etc. But it's always a long wait and I'm tired of waiting, holding on to pieces so they won't be "previously published." Onward, once a week. In a year, I'll have a pretty good collection.
I've posted three pieces in a week. Still learning the ropes. Does anyone out there have experience with multiple posts per week being too much for readers?
I will say that I received some Substacks every day and read them daily. But I am also very interested in what the writers post--it's good stuff! Other Substacks that post several times per week sometimes get put on the backburner for me because they are longer.
I turned this option on very early. I don't paywall any of my content, and I use the paid feature as a way for people to support my work. Many use this strategy and it works well for them. Check out how Anne Kadet's using this strategy:
Shorter in this case means around 5-700 words, with links to the music I'm sharing and some other graphics. In my head, people are reading these on their commute, while on a treadmill at the gym, or on a lunch break.
Longer posts usually run from 1500-2500 words (also with links and graphics).
Hi Rachel! After about a year of posting once a week, I added a second, shorter post to make it twice a week. Quality and consistency are key. So my thought process was, can I consistently put out the same quality work twice per week? I haven’t seen any signs that twice a week is too much. My subs continued to grow and the pace of growth picked up, in part due to second posting. I see more new subs from my shorter posts, but my longer posts are just as well liked and get plenty of good comments. Hope that helps!
We write 5 articles per week, plus two weekly podcast episodes (Wednesdays and Saturdays), and a weekly summary article on Sunday. Each day has a specific topic. Is that a lot? For me: writing my Substack every day is part of my "job" (I'm self-employed) and part of our brand as writers and consultants. For my readers? I don't know, but I'm planning to do a poll with my readers soon. As soon as the article is published, I sent it out to my social media networks using the media assets. I get the most subscribers from Facebook and Twitter. I also get a lot from Substack.
I've been trying to figure out how to get my Substack in front of more people and continue organic growth with readers who want to read my work. Are people here using Pinterest to increase their SEO? I've used Pinterest for my old blog and got away from it because it felt like a lot of work with little payoff BUT some of my biggest past blog posts also are the more pinned on Pinterest. Thoughts? Any other suggestions for growth? I would love to work on cross-promotion but that's always a concern of logistics and what fits each Substack's purpose and mission.
This is unhelpful to your comment, but reading so many valid questions and encouragements on promotion writing on social media, it still feels like a different job altogether to promote than simply write. I am at a stage where I am writing to experiment, learn and grow, so more than readers, I need critique, and I fail to understand how to utilise the world beyond my immediate circle for that.
A lot of writers everywhere are there. For now, share your writing on the social channels that you usually use and allow your close circle to give you the feedback you need. Just keep working on your writing. I just finished the beta copy of a book of essays from two of my blogs (my WordPress and Substack) and as I was working on the beta draft, I realized just how much I, an English teacher with a Master's degree in English, have grown as a writer from just writing in my blog. (Side note, it's a whole new world to open up your writing to others to openly critique when you get to the beta draft stage.) Do I wish I had experienced more readers on both blogs earlier? Of course, but writing is the key. Growth is the key. Just do it :-) Find the social media that works for you and share away. You never know where it will land.
I've been doing some writing on what lessons I've learned from distance running that I apply to parenting. But after developing some of my own thoughts I am SO eager to hear from this community!
Are there any running or parenting newsletter writers who would like to weigh in?
Thank you for this. I actually already reached out and they made a post based on my original topic. Happy to inspire posts, but definitely looking for more collaborative encounters
Hi Substack team, I do have a question! Is there a simple way that I can see the names of every person who has Liked a post? I have to use a combination of notification emails and comparing that to what's visible on the post itself because it doesn't seem like either way is 100% accurate. Especially when I look at the post it tends to summarize a bunch of names together and I don't know why. Thanks!
Hi! The reason we don't show all likes is that (1) some people don't have Substack accounts, and (2) readers can adjust their privacy settings to not show likes on your publication.
Thank you Jasmine, I did just figure out the latter and wondered about the former. But just to confirm, will their likes still be counted in the overall total even if they fall into groups 1) and 2) above?
I love to read, but any suggestions on how to "catch UP" on my Substack reading? There are SO many newsletters every day and so LITTLE time! :) How do YOU keep up the pace?
Do you use the Substack app? It's easier for me to manage my reading list (which is 80+ publications strong!) there than in my email inbox. https://substack.com/app
Eleyne-Mari Sharp, that's EXACTLY what I was going to ask, and I also use my desktop. I don't think the app is available for desktops. There IS the INBOX, but I still get all the emails. Maybe I have to learn speed-reading 😉.
I really love this platform. I am still getting used to the tools.
One of my subscriber,who uses Yahoo mail, complained that he wasn't allowed to comment on my posts. He also says he is an ardent reader but the post review analytics doesn't include him in it's statistics.
Suggestion. Wouldn't a search feature make this live forum a lot easier to navigate? I'm new here, so maybe I'm missing it (and if so, perhaps somebody could point it out?). Thanks.
Who's new here? Tell us what we can help with as you get started.
Aspiring substacker here. I'm struggling with the editing part of writing. It feels like a never-ending process because writing can always be improved. Any advice (from anyone!) on knowing when a post is 'ready'?
Part of this is probably because I'm nervous to publish my writing. It feels vulnerable.
Such a great question! I struggle with this too. What writer do you dream might answer this question? (Bonus: if they are on Substack) We should ask for our next Dear Writer advice column.
https://on.substack.com/p/writer-advice-helena-fitzgerald#details
https://ava.substack.com/ Ava would answer this question well!
That vulnerability never goes away (at least for me, anyway). At some point, you'll have to be okay with a post being "good enough." To be clear, that doesn't mean low quality- I'm talking about the sort of endless edits/tweaks that trip us up.
*I write a first draft almost without looking up.
*Let it sit while I go do something (anything) else
*Edit it for style (mostly moving pieces of the puzzle around)
*Let it sit again
*Edit for grammar/do a close read/check that links work/etc.
*Let 'er rip
this is great advice!
110%!
This may sound kind of weird, but I miss typos or other things I should change depending on the platform on which I'm reading. To maximize my ability to see these things I
(a) read my original Word document,
(b) read in the Substack editor, and
(c) send a test email which I read on my tablet and my phone.
Each of these has a different paragraph width or maybe a slightly different font or whatever, but whenever I think something is ready, I almost always find something I didn't see when I switch to another platform. And it frequently involves a rinse and repeat cycle.
Great advice!
Hey love this approach
I've spent the last couple of months going through old blog posts (from WordPress and Substack) and turning them into a book of essays that I hope to self-publish in January. Seriously, the pieces are never done. I've done so much revision already and I have a feeling I will send to the publisher and STILL feel like I need to make more revisions. And I'm an English teacher with a Master's degree in English!
Aspiro a hacer lo mismo, estoy guardando escritos desde hace mucho justamente para ello. Mucha suerte!!!
It is vulnerable! I give myself two rounds of edits, and I always print it out to edit. I figure once I’ve done that, and no new ideas have come to me, I just need to trust that it’s good enough. I can always rework it if I want to publish in another format someday, but you’ll always have reasons NOT to publish. Better to get it out there.
It's never "done". I just get a feeling of "diminishing returns" when it might be called "ready". Balzac once described his day as "I spent the morning putting a comma in a sentence, and I spent the afternoon taking it out." We've all been there. John Lennon said he never liked to listen to Beatles songs on the radio because he would always find something that could have been improved. At some point, I think you just get the sense that extra time and effort isn't worth the small extra improvement it's going to give to a piece.
Your nervousness and feeling of vulnerability is natural. We all feel it . I do. You just have to make a point of pushing through it. Like jumping into a pool.
I hope this is somewhat helpful. Good luck.
The hardest part is hitting the Publish button! You are so right about the vulnerability --and it sucks when you publish and later find a mistake [like I did when I spelled "right" incorrectly here and had to edit it!]. The cool thing is that it makes you human. And people want to connect with other humans, not robots.
My process involves reading aloud as my last edit. I catch so much in that step. Also, if I'm feeling super uneasy, I email it to my husband for an extra set of eyes. He's great at catching grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and words that just don't flow well.
In the end, you'll never get better unless you publish. Just do it! :)
My husband is my default second-pair of eyes editor too lol. And I agree, reading aloud is very helpful.
Honestly, setting deadlines is one of the best way to handle this.
I've published every Thursday morning, without fail, for more than a year. Come deadline, something is going out to the inboxes.
Aside from setting deadlines and a regular publishing schedule, I'd suggest that after your first edit, you schedule your post for publication. You can tweak it here and there, but there will be a sense of finality.
I second this completely!
None of my writing used to feel done until I committed to putting out a short essay every Saturday. So now, it's not so much about being done as being good enough to get on with my weekend. I also know that whenever I start the essays, they won't feel "done" until I'm up against the deadline, so I try not to start them too early in the week.
Good and done is better than perfect and almost there!
Ooof, I feel this Collin! I edit by reading out loud, and once I can read a post out loud without stumbling or thinking something sounds weird, I consider it good enough.
But before I got that to point, I had to get comfortable with the idea that done is better than perfect. When I tried to edit things until they were perfect, they never got done! I finally had to accept that done and published is better than leaving it to languish in drafts.
'done is better than perfect' will be my motto for the next few months lol
It's a good one!
I tell students to do the same thing.
I think I learned this from a teacher!
I publish in Substack every day and twice several times per month. If you are struggling with the editing itself, I find Grammarly very useful. It suggests changes, but mostly forces me to look at awkward phrasing.
It is vulnerable! Think of yourself on a high dive. You can stand there all day pep-talking yourself, but at some point you’ve got to climb down or jump. And think of the story you can tell by saying you jumped! Sure, maybe your swim suit falls off and you’re embarrassed for a bit, or maybe you do a perfect swan dive and everyone is talking about it for days. Either way, at least you went for it!
As for editing. If I have someone who is free to edit (usually my mom, who has loved red penning my work since I was a child), then I type it up and, without reading it through, I send it off for the red pen massacre. She finds the grammatical errors and will tell me if something doesn’t make sense, needs to be added, or taken out. This method prevents me from overthinking it. Once I get it back, I make the simple fixes, read through it again and make any changes I think it might need.
If I don’t have that luxury, then I try to follow the same method on my own. Write it in a single draft, then go back and read through for things I may need to change or add, then a final read through for grammatical errors. I try to limit it to 3 editing sessions. The cut off at three gives me a point to say it’s now or never and make the leap. (Of course this is with posts, not books.)
Yup, others have mentioned before. Art is never done. You will always grow, and then your art will grow with you. So just remembering that you can always create more art, and that it's never supposed to be perfect. In fact, it's better if it's not perfect :) For me, a gut feeling usually hits me like "okay done".
Try and prep post content through the week which calms post day anxiety considerably. When you do the final read through read slowly and in a monotone voice this will aid in catching missed words, prepositions and sentence structure mix ups. When your final edit has the intended flow she should be good to go. (you may quote me on that) 😄 Keyboard wasn't working properly and I wasn't sure if my text went through, but later saw that it did but not complete. Also noticed substack was acting up as well yesterday
THIS is what you can talk about - the getting ready to get ready and how it ties into allowing yourself to be vulnerable.
Collin, you nailed it. This is the big downside of a platform like SubStack. We are all self-editing here and it shows. Maybe find a friend willing to go over your drafts and you theirs.
I am new! angelisivaraman.substack.com <3 I write about spirituality, self-growth, and words of inspiration. I include a quote at the end of every post because I love quotes. Can I create an "about" (pinned post) for when people land on my page?
Welcome Angeli! You can pin any post to your publication using the three dot menu. Learn more here: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039016032-How-do-I-pin-a-post-to-the-top-of-my-publication-s-homepage-
We've also designed an "About" page for you that appears as it's own tab. Yours already looks great!
Ahh, so helpful!! Thank you for that :) and thank you for taking a look at my About Page! That means so much to me <3
I like what you have put out so far!
I really appreciate your feedback!! Really means so much to me :) <3
Just subscribed, Angeli. Welcome! I look forward to reading.
Ahh, thank you so much <3 That fills up my heart!!
Interesting content (one on dis-ease) so far Angeli. Definitely reading more after this hour.
Thank you so much! SO interesting, right? I hope you enjoy :) <3
Thank you!!
Hi Katie, hello all. I have 8 posts but I'm still fairly new to Substack. I had plans to write 2 newsletters - one to help other artists find their lost Mojo, which I'm currently writing, and a second one where i could share my experimental poems and stories. I'm already overwhelmed with everything i have to do, though (I'm also an indie musician doing it all on my own). I just can't think of how to incorporate my experimental side into this newsletter. Or even monetising. Thanks - Jo
Hi Jo,
From the logistical side, you might set them up as a Section: https://on.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-publication-sections
It sounds like you are doing two things 1. sharing your art and 2. sharing your process. I think that actually goes quiet well together.
A couple Substacks that might offer inspiration:
https://austinkleon.substack.com/ - shares a lot about creative process
https://fogchaser.substack.com/ - a fellow musician
Thank you so much, Katie, that sheds a lot of light for me. I will look at the Substacks you mentioned. Much appreciated.
Hi Jo, and welcome! About your indie musician lane, I write about recorded music (mostly from the last few decades)! If you've got any recorded output, throw an eye at my 'Stack, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE linked just to the right of my name, and if you think you'd like to interview/share your music, give a holla, yo! And, again, welcome!
Thank you, Brad! I most definitely will.
Thank you, Jo, for subscribing! Nice to have you past the velvet rope line, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE!
Welcome, Jo!
thank you Holly!
I'm new! I'm about to launch my Substack, and I've had such a hard time determining what to write in my "About" section vs. my first post! They're pretty similar. I also think I just need some general encouragement about putting myself out there;). I'm confident in what I write about, but the SHARING part is difficult....
Hi Katie, great questions! Chances are there is a good bit of the overlap. I think the biggest difference is the amount of "logistics" you share.
A great first post reads like a manifesto—it tells a story about the vision of what you wnat to do here. Of course at the end you want to make a clear pitch and include a subscribe button.
Andy's a great example of a good about page and launch post.
Launch post: https://flakphoto.substack.com/p/its-time-for-a-flakphoto-reboot
About page: https://flakphoto.substack.com/about
Thanks Katie.. quick question for you. I published, but didn't email anyone. Sigh. I'd like to share the post with potential subscribers (which for now will just be my personal contacts). Do I need to delete the post and do it again? How can I send it out to my contacts? Thanks..
This is a bit of an unconventional take, but I actually use my about page to host a kind of "intro video." I use it to explain the story behind why I started my publication and got invested in the outdoor writing space.
Oh...I should do that! I hadn't thought to add a video to my about page!
what a great idea, Cole! Video is becoming the preferred medium with a lot of people, i am told.
I'd say customize your About page a bit to get started and remove the default look/feel. But don't get too worried about it. You'll modify as you go. I've only been here a month and have edited my About page several times.
I don't really know how often people check out an About page when they arrive at a publication. I like to, though and a few more experienced people have said it's important.
I think people are more likely to read the About page if its pinned to the homepage, so I think I'll do that. (if I can figure it out) I'm glad to hear you've revised your about page as well...nothing is set in stone;)
Totally! Nothing is set in stone -- you can revise your About page and before long, you'll have lots of posts and your first post won't be on the main page anymore.
I review my About page and Welcome email every few months to make sure they still feel aligned with my recent work and what I want to present about my newsletter. Good luck!
That sounds great! Right now, my About page and my first post are super similar. It makes sense to keep checking in and making sure the About page stays updated.
Katie......If you'll pardon the shameless self-promotion, my About page may be a bit stylized, and it took time and hammering out, but it will, at least, give you a look at something on the "non-blah" list! https://bradkyle.substack.com/about
I LOVE the shameless self-promotion. Good for you! Looking now.
Cheering you on, Katie!
Re: the About section - what about finding a quiet spot to just sit down, closing your eyes and putting your hand on your heart while you ask the question again? Then just sit in silence and listen for the answer. It will probably be something about your basic message.
Thank you, Jo. You're right.
I see the About page as a work in progress. . . it is very easy to revise.
I've changed mine at least a dozen times! Well, tweaked it, at least.
Don't get too caught up, do your best and put it out there. You will learn as you go and probably change it up periodically as you learn more. I've been here three months and I just revised my about page last week.
Thanks, Sue! It seems like the About page should be an organic document, so I'm glad to hear you've changed yours up.
Yes, there are articles on Substack which offer advice and I've also studied other writers' About pages. I definitely did not set my original page up ideally, but this newest version is getting closer. I'll probably change it going forward again. But it's important not to get caught up on the details to the point that I don't press send.
Yes, and that's my issue! I am definitely an overthinker. ;).
I use that space to explain who I am, why I started my project, and what readers can expect from me. I post a LOT, so I also note that people can receive my work through the app if they'd prefer that over their inbox.
https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/about
Consider this is the friendly nudge you need; you should totally put yourself out there. :)
Welcome, Katie!
Hey Katie! Here is one resource from the Substack team about the About page: https://on.substack.com/p/how-to-polish-your-publications-about#%C2%A7the-about-page
Perhaps it can jog a few ideas for what you share about yourself and your publication.
Thanks!
You got this Katie! Can’t wait to see what you wrote about.
As for About versus first post: What is your Substack about? For instance, if you’re posting recipes, you can talk about the kinds of recipes you’ll post in your about page, but for your first post you can just dive in with a recipe. Does that help?
It definitely helps. My newsletter is detailed children's book recommendations-- mostly chapter books and middle grade novels. (I'm a former teacher with SUCH a passion for these books!) I wasn't sure if I should have the first post as more of an introduction about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, or if I should just jump into the recs.
Personally I think just jumping in is best, so people have an example of what you’ll post when they subscribe! About 9 months into writing Unruly Figures, I had a “let’s get to know each other” thread where I talked more about me personally and invited other people to share. That was a fun way to get to know readers personally and share why I got into it!
So smart! That's a great idea.
I would do an introduction to who you are so that people know why they should trust you as a former educator and lover of literature.
Side note, still a high school English teacher (year 21 here), love reading, and have a second Substack for a former teaching partner and good friend where we talk about pop culture through the lens of being lit teachers: litthinkpodcast.substack.com
I'm new (not to the planet, look at my hair) and would like to know about the automatic, computer generated audio (i.e. text to speech) that I have heard is available, at least with certain platforms.
First, is it true? (I haven't seen it)
If so, what platforms (web, iOS, Android)? And can we turn it off? Thanks!
It's true!
Text to speech is available in the iOS app today and hopefully android very soon. More on that here: https://on.substack.com/p/new-ways-to-listen-to-your-favorite
Thanks Katie. Is there a way to opt-out of automatic text-to-speech? I haven't seen anything in the settings for a post and I didn't see any mention of that in the article you linked.
Okay, your opener made me choke on my water! :) I didn't realize there was an automatic "reader" in the iOS app. Interesting and awful!
There's a Voiceover option that's really simple to use! If I can do it so can you, Victor. :) I've been a critic of my voice for such a long time. This has helped me get over that silliness.
Hi Barbara - I was referring to automatic computer generated audio. I'm not sure if that's a rumor because I haven't seen it, but then someone mentioned it might be only in the iOS app (which I don't have)
Oh! Sorry! Yes, I've heard of that, too, but have never used it. A friend of mine uses it. I'll have to ask her!
If you find something out, please let us know. I suppose I could go find somebody with an IPhone and see if the darn thing is there, but seems I only know Android users... :)
I started this substack to help connect people who love the outdoors, food, and music. All of this ties in with the mission of living in the present and taking care of your mental health.
Subscription is free so check it out here: https://aboutthatlife.substack.com/
Welcome!
Out of curiosity, why did you decide to make your writer name the same as your publication?
I write a business newsletter under my name but this newsletter is a mission, I wanted to do something bigger than myself. I want it to be a community that I may pass on to other writers one day.
It's also to show others that you can grow from scratch.
Makes a lot of sense, thanks for sharing!
Welcome!
Thank you Holly!
I write about the outdoors too, I'll check out your newsletter.
Thank you Cole. I'll check out yours as well.
Hello! I’m relatively new to Substack, and excited to see how others are using the platform to share their voice and build an audience. I’ve been wanting to scratch the writing itch for years now... something I never thought I’d enjoy when I was younger. Over the years, I’ve made it a habit of journaling, and have always found writing therapeutic. I recently launched a podcast called “Live Your Values”, because I love helping people get to the core of what matters to them and helping them connect with their values and life a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
I recently decided that I’d like to start writing as a complement to my podcast, and topics related to values and fulfillment.
I’ve been feeling very stuck on how to get started. I’d love to get a little more clarity on why Substack may be a better choice for growing an audience over a more traditional ESP.
Would love to hear others’ experiences, especially in the early phases of starting to write and grow an audience, and how that led to accomplishing broader goals.
Thanks!
Hey Bagel, glad you are here!
Barbara has good advice—just start. It's funny, I've been talking to more writers lately in the investing and finance space for a little series we are running and they keep saying that. What Genevieve Roch-Decter said stayed with me:
“It can be quite confusing deciding what you want to start your newsletter about. You can overthink it and that can prevent you from starting. What I would advise, and this is exactly what I did, it sounds selfish but it really isn't, write for yourself first. Spend a lot of time thinking, ‘What would I actually read? What would I actually find entertaining and insightful?’ Bet on yourself that there are other people like you out there.”
As for the benefits of writing on Substack, we make money only when writers make money, which means we have a very strong incentive to help writers grow their revenue and their subscribers. Happily, we’re now in a position where Substack can drive growth for writers without them having to think about it (unless they choose to). Growth can happen magically in the background.
Today, the Substack network is driving more than 40 percent of all subscriptions across the platform, and 12 percent of paid subscriptions. That means you essentially get readers and money for free just by publishing on Substack.
Thanks for sharing this perspective and more context for how Substack is structured and what drives you all! It's funny, I did an episode on my podcast about "Just Starting", and it's absolutely been the #1 piece of advice I've been hearing from everyone in my network as well. Guess I should take their & your (and my own) advice ;)
"Write for you" resonates as well. I think that's a good starting point for sure. I feel lucky that I have assembled a network of great people who are willing to help and share feedback with me as well. And it sounds like there's a strong community and support structure here too.
So yeah, I guess it's time to get started!
Totally agree with Katie and it's not selfish at all! I'll bet your muse will be on it in a heartbeat. :) Mine won't stop flinging ideas at me since I came over here!
Just START! Substack makes it so easy. I've been blogging on my website and writing a newsletter since 2009 but I decided to close them both and just write here. I am LOVING the simplicity and finding so many great writers, as well. Good luck!
Thanks for the encouragement, Barbara!
For me:
-Much easier platform to navigate than other ESPs (I'm looking at you, Mailchimp).
-A thriving, supportive community of writers
-A proactive platform that's not afraid to iterate, but is also transparent about it
-Discovery on here has vastly improved over the last 6-8 months. The wheel still moves a bit slower than on other platforms, but the other positives cancel that out.
Thanks for these thoughts, Kevin!
Welcom, Bagel. I agree with Barbara--just start! It's so simple and easy to tweak as you go.
I am still new to Substack. I have 3 solid posts now and am set up to publish weekly. My question is, I am about to start inviting all of my contacts. Should I do that now with only 3 posts and they will get new ones? Or should I wait until I have a stronger library to entice them to more likely subscribe?
Go ahead and invite them! If you haven't already, write a dedicated launch post. Let the world know you are starting something new. Talk about why you’re launching a Substack, why it’s important to you, what readers can expect, and why they should join you. This should be a free post so everyone can see it and is great to share with your contacts prompting them to subscribe.
Good idea. I have a welcome post, but a good old call to action through a Launch Post sounds like just the right ticket. Thanks!
I'm in the same boat - 3 posts so far, my recent one yesterday - and I am not sure how to grow. I've decided on a weekly newsletter which seems doable for me. I invite people as I go, as I am more of an organic, if you like what I offer come along, otherwise I don't like to force friends to feel like they have to subscribe (only my closest haha!)
Hi Faith! My go-to in the "how to grow" dept is BUSINESS CARDS...y'know, the ones on paper! Mine's two-sided, with the pic you see here on the front, with my 'Stack title and web address.
I realize some 'Stackers may not have a photo, ready to go, from 1977, of themselves backstage with a 2002 Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame-inducted punk group, but go with what you have! On the back I've got two QR codes ('cause that's what the kids tell me they're into!).
One goes directly to my 'Stack page, the other goes to Flipboard.com, which houses (and sends you back to 'Stack, anyway) the autobio of a singer/songwriter (one album in '74 for RCA Records, Stephen Michael Schwartz) who's been writing for me since February, his serialized reveals of his '70s and '80s inside peek at the Hollywood record biz!
Bottom line? Business cards! Hang 'em up on Starbucks and Panera bulletin boards, pass 'em out to folks you meet in line (I'm putting one in every trick'r'treater's pumpkin bucket on Halloween)! Good luck!
Do those still work??? My partner and I are going to a podcasters mixer in Indy in a month and I suggested that to her and she was like "is that still a thing?"
Let's put it this way: Out of 1,000 cards I'm going thru now, if I get one reader and/or subscriber from all those cards (whether one deems it's "worth it" or not), it's one person who otherwise would never have discovered it!
I met a high schooler at my local Panera last Saturday who was wearing a Ramones t-shirt. How much easier was it for me to start chatting to him while handing him a photo/collector's item of his favorite band in 1977 (with a 22-year-old me)!
He immediately subscribed, sent me a couple of YT vids of some friends of his playing in a rock band at his school, and expressed interest in "doing" an article in my "Inside Tracks" recurring series!
So, with one of those wacky paper cards (who, for some, is still a "thing"), I gained a new friend, a subscriber, a reader (and a mentee, apparently) and a possible contributor! Plus, at his request, I gave him half-a-dozen cards to pass out to his friends (and dad, who also loves that era/genre of music)!
So, for THIS writer, however all alone in the end zone I might be, paper is still "a thing." An indispensable thing, at that! But, that's just me........................apparently. And, maybe you, Sarah! Good luck!
Yeah, that's why I would say it's still worth doing it. Hey, when I go to an art and craft fair I pick up cards of venders I like because I want to be able to look up their social later. I think it's worth trying at least a little. Where did you order your cards from?
Such a retro idea! Old school business cards. Thanks for sharing and I'll keep that in mind.
Thanks, Faith! It seems to get lost, with many/most 'Stackers, who only seem to fret about "which social media sites are the best to help grow my 'Stack?"-type questions. I use 'em all, and have the advantage of having something to HAND people in the real world.
It takes the initial trepidation of "talking to strangers" when you can have something for them to look at while you're giving your impassioned plea to subscribe!!
Great idea, Brad! I still use cards for my consulting business, but it didn't occur to me to do a special card for my Substack. Time to dust off the old Photoshop.
I'm so blessed to have a picture of me from '77 with an eventual Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame group, backstage....to be the "face" of my 'Stack, "FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE"! I almost HAD to take advantage of that! If I had that photo, and wanted to write about plumbing, accounting, hiking, or "personal development," it wouldn't be nearly as impactful or even helpful....to the point where I'd likely not even think about a biz card!
I even signed, in silver paint pen, my first batch of cards a year ago, taking even more advantage of what (to Ramones fans anyway) is a true collector's item!✨
I struggled with this, too, David.
I wrote more posts, Jack, so readers would know that I am serious about writing rather than focusing too much on getting subscribers.
I'd invite them now. It can feel frustrating when you're growing from scratch, and you go a week or two without a new subscriber. Having people sign on is heartening, but in all honesty, any social media posts I make get a bunch of likes from my contacts, but few, if any, subscriptions.
Don't get me wrong there! I'm really not complaining, because the thing I find is that people I know in person seem disinclined to open my email newsletters. It is those who understand what Substack is and who understand what it is they're subscribing to that generate much more engagement.
My advice would be to invite them now but look for subscribers who are motivated by more than personal obligation, for your sanity as much as anything, in that they are much more likely, in my experience, to interact with your newsletter and to support you.
Thank you, Mark.
Facebook mainly, but Instagram as well in my experience. I don't use Twitter and I'm on Reddit hiatus.
Hey, thanks for the concern/offer, but I'll keep grinding man. Cheers.
I'm setting up inklingstar.substack.com to try to publish on regularly with others. I've come up against a few questions:
Can you do live events, exchanges, interviews and/or conversations (written, audio, or with video) on Substack (or is that coming)?
How do I best connect up my website, Wordpress, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts? Landing page on Substack and my webpage?
Does Substack have an option for people to read for free but leave their email address without getting emails? In other words, you can see the free content for leaving your email, but you can opt out of emails going into your inbox.
Is there automated push out to Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook, Linked In or is it manual (I can post a link to my Substack)?
I'll do my best to answer, Linda.
Can you do live events, exchanges, interviews and/or conversations (written, audio, or with video) on Substack (or is that coming)?
-- You can host written live event on Substack for example like the discussion thread we are hosting today. We have thought more about audio and video live events. What do you dream of hosting?
How do I best connect up my website, Wordpress, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts? Landing page on Substack and my webpage?
-- On your website you can embed a link to sign up: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041759232-Can-I-embed-a-signup-form-for-my-publication-
--On social media we encourage you to add your publication homepage to your bio.
Does Substack have an option for people to read for free but leave their email address without getting emails? In other words, you can see the free content for leaving your email, but you can opt out of emails going into your inbox.
-- Yes, anytime someone lands on a free post in the web (e.g.https://inklingstar.substack.com/p/fall-comes-to-the-city) they will be prompted to subscribe.
Is there automated push out to Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook, Linked In or is it manual (I can post a link to my Substack)?
- This happens manually. After you publish a post, we recommend sharing on social media.
Thank you guys! On the live video, I was thinking about a post on the subject that schedules a live discussion. It would be like a panel discussion with my Substack contributors group, but we could take questions or even interact with subscribers (if there weren't too many in attendance). For example, the Author's Guild hosts panel discussion on Manuscript to Marketplace with authors, publisher, and agents. When I register to attend the live event, I am asked to submit a question. During the live event, they answer questions received plus they might take questions spontaneously from the chat. For a smaller group, you could actually unmute audience members.
When you schedule a post to be published, there's an option to automatically push it out to Twitter as well. Depending on what your title is, the text generated can be a little wonky, so that's something to keep in mind.
Thanks, Kevin.
I’m fairly new here and loving it! I host a podcast on Anchor and I’m curious the benefits of hosting on Anchor vs hosting on Substack
Welcome Jess! Great questions. A few things that are different about podcasting on Substack.
- You can share more than just an episode. Each episode can become a bigger, richer experience by adding supporting multimedia material around it—writing, images, or bonus audio and video content.
- You can build a custom landing page and domain.
- You have more pricing options, you can do monthly, annual, and a founding tier option. Plus you can offer a free option. This can be episodes sent to a free list or teasers of an episode prompting free listeners to upgrade.
- More ways to monetize through gift subscriptions and free trials.
Unfortunately, as Valorie mentioned, we don't have in the product audio etting, you can simply upload your final audio or record something directly into a new podcast post.
These are great points, I didn't think about it from this perspective! Thanks for weighing in, Katie!
I straddle this exact line! The biggest difference I’ve found is that Anchor has a music library and Substack’s podcast creator doesn’t. (yet?! Is someone listening? 😉) Anchor also has built-in ad services but the whole thing with Substack is to stop having to rely on ad revenue and getting people to pay for content they love. They both have options for people to pay money for your podcast. Everything else is pretty much the same.
We started litthinkpodcast.substack.com on Anchor and and switched everything to here and we haven't looked back. One stop shop, easier to add show notes, we can have a blog, and we can send out newsletters.
Hi folks, also new, planning to launch in the next couple of weeks but was wondering should I begin promoting from Day 1 or wait til I have a few posts up?
Keep your eyes On Substack tomorrow, we will post a guide that will offer guidance on the launch moment.
The short is, definitely start promoting from day one. A few steps to consider:
Draft an announcement post
Let the world know you are starting something new! Talk about why you’re launching a Substack, why it’s important to you, what readers can expect, and why they should join you. This should be a free post so everyone can see it. Don’t forget a button for readers to subscribe.
Link to your publication everywhere you can
Add your Substack URL to your email signature, personal website, and social media bios. You want it to be the only link you direct people to.
Rally friends to spread the word
Tell your friends and peers, especially those with large followings and in your industry, when you’re launching so they can help share it. Lean on existing Substack writers you know.
Thank you this is great advice!
We started promoting on our socials about 2 weeks out so we could get a base of readers for our first posts. Depending on your goals, the excitement of "the first post" might be worth considering as a tool to build your initial audience. We are excited for you!
Thank you, that's great advice. I read somewhere that they suggested 8 posts before promoting but that seems excessive! Maybe I'll do an intro post and promoting after the first topic post
Hi! We're a few months in and we're just as lost as you are. We are hungry to befriend other substack users and help each other grow an audience. Cuz when the tide comes in, all boats rise, right? So reach out, please! (sub4sub? lolz) On here (https://misguidancecounselors.substack.com) and socials (@misguidance4u). We really think engaging and building each other up makes us better writers.
On the business side: we are wanting to learn about unique tips or tricks that you found highly effective for growing numbers, upping engagement, and converting social media views/clicks into subscriptions. Now that we have reached our initial growth boom, we need to grow to outside just our social circle. We are reading everything we can to learn how to keep the momentum going. Thanks for your insight!
About us: we tell our prospective campers (campers is the moniker we affectionately forced on our readership) that MC is our misguidance, embarrassments, musing, and essays (essays not dissimilar to early-00s TV actresses with a book deal) from the two of us (Marilyn Hayward Haines and Sam Beasley).
We are filthy rich with the jealousy-inducing creative friends and decided it was imperative to signal boost their work with MC. So we invited them to be (low commitment) contributors. Because where would we all be without friends?
We can't wait to get to know you all, engage, and signal boost!
LYLAS,
Sam and Marilyn, Misguidance Counselors
Hey Sam and Marilyn! I have a monthly travel humor newsletter and think we might have overlapping audiences. I'd like to try an experiment in cross-promotion if you're willing. We could do a shout out at the ends of our next issues or we could recommend one another's newsletters for a month or two if you're interested. https://eoconnors.substack.com
Let's chat about it! Sounds like you got a plan in mind. Just read your first post. That was me running through a museum last weekend with my little brother because I need to pee every 15 minutes. Shoot us an email themisguidancecounselors@gmail.com!
I need to transfer ownership of a page, but there is no such option. How I do? I just want to transfer one, in the same account I have other pages.
Hello! I am new, and still reading through the Grow articles to garner advice. Do you have any thoughts on focusing and developing your "voice?"
Hi Katie,
Lately, I’ve been thinking that newsletters are no different than podcasts. Both are stories that use different media formats.
So the same way, podcasts are distributed on podcast networks (Spotify and iTunes), newsletters should also have external distribution platforms.
So far I identified these newsletter aggregators:
The Sample
InbosReads
Thanks For Subscribing
Find Your Newsletter
Rad Letters
It could be great if Substack can either share a full list of aggregators or better yet offer integration for newsletter submission - same logic we publish podcasts.
What do you think?
Great points!
I am. I am facing issue of different cover images size on home page.
I think Substack should provide ways to upload different size thumbnail images OR make the magazine home page layout with cover images of same size. Currently it becomes a mess with 3 different sizes. You can check my home page https://humanworkhistory.substack.com/ to see. All images end up as different sizes.
You can change the layout in your dashboard/settings/theme
Nice newsletter by the way, I subscribed
Currently substack offers 3 design styles. And it didn't work for me.
Thanks for subscribing. You are using same theme like me. So wished to ask if you don't face the same problem? Currently the image on "The sound of Muzak" post, (on your home page), will get cropped when you publish the next post.
You can resize them easily by dragging cursor to the right bottom corner of JPEG image and reducing or increasing it. At least that’s worked for me. Helpful? - ac
No, sorry.
I am talking about the "Cover image", or "thumbnail image" that comes across on right side of every post. You can see 3 images on my home page. They all are automatically cropped by substack. Further on substack app, the image is shown in "square" format.
We get the option to add the image after clicking the "continue" button in draft page. https://snipboard.io/9R15et.jpg
The Substack team is signing off for today. Thanks for being here and sharing your insights. There will be no Office Hours or Shoutout Thread next Thursday, November 3. We’ll be back on November 10 with Office Hours as usual.
In the meantime, please visit our Resources: https://on.substack.com/s/resources
Thanks for writing on Substack,
Katie, Bailey, Jasmine, Dayne, Nadav, Nicole, Tania, Bilaal and Kevin
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: Can you remember when you first decided you wanted to be a writer? When was it? Were you a child, or a young adult, or was it last year or even last week? If you could go back in time and speak with that version of you, what encouragement would you give yourself? What words of affirmation would you say? Share below, because maybe those are the words you or someone here needs most to hear, today!
No matter who you are, no matter when your journey began, make no mistake: YOU are a writer, because you write. And no matter what, KEEP writing! Someone out there is waiting to read your words. Whatever you do, keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
I wrote and illustrated “Jan and the Jumprope” and “Jan’s Bad Day” at the age of 8, and was sure I was a writer. Then I shelved that dream for a long time. When I reluctantly stepped into a writing workshop for bereaved mothers, I learned the healing power of writing, and that “a writer is someone who writes.” It changed everything about my grief, my work, my life.
Thanks for sharing this, Julie.
Such a hard thing to share. Thank you for having the courage.
I love "a writer is someone who writes." Bingo. :) Thanks for sharing, Julie.
You bet. I heard it from Pat Schneider via William Stafford. ❤️
I'm so happy for you, Julie! I love hearing stories like yours, it motivates me to continue writing for others who are where you were before <3
Yes! Twenty years on that same random group of mothers is still writing together—at my house tomorrow. Several of us now help others write for healing. Powerful stuff!
I wrote my first "book" at the age of four. I wanted to be a writer as soon as I could form the letters "C" "A" "T" and make an actual word. Then I was hooked and wanted more words. I haven't stopped since!
Illustrated a children's book in 4th grade. My teacher held onto it. I wish I had it now!
My 4th grade teacher returned the book I wrote for her 40 years later! That she kept it all those years and thought to return it confirmed why she was a favorite teacher for many of us.
That is amazing!
As always, thank you!
If I could go back in time? I'd tell my younger self not to listen to the haters and just keep going.
Funny...I have to keep telling my older self exactly the same thing :)
Ha! Good point. That's true for me too. My younger self listened and put the pen away for about 20+ years.
Definitely. As I wrote in an article (https://open.substack.com/pub/terryfreedman/p/want-to-be-a-writer?r=18suih&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) when all said and done you're the one who took the risk of putting yourself out there, and all those people have done is criticise (and not even in a useful way).
Gosh, ME TOO!
I’ve been creating stories, since I was a little kid. I would make up stories with my Barbies, I would make up stories with other people on the playground, or I would just tell stories to myself. But when I was little, books seemed so big, and I never thought I could write so much. But I was writing stories down regularly in high school, and I just kept going eventually, after I graduated college, I was well on my way to writing my first novel. Since that time I have written countless articles for myself, as a freelancer, and for newspapers and other publications, I’ve written several books, and published one, and I just keep going. I love that sub stack allows me to write about my personal interests, *and* find an audience for them, because that’s something I’ve never really been able to achieve on other platforms.
Very encouraging, Jackie
Yes, it is encouraging and congrats to you!
I've decided to be a writer when I was very young, because my mother read constantly and encouraged me to write. I think having someone important in your life that encourages you is very important to making the long-term commitment required to achieve your goals.
This early start helped immeasurably in developing the skill sets, the imagination, and the desire to succeed. Now I write 4-6 hours a day in three different writing styles - legal, academic, and popular, without even thinking its work.
Like other forms of creative expression, my writing has refined itself and change substantially over time. I can't imagine living without writing and I encourage my graduate students to think about writing with that attitude. It's enormously satisfying and invigorates my life in ways I don't anticipate.
I love that you said writing "invigorates" your life and in ways you "don't anticipate" That in itself is inspiring and a darn good reason to keep writing!
I just wrote about this! I've been writing since I was a little kid with a fabric covered, lined, blank journal. Ever since then, I feel like I'm never not writing - it just doesn't always make it onto a page. I would tell my younger self to meet more writers and get connected to a little writing group for encouragement and feedback. It can be a lonely craft.
This is the place to meet other writers!
i agree, Jen.
I wrote, edited, and "published" the Kyle Klan Kronikles at age 8! It was filled with all the family news that was fit to print! Circulation? My family of 4....well, 3 not counting me!
Amazing!
I also seem to recall cutting pix out of newspapers and gluing and/or taping them onto my pages. I can't imagine I'd not want more elements I saw in other papers, and wanted those same things in my paper!
LOL. I'm pretty sure I'm correct in thinking that some quite famous magazine or com ics person started by writing his own comic by hand and selling photocopies to friends and family.
You're right, but I was nowhere close to being a tycoon or someone who even cared about monetizing my little endeavor! I WAS Music and Entertainment Editor of my high school's daily newspaper, The Three Penny Press (Bellaire High/Houston, TX) in the early '70s. It was a one- (and on some days) two-page mimeographed sheet that sold for...you guessed it.....3c!
I wrote about those fabulous days (and smelly mimeo machine) here: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/50-years-later-meeting-bonnie-raitt
OMG I love Bonnie Rait. I especially liked the duet she did with John Lee Hooker: I'm in the mood. I've just subscribed to your Stack on that basis!
that's so cute, Brad! I wonder if your family knew where you'd be today! I used to write poems and songs at age 8 and make mixtapes of me singing lead vocals, then tape backing vocals 1, B/V 2, etc on to 'A Hard Day's Night' until it had about 6 backing vocalists! :)
I wrote a 60 page drama about the life of an ant family and it’s colony entitled “Too Many Fathers”, that had divorce, death, immigration and work conflicts--at age 9.
aw lovely question! I have been a life-long journal writer. Stacks of books have travelled with me all over the world as I have written about my day to day. I never considered myself a writer until the last few years. I just didn't think that someone who leads a relatively small life would ever say anything that anyone else would want to read. It didn't ever seem like there was much of a story to tell.
I would tell myself that small quiet stories about life ARE worthy.
Journal writing FTW!
I just subscribed! I'm allowing myself to subscribe to three new writers per Office Hours. Any more than that and I won't have the time to explore their writing. I'm looking forward to reading your work! 💟
Beautiful advice, Kat! (And sorry for a quick fangirl moment, but I've been a longtime follower of your Instagram and I love the glimpses you share of your life, there! Lovely to see you in this space!)
S.E. Reid - the most welcoming face!
You're too kind, Mark! Happy Thursday! :)
I can remember wanting to be a writer as a young child, but I can also remember feeling quite sure that I wasn't good enough to do so, not talented enough, not organised enough, not smart enough. I'm not sure exactly what I thought wasn't good enough about me, but I was very sure about it. So, I'd tell my child self who wanted to write that writing is a skill. If you want to be good at it, you practise it, and you get better. Write without judging the quality, just keep going and you will get better and better. When I finally came to this realisation, it was so freeing.
definitely.
I used to make up stories as a kid and imagine writing, but never did much. And high school English knocked my confidence because I wasn't as strong at English Lit as I was at Maths. I came to writing as a bored 33 year old. A reading of my astrology chart informed me that I might be good at writing and it was like a lightbulb going on. I worked through Julia Cameron's The Right To Write and The Artist's Way. That was over 20 years ago and it has been one hell of a journey. I have two books published and two more on the boil at the moment as well as my weekly Substack, which is about nudging people through the obstacles of being a writer.
My advice would be to others - just start. Figure it out as you go. Don't expect to be perfect. Everything will take longer than you want it to be. Fear and obstacles are normal, just KEEP GOING
I love the Artist's Way!! Really tuned me into a possible inner artist within me! Lol. Looking forward to reading more by Julia Cameron <3
Yes, it was a game changer for me. Very exciting. I love her books
Great story. My Substack is about "Unintended Consequences". I love yours. Would you be a writer today IF you had never read your astrology chart? How different would your life be? What did that moment change in the trajectory of your life? If you are interested in me turning that into a story on my Substack, I'd love to hear more from you about the circumstances and your thoughts. Reach out on my Substack anywhere.
I definitely knew when I was a child that I would be a writer. Even though my mom was a nurse and my dad was a salesman and money was tight, they never once tried to push me to go into a more lucrative career. And as it turned out, I was able to make a living as a novelist, which was definitely not something I expected to happen when my first and second books came out with a whisper!
I have always wanted to be a writer, and I have been for many years. On the face of it, it looks like my focus has changed but in truth, it's only the tools I use that have changed. These days I write fiction and essays on in-depth elements of fiction. Here on SS I have what looks like a new newsletter, but it is only new here. Once or twice a month I write an essay on some aspect of writing, usually within the Fantasy genre. Sometimes the pieces are on a craft element, sometimes a more journalistic angle is taken. Hopefully, I’ll surprise you with what I cover. I also share short fiction I'm writing.
https://carolynmcbrideauthor.substack.com/
Hi Carolyn, it seems like you cover a lot in your substack! I’m interested to read your next post :)
Thank you so much! There's a new post coming out in the next couple of days.
(I love the scheduling feature!)
Can't remember when I decided I wanted to write, but I wish I could go back and encourage myself to keep a journal at all times. So many ideas lost forever because I didn't write them down!
I feel the same way, Lynn! So many times I convinced myself out of keeping a journal and I definitely regret it!
Thanks for mentioning journaling. I have been writing in mine for almost thirty years and find it a great place to have imaginary conversations and try out ideas as well as chronicle daily events.
I used to do creative writing as a kid and then stopped for many years. I started writing again as a young adult because I was very passionate about combat sports and wanted to share that passion. If I could give my younger self advice it would be not to worry about what others think. Write because you like expressing yourself and the rest will come. Also, keep reading and working on your craft. If you do that, you will improve. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes along the way. That’s how you learn and grow. Keep giving it your all!
I wrote constantly when I was a child, and was even published in a Chicken Soup book when I was a younger teen! Somewhere along the way, I lost confidence. I'm actually joining this discussion for the very first time today! I am about to launch my Substack...its super exciting but really hard to put myself out there. I'm a pretty private person and don't really engage much with social media! I really think the Substack community is so supportive, however (at least I've gleaned as much from creeping around!)
Welcome! I'm glad you finally made an appearance. :)
Thanks, Matthew!
Just wanted to say thanks to the people of Office Hours last week when I read someone shared they made their Substack public with the option to pay to subscribe (for no additional content, just out of support). I added the paid option this week to my newsletter and didn't tell anyone, just let it roll, and within 30 minutesI had two subscribers who went for the full year and became "Founding subscribers". We often doubt our own abilities until someone reminds us that we can be confident and put ourselves out there. We need reminders that what we put into the world does matter and people believe in you. For me it's less for the $ and more for the accountability to keep writing. Having people who financially support your work encourages you to keep writing. Thanks Office Hours folks for encouraging me to do so!
That's so awesome! This is the approach I take, and while I don't have many paid subscribers, I feel good knowing the option is there if someone wants to support my work.
Thank you for this, Maria! I've been dragging my heels adding the Pay option. This is exactly how I want to do it - free content always but letting people send some support my way if they choose.
I opened my paid option this week too! Didn't get the same response, but hearing about your success is encouraging. Can someone explain the "Founding Subscribers" option? How does it work exactly?
Hey Andrew, we are given the option for 3 pricing tiers. Monthly, Yearly, and Founding Member. The founding member is just a way for people who are your extra fans, to support you in a bigger way. For example my monthly price is 7, yearly is 84, and founding member is $199 for a year. in my experience I was able to convert two people into founding members immediately without promotion. I hope to start sharing the other subscribing options over the next few weeks. just easing into it
You can also send posts specifically to founding members if you'd like
Good to know!!!
Bailey I need help. Can you email me? Talktothefuture@gmail.com — see my post above. I’ve tried the tutorials/tips but no go. So
Did a friend with more tech ability. No luck… i seem to have done something to screw up my page. Can’t seem to have latest post go to free subscribers and have deleted paid subscriber button as a result. Need to fix overall setting to allow for free, paid and founding.
Super appreciate help.. talktothefuture@gmail.com
Tell Me Everything ‘stack.
Anne-christine 415-690-6199
Hi Maria. I’ve run into a wall teting to add paid subscribers so reaching oit to community for help. Would you be available to troubleshoot with me? I’ve messed up and can’t seem to fix my stack to have free, paid and founding. If yes, my email is talktothefuture@gmail.com. Thanks AC
Hi! Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the subscribers. while not an expert at the settings, I think Bailey @ Substack (a few comments above) might be able to better help troubleshoot
I hope someone can! I feel so stuck. Been a week unable to fix.
wow! That‘s so lovely. I‘d been going back and forth about turning on paid lately and your post just inspired me to go for it. Thank you!
This is SO awesome!! Congratulations, Maria! That’s such a weight off to hear people wanting to support just because, no extras *needed*! And love the idea of it holding you accountable. I went paid but never got a chance to announce it before life hit hard.
Been wanting to come back recently and this is amazing to hear! Thank you for sharing!
That's encouraging!
That is fantastic Maria. I'm still afraid to offer the paid option. I'm having trouble keeping up with my free schedule. Glad you so brave.
Yes, that’s what I do, too. Rarely get paid subscribers but 2 or 3 paid is better than none! You have nothing to lose by offering that option with no additional content!
Congratulations and what a welcome piece of encouragement!
Love this. Thanks for sharing, Maria!
This is so incredible!! Congratulations :) You are inspiring me!
this is my plan for the second substack I hope to launch in Jan, a foodletter. thanks for sharing your thoughts and success!
that's wonderful to hear, so glad you are feeling encouraged to keep writing! thank you for sharing these encouraging words ✨
That's great to hear.
That's great Maria! Congratulations! 💟
I so needed this! I've really been doubting/wondering if/when I should launch paid subscriptions.. You're so right though I think it would really help me not only stay accountable but also bring more value to the table. Thanks so much, Maria. I just subscribed to your newsletter, can't wait to read!
Aw thanks for sharing that, Keaton! It’s good knowing people are counting on your to deliver, and that they value what you write. Appreciate you subscribing to my publication, hope you enjoy!
Pulling back on my twice-a-week schedule for the next couple of months during the holidays. It was a great decision--this is supposed to be fun, not stressful, and I want to keep it that way!
Have you considered writing ahead of time? My Substack has content up to the end of April already figured out. That way you can keep the schedule and reduce stress.
This is partly why I am choosing to only post weekly the next couple of months. I would love to have lots of content banked, but I have a day job, a small business, and four adult kids to connect with. It's too much for the holidays to think I can get two posts out per week.
Good for you...sometimes, self-care is precisely the oil we need to keep our engines going...
I keep a OneNote page where I capture all ideas that occur to me. There, I can drop in notes, thoughts, links, etc. to provide the information I need. THEN, I rank them top to bottom in order of what I want to write. This does a couple of things. One: it makes sure I'm not stuck on a blank page "what am I going to write about". Two: it puts these things in the back of my mind where they kind of start writing themselves and percolating until the whistle blows and I'm ready to write them.
i do something similar in a spreadsheet!
Yeah, I used to use spreadsheets and other tools. I eventually moved to OneNote because it allows me to have Notebooks, Subsections, and Pages so I can break everything down. When I'm working on a book, I have a separate Notebook for that, breaking out build information, pages, outlines, etc. into Subsections and pages. It has been a lifesaver for me. Takes a while to get the hang of though. USE TABLES if you ever decide to go that way.
I've never been able to get into OneNote even though it seems wonderful. Maybe I'll explore the tables option. Thanks
Yes, that works well, Andrew. I do the same; only i'm so far ahead of myself that i neglect to upload more often!
Well I try to limit myself so I don’t end up in a scenario of having no content coming up. Though I have considered adding some content behind a paywall since I’m so far ahead.
This is something I aspire to, although I can never wait to see my name in print. This is why I don't write obituaries: I'd be wishing the person I wrote about would hurry up and die!
Definitely shouldn’t be stressful. It’s ok to drop back a little.
I guess it’s a balance between quality and quantity. I’d say quality always wins.
That was my line of thought, Martin. My "Midweek Musings" had grown to more than just musings (maybe I'm incapable of small posts?!), so the twice per week schedule was too much. I'd rather offer my very best once a week rather than a frazzled effort twice.
I laughed at this, because my Monday and Wednesday posts are supposed to be short, and now I find myself writing longer and longer posts. Could be we ARE incapable of saying just a little bit!
Ha! Indeed! But I do love your longer M/W posts. :)
Thanks, Holly. The same can be said about how I feel about your longer posts. Go enjoy your holidays and we'll all be here when you get back. And of course, we will still have your once a week posts!
I hit the heart button, but that's not exactly how I feel about only getting to read half as much--but it's fine, go live your life and what-not. Seriously, I think one of your essential ingredients is the sense of immediacy and authenticity in your writing and that's a lot to do twice a week as thoughtfully as you do, especially with as much as you have going on! I'll be grateful for everything you can manage to publish.
If words could be a bouquet of flowers, I'd put them in a vase on my desk. Thanks, Randall. That means a lot.
I could make a corny joke about how sometimes they are, but I'm not going to do that.
I've run up against a problem similar in that next week I'm away and I haven't had time to get all my posts scheduled in advance. Argh!
Yeah--when I start feeling the squeeze, I know I've bitten off too much!
How often we post seems a common refrain. My circumstance differs from yours as no longer a full-time career and kids grown up. I started with a simple goal of getting competent through repetiition and actually posted DAILY FOR A WHILE -- ridiculous but at that point I did not even seek subscribers! After about 45 days moved to 4X then 3X per week. Eventually I took 3 months off. When I returned it was 2X per week. I have finally approached a COMFORT with topics and length and will begin 1X a week which was ALWAYS the end goal next week. I am now, finally, paying some attention to subscribers and it is a lot of fun. You sound like you have a GREAT outlook as the goal needs to be FUN and COMFORT or things cannot be sustainable. It just goes to show that all of us are different as our priorities hopefully. I have now posted about 170 times since about October of 2021. There is a calmness now to the draft to publish cycle. I am excited as the change to fall this year will mean new hobbies, travel and writing as one of the passions, but moderated. Substack is for everyone. I have FINALLY pivoted to not overwhelming the reader and trying to limit my production to one ten minute story per week. I think that is fair and not a burden for the reader. I am so glad in the first months I did not actively seek ANY READERS, I might have burned them out and driven them away! It is FUN to look back at the those early posts and be able to see the progress in style, content, tone and consistency. Fun. I will take a look at your Substack. Enjoy the holidays.
I definitely have been considering my readers' time--how much do they really have time for? I think once a week is plenty since my posts are generally about a 10-12 minute read. My problem is that I want to publish as soon as a post is ready! Ha! But I'm committed to sticking to this once-a-week schedule for a couple of months and reevaluating at the start of the new year.
RE: Posting ASAP -- I am a planner and hate deadlines. For me, in the beginning especially, I would try to understand how much time I was putting into a post. The weird engineer in me. I operate with a lot of drafts in progress. I use automation tools like Grammarly to help me be accurate. It is funny as I used to use Grammarly professionally and it was awesome for tone analysis. It is fun to see that a post I am working on is the "right" tone I was aiming for like hopeful, positive, etal. I have not done a last-minute edit and post in a long time. Just gotta find out what works for each of us. It sounds like you are thinking and prioritizing the reader...that is very cool!
Looking back, I am now proud that for the first couple months one like was more than enough for me. I had entered into it with a good attitude and genuinely was writing for me. Only the members of my creative writing group were even looking. Funny in perspective. I am a retired engineer / scientist and the numbers and demands on readers was always in my mind. Nowadays, I feel I am a bit more serious about it.
I have come to really care most about whether folks open and read it. Those numbers have settled out pretty high with a pretty smallish set of readers. As I reduced the length and frequency, I am now getting a fair amount of new subscribers. Less is more :) at least for me.
I never set out to have a subscriber goal. I only wanted to migrate within a year to a once a week post I could be proud of. I feel I am there now and think the rest will take care of itself. However, my background in math and statistics can be limiting. It is most fun for me now to see that the writing I enjoyed writing the most is rarely the most popular! I am okay with that as I figure it means I can now confidently write a bunch of different style and topic posts and there is a different audience for each.
Yes 2x a week is a lot! I thought when I started I could pull that off - and I realized in this short time I've been here that it's just not possible. My ideas need time to germinate and reproduce and then integrate again. We can only do what we can!
I understand what you are saying. I am making the decision to go weekly to bimonthly for a while. My substack is a summary of non-fiction works and also essays that connect the book ideas to current events. I have realized that he pace I was on for an entire year of weekly is not allowing me time to think through those connections and produce quality essays. I hope this helps. I am also excited to be working with another write and do guest pieces and that takes time. But still loving every minute of what I do.
Oh yes--especially with the subject matter in your newsletter, Faith! I'm sure once a week is tough enough.
Thanks, Holly. I appreciate your support.
I saw that, and I applaud your decision. It needs to work for you first and foremost. 💟
All the best with the new schedule!
Thank you!
I received my very first paid subscriber and I couldn't be more thrilled! I also recently did an interview with Mark Dykeman over at https://howaboutthis.substack.com for Creator Spotlight (posted soon). Be sure you check out his Substack.
I hope you're encouraged this week. Know that it takes time, and consistency is key to building an audience. Find your community and support them. The fiction community is one of the best. Check them out at https://fictionistas.substack.com.
Congrats Brian! I also received my first subscriber last week. What surprised me is A) I don't recognize the person at all B) they went straight for the annual subscription option. Best of luck with growing that base!
congrats Brian and Oleg!
Thanks Jo!
Awesome, Oleg, congratulations!
Way to go, Brian! I just got my first paid subscriber this week, too, pretty much right around the time that my newsletter turned a year old. So heck yes, consistency is key.
p.s. congratulations!
That's awesome, Seth, congratulations!
Seth, i love your logo - although it reminds me too much of my own inbox! :')
Thank you Jo! An pal on Twitter recently screenshotted their inbox at 666 emails, and I told him he was legally obligated to subscribe to my newsletter haha. I would cry if I had that many emails!
Haha, brilliant!
Awesome newsletter, by the way, just taking a look now.
Amazing! well done Brian. It's always a thrill when a paid sub notification comes through. Hooray!
Thanks Victoria!
Amazing Brian. Brilliant stuff.
How many free subscribers do you have?
I have approximately 150 free subscribers. They are a great group and probably 15-20 are also very active in the fiction community.
Congrats! That's awesome.
Congrats!!
That's great, Brian! I have a few paid subscribers who are friends or acquaintances, but recently got ONE who is a total stranger! So, I totally can relate to your joy. Here's to many more to come.
Congrats, Brian!
Congrats!
well done!
November 1!
Excellent news Brian. Congratulations!
Thank you, Victor!
Congrats, Brian! That's awsome!
Thanks Holly!
Happy Thursday, all. Why do I have this feeling that there's going to be a sudden rush of people signing up to Substack during the next week as the Twitter sale to Elon Musk is apparently going to happen after all? People ready for a change?
I can’t see substack as a replacement for Twitter- it’s a completely different animal. Twitter is all about interaction while this place is about reading and writing longer form stuff. But I’d be happy if Elon would just disappear…
Similar to what I just wrote to Victor Santiago, I'm looking more at the community potential than the pithy (or, alternately, nasty) quips which come with Twitter's character length. Cheers.
Me too...
https://www.garbageday.email/p/someday-soon-you-will-tweet-for-the
An article about how twitter will die soon. Read it and pray he's right.
Happy Thursday, Mark! Gosh, I waved goodbye to Twitter a long time ago - but I'm sure any ex-Twitterati (and anyone else!) will be made very welcome here on Substack!
Hey, I wonder if the rush of people you speak of might want to help in my push to reach 100 subscribers by the end of October.... just 5 more to go. And yes, I know a Twitter presence would help in my marketing of my newsletter.... oh never mind! 😉🤣
I said goodbye to Twitter and FB (all social media, actually) back in 2014 and haven't looked back. Best thing I've ever done for my writing/relationships/sanity. I've had a web site since 1996 but I've also recently started a Substack. Here's the essay I wrote about leaving social media:
https://bobsassone.substack.com/p/the-web-was-a-better-place-before
Cool! I am looking forward to reading this. I never got onto social media - I mean, not never. But when everyone got an FB account I didn't. I did start an IG account last year to personally challenge myself but as one does, I couldn't keep up with the needed daily posts etc and got discouraged and lost in a quagmire. I am seriously questioning what I want to put my energy into and while I'd like to reach people with my message/writing, I am not entirely sure that that is where I need to be.
I'll be reading your essay! It's time for me to make some changes. Recently got rid of FB, Twitter is next.
Go go go!!!!
🤣
I love "Dear Reader, I'm Lost," but sadly, I'm already subscribed.
Much appreciated! I love 'Thanks for Letting Me Share', too!! 😊
I am a big fan of not using social media. I didn't use it for years. Though, when I started writing online I did start using my Twitter again. Mostly as an outlet for the divine wisdoms that drop into my mind. But I say do what feels right to you, your recipe might not match anybody else's!
Just subscribed! Hope you reach your goal. I still have a ways to go to reach 100. Slow and steady wins the race, right? :)
Thanks so much, Susi! ☺️
I think Substack and Twitter are different things for different purposes. One of the reasons I don't like Twitter is that it's mostly about punching (in the face sometimes) with a short short message. That format doesn't work well for me. In both reading and writing, I prefer things more in depth.
I've tried promoting my stack on twitter, but I don't think it's done a whole lot. I don't have a large amount of followers there, so maybe for someone with a large following it works better.
I quadrupled my subscriber count in about two weeks by getting involved with Twitter, but it wasn't as simple as making an account, following a few people, and advertising my work. My success came through finding likeminded independent creators and promoting their work, while they promoted mine. I suggest finding other writers that produce fiction in the same vein as yours and working together!
This. Absolutely this. Otherwise you're one of 10 million people standing on a street corner, shouting, trying to be heard above the din.
I actually enjoy Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to a lesser extent, although I certainly don't have huge followings on any of the three. I do promote my posts on all three networks and have gotten more subscribers from Facebook simply because most of my contacts really are my "friends"!
My own Substack experience to date (6 months, so not extensive) suggests to me that it's possible to build a network and community through the various opportunities available to a Substack publisher, one that could rival what one has via Twitter, even thought the medium and context are different. My reply to you is an example, as is your comment to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)
I've been writing here just over a year, and I agree. I got the BULK of my subscribers from a recommendation here on Substack. And I've been promoting my newsletter on Instagram and Twitter, but rarely do I get any subscribers from there. Ahh well!
Well it depends on how it changes things. I don’t expect a sudden change, more gradual. There’s also a possibility that many people who don’t like that Musk is taking over might try out this platform. Which might not be a great thing.
I agree that any change would likely be gradual. I do expect an uptick to this medium but maybe not a huge one, hard to say for sure.
You know, that's a fair comment. But you'd have to be comfortable with video content, I'm not really there.
I might change my opinion over time, I dunno.
How do you see Substack replacing Twitter? They have such utterly different dynamics.
That's a great question. For me Substack is about intelligent writing, both long and short form. While Twitter feels like it's a 140 characters of outrage and hatred at least half the time.
On Substack you can't be lazy and just retweet stuff or get a following with little effort. Substack requires not only intelligence, as Michael noted, but also effort - i.e., work.
I agree the mechanics are very different but there are Twitter users who value the community aspects that can be done well. Those might or might not translate to Substack well. Don't forget that Twitter has always had the ability to link to long form content, too, it's just not great at generating it.
For me, it's not that Substack replaces Twitter, it's that the wasted time on Twitter is better spent on writing things that matter, things that will have a longer life in the universe than a tweet. I've been on Twitter for 13 years. I've made a few friends, but I've made many more in two years on Substack.
I see people (possibly) abandoning Revue. there has also been a long simmering shift in taste from traditional social media (FB, Twitter, etc.) to longer tail forms like Substack. The sale of the platform might be the nudge a lot fo people have been waiting for to pull the exit handle.
Great point on Revue, I wasn't even considering that.
Does Revue even have an actual cultural impact? I know about it because I researched the topic when considering Substack, but they seemed like a non-starter.
Not sure, I don't have much knowledge or experience with Revue.
Never even heard of Revue. Social media is just the pits. But still need it just now for directing subscribers to my substack. Hope one day to bin it.
or you can put it on autopilot with https://newslettertosocials.com
I think you're 100% right.
Twitter is good for posting threads, or summaries, of content on Substack and linking to the Substack in the final tweet of the thread.
Also wanted to note that you do seem to do this quite successfully.
It’s really hit or miss. It is very hard to know which threads will resonate but when it works, it really works and can generate a lot of new subscribers.
https://newslettertosocials.com/ can help with creating Twitter content from your Substack
There are several here that only seem to advertise. :(
Yes, no question.
I suggest that the pending change in ownership might motivate people to try different mediums which do not have Twitter's limitations. There are community aspects to both and Substack can simulate many of them, perhaps best Twitter at them. And I'm saying this as someone who's been a devoted Twitter use for 15 years.
Yes, that's a good point. People might be motivated by the change in ownership. I've certainly seen a lot of "I'm going to leave if" tweets, but hard to know if people will follow through or just adapt to the new [whatever].
I'd focus more on the community building aspect than the content itself. See our comment thread as an example.
Completely different ethics too
Maybe people will abandon Revue?
Could be. I quit Facebook a week ago (for the second time), and I have a feeling Twitter may be next.
Hi Lloyd! Good for you. I've never really used Twitter much, and from what I hear from others, I'm glad I haven't. It sounds too harsh for my tender heart, lol. 💟
It will be interesting to see what happens.
God I hope so. And I'm so glad I have not spent any more time trying to build a twitter following. It's dominated already by establishe authors and pundits anyways.
Man, podcasts on Substack seem super intuitive!
I write a poetry newsletter, and have been thinking about narrating my poems in an audio format - let me know if that's something you would check out!
Here's a couple of experiments with recording my poems:
https://hellouniverse.substack.com/p/monetize-it
https://hellouniverse.substack.com/p/the-quarrel
Looking forward to the community's feedback and encouragement
Nice! That's the idea that's catching, isn't it? Spoiler: once I celebrate a year on Substack on Monday, I'll have an audio section dedicated specifically to poetry readings.
Congratulations! The world wants to hear your poetry :)
Thanks so much, Angeli! Kind words go a long way on this subject, as you can appreciate.
Awesome Kevin! A year is a huge milestone. Congratulations 👏👏
Thanks so much!
I love your Substack and would welcome your reading the poems!
Thank you so much Holly! So happy for your encouragement. Also - how come we haven't collaborated yet? Let's plan a cross promo!
I'm in!
Thanks! Emailed you 😀
Go for it! I've had a great response to pieces with poems read aloud. I think readers welcome the extra layer of meaning they get from hearing the author's voice. My favorite so far was a collaboration between two Alabama friends--a poet and musician--that combined spoken poetry with rootsy music. It's here, if you want to check it out: https://juke.substack.com/p/alabama-50
Thanks for the encouragement Tonya, I've bookmarked your post! 😀
Oh that collaboration is fabulous. Glad to know about your writing! I subscribed.
Thank you so much!!
Have just subscribed to your newsletter - great work! 😊
You're going to love it, Rebecca!
Thanks a lot Rebecca! 😀
Oh, lovely! I particularly enjoyed the second poem, and I think poems lend themselves to being read aloud by their authors. That adds another dimension to the work. I loved your cartoons in the first one. The humor in your approach and humility of your offering is very engaging! Did you draw those? Here's a wonderful example of poetry reading. The lyrical Irish author's voice brings the words of the poetry to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX5JwSWNG9I
Thank you Linda for your kind words. I did draw everything in the "Monetize it" poem, yes. I keep doodling often - there's another example in this post of a wedding invitation I made for my best friend's wedding -
https://hellouniverse.substack.com/p/happy-people
I appreciate your point about narration adding another dimension to the work. Well noted!
I've bookmarked the Irish author's poem for checking out later, thanks!
I would definitely listen to you reading your work!
You're the best, Kevin!
I have a big scary goal I want to name out loud here because, well you know. Then it won't roam around my head and scare me forever. Plus, manifestation and goal-setting and all that.
I'm at 187 free subscribers after two months. I want to grow to 5000 readers and have 250 readers (5%) as paid subscribers. That would financially be a huge help to my family and enable me to write full-time on a number of projects.
I'm so grateful to Substack for all the incredible resources that have helped me see this is possible with consistent work put in over time. I love the Grow series.
Okay, that's all. Excuse me while I throw up from vulnerability and owning the dreams that call us. :)
Name it! I love the specificity here ~~ calling out what you want is so important. Can't wait to see you in some future comments section saying you got there!
I hear you Jenny! It's hard being vulnerable, but I do think it gets a little easier as we go. I used to fret much more about putting myself out there. These days I think to myself, even if I try something that doesn't work, people are moving so quickly in their own lives that they don't have time to hold onto my faux pas. :)
That's what my entire career has been based on! (Joking!)
Wow, I love this, Jenny! Hi from a new subscriber!
I just subscribed! I allow myself to explore three new writers a week, and you're number 3 for today. I'll look forward to reading your newsletter! 💟
Welcome! Glad to get connected 🎉
😃
Wow, that’s a really good idea, setting a limit - often after these threads I find I’ve overwhelmed myself again! 🤣 Thanks so much!
You'll get there!
Just subscribed! We have some similar themes—a focus on helping folks pay attention and find the meaning in their own stories. For me that's through encouraging them to write. I look forward to reading more of yours! That thread image in your first post resonates with me. Welcome!
beautiful - thank you Julie! and a follow-back to boot ~~~
looking forward to more---
LC
Thanks! Also subscribed. Looking forward to it!
That’s my goal within
2-3 years, too!
Yay! Cheering you on.
Love the big goals and will check out your publication! *waves from Seattle*
Seattle! How happy are you the smoke is gone?! 🎉
Very! Today we are getting blown around by wind gusts, and I love it!
Whoa! I hope your last line was facetious!
Definitely :)
I’ve been thinking a bit about embarrassment and people seeing your work and thinking it’s silly. I remind myself and all of you, that you’re DOING something, they’re not. However fanciful your Substack with its photos or essays, you’re the one putting yourself out there. Be proud! You’re doing something that actually scary and risky. Be gentler on yourself. You’re doing fine. 😊
Yes! I love this. Just the act of putting your work out there and being vulnerable is praise-worthy. If you're nervous about it, that just means you're doing something authentic. And you never know who will find you or how you will grow in the process.
Agreed. Where there’s pain, there’s growth. Some people are just waiting to see what you’ve done and they’ll be grateful you took the leap.
That's for sure. I've put so much silly stuff out there on my substack that I may actually now require a "Hazardous Goofiness Ahead" warning on my subscription page. But hey, I gotta be me and other will just have to deal with it.
And that’s who your subscribers love - you! It would be a crime to keep yourself away from them.
What a great reminder! I think the word "embarrassment" is on point. It can be scary to put a piece of work out there and see the response (or perhaps no response which can feel more embarrassing). And yet you are bang on - we are the ones putting the effort and the work and if it lands it does and if it doesn't no harm done (usually). And maybe all that effort lands for one person, a person you'll never know, and it helped a bit. Isn't it worth it knowing that?
I think "those" people are just jealous they aren't doing it themselves....
Probably. I remember my high school art teacher responding to a student who said they could have done x. “Yeah, but you didn’t.” It’s a dot and a line on a white page but you didn’t think of it. That’s the difference.
exactly!!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 <inserts_Janet Jackson_it's_true_tho.gif> 💜
Haha! Love her.
Hi Everyone. I want to share my celebration with you. This week I got to 750 subscribers. Woo-hoo. I started on Substack in January and bought over an aweber list of 300ish. I get a few unsubscribes every week (which is normal). Most of my new subscribers come from Recommendations. I also make an effort to regularly comment on other Substacks.
My substack is called Gentle Creative and I give gentle, realistic advice about writing with an occasional dollop of tough love. Think of me as your gentle cheerleader. You can read more here: https://gentlecreative.substack.com/about
Wow, 750! I’ve just subscribed, Cali - so now that’s 751 and probably counting...! 😄
Thank you. Much appreciated
Super congrats!!!
Thank you
Congratulations on the milestone, Cali!
Thank you
Great work.
How often do you publish?
A weekly article on a Friday. On Mondays I do a shorter round up of useful articles/quotes for my paid subscribers. At the end of each month, for paid subscribers, I also give a round-up of how the month has been for me - the good, the bad and the ugly!
Yay Cali!
Thanks. And thank you for being a very active subscriber x
I'm sure there are more ways of attracting new readers then just your social media profiles and Substack recommendations (which are great BTW!).
If you haven't tried The Sample yet, I highly recommend it to all. It's basically a servce that sounds out a sample of your NL to hundreds of readers, and some of them might even subscribe! There's both a free and a paid option, I've tried both and helped me get new readers and subscribers. It can also be a good tool to discover new writers in the area you're intrerested in (be it on Substack or other platforms). Here's a link - https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d (full disclosure - this is a referral link, hope that doesn't go against the rules, happy to remove it if it does)
Another example of such a service is htttps://inboxreads.co. Doesn't cost a thing and can help you find new readers who share the same interests.
Any other channels you know of?
The Sample has driven a lot of traffic my way. It has also pointed me to some great newsletters to read.
Inboxreads is great as well.
I haven't had as much luck on Radletters, but the connections I've made through the platform have made it worth while.
The Sample has sent me a handful of readers. Totally worth the effort to submit.
And I signed up! Hopefully it works :-)
Thanks for sharing. I added mine!
me too
Radletters sends me people.
Thanks for sharing, added mine there!
What is Radletters? And I guess I need to look at some of these other options too.
https://www.radletters.com/
Be more efficient and active on social media. tools like https://newslettertosocials.com/ can help you quickly curate and post content for more traction. This way social media is effective and doesn't take as much time
Thanks for sharing! Trying Radletters, too @youtopian Journey
Hi, everyone! A question for the more academic/educational writers out there: any tips for translating academic knowledge into something more accessible and easily digestible for a newsletter?
And a more general question for everyone -- How do you write for a target audience? Do you have an imagined target audience in mind, and write for them? Or do you try to ascertain what your current audience enjoys, and write what you think they'll like? I find myself struggling between the two.
Write in your own voice. It's cheesy, but YOU are the brand.
As for the audience, I definitely have a group in mind (music fans, in my case). I've mentioned it previously, but when my list was small, I literally would have a specific reader or two in mind when writing. I'd put their names on a Post -It note and stick it to the side of my laptop.
I love this, Kevin! I'm going to try the post-it note thing because I'm great at writing letters, but sometimes not so good at keyboarding on a blank editor on the screen.
I know I'm probably not your typical "audience" but I still love your posts. I learn so much about music and artists I'd never heard of (or *thought* I'd never heard of!).
Thank you! That's my letter's north star. :)
I've been thinking a lot about this and trying to use lessons I've learned working in museums
There's a great book by Nina Simon called the Art of Relevance that has a lot of great thoughts about what attracts people to things and what makes them stick around. It's written for cultural institutions, but I think about it a lot. She uses the image of doors and rooms. How do people feel about the door? Do they think it's inviting or off putting? It's different for different people/communities/identities. Then what value do people get once they get in to the room? Do they feel welcome or excluded?
These things have literal interpretations in a museum, but I think there are equivalents in writing. I ask myself if the intro invites people in and makes the value clear. Am I using terms or a writing style that brings people along or is it off putting? Then I keep asking myself how I'd feel if I were in the shoes of the people I'm hoping to reach. Often I imagine specific people.
I also think humor and personalization helps _a lot_.
Yes!
Too funny... I wrote a post about humour in writing for children for my newsletter this morning! And wrote a lengthy response not realizing it was THIS thread :)
You made me think about the story possibilities when other characters are making inside jokes and the main character feels lost. How that might work in a YA novel. Thanks for the inadvertent...
I just remembered the Nina Simon has a TED talk on relevance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTih-l739w4
Thanks for sharing! Love different ways of looking at things.
This is such a great metaphor Dave. I just subscribed to your newsletter. Thanks.
I love this imagery! Thank you for such a thoughtful response, Dave!
Oh, this is right up my alley! I’m a historian and I try to make my history podcast, Unruly Figures, as relatable and fun as possible. My key is to pretend that I’m telling each story to a friend. We’ve all told a friend about something we’re REALLY excited about or told a dishy story over coffee or drinks, right? I try to bring that energy into it. If that means I go on tangents or add in little asides, that’s fine! That’s how I’d naturally tell the story anyway.
Love this advice & will be incorporating that natural storytelling energy for sure! Also, I love Unruly Figures! :)
Thank you!!
I don't have a target audience and I don't try to write what I think someone else will enjoy. I just show up, write what's on my mind, and hope it resonates and helps someone. The best advice I see here consistently is use your authentic voice, write (consistently) what you're passionate about, and that will drive your audience.
As always, Holly, I like your 'tude.....the cut of your jib, and your styyyyyyyle!😉👍 Oh, and I like the way you write.
Aw...thanks! I've got no time for anything other than straight-to-the-point!
Thinking back, I've been surprised at how people resonate with posts that I didn't think would be that popular, but I was just excited to write. Great advice, thanks Holly!
I get this! When you’re excited about something, people can feel that in your writing.
Exactly! I see this all the time, too. Just yesterday I posted what I was sure my worst post ever...but it resonated. Just be YOU!
It sure did! And sparked some interesting tangents in the comment section as well.
Rebecca, I have had the same experience. I've only been at this blogging thing for six months and I am amazed at which topics resonate with people.
(What a fascinating topic!)
I had a friend who wrote exclusively with Brian Eno, his hero, in mind. Do you have a hero you dream of reading your work? Could be a fun approach.
Moving forward I too will only write for Brian Eno. And David Byrne, but that's it.
Oh, that's such an interesting angle, I'll have to give that one some thought! Cue the journaling.
Re making technical knowledge more accessible, I used to write technical "explainer" videos about complex products and ideas. I would always imagine myself sitting in a coffee shop explaining to my mom how it worked - she's a smart and curious lady, but not super technical, so it helped me find the words to explain something in simple terms without dumbing it down. Another exercise I tried was explaining it to a 5th grader -- it's an age where they are old enough to grok stuff but they haven't hit the I-know-everything-and-you-have-nothing-to-teach-me stage yet.
Re a target audience, I do imagine a person or small group when I write, and I write to them. I write in my own voice and plan the content I think they might value, but I have to narrow down my audience so I can better curate my ideas. It's interesting to observe what readers respond to and comment on, though. it's not always what I assume will resonate. Sometimes they latch onto something I write that feels minor, but they connected in a much bigger way than I expected. When that happens, I make a note to expand on that topic in a future post, because clearly, it resonates. So for me, it's a balance of being and writing for yourself, and responding to how the readers engage.
Love the comment on the balance between being yourself & responding to what readers love -- it's something tricky that I'm still trying to find!
I write history articles for non-history/non-academic people. I think, focusing less on documenting sources, and more on the story is important. Adding personal elements and using a colloquial tone can help.
I think the most important thing is to just ask yourself what is it that you want people to know, and how can you talk about it in an engaging and simple way that won’t feel like you’re talking over their heads. How would you explain your subject to your mom or your best friend?
I've also realized that no one really cared about my APA citations except for me and I have since simplified considerably, haha!
As you consistently write and get a better idea of your audience, you mellow some of your academic educational writing habits into the flow of good creative non-fiction. It has challenged me to make my writing more engaging for my readers. My academic writing and teaching background was part of my professional career. I thought I was making good progress until I got a note from an older brother, who said I read your entire article and found it interesting, but I didn’t understand half of what you were talking about as it went over my head. That was good to hear to remind me that I’m a work in progress. Good luck to you. Your audience will find you in how you write if you are consistent and constantly improving.
I've done a LOT of work for engineering firms and academies. One of the biggest tools is to turn everything you can into a visual diagram/chart/infographic/model of some description. Lists are also helpful. And anecdotes - whatever is the point/conclusion of a whole academic journal can usually be reduced into 5 sentences. Use an anecdote to illustrate that point, and insert dialogue (it then becomes a short story that's quite entertaining).
Such practical advice, love it!
It's important to keep the audience in mind so that you don't write over their heads or down to them. I find that if you explain technical or in-group things casually and unobtrusively you will carry along both the knowledgeable and the unknowledgeable but interested folks.
Great advice for finding that balance, thank you Marcia!
Just discovered Everybody Talks; subscribed!
Thanks Mark -- I've just done the same! How About This looks fascinating!
Make it fun, interesting, and entertaining.
Absolutely!
I recommend checking out Noted by Jillian Hess, she has a PhD in English and writes in a very accessible style: https://jillianhess.substack.com
I just discovered Noted recently and I love it!
+1
Hi Rebecca, I try to do exactly that in my substack. I write about art without the confusing art speak. The approach that I take is to write in language that I would speak to someone (although a bit more tidily). I also do a voiceover for my posts, and that helps keep me on track with how it sounds.
(And also, I've just subscribed. Looking forward to receiving your newsletter!)
Ah, thanks Rebecca, and I've just subscribed to yours. Looking forward to spending some time with your writing later ;-)
Interesting that your newsletter overtly invites those who aren't in the art world to join the conversation about art! Love it!
The art world is elitist and intimidating and I'm not into all that nonsense!
I write about the science behind important issues for people without a background in science. I always have in mind that I want my readers to feel smart when they read my writing - they should read it once and get it. Having that thought in mind really helps me. It reminds me to check for jargon words and complicated grammar, which might make the writer look smart - not my goal.
I also have two people read my articles before publishing. If they have to read any sentence twice, or don't quite absorb a point, I rewrite it.
Wow, a peer-reviewed newsletter, haha! I love it. I think my newsletter is similar in that it discusses topics in linguistics with (I think?) a mostly non-linguist audience. I like how bluntly you mentioned your goal to "make the readers feel smart" -- I think that's really the value that comes from an academic/educational newsletter!
A good example of a writer who makes academic knowledge easier to understand is Etienne from Atlas of Wonders and Monsters; his piece about the near-industrial revolution in Bengal is worth reading if you want to pick up some pointers on how to do it well: https://etiennefd.substack.com/p/the-industrial-revolution-that-almost
This is really helpful, thank you!
Hey Rebecca, I'm in the same boat, and this is a super hard question! Being an active full-time scientist by day, I write my Substack on climate change economics by night. For my target audience, I imagine a whiteboard in my tiny office with a bunch of curious buddies, and me explaining to them fairly complex topics - Its informal.
Though they are smart, they are not experts in my area. So they still expect me to make the topic accessible and dial down the complexity to only the bare essentials. They are somewhat technically inclined to appreciate my content. I think this strategy is working.. but Time will tell. I am consistent, regardless.
Hi Everyone! Launching my newsletter Monday. Any feedback?
https://pickmeup.substack.com/
Love all the disco balls! I notice you have a lot behind the paywall. We recommend you make your best work free.
High-quality writing is your best marketing tool. When you publish, it stands a chance at getting picked up by other websites, people with big audiences, or press outlets that match your target audience. There’s no magic formula for doing this, but one big hit can bring you thousands of new readers.
PS - Keep your eyes out on On Substack tomorrow, we have a new getting started guide we will share that you can reference but looks like you already did a great job setting up.
Excited to see this. We're already set up, but it's always great to get advice from the horse's mouth like we regularly do on Substack. It's one of the best things about Substack, honestly.
Good luck! Turn off the 'email disabled' notifications. And celebrate the subscribes!
yes yes yes!
Looks aweesome. One suggestion (and you might have already done it): Make sure to personalize your Welcome email templates.
Good luck Jen...
Don't listen to all the voices of doubt and fear that will come calling inside your head. If I could, allow me to quote Goethe in this regard, he once wrote, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” Just go forth in great confidence and belief in what you have to say - do that, and I'm convinced an audience will follow you!
Looks beautiful. Here is some info on how to help your Instagram followers move to Substack - https://on.substack.com/p/bringing-followers-from-instagram
love the homepage is a pic of you at the top. nicely done on the navigation options. and using bold and italic font in headings on About page
Just subscribed! Can’t wait to read.
looks great! Love the sweet pup!
Welcome to all the new writers! One FAQ from new writers on I see a lot is “how do I grow subscribers?”
The short answer is to post consistently good work. But I think one thing that sometimes gets lost in that conversation is expectations. We all want to grow as fast as we can, but I think it’s important to talk about a realistic pace. I’ve been on Substack for nearly two years. I’ve grown subscriptions quite a bit in that time, but the pace of growth was REALLY slow in the first year, compared to the second year.
Some of the uptick in pace is due to new Substack tools like recommendations. But as great as those tools are, they don’t work without the writer putting out consistent, strong work.
So as you think about how you’re going to grow audience, I urge you to think about setting realistic expectations and practicing patience. Stick with it, and the audiences will come & subscribe!
Hope this helps!
Agree 100%. I see this on Medium all the time, too, and I originally quit writing there when I made $25 my first month and thought that sucked. I later learned the top writers now making lots of money earned less than that at first! Some people look at the people with tons of followers or paid subscribers here and compare themselves unfavorably. Just keep writing long enough to give people time to discover your work, and don’t rush to promote paid content or other products. Focus on providing valuable content that you enjoy writing consistently.
Great observation, Wendi! Comparing your success to another writer is a recipe for failure. But learning what successful writers did before they hit it big (whatever that means) is a great way to grow.
Yes, definitely! Slow and steady... I know I need to be more consistent.
Thanks for the archive of Office Hours, Substack! I learn so much from these.
That's great to hear! Thank you for being here.
+1 the archive is essential reading for those of us who miss the live event often!
I just hit 210 subscribers this week (up 30 from last week), and I got my first founding subscriber! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Congratulations!
Thank you! 🥰
Fantastic!!
Congrats!!! I've been feeling the same kind of momentum ticking up lately in the number of subscribers rolling in. It's such a credit to the work you're doing and I think it's an indication of the strength of the Substack platform too. More and more people are looking for their daily reading here.
Agreed! The platform itself is really slick, and I’ve appreciated the built in support! 😊
Huge! Congrats, Kathleen.
Thanks! It feels like a real accomplishment!
I never knew I wanted to write until I was in my 40's. My husband's aunt asked me if I would help her write her memoir about living through the holocaust. It wasn't a book, but just her story. I was hooked from that time on, looking for new things to write about. I asked a fellow writer how to get started, and what to write about. He answered, "write about what you know." So I wrote my own memoir! 💟
Starting to see momentum on organic subscribers after three months of posting twice weekly (which is a lot of work for someone otherwise employed). Do subscribe to larger publications and comment. It absolutely attracts new readers if your comments build on the author's writing. Just don't spam.
Comments are a great way for you to be discovered. You'll probably get a subscriber or two today in this forum. Good luck!
just happened...LOL
awesome!
Such a great idea! Thanks!
I've started experimenting with super-long (for me) posts. I know the last one was long because Substack flagged up a warning saying "Blimey, this is long" (or words to that effect). Anyway, some people found the first, a round-up of writing reviews, useful, so I might do a few more of them. My latest one is a round-up too, of a slightly different kind. This comment is not just the barefaced self-promotion it looks like: I genuinely think other 'Stackers might find round-up posts useful for their own readers too.
I have been ignoring the warning that my posts are getting too long for ages now. Long posts do not seem to cause any problems, and they do just as well as shorter ones.
100%! I'm so glad I ignored the warning and went long! And thank you, Jackie, for telling me to ignore the warning.
Same! Almost all my podcast episodes are “too long” once the transcript is in there, but no one has ever complained.
Ha! Same.
There is a definite need for more long-form essays. I believe the culture is getting tired of quick takes and wants something of more substance. I'm glad it's going well for you so far!
Thanks, William!
I started doing weekly posts where I talk about the 7 essays, 7 stories and 7 poems I read that week (it's a part of a challenge). I keep to spice things up, but it's quite a lot of text! Luckily, people seem to like it.
I like your idea, and I've just subscribed to your newsletter because I like the idea of experimentation. In fact, that was the subject of my latest article (published just before Office Hours). I also like Ray Bradbury's stuff.
Thanks for subscribing, I hope you like it!
Hi Terry, yeah, blimey, I get those messages every once in a while but I consider it helpful information, not a deterrent. There are many emails that I get in my gmail inbox (e.g. every Pitchbook daily blast) that run over the gmail limit but I don't mind reading it in my browser. It is a bit of a hassle on a smartphone but long-form reading on a smartphone is problematic for many reasons, not just length.
Cheers, George. True. I subscribe to the Bookbub newsletter and I usually have to read it in a browser. It's no real sweat. Thanks for the reminder!
I call mine a 'zine - once a month, I do a roundup of my writing and include other tidbits like other substacks, interesting things I've found. I thought at first that people didn't like it because the reader numbers were lower - but over time, it had a huge amount of reads. So agree with you! (And I also get that 'too long' message and just ignore it.)
I do something similar as well! It's a nice moment to reflect on what I've published.
exactly! and it takes me back to the 90s when i published a fanzine....!
that's cool, really loved zines in my teens, mostly punk rock stuff
I had a punk mindset but love for an english rock band....
I would be really curious to know how long a post Substack considers to be long!
I usually get the warning at 1800(ish) words, but add a lot of graphics in as well.
The explanation was that when it arrives in Gmail, the message would get truncated. So it was basically saying: Be warned, rather than an inbuilt Substack limitation.
I get that message a lot, but being the rule breaker that I am, I just ignore it. :)
I'm shocked!
Hahahaha!
Are you shocked that Holly gets that message, that she's a rule-breaker, or both?
That's she's a rule breaker! :)
Your style, whether long or short, will get traction if the content is appealing, well-written, and engages the curiosity and interest of the reader. However, I’m always struggling with shorter on the longer form. I got carried away with my last article, which was almost 4000 plus words. So, I decided to break it up into two pieces and republish them, feeling a shortened form might work better in my newsletter. A big problem with a longer article, as I love to edit and do rewrites, is that the editing process takes me too long. With shorter-form articles, I can more consistently get them out. Go long or short when you are inspired to do so.
The "too long" notification is meant to just inform you that the post is likely to be truncated by email clients (eg: Gmail); it's not meant to discourage you from writing long posts. Perhaps we need to update the notification copy.
I think so, Dayne. When I first saw it I thought I was going to lose the whole article after working on it for nearly two hours!
What is a round-up post?
I just started doing a my "Weekly Gratitude Round-Up" and it includes links to the posts during the week--it's been popular since we publish a lot and it's easy to miss things:
https://thanksforlettingmeshare.substack.com/p/the-saturday-gratitude-round-up
it's where you take several things and put them into one post. For example, I recently wrote reviews of 7 books about writing in one article: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/7-books-for-writers
Talk about encouragement ... I had been publishing my newsletter The Nett Report using my CRM platform for 2.5 years. I co-published the last three issues. This week I brought my list over and only published it on Substack. I took a reader poll and 89% thought the new version was great, with 11% having no preference. Nobody wanted to go back to the previous format. And reader rates remained essentially the same. Yay! https://carlnettleton.substack.com/
Congrats! Welcome to Substack!
Congrats on making a switch, and I'm glad to hear your readers have responded well.
I started serializing my novel on substack a few weeks ago and plan on releasing a chapter a week until it's done. That should take the better part of a year. My question is, do you think I can hold a readers attention for that long this way? Writing quality and story aside, both of which I hope are good.
Yes. I'm doing this and I don't have a large readership but the few people who are following my weekly releases are responding surprisingly well. It's also super motivating to continue writing it (this is a WIP for me) as I see people react to the plot as it unfolds. It then creates ideas for posts where you talk about your writing based off of the feedback and general response you get and us writers like that behind the scene material.
That's interesting in that the feedback might direct the plot. Cool idea! I might have to try that for my second novel. This first one is already complete. I do plan to release paid for posts with behind the scene material.
Thanks for the post. I am going to take the same approach for my novel and attended a Zoom call hosted by The Authors Guild on Substack and Vella which was helpful. Are you adding a series of posts? In addition to the chapters, want to have a 'behind the story' series of posts as my book is historical and I think some readers will want more background and references as well as bonus chapters.
I second what Martin said--back in the day, we had to wait to see what happened on the next episode of our favorite TV show. I love the anticipation. I would definitely view a weekly chapter as a delicious treat in my week if the story appealed to me.
Depending on the type of story, you can always change things based on trusted reader suggestions. I always think of how a fan helped Vince Gilligan write the end of Breaking Bad.
I think that’s a really neat way of doing it.
So often these days you see TV programmes releasing a series all in one go but it’s the drip drip and the tension that you miss.
You look forward to the next episode.
I love this idea! Great use of the previous/next chapter links, I'm really glad we were able to add those as a feature.
Thanks! Me too! I had been looking at ways of doing it manually when you released this awesome feature :-)
doing this to build a fanbase is precisely what can launch a self-published book on Amazon successfully. Most of these folks will probably buy the book as a thank-you.
Thank you, that's what I'm hoping!
Hi all. I'd love to correspond/connect with anyone who has tried advertising for their Substack. Over the last couple weeks, I've run some ads on Facebook as well as some Google ads, and even ran a few on a newsletter ad network (LiveIntent). Not a big spend, but just to test the waters a bit.
So far Facebook has been the most "successful", but that's definitely in quotes...
If you haven't tried it yet, the Sample (https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d) might be a good way of promoting your newsletter. It basically sends out samples of your newsletter to people with the same interests. They have a free tier, and the paid is something around $4 per subscriber.
Yes I’ve used The Sample and the cross promotion with them has also worked somewhat!
Yes! The Sample is great. It gets you actual readers--people who are already interested in newsletters. I like it as a reader, too. I've found a few new Substacks that way. Also, I'm trying Inbox Reads. Too early to say much, but I got a new subscription from them the other day, so it can't hurt.
Thanks Oleg, that looks like a good one. I've promoted via a few others that I discovered here::
https://www.growgetters.co/post/newsletter-directory
Some listed there are out of date, but I did get some subscribers via others.
Thanks a lot for sharing Victor, will be checking those directories out.
I've had the same experience. Facebook ads seem to be the most successful at getting people to actually click on a link (you have to hyper-target them, though). Instagram ads get tons of "likes" but few actual reads. Twitter ads seem completely untargetable... It's all a pain, and I definitely question the value of any of it, but I do throw a few dollars at it on a regular basis.
Haven't tried Google Ads yet. How have they worked for you?
No the google ads was a pretty quick fail. Even if I’d have thrown money at it, I’m not sure it would have optimized to a reasonable enough level
That's actually comforting to hear. I'm so exhausted by the promotional hustle, I'd rather focus on the few places where it seems to help.
we've been using twitter mostly but have just started on Facebook and there is just a lot more traffic there
I actually have a network of newsletter distribution services I advertise through, but I haven’t tried social quite yet. I do social media management, content marketing and a little digital marketing as a freelancer, and 1) yes, Facebook is the best ads platform. You get the most engagement and it has the best targeting. And 2) a lot of times your ad campaign success has a lot to do with the community you’ve built on that platform. You actually have an ideal publication for starting a Facebook/social community if you haven’t already.
https://newslettertosocials.com/ can help you push out more social media content. Not ads, but organic content
After being called out several times, most of the "advertisers" usually quit for the future. Some are relentless though.
And for added info, I'm pushing folks here on my author website: https://nealbascomb.com/work-craft-life/ --- Once I get them here, I'm converting a good percentage (15%)....
This is fairly common knowledge at this point, but consistency is king in this game! Without fail we’ve each got to show up and publish publish publish each week (or whatever your schedule is). This is easy on the days we feel motivated and excited to get writing. My question is: what do people do to keep themselves motivated when they don’t feel like writing?
I have been having one of those "don't feel like writing" weeks, M. E., and my readers keep me going. Seriously. Knowing they subscribed because they want to read what I publish keeps me accountable.
Excellently put
I struggle sometimes, but I remind myself that people read my work and I've basically made them a promise that they'll get a newsletter every week. For me, not letting my readers down is a powerful motivation. This worked for me even when I had only a few dozen readers.
Yes, this.
Same!
I try to have 3 or 4 posts on the go at any one time.
That means in any one week I just need to feel motivated by one of those subjects to get it finished and published.
I also have several in the hopper as well as some a physical tablet in which I journal daily. Sometimes those journaled thoughts turn into a post (like yesterday!).
That’s a good idea, I tend to only work on one at a time but have a list of other things knocking about in my brain. Perhaps I should start jotting bits down when the inspiration first strikes.
I do this--jotting things down on a notepad or in my notes app. Also, I take photos of things that strike me. When I need inspiration, I go straight to those notes, my photo album, or my journaling tablet.
You just have to do it. I've missed a couple of weeks due to ill-health and I've also taken a week or two out for vacation. Other than that, you need to come up with something. Maybe have some time where you write a few drafts - then you have something to play with on the weeks where you're not feeling it.
I recently started Substack and decided to publish once a week. That works for me because it doesn't shove me into overload.
It's the commitment that motivates me. That - and I do have a queue of work. If I'm not up to writing something new, I take a look at the queue, grab a piece, dust if off, cough a few times, and begin cleaning it up.
Another thing that motivates me is reading other stacks. Sometimes something goes "ping" in my head.
Reading something good really fires me up to go create something myself.
I try to stay ahead of the game a bit. I have a bunch of articles that I write when I'm motivated, then they can wait in the draft stage until the day comes that I am sick, or travelling ...
I normally only have one piece on the go at any one time, but perhaps I should have some drafts in the back pocket too.
Whenever I'm on social media and I find myself disgusted by the lack of anything worth reading or looking at, I think, well I better write something myself then. Since this happens constantly, I've trained myself to write on a very regular basis!
Hahaha this is great! Use the trash out there to motivate creating something valuable. Love it!
I write however I'm feeling, though if I'm not feeling great the writing isn't either, in which case I might not publish it. Also, I read a lot more if I'm not in a writing frame of mind, as good writing starts to reignite my fire.
I know what you mean about writing better when excited. Reading something always fires me up too.
Good day all! I quietly published my first post yesterday! Woohoo! As I enter this space I’m looking to explore new ways of finding authentic community, and therefore have not “advertised” my newsletter with my friends or social media followers. I’m curious to see if there is another way. I’d love to hear ideas of ways to cultivate new connections, and if it’s possible to have subscribers on Substack without using your current contacts.
Coming here is a good step at making connections. It’s where I met people for cross promotion and other projects. That in itself helps promote your work by being featured elsewhere. There’s also the simple thing of leaving thoughtful comments or questions on people’s posts. It goes a long way in building community.
Thank you, Chevanne. :)
Hi Erin, you might consider joining the Soaring Twenties Social Club - https://soaringtwenties.substack.com/p/the-soaring-twenties-social-club. It's tight-knit community of writers, artists, creatives and genuinely interesting people. There's a Discord serve attached to the community as well. I have a hunch you'd like it there.
Thank you, Oleg! I'll check it out!
No :) It's a reflection of the 2020s we're living it vs. the roaring twenties (1920s)
Congrats to you on your first post!
Thank you, Joan!
Congratulations! Will definitely check have a read.
Thanks, Tiffany - appreciate that!
Hey Substack! Wondering if you can help me understand how the subscriber gold stars work? I thought it was about engagement, but most of my 4-5 star subscribers never engage via comments or likes. How should I be thinking about the stars? 🌟
Would love to hear more about this as well. And dose reading on the app vs. via email vs. web have any effect?
Reading on the Substack app and reading on the web should be equivalent as far as I know. However, some email apps have better privacy features than others. So for example, we have no way to know if a subscriber read a newsletter in Apple Mail.
Hi Jen! You're right that stars are about engagement, but it's moreso engagement via article clicks/views, and not comments/likes.
Here's a support article for more detail: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/6461334789652-What-are-the-stars-on-my-Subscribers-dashboard-
I read the article, Nadav, and I'm wondering email filters. For example, if a subscriber has a filter to mark an email as read and move it to trash, does that show up as a true read?
Theoretically no, we have measures in place to ignore bots and email filters.
Actually, that's me--except I don't send to trash, I send to a folder where I usually go send them to trash. Why? Because I prefer to read everything via my Substack inbox in the app or on the web. :)
No offense taken! I think it's interesting to hear what works and what doesn't work for actual subscribers. When I tire of a subscription, I do try to unsubscribe rather than just trashing the emails.
I think it’s about how often they open. My friend has never listened to a podcast episode, liked a post, or commented on a thread, but she opens every single thing I publish and she’s a five-star reader.
I'd also like to know the technical analytics behind this.
Seems like the stars reflect how many of your posts they're reading. So, even if they aren't commenting or liking, those are the people really tuning into your posts. (That's my guess, though. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows for sure.)
I am very curious about what the overall metrics are for Substack. Hamish wrote about the higher end- how many writers gross more than a million dollars. That of course is the upside. potential for all of us theoretically. My questions:
-what is the average number of free subscribers per writer across the platform?
-what is the average number of paid subscribers per writer " "
-what is the average number of founding members per writer/
-how much of all three categories does the 100th best writer have?
I am just trying to get context on my own numbers and what the potential might be.
Thanks!
David Houle https://evolutionshift.substack.com/
Honestly, I find the numbers a distraction. Other peoples' numbers don't help me.
Focusing on your content, and if it resonates with your readers is more useful. After awhile, you look to your own numbers to see what works.
It has more in common with golf than football :)
I can do two things at once. I can focus on my writing, which I have done for 16 years, and at the same time I can be curious about the size of and the revenue from my audience. I am curious.
Hi David, statistics are useful and powerful for us - I'd like to have, in addition, the overall distribution graphs (no doubt the averages are skewed by the high end performers)...
Histograms for the people!
good questions!
Thank you for laying these out so clearly! I've been trying to get a sense for what my numbers mean and have been trying to figure out some crude yardsticks to see where we are--but Substack must have this data and it would be great to see.
Thanks
first define your objective, then compare...for example, I'm not trying to earn income off this platform at all. I may never push paid subscriptions. I'm trying to build a 1,000 person audience for a book launch in 2024. Flooding the Amazon KDP zone in the first 90 days will build word-of-mouth and a successful book launch. The book is my income goal at 70% royalty rates...So, for me, I like to understand what it takes (and how long) for non-media professionals to build 1,000 free subscriptions without the help of a massive Twiter following.
I understand. I have published a number of books via KDP so a good strategy. I am VERY INTERESTED in building up paid and founding member subscriptions. So far, after three weeks I have 49 paid and founding member subscriptions. My goal is 1,000.
Someone on here published a great case study of getting to 1,000 from zero with no outside social media following...it took them two years of steady work...I’m sure there are ways to shave six months off of that, but my own trajectory is hit below his, right now....
I imported 4,000 subs from my blog. I try to send out at least a dozen emails a day requesting people to subscribe. 3.5 weeks in and I have 3900 subs and 49 paid/founding member. I want to get to 10,000 subs and 200 paid ASAP. Open to any suggestions.
I was in high school when I realized I wanted to be a writer, in some capacity. If I could go back and give myself some advice it would be pretty basic:
1. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Learn, learn, learn.
3. Never give up or sell yourself short.
I am finding it hard to grow my audience beyond my close circle. Besides social media, what are your suggestions/tips for reaching new audiences/subscribers?
I do no marketing on social media. 95% of my readers have come from recommendations by others or by finding my posts on Substack usually because they appreciated a comment I made on another post. Find other Substacks that have similar topics then engage in them via sharing and comments and recommendations.
Agreed. Find other substacks that have similar audiences, comment and get to know folks.
I'm thinking that this is something I should do more of? Commenting on others work, that is. Have you really found that helps with organic growth? I need to figure out the time to do meaningful networking while also working (and being a wife and mom and...)
It absolutely works, and as a bonus, the things I read stick in my head and sometimes come together as a big idea for a post. Engaging here has been key for me. I understand the time issue, but find something you can cut out and fill in with Substack reads. I cut out all social media this year and have not looked back. I have so much more time now!
That's a good time saving tip, cutting off social media. I logged out of Twitter a while back because it was just too easy to have a quick peek that turned into an hour or two :)
All of my subscribers have come directly from Substack - it’s been happening organically. I subscribe to some amazing newsletters and I love the buzz of discussions in the comments. And here in Office Hours, of course. I’m deeply, deeply allergic to all social media other than Substack.
Hahaha! Allergic! Me too!
And now I've subscribed to yours :-)
I feel bad because I've subscribed to so many and only read a fraction of posts a week. But I do try to get to them when possible.
Thanks, Sarah! It’s tricky, isn’t it - there are sooooo many great newsletters to read out there! 🤣
Same--but I have those I read religiously, and Rebecca's is one of those!
Awww, Holly! Right back atcha!!!!
Thanks for your insight!
That's a solid idea, thank you for sharing it.
That’s a great tip Holly.
I’ve really struggled to get recommendations. Any tips?
For me, I found that the recommendations came as my subscribers grew. Also, there were several Substacks I followed at first (now, it's too many to count!) and engaged with a lot in the comments (not for attention or in a spammy way, but simply because I truly enjoyed the conversation). Those writers appreciated that and began taking a look at my work. Then they would recommend it. It truly all starts with 1) good, interesting posts, and 2) genuine engagement with others on this platform.
I agree 100% - this is a sound strategy.
I’m trying this, glad to see it worked for you
Agreed. Unless you already have a large following or are within a certain niche, social media promotion will only have so much of an effect. I still do it though and hope for the best.
I started my Substack to divert my time away from the news and on to something constructive.
It’s been amazing. Growing my following slowly but surely. Finding my feet.
I’ve got into a good rhythm publishing each Thursday.
Would love to get some feed back on how i could improve it.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com
I love your approach to life and just subscribed!
I thought I would starting using these wonderfully supportive Office Hours as a forcing function to list topics for my next newsletter. Thanks for letting me think out loud with my community!
Context: My newsletter is about being a human in progress. Yes... it's a broad audience. As such, I'm actively working on finding my people by not watering things down, and maybe even being polarizing.
A) On coming out as an intuitive who offers channeled soul readings
B) Maybe try doing an entirely channeled post for my subscribers as a collective
C) "5 unspoken benefits of divorce and co-parenting"
A and B blend into one another and I think could potentially lead to a lot of other posts as you see the responses. It could also render a new section on your Substack if it isn't already there which is always interesting and helps give your online space nuance. I'm a numerologist so I find this topic fascinating!
Wow, your first "topic" sounds intriguing. If Substack's strength is one-way communication potentially with comments, that lends itself to thought-provoking posts that people can think about.
Love the topic.
Following up: Today's newsletters was a first step towards A) On coming out as an intuitive who offers channeled soul readings. Working my way up to it!
https://milanshimono.substack.com/p/i-dont-remember-writing-this
Analytics question: Is there a possibility of getting options for per month and per year stats for both newsletter and podcasts? I much prefer Substack to WordPress, but I miss having those analytics to look at growth over time and compared to previous months/years. I don't want to have to do the math ;-)
We're aware that our analytics features are limited. This is likely to be a priority for us in the new year.
+1
Oh good!
I agree! In some ways, it may be better for my mental health to have such vague metrics, but I'd love to be able to really get into the nitty-gritty progress of each post over time, and easily compare months of reader stats. I miss those cpanel-type numbers.
Hi everyone, I'm just writing my personal essay for this week - it's about realising in my 30s that I have ADhD. If you'd like to read it tomorrow please hit subscribe :)
This writer may be a good collaborator - https://on.substack.com/p/what-to-read-rach-idowu
Haha I just subscribed, love your tagline.
Subscribing to your too, I'm keen to do some more healing through psychedelics once I get off my prescription medication.
🙏❤️yes! The healing powers are there, but prescriptions also heal.
I'd like to start publishing 2x a week, with one exclusively for paying customers. What days do you think would be best? (Ex: Monday & Thursday, Tuesday & Thursday, etc.)
Hi Joe! This is a common question, and I don't have an answer. But if I may, I'd like to suggest reframing this. I don't think there's a one-sized fits all best day. Instead, I try to think about two things when choosing pub days. (FYI, I started with regular Sunday posts, then added Wednesday's in year two).
The first thing I think about is me. That is, what is a schedule that I can pull off consistently throughout the year?
The second thing I think about is what role I want my work to play in reader's daily lives? I chose Sunday morning for my longer slice of life stories because they just feel like the kind of thing you might read lounging in bed, or over breakfast. Also, the experience usually takes about 20 minutes. For my second weekly post, I wanted to be more conversational and offer some quicker bite-sized humor. I picked Wednesday under the assumption that most people are probably busy, but maybe need a quick laugh or a funny chat to get them through the week. So far, both posting days seem to be working in terms of various metrics (open rates, reads, comments, Likes), but above all, they both bring in new subs.
Hope that helps!
This is great advice. Thanks!
I've grappled with this too. Anymore, I don't think it much matters as long as you're delivering great writing (which you are!). In my case, I read some immediately, some later int he day, and a few several days later, when I can really sit down and pore over them. If anyone; is paying attention to their metrics, I'm the one totally skewing them. lol.
Specifically for paid folks, they're paying to hear from you on a consistent basis, not so much on a specific day/time.
Thanks Kevin!
Thanks Kevin!
I’ve heard open rates can be better on a Tuesday and Thursday but I think it depends on your audience and your subject matter.
I’ve heard that earlier in the week is better for opens, like Monday through Wednesday, but I find my Sunday afternoon news round up always does SUPER well in the first few hours after I post, so I suspect it depends on exactly what you’re publishing on each day. (Also, in my experience, very few people listen to podcast episodes the day they drop.)
I like a Tuesday and a Friday as there is enough time in between to get my thoughts together and open rates don't tend to be great on a Monday in my experience.
Who else is loving the media assets feature? Keep up the great work Substack.
Me! (raises hand)
I've recently established a posting schedule for my substack and turned on paid subscriptions as a 'support the author' option. Feels nice to already have most of the writing for November done already, the list of scheduled posts is great to look at, and gives me more time to polish them before posting.
It's very satisfying to be ahead of schedule and now that you've opened the door to paid subscribers, Substack will do the work for you if you have to be absent from writing for a couple of weeks. I've got scheduled posts up to the end of December (as far as it'll go for now) as I neurotically try to get on top of the writing that I have to do after I've published all my existing content. Not to mention several drafts for free content that are in the works (this is overwhelming me at the moment, but one post at a time). Anyway, keep up the good work William!
Hi there, William. The scheduling feature is really freeing, isn't it? I think it's a tool that can make a lot of difference.
hi everyone ~~ anyone have any grief- and death awareness-focused Substacks that they read and appreciate?
I'm a longtime culture writer/editor and nowadays a creative coach and grief, death, and funeral care worker and I just hurdled mine out into the world and am looking for folks to trade ideas and stories with!
I describe my newsletter as not-grim but still sincere; it's centered on multimedia interviews and bounces up against music (specifically the playlists we create in our grief) as well as really great creative resources for living with death and grief.
https://grieversball.substack.com/
Wow what a great publication topic! You could search around - https://substack.com/search/grief for example
thank you Bailey -- yes, have done that ! was just wondering if I might be able to surface some personal rec's too! I appreciate you connecting --- just signed up for your newsletter!
Hi Laura, not a Substack but this month's MIT Tech Review is focused on this topic - fascinating article by Charlotte Jee about keeping memories alive digitally - https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/10/18/1061320/digital-clones-of-dead-people/
Hi Laura, my last three posts were about death and grieving if you want to check them out: https://jenzug.substack.com/
It's not the focus of my substack exclusively, but processing grief and laughter through tears is a major theme in my life and work.
Also, my dad was in the funeral industry for his entire career (starting as a funeral director), so I have an interesting perspective on all that.
I'll check out your substack and find a way to connect!
awesome - thanks, I signed up! (and I work at a funeral home part time!)
No reccomemdations but absolutely checking out yours. I’ve been reading the book Advice for Future Corpses & love everything it says about loving with each other & ourselves.
Living*
Anyone here in the CA Bay Area who might like a portrait of themselves?
My newsletter is about being a human in progress, and I want to do a series of photos of people in their lived-in habitats. If you have a studio/workspace/office/home/writing corner you like to work in and would like a portrait, reach out with a way to contact you :)
I love my den and it's where I write and read---would be happy to send you a picture
That'd be great! I'm at milan (at) milanshimono (dot) com
Hi Milan, what an interesting offer - I'd have to ask my spouse first (but I'm in the Bay Area). Let's continue to chat on email gabthinking (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks, George
I'll shoot you an email, George!
I live in the Bay Area! However, I do not know enough to say whether or not I'd be interested in this.
happy to answer questions you might have -- I'm open to collaboration and being flexible
I discovered Substack just last month and decided to start publishing my odd fiction here. I would like subscribers (who doesn't) but my main motivation is to get my (admittedly un-mainstream) work collected in one place for enjoyment now and for whatever future reference.
I've been submitting for years to various magazines, etc. But it's always a long wait and I'm tired of waiting, holding on to pieces so they won't be "previously published." Onward, once a week. In a year, I'll have a pretty good collection.
https://dcreed.substack.com/
Welcome, Victor! Good to have you here.
I've posted three pieces in a week. Still learning the ropes. Does anyone out there have experience with multiple posts per week being too much for readers?
I will say that I received some Substacks every day and read them daily. But I am also very interested in what the writers post--it's good stuff! Other Substacks that post several times per week sometimes get put on the backburner for me because they are longer.
Thank you, Holly. From what I'm reading, it seems like the best approach may be...
if often, then short and always quality over quantity.
Another question; I would love to turn the paid button on but from what I have read, it seems best to wait a few months?
I turned this option on very early. I don't paywall any of my content, and I use the paid feature as a way for people to support my work. Many use this strategy and it works well for them. Check out how Anne Kadet's using this strategy:
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-20-anne-kadet
Again, thank you. I see that there are different ways of looking at it.
My experience: I found that when I went to shorter posts/more frequent schedule, all my metrics went up.
Great answer. Very helpful!
I concur with Kevin.
agreed
lol.
Shorter in this case means around 5-700 words, with links to the music I'm sharing and some other graphics. In my head, people are reading these on their commute, while on a treadmill at the gym, or on a lunch break.
Longer posts usually run from 1500-2500 words (also with links and graphics).
I ship 3 short ones & 1 longer one every week.
Hi Rachel! After about a year of posting once a week, I added a second, shorter post to make it twice a week. Quality and consistency are key. So my thought process was, can I consistently put out the same quality work twice per week? I haven’t seen any signs that twice a week is too much. My subs continued to grow and the pace of growth picked up, in part due to second posting. I see more new subs from my shorter posts, but my longer posts are just as well liked and get plenty of good comments. Hope that helps!
We write 5 articles per week, plus two weekly podcast episodes (Wednesdays and Saturdays), and a weekly summary article on Sunday. Each day has a specific topic. Is that a lot? For me: writing my Substack every day is part of my "job" (I'm self-employed) and part of our brand as writers and consultants. For my readers? I don't know, but I'm planning to do a poll with my readers soon. As soon as the article is published, I sent it out to my social media networks using the media assets. I get the most subscribers from Facebook and Twitter. I also get a lot from Substack.
I've been trying to figure out how to get my Substack in front of more people and continue organic growth with readers who want to read my work. Are people here using Pinterest to increase their SEO? I've used Pinterest for my old blog and got away from it because it felt like a lot of work with little payoff BUT some of my biggest past blog posts also are the more pinned on Pinterest. Thoughts? Any other suggestions for growth? I would love to work on cross-promotion but that's always a concern of logistics and what fits each Substack's purpose and mission.
I’m experimenting with all the social channels at the moment. Twitter I struggled with. Pinterest I’m still experimenting with.
LinkedIn has been most successful. I’ve written a blog about it which might be of help.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com/p/can-the-linkedin-algorithm-be-hacked
I tried Pinterest but nothing really came from it.
This is unhelpful to your comment, but reading so many valid questions and encouragements on promotion writing on social media, it still feels like a different job altogether to promote than simply write. I am at a stage where I am writing to experiment, learn and grow, so more than readers, I need critique, and I fail to understand how to utilise the world beyond my immediate circle for that.
A lot of writers everywhere are there. For now, share your writing on the social channels that you usually use and allow your close circle to give you the feedback you need. Just keep working on your writing. I just finished the beta copy of a book of essays from two of my blogs (my WordPress and Substack) and as I was working on the beta draft, I realized just how much I, an English teacher with a Master's degree in English, have grown as a writer from just writing in my blog. (Side note, it's a whole new world to open up your writing to others to openly critique when you get to the beta draft stage.) Do I wish I had experienced more readers on both blogs earlier? Of course, but writing is the key. Growth is the key. Just do it :-) Find the social media that works for you and share away. You never know where it will land.
https://newslettertosocials.com/ can help you generate and schedule organic social media content directly from your newsletter!
Hello fellow writers!
I've been doing some writing on what lessons I've learned from distance running that I apply to parenting. But after developing some of my own thoughts I am SO eager to hear from this community!
Are there any running or parenting newsletter writers who would like to weigh in?
I'd love to connect and cross promote each other and hear your input. Here is my shoutout thread on this topic if you'd like to reply there. https://oliviamardwig.substack.com/p/burning-question/comments
THANK YOU!!!
You should check out https://www.thehalfmarathoner.com/!
Thank you for this. I actually already reached out and they made a post based on my original topic. Happy to inspire posts, but definitely looking for more collaborative encounters
A running Substack sounds great. I sometimes write about running as part of my mental health section.
This was my recent post that did really well.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com/p/mental-health-booster-come-on-a-run
If anyone writes on tech or business, I just did an interview for Founding in Public Substack. Check it out. https://ianwdj.substack.com/p/guest-episode-reinventing-yourself#details
If you want to get interviewed and talk your Substack, I can make an introduction.
Yoooo Substack!
Bonjour!!
yooooo
Q: What do you get when you pile seven Quiznos sandwiches on top of each other?
A: You get a substack.
Best of luck everyone, keep writing, don't worry about numbers, and know you are supported!
Bah dum tsssss!
well played
Hi Substack team, I do have a question! Is there a simple way that I can see the names of every person who has Liked a post? I have to use a combination of notification emails and comparing that to what's visible on the post itself because it doesn't seem like either way is 100% accurate. Especially when I look at the post it tends to summarize a bunch of names together and I don't know why. Thanks!
Hi! The reason we don't show all likes is that (1) some people don't have Substack accounts, and (2) readers can adjust their privacy settings to not show likes on your publication.
Thank you Jasmine, I did just figure out the latter and wondered about the former. But just to confirm, will their likes still be counted in the overall total even if they fall into groups 1) and 2) above?
Yes, they'll still be included in the total count.
Thanks again!
When I scroll to the bottom of my post and hover of the like it shows me a list of the people who liked it. That's easiest way I can find.
I was thinking about the same thing today! Maybe there's a reason they don't show us that? But if there is, I'd love to know that reason too.
I love to read, but any suggestions on how to "catch UP" on my Substack reading? There are SO many newsletters every day and so LITTLE time! :) How do YOU keep up the pace?
Do you use the Substack app? It's easier for me to manage my reading list (which is 80+ publications strong!) there than in my email inbox. https://substack.com/app
Thanks, Bailey. I hadn't thought of using the app as I use my desktop for all my Substack interactions. I'm using Google Chrome browser.
Eleyne-Mari Sharp, that's EXACTLY what I was going to ask, and I also use my desktop. I don't think the app is available for desktops. There IS the INBOX, but I still get all the emails. Maybe I have to learn speed-reading 😉.
Glad I'm not the only one who finds this challenging, Jessica. There are so many great newsletters and I want to savor them all. :)
What happens if you drive a car at the speed of light and then turn the headlights on?
worm hole
42
the guy behind you gets upset ?
Well, shit. I’m going to think about this all night.
I really love this platform. I am still getting used to the tools.
One of my subscriber,who uses Yahoo mail, complained that he wasn't allowed to comment on my posts. He also says he is an ardent reader but the post review analytics doesn't include him in it's statistics.
Hrm. Was he logged in on the web and still couldn't comment? (And your comments were turned on for all subscribers?)
Yes, he was connected to the web. He shared a screenshot of his experience to me
Suggestion. Wouldn't a search feature make this live forum a lot easier to navigate? I'm new here, so maybe I'm missing it (and if so, perhaps somebody could point it out?). Thanks.