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:
Duplicate a post to drafts: Writers often tell us they wish they could create a template for their posts. You can now “duplicate” a post to drafts, which enables writers to easily re-use templates instead of reformatting each post from scratch.
Guest posts: Any writer, on or off Substack, can be added as the guest author of a post or podcast guest. Now, you can simply click the “+” sign under the post title and search for the name of any writer on Substack. If the writer isn’t on Substack yet, enter their email to send them a guest post invite. Learn more.
Gifts: As the holidays quickly approach, encourage your readers to give the gift of great writing this season. Remind readers by using a button when you send your next post. Click on “Buttons” in the toolbar and select “Give a gift subscription” from the options. You can also share a gift-subscription link by adding “/gift” to the end of your Substack URL (example: your.substack.com/gift).
Got questions about Substack or feedback about what’s new? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
Thank you all for joining us today at Office Hours! It's our second to last of the year. These Thursday threads have become a special part of our team's week. We look forward to closing out the year strong with you next week.
In the meantime, we invite you to continue the conversation with fellow writers in the thread and visit our resources.
Thank you, all I would ask for is a bit more tweaking to work with images on the ipad both in the app and the browser version. Ill be sure to followup with anything I find helpful
The engineer who built duplicate posts (in a hackathon!!! in his own self-initiated time!) is in this thread so I'm sure he appreciates all this love from y'all
It's awesome to us how we get so many great ideas and product tips from you all here in office hours. Duplicate posts is an example of a feature that likely shipped because of how you all share with us here week over week, and everyone's experience will benefit from it, so thank you <3
Glad to hear that, and since my other comments today have been complaints I want to emphasize that overall I think Substack is awesome and am happy I chose this platform for my newsletter! Lots of great features, and these writer office hours chats are wonderful.
Thank you for all the new tools! Substack is getting better and better platform not only for us writers but for our community of readers!
I would love to see if you could incorporate tags into Substack publications, so readers could easily search for article based on topics right from the publications's home page. Currently I find it a bit hard to navigate the achieves and to find articles from certain topics.
I write about real life through popular fiction. Especially starting over, getting lost, and finding your way.
This year, I explored a lot of themes around hope and disappointment and reconciling the past through movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once and Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and TV shows like Gilmore Girls and The Outlaws.
Yo escribo sobre situaciones, sentimientos, emociones actuales, o temáticas relevantes que esten generando algo en mi ( ejemplo el mjndial de fútbol, quedando finalistas los argentinos, estamos ilusionados, ckn el corazón en la mano) pero siempre acompañados por un texto de ficción, relato, cuento. Estos cumplen la función de disparadores para comenzar una autoreflexion o un diálogo compartido.
Patricia, estoy feliz de encontrar tu Substack. Estoy mejorando mi español, y es bueno encontrar escritos en temas que son interesantes para mí. ¡Espero leer más de ti!
I'm new to Substack and wondering if you have any tips on how you got these recommendations? How did they get visibility to your publication? Welcome any tips for a newbie!
Once you're here for awhile, you'll find publications you want to reco and share...and they will find you, too. Check out the "manage recommendations" in settings! Wishing you the best here, Reagan!
Thanks! I follow yours too :) I am studying it, to understand if at some point we are gonna have some overlap that would make a collaboration interesting!
Subscribed to you. Like the focus on assertiveness and being a workaholic (have a lot to say about that from my experience in the film business and the corporate world...)
Nice work! I try to keep the community aspect front of mind. It's perhaps the best reason to stick with Substack and provides useful perspective as you grow your series.
Heyyy congrats! I just checked out and subscribed to your publication. Love the branding and your general take on things. "Learning means becoming worse" was such an interesting read! Kudos on all the great work, Livio.
P.S. I also write a personal growth focused newsletter, maybe there's a co-authoring opportunity, or general collaboration in the midst!
Yes, one of the things I like about Substack is that I can cruise around and find a lot of interesting articles/stories to read. As you say, lots of treasures!
I like the "let me read it first" feature! One way I mange the overwhelm is to not subscribe until I'm truly reading everything that's coming my way. That way I can be intentional about what my capacity really is and adjusting when needed!
That’s the best part. I have met so many fun people within this platform alone and I’m building real friendships and people to be able to bounce off of in future posts.
It’s really nice to see and it feels like a small downtown where everyone owns a business and knows each other and works together.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: sometimes the best way to motivate yourself to move forward is to remember the things that inspired you when you were first getting started on this writing journey. So let's share with each other! Who or what were your writing influences or inspirations? Who or what made you want to weave wonder with your words? And who or what keeps you motivated today? Let's lift each other up by surrounding ourselves with gratitude for the things that keep us journeying onward. No matter what, keep going, keep writing, and most importantly: DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
P.S. Just in case we don't "see" each other here before the holidays: have an absolutely beautiful, peace-filled, and gracious holiday season! I hope that no matter how it looks for you--whether there is fun, grief, nostalgia, joy, anxiety, or some mixture of all of these--that you find above all a measure of hope, a little ember to carry with you through into the new year. Love to all, and I am thankful for your presence here in this little corner of the digital world! ♥️
I started my Substack as I stepped away from social media. People always appreciated what I posted there, so I thought, "Why not start a newsletter?" My hope then was that writing about my experiences could help someone else--being a stem cell donor for my brother, walking through the hard path of having a young adult child in recovery, living in a rural town in the South, and just dealing with what is handed to us every day. There have been moments when I've thought I needed to take a different path with my writing. That probably comes into play when I let the comparison game creep in. But I have to remember that I am here with my authentic voice--not someone else's, and if I reach one person with a post or 150, it's a win.
We all do have an authentic voice, and in some ways it is a mash up of the writers we admire that resonate with us. I also live here in the deep south, and there are definitely experiences that are quite different than even living in the urban south.
Aww I love this prompt! It is so important to remember our "why". For me, I started my newsletter as an outlet for organizing and sharing all of the research I was doing around sustainable living and help empower people to take action as well. Happy Holidays!
I would love to do that...write just to write but I think I'd need a separate Substack. lol I'm a big fan of green and sustainable living too. New subscriber here! Happy holidays, Lindsay.
For me its about sharing experiences. Its not my ideas and solutions are the best, but I do believe I can provide a lens for others to use to augment their own lens.
I posted this at the "top," but since I am about 8 hours late, I wanted to be sure you saw it...
After a series of health issues and a Northern Plains Blizzard, my “inspiration meter” hovered near zero. Leave it to S. E. Reid’s opening encouragement to light a spark from that “ember!”
Words that I didn’t know were in me, magically appeared on my screen. I was not expecting to “weave wonder,” but I proved to myself, once again, that 90% of “success” is just showing up and I typed for an hour-and-a-half.
I started a blog in 2015, with the idea that I should download a brain filled with my own experiences of 25-years as a practicing addict, 30-years of recovery, including 12 Step meetings and over 20 years as an Addiction counselor in a small city, where I got to know the “players,” their extended families and also the “system” of law enforcement, courts, social workers, teachers and others who shared my zeal for helping people whose lives had been hijacked and sidetracked by alcohol, other drugs and gambling, realize their full potential to participate in life.
I thought I had all the time I needed to pursue *all* my varied interests and still write, but Peter Pan suddenly began to “age out” five-years ago.
As a result of my most recent heart issues, I suddenly realized that I could pass on at any time, and all my knowledge would pass over with me.
S. E. jump started me today. Let’s see if I can maintain that inspired feeling on my own!
(My output from earlier today will be grist for the mill as I return to posting on Merlin’s Newsletter.)
Great question! I've been disabled all my life (polio as a baby), but in my forties my body changed again. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I had to pay attention to it. And I started writing about that. During that time of having to figure out hard things, writing was exciting. So I stuck with it and now thirty years later I have two books published, one upcoming, and loads of writing accepted into journals and anthologies. It's all still so exciting.
Sound like you have a unique perspetive that you can share, as well as the passion to stick with writing.
Out of professional curiosity - Also working on a book, fiction - how did you manage to get your books published? Did you find a publisher, self-publish, what was your journey?
My novel was published by an independent literary press, my memoir by a university press and my collection of essays will be coming out from another university press in about a year. And the novel I'm serializing on Substack is self-published, of course. The first two books took about five years of submitting before any success. I started with querying agents (I've never had any success there.), and then I tried independent and university presses. In the process, I'd try to get individual essays or excerpts published in journals. I did have some success with that and it helped make my query letters more attractive. I have to say that this process is harder now than it was back then because more and more independent presses are only allowing agented authors to submit. And most always, you have to have a completed, well-edited manuscript ready. Good luck. And here's my website with more information about my publishing. www.sandragaillambert.com
thank you so much. the first part sounds like the route I wanted to try first (i.e. through agents) but I had anticipated needing a lot of tenacity and just having to try over and over again. Interesting to see the route you took afterwards, glad to hear there are always other ways to getting your work out there. For now, my focus is on finishing it. Taking it step by step. Will take a look at your website once I have time.
I started writing because I wanted to give my mind something to do but ended up really enjoying the process and participating this community. That has been the most surprising thing for me - the community.
What a great question to ponder! My writing journey came out of necessity, a need to express what I was experiencing in what I called a "quarter life crisis"! (Unexpected but chosen career change in my late 20's). And although my education is in music I began to explore words and visual art too and never looked back. What keeps me going, despite the all too frequent clutter and noise, is that same feeling of necessity. Every little whisper (like here in this thread!) that reminds me that I have "permission" to keep going is a welcome motivator!
Heather Cox Richardson was my biggest inspiration! When I was devastated after the Roe decision this summer, I decided to start a newsletter on being a feminist in the South. It's brought so much joy to connect like-minded people in the region, and just to find time to consistently practice my craft. https://emilytaylor.substack.com/
I'm an English professor, and I really love how she's used the newsletter to make her academic work more public-facing. We're too isolated in the Ivory Tower!
Love these questions! My publication is designed to share real stories and thoughts on topics like mental health struggles, healing journeys, shame, vulnerability and the mess of it all. During my lowest/darkest moments, it was reading the stories of others who were going through the same that lifted me and helped me feel less alone. That is why I started With Grit + Grace, to share my story in hopes that it might create hope and connection for others. :-)
Im such a big believer in sharing stories that can really help people through those dark times. Coping mechanisms that people come across etc.
Sometimes it can be the smallest tweak to someone's life that can make all the difference. Thats a great motivation for me now. Just passing on things that have worked for me or things that im trying out.
Great question, S.E. I'm very influenced by 19th and early 20th century horror writers such as M.R. James and Arthur Machen. However, I've gotten story ideas from a variety of different sources, from nonfiction books I've read to offhand comments a friend of mine once made.
I guess my love of modern horror writers like Stephen King, Dean R. Koonz, Bentley Little, Robert R. McCammon, Anne Rice. I do like the older ones as well, but good times.
Leigh, my next door neighbor is an avid reader of horror stories. (I like mysteries, myself.) I'm so new here I'm afraid I might lose you to recommend your Newsletter to her. Where do I look to find Halcyon Horror again? Thanks tons, Kim Salisbury tractionpads@gmail.com
There are quite a few others from that time period that I admire, but I was trying not to go on forever. ;-) My preference is for subtle psychological horror over straight up gore, and the former was much more popular back in the day. Some of my other favorites are Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Algernon Blackwood, and (of course) H.P. Lovecraft.
More dead names, thank ya thank ya. Lovecraft is the only one I recognize, and so I'm glad to widen my vantage point. "Subtle psychological horror" makes for fine fiction. Which reminds me - would you include Shirley Jackson in that camp?
What great questions, SE! My inspirations hit me from the side at random moments. Snippets of overheard conversation, song lyrics, an event or moment-they just kind of sneak up on me. But being a massive reader as a child, getting totally lost in novels, made me want to create my own worlds. So I suppose Madeline L'Engle, Ann M Montgomery, and JRR Tolkien get some real credit!
First, happy holidays to all! I have always admired Mark Twain. He has a way with sarcasm, truthism, and painting pictures with his words. I try to add a little "snark" to my writing, as well. As a historian, I also admire many other historians and their desire to delve deep into a topic. I enjoy the research, and sometimes, telling the lesser known facts about a broader topic. I value input and I am motivated by views. I know, it's kind of weird, but to see people read what I write is rather gratifying. Yes, the "likes," "shares," and "subscriptions" also bring a smile to my face.
I have mentioned him before, but I have learned so many new "tricks to the trade" from fellow Substack writer Terry Freedman, author of "Eclecticism: Reflections on Literature and Life." Super clever writing advice! I try to incorporate some of his "special tactics" in some of my writing.
I'm hoping the powers that be at Substack see how much you contribute to this community, because I'd be happy to go on at length about that! I think some of the books I read as a kid really stuck with me and it's interesting how the influence changes over time. I know reading Woody Allen's Without Feathers made a huge impression on me as did A Confederacy of Dunces. I still think they're pretty funny.
I write about addiction and recovery (wish we had our own category!!!) and being small invites questions about the point of it all sometimes. Particularly, when it involves publishing a gratitude list every morning. Usually, at about the time I convince myself that we should quit or scale back, someone reaches out and says something really, really nice and I realize that beyond the numbers of opens and views and new subscribers, every once in a while it makes a difference to someone So, I figure it's back to work. That's how it works for me.
This is a great topic, S.E.--thank you for everything you do.
Hello to all. Just wanted to say that I love the Duplicate to drafts feature - saves me time for at least one of my weekly posts where I reuse the same format every week!
So many good lessons in that one! I know it's a silly stoner comedy wrapped around a Raymond Chandler mystery, but I think the The Big Lebowski has a lot to teach us, which is why its fandom is so strong all these years later.
1. As far as being impacted and inspired by a movie, I would have to say "Erin Brokovich".
2. The cross-over of environmental advocacy, feminism and just all around impressive script and performances, makes it a favorite of mine. Her tenacity is so empowering, as well as the the messaging around protecting our communities and environment. 💚 I'd be happy to share more if you're interested in this movie as a guest post. Just reach out. Happy holidays :)
I've seen this movie many times and so appreciate its authenticity. I practiced environmental law for nearly 15 years, and from my experience, the film is 100% accurate in its depictions of what it takes to fight a big company. There's only one scene in the movie that is likely not accurate—when Erin sneaks onto the property to take water samples. She might have actually done that, but guessing the samples would have not been admissible in court...but hey, they won!
I'll have to check this out. I love movies, and using moving as a tool for relating events in their lives to them. In a way, it is speaking in movie metaphors. I just finished watching banshees of inisherin and the movie was, using a little hyperbole "a revelation." The movie stars Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson as two friends, but they have a falling out.
The movie is both absurd and poignant, and how spite can be a powerful force. It also leaves a lot open as to how friendships are formed and under what circumstances they break.
It made me think about the different falling out moments in my life. I had one friend in college I no longer speak to. I was friends with him for roughly six years after the event occurred that precipitated our falling out. He dated a woman that had recently broken up with me that I considered to be my first love. He did come and ask me if it would be alright that he date her.
My response was, "It will hurt like hell, but you can do what you want." And he dated her.
I suppose one way of looking at it would have been that at least he had the consideration to ask. But for me, if our roles had been reversed, and had he been in love with a girl I also liked, well the question never would have been asked.
A second falling out, more recent was I didn't like the way this friend of mine was treating a woman he was dating. FYI he is 73 and she is in her early fifties. Now, as things went, I believe people should be free to behave however they want as long as it is consensual. But I noticed he would control her by only allowing her a couple glasses of wine, and would moderate her diet, and would be very specific in how she conducted herself when they were together.
She finally asked for my advice on it, and I never solicited it or even let on that I was observing these things. But I was honest with her in that if I was controlled like that, it would be a deal breaker for me. Unless in my case the woman was super hot, I would not be controlled or manipulated in that fashion.
I knew that my being honest with her could result in his asking me what I told her and yes, that is predictably what happened. At one point he demanded that I show him some text messages, and at that point our friendship ended. We haven't spoken since, and yes, apparently after she broke up with him briefly, they ended up getting back together and are getting married, which I knew would probably happen as well. Like I said, as long as it is consensual, do what you want.
Hi everyone! I’m Mike and I write about science and wonder and stuff that makes you go “WOW!”.
This is kind of a general tip, and maybe an obvious one so, apologies if so. But it’s about something I see so many new Substack writers not doing, and missing a huge opportunity. It’s this:
*EDIT YOUR WELCOME EMAILS.*
These are the first emails anyone will get when they sign up to read your Substack. They are therefore part of the first impression they’ll get of who you are, what you do and why you’re worth reading. They mean *so much* to your branding. But if you leave them unedited, with just the standard text that Substack has put into them – well, that email will be fine, and contain all the relevant info, but it also won’t sound like YOU. It will entirely fail to sound like you.
(It’ll also fail to point them towards your best stuff, or tell them a story that immediately makes them laugh, or any number of incredibly powerful things you can do to make a winning first impression.)
Substack already recommends you personalise these emails – for example, https://on.substack.com/p/setting-up-your-substack-for-the under “Housekeeping”. But to me, it’s as vital as what’s on your About page. If you spend all that energy to get them to sign up and then their first, damaging impression of your work is “meh, that’s boring” - was it really worth all that effort?
So – as a matter of priority, edit your welcome emails. Go to Settings > Basics > “Welcome email to free subscribers” and click on the Edit button. Make it sound like you. Be surprising and weird and warm and fun. Make it an amazing introduction that will totally make them love you from the starter’s pistol, while *also* making them aware of everything great you’ve done so far, and maybe what else you have to offer, if you have a paid Substack.
(And then, hey, go do the same for “Welcome email to paid subscribers.” And then look for other emails you can edit – there are some under Payments. Anywhere else you can customize? Go find it!)
Sounding unique and interesting from the get-go is *incredibly* important in this newslettering lark. And this is an easy win. Go edit those emails and make a rock-star entrance.
Hey Mike, I'm currently in the US but typically in West Kirby on the Wirral. We're planning to host a UK writer meet up sometime next year and it would be great if you attended. I'm a rabid fan of your Substack.
I was just about to respond with something about how good the words and the advice was when I realized you were talking to yourself ... something you do to great effect on your posts!
Great advice - thanks! I was editing mine yesterday because I've added a new 'Section' to my stack - and noticed some out-of-date information. I've made a note to check it regularly - ditto my 'About' page!
That's an excellent point! Yes, some kind of reminder to cycle back through all these things and see what's grown outdated. I really need to do that for mine - thanky.
I recently updated my Welcome email to highlight the most popular posts from the archive. Now that I've been writing for almost 2 years, it was time to point readers to posts I know worked well so they get the feel for what to expect.
Thanks Mike. Great reminder. I am newish and as I was getting to know the site, I missed that there's a difference between Free and Paid Welcome emails. I had edited the Paid one only and edited the Free one but the text got lost somehow. As many on here can attest, we mostly start with free subscribers so the most recent subscribers only got a simple message. Thankfully, a fellow substacker Livio asked me about it and I checked and sure enough the message was not what I intended. I write about relationships, healing after trauma, and incorporate research (since I'm a therapist) along with storytelling to help illuminate challenging social issues. But yeah, check the Welcome email that's going out to your new subscribers!
Thanks for adding the "duplicate" feature! I've been copying and pasting for over three years. This will make things a bit easier for me. And a big THANK YOU to the whole Substack team for all the hard work y'all put into making the platform better and better.
Last week, we had a meetup of the Fictionistas (https://fictionistas.substack.com/), a group for fiction writers on Substack. There were ~20 writers attending. We talked through a "wish list" for features we most want to see integrated into Substack. Here are five we hope Substack Claus will bring us soon...
- Search (Within a Substack)
- Post Tagging
- Text Centering, Indent, and Underlining
- Image Alignment / Text Wrap
- Text Alerts for New Posts (For international users who prefer WhatsApp to Email)
- Post Tagging --> I have heard this is on the table 👀
- Text Alerts for New Posts (For international users who prefer WhatsApp to Email)-->tell me more about this! Would the app notifications work in this way? Or would you want to start collecting phone numbers in addition to email?
Search - Now I see it! I can't believe I've missed it all this time. This is going to make finding old posts SO much easier.
Post Tagging - 🤩
Text Alerts - This isn't a feature I personally want, but our international Fictionistas do. They want the option to collect phone numbers to send WhatsApp notifications when new posts go out, because email is apparently less prevalent in parts of the world outside the US.
Thanks for passing along our wish list. You're the best elf in the elf biz, Katie. Happy Holidays!
Fellow Fictionista here. Totally would love image/text wrap - one if my serialisations is a poetry collection, which includes illustrations and for some poems having the image next to the text would better than above or below.
An important part of your craft as a writer is to continually ask yourself, “why am I doing this?” Sadly, the internet does not favor or promote sober self-reflection; what the internet wants is for everything to conform to its values, guidelines, and rules. If you, like me, wish to act against this tendency, read on; I have some suggestions.
Ask yourself: are you writing because you have a fire deep inside—an unquenchable burden that must be let out? Or are you writing merely because you want to be seen as a writer? The world is cumbered with so much writing these days; why should you contribute to the pile? Are you writing from an internal necessity, or just to play the game?
The game isn’t real. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make any difference how many subscribers, likes, hearts, or comments you get, or what kind of badge you have. Don’t let the internet’s silly “engagement metrics” affect how or why you write.
Don’t let Twitter’s trending topics dictate what you write about; in fact, just get off Twitter altogether. Don’t write about the same thing everyone else is writing about. Why should you? Other people already have that topic covered. What do you have to say that’s original? Don’t write about whatever is the hot topic of the day, either—that’s a guaranteed way for your writing to get forgotten in a month or two.
Break all the Substack rules. Don’t write to a schedule; only write when you have something of value to say. Turn off your comment section; your readers can reach you via email if they really want to. Write super-long posts that will get clipped in Gmail. Don’t cross-post or “mention” other writers; doing so advances Substack’s agenda, but does nothing for your own craft. If you cite another author, simply write their name; there’s no need to turn it into a link, and why do you need to let them know you cited them? Give your posts obscure titles that don’t work well with SEO; in fact, abandon the whole SEO treadmill altogether. You are better than that. All that fluff and sparkle is like a neon billboard at Thoreau’s Walden pond. It’s just a distraction from your writing.
Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to “make a living as a writer”? Ask yourself, why should anyone give you money? The only way you can earn it is by writing something so amazing that no one can look away. Get rid of paid subscriptions. Would you still write if you weren’t getting paid? If so, good. It’s better to give your best stuff away for free anyway.
Give yourself permission to be weird. If you are known for writing about one thing, write about something else every once in a while. Don’t worry about unsubscribes. Remember, you are writing for yourself and no one else. Well, maybe for one or two literary heroes. That’s fine—but even they don’t get to tell you how to do it.
Substack is a very good publishing platform, with the best text editor available on the web. But why should it be anything else? Why is Substack trying to be a social media site? We all know social media is a wasteland—why would we want to turn the best publishing platform into a wasteland? Resist Substack’s ongoing mission creep. Use it for what it is good at, nothing more.
And of course, if none of this makes sense for your current situation . . . ignore it! Don’t listen to me! I’m nobody! Just don’t let anyone make the rules for you. You are the god of your little corner of the blogosphere. Do whatever makes sense to you. Follow your own vision, your own muse. I promise you’ll have more fun.
Ok William, I think you nailed it! Thanks for this and even though you said ignore the Likes, I did give you one. I really appreciate what you wrote. I was feeling rather discouraged yesterday as I barely had any views to my latest piece. I started a couple of months ago with my publication and a few weeks ago I had a major surge on two pieces, one on harnessing your inner chaos and the other on burnout. It was quite a thrill that so many enjoyed them. But the two pieces since have resulted in small views, and one I was very proud of - about how men and women can heal together in relationship. Aren't relationships huge? But when I think back to before I started my page, I was writing a lot and not sharing it anywhere. So now I am. That is my metric, my growth. And that is worth something to me.
Pretty much in agreement here, William. Social media is a wasteland, but not in the sense that nothing grows. What grows and flourishes there - a great deal anyway - is inanity and superficiality.
I write stories (odd ones that appeal to certain people) and I love my titles. Yeah, they're probably not SEO friendly, but I still love them. And that's the way it is.
I write for me and enjoy it. I love my work. If someone else does too, great. If not, that's okay too. I understand.
Loved your comment and I gave it heart, even if it doesn't really change anything. Good job on expressing the faith.
I do have an unquenchable burden to be let out--everyone else is doing it wrong and I need to tell them the right way to do it! Meant in jest, but sometimes I really do feel this way. Love your original and thought provoking comment.
I kind of agree that you need to do what you want to do and not be dictated by the app or the algorithm but....
I'd say that for me, I think I write about subjects that I think will help others. Mental health, general things about life and interesting things I've learned.
So...its important to me that these ideas get to as many people as possible and the best way to do that is, to some extent at least, play the numbers game.
Well said. When the critic or “want to be a politically correct or perfect voice“ comes on in my head, I get off track and miss the mark of being my authentic experience and voice.
I'd love to hear thoughts on whether posts that are "too long for email" perform less well or whether there is some other drawback to having longer posts.
As I am gathering most people know in the thead, if you draft a post and see a "Post too long for email" message, this means that it just may appear as clipped or truncated in a reader's email inbox. They can read the full post on web.
While there isn't a word count or length restriction on Substack posts, some email providers like Gmail will truncate messages exceeding 102KB. You'll see this message in the post editor after you've exceeded Gmail's size limit.
I just flagged with our team to see if we can get some more context on the effect of a post performance.
Thank you, Katie, that would be very helpful. I've always perceived it as "below the fold", and so less likely to be read. Well, that and it helps me not to ramble on even more than I do . . . :)
Thank you, Katie! Mine tend to come in around 5,000 words, and I've long wondered about this. I have played around with bringing them down to 4,000 to no discernible difference in performance. But 4,000 is still long! Haha.
This is so funny, Martin. I'm currently down in East Croydon and working on a very similar post. In fact, I have a couple of the same shots! Nice photos, BTW.
I've just subscribed. I love London, love your pics. I included pics and a video of London recently: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/start-the-week-3 I find London so exciting, so vibrant, Christmas or any other time of year.
If you have too many images you get that message too. I have a post coming on Tuesday that is graphics heavy and it has that message tacked on. I put a note at the top of the post saying it might be truncated with a link to my archive.
Most of my posts, Michael, eventually bring up the "too long" blue banner of blather! In fact, I
believe, now, 'Stack suits have embedded that banner as a default on my draft pages even before I push down on even one keyboard key!
But, when I send and then, see, the e-mail, there's virtually nothing that's missing...nothing was cut off; maybe a blue button or two at the very bottom, but none that I put up are missing!
Plus, my default e-mail banner, while thanking readers for subbing, etc, I've got it set to tell my subbies they can always read my posts on the website, and I provide a link.
Further, as I consider what I write to be more "article" than "newsletter," and post rather freely on social media sites, I expect more eyes than my subbies will see it (and length, at that point, not unlike my wedding night, is of no consequence)!
Plus, I write behind-the-scenes, more exclusive-type articles I hope will long outlive me, somewhere on the web, adding to the canon of rock history, if only to a tiny degree, if you'll allow my momentary burst of delusional self-importance!!😁Bottom line? Make it long!!!
Yes, I loved our collab!! I can't believe I need to be reminded to add something to my own thread! I don't deserve you, Paul....plus, damn, I'm getting old (and recalling a Jerry Garcia album title....."and in the Way")!
Say, would you like to join our bi-weekly Google Meet Zoom thingy? It's every other Friday at 10 am (CT). I'd love to have you, and however much you may not be "a music writer," you've certainly earned your badge, and we'd love to have your ideas and enthusiasm!!
We have one tomorrow, and if you'd like, I could add your e-mail to our Meet list for the invites! LMK!!!
I'd love to join in, but I've got some contractors coming over at that time, as we are in the middle of renovating our home. Next time for sure! Please add my email to your list, Thanks.
My open rate is 45-75%. The most words I have ever written for a post looks like around 1,378 words. I think if it gets too large, it will turn people off.
My posts are atypical, in that they're highly interactive. (I write choose-your-path fiction.) But I've found that the longer my posts are in word count, the less likely readers are to click on my links. So for me, longer posts means less engagement.
I agree with your 'less engagement' comment! As a reader I find long posts daunting, and as a writer I've noticed that my longer posts are generally less popular than shorter ones.
I do find that I prefer reading posts that are shorter and to the point. Maybe all of us are just a bit too distracted with all the information out there.
I agree as well! In fact, I've challenged myself not to write anything over 500 words and to keep links to a minimum. Ultimately, I'm writing what I want to read and longer posts can lose my attention span quickly!
LOL. Jackhammer? I hadn't thought of that. Judging by the some of the roads Rebecca Holden and I have encountered, you will be welcomed by the PotHole Preservation Society. (See our letters! https://rebeccaholden.substack.com/s/letters-to-terry)
I think it's more about how engaging the content is than the length of the post. There have been lengthy posts that I couldn't peel my eyes away from (even read twice), and others that I just skim through. I also think breaking up the content with pictures, bolded statements, sections helps to keep readers engaged when content is lengthy. Cheers!
Well, I don't think it matters. If I see a really long post, I save it for later. Yesterday I published a mega long post and it has had the highest number of views yet.
Hi Terry, I'm glad to hear it. I myself had a rather long post that really blew up in views. Since I started in October, it was a dramatic boost in viewers. So I think it's what catches people's interest.
Yes, exactly Faith. My philosophy is that posts should be as long as they need to be. Or as short. That's the most profound thing I've said all year by the way.
My thoughts exactly, Terry! I refuse to bow down to the "Reading is haaaaaaaaarrrrd!" crowd, and the story I'm telling needs this many or that many words, and until it feels (cue Goldilocks) just right, I don't care if a blue banner tells me it's "too long" or "oh, no" my engagement might suffer, blah blah!
I think too many writers (here included) are too consumed with the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands about everything BUT the writing....their energy would be better served to, oh I dunno.......actually write, instead of whining about the periphery!
definitely! Well said, Sir. BTW, as we think so much alike, and as you are a most discerning and erudite fellow, how come you haven't subscribed to my 'stack?
I don't worry about it, but that's not to say there isn't a limit to what people will read in email. I normally try to limit my posts to under 5 min read (as described by the app) with 3 min being ideal. Every time I've posted something longer than 5 min, I've lost readers.
Long posts have not made a difference. When I get the warning, I end up using a link at the top so people can skip to a section if they want (example: https://digest.jennchen.com/p/twitter-eulogy). If I'm feeling a need to write more, I write more. It might not have as many *immediate* opens but if the content is good enough, they'll save to read it later.
I was worried about this too. So I ended up providing summary notes under a video captured on Youtube. It allows people to see my old ugly mug (hehe) but more importantly provide a verbal discussion of the material where I have more room to expand on items.It also allows people to learn by listening, kinda like a mini conference presentation. I try really hard to keep the videos to 15 minutes but usually are in the 20-30 minute range.
that is a great question, as a travel writer, my posting includes photos and so I keep it fairly short and choose to split topics up into small bits. I think people are so inundated with stuff, they need something short, sweet and hopefully inspirational. But there is a place for the longer, more thoughtful posts too.
Hi all! I have a small newsletter, under 200 readers. Since I know there are many of us growing from this humble beginning, I wanted to share some of my stats and reflections for my three month ‘stackiversary. Would like to network with other small-ish writers via the comments and hear how things are going for you. We can learn from each other!
Wow, you track your stats in great detail! It sounds like you are on the right track — like you said, slow and steady wins the race. I am not on any other social media, so my growth has been a slow trickle, which is fine. Sounds like FB and IG have really helped you spread your words.
I more or less am counting on the Substack fairy dust to increase my readers. I come here in this great community when I can, but I work outdoors all day and don’t have the time to spend in front of the computer to write and read and promote my newsletter. I have 130 subscribers, 90 of which were the initial email blast of friends and colleagues. I did add a “paid” option that is 95 percent the same as the free version, but have only 3 paid subscribers.
I get positive feedback from my blend of music and memoir posts (which tend to be 8-10 minute reads), but it likely sends away new readers looking for music writing only and memoir readers looking for personal stories only.
My philosophy is that I write for myself first and second and for potential readers third. When I did try and adjust to what I thought “readers” wanted it was less authentic and it showed.
If you need a beta reader for your book next year, hit me up. Those topics overlap with some of my stuff. I’m gathering beta readers for my own complete draft due in August.
I'm gonna embarrass Steve here, but I don't care....stick to your last paragraph.....as for your next-to-last paragraph, just keep doing you! I found you BECAUSE you mix your riveting personal stories with a song or songs, and YOU DO IT ENTERTAININGLY (and hilariously....I will never get your baby pic...."famous pic of Steve looking nauseated" out of my head, AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO....again, like so much of your content, it's memorable, funny, and UNIQUE to you)!
There are so many things you do (that I envy) in your writing that I can't do. I know I do what I do, and I'm proud of my experiences, which certainly feed my little 'Stack niche, but you have such a rare and unselfconscious POV---and, you do it in ways no one else does, or could, DON'T CHANGE A THING (certainly don't bend to "what you think readers want"---you're already doing it They'll find you)!
Meanwhile, fellow 'Stackers, invite Steve into your inbox (have him bring some of his posts, while you're at it!), and read one of the more original and unique writers on the 'Stack! And, please consider subbing, as I do! His posts may be "unconventional" in some typically 'Stack ways, but they're consistently entertaining.....and, they've got humor AND music!!!💖👍https://earworm.substack.com/
Wow, Brad. 😊 thanks for those kind words. You have been a great champion of my Substack and have almost single-handedly inspired me to keep at it week after week. Especially on those weeks when I didn't have time until late night the day before I usually post. I won't go so far as to claim you as my muse, but you most certainly are my amuse bouche.
Heart-felt, Steve.....As much as I love the 'Stack, it's easy to weed thru the plentiful dreck, and then have your head suddenly turned by a shining ray of light. It's like hearing the first round of American Idol wannabes, and suddenly Streisand takes the stage! You can tell the difference at once!
For all the "here's my fave song of the week....what's yours?" music "writers" extant (and then they have the nerve to press for paid upgrades as they ask their readers to provide the content!!), your unique POV and style needs to be encouraged and will, hopefully, inspire other writers to dig juuuuuussst a little deeper than just streaming one new song a week, and calling it writing!
Now, you're sending me to my dictionary.com! I have no idea what the hell an "amuse bouche" is, but I'm pretty sure Billy Hockstetter got a bloody nose from my fist in 6th grade for calling me that!😉💖👍
Nice to meet you, Steve! Thanks for sharing your progress. 90 subs off the bat is great!! I *love* the blend of music and memoir -- music is a huge influence on my creative process. I’ll be sure to check out your newsletter!
Have you read the book “Love is a Mix Tape” by Rob Sheffield? It’s a memoir of his relationship told song by song. It’s one of my favorite books, and also the book I wish I could have written. 😜
One of my favorite books and I so agree that other than not wanting to live the tragedy that is at the center of the book, it is the book I wish I had written. I love all his books, but that one is a favorite.
Hi Jen, I'm in the humble beginning stages too! Just subscribed to your newsletter. By the looks of it, we have a lot in common. I'm posting once a month (all free) while I tell myself I'm working out the kinks, the look, the message -- what I'm really doing is trying to do is kill the imposter in me. Then, look out!..
Here I am. https://catherinehpalmer.substack.com/ I'll take any and all tips for building this platform. I love being the editor of my own little magazine.
Just want to say how exciting it is to see so many new writers here! Whether you're new to writing, or new to Substack, or both, WELCOME!
A little advice.
1. The community usually has the answers to your questions. Make friends and ask questions. Or, ask questions and then make friends. This is an awesome community.
2. Writers who write on the same topics aren't your competition, they're your potential collaborators. Reach out to those writers, leave thoughtful comments on their posts, see if you can do something together, and grow your community.
3. Don't obsess over going viral. The best way to grow is to put out consistent material. Like compound interest, it takes time, but the results are really powerful.
Hi everyone! I recently transitioned my blog - https://www.whereonplanetearth.com - to Substack and I am really loving it here. I travel full time and write short travel stories and recommendations from wherever I am at (currently at the airport of Lima Peru en route to Brazil!). I'd love to connect with other travel writers on here!! ❤️
Hi Carla - I’m a full time travel writer & just began a stack looking at the travel communication world - subscribers so far are all editors, writers, PRs etc. Lots of insidery industry interviews & stuff but also just me having a chat about the travel media landscape. It’s here if you’re interested! https://thetravelcommunicator.substack.com/
Hi Carla! I don't cover travel exclusively, but I often feature locations that my readers consider as their "happy places" and how you can be a conscientious traveler while visiting from an environmental/cultural perspective. I've done New Orleans, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Chicago, among others. If that perspective on travel is of interest to you, would love to connect and maybe you could do a guest post or something. Happy Holidays! :)
reading through these comments is an absolutely incredible (and mostly guilt free) way of procrastinating from the writing i'm supposed to be doing, and for that gift, dear substack employees and friends, I wish to thank you all.
It is a bit of a procrastination from writing, but connecting with other writers is an important part of being a writer, I have learned, these sessions are great for that.
Visiting office hours qualifies as part of the writing process. Afterwards, I'm always like, "Hey, I've been working for hours now. I can take a break!"
What I'm saying is that I never, ever get any writing done on Thursday afternoons.
What a wonderful writer you are! Your first few lines had me smiling from ear to ear and the fact that they are based on photos! I love that! Can't wait to have a moment to dive back in!
I wanted to take some time today to say that, though i've been heavily recommending Substack to my writing coaching clients for the past year (and anyone who will listen, really) because of the ease of use, the overall commitment to creating a strong writer and reader experience, the community feel, and the dedication of the Substack team to helping writers grow (etc, etc), it wasn't until this week that I realized why it was giving me so many warm fuzzy feelings.
Outside of all the really strong practical reasons to love this platform, what I'm starting to feel is something that I've missed for so many years. This is beginning to feel like a renaissance of the glory days of blogging - when damn good writing was more than enough.
As a writer:
I was an early, early adopter of Wordpress, and have being doing this writing online thing for a very long time. I had almost forgotten what it feels like to write without being constrained by a 2200 character IG caption count, or to write for the sake of writing and sending those words out in the world to people who WANT to read my writing (not just to feed the never-ending social media machine).
I'm slowly reprogramming my brain from the WRITE.ALL.THE.THINGS.FOR.FREE mentality and dismantling the belief that my words alone are enough reason to request and accept financial support.
What do you mean, I don’t just need to churn out an exhaustive string of posts and graphics and reels and then morph the words into a funnel of products and programs to support my life? You're saying that the words alone, ALL BY THEMSELVES, are worthy of compensation? Holy hell, imagine that.
And yes, perhaps this should be obvious for a human who has made a living from words (I'll never get over the wonder of that) for a few decades, but it wasn't obvious at all. I had bought into the myth entirely that just writing alone wasn’t enough to be worthy of payment. Hook. Line. Sinker.
I'm beginning to unravel that inside this space, and it feels damn good.
As a reader:
Does anyone else remember the day Google Reader was no more? When suddenly we couldn’t just navigate to one place and read all the words from all of our favorites? I think that felt like the day that blogging took its final breaths for me. Then we all found ourselves on Facebook and Instagram and starting podcasts (and, and, and - lather, rinse, repeat). It’s not that I didn’t keep on reading the words of people I love, it’s just that it got more complicated, and we started writing (and reading) differently.
But lately, as more and more of my long time fave writers (and newly found gems) find their way here, and as the Substack network continues to lead me down the rabbit hole of brand new brilliance, my Substack home page is starting to feel a little like Google Reader did in the good ole days. I can navigate to one place and find essay after essay of suburb writing that I’ve personally curated to fill me up with inspiration or motivation or education or amusement.
(perhaps not good for my productivity, but that's another story for another day)
I’m a month post breakup, and lately all I want to do is write about my history with romantic love. Not pithy posts that are chopped up enough to fit into a caption box. Not quick riffs that fit within my chosen niche or target market. Not spending hours making eye catching graphics to attempt to win the battle with the algorithm. And certainly not trying to figure out reels and Tiktoks.
What I want to do is write (and write and write and write), long form, loose and unconstrained, pour out my heart and hold it out gently. I want to have a space to share this writing where I know—without a doubt—that the people reading have chosen to be there because they see something in my work worth sticking around for.
I don’t have a huge readership here. There are more eyes on my work if I share it on social media or to my email list. But writing here feels good. Writing here feels like writing used to feel. And god damn, I’ve missed that.
Yes to all of this. And that is why I am loving the Substack app. I spend far less time on social media now that I've made that a regular part of my reading time.
Here is a question I have for everyone: How do you stay consistent? What do you do to cultivate a regular stream of content to put out? What do you do when your well is getting dry?
My favorite "note pad," Kevin (and yours too, I'm guessing) is a new post page, of which I have at least a dozen all queued up for future GROW BIGGER EARS and Inside Tracks! If I don't do that, nothing would be saved, it'd all leave my head, and I'd be stuck.
I looked, just yesterday, toward the bottom of my queue, and saw something I even forgot I saved....it'll probably be next on my to-write list! It also works better for me than a pad of paper, a Post-It, or even my (flip) phone!!!
Ooo, I do that too. I was scrolling on LI yesterday and came across a Ted Talk that prompted an essay. There I was standing in the kitchen and opened my laptop and let the stream flow out of me. It's just the beginning but I do that a lot so I have a bunch of half-made drafts since in a folder on my desktop. I find that in reading them as I choose my next piece, I just choose one and go with it. It's a weird relationship to my writing that needs a particular kind of nurturing.
Holy crap! Are there TWO Michael Mohr's on the 'Stack?!? You guys should collaborate, but then, who would know? While I've got the chance, let me take advantage of the situation, and double my shout-out power: "Wow, that Michael Mohr---what a great writer!!"✒📝👍Sincerely, THE Brad Kyle
First, keep a notes file somewhere (I keep an open notes thing on my phone) and write down EVERY thought that occurs to you to write about, while you're at the grocery, while you're at work, anything. Then, when I have time at my computer, I turn a few of those notes into multiple pieces I'm working on at once--none in finished form, so I don't feel pressured while I write. Then I can always grab one and polish it for publishing.
I focus on one strong piece a month instead of worrying about releasing content every week. Much more manageable and I can really focus on making it as strong as possible.
Sticking to a schedule is tough, but that does help some. I make sure I schedule posts to go out at the same time every week. While I write about a lot of different things, my regularly scheduled posts are travel posts. While I finish up the semester of teaching and work on finishing my book, I have decided to take old posts from my old blog, revise, and republish at Substack for a new audience. In addition, I have at least 20 draft ideas just sitting in my draft folder that I return to every time I think of something. I have two posts right now that I know I could finish over break because I just keep returning to them and adding things as I read other newsletters and just need to vent 😊 The scheduling allows me to batch when the inspiration hits without worry about the posting well going dry. Does any of that help?
I didn't think it mattered until I was unexpectedly late once and got emails from people asking where it was. Which lit my heart on fire, obviously. It might just be the die-hard fans, but that had the effect of increasing my commitment to the schedule. But I think the top priority is having it work for us as writers. Coz the last thing I wanna be doing is rushing a post, or worse - resenting my publication.
I guess I don't feel bad if I never finish them because I have a place to go if I don't have any ideas. Plus, there are some that I just keep adding things to as I think about ideas or need to vent ;-)
I knew when I started that I'd have a difficult time sticking to a schedule, but I haven't abandoned it completely. If one can give readers something to look forward to on generally the same day of the week, I think that might help. On the other hand, I certainly am too busy to pay attention to whether someone has stuck to their schedule! So, I agree that it may not be that important...
Right now, I'm going for quality over quantity. I'm not a very fast writer, so my hope is that putting out one good story a month will draw more interest than several mediocre stories during the same time period. I've been keeping a few finished first drafts in reserve as well so I don't have to start from scratch every month.
I like your style, Leigh.....if quality is Job 1, the quantity will eventually catch up in due time. Right now, give your readers something worth reading; they'll then want to sub, and eagerly await your next post!
After 18 months of regular once-per week publishing I can second all the great advice here about having a lot of 'partial drafts' on the go at once, using a spreadsheet and writing a short draft "on the spot" immediately you are inspired by something. You can expand on it later when you have time.
Also, no one mentioned you should have an "Emergency" Issue that is ready to send if you run into a last minute illness/family emergency. It could look like a normal email or it could have a carefully worded explanation of why you can't publish today with a link to a "best posts of 2022" or something else your readers will enjoy.
... because if you really are having an emergency you won't feel like crafting a well written excuse...
An editorial calendar is a MUST! We publish daily (with the same general topic on the same day), and my posts are usually scheduled a couple of weeks ahead of time. I also have an "Ideas" list so that if I think of something, I immediately put it in that list to refer to later.
I also get ideas from other Substackers whose newsletters I subscribe to and maybe the latest news you can use...
Because we have dedicated topics for designated days, it really helps to come up with ideas.
Such a great and important question. I'm navigating this for myself. I'm six months in and so far, for me, it's looked like giving myself grace and approaching my process with curiosity (because it's so specific to each writer)
I haven't been as consistent or as frequent as I expected. My process has been less a switch I turn on and more an ebb and flow. While I'm currently riding the wave, this is my big takeaway:
Big picture thinking (like pre-planning content for the next few weeks/ months) and creative bucket-filling require un-rushed space and have to be separate from the creation and the execution process. But my creation and execution process really benefit from being held in a pre-planned structure (eliminates real time decision making and overthinking)
It's hard work at times. I do keep a list of ideas, and for the discipline of writing to a deadline helps too. It's a bit stressful at times, knowing I have to come up with something when I feel uninspired, but I take my commitment to my readers seriously (even when I had only a few)
Yes, I agree, it is hard work. I do like to keep my commitment to my readers as well so I do a weekly on Tuesday/Wednesday. And I think keeping to a schedule does help hone the writing muscle.
Maybe write when you are inspired, and set them up to be published in the future. I also save idea starts in drafts and work on them as more ideas come.
I recently read a book called Storyworthy (from a writer/speaker at the Moth) where he goes into great details describing the spreadsheet he uses to track writing ideas and how transformational the process is (above and beyond the fact that you have a list of ideas at your fingertips). I found it super inspirational and am planning on starting something similar.
I write about midlife, reinvention, career change, self-discovery. I test the theory that it's never too late to be what you might have been. I'm also a planner and a former marketing strategist. I'm gathering ideas for "value-add" content. I like this idea of tips and tricks on capturing ideas ... we'll see where it leads.
These are great questions! Personally, I've committed to writing two newletters a week, one for free subscribers and an additional one for founding members. I collect ideas on my phone throughout the week and usually give myself 1-3 days to write each newsletter. Most of the time, I let it be spontaneous and end up writing what I need to hear myself. I keep my letters short- 500 words or less and focus on self-reflection and creative prompts. A lot of the times I'm pulling from my own life and what I'm experiencing that week.
As for my well going dry- I think this is inevitable in the society we live in! I think modeling rest and taking breaks is so important. It helps give others permission to do the same. Being honest about your capacity- finding ways to be inspired. It's a work in progress for me!
I write in the personal development world and am honest and upfront about when I need breaks and have had the same experience with the permission thing. People reply that they'll miss the newsletter, but that it's great to see me looking after myself etc.
We do that with our litthinkpodcast.substack.com because we are working together and have actual jobs ;-) We give ourselves permission to take planned and announced breaks.
I don't have a schedule. Whenever I have an idea for a post I note it in an app that gets sent to a spreadsheet, which I can then peruse for inspiration if necessary. I also read a lot, and that usually furnishes me with ideas.
I use a TRELLO board (free version of the app) as an ed calendar and brainstorming tool. It gives me a quick visual snapshot of what I've posted (included the thumbnail photo) and a space to get organized for future posts. I even include a card for promotion of posts with checkboxes for LinkedIn, Instagram, FB, etc. Just getting started -- let's hope I haven't overcomplicated things. I DO SO LOVE TO PLAN.
yes me too. Although a new acquaintance IRL became a subscriber and related to my post and emailed me directly. Even though comments aren't really made, I do appreciate email.
Hey! I was just wondering what’s going on with the stats page? I did a post yesterday that got a lot of attention, but numbers on the stats dashboard are very low. I see there’s a note about email opens, but it isn’t just email opens - web traffic is low really low too. For example, it is currently reporting around 3000 hits on my most recent post, but the analytics on my tweet linking to the post claim it has had over 8000 clicks...! So just wanted to flag this in case there’s an error you haven’t spotted. Cheers!
So true, and I appreciate the reminder. I myself am looking for similar writers and haven't really found yet (although to be honest I haven't looked really hard since I have another career to manage). Most of the therapists who write are more "Official" than me - think Nedra and SitwithWhit. I love the work of these two women but they are big names and don't share personally the way I do.
I’m experiencing the same thing on my stats page for a post that went out over 24 hours ago — very low view count and no email open stats available at all.
This isn’t the first time it has happened and it makes me wonder how reliable the stats are overall.
Hey all! Just started my substack and writing about my journey with learning to code.
Would love to connect with other writers and do some cross collabs, any advice on the best way to do this? Or even where to find other writers who cover coding as well? Thanks!
When we organize ours: we use Substack to find web3 ones that could be similar to ours in niche/size, then reach out through email or Twitter. There's a lot of dev writers on Twitter, you could start there and see which ones have their DMs open that might be open to cross collabing!
Though it does take a ton of time to do all the filtering, sorting, messaging, etc. We couldn't find any resource to join ourselves, so we put together a platform to help match up newsletters in similar niches/sizes and save that time, I know we have a couple dev substacks on there already. https://collabmatch.io/ Is the site, would be happy to have you on for the first batch!
As someone that has always wanted to learn to code but felt the cost of entry was too much I immediately subscribed! As far as finding others to work with, cold emails/comments on people you enjoy working with has always worked for me. Good luck and I can't wait to read more of your newsletter!
Hello beautiful people! I am new to the community, and have been writing on Substack for a few months. I am enjoying reading all the comments. Thanks for encouragement and congrats to those of you that have achieved milestones.
This is a concern of mine and I hope I can explain it without stepping on toes. I really hate it when I'm reading a Substack post and I come to, "To keep reading..." and realize I've hit a paywall.
Can we please, out of courtesy, indicate at the very top that this is for paid subscribers only?
I understand the marketing objective, the 'tease' to get readers to subscribe, but honestly it only infuriates me. I'm never in the mood to subscribe after the author has stopped me from reading a story I was just getting into.
Can we talk about this? It happens a lot, and I can't be the only one who finds it offensive. Thanks for any input.
Exactly right. It would be that easy, instead of filling our mailboxes with posts we can't read. I've unsubscribed from most of them now. It's just too frustrating.
I wrote a very similar post about that practice during a previous office hours chat.I agree with you 100% and would add that even indicating it at the top isn’t enough for me. I want a way to opt out of getting any emails for paid subscribers if I’m a free subscriber.
Wow. Just what I've been thinking! Another "thing" that is frustrating to me is the paywall for comments. I guess I get the general idea if you have many thousands of subscribers, but it also stops people who cannot afford to pay and who also write on Substack from getting their newsletter noticed via the comment.
I was going to say the same thing about adding comments behind a paywall. I have read the article and had a thought to express. It does block community building and I want to unsubscribe.
Putting comments behind a paywall while leaving the post 'free' ends any real chance for building a community, unless the writer thinks of community as a kind of closed-door sorority or fraternity. I just think it's a bad idea all the way around and I'm wondering why Substack thought it might be a good option.
Hi Romona, in the app there's purple text that says "preview" before you click on the article. I think there's a lock icon on the desktop that indicates the same thing. But maybe it could be more clear. I don't think you're stepping on anyone's toes. And what you're describing is frustrating, so I don't think anyone (writer, reader, or Substack) wants that.
I usually put in my introduction “welcome to this weeks free post” if it’s the free one. If it’s paid I say thank you for being a paid subscriber and if you aren’t it’s X amount of dollars. I think that helps a lot
I'm not a massive fan of it either. I'm only new here so I only have 1 paying subscriber, but I did decide that its not something I wanna do. Haven't really looked into the practicalities of it yet though.
Love that you added the feature that allows us to lock the "archive", but we still need to address the use of the word "archive". It absolutely cements the idea that this is "old stuff", and so I find reades aren't likely to value it or refer to it, which makes putting it behind a paywall less effective than it should be. It's not as bad as the old name for a newspaper's previously used clippings and photo files (the "morgue")...but it comes close.
Just wanted to share that I completed a short fiction serial of almost 15k words with audio! It was quite an undertaking but I learned a lot and am excited to start the next serial once it’s done.
Last week, I wrote about my wins for 2023. It was fun and a good reminder that I've accomplished some stuff. But then something really magical happened when I asked my readers to share their wins. Some of the things those readers shared were truly amazing!
I love connecting with others through a guest post or now the fab cross-posting. Shoutouts today for their guest posts: Alicia Kenworthy of Catalectic--fab post on Process, Nicci Kadilak of Nicci's Notes--fab post on "When the words wash away", Michael Mohr who did a fab post On Literature and Rebecca Holden of Dear Reader I'm Lost who wrote about Journals. Let's connect, guys! xo ~ Mary And I added a PS in another comment: The fab Moviewise did a guest post for me here: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/the-art-of-the-screenplay
Hi, I'm A Bit Much ;) I think we'd be a good fit to collaborate or x-post; I write about living unapologetically as the full, quirky mosaic of yourself. Skyemcd@abltylife.com if you'd like to chat more. I'd love it!
I’m definitely open to connecting and guest or cross-posting with others in the mental health niche. Check out my newsletter and let me know if you’re interested!
I write about self identity and am a wellness coach, helping women find the intersection of their lives and a holistically healthy lifestyle. My novels incorporate mental health as a sub-theme as well. I'd love to talk to you more, Wendi! Skyemcd@abltylife.com. Cheers!
Couple of recommendation feature-related requests:
1) When a new subscriber flows through to recommended Substacks, can we have it so that the blurb of the "recommender" is what the potential subscriber sees? Rather than the blurb provided by the publication themselves? E.g., if somebody subscribed to a new Stack, and I was recommended, the new subscriber would see the blurb "for" me, rather than the blurb "by" me. The recommendation from the other writer is much more powerful than my self-promotion.
2) When considering a subscription to a Substack, would it be possible for the potential subscriber to see how many other Stacks recommend that publication, and who they are? E.g., if somebody was considering subscribing to my pub, they'd see: X number of Substacks recommend Field Research, including writers, A, B, and C.
Thanks, I've definitely taken advantage of the blurbs on the landing page. As most of my new subs come from recommendations, I think adding them to the flow through engine would also be beneficial.
Hi everyone! I usually slide into others' comments here instead of posting my own. Today I figured I'd try it this way!
My newsletter is A Bit Much, https://abitmuch.substack.com, reflections on living life as "a bit much" and encouragement for you to embrace all of your quirks and passions.
I'm interested in cross-posts/collabs, especially in the realms of personal growth, health, and empowerment. Let's talk!
I am interested in this as well and to be honest do not understand it. Tried getting help with this but keep striking out. Since I am relatively new, I suppose I will morph into it soon. But do let me know any ideas you have that works for you :) PS like your inputs...
Hi Skye! Just dropped a comment on your Introduction post. I love the idea of encouraging "quirks!" I write The Reinspired Life https://catherinehpalmer.substack.com/ -- where I'm arguing for and also against the old "it's never too late to be what you might have been." Just getting started, but definitely interested in collaborations on personal growth and reinvention.
Hi writer pals! I'm doing a Muppet Christmas Carol-inspired series for Outsourced Optimism and for Christmas Present, I've been thinking a lot about the gifts we can give ourselves this year. Particularly, permission.
So- in case you are also feeling the tension of the holiday season and the end of the year- I just wanted to offer a few permission slips. If you're like me, it's easier when someone else gives them to you:
- permission to take your foot off the gas, to slow down, to leave things undone
- permission to sprint, to decline the obligations and honor the momentum you've created
- permission to be proud, to celebrate, to appreciate everything you did do this year (career and otherwise)- even if it's not everything you wanted to do
- permission to feel optimistic and hopeful, even if it feels unreasonable or foolish
- permission to feel the disappointment, the exhaustion, the frustration, even as you are grateful
I started watching it as a kid and it's so funny to revisit it every year. I always notice something different. Like...Michael Cain is Scrooge! I've always known that, but this year I had a real moment of....Sir Michael Cain is in A Muppet Christmas Carol?!
I love this, Tami. It's very similar to my piece I published yesterday, about the choices we make and being intentional for this post-pandemic holiday.
Hello, fellow Substackers. I love these sessions! Not only do I learn so much from them, I always--I mean always-- find new writers to follow!
One of the joys of Substack!
So, my question: What is cross-posting? I use cross-posting if I copy my published blog post onto another site of mine, but I don't understand how it works here at Substack. What are we cross-posting, and where? Thanks for any help. These new-fangled options are coming bullet fast. I can't keep up!
I think the idea is to use cross-posting in order to recommend a post from another Substack that your readers might want to check out. Also, if you write a guest post on someone else's page, you can cross-post that post over to your own Substack so that your readers can see it too. It's a way to drive traffic between Substacks.
Ah ha. But I still find crossposting difficult to understand. I know I have not spent a lot of time with this but do not want to. And when I approach it...the lack of info is like hitting a road block.
I've done 2 cross-posts the last 2 weeks. Here's the link to my site which cross-posted Robert's post: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/d4d1ef28-b1c3-4bc2-ac30-5b3531192d4d ---I sub to Robert's "Listening Sessions" 'Stack, and when I got this post as a subbie, I loved it, and thought MY subbies would love it, and it certainly seemed to neatly fit into my 'Stack's subject matter!
At the top of each post, there's a button that says "Cross-post," which when pushed, starts you on the brief path to sending it to YOUR subbies. There's even a little space at the top for you to address your subbies as to why they're getting this post from another writer, and you can add your 2c as to why you like it enough to share it with them! Have fun!
Brad, I clicked on your link and I found it really confusing. I’m sorry. I read it as your piece and wondered when the ‘cross posting’ was going to come in, then realized at the end it wasn’t your essay.
Wouldn’t a preface be in order to explain what is happening?
Also, did you talk to Robert before you did this? Did he have to give you permission?
I guess I still don’t see the point. I appreciate you trying, though. Sorry to be so dense.
The preface that I wrote only appeared (and, I guess, only CAN appear) at the top of the e-mail sent to all my subbies.
Although, it just occurred to me that these cross-posts don't appear on my front page of archived articles (I wondered about that at the time I did my first). In other words, it's confusing to YOU, now, because you're seeing the post on Robert's site.
No one, short of me clicking on it from my Dashboard, will ever see the post (which is what you saw just now), except 1) on Robert's site in perpetuity, and 2) via e-mail if they're one of my subbies (where I explained what and why they were sent a "cross-post".
As for permission, no...I can't imagine a writer wouldn't want to have their posts shared with another's subbie list. I DID ask him for permission to post the link (once I cross-posted) on social media. He had no problem with that, filling me in on the couple of places he had already posted his own link when he first posted it.
It may help to know that, at no time, does Robert's post show up on my Archive page! It only ever existed on subbies' e-mails, and on Robert's 'Stack archive page. The only reason you saw the post on Robert's site is because I did what I likely will never need to do again: Send a link of a cross-post FROM MY DASHBOARD, which is what you just saw. So, I get to see the open #s for my cross-post of Robert's piece (on my dashboard), and Robert has his original post on his Archive. It exists nowhere else (but in my subbies' inboxes, assuming they've yet to delete it).
Hope this helps, Ramona! Like all of them, not every new 'Stack toy will be for everyone! I like this because it might "buy" me a breather of a day where I don't have to write (but, I'll never abuse it.....writers need to be assured I'll only cross those writers and specific posts I believe in, and I feel my subbies will enjoy)!
Oh, okay. That makes sense then. So, these crosspostings only go to your email subscribers as a kind of 'gift' to them, but they never actually appear on your page.
I can see how that would be useful on those busy days, as well as doing something nice for a writer you admire. So next question: do they get a notification that their piece appeared somewhere else? That would be nice to know.
Thanks for the explanation, Brad. I think I've got it now!
Ramona - Perhaps we are living in some sort of parallel universe. I just asked a very similar question, and threw in recommendations along with. So much to learn. I'll go back to lurking now.
Hi everyone ⭐️ I’m writing from little old Ireland. I love substack & have found it to be brilliant to create a wonderful supportive community. Looking forward to meeting ye all & supporting you in anyway I can. My substack is:
Aw Katie ☘️I’ll try organise the sunshine to be here for you...also if you need any tips or anything when here or when you heading here, be sure to pop me a message....I’m always only a line away at anytime...also I’ll try organise a hundred thousand leprechauns to meet you on arrival 🥰 ☘️☘️🥳🥳🥳🥰🥰💚💚💚💚
Loving the cross-post feature!! I get to share my favorite writers once a week if I don’t have a publication ready. Very helpful for maintaining a publication schedule while also sharing awesome stories!!
I’m in Ireland. I’ve written my first book & I’m presently touring it: Granny Nancy - Irelands Oldest Lady Who Lived, Loved & Laughed for 107 Years. Love you connect with others in any capacity to grow our communities together 🫶
Hello, I subscribed to your newsletter. I published a newsletter on substack.com as a hobby as I am retired. I have about 20 subscriptions. I have been very honest and open with my issues on some posts. In other posts on the newsletter titled “Legends of My Own Mind,” I have offered my political opinion. I have written about Positive Relationships as well as the music of three generations of my family. I write about spirituality which is a favorite topic of mine. Every edition has a relevant original poem. Take Care
Thanks sooo much jo. Great to be in touch. It’s all about making new writing pals in here. So glad to connect. Just subscribed to your writing home & thanks so much for your kindness 🥰
Substack team - I’d like to start another newsletter with a specific name and that name is already in use. When I check out the publication, I can see that the account hasn’t posted in more than a year and there is only one post. Is it ever likely that dormant newsletters may be cleared and/or taken names freed up?
Oh, Just realised what Duplicate to Drafts is. Wonderful. I write a regular series called Experiments in Style, and I am always having to copy and paste a big chunk from a previous post. Yesterday I even installed an extension so I could 'write' the chunk using just a keyword. But that had no formatting, so this is MUCH better. In case you're wondering what Experimenting with styles means in my case, here is some info: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/experimenting-with-styles
I have an issue with the app which is trivial but disproportionately frustrating - is there a way of making comments editable in the app? I'm only able to edit a comment on the computer - it would be great to be able to correct missed typos if I'm out and about.
Agreed! I'd love to be able to edit posts that way too. As it is, when I spot something, I've been able to open the mobile browser on my phone and edit there. That's fine, but the app would be a bit easier.
The only way I've been able to correct things via the app has been to copy my original comment to the clipboard, delete the comment, and then paste it as a new comment and edit the error then. But that mucks things up with likes and comments-on-the-comment, if you see what I mean!
I'm going to do any editing via the browser instead - you're a star to point it out! Thank you!
My comment editing solution has been to edit before posting. I first compose in MSWord using its grammar and spell-check features and once I'm happy with that then I copy/paste into the comment "globe." It reducing embarrassing 'typos' that way but, of course, leaves comment content unchanged.
I do the same, editing in word, but I also have Grammarly connected and running, which helps, mainly if I’ve run things off too quickly. I also approach my email this way.
Marketing. It's the one thing I can't wrap my head around regarding my writing. What can I do to attract more readers? I have to add value to my newsletter, but I'm not sure how.
Marketing is the worst! There are things to do, none of which are perfect. On social media, the only thing that has brought in ANY real traffic is Facebook. I maintain a public page for my site and put small boosts on the posts (with a very targeted audience) and that has definitely brought in some people. I resent having to be on Facebook, but it works. Twitter has brought in a few, not many. Instagram gets a million likes, but none of it turns into traffic to my actual site. The #1 best place for finding readers is on Substack. Comment on other writers' posts and show up for the office hours. That's been the best source of readers for me.
Thank you, Tonya. Great advice. I have a love/hate relationship with social media, which makes it difficult, and I always seem to quit when my social is gaining traction. I'm focusing on TikTok, but they need to make it easier to include links in your profile or posts.
Marketing IS the worst. And I say this with the confidence of someone with a Masters degree in Marketing and 20+ years of experience. ;-) The two most important things to do are: 1) know your audience. Who are they and what do they care about? Make sure your newsletter speaks to their issues AND where are they? Do they hang out on LInkedIn, Facebook Groups, SubReddits. Wherever they are - be there. 2) Be shameless. Send an email invitation to every single person on your personal contacts list -- ASK them to subscribe and share. Include a your substack link at the bottom of all of your emails, in all of your social profiles, and post, post, post. It's the hardest thing to do and I'm just getting used to being the "product" I'm trying to sell. Good luck!
Yes, marketing is a necessary evil. In my actual business, I work on branding and marketing for creative professionals, including independent writers (https://teamowens313gcc.com). We creatives MUST get over being shy about asking to be paid for our work ("starving artist syndrome"). I encourage readers to become paid subscribers with every single post. Plus, it usually takes between 5-7 "asks" before someone takes action. KEEP ASKING!
I am a business coach for branding and marketing for creative and solo professionals and what I tell my clients is: "If you build it, they will come" is NOT a marketing strategy! Learning how to market yourself is a learning experience and an ongoing process.
I am already active on most social media outlets because of my business (https://teamowens313gcc.com), so as soon as a post is published, I put it on all of my social media accounts.
I am still on Twitter for the time being, and I receive several views every day and I've gotten several free and paid subscribers.
The same for LinkedIn and the new Twitter alternative, POST.news.
I get the most engagement and new subscribers (free and paid) from Facebook!
Also, I've gotten traction and subscribers from LinkedIn and Instagram.
And almost every day I receive views from Substack itself, as well as many free and several paid subscribers.
Another great new Substack feature is "Media Assets." The graphic appears as soon as your publish and it looks great for promoting your article.
If you are looking to create more graphics or twitter threads from your article, try out newslettertosocials.com ! It's like media assets but on steroids
Thanks for the idea. I'll keep it in mind, but since I publish every day (in addition to my actual business), I really don't have time to do more graphics. That's why I appreciate the Media Assets feature.
I try my best and have a core audience showing up, but that core is about fifty people. Breaking out of that has been hard for me. Finding fans of genre fiction (horror, vampires, etc.) shouldn't be this hard. I feel like its a popular topic right now - but that means more people competing for the same eyes.
I’d say focus on writing that really matters to you. Have patience as it takes time to build up a body of work that gets people interested. Can take a year or more to get that ball rolling.
Patience. Yes! I definitely could use a heaping spoonful of that. ADHD makes that harder, but I have found ways to focus my concentration throughout the years.
Hey, Martin.......I've had good luck with business cards....yep, good ole paper! A photo and brief description (and web address) of my 'Stack on the front, and QR code & more info on the back! I did mine on VistaPrint online, and just tack 2 of them up (one showing front, the other showing the back with QR code, so phones can just wander by and snap) on Panera and Starbucks bulletin boards!
It helps to have a picture of yourself with a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame band on your card like I have on mine (me backstage in '77 with The Ramones), but you do you! Your 'Stack looks like it'd have endless opportunities for gripping and attractive photos/artwork for a card! Good luck!
I almost went into CBGB's just before it shut down, but then chickened out because I thought I wasn't cool enough - missing my chance to rub elbows with any famous punks that might be inside.
Hmmmm.....my notes say CB's closed in '06 with a Patti Smith show (she joins us in writing on this here 'Stack, as I'm sure you know). My notes also say that you exhibit an inordinate amount of cool-enough-ness, Martin, and not only just because you and I share the unique nom-de-write of having TWO first names!
Feel free to join us behind the velvet rope line, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, if only to peruse the ballooning largesse of legacy posts that have amassed! Keep me posted on the biz card endeavor, if you take that route!
Please could we have a live character counter attached to the subject field when drafting a post? It would save precious clicks even if I ignore what it says and go with an over-long subject line anyway 🙄
Hi everyone -- I've been a Stacker since February, but this is the first time I've been able to make office hours. That day-job thing, right? I write short, observational essays of universal relevance drawn from experiences in my daily life, and I usually try to find a way to highlight something good, even in the midst of a funky situation.
My QUESTION relates to cross-posts and recommendations. I've had a few people (two I know personally, one I don't) recommend my page, but I'm feeling confused about what my response should be. Is the expectation that recommendations are quid pro quo, like they are with Instagram stories? Do we risk irritating our readers with information that isn't what they signed on to receive? I want to understand the full cycle of how this works, and I'm afraid I'm a bit slow on the uptake. Thanks!
There’s a setting where you can choose whether your recommendations get emailed to subscribers or just appear on your home page, if I remember correctly. I don’t email mine, since I would be annoyed if the ones I subscribe to did. As for reciprocity, I recommend quite a few newsletters that haven’t recommended mine in return, so I don’t think you have to, though I’m sure writers who recommend yours hope you will.
Oh I didn't know about that setting. My recommendations got emailed without me knowing that was gonna happen and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I would rather be in control of when I recommend other newsletters via email. So thanks for the heads up. Am going to try to find that in settings now.
Thanks, Wendi. I'll look for that. I can definitely see value in cross-posting if something another Substacker writes relates to one of my weekly posts. But, I have to admit that doing so out of context - just a random recommendation (or cross-post) doesn't do much for me.
I'm working on a beginner's guide to SEO & Substack -- are there any questions about SEO or issues with tools that people have questions about and would want answered in a guide?
Yes! SEO writer for many years, and now currently oversee a digital property that includes a website that recieves 1 million+ hits per month, primarily from search. I'm not the most brilliant SEO expert in the world, but I know enough + know how to prioritize when you're a small (one-person) team who just wants to do a bit better in search!
Hi all, first time joining here, seems like a great community and useful advice! :)
I have a question about these Discussion Threads, both for this chat and how I use them with my subscribers.
Is there a way to organise Threads/Chats to expand/collapse levels, so you can separate original posts from replies?
For example: I joined this chat 20 mins after it started, there are already almost 400 comments. I'd like to be able to view just the top-level original "posts" without the "replies/comments" that are threaded below them. That way, I could skim through the main topics, then decide which one(s) I'm interested in joining by expanding them. Right now it's a lot of scrolling. Am I missing something?
Hi Jo! That works to catch up on the full chat in chronological order, but I still see every single post at every level if I do this. For example, I scroll through several screens of replies to the first post before I come to the 2nd post. I'd like to be able to see just Post 1, then immediately Post 2, with an option to expand to see replies on posts of interest. Does that make sense?
A Happy Holidays to all of us Substackers! And a HUGE thanks to the Substack crew for continuously adding new features!
Since hubby and I publish five articles, two separate podcasts, and a Sunday summary every week, the "duplicate" feature has been a godsend for me!
I write everything in my Ulysses app first (Mac/iOS only), and now with the duplicate feature, I just delete sections from the previous post and copy/paste the copy from Ulysses.
Saves me so much time since I now have a "template" for our posts.
Ha ha. No, I have a full online training and business coaching business too! Both hubby and I are published authors and we just love Substack--it's different from what we do with his job and my business (https://teamowens313gcc.com).
I am retired and write as a hobby. I published a free newsletter on substack.com. I share original poems. I have about 20 subscriptions. I have been very honest and open with my issues on some posts. In other posts on the newsletter titled “Legends of My Own Mind,” I have offered my political opinion. I have written about Positive Relationships as well as the music of three generations of my family. I write about spirituality which is a favorite topic of mine. Every edition has a relevant original poem. Please advise me on how to grow my subscriptions,
I just subscribed to your newsletter. It sounds interesting. I recommend staying active on here. It is a great way to find other writers and subscribers. I am also retired and write a travel newsletter-https://gallivanter2020s.substack.com/ and non-fiction book summaries/essays called Brain Food (sharoncortelyou.substack.com)
Has anyone been playing with making "custom buttons?" I'm in the process of launching my Substack about politics and culture, and I got in the habit of including a "song of the day" that peripherally relates to what I'm writing about...anyone else experimenting with buttons?
For sure! I use custom buttons quite often to draw people attention to Calls to Action that aren't necessarily "subscribe". But now that I think about it, it might be worth exploring different phrases for "subscribe" to see if the convert better - which is where the custom button would come into play.
Yes! I've used custom buttons a few times. They seem to function really well. You just put in the text you want on the button, then put the link where you want it to go. The only thing that's a bit annoying is that you can't save them. You have to re-make them each time. But I'm hoping the new "duplicate drafts" feature will help me with that!
I am so excited about being able to duplicate posts and the ease of guest posting. I just have to figure out how to easily do the guest posting in a way that maintains the integrity of my blog and helps me and another writer.
Substack team, I wanted to ask about linking to an unpublished post. I'd like to prep my social media posts for a Substack post that will come out in the future. But when I tried this last using the link provided in the "Post URL" under "Settings", it just linked back to my main page. Disaster! I last tried this some months ago and I've been afraid to try it again. Is there a way to do this so that I can get a link that will reliably start working once I publish?
Hi everyone! I'm Mariah and I write Heartbeats, a weekly letter to soothe the Sunday scaries full of self-reflection prompts and inspiration to spark creativity. I'm wondering about the new guest post feature and ideas you might have for topics or themes to invite other writers to contribute?
In January, I'm planning to launch a "featured artist" interview once a month to highlight an up and coming artist (I believe everyone's an artist!) and give some behind-the-scenes perspective on craft and works in progress. If you might be interested, please send me a message. I'd love to connect!
Lastly, what tips do you have for fostering a true sense of community and reciprocity with your readers? I really want my writing to be a conversation starter, not a monologue. Thanks for your help, so happy I found Substack!
Hey! I love the 'everyone is an artist' bit. For most of my life I thought I wasn't creative. I then got spontaneously inspired to do a drawing course and now I draw cartoons as part of my Substack! I wrote most of the last 2 posts in cartoon form and it was so much fun, and so well received. I now know that truth of 'everyone is an artist' - because I never thought I would be, but now I am.
Thank you all for joining us today at Office Hours! It's our second to last of the year. These Thursday threads have become a special part of our team's week. We look forward to closing out the year strong with you next week.
In the meantime, we invite you to continue the conversation with fellow writers in the thread and visit our resources.
https://support.substack.com/
https://substack.com/resources
See you next week,
Katie, Bailey, Chris, Clyde, Christina, Andrew, Annie, and Evans
Thanks, Katie, and the rest of the team for all the wonderful support throughout the year. Much much appreciated. I hope you have good holidays!
Thank you, all I would ask for is a bit more tweaking to work with images on the ipad both in the app and the browser version. Ill be sure to followup with anything I find helpful
❤️❤️🔥
The engineer who built duplicate posts (in a hackathon!!! in his own self-initiated time!) is in this thread so I'm sure he appreciates all this love from y'all
It's awesome to us how we get so many great ideas and product tips from you all here in office hours. Duplicate posts is an example of a feature that likely shipped because of how you all share with us here week over week, and everyone's experience will benefit from it, so thank you <3
Glad to hear that, and since my other comments today have been complaints I want to emphasize that overall I think Substack is awesome and am happy I chose this platform for my newsletter! Lots of great features, and these writer office hours chats are wonderful.
Agreed! Just because we complain sometimes doesn't mean we don't also appreciate the good work Substacks does! :-)
👍👍👍
❤️❤️❤️🔥
That engineer made many of us feel seen! Thank you!
Thank you for all the new tools! Substack is getting better and better platform not only for us writers but for our community of readers!
I would love to see if you could incorporate tags into Substack publications, so readers could easily search for article based on topics right from the publications's home page. Currently I find it a bit hard to navigate the achieves and to find articles from certain topics.
Best regards,
Jani from conqueringburnout.substack.com
Thanks engineer!
Thank you thank you!
omg thank you so much for the duplicate post feature, it's going to save me dozens of hours of time! thank you thank you thank you.
❤️❤️❤️🔥
Today I want to celebrate that I got my publication Recommended by 2 great authors! 🥳
Devaraj Sandberg (writes on bodywork to handle tough emotions) and Gary Sharpe (healing, trauma and the nervous system).
I consider this a great achievement.
Help me to celebrate! 👏👏👏
I have written articles that range from Developing Assertiveness, to Dealing with Rude People, to Being a Workaholic.
While I still look to clearly define my niche ;)
https://livmkk.substack.com/
I earned a few recommendations this week, too! It put me in a ridiculously good mood. 🎉😁👍🏻 Congrats!
That's great Meg! Kudos! I'm just starting out here, I can already see these office hours might be a great place to meet other authors.
It sure is! I love being a "regular" here! I might not have contributed much, but I sure have learned a lot...
Ditto! I'm so new to Substack that I still have the packaging stuck to me.
LOL - welcome
Welcome home ;)
Aw, thank you, Livio.
Indeed it is!! Welcome 🙏
Right on! That’s such a good feeling.
It's such a great vote of confidence! I love that Substack created this feature.
Nice :) Which topics do you guys talk about?
P.S. As a fellow overthinker and a creative who thrives within structure, I am very excited to discover (and subscribe) to your substack!
Hahha...oh my gosh, Tami, I feel perfectly in sync with that description. "...overthinker and creative who thrives within structure." Well said.
Seems like the concept of overthinkers resonated quite a bit :) I should put it back in my Welcome Message.
I write about real life through popular fiction. Especially starting over, getting lost, and finding your way.
This year, I explored a lot of themes around hope and disappointment and reconciling the past through movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once and Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and TV shows like Gilmore Girls and The Outlaws.
https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/
Yo escribo sobre situaciones, sentimientos, emociones actuales, o temáticas relevantes que esten generando algo en mi ( ejemplo el mjndial de fútbol, quedando finalistas los argentinos, estamos ilusionados, ckn el corazón en la mano) pero siempre acompañados por un texto de ficción, relato, cuento. Estos cumplen la función de disparadores para comenzar una autoreflexion o un diálogo compartido.
Patricia, estoy feliz de encontrar tu Substack. Estoy mejorando mi español, y es bueno encontrar escritos en temas que son interesantes para mí. ¡Espero leer más de ti!
🔥🔥
That's fantastic, Meg! Congrats! What a great feeling.
I'm new to Substack and wondering if you have any tips on how you got these recommendations? How did they get visibility to your publication? Welcome any tips for a newbie!
I am gonna send over an article this Sunday, explain this concept.
But, in short, I believe it is about: 1) finding relevant authors, 2) pitching the collaboration.
And the keyword is complementarity!
The core point is making sure to present a case.
Why would it make sense for the author to recommend me? What is my unique perspective?
Sometimes I ask directly, sometimes I wait for the right moment.
For sure, I need to do my homework first.
Know the articles well, comment, interact. Then enter in direct contact, via email or in other ways. Establish a dialogue.
And, when the time is right, "Just ask" ;)
Once you're here for awhile, you'll find publications you want to reco and share...and they will find you, too. Check out the "manage recommendations" in settings! Wishing you the best here, Reagan!
🫰🫰
Congratulations on those recommendations. Your newsletter sounds good to me too, so I just subscribed.
Thanks! I follow yours too :) I am studying it, to understand if at some point we are gonna have some overlap that would make a collaboration interesting!
well done, Squire!
Congrats, tanti auguri on that Livio! :) Will check out your Substack.
Grazie, Birgitte! I will do the same :)
Subscribed to you. Like the focus on assertiveness and being a workaholic (have a lot to say about that from my experience in the film business and the corporate world...)
Great achievement Livio.
You're also recommended by me ;-) - definitely worth checking out Livio's newsletter. Great stuff.
💃💃💃
Congrats! It's always great to know someone enjoys your posts enough to recommend to others!
That’s awesome. Getting Reccs isn’t easy.
In terms of defining your niche, the book “Snow Leopard” by the Category Pirates is a great read that I highly recommend.
Will check it out. I like the concept of category creation. Sounds something like "No one is you; so, just be you!".
What is one thing you have learned from the book?
Nice work! I try to keep the community aspect front of mind. It's perhaps the best reason to stick with Substack and provides useful perspective as you grow your series.
Congrats, Livio!
Congrats! And you all might be in my area. Will check them all out!
Heyyy congrats! I just checked out and subscribed to your publication. Love the branding and your general take on things. "Learning means becoming worse" was such an interesting read! Kudos on all the great work, Livio.
P.S. I also write a personal growth focused newsletter, maybe there's a co-authoring opportunity, or general collaboration in the midst!
Great! Noted down. I'll check it out!
Congrats Livio!
Great news.
Sounds like good stuff. We all certtainly have had to deal with rude people, as well as at times appear rude ourselves.
Yeah! Sometimes we are the rude ones :D
In general, I always try to remember that:
1. The way people behave is an information about them
2. The way you react is an information about you
But I confess I often have to read again the article, since I often forget these concepts.
https://livmkk.substack.com/p/people-are-rude-dont-take-it-personally
These threads are dangerous for me. I end up subscribing to so many amazing new Substacks.
I love it though — treasures everywhere!
Yes, one of the things I like about Substack is that I can cruise around and find a lot of interesting articles/stories to read. As you say, lots of treasures!
It's good because it shows that free speech is not dead, bad because we can't clone ourselves and lead one life for reading.
If I could just literally read all day and survive I’d do it 🔥🔥🙌
So true!
🙌🙌🔥
I know the feeling...so many substacks...so little time.
Yeah. And then, when overwhelmed, feel bad at unsubscribing. Since you know the pain that generates in the author :D
I like the "let me read it first" feature! One way I mange the overwhelm is to not subscribe until I'm truly reading everything that's coming my way. That way I can be intentional about what my capacity really is and adjusting when needed!
Wise :)
I agree that "Read it First" is an excellent feature—I've always used it!
I haven't used that feature, but will start to now. Thanks for sharing.
Right!!!
That’s the best part. I have met so many fun people within this platform alone and I’m building real friendships and people to be able to bounce off of in future posts.
It’s really nice to see and it feels like a small downtown where everyone owns a business and knows each other and works together.
Haha, thank you! I love creating a café fitness vibe.
I know right??
Great to be connected Skye ⭐️🥰
Agreed, Louise! :D
I’m subscribing to you Matt just for that classic comment 🤣 sooo true 🥳
That's my favorite part!
Make work your new favorite ~ Buddy's supervisor from the movie "Elf."
Yes! So many, many (many!) treasures!
Same here. Can’t possibly read all I subscribe to!
So true. It’s addicting.
Why not one more then? jamesrichardson.Substack.com
You had me at “The Decay of Adult Friendship in America.”
Oh Matt, you took the words out of my mouth!
❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here’s a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you: sometimes the best way to motivate yourself to move forward is to remember the things that inspired you when you were first getting started on this writing journey. So let's share with each other! Who or what were your writing influences or inspirations? Who or what made you want to weave wonder with your words? And who or what keeps you motivated today? Let's lift each other up by surrounding ourselves with gratitude for the things that keep us journeying onward. No matter what, keep going, keep writing, and most importantly: DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
P.S. Just in case we don't "see" each other here before the holidays: have an absolutely beautiful, peace-filled, and gracious holiday season! I hope that no matter how it looks for you--whether there is fun, grief, nostalgia, joy, anxiety, or some mixture of all of these--that you find above all a measure of hope, a little ember to carry with you through into the new year. Love to all, and I am thankful for your presence here in this little corner of the digital world! ♥️
Happy Holidays S.E.! Thanks for all the good vibes you brought to this space in 2022.
I started my Substack as I stepped away from social media. People always appreciated what I posted there, so I thought, "Why not start a newsletter?" My hope then was that writing about my experiences could help someone else--being a stem cell donor for my brother, walking through the hard path of having a young adult child in recovery, living in a rural town in the South, and just dealing with what is handed to us every day. There have been moments when I've thought I needed to take a different path with my writing. That probably comes into play when I let the comparison game creep in. But I have to remember that I am here with my authentic voice--not someone else's, and if I reach one person with a post or 150, it's a win.
Best of holidays to you, S.E.!
Your authentic voice is the straw that stirs the drink--to mix a metaphor.
Just call me a swizzle stick...
🤣
I deliberately avoided calling you that!
I've been called *much* worse.
Ha! Me, too..................................I used to teach. Call ME a cab!
We all do have an authentic voice, and in some ways it is a mash up of the writers we admire that resonate with us. I also live here in the deep south, and there are definitely experiences that are quite different than even living in the urban south.
Facts! My little town of <1,000 has a unique flavor. I'm looking forward to writing more posts about our life here in 2023.
🔥🔥🔥🫰
❤️❤️❤️
Aww I love this prompt! It is so important to remember our "why". For me, I started my newsletter as an outlet for organizing and sharing all of the research I was doing around sustainable living and help empower people to take action as well. Happy Holidays!
And you do a great job, Lindsay! I always look forward to your newsletter!
Aww thank you Joan! Likewise!
I would love to do that...write just to write but I think I'd need a separate Substack. lol I'm a big fan of green and sustainable living too. New subscriber here! Happy holidays, Lindsay.
For me its about sharing experiences. Its not my ideas and solutions are the best, but I do believe I can provide a lens for others to use to augment their own lens.
I posted this at the "top," but since I am about 8 hours late, I wanted to be sure you saw it...
After a series of health issues and a Northern Plains Blizzard, my “inspiration meter” hovered near zero. Leave it to S. E. Reid’s opening encouragement to light a spark from that “ember!”
Words that I didn’t know were in me, magically appeared on my screen. I was not expecting to “weave wonder,” but I proved to myself, once again, that 90% of “success” is just showing up and I typed for an hour-and-a-half.
I started a blog in 2015, with the idea that I should download a brain filled with my own experiences of 25-years as a practicing addict, 30-years of recovery, including 12 Step meetings and over 20 years as an Addiction counselor in a small city, where I got to know the “players,” their extended families and also the “system” of law enforcement, courts, social workers, teachers and others who shared my zeal for helping people whose lives had been hijacked and sidetracked by alcohol, other drugs and gambling, realize their full potential to participate in life.
I thought I had all the time I needed to pursue *all* my varied interests and still write, but Peter Pan suddenly began to “age out” five-years ago.
As a result of my most recent heart issues, I suddenly realized that I could pass on at any time, and all my knowledge would pass over with me.
S. E. jump started me today. Let’s see if I can maintain that inspired feeling on my own!
(My output from earlier today will be grist for the mill as I return to posting on Merlin’s Newsletter.)
Oh Pete, thank you for posting! Always good to hear from you! Hope your holiday season is going well. :)
Great question! I've been disabled all my life (polio as a baby), but in my forties my body changed again. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I had to pay attention to it. And I started writing about that. During that time of having to figure out hard things, writing was exciting. So I stuck with it and now thirty years later I have two books published, one upcoming, and loads of writing accepted into journals and anthologies. It's all still so exciting.
Sound like you have a unique perspetive that you can share, as well as the passion to stick with writing.
Out of professional curiosity - Also working on a book, fiction - how did you manage to get your books published? Did you find a publisher, self-publish, what was your journey?
My novel was published by an independent literary press, my memoir by a university press and my collection of essays will be coming out from another university press in about a year. And the novel I'm serializing on Substack is self-published, of course. The first two books took about five years of submitting before any success. I started with querying agents (I've never had any success there.), and then I tried independent and university presses. In the process, I'd try to get individual essays or excerpts published in journals. I did have some success with that and it helped make my query letters more attractive. I have to say that this process is harder now than it was back then because more and more independent presses are only allowing agented authors to submit. And most always, you have to have a completed, well-edited manuscript ready. Good luck. And here's my website with more information about my publishing. www.sandragaillambert.com
thank you so much. the first part sounds like the route I wanted to try first (i.e. through agents) but I had anticipated needing a lot of tenacity and just having to try over and over again. Interesting to see the route you took afterwards, glad to hear there are always other ways to getting your work out there. For now, my focus is on finishing it. Taking it step by step. Will take a look at your website once I have time.
I started writing because I wanted to give my mind something to do but ended up really enjoying the process and participating this community. That has been the most surprising thing for me - the community.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com/p/what-ive-learned-from-starting-a
Don’t ever change, S.E.! 😀
Writing started out as a way of healing for me and has become a bigger and bigger part of my life the past two years - thanks to Substack I would add.
What a great question to ponder! My writing journey came out of necessity, a need to express what I was experiencing in what I called a "quarter life crisis"! (Unexpected but chosen career change in my late 20's). And although my education is in music I began to explore words and visual art too and never looked back. What keeps me going, despite the all too frequent clutter and noise, is that same feeling of necessity. Every little whisper (like here in this thread!) that reminds me that I have "permission" to keep going is a welcome motivator!
Heather Cox Richardson was my biggest inspiration! When I was devastated after the Roe decision this summer, I decided to start a newsletter on being a feminist in the South. It's brought so much joy to connect like-minded people in the region, and just to find time to consistently practice my craft. https://emilytaylor.substack.com/
She is inspiring, isn't she?
I'm an English professor, and I really love how she's used the newsletter to make her academic work more public-facing. We're too isolated in the Ivory Tower!
Love these questions! My publication is designed to share real stories and thoughts on topics like mental health struggles, healing journeys, shame, vulnerability and the mess of it all. During my lowest/darkest moments, it was reading the stories of others who were going through the same that lifted me and helped me feel less alone. That is why I started With Grit + Grace, to share my story in hopes that it might create hope and connection for others. :-)
Great topics Reagan.
Im such a big believer in sharing stories that can really help people through those dark times. Coping mechanisms that people come across etc.
Sometimes it can be the smallest tweak to someone's life that can make all the difference. Thats a great motivation for me now. Just passing on things that have worked for me or things that im trying out.
Not to mention how the writing process can be a coping mechanism for the author too!
Great question, S.E. I'm very influenced by 19th and early 20th century horror writers such as M.R. James and Arthur Machen. However, I've gotten story ideas from a variety of different sources, from nonfiction books I've read to offhand comments a friend of mine once made.
I guess my love of modern horror writers like Stephen King, Dean R. Koonz, Bentley Little, Robert R. McCammon, Anne Rice. I do like the older ones as well, but good times.
I like some modern horror as well, to be clear. My style just tends more towards the old-school.
Leigh, my next door neighbor is an avid reader of horror stories. (I like mysteries, myself.) I'm so new here I'm afraid I might lose you to recommend your Newsletter to her. Where do I look to find Halcyon Horror again? Thanks tons, Kim Salisbury tractionpads@gmail.com
You should be able to find it by clicking on the tag next to my name, but here's the link as well.
https://leighparrish.substack.com/
Leigh,
Thank you tremendously. I'm sure she will consider it deeply.
Kim
I love hearing dead writers' names for the first time, thanks for mentioning James and Machen. I'm curious: why these two?
There are quite a few others from that time period that I admire, but I was trying not to go on forever. ;-) My preference is for subtle psychological horror over straight up gore, and the former was much more popular back in the day. Some of my other favorites are Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Algernon Blackwood, and (of course) H.P. Lovecraft.
More dead names, thank ya thank ya. Lovecraft is the only one I recognize, and so I'm glad to widen my vantage point. "Subtle psychological horror" makes for fine fiction. Which reminds me - would you include Shirley Jackson in that camp?
Yes, absolutely. I really admire her work.
What great questions, SE! My inspirations hit me from the side at random moments. Snippets of overheard conversation, song lyrics, an event or moment-they just kind of sneak up on me. But being a massive reader as a child, getting totally lost in novels, made me want to create my own worlds. So I suppose Madeline L'Engle, Ann M Montgomery, and JRR Tolkien get some real credit!
First, happy holidays to all! I have always admired Mark Twain. He has a way with sarcasm, truthism, and painting pictures with his words. I try to add a little "snark" to my writing, as well. As a historian, I also admire many other historians and their desire to delve deep into a topic. I enjoy the research, and sometimes, telling the lesser known facts about a broader topic. I value input and I am motivated by views. I know, it's kind of weird, but to see people read what I write is rather gratifying. Yes, the "likes," "shares," and "subscriptions" also bring a smile to my face.
I have mentioned him before, but I have learned so many new "tricks to the trade" from fellow Substack writer Terry Freedman, author of "Eclecticism: Reflections on Literature and Life." Super clever writing advice! I try to incorporate some of his "special tactics" in some of my writing.
S.E.---
I'm hoping the powers that be at Substack see how much you contribute to this community, because I'd be happy to go on at length about that! I think some of the books I read as a kid really stuck with me and it's interesting how the influence changes over time. I know reading Woody Allen's Without Feathers made a huge impression on me as did A Confederacy of Dunces. I still think they're pretty funny.
I write about addiction and recovery (wish we had our own category!!!) and being small invites questions about the point of it all sometimes. Particularly, when it involves publishing a gratitude list every morning. Usually, at about the time I convince myself that we should quit or scale back, someone reaches out and says something really, really nice and I realize that beyond the numbers of opens and views and new subscribers, every once in a while it makes a difference to someone So, I figure it's back to work. That's how it works for me.
This is a great topic, S.E.--thank you for everything you do.
Hello to all. Just wanted to say that I love the Duplicate to drafts feature - saves me time for at least one of my weekly posts where I reuse the same format every week!
Same! I've been hoping for that feature for a while.
Came here to say the same thing!
I’m so glad you said this — I had no idea we can do that now! Maybe not big enough for an announcement? Or maybe I missed it.
It's listed in the post that we are commenting on.
+1
Glad to hear it!!!
is that the same as the secret draft link, Mark? If not, I haven't come across it
The instructions are at the top of the thread in the Original Office Hours post.
thanks, yes, I found it a few minutes ago! I should have read the top first!
I don't blame you. The comments section is infinitely more interesting on these posts.
LOL
I didn't know we could do that either. Gotta go figure out how.
It's a total HAT hack.
I saw the chapeau you tipped there.
For those interested in Guest Posts:
"moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies" Cordially Invites You To Share Your Movie Recommendations
Be Our Guest! 🤗
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
Share with the world your most impactful, most wonderful, and most profound movies.
Simply answer these two questions:
1) What movie do you find meaningful?
2) What Life Lesson (useful message or insight about life) have you learned from watching this movie?
Happy Holidays Everyone!! Happy New Year!! 🥳
and to you too! wishing you all the success you deserve - and more - in 2023!
Thank you; that's very kind of you! 🎄
You as well, LE !
Thanks Paul ☃️
I should definitely be interested. My choice would be a very British one not a blockbuster. Might that work for u?
Absolutely! It sounds lovely already 🤗
blimey. OK, I shall get on the case. Thank you!
Oh, I would love to write a post after the semester is over. I just have to think about what movie I would want to do...
That would be fantastic. I maintain a catalogue of movies I've seen here: https://moviewise.wordpress.com/
Perhaps one of them may interest you?
I have an idea for this I’ve been noodling on, so you’ll probably hear from me soon!
That's great Jen. Thank you!
Very cool idea! Now all I have to do is choose a movie (difficult because there are so many good ones to choose from).
I couldn't choose just one, but if I had to it would be "The Big Lebowski."
So many good lessons in that one! I know it's a silly stoner comedy wrapped around a Raymond Chandler mystery, but I think the The Big Lebowski has a lot to teach us, which is why its fandom is so strong all these years later.
100% agree. It's a great movie!
You are welcome to write more than one Guest Post. 🤗
1. As far as being impacted and inspired by a movie, I would have to say "Erin Brokovich".
2. The cross-over of environmental advocacy, feminism and just all around impressive script and performances, makes it a favorite of mine. Her tenacity is so empowering, as well as the the messaging around protecting our communities and environment. 💚 I'd be happy to share more if you're interested in this movie as a guest post. Just reach out. Happy holidays :)
I've seen this movie many times and so appreciate its authenticity. I practiced environmental law for nearly 15 years, and from my experience, the film is 100% accurate in its depictions of what it takes to fight a big company. There's only one scene in the movie that is likely not accurate—when Erin sneaks onto the property to take water samples. She might have actually done that, but guessing the samples would have not been admissible in court...but hey, they won!
That's so informative! Thank you for commenting. It's good to know.
One of my favorite Julia Roberts movies goes in a completely different direction...Notting Hill with High Grant.
Yes, absolutely. That movie would be perfect! Please let me know if you have any further questions:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
👍👍👍🔥
Oh, this sounds fun — I will share!
thank you for the opportunity 😊
Taxi Driver. I could write an entire post on it, maybe we should?!
Ooo very excited to put mine together and see what everyone else says!
Oooo I need to think! Are you looking for niche/cult classic films or broader appeal?
Any movie is fine, it just needs to be available in the U.S. and not have excessive violence or graphic sexual content.
Gotcha. This is a fun prompt, thank you!
I'll have to check this out. I love movies, and using moving as a tool for relating events in their lives to them. In a way, it is speaking in movie metaphors. I just finished watching banshees of inisherin and the movie was, using a little hyperbole "a revelation." The movie stars Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson as two friends, but they have a falling out.
The movie is both absurd and poignant, and how spite can be a powerful force. It also leaves a lot open as to how friendships are formed and under what circumstances they break.
It made me think about the different falling out moments in my life. I had one friend in college I no longer speak to. I was friends with him for roughly six years after the event occurred that precipitated our falling out. He dated a woman that had recently broken up with me that I considered to be my first love. He did come and ask me if it would be alright that he date her.
My response was, "It will hurt like hell, but you can do what you want." And he dated her.
I suppose one way of looking at it would have been that at least he had the consideration to ask. But for me, if our roles had been reversed, and had he been in love with a girl I also liked, well the question never would have been asked.
A second falling out, more recent was I didn't like the way this friend of mine was treating a woman he was dating. FYI he is 73 and she is in her early fifties. Now, as things went, I believe people should be free to behave however they want as long as it is consensual. But I noticed he would control her by only allowing her a couple glasses of wine, and would moderate her diet, and would be very specific in how she conducted herself when they were together.
She finally asked for my advice on it, and I never solicited it or even let on that I was observing these things. But I was honest with her in that if I was controlled like that, it would be a deal breaker for me. Unless in my case the woman was super hot, I would not be controlled or manipulated in that fashion.
I knew that my being honest with her could result in his asking me what I told her and yes, that is predictably what happened. At one point he demanded that I show him some text messages, and at that point our friendship ended. We haven't spoken since, and yes, apparently after she broke up with him briefly, they ended up getting back together and are getting married, which I knew would probably happen as well. Like I said, as long as it is consensual, do what you want.
That movie and the way you can relatable to it is perfect for "moviewise." Please let me know if you have any questions:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
Does this have to be a current movie?
Hi Ricki, No it does not have to be a current movie. All time periods are welcome!
Great, thank you!
Also movies about periods are welcome...so if Carrie is the movie your going to use...
LOL!
Hi everyone! I’m Mike and I write about science and wonder and stuff that makes you go “WOW!”.
This is kind of a general tip, and maybe an obvious one so, apologies if so. But it’s about something I see so many new Substack writers not doing, and missing a huge opportunity. It’s this:
*EDIT YOUR WELCOME EMAILS.*
These are the first emails anyone will get when they sign up to read your Substack. They are therefore part of the first impression they’ll get of who you are, what you do and why you’re worth reading. They mean *so much* to your branding. But if you leave them unedited, with just the standard text that Substack has put into them – well, that email will be fine, and contain all the relevant info, but it also won’t sound like YOU. It will entirely fail to sound like you.
(It’ll also fail to point them towards your best stuff, or tell them a story that immediately makes them laugh, or any number of incredibly powerful things you can do to make a winning first impression.)
Substack already recommends you personalise these emails – for example, https://on.substack.com/p/setting-up-your-substack-for-the under “Housekeeping”. But to me, it’s as vital as what’s on your About page. If you spend all that energy to get them to sign up and then their first, damaging impression of your work is “meh, that’s boring” - was it really worth all that effort?
So – as a matter of priority, edit your welcome emails. Go to Settings > Basics > “Welcome email to free subscribers” and click on the Edit button. Make it sound like you. Be surprising and weird and warm and fun. Make it an amazing introduction that will totally make them love you from the starter’s pistol, while *also* making them aware of everything great you’ve done so far, and maybe what else you have to offer, if you have a paid Substack.
(And then, hey, go do the same for “Welcome email to paid subscribers.” And then look for other emails you can edit – there are some under Payments. Anywhere else you can customize? Go find it!)
Sounding unique and interesting from the get-go is *incredibly* important in this newslettering lark. And this is an easy win. Go edit those emails and make a rock-star entrance.
Ta.
(ps. I have a few other tips for newcomers here: https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/dont-start-a-newsletter-and-other)
Well, that was certainly a wall of words, Mike.
Another tip: learn to edit down!
Was tempted to make mine "nah then" and the unsubscribe page "weers t'a bahn!?" but figured only a handful of people would get it!
Ha! Very good!
I'm from East Yorkshire, crystal clear to me! Ecky-thump.
Hey Mike, I'm currently in the US but typically in West Kirby on the Wirral. We're planning to host a UK writer meet up sometime next year and it would be great if you attended. I'm a rabid fan of your Substack.
Hooray! I have a fan? I KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN SOMEDAY.
I would absolutely love to attend. Count me in. :) And thank you for being so supportive, Clyde. I've appreciated it for a good while now.
Haha, Mike, you've got a bunch of fans here at Substack. Looking forward to meeting up in 2023.
I was just about to respond with something about how good the words and the advice was when I realized you were talking to yourself ... something you do to great effect on your posts!
it's certainly a unique thing to do. 😊
Great advice - thanks! I was editing mine yesterday because I've added a new 'Section' to my stack - and noticed some out-of-date information. I've made a note to check it regularly - ditto my 'About' page!
That's an excellent point! Yes, some kind of reminder to cycle back through all these things and see what's grown outdated. I really need to do that for mine - thanky.
🔥🫰
A great reminder that it's time for me to refresh that Welcome email content--thanks, Mike. While I'm at it, I'll update my About page.
Great advice, thanks Mike!
I recently updated my Welcome email to highlight the most popular posts from the archive. Now that I've been writing for almost 2 years, it was time to point readers to posts I know worked well so they get the feel for what to expect.
If an example would be helpful, It's similar to my "About" text, which is here: https://wecanfixit.substack.com/about
Literally spent my afternoon doing this yesterday. Don't forget the opt-out email, too! Be so nice that they think twice about leaving!
ohh i never thought about the opt-out e-mail! Thank you for the heads up, Andrew.
I agree. All the text we put out is important.
Thanks Mike. Great reminder. I am newish and as I was getting to know the site, I missed that there's a difference between Free and Paid Welcome emails. I had edited the Paid one only and edited the Free one but the text got lost somehow. As many on here can attest, we mostly start with free subscribers so the most recent subscribers only got a simple message. Thankfully, a fellow substacker Livio asked me about it and I checked and sure enough the message was not what I intended. I write about relationships, healing after trauma, and incorporate research (since I'm a therapist) along with storytelling to help illuminate challenging social issues. But yeah, check the Welcome email that's going out to your new subscribers!
Great reminder, I'll need to edit the Welcome E-mail and About pages soon.
Well, Mike, you certainly grabbed me with that comment - ran away and edited both welcome emails - great idea! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Mike. I think i've made my welcome e-mail far too long, actually. You're right - time to edit 😊
Good reminder...
Great advice, Mike! The welcome emails are the first opportunity to address your readers directly, and the copy should absolutely be in your voice.
🔥🔥🔥🙏
Thanks for adding the "duplicate" feature! I've been copying and pasting for over three years. This will make things a bit easier for me. And a big THANK YOU to the whole Substack team for all the hard work y'all put into making the platform better and better.
Last week, we had a meetup of the Fictionistas (https://fictionistas.substack.com/), a group for fiction writers on Substack. There were ~20 writers attending. We talked through a "wish list" for features we most want to see integrated into Substack. Here are five we hope Substack Claus will bring us soon...
- Search (Within a Substack)
- Post Tagging
- Text Centering, Indent, and Underlining
- Image Alignment / Text Wrap
- Text Alerts for New Posts (For international users who prefer WhatsApp to Email)
One of Substack Claus's elves writing to tell you I passed along your list!
- Search (Within a Substack) --> It's kind of hidden but it exists if you have at least a few posts. It's a little 🔍 magnifying glass icon. Here is a link to the search for Adventure Snacks https://adventuresnack.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile&sort=search&search=This%20is%20the%20hidden%20search%20bar
- Post Tagging --> I have heard this is on the table 👀
- Text Alerts for New Posts (For international users who prefer WhatsApp to Email)-->tell me more about this! Would the app notifications work in this way? Or would you want to start collecting phone numbers in addition to email?
- Noting the other two!
Ah, thanks for pointing out the magnifying glass!
Search - Now I see it! I can't believe I've missed it all this time. This is going to make finding old posts SO much easier.
Post Tagging - 🤩
Text Alerts - This isn't a feature I personally want, but our international Fictionistas do. They want the option to collect phone numbers to send WhatsApp notifications when new posts go out, because email is apparently less prevalent in parts of the world outside the US.
Thanks for passing along our wish list. You're the best elf in the elf biz, Katie. Happy Holidays!
thank you, Katie!
Post tagging and more categories available for "sections" in newsletters; the dream never dies!
Substack Claus 🤣 So cute!
✒📝🎅!
i thought the same 💛
Could not agree more, and these would all be great additions!
(I think there is a search, but it’s not easy to find. Just above the archive list, if you click the magnifying glass.)
If I could add my own item to a wishlist, it would be the ability to exclude a post from the home page.
Some of my posts are exclusive to their respective sections, and I’d prefer they stay there...
You're right! I can't believe I've missed that search icon all this time.
I'd love to be able to curate the homepage more, re: posts. Good idea!
We also discussed a tweak to the recommendation engine, which we all love. I put the ask in a comment elsewhere in the thread.
Thanks for posting that, Amran!
Fictionistas 🔥🔥🔥
Yes! Text centering!
Fellow Fictionista here. Totally would love image/text wrap - one if my serialisations is a poetry collection, which includes illustrations and for some poems having the image next to the text would better than above or below.
Definitely agree with all of those, Geoffrey.
Yes yes yes POST TAGGING PLEASE!! Actually, count me in for all of these updates!
Don't we already have search? https://adventuresnack.substack.com/search?sort=search&search=test
We're looking for an advanced search with filtering. The current search does not search posts, only welcome messages and profiles I believe.
The search feature - which I just learned about, because I never saw the little magnifying glass icon before, lol! - does seem to search posts.
https://adventuresnack.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=Santa
An important part of your craft as a writer is to continually ask yourself, “why am I doing this?” Sadly, the internet does not favor or promote sober self-reflection; what the internet wants is for everything to conform to its values, guidelines, and rules. If you, like me, wish to act against this tendency, read on; I have some suggestions.
Ask yourself: are you writing because you have a fire deep inside—an unquenchable burden that must be let out? Or are you writing merely because you want to be seen as a writer? The world is cumbered with so much writing these days; why should you contribute to the pile? Are you writing from an internal necessity, or just to play the game?
The game isn’t real. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make any difference how many subscribers, likes, hearts, or comments you get, or what kind of badge you have. Don’t let the internet’s silly “engagement metrics” affect how or why you write.
Don’t let Twitter’s trending topics dictate what you write about; in fact, just get off Twitter altogether. Don’t write about the same thing everyone else is writing about. Why should you? Other people already have that topic covered. What do you have to say that’s original? Don’t write about whatever is the hot topic of the day, either—that’s a guaranteed way for your writing to get forgotten in a month or two.
Break all the Substack rules. Don’t write to a schedule; only write when you have something of value to say. Turn off your comment section; your readers can reach you via email if they really want to. Write super-long posts that will get clipped in Gmail. Don’t cross-post or “mention” other writers; doing so advances Substack’s agenda, but does nothing for your own craft. If you cite another author, simply write their name; there’s no need to turn it into a link, and why do you need to let them know you cited them? Give your posts obscure titles that don’t work well with SEO; in fact, abandon the whole SEO treadmill altogether. You are better than that. All that fluff and sparkle is like a neon billboard at Thoreau’s Walden pond. It’s just a distraction from your writing.
Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to “make a living as a writer”? Ask yourself, why should anyone give you money? The only way you can earn it is by writing something so amazing that no one can look away. Get rid of paid subscriptions. Would you still write if you weren’t getting paid? If so, good. It’s better to give your best stuff away for free anyway.
Give yourself permission to be weird. If you are known for writing about one thing, write about something else every once in a while. Don’t worry about unsubscribes. Remember, you are writing for yourself and no one else. Well, maybe for one or two literary heroes. That’s fine—but even they don’t get to tell you how to do it.
Substack is a very good publishing platform, with the best text editor available on the web. But why should it be anything else? Why is Substack trying to be a social media site? We all know social media is a wasteland—why would we want to turn the best publishing platform into a wasteland? Resist Substack’s ongoing mission creep. Use it for what it is good at, nothing more.
And of course, if none of this makes sense for your current situation . . . ignore it! Don’t listen to me! I’m nobody! Just don’t let anyone make the rules for you. You are the god of your little corner of the blogosphere. Do whatever makes sense to you. Follow your own vision, your own muse. I promise you’ll have more fun.
Ok William, I think you nailed it! Thanks for this and even though you said ignore the Likes, I did give you one. I really appreciate what you wrote. I was feeling rather discouraged yesterday as I barely had any views to my latest piece. I started a couple of months ago with my publication and a few weeks ago I had a major surge on two pieces, one on harnessing your inner chaos and the other on burnout. It was quite a thrill that so many enjoyed them. But the two pieces since have resulted in small views, and one I was very proud of - about how men and women can heal together in relationship. Aren't relationships huge? But when I think back to before I started my page, I was writing a lot and not sharing it anywhere. So now I am. That is my metric, my growth. And that is worth something to me.
🫰🫰🫰
Pretty much in agreement here, William. Social media is a wasteland, but not in the sense that nothing grows. What grows and flourishes there - a great deal anyway - is inanity and superficiality.
I write stories (odd ones that appeal to certain people) and I love my titles. Yeah, they're probably not SEO friendly, but I still love them. And that's the way it is.
I write for me and enjoy it. I love my work. If someone else does too, great. If not, that's okay too. I understand.
Loved your comment and I gave it heart, even if it doesn't really change anything. Good job on expressing the faith.
I do have an unquenchable burden to be let out--everyone else is doing it wrong and I need to tell them the right way to do it! Meant in jest, but sometimes I really do feel this way. Love your original and thought provoking comment.
❤️❤️❤️🔥
Yep. A fire deep inside 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Hear here!
I kind of agree that you need to do what you want to do and not be dictated by the app or the algorithm but....
I'd say that for me, I think I write about subjects that I think will help others. Mental health, general things about life and interesting things I've learned.
So...its important to me that these ideas get to as many people as possible and the best way to do that is, to some extent at least, play the numbers game.
Well said. When the critic or “want to be a politically correct or perfect voice“ comes on in my head, I get off track and miss the mark of being my authentic experience and voice.
Wise words
I'd love to hear thoughts on whether posts that are "too long for email" perform less well or whether there is some other drawback to having longer posts.
Or does it make no difference at all?
As I am gathering most people know in the thead, if you draft a post and see a "Post too long for email" message, this means that it just may appear as clipped or truncated in a reader's email inbox. They can read the full post on web.
While there isn't a word count or length restriction on Substack posts, some email providers like Gmail will truncate messages exceeding 102KB. You'll see this message in the post editor after you've exceeded Gmail's size limit.
I just flagged with our team to see if we can get some more context on the effect of a post performance.
Thank you, Katie. Perhaps this is an asset, as readers will see the benefit of actually using the Substack app to read 😊
I hope so! Some of my posts get a bit much for email lol
Thank you, Katie, that would be very helpful. I've always perceived it as "below the fold", and so less likely to be read. Well, that and it helps me not to ramble on even more than I do . . . :)
👍🔥❤️
Thanks Katie, I've wondered about this!
Thank you, Katie! Mine tend to come in around 5,000 words, and I've long wondered about this. I have played around with bringing them down to 4,000 to no discernible difference in performance. But 4,000 is still long! Haha.
Thanks, Katie. That would be extremely helpful information.
I don't worry about it. I figure if it's too long for email people will finish it on the actual page or app.
+1
I had one of these last week - it had lots of photos of London at Christmas (check it out!) and it was flashing at me that it was too large.
Open rate was fine in the end on this so no drama but I was worried before sending.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com/p/a-wander-through-london-at-christmas
This is so funny, Martin. I'm currently down in East Croydon and working on a very similar post. In fact, I have a couple of the same shots! Nice photos, BTW.
Ha amazing. Feel free to link across to my post if you like.
Be great to see your photos too.
Fortnum and Mason! WOW!
I know, it looked incredible!
Now I want to go to London just to look at it.
I've just subscribed. I love London, love your pics. I included pics and a video of London recently: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/start-the-week-3 I find London so exciting, so vibrant, Christmas or any other time of year.
Only had it happen twice and they were among my most opened pieces, so I figure it didn't matter.
I use it as a heads up that I might be rambling.
"Rambling"? You make that sound like a bad thing!!
If you have too many images you get that message too. I have a post coming on Tuesday that is graphics heavy and it has that message tacked on. I put a note at the top of the post saying it might be truncated with a link to my archive.
My next one is throwing the flag for images too.
Michael, I swear, I didn't read your comment before I referred to my own rambling! :)
Though I wonder if that's a technique to drive more traffic to the website?
Most of my posts, Michael, eventually bring up the "too long" blue banner of blather! In fact, I
believe, now, 'Stack suits have embedded that banner as a default on my draft pages even before I push down on even one keyboard key!
But, when I send and then, see, the e-mail, there's virtually nothing that's missing...nothing was cut off; maybe a blue button or two at the very bottom, but none that I put up are missing!
Plus, my default e-mail banner, while thanking readers for subbing, etc, I've got it set to tell my subbies they can always read my posts on the website, and I provide a link.
Further, as I consider what I write to be more "article" than "newsletter," and post rather freely on social media sites, I expect more eyes than my subbies will see it (and length, at that point, not unlike my wedding night, is of no consequence)!
Plus, I write behind-the-scenes, more exclusive-type articles I hope will long outlive me, somewhere on the web, adding to the canon of rock history, if only to a tiny degree, if you'll allow my momentary burst of delusional self-importance!!😁Bottom line? Make it long!!!
and i thought i should be editing more... 😉
I wrote about this here: https://pau1.substack.com/p/stackhacks-too-long-for-email-message
Tl;DR - doesn't matter
Hey Brad, I wanted to give you a shout out. I think our collaboration about our favorite cover songs went great! Curious? add yours to the list! at https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/open-threadjoin-us-under-the-covers/comments
Yes, I loved our collab!! I can't believe I need to be reminded to add something to my own thread! I don't deserve you, Paul....plus, damn, I'm getting old (and recalling a Jerry Garcia album title....."and in the Way")!
Say, would you like to join our bi-weekly Google Meet Zoom thingy? It's every other Friday at 10 am (CT). I'd love to have you, and however much you may not be "a music writer," you've certainly earned your badge, and we'd love to have your ideas and enthusiasm!!
We have one tomorrow, and if you'd like, I could add your e-mail to our Meet list for the invites! LMK!!!
I'd love to join in, but I've got some contractors coming over at that time, as we are in the middle of renovating our home. Next time for sure! Please add my email to your list, Thanks.
Very noble. I too write for posterity, even though posterity has never done nothing for me.
Probably everyone else is on to this too but I’ve taken to making my pix quite low res which seems to have solved the problem - and they still look OK
Oh, clever! Thanks for sharing.
Ooh, I was not onto this! Thanks, Fiona.
Many of my posts are "too long for email" but I maintain about a 60-70% open rate. Good engagement in the comments, too.
Stellar open rate! Go you!
Thanks! I never really considered whether that was good or not. I figure if half of the subscribers take time to open then it's a win!
Not considering it might be a good way to go. But having said that, mine sits at around 55% and I'm super proud of it.
That's great! You definitely should be proud!
Thanks!
My open rate is 45-75%. The most words I have ever written for a post looks like around 1,378 words. I think if it gets too large, it will turn people off.
My posts are atypical, in that they're highly interactive. (I write choose-your-path fiction.) But I've found that the longer my posts are in word count, the less likely readers are to click on my links. So for me, longer posts means less engagement.
I agree with your 'less engagement' comment! As a reader I find long posts daunting, and as a writer I've noticed that my longer posts are generally less popular than shorter ones.
I do find that I prefer reading posts that are shorter and to the point. Maybe all of us are just a bit too distracted with all the information out there.
I agree as well! In fact, I've challenged myself not to write anything over 500 words and to keep links to a minimum. Ultimately, I'm writing what I want to read and longer posts can lose my attention span quickly!
I like to read them on my phone while navigating a road with potholes. It makes life just that bit more exciting I feel.
Glad to hear it, Terry! Makes me feel justified in roaming your particular city with a street map and a jackhammer! Write on!😉👍
LOL. Jackhammer? I hadn't thought of that. Judging by the some of the roads Rebecca Holden and I have encountered, you will be welcomed by the PotHole Preservation Society. (See our letters! https://rebeccaholden.substack.com/s/letters-to-terry)
Now you have me wondering about this--I need to research my posts by length/engagement.
I think it's more about how engaging the content is than the length of the post. There have been lengthy posts that I couldn't peel my eyes away from (even read twice), and others that I just skim through. I also think breaking up the content with pictures, bolded statements, sections helps to keep readers engaged when content is lengthy. Cheers!
defo
Well, I don't think it matters. If I see a really long post, I save it for later. Yesterday I published a mega long post and it has had the highest number of views yet.
Hey Terry - I'm subbed to yours last week and the font you use for your name makes you really stand out in my inbox. Clever move!
Hi Medha. Thanks! I didn't know if it would work or not!
Have you been doing it for long?
what? The font? About 23 hours!
ha - I only joined you last week, I didn't know it was new. It definitely caught my eye, so I hope it does well for you.
Hi Terry, I'm glad to hear it. I myself had a rather long post that really blew up in views. Since I started in October, it was a dramatic boost in viewers. So I think it's what catches people's interest.
Yes, exactly Faith. My philosophy is that posts should be as long as they need to be. Or as short. That's the most profound thing I've said all year by the way.
i love that, Terry!
Thanks, How 🤓
My thoughts exactly, Terry! I refuse to bow down to the "Reading is haaaaaaaaarrrrd!" crowd, and the story I'm telling needs this many or that many words, and until it feels (cue Goldilocks) just right, I don't care if a blue banner tells me it's "too long" or "oh, no" my engagement might suffer, blah blah!
I think too many writers (here included) are too consumed with the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands about everything BUT the writing....their energy would be better served to, oh I dunno.......actually write, instead of whining about the periphery!
definitely! Well said, Sir. BTW, as we think so much alike, and as you are a most discerning and erudite fellow, how come you haven't subscribed to my 'stack?
Well, where are my manners? I have now rectified that oversight, Terry. I've also subscribed to your 'Stack!😁
I don't worry about it, but that's not to say there isn't a limit to what people will read in email. I normally try to limit my posts to under 5 min read (as described by the app) with 3 min being ideal. Every time I've posted something longer than 5 min, I've lost readers.
now that you mention it... mine drop too when it's a long read...
Thanks for sharing your experience. I tend towards longer pieces and I think you may have a good point. Time is a resource.
Long posts have not made a difference. When I get the warning, I end up using a link at the top so people can skip to a section if they want (example: https://digest.jennchen.com/p/twitter-eulogy). If I'm feeling a need to write more, I write more. It might not have as many *immediate* opens but if the content is good enough, they'll save to read it later.
I was worried about this too. So I ended up providing summary notes under a video captured on Youtube. It allows people to see my old ugly mug (hehe) but more importantly provide a verbal discussion of the material where I have more room to expand on items.It also allows people to learn by listening, kinda like a mini conference presentation. I try really hard to keep the videos to 15 minutes but usually are in the 20-30 minute range.
that is a great question, as a travel writer, my posting includes photos and so I keep it fairly short and choose to split topics up into small bits. I think people are so inundated with stuff, they need something short, sweet and hopefully inspirational. But there is a place for the longer, more thoughtful posts too.
I had a similar situation for this post on how to do Linkedin promotion on Substack.
The issue was too many screenshots.
And I end up removing a good portion of them....
https://livmkk.substack.com/p/9-linkedin-posts-gone-wrong-lessons
Hi all! I have a small newsletter, under 200 readers. Since I know there are many of us growing from this humble beginning, I wanted to share some of my stats and reflections for my three month ‘stackiversary. Would like to network with other small-ish writers via the comments and hear how things are going for you. We can learn from each other!
https://open.substack.com/pub/jenzug/p/three-month-stackiversary-and-insights?r=6er4f&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Wow, you track your stats in great detail! It sounds like you are on the right track — like you said, slow and steady wins the race. I am not on any other social media, so my growth has been a slow trickle, which is fine. Sounds like FB and IG have really helped you spread your words.
I more or less am counting on the Substack fairy dust to increase my readers. I come here in this great community when I can, but I work outdoors all day and don’t have the time to spend in front of the computer to write and read and promote my newsletter. I have 130 subscribers, 90 of which were the initial email blast of friends and colleagues. I did add a “paid” option that is 95 percent the same as the free version, but have only 3 paid subscribers.
I get positive feedback from my blend of music and memoir posts (which tend to be 8-10 minute reads), but it likely sends away new readers looking for music writing only and memoir readers looking for personal stories only.
My philosophy is that I write for myself first and second and for potential readers third. When I did try and adjust to what I thought “readers” wanted it was less authentic and it showed.
If you need a beta reader for your book next year, hit me up. Those topics overlap with some of my stuff. I’m gathering beta readers for my own complete draft due in August.
I love the name of your newsletter James!
Thanks...I never even took Latin but apparently its correct. LOL.
Well it got me interested, and then you sealed the deal with your one sentence description. Subbed!
Thanks, James!
I'm gonna embarrass Steve here, but I don't care....stick to your last paragraph.....as for your next-to-last paragraph, just keep doing you! I found you BECAUSE you mix your riveting personal stories with a song or songs, and YOU DO IT ENTERTAININGLY (and hilariously....I will never get your baby pic...."famous pic of Steve looking nauseated" out of my head, AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO....again, like so much of your content, it's memorable, funny, and UNIQUE to you)!
There are so many things you do (that I envy) in your writing that I can't do. I know I do what I do, and I'm proud of my experiences, which certainly feed my little 'Stack niche, but you have such a rare and unselfconscious POV---and, you do it in ways no one else does, or could, DON'T CHANGE A THING (certainly don't bend to "what you think readers want"---you're already doing it They'll find you)!
Meanwhile, fellow 'Stackers, invite Steve into your inbox (have him bring some of his posts, while you're at it!), and read one of the more original and unique writers on the 'Stack! And, please consider subbing, as I do! His posts may be "unconventional" in some typically 'Stack ways, but they're consistently entertaining.....and, they've got humor AND music!!!💖👍https://earworm.substack.com/
Wow, Brad. 😊 thanks for those kind words. You have been a great champion of my Substack and have almost single-handedly inspired me to keep at it week after week. Especially on those weeks when I didn't have time until late night the day before I usually post. I won't go so far as to claim you as my muse, but you most certainly are my amuse bouche.
Heart-felt, Steve.....As much as I love the 'Stack, it's easy to weed thru the plentiful dreck, and then have your head suddenly turned by a shining ray of light. It's like hearing the first round of American Idol wannabes, and suddenly Streisand takes the stage! You can tell the difference at once!
For all the "here's my fave song of the week....what's yours?" music "writers" extant (and then they have the nerve to press for paid upgrades as they ask their readers to provide the content!!), your unique POV and style needs to be encouraged and will, hopefully, inspire other writers to dig juuuuuussst a little deeper than just streaming one new song a week, and calling it writing!
Now, you're sending me to my dictionary.com! I have no idea what the hell an "amuse bouche" is, but I'm pretty sure Billy Hockstetter got a bloody nose from my fist in 6th grade for calling me that!😉💖👍
Wow, what a great endorsement!
Nice to meet you, Steve! Thanks for sharing your progress. 90 subs off the bat is great!! I *love* the blend of music and memoir -- music is a huge influence on my creative process. I’ll be sure to check out your newsletter!
Have you read the book “Love is a Mix Tape” by Rob Sheffield? It’s a memoir of his relationship told song by song. It’s one of my favorite books, and also the book I wish I could have written. 😜
One of my favorite books and I so agree that other than not wanting to live the tragedy that is at the center of the book, it is the book I wish I had written. I love all his books, but that one is a favorite.
Wow it is so rad that you annotated your subscriber graph!!!
Hi Jen, I'm in the humble beginning stages too! Just subscribed to your newsletter. By the looks of it, we have a lot in common. I'm posting once a month (all free) while I tell myself I'm working out the kinks, the look, the message -- what I'm really doing is trying to do is kill the imposter in me. Then, look out!..
Here I am. https://catherinehpalmer.substack.com/ I'll take any and all tips for building this platform. I love being the editor of my own little magazine.
Hi Catherine, thanks for your comment and for subscribing! I’ll check out yours too.
Keep going!
Just want to say how exciting it is to see so many new writers here! Whether you're new to writing, or new to Substack, or both, WELCOME!
A little advice.
1. The community usually has the answers to your questions. Make friends and ask questions. Or, ask questions and then make friends. This is an awesome community.
2. Writers who write on the same topics aren't your competition, they're your potential collaborators. Reach out to those writers, leave thoughtful comments on their posts, see if you can do something together, and grow your community.
3. Don't obsess over going viral. The best way to grow is to put out consistent material. Like compound interest, it takes time, but the results are really powerful.
Great advice Michael, especially about seeing potential collaborators rather than competition.
Thank you, Melanie!
Thank you! I've only been here 2 weeks and loving it so far.
Agreed. Fellow writers are our support system and potential collaborators. I want to see others this way.
#2 is so incredibly important.
Hi everyone! I recently transitioned my blog - https://www.whereonplanetearth.com - to Substack and I am really loving it here. I travel full time and write short travel stories and recommendations from wherever I am at (currently at the airport of Lima Peru en route to Brazil!). I'd love to connect with other travel writers on here!! ❤️
Welcome Carla!
PART of my Substack is travel 😊 sarahstyf.substack.com
Hi Carla - I’m a full time travel writer & just began a stack looking at the travel communication world - subscribers so far are all editors, writers, PRs etc. Lots of insidery industry interviews & stuff but also just me having a chat about the travel media landscape. It’s here if you’re interested! https://thetravelcommunicator.substack.com/
This is great! Just subscribed
Sounds intriguing. I've just subscribed!
Thank you! 🥰
Welcome to SS 🙏🙏🔥❤️
Awesome! Enjoy Brazil, it’s my favourite country! 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Hi Carla! I don't cover travel exclusively, but I often feature locations that my readers consider as their "happy places" and how you can be a conscientious traveler while visiting from an environmental/cultural perspective. I've done New Orleans, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Chicago, among others. If that perspective on travel is of interest to you, would love to connect and maybe you could do a guest post or something. Happy Holidays! :)
Absolutely interested in that perspective on travel! Just subscribed
Great post. Thank you!
reading through these comments is an absolutely incredible (and mostly guilt free) way of procrastinating from the writing i'm supposed to be doing, and for that gift, dear substack employees and friends, I wish to thank you all.
It is a bit of a procrastination from writing, but connecting with other writers is an important part of being a writer, I have learned, these sessions are great for that.
🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️
Visiting office hours qualifies as part of the writing process. Afterwards, I'm always like, "Hey, I've been working for hours now. I can take a break!"
What I'm saying is that I never, ever get any writing done on Thursday afternoons.
Exactly 🙌🙌
Hey everyone, okay so this isn't a shoutout thread but I'm going to shout out anyway. If you like fiction, you might like this one by Meg Oolders:
https://stockfiction.substack.com/p/the-girl-with-the-donut-fingers
She writes stories based on photos. Nice!!
I owe you a box of donuts, Victor. ☺️ What an unexpected delight to stumble upon this kindness today.
Doughnuts, yea! Love me those old-fashioned style, plus those small ones like the girl has on her fingers! :)
I subscribed 50 percent from your glowing recommendation, 50 percent due to the title “The Girl with the Donut Fingers.”
Well I have just subscribed cos I like the approach of writing based on photos. I sometimes do something similar, but for non-fiction.
🙌🙌🙌
thank you, Victor, what a brilliant read!
What a wonderful writer you are! Your first few lines had me smiling from ear to ear and the fact that they are based on photos! I love that! Can't wait to have a moment to dive back in!
Great suggestion! Subscribed.
Thanks for sharing. That's a cool prompt idea!
I wanted to take some time today to say that, though i've been heavily recommending Substack to my writing coaching clients for the past year (and anyone who will listen, really) because of the ease of use, the overall commitment to creating a strong writer and reader experience, the community feel, and the dedication of the Substack team to helping writers grow (etc, etc), it wasn't until this week that I realized why it was giving me so many warm fuzzy feelings.
Outside of all the really strong practical reasons to love this platform, what I'm starting to feel is something that I've missed for so many years. This is beginning to feel like a renaissance of the glory days of blogging - when damn good writing was more than enough.
As a writer:
I was an early, early adopter of Wordpress, and have being doing this writing online thing for a very long time. I had almost forgotten what it feels like to write without being constrained by a 2200 character IG caption count, or to write for the sake of writing and sending those words out in the world to people who WANT to read my writing (not just to feed the never-ending social media machine).
I'm slowly reprogramming my brain from the WRITE.ALL.THE.THINGS.FOR.FREE mentality and dismantling the belief that my words alone are enough reason to request and accept financial support.
What do you mean, I don’t just need to churn out an exhaustive string of posts and graphics and reels and then morph the words into a funnel of products and programs to support my life? You're saying that the words alone, ALL BY THEMSELVES, are worthy of compensation? Holy hell, imagine that.
And yes, perhaps this should be obvious for a human who has made a living from words (I'll never get over the wonder of that) for a few decades, but it wasn't obvious at all. I had bought into the myth entirely that just writing alone wasn’t enough to be worthy of payment. Hook. Line. Sinker.
I'm beginning to unravel that inside this space, and it feels damn good.
As a reader:
Does anyone else remember the day Google Reader was no more? When suddenly we couldn’t just navigate to one place and read all the words from all of our favorites? I think that felt like the day that blogging took its final breaths for me. Then we all found ourselves on Facebook and Instagram and starting podcasts (and, and, and - lather, rinse, repeat). It’s not that I didn’t keep on reading the words of people I love, it’s just that it got more complicated, and we started writing (and reading) differently.
But lately, as more and more of my long time fave writers (and newly found gems) find their way here, and as the Substack network continues to lead me down the rabbit hole of brand new brilliance, my Substack home page is starting to feel a little like Google Reader did in the good ole days. I can navigate to one place and find essay after essay of suburb writing that I’ve personally curated to fill me up with inspiration or motivation or education or amusement.
(perhaps not good for my productivity, but that's another story for another day)
I’m a month post breakup, and lately all I want to do is write about my history with romantic love. Not pithy posts that are chopped up enough to fit into a caption box. Not quick riffs that fit within my chosen niche or target market. Not spending hours making eye catching graphics to attempt to win the battle with the algorithm. And certainly not trying to figure out reels and Tiktoks.
What I want to do is write (and write and write and write), long form, loose and unconstrained, pour out my heart and hold it out gently. I want to have a space to share this writing where I know—without a doubt—that the people reading have chosen to be there because they see something in my work worth sticking around for.
I don’t have a huge readership here. There are more eyes on my work if I share it on social media or to my email list. But writing here feels good. Writing here feels like writing used to feel. And god damn, I’ve missed that.
xo, jlb.
Yes to all of this. And that is why I am loving the Substack app. I spend far less time on social media now that I've made that a regular part of my reading time.
yes, this - the whole thing gets so much less compelling.
sounds like you've found home, Jeanette!
it sure feels like it!
🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️
or *superb writing. damn typos :)
Here is a question I have for everyone: How do you stay consistent? What do you do to cultivate a regular stream of content to put out? What do you do when your well is getting dry?
Write down ideas as soon as they come to you. Whether that’s on your phone or, Post-It note, or whatever.
My favorite "note pad," Kevin (and yours too, I'm guessing) is a new post page, of which I have at least a dozen all queued up for future GROW BIGGER EARS and Inside Tracks! If I don't do that, nothing would be saved, it'd all leave my head, and I'd be stuck.
I looked, just yesterday, toward the bottom of my queue, and saw something I even forgot I saved....it'll probably be next on my to-write list! It also works better for me than a pad of paper, a Post-It, or even my (flip) phone!!!
Haha. Yep, I have a lot of posts in my draft queue that aren’t a whole lot more than 2-3 sentences or the start of an idea.
Ooo, I do that too. I was scrolling on LI yesterday and came across a Ted Talk that prompted an essay. There I was standing in the kitchen and opened my laptop and let the stream flow out of me. It's just the beginning but I do that a lot so I have a bunch of half-made drafts since in a folder on my desktop. I find that in reading them as I choose my next piece, I just choose one and go with it. It's a weird relationship to my writing that needs a particular kind of nurturing.
🔥🔥
Holy crap! Are there TWO Michael Mohr's on the 'Stack?!? You guys should collaborate, but then, who would know? While I've got the chance, let me take advantage of the situation, and double my shout-out power: "Wow, that Michael Mohr---what a great writer!!"✒📝👍Sincerely, THE Brad Kyle
✍️✍️❤️🔥
First, keep a notes file somewhere (I keep an open notes thing on my phone) and write down EVERY thought that occurs to you to write about, while you're at the grocery, while you're at work, anything. Then, when I have time at my computer, I turn a few of those notes into multiple pieces I'm working on at once--none in finished form, so I don't feel pressured while I write. Then I can always grab one and polish it for publishing.
Good advice - I do something similar with an ideas doc on my computer!
I focus on one strong piece a month instead of worrying about releasing content every week. Much more manageable and I can really focus on making it as strong as possible.
Ha. I don't think I've ever worked on multiple posts simultaneously. You've given me something to try!
Sticking to a schedule is tough, but that does help some. I make sure I schedule posts to go out at the same time every week. While I write about a lot of different things, my regularly scheduled posts are travel posts. While I finish up the semester of teaching and work on finishing my book, I have decided to take old posts from my old blog, revise, and republish at Substack for a new audience. In addition, I have at least 20 draft ideas just sitting in my draft folder that I return to every time I think of something. I have two posts right now that I know I could finish over break because I just keep returning to them and adding things as I read other newsletters and just need to vent 😊 The scheduling allows me to batch when the inspiration hits without worry about the posting well going dry. Does any of that help?
I'm considering abandoning the schedule. I think these help the writer more than the reader; I'm not sure most followers actually know the difference.
Definitely second your recommendation on stockpiling drafts. But I find that if they sit too long, I have a hard time coming back to finish them.
I didn't think it mattered until I was unexpectedly late once and got emails from people asking where it was. Which lit my heart on fire, obviously. It might just be the die-hard fans, but that had the effect of increasing my commitment to the schedule. But I think the top priority is having it work for us as writers. Coz the last thing I wanna be doing is rushing a post, or worse - resenting my publication.
I guess I don't feel bad if I never finish them because I have a place to go if I don't have any ideas. Plus, there are some that I just keep adding things to as I think about ideas or need to vent ;-)
I knew when I started that I'd have a difficult time sticking to a schedule, but I haven't abandoned it completely. If one can give readers something to look forward to on generally the same day of the week, I think that might help. On the other hand, I certainly am too busy to pay attention to whether someone has stuck to their schedule! So, I agree that it may not be that important...
Agree: regularity is key. Quality and consistency.
Right now, I'm going for quality over quantity. I'm not a very fast writer, so my hope is that putting out one good story a month will draw more interest than several mediocre stories during the same time period. I've been keeping a few finished first drafts in reserve as well so I don't have to start from scratch every month.
I like your style, Leigh.....if quality is Job 1, the quantity will eventually catch up in due time. Right now, give your readers something worth reading; they'll then want to sub, and eagerly await your next post!
After 18 months of regular once-per week publishing I can second all the great advice here about having a lot of 'partial drafts' on the go at once, using a spreadsheet and writing a short draft "on the spot" immediately you are inspired by something. You can expand on it later when you have time.
Also, no one mentioned you should have an "Emergency" Issue that is ready to send if you run into a last minute illness/family emergency. It could look like a normal email or it could have a carefully worded explanation of why you can't publish today with a link to a "best posts of 2022" or something else your readers will enjoy.
... because if you really are having an emergency you won't feel like crafting a well written excuse...
What a great idea
An editorial calendar is a MUST! We publish daily (with the same general topic on the same day), and my posts are usually scheduled a couple of weeks ahead of time. I also have an "Ideas" list so that if I think of something, I immediately put it in that list to refer to later.
I also get ideas from other Substackers whose newsletters I subscribe to and maybe the latest news you can use...
Because we have dedicated topics for designated days, it really helps to come up with ideas.
Such a great and important question. I'm navigating this for myself. I'm six months in and so far, for me, it's looked like giving myself grace and approaching my process with curiosity (because it's so specific to each writer)
I haven't been as consistent or as frequent as I expected. My process has been less a switch I turn on and more an ebb and flow. While I'm currently riding the wave, this is my big takeaway:
Big picture thinking (like pre-planning content for the next few weeks/ months) and creative bucket-filling require un-rushed space and have to be separate from the creation and the execution process. But my creation and execution process really benefit from being held in a pre-planned structure (eliminates real time decision making and overthinking)
It's hard work at times. I do keep a list of ideas, and for the discipline of writing to a deadline helps too. It's a bit stressful at times, knowing I have to come up with something when I feel uninspired, but I take my commitment to my readers seriously (even when I had only a few)
Me too. The schedule helps me write. Not in a rigid taskmaster way. More in an encouraging way.
Yes, I agree, it is hard work. I do like to keep my commitment to my readers as well so I do a weekly on Tuesday/Wednesday. And I think keeping to a schedule does help hone the writing muscle.
Agreed!
Maybe write when you are inspired, and set them up to be published in the future. I also save idea starts in drafts and work on them as more ideas come.
Always write a week or two ahead!!
I recently read a book called Storyworthy (from a writer/speaker at the Moth) where he goes into great details describing the spreadsheet he uses to track writing ideas and how transformational the process is (above and beyond the fact that you have a list of ideas at your fingertips). I found it super inspirational and am planning on starting something similar.
You've just given me an idea for an upcoming post! ;-)
Oh nice! What do you write about and what was the idea (if you care to share)?
I write about midlife, reinvention, career change, self-discovery. I test the theory that it's never too late to be what you might have been. I'm also a planner and a former marketing strategist. I'm gathering ideas for "value-add" content. I like this idea of tips and tricks on capturing ideas ... we'll see where it leads.
These are great questions! Personally, I've committed to writing two newletters a week, one for free subscribers and an additional one for founding members. I collect ideas on my phone throughout the week and usually give myself 1-3 days to write each newsletter. Most of the time, I let it be spontaneous and end up writing what I need to hear myself. I keep my letters short- 500 words or less and focus on self-reflection and creative prompts. A lot of the times I'm pulling from my own life and what I'm experiencing that week.
As for my well going dry- I think this is inevitable in the society we live in! I think modeling rest and taking breaks is so important. It helps give others permission to do the same. Being honest about your capacity- finding ways to be inspired. It's a work in progress for me!
I write in the personal development world and am honest and upfront about when I need breaks and have had the same experience with the permission thing. People reply that they'll miss the newsletter, but that it's great to see me looking after myself etc.
We do that with our litthinkpodcast.substack.com because we are working together and have actual jobs ;-) We give ourselves permission to take planned and announced breaks.
I don't have a schedule. Whenever I have an idea for a post I note it in an app that gets sent to a spreadsheet, which I can then peruse for inspiration if necessary. I also read a lot, and that usually furnishes me with ideas.
I use a TRELLO board (free version of the app) as an ed calendar and brainstorming tool. It gives me a quick visual snapshot of what I've posted (included the thumbnail photo) and a space to get organized for future posts. I even include a card for promotion of posts with checkboxes for LinkedIn, Instagram, FB, etc. Just getting started -- let's hope I haven't overcomplicated things. I DO SO LOVE TO PLAN.
I have, but I get very little if any responses.
yes me too. Although a new acquaintance IRL became a subscriber and related to my post and emailed me directly. Even though comments aren't really made, I do appreciate email.
Hey! I was just wondering what’s going on with the stats page? I did a post yesterday that got a lot of attention, but numbers on the stats dashboard are very low. I see there’s a note about email opens, but it isn’t just email opens - web traffic is low really low too. For example, it is currently reporting around 3000 hits on my most recent post, but the analytics on my tweet linking to the post claim it has had over 8000 clicks...! So just wanted to flag this in case there’s an error you haven’t spotted. Cheers!
It looks like they are having overall issues, so I'm just waiting on pins and needles to see what stats are once they are fixed.
So true, and I appreciate the reminder. I myself am looking for similar writers and haven't really found yet (although to be honest I haven't looked really hard since I have another career to manage). Most of the therapists who write are more "Official" than me - think Nedra and SitwithWhit. I love the work of these two women but they are big names and don't share personally the way I do.
Sometimes there's a glitch in updating the stats (especially the email stats), and they usually post an error message when that happens.
FWIW, I got an alert saying that it was a known issue that should be resolved shortly.
I’m experiencing the same thing on my stats page for a post that went out over 24 hours ago — very low view count and no email open stats available at all.
This isn’t the first time it has happened and it makes me wonder how reliable the stats are overall.
Hey all! Just started my substack and writing about my journey with learning to code.
Would love to connect with other writers and do some cross collabs, any advice on the best way to do this? Or even where to find other writers who cover coding as well? Thanks!
We have a bunch of great resources on collaboration too! Worth perusing:
https://on.substack.com/p/collaboration
https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-14-anne-byrn
https://on.substack.com/p/writer-collaborations-ideas
Thanks, Bailey. Most helpful.
When we organize ours: we use Substack to find web3 ones that could be similar to ours in niche/size, then reach out through email or Twitter. There's a lot of dev writers on Twitter, you could start there and see which ones have their DMs open that might be open to cross collabing!
Though it does take a ton of time to do all the filtering, sorting, messaging, etc. We couldn't find any resource to join ourselves, so we put together a platform to help match up newsletters in similar niches/sizes and save that time, I know we have a couple dev substacks on there already. https://collabmatch.io/ Is the site, would be happy to have you on for the first batch!
As someone that has always wanted to learn to code but felt the cost of entry was too much I immediately subscribed! As far as finding others to work with, cold emails/comments on people you enjoy working with has always worked for me. Good luck and I can't wait to read more of your newsletter!
Tobi Ogunnaike also write something similar. You might want to check his work here: https://www.tobiwrites.com/
Try to search in the discover section. Use keywords like coding, software, etc.
Then also maybe you can find someone here ;)
Hello beautiful people! I am new to the community, and have been writing on Substack for a few months. I am enjoying reading all the comments. Thanks for encouragement and congrats to those of you that have achieved milestones.
This is a concern of mine and I hope I can explain it without stepping on toes. I really hate it when I'm reading a Substack post and I come to, "To keep reading..." and realize I've hit a paywall.
Can we please, out of courtesy, indicate at the very top that this is for paid subscribers only?
I understand the marketing objective, the 'tease' to get readers to subscribe, but honestly it only infuriates me. I'm never in the mood to subscribe after the author has stopped me from reading a story I was just getting into.
Can we talk about this? It happens a lot, and I can't be the only one who finds it offensive. Thanks for any input.
I get to that paywall, and I not only close the e-mail, never to return, and/or unsubscribe!
This is an issue with them sending it to everyone. You can send to paid subscribers only.
Exactly right. It would be that easy, instead of filling our mailboxes with posts we can't read. I've unsubscribed from most of them now. It's just too frustrating.
I wrote a very similar post about that practice during a previous office hours chat.I agree with you 100% and would add that even indicating it at the top isn’t enough for me. I want a way to opt out of getting any emails for paid subscribers if I’m a free subscriber.
Wow. Just what I've been thinking! Another "thing" that is frustrating to me is the paywall for comments. I guess I get the general idea if you have many thousands of subscribers, but it also stops people who cannot afford to pay and who also write on Substack from getting their newsletter noticed via the comment.
I was going to say the same thing about adding comments behind a paywall. I have read the article and had a thought to express. It does block community building and I want to unsubscribe.
Putting comments behind a paywall while leaving the post 'free' ends any real chance for building a community, unless the writer thinks of community as a kind of closed-door sorority or fraternity. I just think it's a bad idea all the way around and I'm wondering why Substack thought it might be a good option.
Hi Romona, in the app there's purple text that says "preview" before you click on the article. I think there's a lock icon on the desktop that indicates the same thing. But maybe it could be more clear. I don't think you're stepping on anyone's toes. And what you're describing is frustrating, so I don't think anyone (writer, reader, or Substack) wants that.
I usually put in my introduction “welcome to this weeks free post” if it’s the free one. If it’s paid I say thank you for being a paid subscriber and if you aren’t it’s X amount of dollars. I think that helps a lot
I'm not a massive fan of it either. I'm only new here so I only have 1 paying subscriber, but I did decide that its not something I wanna do. Haven't really looked into the practicalities of it yet though.
Love that you added the feature that allows us to lock the "archive", but we still need to address the use of the word "archive". It absolutely cements the idea that this is "old stuff", and so I find reades aren't likely to value it or refer to it, which makes putting it behind a paywall less effective than it should be. It's not as bad as the old name for a newspaper's previously used clippings and photo files (the "morgue")...but it comes close.
What is the point of locking an archive? Why wouldn't you want your readers to dig back and find those old nuggets? Just wondering.
Basically putting it behind the paywall, so one more incentive to convert!
It's true, I guess it can go either way - some will con vert and others will unsubscribe.
That's what I was wondering.
Oh interesting feedback - I will share it with the team!
Being able to duplicate posts is a great benefit- especially for someone like me that consistently uses the same format. Thank you for this!
4x weekly.
Just wanted to share that I completed a short fiction serial of almost 15k words with audio! It was quite an undertaking but I learned a lot and am excited to start the next serial once it’s done.
Anyone else celebrating milestones today?
What did your year look like?
That's awesome. I'm in the process of writing a reflections post for the year, something I've never done before.
Always good the try new things.
That's a massive accomplishment, Chevanne and one to be very proud of. Congratulations!
Thanks!
Congrats on that! What a huge accomplishment!
Last week, I wrote about my wins for 2023. It was fun and a good reminder that I've accomplished some stuff. But then something really magical happened when I asked my readers to share their wins. Some of the things those readers shared were truly amazing!
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelestrin/p/26-wins-for-2022?r=1fqhx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The wins are wonderful! What a great response and a good way to reflect on the positive.
I love connecting with others through a guest post or now the fab cross-posting. Shoutouts today for their guest posts: Alicia Kenworthy of Catalectic--fab post on Process, Nicci Kadilak of Nicci's Notes--fab post on "When the words wash away", Michael Mohr who did a fab post On Literature and Rebecca Holden of Dear Reader I'm Lost who wrote about Journals. Let's connect, guys! xo ~ Mary And I added a PS in another comment: The fab Moviewise did a guest post for me here: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/the-art-of-the-screenplay
Down for guests posts and collaborations if it makes sense. My substack is approaching 24k subscribers.
Hi, I'm A Bit Much ;) I think we'd be a good fit to collaborate or x-post; I write about living unapologetically as the full, quirky mosaic of yourself. Skyemcd@abltylife.com if you'd like to chat more. I'd love it!
Loved guest posting for you, Mary!!
Mutual, big time! xo
I’m definitely open to connecting and guest or cross-posting with others in the mental health niche. Check out my newsletter and let me know if you’re interested!
I write about self identity and am a wellness coach, helping women find the intersection of their lives and a holistically healthy lifestyle. My novels incorporate mental health as a sub-theme as well. I'd love to talk to you more, Wendi! Skyemcd@abltylife.com. Cheers!
Mary, you're so supportive to other writers - thank you!
Interested in making connections! Let's talk? skyemcd@abltylife.com
Write you now, Skye: mltabor@me.com
Replied! :)
Couple of recommendation feature-related requests:
1) When a new subscriber flows through to recommended Substacks, can we have it so that the blurb of the "recommender" is what the potential subscriber sees? Rather than the blurb provided by the publication themselves? E.g., if somebody subscribed to a new Stack, and I was recommended, the new subscriber would see the blurb "for" me, rather than the blurb "by" me. The recommendation from the other writer is much more powerful than my self-promotion.
2) When considering a subscription to a Substack, would it be possible for the potential subscriber to see how many other Stacks recommend that publication, and who they are? E.g., if somebody was considering subscribing to my pub, they'd see: X number of Substacks recommend Field Research, including writers, A, B, and C.
Thanks!
Thank you for the requests! For the first one, you can add the blurbs from recommendations to the welcome page here: https://your.substack.com/publish/settings/blurbs
We'll look into 2. Thanks!
Thanks, I've definitely taken advantage of the blurbs on the landing page. As most of my new subs come from recommendations, I think adding them to the flow through engine would also be beneficial.
Thanks!
☝️
Those are both great ideas! I'd love to see that happen.
Yes! And yes!
I started on Substack a few weeks ago and would love to connect with other writers @moviewise I’ll be in touch 🙂
Welcome! Always down to connect!
Welcome! I'm pretty new too -- only 5 months. Congrats on launching your publication!
Great! I'm looking forward to it! Thanks!
Welcome to the community!
Hello, I'm brand new to substack (created my first post yesterday). Very excited to be part of this community.
welcome!
Welcome!
Hi everyone! I usually slide into others' comments here instead of posting my own. Today I figured I'd try it this way!
My newsletter is A Bit Much, https://abitmuch.substack.com, reflections on living life as "a bit much" and encouragement for you to embrace all of your quirks and passions.
I'm interested in cross-posts/collabs, especially in the realms of personal growth, health, and empowerment. Let's talk!
I am interested in this as well and to be honest do not understand it. Tried getting help with this but keep striking out. Since I am relatively new, I suppose I will morph into it soon. But do let me know any ideas you have that works for you :) PS like your inputs...
Hi Skye! Just dropped a comment on your Introduction post. I love the idea of encouraging "quirks!" I write The Reinspired Life https://catherinehpalmer.substack.com/ -- where I'm arguing for and also against the old "it's never too late to be what you might have been." Just getting started, but definitely interested in collaborations on personal growth and reinvention.
Just commented on your Taylor post ;)
Absolutely Catherine! Let's make it happen!
Def. In the new year. I'm hunkering down working on strategy for the moment. Let's stay connected.
Love it. Yes we will!
This sounds like a great idea! I’m open to connecting. I’m new to Substack, but have been writing for a while on social media.
yes please! My email is skyemcd@abltylife.com - or I'm happy to email you if you prefer!
Wonderful! Will email you right now.
captured :) might get an email from me as well for help or ideas.
yes please, I'd welcome it!
Hi writer pals! I'm doing a Muppet Christmas Carol-inspired series for Outsourced Optimism and for Christmas Present, I've been thinking a lot about the gifts we can give ourselves this year. Particularly, permission.
So- in case you are also feeling the tension of the holiday season and the end of the year- I just wanted to offer a few permission slips. If you're like me, it's easier when someone else gives them to you:
- permission to take your foot off the gas, to slow down, to leave things undone
- permission to sprint, to decline the obligations and honor the momentum you've created
- permission to be proud, to celebrate, to appreciate everything you did do this year (career and otherwise)- even if it's not everything you wanted to do
- permission to feel optimistic and hopeful, even if it feels unreasonable or foolish
- permission to feel the disappointment, the exhaustion, the frustration, even as you are grateful
- permission to lean into comfort
- permission to release and redefine and reinvent
Just watched that with my kids! They loved it. I'll pop over and check out this post for sure!
I started watching it as a kid and it's so funny to revisit it every year. I always notice something different. Like...Michael Cain is Scrooge! I've always known that, but this year I had a real moment of....Sir Michael Cain is in A Muppet Christmas Carol?!
Here's the link: https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/p/its-that-time-again
I love this, Tami. It's very similar to my piece I published yesterday, about the choices we make and being intentional for this post-pandemic holiday.
I love that, Faith!
Thank you for sharing! Permission to leave things undone and lean into comfort are both really resonating with me. :)
I'm so happy those resonated! I love sharing these little revelations. I hope these season offers an abundance of comfort and peace for you!
Tami, this is delightful. Thank you.
Oh I am so glad! My absolute pleasure 💌
Hello, fellow Substackers. I love these sessions! Not only do I learn so much from them, I always--I mean always-- find new writers to follow!
One of the joys of Substack!
So, my question: What is cross-posting? I use cross-posting if I copy my published blog post onto another site of mine, but I don't understand how it works here at Substack. What are we cross-posting, and where? Thanks for any help. These new-fangled options are coming bullet fast. I can't keep up!
I think the idea is to use cross-posting in order to recommend a post from another Substack that your readers might want to check out. Also, if you write a guest post on someone else's page, you can cross-post that post over to your own Substack so that your readers can see it too. It's a way to drive traffic between Substacks.
Ah ha. But I still find crossposting difficult to understand. I know I have not spent a lot of time with this but do not want to. And when I approach it...the lack of info is like hitting a road block.
I've done 2 cross-posts the last 2 weeks. Here's the link to my site which cross-posted Robert's post: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/d4d1ef28-b1c3-4bc2-ac30-5b3531192d4d ---I sub to Robert's "Listening Sessions" 'Stack, and when I got this post as a subbie, I loved it, and thought MY subbies would love it, and it certainly seemed to neatly fit into my 'Stack's subject matter!
At the top of each post, there's a button that says "Cross-post," which when pushed, starts you on the brief path to sending it to YOUR subbies. There's even a little space at the top for you to address your subbies as to why they're getting this post from another writer, and you can add your 2c as to why you like it enough to share it with them! Have fun!
Brad, I clicked on your link and I found it really confusing. I’m sorry. I read it as your piece and wondered when the ‘cross posting’ was going to come in, then realized at the end it wasn’t your essay.
Wouldn’t a preface be in order to explain what is happening?
Also, did you talk to Robert before you did this? Did he have to give you permission?
I guess I still don’t see the point. I appreciate you trying, though. Sorry to be so dense.
The preface that I wrote only appeared (and, I guess, only CAN appear) at the top of the e-mail sent to all my subbies.
Although, it just occurred to me that these cross-posts don't appear on my front page of archived articles (I wondered about that at the time I did my first). In other words, it's confusing to YOU, now, because you're seeing the post on Robert's site.
No one, short of me clicking on it from my Dashboard, will ever see the post (which is what you saw just now), except 1) on Robert's site in perpetuity, and 2) via e-mail if they're one of my subbies (where I explained what and why they were sent a "cross-post".
As for permission, no...I can't imagine a writer wouldn't want to have their posts shared with another's subbie list. I DID ask him for permission to post the link (once I cross-posted) on social media. He had no problem with that, filling me in on the couple of places he had already posted his own link when he first posted it.
It may help to know that, at no time, does Robert's post show up on my Archive page! It only ever existed on subbies' e-mails, and on Robert's 'Stack archive page. The only reason you saw the post on Robert's site is because I did what I likely will never need to do again: Send a link of a cross-post FROM MY DASHBOARD, which is what you just saw. So, I get to see the open #s for my cross-post of Robert's piece (on my dashboard), and Robert has his original post on his Archive. It exists nowhere else (but in my subbies' inboxes, assuming they've yet to delete it).
Hope this helps, Ramona! Like all of them, not every new 'Stack toy will be for everyone! I like this because it might "buy" me a breather of a day where I don't have to write (but, I'll never abuse it.....writers need to be assured I'll only cross those writers and specific posts I believe in, and I feel my subbies will enjoy)!
Oh, okay. That makes sense then. So, these crosspostings only go to your email subscribers as a kind of 'gift' to them, but they never actually appear on your page.
I can see how that would be useful on those busy days, as well as doing something nice for a writer you admire. So next question: do they get a notification that their piece appeared somewhere else? That would be nice to know.
Thanks for the explanation, Brad. I think I've got it now!
thanks...
Ramona - Perhaps we are living in some sort of parallel universe. I just asked a very similar question, and threw in recommendations along with. So much to learn. I'll go back to lurking now.
LOL. Did you get any answers? I'm still confused.
Not only no answers, I can't even find the post! As my Divinity and Ethics PhD friend says, "fut the wuck?"
Can't find it? I've been there! Check your email folder to see if anyone has responded. It'll show up there.
Hi everyone ⭐️ I’m writing from little old Ireland. I love substack & have found it to be brilliant to create a wonderful supportive community. Looking forward to meeting ye all & supporting you in anyway I can. My substack is:
https://livingandlaughingwithlou.substack.com
Please feel free to communicate with me as I’d love to cross support in anyway I can ⭐️🫶⭐️
Thanks for being here Louise!
PS - I am headed to Ireland this summer and counting down the days.
Aw Katie ☘️I’ll try organise the sunshine to be here for you...also if you need any tips or anything when here or when you heading here, be sure to pop me a message....I’m always only a line away at anytime...also I’ll try organise a hundred thousand leprechauns to meet you on arrival 🥰 ☘️☘️🥳🥳🥳🥰🥰💚💚💚💚
I am envious!
🔥🔥❤️
Loving the cross-post feature!! I get to share my favorite writers once a week if I don’t have a publication ready. Very helpful for maintaining a publication schedule while also sharing awesome stories!!
I’d love to connect with more substack writers here....my link is: https://livingandlaughingwithlou.substack.com
I’m in Ireland. I’ve written my first book & I’m presently touring it: Granny Nancy - Irelands Oldest Lady Who Lived, Loved & Laughed for 107 Years. Love you connect with others in any capacity to grow our communities together 🫶
Hello, I subscribed to your newsletter. I published a newsletter on substack.com as a hobby as I am retired. I have about 20 subscriptions. I have been very honest and open with my issues on some posts. In other posts on the newsletter titled “Legends of My Own Mind,” I have offered my political opinion. I have written about Positive Relationships as well as the music of three generations of my family. I write about spirituality which is a favorite topic of mine. Every edition has a relevant original poem. Take Care
Thanks a mil Douglas. I just subscribed to your writing home there. Thank you for your support. I’m very grateful 🙏
A very unique book, Louise! I wish you a tonne of success with it. I'd be happy to connect. Will take a look at your Substack.
Thanks sooo much jo. Great to be in touch. It’s all about making new writing pals in here. So glad to connect. Just subscribed to your writing home & thanks so much for your kindness 🥰
Hello! I just subscribed to your newsletter also! I write about life on my small farm. Blessed Be!
Substack team - I’d like to start another newsletter with a specific name and that name is already in use. When I check out the publication, I can see that the account hasn’t posted in more than a year and there is only one post. Is it ever likely that dormant newsletters may be cleared and/or taken names freed up?
Send an email with the URL you would like to TOS@substackinc.com and they will help you with this request ! https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407367543060-How-long-can-I-keep-my-subdomain-
Following
Following this thread!
Oh, Just realised what Duplicate to Drafts is. Wonderful. I write a regular series called Experiments in Style, and I am always having to copy and paste a big chunk from a previous post. Yesterday I even installed an extension so I could 'write' the chunk using just a keyword. But that had no formatting, so this is MUCH better. In case you're wondering what Experimenting with styles means in my case, here is some info: https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/experimenting-with-styles
Your 'Experimenting with styles' series is brilliant - really clever, and a fabulous technique for writing practice - I love it!
Oh, thank you Rebecca! Glad you are enjoying it :-)
I have an issue with the app which is trivial but disproportionately frustrating - is there a way of making comments editable in the app? I'm only able to edit a comment on the computer - it would be great to be able to correct missed typos if I'm out and about.
Will share this feedback! Right now you can delete a comment and comment again but you're right there's no way to edit a comment in the app currently.
Agreed! I'd love to be able to edit posts that way too. As it is, when I spot something, I've been able to open the mobile browser on my phone and edit there. That's fine, but the app would be a bit easier.
Oooooh, I hadn't thought of that! Thanks, Tonya!
The only way I've been able to correct things via the app has been to copy my original comment to the clipboard, delete the comment, and then paste it as a new comment and edit the error then. But that mucks things up with likes and comments-on-the-comment, if you see what I mean!
I'm going to do any editing via the browser instead - you're a star to point it out! Thank you!
My comment editing solution has been to edit before posting. I first compose in MSWord using its grammar and spell-check features and once I'm happy with that then I copy/paste into the comment "globe." It reducing embarrassing 'typos' that way but, of course, leaves comment content unchanged.
I do the same, editing in word, but I also have Grammarly connected and running, which helps, mainly if I’ve run things off too quickly. I also approach my email this way.
Good advice - thanks, Phil! I reckon I'm just a bit too hasty with the 'Enter' button....
Marketing. It's the one thing I can't wrap my head around regarding my writing. What can I do to attract more readers? I have to add value to my newsletter, but I'm not sure how.
Marketing is the worst! There are things to do, none of which are perfect. On social media, the only thing that has brought in ANY real traffic is Facebook. I maintain a public page for my site and put small boosts on the posts (with a very targeted audience) and that has definitely brought in some people. I resent having to be on Facebook, but it works. Twitter has brought in a few, not many. Instagram gets a million likes, but none of it turns into traffic to my actual site. The #1 best place for finding readers is on Substack. Comment on other writers' posts and show up for the office hours. That's been the best source of readers for me.
Thank you, Tonya. Great advice. I have a love/hate relationship with social media, which makes it difficult, and I always seem to quit when my social is gaining traction. I'm focusing on TikTok, but they need to make it easier to include links in your profile or posts.
Marketing IS the worst. And I say this with the confidence of someone with a Masters degree in Marketing and 20+ years of experience. ;-) The two most important things to do are: 1) know your audience. Who are they and what do they care about? Make sure your newsletter speaks to their issues AND where are they? Do they hang out on LInkedIn, Facebook Groups, SubReddits. Wherever they are - be there. 2) Be shameless. Send an email invitation to every single person on your personal contacts list -- ASK them to subscribe and share. Include a your substack link at the bottom of all of your emails, in all of your social profiles, and post, post, post. It's the hardest thing to do and I'm just getting used to being the "product" I'm trying to sell. Good luck!
Yes, marketing is a necessary evil. In my actual business, I work on branding and marketing for creative professionals, including independent writers (https://teamowens313gcc.com). We creatives MUST get over being shy about asking to be paid for our work ("starving artist syndrome"). I encourage readers to become paid subscribers with every single post. Plus, it usually takes between 5-7 "asks" before someone takes action. KEEP ASKING!
Great advice. I forget that shame doesn't pair well with marketing, and no one will hold it against you for adding a link or asking for a favor.
I am a business coach for branding and marketing for creative and solo professionals and what I tell my clients is: "If you build it, they will come" is NOT a marketing strategy! Learning how to market yourself is a learning experience and an ongoing process.
I am already active on most social media outlets because of my business (https://teamowens313gcc.com), so as soon as a post is published, I put it on all of my social media accounts.
I am still on Twitter for the time being, and I receive several views every day and I've gotten several free and paid subscribers.
The same for LinkedIn and the new Twitter alternative, POST.news.
I get the most engagement and new subscribers (free and paid) from Facebook!
Also, I've gotten traction and subscribers from LinkedIn and Instagram.
And almost every day I receive views from Substack itself, as well as many free and several paid subscribers.
Another great new Substack feature is "Media Assets." The graphic appears as soon as your publish and it looks great for promoting your article.
If you are looking to create more graphics or twitter threads from your article, try out newslettertosocials.com ! It's like media assets but on steroids
Thanks for the idea. I'll keep it in mind, but since I publish every day (in addition to my actual business), I really don't have time to do more graphics. That's why I appreciate the Media Assets feature.
I try my best and have a core audience showing up, but that core is about fifty people. Breaking out of that has been hard for me. Finding fans of genre fiction (horror, vampires, etc.) shouldn't be this hard. I feel like its a popular topic right now - but that means more people competing for the same eyes.
Hi Martin. Spend a bit of time perusing Deplatformable Newsletter's Marketing Section at https://pau1.substack.com/s/getting-deeper-into-marketing/archive?sort=top
(excuse the blatant, self serving link - but I think Martin will find free value and answers to his marketing questions).
Thank you, I will. I can always learn new techniques.
I’d say focus on writing that really matters to you. Have patience as it takes time to build up a body of work that gets people interested. Can take a year or more to get that ball rolling.
Patience. Yes! I definitely could use a heaping spoonful of that. ADHD makes that harder, but I have found ways to focus my concentration throughout the years.
Hey, Martin.......I've had good luck with business cards....yep, good ole paper! A photo and brief description (and web address) of my 'Stack on the front, and QR code & more info on the back! I did mine on VistaPrint online, and just tack 2 of them up (one showing front, the other showing the back with QR code, so phones can just wander by and snap) on Panera and Starbucks bulletin boards!
It helps to have a picture of yourself with a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame band on your card like I have on mine (me backstage in '77 with The Ramones), but you do you! Your 'Stack looks like it'd have endless opportunities for gripping and attractive photos/artwork for a card! Good luck!
Great advice.
I almost went into CBGB's just before it shut down, but then chickened out because I thought I wasn't cool enough - missing my chance to rub elbows with any famous punks that might be inside.
Hmmmm.....my notes say CB's closed in '06 with a Patti Smith show (she joins us in writing on this here 'Stack, as I'm sure you know). My notes also say that you exhibit an inordinate amount of cool-enough-ness, Martin, and not only just because you and I share the unique nom-de-write of having TWO first names!
Feel free to join us behind the velvet rope line, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, if only to peruse the ballooning largesse of legacy posts that have amassed! Keep me posted on the biz card endeavor, if you take that route!
Please could we have a live character counter attached to the subject field when drafting a post? It would save precious clicks even if I ignore what it says and go with an over-long subject line anyway 🙄
Hi everyone -- I've been a Stacker since February, but this is the first time I've been able to make office hours. That day-job thing, right? I write short, observational essays of universal relevance drawn from experiences in my daily life, and I usually try to find a way to highlight something good, even in the midst of a funky situation.
My QUESTION relates to cross-posts and recommendations. I've had a few people (two I know personally, one I don't) recommend my page, but I'm feeling confused about what my response should be. Is the expectation that recommendations are quid pro quo, like they are with Instagram stories? Do we risk irritating our readers with information that isn't what they signed on to receive? I want to understand the full cycle of how this works, and I'm afraid I'm a bit slow on the uptake. Thanks!
There’s a setting where you can choose whether your recommendations get emailed to subscribers or just appear on your home page, if I remember correctly. I don’t email mine, since I would be annoyed if the ones I subscribe to did. As for reciprocity, I recommend quite a few newsletters that haven’t recommended mine in return, so I don’t think you have to, though I’m sure writers who recommend yours hope you will.
Oh I didn't know about that setting. My recommendations got emailed without me knowing that was gonna happen and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I would rather be in control of when I recommend other newsletters via email. So thanks for the heads up. Am going to try to find that in settings now.
Thanks, Wendi. I'll look for that. I can definitely see value in cross-posting if something another Substacker writes relates to one of my weekly posts. But, I have to admit that doing so out of context - just a random recommendation (or cross-post) doesn't do much for me.
Agreed.
I didn't realize you could do that, must have missed it. Thank you for letting me know.
Oh! I didn't know about this. Thank you!
I'm working on a beginner's guide to SEO & Substack -- are there any questions about SEO or issues with tools that people have questions about and would want answered in a guide?
Oooo very exciting! Adam - do you work in SEO?
Yes! SEO writer for many years, and now currently oversee a digital property that includes a website that recieves 1 million+ hits per month, primarily from search. I'm not the most brilliant SEO expert in the world, but I know enough + know how to prioritize when you're a small (one-person) team who just wants to do a bit better in search!
All the questions 😂 I'm looking forward to it!
Hi all, first time joining here, seems like a great community and useful advice! :)
I have a question about these Discussion Threads, both for this chat and how I use them with my subscribers.
Is there a way to organise Threads/Chats to expand/collapse levels, so you can separate original posts from replies?
For example: I joined this chat 20 mins after it started, there are already almost 400 comments. I'd like to be able to view just the top-level original "posts" without the "replies/comments" that are threaded below them. That way, I could skim through the main topics, then decide which one(s) I'm interested in joining by expanding them. Right now it's a lot of scrolling. Am I missing something?
Thank you!!
Kim
I'm not sure that there is. These threads do get a bit overwhelming
Glad to hear from some pros here that this feature would be useful! :)
While we're on the topic-- would also be great to be able to see just posts/replies from the thread authors-- those hosting the Office Hours. Thanks!
That's a great idea! If you don't come in at the very beginning (right when they post the office hours) it can be a lot to wade through.
does choosing Oldest from the New First / Top First / Oldest help at all?
Hi Jo! That works to catch up on the full chat in chronological order, but I still see every single post at every level if I do this. For example, I scroll through several screens of replies to the first post before I come to the 2nd post. I'd like to be able to see just Post 1, then immediately Post 2, with an option to expand to see replies on posts of interest. Does that make sense?
i see what you mean, Kimberly, yes.
OK thanks, glad I'm not missing something obvious :)
A Happy Holidays to all of us Substackers! And a HUGE thanks to the Substack crew for continuously adding new features!
Since hubby and I publish five articles, two separate podcasts, and a Sunday summary every week, the "duplicate" feature has been a godsend for me!
I write everything in my Ulysses app first (Mac/iOS only), and now with the duplicate feature, I just delete sections from the previous post and copy/paste the copy from Ulysses.
Saves me so much time since I now have a "template" for our posts.
Wow, you're prolific. Is this your main job?
Ha ha. No, I have a full online training and business coaching business too! Both hubby and I are published authors and we just love Substack--it's different from what we do with his job and my business (https://teamowens313gcc.com).
Really glad to see the duplicate posts to drafts tool! That'll be a big time-saver!
But what is it?
I am retired and write as a hobby. I published a free newsletter on substack.com. I share original poems. I have about 20 subscriptions. I have been very honest and open with my issues on some posts. In other posts on the newsletter titled “Legends of My Own Mind,” I have offered my political opinion. I have written about Positive Relationships as well as the music of three generations of my family. I write about spirituality which is a favorite topic of mine. Every edition has a relevant original poem. Please advise me on how to grow my subscriptions,
I just subscribed to your newsletter. It sounds interesting. I recommend staying active on here. It is a great way to find other writers and subscribers. I am also retired and write a travel newsletter-https://gallivanter2020s.substack.com/ and non-fiction book summaries/essays called Brain Food (sharoncortelyou.substack.com)
Thanks for subscribing. My health prevents traveling but I am interested in reading your book essays.
Has anyone been playing with making "custom buttons?" I'm in the process of launching my Substack about politics and culture, and I got in the habit of including a "song of the day" that peripherally relates to what I'm writing about...anyone else experimenting with buttons?
For sure! I use custom buttons quite often to draw people attention to Calls to Action that aren't necessarily "subscribe". But now that I think about it, it might be worth exploring different phrases for "subscribe" to see if the convert better - which is where the custom button would come into play.
Good idea!
Yes! I've used custom buttons a few times. They seem to function really well. You just put in the text you want on the button, then put the link where you want it to go. The only thing that's a bit annoying is that you can't save them. You have to re-make them each time. But I'm hoping the new "duplicate drafts" feature will help me with that!
Paul Makko is authoritative here: https://pau1.substack.com/p/stackhacks-customize-call-to-action
Thanks--that's just what I was looking for!
I customize to beg/plead for shares...I have no shame
I really like how Refactoring uses and creates custom buttons - check it out, might give you some ideas! https://refactoring.fm/
I am so excited about being able to duplicate posts and the ease of guest posting. I just have to figure out how to easily do the guest posting in a way that maintains the integrity of my blog and helps me and another writer.
sarahstyf.substack.com - I'm probably just going to focus on travel writing for guest posts for now.
https://www.juke.press/ was kind enough to include me as a guest writer. It was so fun to work with another writer/editor and I love the way Tonya manages her page. I've thought of adding other local writers to my post as well. My concern is always balancing the search for more readers without asking too much of my small but loyal readership. Here's my guest post https://www.juke.press/p/thursday-night-football?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web.
I write https://jodiemeynwrites.substack.com/
Substack team, I wanted to ask about linking to an unpublished post. I'd like to prep my social media posts for a Substack post that will come out in the future. But when I tried this last using the link provided in the "Post URL" under "Settings", it just linked back to my main page. Disaster! I last tried this some months ago and I've been afraid to try it again. Is there a way to do this so that I can get a link that will reliably start working once I publish?
Hi everyone! I'm Mariah and I write Heartbeats, a weekly letter to soothe the Sunday scaries full of self-reflection prompts and inspiration to spark creativity. I'm wondering about the new guest post feature and ideas you might have for topics or themes to invite other writers to contribute?
In January, I'm planning to launch a "featured artist" interview once a month to highlight an up and coming artist (I believe everyone's an artist!) and give some behind-the-scenes perspective on craft and works in progress. If you might be interested, please send me a message. I'd love to connect!
Lastly, what tips do you have for fostering a true sense of community and reciprocity with your readers? I really want my writing to be a conversation starter, not a monologue. Thanks for your help, so happy I found Substack!
Hey! I love the 'everyone is an artist' bit. For most of my life I thought I wasn't creative. I then got spontaneously inspired to do a drawing course and now I draw cartoons as part of my Substack! I wrote most of the last 2 posts in cartoon form and it was so much fun, and so well received. I now know that truth of 'everyone is an artist' - because I never thought I would be, but now I am.
❤️❤️🔥
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