Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help! Drop your questions in the discussion 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 10a.m.–11a.m. PST / 1p.m.–2p.m. EST. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
Some product updates and reminders from the Substack team:
Private Substacks: Our new-and-improved private publications enable curious readers to request a subscription and the writer can choose to approve or decline each subscription request. Private Substacks are great for keeping in touch with friends, building communities of interest, and testing the waters for a new publication.
Audience insights: In your dashboard, a new tab in Stats shows writers where subscribers are located around the world. The new insights also display audience overlap with other publications.
The Active Voice: This week’s episode of The Active Voice features
We're excited to see all the places your subscribers are around the world on the new audience insights map! Thanks for joining us at Office Hours today. The Substack team is signing off but we will be back next week at the same time and place.
10% of my readers are in California--which is *very* different from my rural space here in Mississippi. :) I also found it interesting that I had a subscriber in Morocco. It's cool to visualize your words reaching people across the globe!
I think most of mine are in the US but some read my newsletter in groups which I like as it shows real engagement. Gotta get on those analysis. Sorry Livio not up on my flags 😔
One the greatest comments was from a subscriber who said 'couldn't stop praying" after reading 'Protector No More' I sure which country subscriber is writing from
I loved seeing where readers are coming from and where they live. It honestly hadn't even occurred to me that someone in India or Australia might be reading words I wrote in California! It makes the world feel smaller and more connected and I love that.
I'm someone from Australia reading your words right now! And I love the name of your publication! I really need to stop subscribing to so many publications, but you got me with the name!
Aaawwww thank you Medha!! For what it's worth- I tend to buy wine based on the label and subscribe to Substacks based on names, so....the feeling is mutual. 😆 P.S. I love your illustrations and I'm very happy to cozy up in the charm and compassion you're creating in your space.
I like the ability to see what other Substacks people subscribe to. Great opportunity for cross-promotion, partnerships, and building overlapping communities.
Bailey, you appear to be s Substack employee, can you help me get assistance with a serious problem I first encountered posting on Monday. Can you confirm that there is nothing technically wrong with my account? thanks
That 58% of my audience is in the US and only 8% from Australia (where I live) I was catering my publishing time to an Aussie audience. May have to tinker with that.
Haven't had a chance to look yet, but very much appreciate this new addition!
The other new addition I would love would be integration with The Sample, which many of us use to get new subscribers. Currently we get an email notification from The Sample, then have to export their CSV file, then import it here. It would be so nice to have those new subscribers automatically added!
Also, any chance that sometime in the future new subscribers might be required to give their first name along with their email? I would love to know the names of my subscribers, and it would be even more awesome for the email header to have a field that would automatically populate with that subscriber's name.
The results for both of my newsletters are surprising. Constant Commoner goes to 36 states and 17 countries, while Writer Everlasting goes to 41 states and 32 countries.
Unless your two newsletters are radically different, I wouldn't recommend it. I much prefer having one newsletter broken up into sections, and I'm trying to figure out if I should go back to doing that. Having two of them is cumbersome and not always best. I often cross-post to both of them with the same piece, and I feel like I have to apologize to those readers who subscribe to both.
I'm loving the audience insights as well. That's always been one of the most satisfying aspect of any analytics dashboard. It's so good to see a global audience, and get out of US-specific bubbles.
I have one specific substack question: Can you clarify the permissions that comped subscribers get?
I know they can see paid posts and emails in full. But can they comment if commenting is restricted to paid subscribers? Can they participate in chat if a thread is set to paid subscribers only?
Bailey, on another matter, why does Substack support take so long to respond? I've been waiting two weeks for a response. It spoils the experience to some extent
Thank you, this is a really helpful clarification. I wasn't sure if I should send new chat announcements only to paid subscribers, or to paid and comped subscribers.
Its awesome that I've got a whooping 48% of Kenyan readership (I'm Kenyan)! It's also really amazing that I'm read in 8 states in the US, NY right at the top, and 11 other countries including Spain. My audience overlap is even more exciting. This is a great incentive, thank you Substack.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here's a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you:
Someone here once asked the insightful question about whether we should spend time finding our "niche" as a writer, and I wanted to share something I learned early on in this Substack journey. I read a great article that stated this truth: when you post a newsletter, YOU are the niche! After a while, it's doesn't matter so much WHAT you write, as long as you're writing something you feel passionate about. Your true audience, the ones you want to attract, will stick with you no matter what your topic is, because they like your style, your viewpoint, and your unique voice. Niche down if you like, there's nothing wrong with narrowing your focus, but make no mistake: the most important part is that you keep showing up consistently, writing the thing you feel you should write in the moment. Don't chase audience, build community! Your real community will follow you; they won't want to miss a thing! Keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
I'm one month into publishing my first substack post and I've been writing every week for the last month. Recommendations from other publications have been also helpful in beautiful ways.
I'm onto 40 subscribers one month in, and I am pretty proud of that. Don't compare with others, just focus on your own growth.
I have also gained more confidence in telling my circle of friends and colleagues about it now that I have more to show on my page.
Congrats! I'm writing 3 different pieces of fiction at the same time. At 3 episodes released per week, it's taken me a while to get enough content published—and start getting the word out.
40 in your first month is a great accomplishment. Keep pushing and finding new ways to reach out. Don't forget your fellow writers here. Read their articles, comment, build relationships.
That's impressive. How did you manage to get those recommendations? I write about textile art and design, so maybe I'm a really tiny niche here on substack.
I know that sounds easy, but it's the only formula for eventual success. Not a guarantee, but the only way. It takes about a decade and a dozen *good* books to become an "overnight success."
1. Find pockets of time and crunch out as much work as you can. Create space before bed (even if it annoys your wife that you have your laptop in bed). Get up earlier (I'm up at 4:04 every morning to do something before the kids wake up and hijinks ensue). Break this into pieces you can schedule to drip-publish over time.
2. Set aside one big chunk of time each week (or every couple of weeks if you must) and revise your work for drip-publishing. Go somewhere you don't know anyone and won't get distracted (too easily).
3. Schedule as far ahead as you can and NEVER get close to your last scheduled publish date. Your deadline for a new post should be three or four weeks out.
4. Have some short "fluffy" posts in drafts that you can publish in a pinch to maintain audience engagement. Use very sparingly. BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
5. Be forgiving of yourself until you build the habit/muscle. If you screw up, own it, take a breath, and get back to work. Eventually, you will be a producing machine.
If you want to be a [art form], [art form as verb].
I don't have a problem being a producing machine. In fact a couple of days ago I was asked by an agency to prove I'd written the number of articles I'd claimed to have written. Easy done, because I keep a spreadsheet. But I still find it hard to block uninterrupted time in order to write and schedule posts, partly because of interruptions like that agency
Nobody can reach you if you've turned off the WiFi and phone. 😜
If you have commitments that require you to be reachable 24/7 (leader of a country, Navy SEAL, circus clown), then you probably won't be a very high-producing author.
But if your day job is anything else, you can definitely turn everything off for an hour (or ten minutes!) and walk to the park or coffee shop, put some headphones on (I love listening to LoFi) and get busy writing.
Yes, I actually leave my house to focus. Otherwise, I see all that needs doing. I have 3 main coffee shops I go to in order to work. The dim hum of all the people, plus others also hunker down with their laptops creates a nice communal space without personal distractions.
Thanks, Birgitte. It's simply because (a) I love spreadsheets and (b) I am always beating myself up for having wasted the day and not written enough. I find that looking on the spreadsheet makes me realise I'm talking tosh. I forgot to include Substack articles though, but last year (nov 21 to nov 22) I wrote 575 articles, which someone told me was a lot.
I've always worked better by keeping several drafts in place to percolate in the back of my mind until my brain says, "NOW!!!!"
I use OneNote pages and when I have a concept, I just start capturing notes, links, ideas, rough thoughts, whatever comes into my mind when I first conceive it. Then I move on to more mature drafts and work those. Meanwhile, all those "drafts" are crawling around in the back of my mind until they mature enough to write about.
Makes the writing easy and I find my second round is way more mature for having spent time thinking on it in the background. Right now, I have about 14 very rough drafts percolating.
I batched a lot of work over Christmas break, but since I'm working on moving things over from my Wordpress, I'm considering just doing reblogs of those old blogs for March and April so I can keep up momentum when the semester gets crazy!
That's what I do, usually with an explanation about where it came from and when. I wouldn't have a clue about moving them by batches, and some of them wouldn't fit, anyway.
I'm choosing the ones I like best, revising them in some instances, and I'm happy that it seems to be working.
I was thinking of moving articles over from other blogs, but the technical support by Substack is so slow in responding, most of the time, that it's not a feasible option in my opinion.
I started with Wordpress.com and I'm leaving that one alone because it's free. I moved the Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org and had about 1.5 years of solid writing on there that wasn't also on my Wordpress.com site. It's that 18 months of writing that I've either manually moved over (I didn't want to keep all of them because some of the pieces were nothing worth keeping) or reblogged as new content so I could get totally fresh eyes on the material. My Siteground is set to renew in May and I really don't want to pay for another year of hosting if I can help it ;-)
I faced a similar issue, but decided in the end to pay for another year because of Substack's lack of responsiveness. It's a shame because I like most other things about Substack, but I'm not happy to put all my eggs in the Substack basket before they get more support people.
I’ve kept my free WordPress (I do pay for hosting) for many years. When I began on Substack, I moved my articles and posts to Substack. I publish new articles first on Substack, then from my WordPress site, and also on Medium, which I have been doing for several years. It probably is redundant but probably more from the force of habit. Also, my WordPress site has a helpful plugin that I pay for that easily post a small bit about my article on several social media – Blog-2 Social.
I'm also in the batching mode...and considering editing and reposting to cover me during an extended 2-month holiday... I think reposting is a good idea - it helps highlight to new subscribers what's already been covered and lives in the archives...
I've moved over most of WordPress posts over here, but now I regretted not reposting them anew since I found very few people actually go back and read what I moved over.
Well, you can always (a) repost and update them here; (b) write a new post referring readers back to your older post; (c) write 'On this day' posts to say what you were writing about on, say 19th January 2019, with a link back to the older post
When I want to use content from an old post, I explore the topic afresh but use some old content, which I will reframe and re-edit. If I gather old posts to do a book with them, I end up rewriting and editing most of the content from my now older and wiser eye, or at least I hope. It is all part of the creative process, making writing fun and challenging for me.
I've dedicated myself to weekly travel posts, so those are the ones I'm reposting as fresh content. The other stuff I just want in my archives. And I'm making new pins for Pinterest as I go with them and updating links when I change the address.
The slog mostly has to do with my reading the pieces and deciding if I really want to bring them over. :) Of course, I could probably look at some posts I've written here and cringe at those, too!
For me? Yes. I know it isn't that way for everyone, but I only have 220 subscribers and I get WAY more interaction than I ever did on WordPress. I know that there needs to be better Google SEO but mine is improving. I set up redirects from my WordPress.org site to every pieces I've reprinted here and have updated my Pinterest pins as I go as well. It's been slow, but I have until the end of May before I have to make a Siteground decision. I'm hoping that my book generates the traffic that will help me speed up that decision ;-)
Absolutely! Make a thought real by writing it down. Once you do, your subbrain starts processing the idea in the background and, when the time is right, you will feel like you've had a sudden inspiration and the words will pour out. I work like this all the time.
Misread "Make a thought real ..." at first, thought, oh cool. How do I make a "thought reel"? Pictured sketches on a drawing pad, flipping to make moving cartoons. Too labor intensive. Now I set aside an idea for an app to percolate for later.
Cool, I like "Thought Reel". All kinds of ways to run with that. Imagine an app that gathers your thoughts on a specific topic in a sequential manner, then takes those and weaves them into a cohesive description, story, outline, etc..
Incorporating an AI (like Chat GPT) would be extremely hot. ---> Remember me when you're rich!
I enjoyed your sage comments on Writer Office Hours today. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
I usually keep notes on my phone, too, but I have hardly had a spare moment to even think! I definitely am going to schedule more down time in my day for just processing thoughts and reading so ideas will spark.
That's brilliant Jo. It means that you can just pick one of those ideas at random and run with it when or if you ever experience writers' block. And you actually count the notes? Wow!
And three cheers for you! It's been a very long time since I had littles at home, but I remember how difficult those days were in finding time for myself. Keep capturing those snippets. Keep writing your words. The world needs your perspective!
this has somehow become one of my favourite ways to collect my thoughts, it's very in the moment writing and when i go back and consolidate all my little notes i feel like i have more clarity over what i've been trying to say—especially if it's over the course of a couple days, my thoughts get more refined as i go on?
I always tell myself that when life's too busy to give me the time to write it's just because I'm spending time doing the stuff that I can then be writing about! It's a win/win! Makes me feel a tonne better!
I have about five articles written, so far all in my head. It's quite hard to get far enough ahead to take your foot off the accelerator because at the end of the day we still have to work, do shopping etc.
My brain is similar. I don't have the full articles "written," per se, but I have dozens and dozens of ideas. I'm working on making space to write one article per week, which has been a challenge thus far, but I know it's doable.
Part of the struggle is just giving myself permission to do creative work that isn't monetized yet,. But I know that writing is part of who I am, and I believe that sharing stories is important. Writing is also such a great way to explore the ideas we have in our heads, flesh them out, and give voice to them. It's an excuse to nerd out about what we love and relive experiences we cherish.
And then we get to share that with others, which is a joy I need to keep in mind as I work. :)
I keep reading Scientific American to see if they've found a way of plugging a printer directly into someone's brain. Would save a lot of time and trouble!
Being so many years in my professional field and life, my mind is constantly processing and working on themes and content for new articles. However, my favorite way of doing things is recording some ideas down, but mostly letting it all ferments enough to the moment when I have the time and inspiration to launch the new article. An essential part of my process is to move out my head into mindfulness, meditation, and active movement exercise; I love swimming and, of course, flavor in a little social activity. Making this part of my life grounds me to my soul.
I attended a writing workshop just a week ago and the writer told us that we just have to decide to make time for writing every single day, because if we wait to find the time, nowadays, we probably never will.
After years of complaining about not having enough time, I received the best advice I ever heard. You can't "find" time, you must "make" time. In my case, I was advised to "Treat yourself like a client. Schedule time on your calendar for YOUR writing, and be diligent about keeping those appointments." It has actually worked.
Yes! I am a consultant and live by my calendar. If I don't block out the time, I end up doing random things and running down rabbit holes. I spent 3 hours the other day digging down into AI image generation. Interesting, but wasn't productive.
Yeah--I do that, but I also have that pesky day job that pays the bills *and* we own an event venue that has been booming this month. While I don't always follow the money, sometimes I gotta! :)
Excellent protocol. Exactly how I have always approached writing. The first version of anything that jumps out of my head onto the keyboard is always a draft. I have a good editor, ME. Thanks
That is always good advice, at least for career writers. I learned a tremendous amount from the first book I wrote and published, and I can imagine how proficient, wiser, and improved I will be by the time I get to my 10th book. However, some writers hit it right out of the gate with their 1st or 2nd book. Perhaps more of their work will be in other writing or teaching career pursuits.
Did you know your first name is the last name of one of my coolest characters? Nicolaus Rand is one of the main characters in "Vodou Princess" (on Amazon).
I love love love this (and all your other words of encouragement). It's hard not to get sucked into the game of numbers, but at the end of the day, I want to show up consistently and produce writing that I love. I want that for each and every one of the writers I follow, as well. Love this. Thank YOU for showing up so beautifully every week, S.E. :)
I like your take on not getting caught up in the number's game. I read this morning that one email subscriber is worth 25 to 50 instagram follows. Not sure how they can prove that, but it goes with the saying that your (Email) list is one of your most important assets.
But at the end of the day, if your subscribers are opening your emails, and liking and commenting on your posts, then how great is that!
But I guess that an email subscriber has to open up your email, figure out if they want to read it, then move it to somewhere on their computer. An insta follower just has to look at an occasional square pic every once in a while. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes, subscribing to a list takes more commitment, in theory. Importtantly, it means you know who's reading your stuff, and you can take your readers with you elsewhere, subject to data protection considerations of course
Yes! I've not been watching numbers this month, and still the subscriber count climbs. I'm trying to just focus on doing the work and letting things fall into place.
Holly, I’ve always appreciated (and admittedly felt a little wee bit jealous of) how you start your newsletters with shoutouts to the new subscribers. You seem to know their names, which doesn’t come across anywhere that I can see when I get new subscribers. I do ask new subscribers to let me know how they found me and introduce themselves but no one ever has. How do you get their names?
You can export your subscriber list. Names are optional fields, but most people include at least a first name. If there's no first name, I just use part of their email nickname for the shoutout. My writing is so personal, and I want my readers to feel like they are pulling up a chair to the table at a coffee shop for a chat--that's how I feel when I'm sharing.
Oh boy, I would be out of there in a nanosecond if someone did that to me. It's a matter of permission and privacy.
I listen to my local NPR station every day while cooking dinner, but I will never donate during their pledge drive because they like to thank on the air whoever has just given by their first name and town. Listening, I once heard that my next door neighbor had just donated: "Thanks to Allison in Goshen." My town is small enough (960 people) that I'm fairly sure she is the only woman in my town named Allison.
Obviously if you're attracting people who want to belong to a warm and personal club, this technique might work very well for you. But it would creep me out.
I think the difference here, Marcia, is that 1) I don't name paid subscribers at all, and 2) I only give a first name and last initial and if the name is very unique, just initials. I'm an IT security analyst by trade, so I live and breathe privacy and protection for my readers. The world is large. I'm sure no one is going to guess who "Brandy R." or "Megan" are from my shout-outs.
Holly, I agree. Considering the little automatic thrill people get from hearing their name, the potential benefits outweigh the costs. And I say that as an intensely private person who relates to Marcia. Only in my case, I won't donate to causes I believe in because I don't want to be hounded by them for cash.
Actually the world is very small sometimes. There is a marketing expert (BB) who once referred to me in his newsletter as "MY" (my initials), and in that context I am certain that at least a third of his subscribers knew he was referring to me. In another instance, he referred to someone else by their initials and I knew who he meant. Indeed, I would not be surprised if someone else reading this thread on Substack would know who "BB" is.
Great advice. Yes, we ARE the niche! The thing I like best about my Substack newsletters is the feeling that I'm talking to friends. I've invited them and they've accepted the invitation. That gives a whole new feeling to the way I write--a more personal feeling--and since I've started here my writing has gotten more personal.
I'm still a bit uncomfortable with it, but the comments are reflecting the kind of community I envisioned when I started both of my newsletters.
Yes! Sondheim said, "Let it come from you, then it will be new." I have this written at my work station. My newsletter is called You Are Here, because wherever I go, there I am. But I do find that I'm trying to explore ideas all about being me, and just hoping they resonate with others. From the specific to the general, right?
And I love that I don't feel the pressure to have a narrow niche. I'm not a niche. My writing doesn't fit into a niche. And my Substack has given me freedom to create in ways that I didn't feel like WordPress did.
Thank you for sharing this! This is a very timely reminder as I'm thinking about "shaking things up" in my newsletter. One of the things I'm giving myself permission to do is explore, experiement, and have fun! I have a small readership so far and am in the early stages so I feel like now is the time to set the intention for play and flexability with my readers now!
Definitively take advantage of the times when you feel less pressure. But you don't ever have to really give this up. One trick I use is to send a second newsletter to my top subscribers. (go to your subscribers panel, and sort them by activity, go to 5 star, then select them all, then click "send email.)
I've found this is a fun little way to put out extra content for very dedicated fans, without feeling the pressure and formality of the main newsletter.
That's a great little nugget of encouragement. I was literally asking just a few weeks ago on here how people grew their audiences when they weren't in a specific niche like politics / science / humour etc!
Love this and been thinking about this a lot- how to make all my ideas and pursuits feel cohesive. But you're right- I am the thruline, the connective tissue. Everything we do shines through our unique lens. 🧐
Too true. You voice = your niche. Your unique way of seeing the world = your biggest asset as a writer. I'm coming to realize the value of this. We all have a slightly different way of processing our experiences, and that gives us the ability to make connections that no one else can make...and it gives us stories that no one else can tell. Together, that creates a beautiful tapestry of collective insights, knowledge, and history.
In many ways, writing reveals more about us and about humanity in general.
Love this and thank you. I started UnCorked with that exact thought in mind. There is just too much to write about . . . In fact my Welcome Page Description is "Retired and writing to tell about it. No Niche. Just everything I know, plus some stuff that just ain't so (just for the fun of it) . . . "
Interesting ... I do that with my Medium articles, but have stuck with one niche (mental health very broadly defined; all of my newsletter articles relate to it somehow) here. Maybe I'll experiment and see what happens.
I totally agree that building a community is what matters, along with not giving up. No matter how few subscribers you have, you never know who might find your words on the web and be helped by them. I also get frustrated sometimes when I don't get many likes, comments, or shares or have a low open rate but then I remind myself that I don't always open, much less or comment on every article I read, either.
I always try to decide what hashtags to use with my articles or niche categories, especially on Medium, but I usually default to Mental Health and related categories. When I write something more esoteric, it becomes more of a challenge.
yes, Wendy, i also think about who we could be helping with every post i make. That's motivation enough to keep going. If i've helped just one person in a positive way, i feel fulfilled.
I'm glad you mentioned this. I see so much talk about "niching down". And "you must find your niche to build an audience," yada yada. I now hate the word "niche".
All you need to do is concentrate on what works for you and what you're best at writing.
Niches are good, I built up a list relatively quickly, but as someone else said here, ultimately you become the niche. For example, I have zero interest in sports, but there were two or three sports writers who wrote so well that I read their articles all the time. Same with some essayists. I don't care what they are writing about, I just love their writing (eg David Foster Wallace)
You’re making me blush. Between working and getting sucked into LinkedIn, my first social media account, I’ve been a bit behind. I've written several false starts, which still sit in the Substack drafts. Most of my creative energy has gone into writing posts on LinkedIn. I am nearly certain I am deleting that account once I publish this comment. Then in the morning, I will write an article about my first experience with social media and discuss how many brain cells I have remaining. It might be a rant. I'll try to make it more informative than complaining.
I appreciate this and have landed in this approach almost accidentally, simply because I wasn't able or willing to narrow my subject matter to that degree. What I promise readers is that the pieces will be short (most are under 1K words) and optimistic. This gives me the latitude I want while still fulfilling a thematic commitment. That said, I do still occasionally get caught up in the numbers, or lack thereof, and wish I could find more opportunities to cross promote my page. That's where the lack of a narrow focus sometimes creates a challenge.
Elizabeth I love your logo and publication name. I actually love drawing chickens and often take my sketch book to the agricultural fairs to sketch them.
First, thank you. Second, fair warning: If we open up the chicken conversation, it's going to be a bit like letting the genie out of the bottle. :D Former farmer, chicken owner, and forever chicken-lover here! https://elizabethbeggins.substack.com/p/no-trouble
I started just a few months ago but the feedback has been amazing. I guess it is a bit niche, but not always. Sometimes the tone can change depending on how I’m feeling, but the general feeling and meaning is the same. Loving substack ❤️
This is a really great topic---and thank you SE as always! As the writer of a very-niche newsletter it's frustrating sometimes and it's tempting to be a little less niche-specific (like less about the whole alcoholism thing) in the hopes of getting bigger---but I know that's exactly the wrong answer. It's just very tempting. One thing that would be really helpful is if "addiction and recovery" had their own tag? Also, curating the search results--If you search "addiction" you get a newsletter called "addition?" that's about AI insights...
I love this! My father is my most avid reader. He also likes to point out any inaccuracies where my recollections might be incorrect. Your family is usually the best critic so I see this as a positive for us.
Hi everyone! I haven’t been able to participate much in office hours this year, so wanted to wish everyone here a productive 2023! May all of your writing goals come to fruition.
Thanks got involved in replying to writers didn't get chance address some questions. One is the 'start a substack'? is that different from creating a newsletter? Help did not answer this query. Help not very helpful I find
Hi everyone, coming to you from bright and sunny Austin today! I wanted to share a small story that encouraged me a lot. I took myself on an "artist date" which meant I gave myself permission to just wander for a few hours without an agenda (on foot!).
In my meanderings, I came across a young-ish man (30's) dressed in an old-fashioned suit, sitting at a small table with a typewriter. He called out to me to pick a poem for him to write. It could be about anything and I could pay what I like. I almost walked by but something told me to stop. I gave him a subject (crows) and he started typing away. A few minutes later he gave me a small poem that really filled my heart with delight!
After speaking with him for a few more minutes, I learned that this was his full-time job. Writing small poems for passerby. "It pays my rent and fills my car with gas," he insisted. Making a living this way is not something I would've imagined possible. But HE imagined it. And so it became possible.
What are you imagining is possible for you? Believe it and it will become. I'd love to hear your dreams/stories/goals below!
What a wonderful encounter! I often take walks in my community, stopping to talk to all sorts of people. It's amazing all the stories you hear. People are simply interesting!
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Oh how beautiful! What a remarkable person - I'm in awe that he makes his living that way. But what I especially love is how it all started by taking yourself on an "artist date" - what a great concept! The best ideas always come while wandering.
My dream is to write fiction full time, but for now I'm just grateful to have it as a hobby :)
Thank you! I've taken the artist date idea from Julia Cameron of course, and it's so hard to make myself take the time for but the rewards are truly exponential!
I second that! A cabin-style/Target shopping center that's quiet and lovely and you have to walk to it instead of drive? And there's lots of woodland creatures around? But you can still get your caffeine fix? Since we're dreaming!!
I'm with you on writing for a living! My dad would be with you on both. I'm more of a "live somewhere close to everything but not in the middle of everything" person. Which means access to the woods, of course.
Oddly, I didn't learn until recently that my dad would be happy to write for a living. I wish he'd get on Substack—he's a stellar writer.
THAT is the nature of innovation and entrepreneurialism. You have to be willing to listen to your imagination and DO something about it. To many people put the things of their imagination in the "To Hard" box long before they ever even explore it. Don't ignore your mind!
That’s extraordinary. I met someone in New Orleans who did that some years ago and still have the poem on my desk. It was about dreams being a separate reality.
I imagine expanding an existing world I created to span hundreds of years over a couple books. We’ll see.
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Hats off to you, Mariah, for going on your Artist Date. I've been planning to get back to those for weeks now and haven't managed to do a single one in over 3 months. Delightful what happens on those, isn't it?
I'm imagining reaching half a million subscribers and helping them get their creative MoJo back while continuing to release my music and publishing my experimental writing.
May you live your best and wildest dreams this year!
Thank you for sharing your dream, Jo! I have very similar dreams. I wonder if there's a collab in the future ;) ? One good excuse I give myself for being better at going on Artist Dates is that I know from experience I have to fill my own well before I can give to others. Since my goal is to help foster a thriving community here on Substack, I have to make sure my creative well is deep!
That is so true, Mariah. I remember Julia saying that, actually, about filling our well. A possible collab? Sounds exciting! We both write about creativity, makes sense! Have subscribed to Heartbeats as it really spoke to me. Lovely to meet you 😊
Thank you so much, Jo! Welcome. I haven't done any collabs yet but it's something I definitely want to grow into. I'm open to any ideas you might have!
Me too! I just checked it and was surprised to discover two newsletters I’d never heard of have significant audience overlap with mine! I have some homework to do and may have just discovered some new reads :-)
The audience overlap is really going to be helpful. I love seeing who else my readers are reading, too. It's going to help me direct my focus, I think.
Yes! I didn't notice that one at first, but eventually spotted it being the slow person I am. As your audience becomes bigger and bigger, the larger sampling will become more and more important. Then you go to those crossover Substacks and start interacting with the author and his articles. Should be very effective.
Thank you to everyone who reached out after I posted about my Guest Writer Program last week.
(I'm republishing poignant work -- mostly first person stories -- in order to give them a bigger audience in my daily newsletter on Substack ... Understandably.com ... started with zero subscribers in 2019, now up to 170,000+!).
I've accepted 10 out of 52 pieces, paying $75 each. I won't take up space by repeating the whole announcement, but if you're interested to learn more or submit something, go here. Thanks!
(I think I've replied to everyone who submitted. If I missed you, feel free to let me know at bill@understandably.com and I will be suitably embarrassed!)
Already published is fine. In fact, I sort of prefer this bc it means I can see m/l what it's going to look like. Of course you must have rights to republish and it has to be new to my audience. Thanks!
I call that "Percolating". I usually have about 20-25 stories in very rough draft in my OneNote pages. When a concept occurs to me, I write it down, some basic notes, ideas, structure, whatever is in my head at the moment.
THEN I move on to other stories. At some point days, weeks, months later, my brain starts yelling, "Hey, you! I've got your story ready." Then I go back to that draft and the real story starts to pour out.
If I try to force it too early, it takes 5 times as long and is not as good. So I've learned to listen to my brain. When it is ready, it will let me know.
Thanks for reposting this invitation. I’ve missed the last few Office Hours and am remembering why I like hanging out here! Love how this community of writers supports one another.
Right now I'm looking for "first person stories about unique experiences that have broad lessons or themes." A poignant or positive ending helps. Examples at the link above. Thanks for your interest!
Appreciate the opportunity, Bill. I'll follow up. But, also, WOWZA! Congratulations on your wild success on this platform. Truly impressive and speaks to the quality of your work.
Here in Sofia (Bulgaria) there is a historical bath house, located on top of a natural hot water spring. In the past, when people didn't have running water at their homes they would go there for a bath. The building has four gates. The main one was for the rich. The two rear gates were for the poor. The back gate was dedicated for his majesty the Bulgarian Tsar. Despite they come from different walks of life, they would meet at the same pool. Substack office hours reminds me of this bath house. Writers with hundreds of paying subscribers would mingle in the discussion with complete beginners, together with the team. Even once I have spotted the CEO in the thread. Keep up the good job 👍
I hate to say it, but I gained the most readers and commenters on both of my newsletters after my husband died in March and I began to write about grief and widowhood. I was frankly astonished at the feedback. It was so heartwarming and exactly what I needed. My subscribers are the best!
I appreciate you and your sharing about your loss. A friend shared with me about the loss of her husband and her committed involvement with hospice. She wrote a blurb for my first published book. Her book, After Loss by Linda Donovan, was helpful to many. I dedicated my first book to another friend who lost her husband to COVID-19. In one of my articles, I talked about a cousin of my mother. I meant her in Isreal. She was a survivor of the concentration camps after losing most of her family and almost herself during the Holocaust. She was a poet and inspired me deeply. Grief and loss are the part of life that takes a long journey to heal but, hopefully, to a deeper connection and meaning to our maturing efforts as we progress in life.
Mine came when another writer shared what I was doing with his readers. Not an ad, or a cross-post; he just liked what I was doing and thought his audience might as well.
Nothing totally viral for me, but my readership did increase rapidly as I wrote my series on being a stem cell donor for my brother--in almost real time.
Mostly through discussions in Substack Writer Office Hours + comments on related Substack posts + links referencing the stories in my later newsletters.
It was nothing like I thought it would be (much more physically difficult than I imagined), but so rewarding! My brother will celebrate 6 months post-transplant next week and he is cancer free with a very high percentage of donor cells still thriving. I might be oldish, overweight, and a little crazy, but apparently my cells are badass!
Well done Holly. So good to see a transplant brought into the conversation. I am so proud of my heart donor - I wish I could thank them in person, but instead I write to inspire. The protagonist in my novel Writ Large, which I’m serialising here on conked.io is a heart transplant survivor.
I'm literally applauding your great survival from my corner of the world, Rand! And I'm applauding your heart donor for being an organ donor and giving you life! Every day that my brother gets a good report, I truly do marvel at the miracle of the life we can give each other. It's so humbling to know that I was lucky enough to be a 12/12 match for him and to do this for him.
Sounds like a very cool novel, written from an up-close perspective. I don't read much fiction these days, but I'm going to check it out.
Good question! It wasn’t a viral moment for me. Viral is fine, but you can’t bank on it and sometimes a post goes viral but doesn’t lead to very many sustaining subs because viral hits are sort of like catching lightning in the bottle. The moment that changed my growth trajectory was a kind of tipping point where the majority of my subscribers were strangers. Reaching that point meant that I had a small audience of fans regularly sharing my work. Over time, that small audience grew like compound interest--small upticks weekly, then daily. Hope that helps!
This has been my experience as well -- gaining a small group of engaged subscribers I didn't already know. The growth continues to be steady as community builds.
Yes, I see my open rate go up when I get a new batch of new subscribers (who are now beyond my own network). Interesting insight! It's like the incremental subscriber is worth more, so you just keep going.
Slow and steady growth is good because it’s sustainable (i.e. grows because you write consistently, rather than a viral moment) and it tends to attract higher quality audience that is likely to stick around. At least that’s my experience
So far, promoting it on LinkedIn has been pretty helpful foe me. But I don't do that for every post, only the posts that I think might resonate with my professional network.
I have more people from Substack now. The engagement in terms of likes and comments is much higher than "normal" readers (which still typically read me every time anyway).
You will find it differs for everyone and in most cases it's a slow growth. Those that experienced a significant bump, an overnight success so to speak, either had a guest post or were mentioned on another very successful Substack... think on the magnitude of 5-10k plus subscribers.
Yeah. I think that a lot of engagement comes from commenting and contributing to other communities. I post my links on instagram, and share it with friends, but it's a slow roll to try and increase audience attention. Even when one thing is popular, it doesn't mean that the next article on a similar topic will be as popular.
I got lucky last month when I was featured on the substack home page under their recommended reads - quickly pushed me from just over 200 free subs to over 600, so that was an amazing boost! I still have not figured out the magic trick for converting to paid subscribers, but my plan is to keep publishing and experimenting until I find the formula for me.
I’ve just had slow growth since the first post. Coming to office hours and joining community got me more readers but no viral moment yet. Still waiting for Oprah to plug my Substack. 🤞🏾
I'm a far cry from Oprah, but you're on my list to read now! I also do personal essays and poetry! I'm still mostly friends and family, but I have a few of them who are encouraging enough to keep me going. Hope you get the same!
In todays featured Substack she talks about getting 1000 new subs through a viral tweet. I have no interest in spending time on twitter but I have set my posts to automatically pull through. Didn’t see the harm in that (for now)
I will check it out soon. After my horrific renovation, I still have a court hearing coming up after which I fully intend to explore this more. Excited to check out yours very soon! Thank you for sharing your advice.
Happy Office Hours! I am in the first month of my Substack journey, and just wanted to say thank you to each and every writer and creator who shows up in these comments and offers advice and wisdom.
I wrote in my newsletter today--about traveling, but something similar applies here I think--about the "journey being the destination." I am reminded, each and every day that I sit down with my notebook or keyboard, that the end goal--publication, a certain number of readers--is not the point. Writing, the love of it, the joy of getting swept away in the creation and that humbling moment when someone shares their love of the stories or essays that you have poured your heart into; that's the point. Fortunately, we are all able to get a bit of that, the love of it, every day. It doesn't hinge on the approval of another, someone pressing the subscribe button, or so on.
May you all write something you are proud of today, something that you love with your whole heart. 💛
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
This is so true! I've had to remind myself of this lately, especially in light of New Year's resolutions. Stop beating myself up for not being productive enough, not achieving certain goals, etc. etc. and just enjoy the act of writing itself.
I’m psyched to see audience insights - have been wondering about this. Thanks! Any chance we can search for substacks by writer location? Would be a neat way to find / form writer communities IRL :)
You can sort your subscriber dashboard by "subscriber country" but I also would love if we could go more layer specific, with state or city for example.
Thanks Katie! This new feature is great, well done. On a separate note, I was asking about connecting with other writers nearby (for me it’s anchorage, AK) not necessarily my subscribers (even though there might be overlap!)
After Substack Grow last year, we formed a group for Los Angeles-based Substackers. If you're in LA, come check it out: https://angelenos.substack.com/
TO SUBSTACK, re "NO THANKS": I'm noticing an uptick in free signups who then unsubscribe a few days later. No big whoop that I'm not their thing, but reverting the welcome page language back to "Let me read it first" is a better UX experience vs the deceptive design of "no thanks." I don't like having that manipulative interaction as an introduction to my hospitable vibe.
Thanks. Bailey. "No thanks" sounds huffy, where "Let me read it first" sounds kind. You know we writers suffer terribly from inferiority complexes, right? So anything you can do to help us through these emotional ups and downs is greatly appreciated. 😌
Yes, I wasn’t sure if you guys were split testing things or what! I’ll be interested to see how the landing page CTA develops because it’s one place we as writers have much less control of compared with the rest of our publication.
Agreed, I liked the "Let me read it first" so much better. mostly because that's exactly what I as a reader/consumer want before committing to subscribing, even as a free subscriber. I found that whole approach very transparent, and inviting.
There are a number of patterns Substack encourages that make it come across as spammy. One of the reasons I'm really enjoying Substack is because it's not spammy overall. So the spammy aspects really bother me.
Example: We're encouraged to add subscribe buttons to every post, so I added a subscribe button to the bottom of a paid post. But when I looked at the preview, my button was sitting right on top of Substack's default "upgrade to paid". It made no sense to add a button of my own; the only people who can see the post fully are already paid, and everyone else sees Substack's default buttons, which are plentiful.
The "get more subscribers at all costs" is a really slippery slope. Cross the line and you really annoy people and drive them away.
How are you all finding talking about your Substack to others? Do you have a pre-prepared spiel, an elevator pitch etc? Would love to hear it if you do so I can refine mine 💘💘
@Katie I like the simplicity of that approach. In marketing or user experience, we always start with defining the audience and then identifying what they care about. I always found that helpful as a starting point.
Talking in person has helped a lot, it’s made me refine what it is that I’m saying and/or want to say. I also had business cards made with my newsletter information on them, but had them made bigger so they could be used as a bookmarks since reading and writing about books is what I do!! It’s been a lot of fun to hand them out because people first tend to assume “newsletter” means not serious, but then you hand them a business card and they go “ ohhh, a business card? Oh how neat”. ☺️
I have a quick pitch, basically two sentences that explain what Situation Normal is about. Plus, I follow up with a few examples of stories, if the person I’m talking to shows interest. Best advice is to try talking to anyone / everyone about your Substack. It’s a great way to refine your pitch and get comfortable talking about your work. Hope that helps!
I am (constantly) revisiting and iterating my elevator pitch as I continue to write and learn more about my voice and point of view.
Right now Outsourced Optimism is "a former Pollyanna exploring real life through popular fiction." But lately I realized I want to expand what I write about and how I write about it- not always prompted by movies or tv or books.
Honestly, more than anything else, having to sum it up in a few sentences really helps me find clarity and focus and identify where I'm getting stuck.
I more enjoy my niche not being clear, as when my focus is too much on who I am and what my niche is, I usually come up with the wrong niche and person.
Why would it make sense for the author to recommend me? What is my unique perspective? Where am I coming from?
For instance, I write on principles for personal impact, growth and decision making. Combining rational techniques with grounding methods. With a focus on analytical people.
My partners deal with burnout (which is often a consequence of overanalysis and pure rational thinking), bioenergetics analysis (which helps grounding) and the nervous system (which relates to the body mind connection).
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 ;)
Or sometimes, authors just find you here and decide to recommend you.
For me, "the pitch", which is also my publication's summary, has been constantly evolving every week since I launched it. I think that's okay. That's also part of the process of finding your voice and what you want to write about.
In-person, it usually just comes up when talking about something wellness-wise that I’ve written about and then I’ll mention the URL or, even better, ask for their email to subscribe them manually. Or, with friends and family when I hit a particular milestone or set a new goal, it seems like just talking about my publication as a process matters more to those people than my topic.
I'm usually quick and to the point (plus the name of my newsletter sort of tells the story for me) - I write about Vegan food and offer inspiring ideas every week... That's it!
Delenda est Carthago! Please translate the UI to other languages (portuguese in my case) Every day losing probable paid subscribers and probable fellow writers because of that. This kind of translation is o simple.... I would be glad to help!
Maravilha. Grande urgência para a tela de inscrição (por onde se perde grande parte dos possíveis assinantes) e para os botões em geral. Até o botão "Listen now" que vai no email gera confusão. Infelizmente são 200 milhões de pessoas no Brasil e só uma minoria entende inglês e poucos sabem usar ferramentas externas de tradução de páginas.
Really like the audience stats (shoutout to my reader in Zambia!). What data are you pulling to get these locations? Asking because it only shows "1" in the state I live in, when I know there are at least 5 (mostly 'cause I live with them).
This is based on the location of the signup (or paid subscription) but excludes imports/comps/gifts which could be the reason they aren't showing up. Imports/comps/gifts would all show where the importer/gifter was located so those have been removed.
Pleasantly surprised to see Kenya, Nigeria, Vietnam, Philippines, and Czech republic on my map--had no idea! Didn't realize I was as international as I was. Will have to contemplate whether this merits a change in strategy!
Look at all those readers in California! I'd seriously like to know what kind of geo-tagging is in play. And also it is now my personal mission to turn all of those grey states orange (looking at you, Virginia!).
My Substack has been flirting with 1000 subscribers for a week now. It was climbing steadily, then it hit 997 and has been stubbornly holding between 994 and 997 for seven days now. I think it is trying to keep me humble. 🤣
But it has taken 2 1/2 years to get here. Surely that is enough dues. Isn’t it, Substack? 😉🤓
Audience Insights is so cool! Thanks to the developers who worked on this.
Only 58% of my audience is based in the US, which is a huge surprise to me. Showing overlap with other publications was a suggestion of mine from weeks ago and I'm very excited to see it in action.
True! It'll be fun to see where our efforts are hitting! Now, I can only guess, with e-mail addresses an occasional hint. Audience overlap with other pubs should be interesting to see, too!
Before you could go subscriber by subscriber to see what country Substack estimates they are from, but this map is very helpful. I've been read on four continents and had no idea. Need to contemplate whether this requires a change in strategy!
Wordpress doesn't give state-level data for the US either, I was just about to undertake the project of checking my subscribers for overlap and this is extremely helpful. Wow!
Thanks for the changes to private Substacks. I’m planning on working on a book that I want to control who sees and gives feedback to. But it was difficult to figure out who I would add. Now I have a better option.
Oh that’s a great idea. I published the first two chapters of my childrens book as a Christmas gift to paid subscribers but it might work this way to...
I heard of another Substacker doing it, John McWorter. He didn’t have these features but he did manage to make it work apparently. Ever since then I’ve been thinking about how to do it myself. This will make it a lot easier.
What alternative sources (to your own social media and Substack features) are you using to get exposed to new subscribers?
One of my main sources (1 in 4 of all my subscribers came from there) is The Sample, a free services that time-to-time shares your post with people interested in newsletters of a similar category. If you want to give it a go, you can register via this link - https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d (full disclosure - this is a referral link, and I'll get additional forwards for every sign-up).
During last Office Hours some people mentioned using old-school business cards (with or without QR codes), ads in niche print outlets, niche subreddits (or even starting your own subreddit), running Instagram ads.
What are other ways of getting the message out there that works for you?
The Sample works well for me too (I only do the free part). I also publish articles on Medium, so when the article topic is related to my Substack (mental health), I include a link to my Substack at the bottom of it. Also, when I comment on someone else's Medium article in my niche, if I have a specific newsletter article on the same topic I include a link to it.
I have been copying and pasting my Substack posts into Medium with a link to subscribe to my 50 Things Substack newsletter a the bottom. This usually gets a few new subscribers per post but to be honest, I really don't spend a lot of time on Medium or optimizing my posts.
I’m not sure I can explain how my experience on Medium differs from Substack. Here are some ways: On Medium there are lots of publications (some on specific topics, others general interest) so most writers, myself included, submit their articles to publications instead of just publishing on their own profile page. On Medium people can follow you without being email subscribers. On Medium I get paid monthly based on the amount of time Medium members spend reading my articles.
The Sample seems to have run its course for me. At first, I received good action, but it diminished over time. These days, they barely forward anything. I've gotten better results with InboxReads.
I know what you mean, and they're open about this happening:
"There's one more important factor: in order to prevent a few popular newsletters from hogging all the forwards, we use some simple techniques to boost newsletters with fewer forwards. We try to spread organic forwards somewhat evenly while still sending people newsletters that they're likely to enjoy.
This means that the more organic forwards you receive, the more difficult it will become to get more. It's normal for the number of forwards you get per week to decrease over time."
Having a referral link helps though, as you get 100 forwards for each new user referred.
InboxReads brought me a few readers, and I think I had learned about it from you Victor, so thanks!
I posted a ref link once or twice and did receive some additional forwards. So that was good. Just today I activated paid forwards. Going to experiment with that a bit and see what happens. And glad InboxReads is working for you, Oleg. I think they're pretty great.
I experimented with the Sample and even did a few paid forwards---they did forward lots of copies of my newsletter which was an ego rush at first--but of the subs they produced, most have churned back out----it's hard to get much visibility into the analytics
I've added a subscribe CTA to my gmail signature, and I've cross posted a couple things to LinkedIn. I'm also working on submitting essays to other publications for exposure to new audiences.
I had a CTA in my work email signature but removed it, as I was not sure I really wanted clients to read my stuff, although some clients do find my newsletter via LinkedIn.
Hello all, and a (belated) Happy New Year from Maine:
This is my first foray into Office Hours, though I've been writing Field Guide to the Anthropocene on Substack for quite a while now (it will be two years in April). I tend to just keep my head down and write.
I'm here today to ask about podcasts, specifically whether I can produce read-alouds of my 90+ Substack essays and plug them directly into the archive as options for my audience. I'd rather not create a flood of new posts announcing each new read-aloud of old work. The goal is to retroactively reshape the archive so that visitors and subscribers have the podcast option.
Hope that makes sense, and that someone has a good answer for me. Thank you.
I'm in the process of doing that very thing today (and I am also in Maine). You can publish the audio files but not send them as an email, and then (after you publish them) go back and back date them to correspond with when the Substack essays published.
Well, that counts as a coincidence, I think. Happy to connect, Julie. When you say "publish the audio files," you mean as a podcast? Which means they'll exist as standalone podcasts rather than just embedded audio files in the archived post? Thank you, and get your snow shovel out... It's about time we had at least a glimpse of winter.
Yes! As a podcast! I have been doing voiceover of my essays for a while, and it's just now that I'm separating those out and making them separate podcast episodes. You can see them here: https://juliefalatko.substack.com/podcast and if you go to my archive you'll see that they line up with the essays. Does that make sense? I have vague thoughts of doing something that's not voiceover -- something that's more of a PODCAST podcast, not reading the essays -- but for now I'm setting it up. (I'm excited about the snow tomorrow!)
I've been progressing along this new adventure of doing voice-overs and podcasting. I have even used Speechify to get their excellent voice-over, and you can simply embed the voice file in your post. If I choose to do interviews as well or my voice, I would do it with something like Riverside.FM (supposedly better in quality than ZOOM) with Descript for any needed editing and also to get a transcript. With this combination, as it both records audio and video, you can set it up as a podcast, by yourself, or as an interview of somebody, or you can put the audio video on YouTube or as an embed in your post. Now really, do I have the time to do all this?? My mother used to say my eyes were bigger than my stomach.
This is great, Julie. It does make sense. Now it's time to start recording... I know what you mean about a podcast podcast, but I'll start at the ground level and see if I can get past the sound of my own voice as I record the read-alouds.
We're excited about the snow too. The forecasted snow totals for my area just bumped up from a few inches to perhaps as much as ten.
Sooooon you'll find you LOVE the sound of your voice and you'll start recording EVERYthing. I predict. I hope you're going to use the snow day to start on this project! You are farther north than I am, I bet; we've got 4 inches predicted. I'll take it!
Hi Julie: Sorry to bother you one more time, esp. while you're sledding... but if you have a moment could you share what hardware/software/editing stuff you're using for the read-alouds. No rush at all. Thanks, and happy sledding!
I think it might depend on whether you envision those read-alouds as separate posts from the original essays or not. You can go back into a post you've already published and embed your new audio and update the post, which shouldn't create a new post or send out any new emails. If you'd rather create a new "podcast" post for the audio, then you could de-select the setting to send out an email when you publish the post, and possibly backdate the post so that it would appear in order in your archive? The easier method is probably just to embed audio into the existing posts.
Thanks very much, Tonya. This gives me something to chew on. I do want the read-alouds to stand as podcasts, because I want people looking for podcasts to be able to find them. Take care, J.
I'm wondering if there any plans in the works by Substack for new networking opportunities. Such things like the Writing Hours, Substack Go and in-person networking has been so invaluable to me in my journey on Substack.
This week I'm reflecting on my first six months on Substack 🥳 Part of my review was to see what essays, formats, themes performed best. Below are my 3 greatest hits (inspired by Gilmore Girls, 90's movies, and Everything Everywhere All At Once)
What was your best performing or most-loved release last year? (your favorite or your readers')
I’m also nearing my six month mark! Wahoo. My most popular post was one about a “what bird are you most like?” personality quiz. I think people liked the participatory aspect... https://vessels.substack.com/p/more-than-a-bird
I can totally see why! We loooove to know more about ourselves. Like, for instance, I now know I'm a raven! Congrats on your (almost) six month mark Julia!
Congrats Tami! I'm reaching my eight month mark with Subtack, my most popular piece being about how different my life would have been had I pursued a psychology degree instead. It led down to a rabbit hole of thoughts but it seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I even had a few friends DM on socials to chat about how they felt.
Thank you Natalie (and congratulations on your eight month milestone!). I'm really excited to read this. I've also been thinking and writing a lot of about what ifs and alternate realities. It must be on a lot of people's minds, because one of my most responded to issues and greatest hits (Season Endings & Series Finales) tackled this idea of being homesick for a life I never had. We definitely aren't the only ones wondering about lives not lived 💛
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
100%! It looks like you just began your Substack journey! I think you'll find a great supportive community here that also believes in sharing and encouraging. Welcome!
Thank you so much for reaching out to me, Tami. I really appreciate it. Yes, this is a great supportive community and I'm so happy to be part of it. Best wishes to you. Sincerely, Hisstory Haven
As a newcomer to the Substack community, I'm feeling a groundswell of good vibes from other writers. For a 60-something scribe like me, who finds this newsletter business a bit scary, this is really refreshing! Wishing everyone a successful 2023.
You know it. It won't be available online as it will be in a physical book that university students will have to read but I am sure we can do something with it to raise the Substack profile and get attention. Make sure to email me at info@shaungold.com so I have your contact.
This is all new to me and I'm a bit older, meaning technology can cause me some frustration. Please explain if this will be a video, or audio and if I can just listen and not have my camera active. Thank you.
Just chat, no video or audio. All you do is scroll through posts and comment if you like, and/or post your own questions or thoughts. Substack staff is here for only one hours, but writers chat before and after that scheduled time.
Hi Tracy, welcome to Office Hours! Grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and just have a scroll to see what people are saying this week. I love this Thursday thread - I learn soooo much from fellow Substackers!
Tracy, I'm 47 and my day job is in technology--and I was also confused when I was new to this! Just scroll through the discussion thread and comment or ask questions where you see fit. There's no dumb question, so please post if you are having problems with something and need an assist. Welcome to Office Hours--you'll find valuable information here, but you'll have to scroll and read, so it can take a bit of time.
It's just this discussion thread. Substack people are present at the time they say, but many of us get started early on the discussion and stay on after it closes
I've always found it interesting to know where my readers are coming from, geographically speaking, but the Audience Insights adds another dimension: showing you the overlap with other newsletters. That's a pretty useful tranche of information.
Show up everyday and do the thing. When you chase your audience you aren’t crafting your own message. Be patient, focus on what you can change. I find consistently showing up and sticking to my theme is very important + helpful.
It's funny how the Seth Godin adage continues to prove true. We just need to show up and do the thing every day. That compounds over time and can bring some pretty surprising returns.
The trick is not to be blinded by the daily nature of it. Daily is slow. Daily can seem boring and repetitive. But daily becomes weeks, months, years—and intersects with the "daily" of others. Daily is when habits are built, skills are honed, and relationships are fostered.
Only as we look back can we see the value. But the value is always there.
I'm obviously just here to troll for subscribers. 😜
But for real, who here has tried a variety of approaches (articles, images, video, podcast) or topics to see what hits with an audience and discovered something about what works and what doesn't? I'm a writer, so I always focus on that approach. But I've been doing a podcast that seems to hit with my audience. Eventually, I'm worried about spreading myself too thin and not giving quality effort to my writing.
Honestly I haven't had much luck with video engagement, but I also only published two videos, so who knows? Maybe knitting chart design speed videos aren't an appreciated nieche. What I have found has worked is lots of photos to be a reference to what you're talking about. A decently lit, original photo gets a lot of interaction.
I started drawing with my posts just a little before starting my Substack and that's been received incredibly well. I'm shifting to a lot more drawing because the response has been so good. Haven't tried video yet.
I show up and mingle, get a few subscribers, write a good newsletter, repeat. Your advertisement is your presence. Your niche is you. That’s the only thing that’s worked for me. That and holding on to the hope that Oprah will plug my Substack.
love the humour Teague :) Just today I was on a call with a woman who's been preparing a Powerpoint for about 8 years. I suggested she have someone interview her and just post that . I secretly want to do videos and podcast myself. (Don't tell anyone!)
❤️❤️❤️. Keep writing quality material. Stay consistent. Engage with other stacks. (As you’re doing here.) Don’t be pushy about subscriptions. (I’m speaking generally, not about you specifically, obviously.)
The last two weeks I've discovered different newsletters, so this chat is a great feature for interaction. As for approaches- I tried treating this as a regular blog when I first joined, and it didn't work. Now that I'm posting more regular I'm noticing more views/ visitors. So as long as you're genuine about what you do, it'll come across.
There is a lot of writing here about niching down and narrowing your focus for the benefits of finding a fan base. I guess to do that too much narrowing down would be to strangle the discovery and artist in you. All contrary to my life and experience. I love to dabble at times into wasteful things by others' standards. I love to take a side trip into such things as podcasting, as I sometimes do with ventures into social media and other interests. It sounds like you are a true artist and adventurer, a person of substance with great stuff to share. I will check out your writing and podcast, as podcasting is my latest adventure in uncharted water. You would be a great person to interview. I'm off to sail to more uncharted shores.
I didn't know audience insights existed. I never click the Stats tab. But now you got me curious and I see that Dynamic Creed is read across 19 US states and 15 countries. Thank you 15 countries...
The audience insights are fascinating. Thank you! I would still love to be able to more easily see comparisons by month and over time, but this is a great start.
I'm curious how people who are already using Substack will utilize private newsletters. I'm finding myself using Facebook less and less but I would still like an easier way to keep in touch with friends and family. Has anyone considered starting a separate newsletter just for that purpose?
Finally, I have finally completed my book of essays/memoir and it is now available for pre-order through Amazon! I'm so excited and after this experience (I have some minor revisions to do before official launch on February 14), I'm ready to start the next project. I'm actually thinking about using the next project to encourage more people to sign up for paid subscriptions by making one unpolished chapter of the next book available each month for paid subscribers, as well as finally writing some spicier takes for just paid subscribers. Thoughts? Oh, and here's the link about my "final" steps 😊 https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/finishing-my-first-book
Is Office Hours at a difficult time for you? It's just after 6am here in New Zealand. For those who struggle with the time, I hosting Zoom meetups at a time friendly to people in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific region (it works for eastern Asia and American west coast as well).
Here's a link to the page which gives the day and time for the next meetup, in a couple of days.
Hello Melanie from a finally sunny California! The time difference is indeed challenging. Thank you for taking this initiative. Is the meetup an addition to office hours or more a meetup for fellow writers?
It's a separate thing, a Zoom meetup for Substack writers. Usually we just chat about how our writing has been going, what we are working on, share ideas etc.
I’m not into quote devotion, but I do relate to a few. Like this one that I keep next to my typewriter:
The outer work can never be small if the inner work is great. And the outer work can never be great if the inner work is small. Meister Eckhart
Okay, I don't have a typewriter any longer, but I've had this quote around for a long time. And I keep it in mind, especially when I get sad about metrics, which I'm not immune to. This whole thing seems slow, but I must keep on my path, popular or not.
You had me with the Meister Eckhart, Victor. He wrote a lot of famous stuff when accused by the Inquisition. He certainly kept his head while writing it . . . but unfortunately lost it afterwards. He also said that he was thankful for the most hard times b/c they enabled him to come closer to God , 'cause otherwise he'd just be trundling along. A beautiful man!
You continue to do all the right things, Victor, write well and just enough, engage in the community and provide your own insights. You're doing great!
True that. We think the wisdom flows down but maybe up. We can harness that by getting the audience together in real time so they share with each other. Playful, fun.
Hello! Any suggestions on how to push for more paid subscribers? Mine are growing, slowly, but I would like them to come on board more quickly. Just activated the chat, use video as well. Thanks for any suggestions!
I try to only put out 1 or 2 paid posts a week and the rest are free. When I put out a paid post, I try to cut it off on a cliffhanger. It's horrible, I know, but it works. Have you tried the free-trial option? I get some through that too.
Following, fellow cartoonist. I can't figure out what helps. When I ask directly nothing happens and when I don't even mention the paid option, someone signs up. But that's not very helpful advice I guess.
It’s a tough one. You don’t want to irritate readers too much by trying to get people to pay. There honestly isn’t much I’m aware of that you can do here other than write quality material consistently.
I've really liked your new latex feature! Understandably its still in beta and you asked for feedback, so heres been my experience:
1) In-line latex would be super useful. microsoft onenote for example implements this super well, "alt+=" allows you to insert latex anywhere in a document. Substack currently only allows "latex blocks".
2) Using \newline doesn't work, it just formats everything into one line, so you have to make a new latex block which is inconvenient.
3) Latex blocks look bad on the mobile app, especially using dark mode. It makes huge white images for one line that take up half the page.
If you could pass this on to your dev team it would be really appreciated :)
Hey, I'm one of the engineers that worked on the beta here and wanted to give you a little more context.
Re: in-line LaTeX, it's something that we're working on, but is a bit far away. The reason is that while it's quite easy to do on the web, it's very difficult to do in email, since each post has to render in potentially dozens of email clients/browsers/devices, which are less standardized than on web. For the "blocks" we currently have we can render things as an image, which is straightforward, but very hard to do appropriately sized inline.
Definitely hear you on the newlines/text feedback, I will make sure those get addressed in upcoming releases.
As for the app, I have to pass that along further to the app team as that's outside of my domain, but I'll make sure the right eyes take a look.
Hi Ben, maybe it's too late to ask this but I'll try. Is this the same reason that the code block element is so plain? Every tech blog, and every platform that hosts discussions about tech, has syntax highlighting. Ideally we'd have the option to include line numbers, and the option to highlight specific lines.
Yeah, code blocks are definitely something that could get some more love, but are also plagued with similar email rendering issues. Are there any platforms that you think do an especially good job here?
I am not aware of a newsletter platform that does a better job with code blocks. If Substack could implement something to make writing about code easier, I think it would make the platform even more appealing to tech writers.
I'm aware that only building support for posts that are viewed on the web or through the app isn't really an option, because explanatory text needs to match what every reader sees in the code block. Writing "notice in the highlighted line..." only works if every reader sees a highlighted line.
Thinking more about this today, it seems the two highest priority elements would be implementing line numbering, and/or highlighted lines. Either or both of those features would give writers much better control about how to talk about a nontrivial code listing.
I believe emails are rendered as html tables; if that's correct I could see an implementation where line numbers are one additional column in the table that represents a code block.
Giving writers the option of highlighting lines could be limited to one color that lets individual lines stand out. That could probably be implemented with inline css? Right now I'm just bolding the code that I want to discuss, but it looks much less professional than a highlighted line.
I love what you all have built, and the pace of development as well. Thank you for replying.
Edit: To clarify, when I say "highlighted line" I'm not talking about syntax highlighting. I just mean "highlight lines 3,5, and 10". The use case is to indicate lines that have changed since the last listing, or specific lines that are being discussed in the text.
Hi again, I hope you see this. I kept thinking about this, and I think I came up with a working demo. There are three things I'd like in code blocks: titles (mostly for showing filenames), highlighting specific lines, and line numbers.
I started with code block titles, because that's the simplest. Here's an imgur post that shows the best way I can add filenames to code blocks currently, and what it would look like with a simple parsing change: https://imgur.com/a/Jp1uWZE
I generated the second screenshot by copying the source html of a draft post from the Substack post editor. That draft included a couple paragraphs and a single code block. I sent myself a test email, and downloaded the original .eml file, so I could see what Substack actually sends people. I broke that into the part before the post body, and the part after.
Then I wrote a parser that reads through the post body. If it finds a code block, it looks for "### title=". If it finds that, it moves the <pre><code> elements to the next line of the code block, and adds in appropriate style rules for a title line. The parser then builds a new .eml file that looks just like the file Substack sent, with the modified post body section.
The result is an email that should work in all clients that Substack currently supports. This involves no changes to the Substack post editor, and no changes to the style rules that are currently included in Substack emails.
I believe a similar approach could work for highlighting specific lines, and adding optional line numbers as well. If any of this is interesting to you, I'm ehmatthes at gmail.
Thank you Substack for these writer office hours. The interaction with other writers is so helpful, in addition to the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions of Substack staff.
I took the entire week after Christmas and before New Year's to bang out six different posts. I tend to let the ideas percolate until I can find the time to explore. I'll set up the posts in Substack as drafts, adding notes as I think of things until I can sit down and really devote time to the draft.
There's a great free app I use called Trello . It's on my phone and I just write down ideas, links to website articles or other content I like (quotes, etc) to refer back to later.
I publish every week on Fridays, and usually write my articles that day, often without planning in advance what I'll write about. I think it would be much faster and easier to figure it out in advance and hope to reach that point.
I don’t use the notes app or know enough about it to say how Trello is different. Trello can scan what you want to save (a website link or quote etc) using your phone’s camera and you can create specific cards for each article with deadlines you get reminder emails about, etc.
Between a newborn and starting a new job, writing has become really tough. I also struggle to find topics to write about. Any tips on generating newsletter ideas?
Not such a bad thing to have to decrease the writing a bit while you enjoy life as a parent of a newborn - this exciting and beautiful moment will pass too quickly and you will get your time (and sleep) back - happened to me not that long ago...
Think about what you're curious about. Write about having a newborn and starting a new job! Write about what would resonate with you right now. And write down every idea that comes to you. Once you start writing them down, and honoring every possible idea (you won't end up using them all), it'll start priming your brain for coming up with viable ideas.
So simple yet so practical. I was pigeon-holing my ideas because my newsletter is about a very particular area in the tech industry. But I just realized that I could write about starting a new job with a newborn and that would be relevant!
Like S.E. Reid said earlier in these Office Hours: your niche is YOU. So you can write about the job and the newborn and if it's about you, it'll still be about your very particular area in the tech industry. Honestly you could probably write dozens of essays about a new job and a new baby and your industry, both separately and how they are all overlapping in your life.
I'm coming up on my eight month on this platform with slow growth, but I recognise that that's okay! I've not let it get me down (even though somedays I definitely wonder why I bother! - anybody else feel like that?) This Sunday, I'm sharing my latest piece on the discomfort of self-promotion and how I've tried to overcome it. Step 1 being that I have to do things with more intention and just be brave!
I thought it would be nice to share three of my top best performing (that also happen to be pieces that resonated with me and readers the most):
Thanks for sharing yours. And Yes, I do feel like that at times. But then I try to stay disciplined and focused. I admit it's a bit of a roller coaster sometimes. Here's a couple of my stories that I love:
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Thanks for sharing Hisstory Haven. The first sentence of the first chapter is beautifully written, honestly the details and description are "Wow!" I think I've just found my evening reading for tonight!
Thank you, Natalie, for your compliment. I am thrilled you are going to read it. Your encouragement means the world to me. I write for the pure pleasure of sharing with others, so if there are people you know who would like the story, please feel free to share it with them. As a writer, you understand what a difference it makes to know that people enjoy your passion for creating a world with your words. I thank you for your support and appreciate any comments or questions you may have. My blessings to you in this New Year.
What’s the prognosis for building a readership without a preexisting social media presence? Is regular quality output + consistent engagement with other Substack users and content + the Substack algorithm enough? Or is it advisable to take out advertising or something like that?
I'm not on social media, and am really pleased at how my readership has built since last June when I first started on Substack. I post regularly (every Saturday, plus some extras which are part of a collaboration with a fellow writer), and spend time engaging with other writers by reading and commenting on their posts. And Office Hours is a great place to meet people! So yes: regular output and consistent engagement count for a LOT.
So glad to hear this. I really dislike social media and am working on building consistency and community here on Substack. Any specific tips for optimizing the time spent engaging on the platform?
i try to respond to every comment and to engage on other Substack pages, especialy those belonging to my subscribers. There's enough to keep you busy on Substack without engaging in social media, and I think it's much more satisfying.
That's the key for me: I'm already stupidly busy. Trying to work out a cadence that allows me more time here. I used to have an RSS feed of blogs that I read daily during the height of personal blogging (wrote about it a bit here: https://blog.foster.co/future-of-media-will-look-like-the-past/), and I feel like Substack could be similar.
I try to check in at least twice a day - more so on the days when I post, so I can engage with any lovely readers who are leaving comments - but I read what's in my inbox every day, and comment and engage where and when I like (which is everywhere and often, pretty much!). I really enjoy that community feel. I'm not sure any of this counts as optimising: basically I'm here to read fabulous writing that I enjoy, to talk to people about what they're writing about, and to have an outlet (and a readership, which is lovely!) for my own writing. This is my happy place. 😊
Sounds like you've built up a good network at rapport with your audience here. 🙂 I guess I'm not there yet...and I don't have very much time to dedicate each day, so I have to be strategic. I have time to read and comment on maybe 1-2 posts per weekday, and I've been trying to answer comments daily.
I don't think that question can realistically be answered - it's different for everyone. Try it with all Substack for 6 months or so - if that doesn't work, look at other things like advertising. If you get really active on Substack and do cross promotions, you might find enough people here. But there's no magic bullet.
I can share my experience. I started my first Substack about a year and a half ago, if I remember correctly. All I did was write here and then post a link to my Substack posts to Twitter where I did not have a great following. Then, one day, one of the most popular Substackers came across a post of mine and he reposted it to his huge Twitter following. My subscriber numbers literally took off from about 100 to four-figure territory and have been going up steadily since then.
I launched my second Substack a few months ago, in a totally different area, I've been doing no social media reposting because I'm in no rush whatsoever, and I've got about four subscribers, I think. I don't know how helpful this is but that's my experience so far.
We're excited to see all the places your subscribers are around the world on the new audience insights map! Thanks for joining us at Office Hours today. The Substack team is signing off but we will be back next week at the same time and place.
See you then,
Katie, Bailey, Jasmine, Hannah, Thomas, and Quinn
Thank you.
Curious to hear: What's surprising you from taking a look at your new audience insights stats tab?
Shocked to learn that my newsletter is read across 48 US states and 67 countries! That's bananas!
And now Gwen Stefani is all in my brain. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Hi Holly some your comments are going to me. I have a music to where wrote about to Biggie retro stars
that's lovely, Skye!
That's great. Congrats.
That's brilliant! Congratulations. #goals : )
Sanjaykumar 10th
10% of my readers are in California--which is *very* different from my rural space here in Mississippi. :) I also found it interesting that I had a subscriber in Morocco. It's cool to visualize your words reaching people across the globe!
For me, 33% in California (calculated on total 🇺🇸). Which is very different from my country of origin (🇮🇹) and of residence (🇩🇪)
I think most of mine are in the US but some read my newsletter in groups which I like as it shows real engagement. Gotta get on those analysis. Sorry Livio not up on my flags 😔
That's cool, Livio!
I have readers in Morocco as well! I found that surprising.
One the greatest comments was from a subscriber who said 'couldn't stop praying" after reading 'Protector No More' I sure which country subscriber is writing from
Where do I find the article you wrote?
The article is 'Protector No More' from De's Newsletter link crownmp100a@substack.com
Nice!!
I loved seeing where readers are coming from and where they live. It honestly hadn't even occurred to me that someone in India or Australia might be reading words I wrote in California! It makes the world feel smaller and more connected and I love that.
Doesn't it?! It gives me warm fuzzies to feel a little more connected to folks.
I'm someone from Australia reading your words right now! And I love the name of your publication! I really need to stop subscribing to so many publications, but you got me with the name!
Aaawwww thank you Medha!! For what it's worth- I tend to buy wine based on the label and subscribe to Substacks based on names, so....the feeling is mutual. 😆 P.S. I love your illustrations and I'm very happy to cozy up in the charm and compassion you're creating in your space.
Well that's a generous compliment that made my heart happy. I don't know if anyone has ever described it like that before, and I loved it!
Same here, Bailey and Tami.
I like the ability to see what other Substacks people subscribe to. Great opportunity for cross-promotion, partnerships, and building overlapping communities.
Absolutely. Time to build some relationships! :-)
Indeed. I have a couple of top newsletter I have never heard of!
A couple of mine are friends' Substacks, but I have to check out some of the others!
Agreed! It's very cool to see!
Haha, that's exactly what I commented on just now! Great minds, great minds... ;)
I had no idea I had subscribers from 50 states and 125 countries!!
That's incredible! Congratulations on your reach.
Thank you, it is amazing. Who knew?
Congrats!
That's amazing!
How many people in California read On Repeat.
How few in Wisconsin do.
I was also genuinely surprised at which Substacks I overlap with/who I don't
Gotta get out on the streets with a sandwich sign!
Bailey, you appear to be s Substack employee, can you help me get assistance with a serious problem I first encountered posting on Monday. Can you confirm that there is nothing technically wrong with my account? thanks
Have considered passing out business cards. Printing is going to get expensive though, as I plan to compile articles
I have none in California lately! (Clearly a marketing fail on my part.) Many in New York, Illinois, Texas, Florida. This is fascinating!
That 58% of my audience is in the US and only 8% from Australia (where I live) I was catering my publishing time to an Aussie audience. May have to tinker with that.
that's surprising, Medha. But good of course.
Hey Jo! And yeah - I was super surprised! Did you get any surprises?
Kyrgyzstan is in the house!
Rad!
Haven't had a chance to look yet, but very much appreciate this new addition!
The other new addition I would love would be integration with The Sample, which many of us use to get new subscribers. Currently we get an email notification from The Sample, then have to export their CSV file, then import it here. It would be so nice to have those new subscribers automatically added!
Agreed, though it's not that hard to import the CSV.
Tried to find The Sample can you give some direction to it?
Here's a direct link: https://thesample.ai/
Thanks Medha
Also, any chance that sometime in the future new subscribers might be required to give their first name along with their email? I would love to know the names of my subscribers, and it would be even more awesome for the email header to have a field that would automatically populate with that subscriber's name.
I have often tried (mostly successfully) to reverse engineer an email to identify the person's name :)
I hadn't noticed this feature - how fun! My biggest audience (almost 30%) is from New York. So interesting to see where people are reading from
I'm surprised by the number of readers I have in non-English-speaking countries
great to hear, Jack.
Oooohhh. Yay for the audience overlap feature! My highest percentage of overlap is 3%. I'm interested in what people's percentages are!
I have two that are at 9%. Then a few more at 6%, 5%, and 3% respectively. Time to reach out to these writers and build a relationship.
Ooohh they're pretty healthy numbers! Sounds like a plan!
My audience overlap is at 21% to 29%.
The results for both of my newsletters are surprising. Constant Commoner goes to 36 states and 17 countries, while Writer Everlasting goes to 41 states and 32 countries.
I really don't know what to make of it yet!
Maybe I should consider creating 2 or more newsletters and cancel the sections
Unless your two newsletters are radically different, I wouldn't recommend it. I much prefer having one newsletter broken up into sections, and I'm trying to figure out if I should go back to doing that. Having two of them is cumbersome and not always best. I often cross-post to both of them with the same piece, and I feel like I have to apologize to those readers who subscribe to both.
I'm loving the audience insights as well. That's always been one of the most satisfying aspect of any analytics dashboard. It's so good to see a global audience, and get out of US-specific bubbles.
I have one specific substack question: Can you clarify the permissions that comped subscribers get?
I know they can see paid posts and emails in full. But can they comment if commenting is restricted to paid subscribers? Can they participate in chat if a thread is set to paid subscribers only?
Comped subscribers are treated as if they were paid subscribers so -
Can they comment if commenting is restricted to paid subscribers? - YES
Can they participate in chat if a thread is set to paid subscribers only? - YES
Bailey, on another matter, why does Substack support take so long to respond? I've been waiting two weeks for a response. It spoils the experience to some extent
I asked a question months ago and I never got a response. Support appears to have gone downhill. I used to get same day response. 😩
I agree
Thank you, this is a really helpful clarification. I wasn't sure if I should send new chat announcements only to paid subscribers, or to paid and comped subscribers.
Its awesome that I've got a whooping 48% of Kenyan readership (I'm Kenyan)! It's also really amazing that I'm read in 8 states in the US, NY right at the top, and 11 other countries including Spain. My audience overlap is even more exciting. This is a great incentive, thank you Substack.
And now Switzerland 😁
Thank you, Jack. Happy to have you 💜.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here's a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you:
Someone here once asked the insightful question about whether we should spend time finding our "niche" as a writer, and I wanted to share something I learned early on in this Substack journey. I read a great article that stated this truth: when you post a newsletter, YOU are the niche! After a while, it's doesn't matter so much WHAT you write, as long as you're writing something you feel passionate about. Your true audience, the ones you want to attract, will stick with you no matter what your topic is, because they like your style, your viewpoint, and your unique voice. Niche down if you like, there's nothing wrong with narrowing your focus, but make no mistake: the most important part is that you keep showing up consistently, writing the thing you feel you should write in the moment. Don't chase audience, build community! Your real community will follow you; they won't want to miss a thing! Keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
I'm one month into publishing my first substack post and I've been writing every week for the last month. Recommendations from other publications have been also helpful in beautiful ways.
I'm onto 40 subscribers one month in, and I am pretty proud of that. Don't compare with others, just focus on your own growth.
I have also gained more confidence in telling my circle of friends and colleagues about it now that I have more to show on my page.
Forty subscribers in a month is amazing! Good for you!
Thank you, Ramona!
Well done, that's really lovely 😍
woww that’s amazing! I just subscribed to your newsletter and excited to see what you write :) All the best Yuezhong
Thank you!!
Yay for 1 month and 40 subscribers! <3
Congratulations on all you've accomplished, and best of luck showing up throughout the year. :)
Thank you!!
Good for you! And great discipline and consistency! 40 subscribers is a great start, and it will only go up from here.
Congrats! I'm writing 3 different pieces of fiction at the same time. At 3 episodes released per week, it's taken me a while to get enough content published—and start getting the word out.
40 in your first month is a great accomplishment. Keep pushing and finding new ways to reach out. Don't forget your fellow writers here. Read their articles, comment, build relationships.
well done!
I enjoy book reviews and write them too, so I've just subscribed to yours as they look interesting.
Nice. Keep working on this!
Which is the fellow author recommendation that worked best for you?
Thank you, Livio! I think the recurring theme is to keep going so I'd go for that :)
That’s great! Congrats! How do you get other Substackers to recommend you?
That's amazing, Yuezhong! Congrats!
🫰🫰🫰❤️💯
Subscribed! :)
That's impressive. How did you manage to get those recommendations? I write about textile art and design, so maybe I'm a really tiny niche here on substack.
Write. Rewrite. Publish. Repeat.
I know that sounds easy, but it's the only formula for eventual success. Not a guarantee, but the only way. It takes about a decade and a dozen *good* books to become an "overnight success."
Just write, rewrite, publish. Keep going...
It doesn't sound easy this month--just finding time to write has been a struggle!
1. Find pockets of time and crunch out as much work as you can. Create space before bed (even if it annoys your wife that you have your laptop in bed). Get up earlier (I'm up at 4:04 every morning to do something before the kids wake up and hijinks ensue). Break this into pieces you can schedule to drip-publish over time.
2. Set aside one big chunk of time each week (or every couple of weeks if you must) and revise your work for drip-publishing. Go somewhere you don't know anyone and won't get distracted (too easily).
3. Schedule as far ahead as you can and NEVER get close to your last scheduled publish date. Your deadline for a new post should be three or four weeks out.
4. Have some short "fluffy" posts in drafts that you can publish in a pinch to maintain audience engagement. Use very sparingly. BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
5. Be forgiving of yourself until you build the habit/muscle. If you screw up, own it, take a breath, and get back to work. Eventually, you will be a producing machine.
If you want to be a [art form], [art form as verb].
I don't have a problem being a producing machine. In fact a couple of days ago I was asked by an agency to prove I'd written the number of articles I'd claimed to have written. Easy done, because I keep a spreadsheet. But I still find it hard to block uninterrupted time in order to write and schedule posts, partly because of interruptions like that agency
Nobody can reach you if you've turned off the WiFi and phone. 😜
If you have commitments that require you to be reachable 24/7 (leader of a country, Navy SEAL, circus clown), then you probably won't be a very high-producing author.
But if your day job is anything else, you can definitely turn everything off for an hour (or ten minutes!) and walk to the park or coffee shop, put some headphones on (I love listening to LoFi) and get busy writing.
Yes, I actually leave my house to focus. Otherwise, I see all that needs doing. I have 3 main coffee shops I go to in order to work. The dim hum of all the people, plus others also hunker down with their laptops creates a nice communal space without personal distractions.
Whaaaat.... an agency wanted you to PROVE your numbers? And an even bigger whaaaaat you keep a spreadsheet? Hats off Terry.
Thanks, Birgitte. It's simply because (a) I love spreadsheets and (b) I am always beating myself up for having wasted the day and not written enough. I find that looking on the spreadsheet makes me realise I'm talking tosh. I forgot to include Substack articles though, but last year (nov 21 to nov 22) I wrote 575 articles, which someone told me was a lot.
Haha! Yes I find the same. Once the interruptions are out of the way I can just hope to it and write. It's those darn calls and life tasks.
I've always worked better by keeping several drafts in place to percolate in the back of my mind until my brain says, "NOW!!!!"
I use OneNote pages and when I have a concept, I just start capturing notes, links, ideas, rough thoughts, whatever comes into my mind when I first conceive it. Then I move on to more mature drafts and work those. Meanwhile, all those "drafts" are crawling around in the back of my mind until they mature enough to write about.
Makes the writing easy and I find my second round is way more mature for having spent time thinking on it in the background. Right now, I have about 14 very rough drafts percolating.
percolating. That's how I think of it 😂 🤣
I was about to say the same thing! I call it that too.
This is fantastic advice!
Especially "If you want to be a [art form], [art form as verb]."
Gonna have to quote you on that!
Wonderful tips, Teague!
thanks Teague, that's really valuable advice.
I batched a lot of work over Christmas break, but since I'm working on moving things over from my Wordpress, I'm considering just doing reblogs of those old blogs for March and April so I can keep up momentum when the semester gets crazy!
That's what I do, usually with an explanation about where it came from and when. I wouldn't have a clue about moving them by batches, and some of them wouldn't fit, anyway.
I'm choosing the ones I like best, revising them in some instances, and I'm happy that it seems to be working.
I've decided that's my best option, and I can revise them a little too ;-)
I think being able to revise them is the best part! I'm notorious for finding things I want to fix in my pieces, even years later, so it works for me!
I was thinking of moving articles over from other blogs, but the technical support by Substack is so slow in responding, most of the time, that it's not a feasible option in my opinion.
I started with Wordpress.com and I'm leaving that one alone because it's free. I moved the Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org and had about 1.5 years of solid writing on there that wasn't also on my Wordpress.com site. It's that 18 months of writing that I've either manually moved over (I didn't want to keep all of them because some of the pieces were nothing worth keeping) or reblogged as new content so I could get totally fresh eyes on the material. My Siteground is set to renew in May and I really don't want to pay for another year of hosting if I can help it ;-)
I faced a similar issue, but decided in the end to pay for another year because of Substack's lack of responsiveness. It's a shame because I like most other things about Substack, but I'm not happy to put all my eggs in the Substack basket before they get more support people.
I’ve kept my free WordPress (I do pay for hosting) for many years. When I began on Substack, I moved my articles and posts to Substack. I publish new articles first on Substack, then from my WordPress site, and also on Medium, which I have been doing for several years. It probably is redundant but probably more from the force of habit. Also, my WordPress site has a helpful plugin that I pay for that easily post a small bit about my article on several social media – Blog-2 Social.
Have you tried copy/pasting them? I move over some old articles from time to time and find that giving them another cursory edit never hurts.
This is what I've done as well. It is good to take a fresh look, and update links, etc.
That's what I do! I love getting fresh eyes on old content.
I'm also in the batching mode...and considering editing and reposting to cover me during an extended 2-month holiday... I think reposting is a good idea - it helps highlight to new subscribers what's already been covered and lives in the archives...
I've been trying to do this with my Squarespace sites, but haven't made much headway.
If you have a block of time, just do a few at a time. I have a whole spreadsheet to keep track of all of my pieces and where they are 😂
I've ported a few over but I do so manually so that I can update them, get rid of now-dud links, etc
Very good strategy!
I've moved over most of WordPress posts over here, but now I regretted not reposting them anew since I found very few people actually go back and read what I moved over.
Well, you can always (a) repost and update them here; (b) write a new post referring readers back to your older post; (c) write 'On this day' posts to say what you were writing about on, say 19th January 2019, with a link back to the older post
When I want to use content from an old post, I explore the topic afresh but use some old content, which I will reframe and re-edit. If I gather old posts to do a book with them, I end up rewriting and editing most of the content from my now older and wiser eye, or at least I hope. It is all part of the creative process, making writing fun and challenging for me.
I've dedicated myself to weekly travel posts, so those are the ones I'm reposting as fresh content. The other stuff I just want in my archives. And I'm making new pins for Pinterest as I go with them and updating links when I change the address.
You can export your Squarespace blog posts as an XML file, which in theory you can then import. I don't think it includes the illustrations though.
The slog mostly has to do with my reading the pieces and deciding if I really want to bring them over. :) Of course, I could probably look at some posts I've written here and cringe at those, too!
has it been a smooth move, Sarah?
For me? Yes. I know it isn't that way for everyone, but I only have 220 subscribers and I get WAY more interaction than I ever did on WordPress. I know that there needs to be better Google SEO but mine is improving. I set up redirects from my WordPress.org site to every pieces I've reprinted here and have updated my Pinterest pins as I go as well. It's been slow, but I have until the end of May before I have to make a Siteground decision. I'm hoping that my book generates the traffic that will help me speed up that decision ;-)
I’ve been writing snippets in notes on my phone around a busy toddler - far from ideal but satisfying none the less!
Absolutely! Make a thought real by writing it down. Once you do, your subbrain starts processing the idea in the background and, when the time is right, you will feel like you've had a sudden inspiration and the words will pour out. I work like this all the time.
Misread "Make a thought real ..." at first, thought, oh cool. How do I make a "thought reel"? Pictured sketches on a drawing pad, flipping to make moving cartoons. Too labor intensive. Now I set aside an idea for an app to percolate for later.
Thanks!
Cool, I like "Thought Reel". All kinds of ways to run with that. Imagine an app that gathers your thoughts on a specific topic in a sequential manner, then takes those and weaves them into a cohesive description, story, outline, etc..
Incorporating an AI (like Chat GPT) would be extremely hot. ---> Remember me when you're rich!
To gather thoughts and insights, I love journaling and dream work. I usually do this to capture things first thing in the morning.
Hi Ron,
I enjoyed your sage comments on Writer Office Hours today. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
So true. exactly!
I reckon ANY format for getting words from the head to the outside world is ideal, Claire! Keep 'em coming!
I like to recite my words to random people on the bus. It always guarantees being left in peace.
lol
I usually keep notes on my phone, too, but I have hardly had a spare moment to even think! I definitely am going to schedule more down time in my day for just processing thoughts and reading so ideas will spark.
i do the same, Claire... i'm up to about 2300 notes though! For me personally, i'm losing control 😬
That's brilliant Jo. It means that you can just pick one of those ideas at random and run with it when or if you ever experience writers' block. And you actually count the notes? Wow!
absolutely, Terry. I don't count the notes myself, my macbook notes app does. i was shocked when i saw that!
And three cheers for you! It's been a very long time since I had littles at home, but I remember how difficult those days were in finding time for myself. Keep capturing those snippets. Keep writing your words. The world needs your perspective!
this has somehow become one of my favourite ways to collect my thoughts, it's very in the moment writing and when i go back and consolidate all my little notes i feel like i have more clarity over what i've been trying to say—especially if it's over the course of a couple days, my thoughts get more refined as i go on?
I always tell myself that when life's too busy to give me the time to write it's just because I'm spending time doing the stuff that I can then be writing about! It's a win/win! Makes me feel a tonne better!
I have about five articles written, so far all in my head. It's quite hard to get far enough ahead to take your foot off the accelerator because at the end of the day we still have to work, do shopping etc.
My brain is similar. I don't have the full articles "written," per se, but I have dozens and dozens of ideas. I'm working on making space to write one article per week, which has been a challenge thus far, but I know it's doable.
Part of the struggle is just giving myself permission to do creative work that isn't monetized yet,. But I know that writing is part of who I am, and I believe that sharing stories is important. Writing is also such a great way to explore the ideas we have in our heads, flesh them out, and give voice to them. It's an excuse to nerd out about what we love and relive experiences we cherish.
And then we get to share that with others, which is a joy I need to keep in mind as I work. :)
I have at least 20 in my drafts folder 😂
same with me, Sarah.
I'd love to have whole articles in my head, Terry! Without my notebook I am totally lost!
I keep reading Scientific American to see if they've found a way of plugging a printer directly into someone's brain. Would save a lot of time and trouble!
PS I keep a notebook, but just write a lot in my head. I assumed everyone does
Being so many years in my professional field and life, my mind is constantly processing and working on themes and content for new articles. However, my favorite way of doing things is recording some ideas down, but mostly letting it all ferments enough to the moment when I have the time and inspiration to launch the new article. An essential part of my process is to move out my head into mindfulness, meditation, and active movement exercise; I love swimming and, of course, flavor in a little social activity. Making this part of my life grounds me to my soul.
Good way to look at it, Rebecca.
I attended a writing workshop just a week ago and the writer told us that we just have to decide to make time for writing every single day, because if we wait to find the time, nowadays, we probably never will.
I regard those kind of days as my non-writing writing days.
After years of complaining about not having enough time, I received the best advice I ever heard. You can't "find" time, you must "make" time. In my case, I was advised to "Treat yourself like a client. Schedule time on your calendar for YOUR writing, and be diligent about keeping those appointments." It has actually worked.
Yes! I am a consultant and live by my calendar. If I don't block out the time, I end up doing random things and running down rabbit holes. I spent 3 hours the other day digging down into AI image generation. Interesting, but wasn't productive.
Great point. We can always find time. We have to decide.
Yeah--I do that, but I also have that pesky day job that pays the bills *and* we own an event venue that has been booming this month. While I don't always follow the money, sometimes I gotta! :)
Hey Holly! Subscribed to your newsletter - seems interesting and looking forward to reading more :)
And agreed on it being difficult this month. In fact, everything is difficult in January...
I'm having the same issue here, Holly. While attempting to cut my to-do list down, i somehow managed to increase it!
Always a good reminder.
❤️❤️❤️. Yes.
Excellent protocol. Exactly how I have always approached writing. The first version of anything that jumps out of my head onto the keyboard is always a draft. I have a good editor, ME. Thanks
My Substack/blog is my workshop. The books I want to write will come from that workshopping.
Words to live by!
That is always good advice, at least for career writers. I learned a tremendous amount from the first book I wrote and published, and I can imagine how proficient, wiser, and improved I will be by the time I get to my 10th book. However, some writers hit it right out of the gate with their 1st or 2nd book. Perhaps more of their work will be in other writing or teaching career pursuits.
Exactly, it’s all the editing and rewriting. Writing itself is the quickest part... but the rewrites 😂
Hey Teague, thanks for recommending Conked.io - much appreciated!
Of course. Keep publishing!
Did you know your first name is the last name of one of my coolest characters? Nicolaus Rand is one of the main characters in "Vodou Princess" (on Amazon).
I love love love this (and all your other words of encouragement). It's hard not to get sucked into the game of numbers, but at the end of the day, I want to show up consistently and produce writing that I love. I want that for each and every one of the writers I follow, as well. Love this. Thank YOU for showing up so beautifully every week, S.E. :)
I like your take on not getting caught up in the number's game. I read this morning that one email subscriber is worth 25 to 50 instagram follows. Not sure how they can prove that, but it goes with the saying that your (Email) list is one of your most important assets.
But at the end of the day, if your subscribers are opening your emails, and liking and commenting on your posts, then how great is that!
That’s an interesting statistic isn’t it?!
Sure is.
But I guess that an email subscriber has to open up your email, figure out if they want to read it, then move it to somewhere on their computer. An insta follower just has to look at an occasional square pic every once in a while. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes, subscribing to a list takes more commitment, in theory. Importtantly, it means you know who's reading your stuff, and you can take your readers with you elsewhere, subject to data protection considerations of course
Where did you read that? Curious to know the source
Yes! I've not been watching numbers this month, and still the subscriber count climbs. I'm trying to just focus on doing the work and letting things fall into place.
Thanks, as always for the encouragment, S.E.!
🫰🫰🫰🙌
Holly, I’ve always appreciated (and admittedly felt a little wee bit jealous of) how you start your newsletters with shoutouts to the new subscribers. You seem to know their names, which doesn’t come across anywhere that I can see when I get new subscribers. I do ask new subscribers to let me know how they found me and introduce themselves but no one ever has. How do you get their names?
You can export your subscriber list. Names are optional fields, but most people include at least a first name. If there's no first name, I just use part of their email nickname for the shoutout. My writing is so personal, and I want my readers to feel like they are pulling up a chair to the table at a coffee shop for a chat--that's how I feel when I'm sharing.
Oh boy, I would be out of there in a nanosecond if someone did that to me. It's a matter of permission and privacy.
I listen to my local NPR station every day while cooking dinner, but I will never donate during their pledge drive because they like to thank on the air whoever has just given by their first name and town. Listening, I once heard that my next door neighbor had just donated: "Thanks to Allison in Goshen." My town is small enough (960 people) that I'm fairly sure she is the only woman in my town named Allison.
Obviously if you're attracting people who want to belong to a warm and personal club, this technique might work very well for you. But it would creep me out.
I think the difference here, Marcia, is that 1) I don't name paid subscribers at all, and 2) I only give a first name and last initial and if the name is very unique, just initials. I'm an IT security analyst by trade, so I live and breathe privacy and protection for my readers. The world is large. I'm sure no one is going to guess who "Brandy R." or "Megan" are from my shout-outs.
Holly, I agree. Considering the little automatic thrill people get from hearing their name, the potential benefits outweigh the costs. And I say that as an intensely private person who relates to Marcia. Only in my case, I won't donate to causes I believe in because I don't want to be hounded by them for cash.
Actually the world is very small sometimes. There is a marketing expert (BB) who once referred to me in his newsletter as "MY" (my initials), and in that context I am certain that at least a third of his subscribers knew he was referring to me. In another instance, he referred to someone else by their initials and I knew who he meant. Indeed, I would not be surprised if someone else reading this thread on Substack would know who "BB" is.
Thanks for the tip! I always get great tips from you!
You may find something interesting on my blog
https://michaelwelchpublications.substack.com/p/dont-look-back-bob-dylan-1965
Great advice. Yes, we ARE the niche! The thing I like best about my Substack newsletters is the feeling that I'm talking to friends. I've invited them and they've accepted the invitation. That gives a whole new feeling to the way I write--a more personal feeling--and since I've started here my writing has gotten more personal.
I'm still a bit uncomfortable with it, but the comments are reflecting the kind of community I envisioned when I started both of my newsletters.
It's really been great!
Yes! Sondheim said, "Let it come from you, then it will be new." I have this written at my work station. My newsletter is called You Are Here, because wherever I go, there I am. But I do find that I'm trying to explore ideas all about being me, and just hoping they resonate with others. From the specific to the general, right?
❤️
Lovely, thanks for sharing your experience
And I love that I don't feel the pressure to have a narrow niche. I'm not a niche. My writing doesn't fit into a niche. And my Substack has given me freedom to create in ways that I didn't feel like WordPress did.
Thank you for sharing this! This is a very timely reminder as I'm thinking about "shaking things up" in my newsletter. One of the things I'm giving myself permission to do is explore, experiement, and have fun! I have a small readership so far and am in the early stages so I feel like now is the time to set the intention for play and flexability with my readers now!
Definitively take advantage of the times when you feel less pressure. But you don't ever have to really give this up. One trick I use is to send a second newsletter to my top subscribers. (go to your subscribers panel, and sort them by activity, go to 5 star, then select them all, then click "send email.)
I've found this is a fun little way to put out extra content for very dedicated fans, without feeling the pressure and formality of the main newsletter.
That is a very neat idea! I was wondering how to segment. Love this thought. It's like giving people a little present every now and then.
Would this not appear in the archive? Or is there a setting to keep a specific post/newsletter out of the archives?
Thanks Cole will try this. Working stats is useful tool. Haven't sent individual email in a while. Changing it up though 😊 and #s have increased
Definitely explore and take risks 🫰❤️
That's a great little nugget of encouragement. I was literally asking just a few weeks ago on here how people grew their audiences when they weren't in a specific niche like politics / science / humour etc!
Love this and been thinking about this a lot- how to make all my ideas and pursuits feel cohesive. But you're right- I am the thruline, the connective tissue. Everything we do shines through our unique lens. 🧐
Too true. You voice = your niche. Your unique way of seeing the world = your biggest asset as a writer. I'm coming to realize the value of this. We all have a slightly different way of processing our experiences, and that gives us the ability to make connections that no one else can make...and it gives us stories that no one else can tell. Together, that creates a beautiful tapestry of collective insights, knowledge, and history.
In many ways, writing reveals more about us and about humanity in general.
Yes! "A beautiful tapestry" What a beautiful visual for this!
I wrote a bit about this in a piece for the Foster Collective: https://blog.foster.co/future-of-media-will-look-like-the-past/
Love this and thank you. I started UnCorked with that exact thought in mind. There is just too much to write about . . . In fact my Welcome Page Description is "Retired and writing to tell about it. No Niche. Just everything I know, plus some stuff that just ain't so (just for the fun of it) . . . "
🫰🫰
Adorable name! I love it :)
Thanks Faith. It's a play on my name plus implies there's so much worth writing about . . .
Fabulous!
Interesting ... I do that with my Medium articles, but have stuck with one niche (mental health very broadly defined; all of my newsletter articles relate to it somehow) here. Maybe I'll experiment and see what happens.
I totally agree that building a community is what matters, along with not giving up. No matter how few subscribers you have, you never know who might find your words on the web and be helped by them. I also get frustrated sometimes when I don't get many likes, comments, or shares or have a low open rate but then I remind myself that I don't always open, much less or comment on every article I read, either.
I always try to decide what hashtags to use with my articles or niche categories, especially on Medium, but I usually default to Mental Health and related categories. When I write something more esoteric, it becomes more of a challenge.
Yup, just keep writing and keep reaching out
I have written on similar themes. One of my more popular newsletter is Spring Out of Step. I guess subscribes like the tone. I will check your link
yes, Wendy, i also think about who we could be helping with every post i make. That's motivation enough to keep going. If i've helped just one person in a positive way, i feel fulfilled.
I'm glad you mentioned this. I see so much talk about "niching down". And "you must find your niche to build an audience," yada yada. I now hate the word "niche".
All you need to do is concentrate on what works for you and what you're best at writing.
Stop niching about it 😂
😂
Niches are good, I built up a list relatively quickly, but as someone else said here, ultimately you become the niche. For example, I have zero interest in sports, but there were two or three sports writers who wrote so well that I read their articles all the time. Same with some essayists. I don't care what they are writing about, I just love their writing (eg David Foster Wallace)
I'll pretty much anything is it's written well.
Hey Corey I was thinking of you the other day. When you gonna write another article? I like your stuff, and I'm feeling deprived 😎
You’re making me blush. Between working and getting sucked into LinkedIn, my first social media account, I’ve been a bit behind. I've written several false starts, which still sit in the Substack drafts. Most of my creative energy has gone into writing posts on LinkedIn. I am nearly certain I am deleting that account once I publish this comment. Then in the morning, I will write an article about my first experience with social media and discuss how many brain cells I have remaining. It might be a rant. I'll try to make it more informative than complaining.
I miss Substack.
I've heard that linkedin newsletters are a good way to build an audience. Never tried it myself
I appreciate this and have landed in this approach almost accidentally, simply because I wasn't able or willing to narrow my subject matter to that degree. What I promise readers is that the pieces will be short (most are under 1K words) and optimistic. This gives me the latitude I want while still fulfilling a thematic commitment. That said, I do still occasionally get caught up in the numbers, or lack thereof, and wish I could find more opportunities to cross promote my page. That's where the lack of a narrow focus sometimes creates a challenge.
Elizabeth I love your logo and publication name. I actually love drawing chickens and often take my sketch book to the agricultural fairs to sketch them.
First, thank you. Second, fair warning: If we open up the chicken conversation, it's going to be a bit like letting the genie out of the bottle. :D Former farmer, chicken owner, and forever chicken-lover here! https://elizabethbeggins.substack.com/p/no-trouble
Short and optimistic: that’s good. Especially nowadays. Mine are generally long and pessimistic 😂
I kind of jumped out of my niche this week with post about summer on the allotment. Hopefully a feel good post to improve your mood.
https://neverstoplearning1.substack.com/p/unlock-the-secret-to-a-happier-mind
Oh, and I turned on paid this week after inspiration and encouragement from this group! Scary!
well done, Martin. Here's to a wonderful new chapter opening up for you!
Yes, I am thinking of steps into these waters as well
Yes yes yes! LOVE this message! Anything that keeps confirming to be who I am and to continue doing so are things I keep close to my heart!
I started just a few months ago but the feedback has been amazing. I guess it is a bit niche, but not always. Sometimes the tone can change depending on how I’m feeling, but the general feeling and meaning is the same. Loving substack ❤️
🔥🔥🔥
i see you're an artist, too, I'll definitely take a look at your Substack 😀
This is a really great topic---and thank you SE as always! As the writer of a very-niche newsletter it's frustrating sometimes and it's tempting to be a little less niche-specific (like less about the whole alcoholism thing) in the hopes of getting bigger---but I know that's exactly the wrong answer. It's just very tempting. One thing that would be really helpful is if "addiction and recovery" had their own tag? Also, curating the search results--If you search "addiction" you get a newsletter called "addition?" that's about AI insights...
I do love being here,
TBD
Loving this audience insights feature. I learned 50% of my audience is reading me from my mum’s kitchen
I’m so in control right now 💪
Sometimes it's really nice to be able to see what you're doing RIGHT that brings you visitors!
😂
I love this! My father is my most avid reader. He also likes to point out any inaccuracies where my recollections might be incorrect. Your family is usually the best critic so I see this as a positive for us.
Too funny!!
🔥🫰❤️😂
Perfect!
Hi everyone! I haven’t been able to participate much in office hours this year, so wanted to wish everyone here a productive 2023! May all of your writing goals come to fruition.
Happy new years, Michael! I have a feeling 2023 is going to be a good one
Thanks got involved in replying to writers didn't get chance address some questions. One is the 'start a substack'? is that different from creating a newsletter? Help did not answer this query. Help not very helpful I find
Happy new year, Michael!
Michael!!!! Good to see you here (although I've been absent, too). Here's to 2023!
Thank you, Michael. Right back at you, of course!
Nice to see you here, Michael.
I missed you, Michael, but good to see you back. Yours (goals > fruition) as well!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥
Hi everyone, coming to you from bright and sunny Austin today! I wanted to share a small story that encouraged me a lot. I took myself on an "artist date" which meant I gave myself permission to just wander for a few hours without an agenda (on foot!).
In my meanderings, I came across a young-ish man (30's) dressed in an old-fashioned suit, sitting at a small table with a typewriter. He called out to me to pick a poem for him to write. It could be about anything and I could pay what I like. I almost walked by but something told me to stop. I gave him a subject (crows) and he started typing away. A few minutes later he gave me a small poem that really filled my heart with delight!
After speaking with him for a few more minutes, I learned that this was his full-time job. Writing small poems for passerby. "It pays my rent and fills my car with gas," he insisted. Making a living this way is not something I would've imagined possible. But HE imagined it. And so it became possible.
What are you imagining is possible for you? Believe it and it will become. I'd love to hear your dreams/stories/goals below!
I met an English man doing this in Paris five or six years ago. I still have the poem. It was lovely.
As for dreams: Writing full time!
Wow, that's amazing! I can't believe he makes a full-time income from doing that. Thanks for sharing that inspirational story!
What a wonderful encounter! I often take walks in my community, stopping to talk to all sorts of people. It's amazing all the stories you hear. People are simply interesting!
Hi Holly,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Oh how beautiful! What a remarkable person - I'm in awe that he makes his living that way. But what I especially love is how it all started by taking yourself on an "artist date" - what a great concept! The best ideas always come while wandering.
My dream is to write fiction full time, but for now I'm just grateful to have it as a hobby :)
Thank you! I've taken the artist date idea from Julia Cameron of course, and it's so hard to make myself take the time for but the rewards are truly exponential!
This is amazing. I'd love to go full-time on Substack that's my dream. Write for a living and live in the woods :)
Same. Only if the woods were close to a Target that would be even better. 😌
I second that! A cabin-style/Target shopping center that's quiet and lovely and you have to walk to it instead of drive? And there's lots of woodland creatures around? But you can still get your caffeine fix? Since we're dreaming!!
I'm with you on writing for a living! My dad would be with you on both. I'm more of a "live somewhere close to everything but not in the middle of everything" person. Which means access to the woods, of course.
Oddly, I didn't learn until recently that my dad would be happy to write for a living. I wish he'd get on Substack—he's a stellar writer.
THAT is the nature of innovation and entrepreneurialism. You have to be willing to listen to your imagination and DO something about it. To many people put the things of their imagination in the "To Hard" box long before they ever even explore it. Don't ignore your mind!
I love people thinking outside the box like that!
Wow! What a story to ponder! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻
That’s extraordinary. I met someone in New Orleans who did that some years ago and still have the poem on my desk. It was about dreams being a separate reality.
I imagine expanding an existing world I created to span hundreds of years over a couple books. We’ll see.
That's intriguing! I'd like to hear more :)
My goodness, I love this. It's like the writer version of busking. I'd love to read a whole essay about this encounter and your conversation with him.
Ooh, thank you for the prompt! I did write about my artist date and took lots of photos, including of the poem he wrote! https://thebarefootbeat.substack.com/p/artist-date-2-austin-edition-field
Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to read it. :)
What a very cool way to work! Love the old typewriter “magnet.”
Hi Mariah,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Hats off to you, Mariah, for going on your Artist Date. I've been planning to get back to those for weeks now and haven't managed to do a single one in over 3 months. Delightful what happens on those, isn't it?
I'm imagining reaching half a million subscribers and helping them get their creative MoJo back while continuing to release my music and publishing my experimental writing.
May you live your best and wildest dreams this year!
Thank you for sharing your dream, Jo! I have very similar dreams. I wonder if there's a collab in the future ;) ? One good excuse I give myself for being better at going on Artist Dates is that I know from experience I have to fill my own well before I can give to others. Since my goal is to help foster a thriving community here on Substack, I have to make sure my creative well is deep!
That is so true, Mariah. I remember Julia saying that, actually, about filling our well. A possible collab? Sounds exciting! We both write about creativity, makes sense! Have subscribed to Heartbeats as it really spoke to me. Lovely to meet you 😊
Thank you so much, Jo! Welcome. I haven't done any collabs yet but it's something I definitely want to grow into. I'm open to any ideas you might have!
Thanks Mariah.
Neither have i, but it sounds exciting.
Let's see where this takes us!
The audience overlap feature is GREAT! Excited about that one.
Me too! I just checked it and was surprised to discover two newsletters I’d never heard of have significant audience overlap with mine! I have some homework to do and may have just discovered some new reads :-)
Oh that's cool!
The audience overlap is really going to be helpful. I love seeing who else my readers are reading, too. It's going to help me direct my focus, I think.
Same!
Same!
Yes! I didn't notice that one at first, but eventually spotted it being the slow person I am. As your audience becomes bigger and bigger, the larger sampling will become more and more important. Then you go to those crossover Substacks and start interacting with the author and his articles. Should be very effective.
Yes! I'm excited about the new data helping me to better network, as well.
And me!
You too only see the USA map?
There's a drop down menu that lets you choose between All time, 30 days, 90 days; another menu that lets you choose between the US and the World.
I like how US based companies distinguish between US and the rest 😅
22% from US for me!
It's very insightful!
I like that too, thanks Substack!
Me too!
Thank you to everyone who reached out after I posted about my Guest Writer Program last week.
(I'm republishing poignant work -- mostly first person stories -- in order to give them a bigger audience in my daily newsletter on Substack ... Understandably.com ... started with zero subscribers in 2019, now up to 170,000+!).
I've accepted 10 out of 52 pieces, paying $75 each. I won't take up space by repeating the whole announcement, but if you're interested to learn more or submit something, go here. Thanks!
https://www.understandably.com/p/writers-wanted-share-your-work-on
(I think I've replied to everyone who submitted. If I missed you, feel free to let me know at bill@understandably.com and I will be suitably embarrassed!)
Let me just say that Bill is a dream to work with and I'm pleased he accepted two of my essays to republish on Understandably.
This reminds me I need to send something along again--if he has time to even look at it now! LOL.
I was wondering if these have to be unpublished stories, or if they can be stories I've already published on my own space.
Already published is fine. In fact, I sort of prefer this bc it means I can see m/l what it's going to look like. Of course you must have rights to republish and it has to be new to my audience. Thanks!
Thanks, Bill! And thanks for the invitation. Great opportunity!
I had the same question.
Thanks Bill. The refined description is good.
Writing is 90% editing :)
Heh, must also account for the in-head writing some of us do while sleeping or taking our morning walks :)
I call that "Percolating". I usually have about 20-25 stories in very rough draft in my OneNote pages. When a concept occurs to me, I write it down, some basic notes, ideas, structure, whatever is in my head at the moment.
THEN I move on to other stories. At some point days, weeks, months later, my brain starts yelling, "Hey, you! I've got your story ready." Then I go back to that draft and the real story starts to pour out.
If I try to force it too early, it takes 5 times as long and is not as good. So I've learned to listen to my brain. When it is ready, it will let me know.
Yes, I've become a serial updater
how right you are, Bill!
Wow! Will be in touch!
Thanks for reposting this invitation. I’ve missed the last few Office Hours and am remembering why I like hanging out here! Love how this community of writers supports one another.
Bill, thinking about submitting a story similar to one I've had published on HuffPost— let me check with them to make sure tho
What kind of stories?
Right now I'm looking for "first person stories about unique experiences that have broad lessons or themes." A poignant or positive ending helps. Examples at the link above. Thanks for your interest!
Definitely interested in this! I'll be in touch.
I've got some pieces that would fit, but I can't seem to write a damn thing under 2000 words these days. Do you ever publish long form?
Hi. Not really. I have considered running 1 over 2 days. Also done some abridgements.
Appreciate the opportunity, Bill. I'll follow up. But, also, WOWZA! Congratulations on your wild success on this platform. Truly impressive and speaks to the quality of your work.
Thanks for bringing this up again - I wasn't able to attend/contribute to this thread for a few weeks...
Thanks for the repost. I missed it last time.
This is amazing! I’m interested as well, will reach out:)
Definitely going to submit
Thanks will check it out
what a lovely gesture, Bill. Thank you.
Sounds like a great opportunity. I’m going to check out your Substack and be in touch soon.
Definitely interested! I'll reach out.
Here in Sofia (Bulgaria) there is a historical bath house, located on top of a natural hot water spring. In the past, when people didn't have running water at their homes they would go there for a bath. The building has four gates. The main one was for the rich. The two rear gates were for the poor. The back gate was dedicated for his majesty the Bulgarian Tsar. Despite they come from different walks of life, they would meet at the same pool. Substack office hours reminds me of this bath house. Writers with hundreds of paying subscribers would mingle in the discussion with complete beginners, together with the team. Even once I have spotted the CEO in the thread. Keep up the good job 👍
What a beautiful analogy.
Oooh, that's a really cool story, thanks for sharing!
love this analogy!
Hi writers,
What is the moment that completely shifted your readership growth?
Usually more common in social media like Youtube and Instagram, but I'd like to know if you have a moment that a post or your publication goes viral ?
If you haven't checkout the grow interview series yet, there are lots of great stories of how writers unlocked subscriber growth.
Here's the most recenet: https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-25-leslie-stephens
If you scroll to the bottom, you can see the full archive.
thanks Katie.
I hate to say it, but I gained the most readers and commenters on both of my newsletters after my husband died in March and I began to write about grief and widowhood. I was frankly astonished at the feedback. It was so heartwarming and exactly what I needed. My subscribers are the best!
<3 I'm glad you found some warmth and support here
Me too! Thanks.
I appreciate you and your sharing about your loss. A friend shared with me about the loss of her husband and her committed involvement with hospice. She wrote a blurb for my first published book. Her book, After Loss by Linda Donovan, was helpful to many. I dedicated my first book to another friend who lost her husband to COVID-19. In one of my articles, I talked about a cousin of my mother. I meant her in Isreal. She was a survivor of the concentration camps after losing most of her family and almost herself during the Holocaust. She was a poet and inspired me deeply. Grief and loss are the part of life that takes a long journey to heal but, hopefully, to a deeper connection and meaning to our maturing efforts as we progress in life.
I fear your comment was meant for the one who lost her husband
I'm so sorry for your loss, Ramona, but so glad you were able to channel it into creativity & community.
Again this comment meant for other writer
Thank you, Emily. I'm not sure I could have gotten through it in one piece without my writing and my community.
❤️
Yes, the personnel touch hits a chord. Human experience
Mine came when another writer shared what I was doing with his readers. Not an ad, or a cross-post; he just liked what I was doing and thought his audience might as well.
It changed everything.
Amazing!
Hey! Can I ask how do you get your music link to go to the platform of your choice? That's a great feature!
I love your last post and the music is great. I've been writing here and there about an old form of music - player piano rolls. If you feel crazy, check it out. https://jodiemeynwrites.substack.com/p/the-pianolist-born-free
Thanks for the kind words! I use Songwhip to get the track I want, and then imbed that link in the picture.
Sounds genuine. Can you share how that came about?
Nothing totally viral for me, but my readership did increase rapidly as I wrote my series on being a stem cell donor for my brother--in almost real time.
Very very interesting!
Do you know how have readers found out about your stem cell stories?
Mostly through discussions in Substack Writer Office Hours + comments on related Substack posts + links referencing the stories in my later newsletters.
So, in short: Substack, Substack, Substack! 💥
I can see the engagement of other Substackers is much higher.
However, I am not sure if there is some sort of "Substack bubble" here.
Like, for instance, people content about coaching, which in the end is solely read by fellow coaches, while writers are looking for clients 😅
I've been wondering about the "Substack bubble" as well. I guess time will tell!
Gosh Holly I really want to read your journey with that. How incredible.
It was nothing like I thought it would be (much more physically difficult than I imagined), but so rewarding! My brother will celebrate 6 months post-transplant next week and he is cancer free with a very high percentage of donor cells still thriving. I might be oldish, overweight, and a little crazy, but apparently my cells are badass!
Well done Holly. So good to see a transplant brought into the conversation. I am so proud of my heart donor - I wish I could thank them in person, but instead I write to inspire. The protagonist in my novel Writ Large, which I’m serialising here on conked.io is a heart transplant survivor.
I'm literally applauding your great survival from my corner of the world, Rand! And I'm applauding your heart donor for being an organ donor and giving you life! Every day that my brother gets a good report, I truly do marvel at the miracle of the life we can give each other. It's so humbling to know that I was lucky enough to be a 12/12 match for him and to do this for him.
Sounds like a very cool novel, written from an up-close perspective. I don't read much fiction these days, but I'm going to check it out.
You are amazing, what a gift for your brother!
Good question! It wasn’t a viral moment for me. Viral is fine, but you can’t bank on it and sometimes a post goes viral but doesn’t lead to very many sustaining subs because viral hits are sort of like catching lightning in the bottle. The moment that changed my growth trajectory was a kind of tipping point where the majority of my subscribers were strangers. Reaching that point meant that I had a small audience of fans regularly sharing my work. Over time, that small audience grew like compound interest--small upticks weekly, then daily. Hope that helps!
This has been my experience as well -- gaining a small group of engaged subscribers I didn't already know. The growth continues to be steady as community builds.
Yes, I see my open rate go up when I get a new batch of new subscribers (who are now beyond my own network). Interesting insight! It's like the incremental subscriber is worth more, so you just keep going.
I didn't reach/inform any of my personal friends or family just posted to everyone. Face book and Instagram not fruitful so trying other platforms.
Slow and steady growth is good because it’s sustainable (i.e. grows because you write consistently, rather than a viral moment) and it tends to attract higher quality audience that is likely to stick around. At least that’s my experience
Yes, gotta look at my # specifics
Excellent insight...I'm having a similar experience!
So far, promoting it on LinkedIn has been pretty helpful foe me. But I don't do that for every post, only the posts that I think might resonate with my professional network.
Yes, LinkedIn starting to mine that more as well. But # of emails to sort through is ahggg 😕
Which type of posts have resonated the most?
I used linkedin too, but not sure about this...
I have more people from Substack now. The engagement in terms of likes and comments is much higher than "normal" readers (which still typically read me every time anyway).
You will find it differs for everyone and in most cases it's a slow growth. Those that experienced a significant bump, an overnight success so to speak, either had a guest post or were mentioned on another very successful Substack... think on the magnitude of 5-10k plus subscribers.
Yeah. I think that a lot of engagement comes from commenting and contributing to other communities. I post my links on instagram, and share it with friends, but it's a slow roll to try and increase audience attention. Even when one thing is popular, it doesn't mean that the next article on a similar topic will be as popular.
That is a lot...
I got lucky last month when I was featured on the substack home page under their recommended reads - quickly pushed me from just over 200 free subs to over 600, so that was an amazing boost! I still have not figured out the magic trick for converting to paid subscribers, but my plan is to keep publishing and experimenting until I find the formula for me.
Nice! How did you get showcased on the homepage?
I have no idea. I just got an email that I was being, so it felt like some sort of serendipitous magic!
I’ve just had slow growth since the first post. Coming to office hours and joining community got me more readers but no viral moment yet. Still waiting for Oprah to plug my Substack. 🤞🏾
I'm a far cry from Oprah, but you're on my list to read now! I also do personal essays and poetry! I'm still mostly friends and family, but I have a few of them who are encouraging enough to keep me going. Hope you get the same!
Hurray! It’s always nice to meet another poet.
What’s really funny is I don’t think my family does read my stuff. Let me check the subscriber list…
😀, nice Chevanne! I'll put in a good word for you...
Much obliged. 🥰
When Oprah talked about my newsletter on her show. Got a real good boost from that...
What's your secret!!!
Oprah? Well I was in Chicago for a meeting about...(sorry the rest of this post is for paying subscribers only) :(
hahaha!
I considered submitting my work to Oprah. Can you share how you did it?
Seriously?! Wow. Congrats.
No, just my weird sense of humor...
Too late, I’ve already told someone else, the rumor is out there, you will nonetheless become famous.
In todays featured Substack she talks about getting 1000 new subs through a viral tweet. I have no interest in spending time on twitter but I have set my posts to automatically pull through. Didn’t see the harm in that (for now)
Pull through?
I think it was actually 10k subscribers!
She shares more about what happened here - https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-8
Thank you Vin!
I will check it out soon. After my horrific renovation, I still have a court hearing coming up after which I fully intend to explore this more. Excited to check out yours very soon! Thank you for sharing your advice.
Wow, do you manage marketing other substacks? Very detailed approach.
Vin has got some really good stuff! I'm glad you came to Substack.
Happy Office Hours! I am in the first month of my Substack journey, and just wanted to say thank you to each and every writer and creator who shows up in these comments and offers advice and wisdom.
I wrote in my newsletter today--about traveling, but something similar applies here I think--about the "journey being the destination." I am reminded, each and every day that I sit down with my notebook or keyboard, that the end goal--publication, a certain number of readers--is not the point. Writing, the love of it, the joy of getting swept away in the creation and that humbling moment when someone shares their love of the stories or essays that you have poured your heart into; that's the point. Fortunately, we are all able to get a bit of that, the love of it, every day. It doesn't hinge on the approval of another, someone pressing the subscribe button, or so on.
May you all write something you are proud of today, something that you love with your whole heart. 💛
Welcome, Megan! I'm glad you found 'Office Hours'. It'll be extremely helpful. Don't be afraid to ask anything. Someone always has the answer!
Thank you so very much 💛
Hi Megan,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
This is so true! I've had to remind myself of this lately, especially in light of New Year's resolutions. Stop beating myself up for not being productive enough, not achieving certain goals, etc. etc. and just enjoy the act of writing itself.
Yes. Exactly. Excellent.
🙏🎈❤️❤️❤️
😊😊
I’m psyched to see audience insights - have been wondering about this. Thanks! Any chance we can search for substacks by writer location? Would be a neat way to find / form writer communities IRL :)
Hey Julia,
You can sort your subscriber dashboard by "subscriber country" but I also would love if we could go more layer specific, with state or city for example.
Here's a quick link that will do this specific filter for subscribers in the US: https://your.substack.com/publish/subscribers?fs=%5B%7B%22column%22:%22subscription_country%22,%22relation%22:%22_string_is%22,%22value%22:%22US%22%7D%5D&_no_an=true
Thanks Katie! This new feature is great, well done. On a separate note, I was asking about connecting with other writers nearby (for me it’s anchorage, AK) not necessarily my subscribers (even though there might be overlap!)
Oooo… for privacy some might not disclose that but it would make for nice in-person meetups.
I agree- thank you for raising this!! 😅😅 Maybe optional disclosure by writers? Another idea would be creating chat groups by writer location
That would be good. Maybe specify how zoomed in, whether region, state, or city, depending on the preference.
+1 Would love to know who's writing in my area!
That would be great. I'm building a network of writers in my country (New Zealand) and region (Pacific), but I've had to do that manually.
After Substack Grow last year, we formed a group for Los Angeles-based Substackers. If you're in LA, come check it out: https://angelenos.substack.com/
Ahh that's awesome! Thanks. I'm up in Anchorage but am tempted to start something similar...
Oh yes to this genius idea!
Not a bad idea ❤️
TO SUBSTACK, re "NO THANKS": I'm noticing an uptick in free signups who then unsubscribe a few days later. No big whoop that I'm not their thing, but reverting the welcome page language back to "Let me read it first" is a better UX experience vs the deceptive design of "no thanks." I don't like having that manipulative interaction as an introduction to my hospitable vibe.
I second that feedback, I thought the "let me read it first" was a bit clearer and friendlier too!
Heard! We're talking about this a lot internally. I'll make sure your feedback is represented.
Absolutely. "Let me read it first" is a whole lot friendlier. Please bring it back, thank you.
Thanks. Bailey. "No thanks" sounds huffy, where "Let me read it first" sounds kind. You know we writers suffer terribly from inferiority complexes, right? So anything you can do to help us through these emotional ups and downs is greatly appreciated. 😌
Yes, I wasn’t sure if you guys were split testing things or what! I’ll be interested to see how the landing page CTA develops because it’s one place we as writers have much less control of compared with the rest of our publication.
Agreed, I liked the "Let me read it first" so much better. mostly because that's exactly what I as a reader/consumer want before committing to subscribing, even as a free subscriber. I found that whole approach very transparent, and inviting.
Yes, implies 💰and commitment right away.
Exactly.
Yes yes yes.
There are a number of patterns Substack encourages that make it come across as spammy. One of the reasons I'm really enjoying Substack is because it's not spammy overall. So the spammy aspects really bother me.
Example: We're encouraged to add subscribe buttons to every post, so I added a subscribe button to the bottom of a paid post. But when I looked at the preview, my button was sitting right on top of Substack's default "upgrade to paid". It made no sense to add a button of my own; the only people who can see the post fully are already paid, and everyone else sees Substack's default buttons, which are plentiful.
The "get more subscribers at all costs" is a really slippery slope. Cross the line and you really annoy people and drive them away.
Seconded!
+ 1 please
How are you all finding talking about your Substack to others? Do you have a pre-prepared spiel, an elevator pitch etc? Would love to hear it if you do so I can refine mine 💘💘
We always recommend, when crafting your pitch, to start with two deceptively simple questions:
Who cares about your writing?
Why will they read your work?
https://on.substack.com/i/77022705/craft-your-paid-subscriptions-pitch
@Katie I like the simplicity of that approach. In marketing or user experience, we always start with defining the audience and then identifying what they care about. I always found that helpful as a starting point.
Thanks Kate! Appreciate it ❤️
Uh, I'm realizing right now that I've never talked about my Substack to anyone who doesn't already know about it. I need to get out of the house more!
😆
Lol!
Talking in person has helped a lot, it’s made me refine what it is that I’m saying and/or want to say. I also had business cards made with my newsletter information on them, but had them made bigger so they could be used as a bookmarks since reading and writing about books is what I do!! It’s been a lot of fun to hand them out because people first tend to assume “newsletter” means not serious, but then you hand them a business card and they go “ ohhh, a business card? Oh how neat”. ☺️
Genius! Thank you 🥰
Love the bookmark idea! Thanks!!
Nice! I used to have business cards. Been a long time.
A couple that I've used:
Make sure to say who SWEETIE is for, and what they'll get from it.
"On Repeat is for people looking to freshen up their playlists."
"Old favorites for new ears"
"Give me 2 weeks and I'll get you a new favorite song."
Yes, I feature a music section in my newsletter. I been waiting to include more reviews
I have a quick pitch, basically two sentences that explain what Situation Normal is about. Plus, I follow up with a few examples of stories, if the person I’m talking to shows interest. Best advice is to try talking to anyone / everyone about your Substack. It’s a great way to refine your pitch and get comfortable talking about your work. Hope that helps!
I found simplicity to be the best technique (although most difficult to construct).
In my case: Sober writer, Addictive stories.
https://idiotspit.substack.com/
I am (constantly) revisiting and iterating my elevator pitch as I continue to write and learn more about my voice and point of view.
Right now Outsourced Optimism is "a former Pollyanna exploring real life through popular fiction." But lately I realized I want to expand what I write about and how I write about it- not always prompted by movies or tv or books.
Honestly, more than anything else, having to sum it up in a few sentences really helps me find clarity and focus and identify where I'm getting stuck.
I came across an an article by Substack (it's actually a series of articles) and it helped me articulate who I think would enjoy my publication.
https://substack.com/grow
They present a couple of questions that helped me define what my audience looks like.
I have now read your message better 😅
Since my topics are evolving over time, I rather list some of the topics I have written about.
Eg "I have written articles that range from Developing Assertiveness, to Dealing with Rude People, to Being a Workaholic."
My niche is indeed not clear yet...
I more enjoy my niche not being clear, as when my focus is too much on who I am and what my niche is, I usually come up with the wrong niche and person.
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? Where am I coming from?
For instance, I write on principles for personal impact, growth and decision making. Combining rational techniques with grounding methods. With a focus on analytical people.
My partners deal with burnout (which is often a consequence of overanalysis and pure rational thinking), bioenergetics analysis (which helps grounding) and the nervous system (which relates to the body mind connection).
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 ;)
Or sometimes, authors just find you here and decide to recommend you.
If you wanna check it out, this is my Substack ;) https://livmkk.substack.com/
Will check it out
I’ve never thought about talking about it in person! I’m going to refine this as an idea though!
Also talk about it with readers and get them talking to each other. I do this: IF IT WERE ME / PEER ASSIST PROCESS
Take 25 minutes (assign a time keeper) and self-facilitate, self-organise documenting and / or recording (if wanted); follow these steps:
1) Person willing to share a creative challenge, 4 MINUTES: What is my challenge?
2) Assisting group, 4 MINUTES: Clarifying questions? What did you mean? Tell us more about…
3) ONE MINUTE SILENCE
4) Assisting group, 5 MINUTES: If it were me . . self-advice, resources, thoughts...
5) Person with challenge, 5 MINUTES: replies and summarizes what they learned and what they might try.
6) Assisting group (a round, 5 MINUTES: What did I learn from this discussion? How might it help my work?"
7) what are the implications for the group?
All the best!
Thanks for the list and the effort 😊
Thanks De. I had it ready 'cause I used it this morning to great effect!
For me, "the pitch", which is also my publication's summary, has been constantly evolving every week since I launched it. I think that's okay. That's also part of the process of finding your voice and what you want to write about.
I find my elevator pitch slowly evolving without using an elevator. It's hard for me sometimes, but here's what I've got:
One of a kind evocative creative fiction for those who enjoy thoughtful, edgy stories that provoke reflection upon our shared human condition.
In-person, it usually just comes up when talking about something wellness-wise that I’ve written about and then I’ll mention the URL or, even better, ask for their email to subscribe them manually. Or, with friends and family when I hit a particular milestone or set a new goal, it seems like just talking about my publication as a process matters more to those people than my topic.
I'm usually quick and to the point (plus the name of my newsletter sort of tells the story for me) - I write about Vegan food and offer inspiring ideas every week... That's it!
The last week has been tough.
I was struggling to find my way out. To get back to writing. To get back to follow my dream.
Which is to turn my articles into a profession.
Then I’ve remembered. That I’ve been there already.
And the solution was: “In doubt, just do”. Go back in motion.
Keep writing. Connect with fellow authors. Connect with Tobias, connect with Ed.
So, share this post since “I must keep reminding myself of this”.
That I’m not alone in this. That I can count on other writers and readers. As I continue to walk on my path.
Enjoy office hours today, people. Prosper and connect. 💫
And, when persisting is required, read about my experience. Might help you too to remember the way out.
🙇♂️ https://livmkk.substack.com/p/i-must-keep-reminding-myself-of-this
Cheers to that! When in doubt, just do!
Yeah! That's exactly the lesson I had learned myself. And then forgotten 😅
By doing, I started to feel a sense of accomplishment. To realise I was making progress. And to regain vitality.
By talking to people, I have started to get encouragement, introductions and advice. Understanding and recommendations.
Let's all remind ourselves of that :)
It’s the only way through. Keep sending the signals out and someone will see it.
That's nicely put :)
Persisting and not giving up but finding inspiration and opening new doors to wisdom and opportunity.
Delenda est Carthago! Please translate the UI to other languages (portuguese in my case) Every day losing probable paid subscribers and probable fellow writers because of that. This kind of translation is o simple.... I would be glad to help!
Came for the Latin (adjacent language), stayed for the UI request
While this request doesn't really affect me, I can see how frustrating this could be for others...so +1 from me!
Fala Christian. A gente ta tentando priorizar a internacionalização da plataforma e começaremos a traduzir varios aspectos da UI logo logo. Um abraço.
Maravilha. Grande urgência para a tela de inscrição (por onde se perde grande parte dos possíveis assinantes) e para os botões em geral. Até o botão "Listen now" que vai no email gera confusão. Infelizmente são 200 milhões de pessoas no Brasil e só uma minoria entende inglês e poucos sabem usar ferramentas externas de tradução de páginas.
Really like the audience stats (shoutout to my reader in Zambia!). What data are you pulling to get these locations? Asking because it only shows "1" in the state I live in, when I know there are at least 5 (mostly 'cause I live with them).
This is based on the location of the signup (or paid subscription) but excludes imports/comps/gifts which could be the reason they aren't showing up. Imports/comps/gifts would all show where the importer/gifter was located so those have been removed.
"based on the location of the signup" - the geography of IP address of the device used?
Exactly!
Thank you!
good to know!
Pleasantly surprised to see Kenya, Nigeria, Vietnam, Philippines, and Czech republic on my map--had no idea! Didn't realize I was as international as I was. Will have to contemplate whether this merits a change in strategy!
One of those is my homeland! So interesting!
Yes, strategy is key. Culture plays a role in your approach
Look at all those readers in California! I'd seriously like to know what kind of geo-tagging is in play. And also it is now my personal mission to turn all of those grey states orange (looking at you, Virginia!).
I love this game!!!
What popped out for you about your subscribers' locations?
I'm stunned to discover I'm trending on Jupiter, but, what..........nothing on Neptune? C'mon!!
uranus?
Having raised two boys and grown up with only brothers, I am dying laughing over here.
Not without dinner first.
I'm sure there are tons of Martians reading, too!
I think you are right, Holly. They are among us...
From your lips to their antennae!
My Substack has been flirting with 1000 subscribers for a week now. It was climbing steadily, then it hit 997 and has been stubbornly holding between 994 and 997 for seven days now. I think it is trying to keep me humble. 🤣
But it has taken 2 1/2 years to get here. Surely that is enough dues. Isn’t it, Substack? 😉🤓
congrats Mark! Now you and Kevin Kelly have it made. (https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/)
Thanks, Paul. Almost time for a celebration taco. 🤓
Congratulations Mark!!
Thank Andrew. Only 4 more...
But it'll be so sweet when you get there.
True.
Ack! I know the feeling! I feel like during the last part of the year, people are so distracted by the holidays that they don’t follow along. 😅
It's such a tease. 😂
Audience Insights is so cool! Thanks to the developers who worked on this.
Only 58% of my audience is based in the US, which is a huge surprise to me. Showing overlap with other publications was a suggestion of mine from weeks ago and I'm very excited to see it in action.
Awesome! We're hoping the overlap can help with writer collabs too.
7% of my audience overlaps with George Saunders. I'd LOVE to do that collab, lol. 😅
That my percentage of US audience too! Which was a surprise, because I assumed my largest percentage would be Australia (where I live)..
You just never know!
Just one thing to say: thanks for adding the Audience Insights tab :)
Glad you're enjoying it!
Audience insights are HUGE! Thank you!
True! It'll be fun to see where our efforts are hitting! Now, I can only guess, with e-mail addresses an occasional hint. Audience overlap with other pubs should be interesting to see, too!
Before you could go subscriber by subscriber to see what country Substack estimates they are from, but this map is very helpful. I've been read on four continents and had no idea. Need to contemplate whether this requires a change in strategy!
I didn't even realize this data was available!
Yes! Such valuable info--especially the audience overlap.
Wordpress doesn't give state-level data for the US either, I was just about to undertake the project of checking my subscribers for overlap and this is extremely helpful. Wow!
Now, if we could just get the monthly stats that WordPress gives us, that would be great ;-)
I'll take what I can get!
🫰🫰
Thanks for the changes to private Substacks. I’m planning on working on a book that I want to control who sees and gives feedback to. But it was difficult to figure out who I would add. Now I have a better option.
Oh that’s a great idea. I published the first two chapters of my childrens book as a Christmas gift to paid subscribers but it might work this way to...
I heard of another Substacker doing it, John McWorter. He didn’t have these features but he did manage to make it work apparently. Ever since then I’ve been thinking about how to do it myself. This will make it a lot easier.
Yes definitely... a few of my colleagues asked if this might be possible here - I think there’s often a work around!
What alternative sources (to your own social media and Substack features) are you using to get exposed to new subscribers?
One of my main sources (1 in 4 of all my subscribers came from there) is The Sample, a free services that time-to-time shares your post with people interested in newsletters of a similar category. If you want to give it a go, you can register via this link - https://thesample.ai/?ref=850d (full disclosure - this is a referral link, and I'll get additional forwards for every sign-up).
During last Office Hours some people mentioned using old-school business cards (with or without QR codes), ads in niche print outlets, niche subreddits (or even starting your own subreddit), running Instagram ads.
What are other ways of getting the message out there that works for you?
I've been mostly posting on instagram when I publish an article, and working on making those hashtags very specific.
The Sample works well for me too (I only do the free part). I also publish articles on Medium, so when the article topic is related to my Substack (mental health), I include a link to my Substack at the bottom of it. Also, when I comment on someone else's Medium article in my niche, if I have a specific newsletter article on the same topic I include a link to it.
I have been copying and pasting my Substack posts into Medium with a link to subscribe to my 50 Things Substack newsletter a the bottom. This usually gets a few new subscribers per post but to be honest, I really don't spend a lot of time on Medium or optimizing my posts.
Thanks for sharing Wendi. Would you mind sharing how your experience on Medium differs from your experience on Substack?
I’m not sure I can explain how my experience on Medium differs from Substack. Here are some ways: On Medium there are lots of publications (some on specific topics, others general interest) so most writers, myself included, submit their articles to publications instead of just publishing on their own profile page. On Medium people can follow you without being email subscribers. On Medium I get paid monthly based on the amount of time Medium members spend reading my articles.
The Sample seems to have run its course for me. At first, I received good action, but it diminished over time. These days, they barely forward anything. I've gotten better results with InboxReads.
I know what you mean, and they're open about this happening:
"There's one more important factor: in order to prevent a few popular newsletters from hogging all the forwards, we use some simple techniques to boost newsletters with fewer forwards. We try to spread organic forwards somewhat evenly while still sending people newsletters that they're likely to enjoy.
This means that the more organic forwards you receive, the more difficult it will become to get more. It's normal for the number of forwards you get per week to decrease over time."
Having a referral link helps though, as you get 100 forwards for each new user referred.
InboxReads brought me a few readers, and I think I had learned about it from you Victor, so thanks!
I posted a ref link once or twice and did receive some additional forwards. So that was good. Just today I activated paid forwards. Going to experiment with that a bit and see what happens. And glad InboxReads is working for you, Oleg. I think they're pretty great.
I experimented with the Sample and even did a few paid forwards---they did forward lots of copies of my newsletter which was an ego rush at first--but of the subs they produced, most have churned back out----it's hard to get much visibility into the analytics
A QR code business card is on my list but I’d link to my linktree I think so folks can choose where to find me online...
I just directly engage on SS.
I've added a subscribe CTA to my gmail signature, and I've cross posted a couple things to LinkedIn. I'm also working on submitting essays to other publications for exposure to new audiences.
I had a CTA in my work email signature but removed it, as I was not sure I really wanted clients to read my stuff, although some clients do find my newsletter via LinkedIn.
Hello all, and a (belated) Happy New Year from Maine:
This is my first foray into Office Hours, though I've been writing Field Guide to the Anthropocene on Substack for quite a while now (it will be two years in April). I tend to just keep my head down and write.
I'm here today to ask about podcasts, specifically whether I can produce read-alouds of my 90+ Substack essays and plug them directly into the archive as options for my audience. I'd rather not create a flood of new posts announcing each new read-aloud of old work. The goal is to retroactively reshape the archive so that visitors and subscribers have the podcast option.
Hope that makes sense, and that someone has a good answer for me. Thank you.
I'm in the process of doing that very thing today (and I am also in Maine). You can publish the audio files but not send them as an email, and then (after you publish them) go back and back date them to correspond with when the Substack essays published.
Well, that counts as a coincidence, I think. Happy to connect, Julie. When you say "publish the audio files," you mean as a podcast? Which means they'll exist as standalone podcasts rather than just embedded audio files in the archived post? Thank you, and get your snow shovel out... It's about time we had at least a glimpse of winter.
Yes! As a podcast! I have been doing voiceover of my essays for a while, and it's just now that I'm separating those out and making them separate podcast episodes. You can see them here: https://juliefalatko.substack.com/podcast and if you go to my archive you'll see that they line up with the essays. Does that make sense? I have vague thoughts of doing something that's not voiceover -- something that's more of a PODCAST podcast, not reading the essays -- but for now I'm setting it up. (I'm excited about the snow tomorrow!)
I've been progressing along this new adventure of doing voice-overs and podcasting. I have even used Speechify to get their excellent voice-over, and you can simply embed the voice file in your post. If I choose to do interviews as well or my voice, I would do it with something like Riverside.FM (supposedly better in quality than ZOOM) with Descript for any needed editing and also to get a transcript. With this combination, as it both records audio and video, you can set it up as a podcast, by yourself, or as an interview of somebody, or you can put the audio video on YouTube or as an embed in your post. Now really, do I have the time to do all this?? My mother used to say my eyes were bigger than my stomach.
This is great, Julie. It does make sense. Now it's time to start recording... I know what you mean about a podcast podcast, but I'll start at the ground level and see if I can get past the sound of my own voice as I record the read-alouds.
We're excited about the snow too. The forecasted snow totals for my area just bumped up from a few inches to perhaps as much as ten.
Thanks again. Take care, J
Sooooon you'll find you LOVE the sound of your voice and you'll start recording EVERYthing. I predict. I hope you're going to use the snow day to start on this project! You are farther north than I am, I bet; we've got 4 inches predicted. I'll take it!
Hi Julie: Sorry to bother you one more time, esp. while you're sledding... but if you have a moment could you share what hardware/software/editing stuff you're using for the read-alouds. No rush at all. Thanks, and happy sledding!
That's funny. I appreciate the optimism and the help. Be well, and get the sled out!
I think it might depend on whether you envision those read-alouds as separate posts from the original essays or not. You can go back into a post you've already published and embed your new audio and update the post, which shouldn't create a new post or send out any new emails. If you'd rather create a new "podcast" post for the audio, then you could de-select the setting to send out an email when you publish the post, and possibly backdate the post so that it would appear in order in your archive? The easier method is probably just to embed audio into the existing posts.
Thanks very much, Tonya. This gives me something to chew on. I do want the read-alouds to stand as podcasts, because I want people looking for podcasts to be able to find them. Take care, J.
Agree - goes to my question, too.
Keeping your head down and writing is The Deal 🙌🙌🙌🔥❤️
Indeed. That's where the books come from. And the body aches...
I'm wondering if there any plans in the works by Substack for new networking opportunities. Such things like the Writing Hours, Substack Go and in-person networking has been so invaluable to me in my journey on Substack.
Great feedback, Robert <3 We have a few ideas in the works that hopefully we can try and realize in the coming months.
That's great to hear Bailey!
Awesome! Looking forward to hearing more!
❤️❤️
This week I'm reflecting on my first six months on Substack 🥳 Part of my review was to see what essays, formats, themes performed best. Below are my 3 greatest hits (inspired by Gilmore Girls, 90's movies, and Everything Everywhere All At Once)
What was your best performing or most-loved release last year? (your favorite or your readers')
#1: https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/p/painting-a-self-portrait-in-motion
#2: https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/p/season-endings-and-series-finales
#3: https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/p/looking-at-life-through-a-bagel-an
Happy 6 months!
Thank you Katie!!
I’m also nearing my six month mark! Wahoo. My most popular post was one about a “what bird are you most like?” personality quiz. I think people liked the participatory aspect... https://vessels.substack.com/p/more-than-a-bird
Ah I love that insight - I also love feeling like I can participate - I often have more band width for that than reading some days.
I can totally see why! We loooove to know more about ourselves. Like, for instance, I now know I'm a raven! Congrats on your (almost) six month mark Julia!
Thanks, and a proper congrats to you!
Congrats Tami! I'm reaching my eight month mark with Subtack, my most popular piece being about how different my life would have been had I pursued a psychology degree instead. It led down to a rabbit hole of thoughts but it seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I even had a few friends DM on socials to chat about how they felt.
https://ontheverge.substack.com/p/me-myself-and-my-average-life
Thank you Natalie (and congratulations on your eight month milestone!). I'm really excited to read this. I've also been thinking and writing a lot of about what ifs and alternate realities. It must be on a lot of people's minds, because one of my most responded to issues and greatest hits (Season Endings & Series Finales) tackled this idea of being homesick for a life I never had. We definitely aren't the only ones wondering about lives not lived 💛
Hi Tami,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
100%! It looks like you just began your Substack journey! I think you'll find a great supportive community here that also believes in sharing and encouraging. Welcome!
Thank you so much for reaching out to me, Tami. I really appreciate it. Yes, this is a great supportive community and I'm so happy to be part of it. Best wishes to you. Sincerely, Hisstory Haven
❤️❤️❤️
As a newcomer to the Substack community, I'm feeling a groundswell of good vibes from other writers. For a 60-something scribe like me, who finds this newsletter business a bit scary, this is really refreshing! Wishing everyone a successful 2023.
I have a publisher doing a case study on me and my substack, so thanks Substack. I didn't expect that, you rock!
Wicked... what university?
Wow rad! Please share here when it's published?
You know it. It won't be available online as it will be in a physical book that university students will have to read but I am sure we can do something with it to raise the Substack profile and get attention. Make sure to email me at info@shaungold.com so I have your contact.
This is all new to me and I'm a bit older, meaning technology can cause me some frustration. Please explain if this will be a video, or audio and if I can just listen and not have my camera active. Thank you.
Just chat, no video or audio. All you do is scroll through posts and comment if you like, and/or post your own questions or thoughts. Substack staff is here for only one hours, but writers chat before and after that scheduled time.
Thank you
Hi Tracy, welcome to Office Hours! Grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and just have a scroll to see what people are saying this week. I love this Thursday thread - I learn soooo much from fellow Substackers!
Tracy, I'm 47 and my day job is in technology--and I was also confused when I was new to this! Just scroll through the discussion thread and comment or ask questions where you see fit. There's no dumb question, so please post if you are having problems with something and need an assist. Welcome to Office Hours--you'll find valuable information here, but you'll have to scroll and read, so it can take a bit of time.
It's just this discussion thread. Substack people are present at the time they say, but many of us get started early on the discussion and stay on after it closes
Thank you
I think this is an excellent question and they could make it clearer!
I've always found it interesting to know where my readers are coming from, geographically speaking, but the Audience Insights adds another dimension: showing you the overlap with other newsletters. That's a pretty useful tranche of information.
I like the overlap with the other newsletters. I hope that they shove provinces for more than just the US in the future.
There's a world map there too, but not as detailed as the USA one
I found that, but I'm interested in the details of each country. Every place has its own culture, you know?
Yes I agree, Magan.
Show up everyday and do the thing. When you chase your audience you aren’t crafting your own message. Be patient, focus on what you can change. I find consistently showing up and sticking to my theme is very important + helpful.
It's funny how the Seth Godin adage continues to prove true. We just need to show up and do the thing every day. That compounds over time and can bring some pretty surprising returns.
The trick is not to be blinded by the daily nature of it. Daily is slow. Daily can seem boring and repetitive. But daily becomes weeks, months, years—and intersects with the "daily" of others. Daily is when habits are built, skills are honed, and relationships are fostered.
Only as we look back can we see the value. But the value is always there.
Consistency and quality are key 🔑
I'm obviously just here to troll for subscribers. 😜
But for real, who here has tried a variety of approaches (articles, images, video, podcast) or topics to see what hits with an audience and discovered something about what works and what doesn't? I'm a writer, so I always focus on that approach. But I've been doing a podcast that seems to hit with my audience. Eventually, I'm worried about spreading myself too thin and not giving quality effort to my writing.
Curious for feedback!
Also really just looking for new subs. 😜
Try everything! It is all an opportunity to grow
Hello fellow troll. Hehe.
Honestly I haven't had much luck with video engagement, but I also only published two videos, so who knows? Maybe knitting chart design speed videos aren't an appreciated nieche. What I have found has worked is lots of photos to be a reference to what you're talking about. A decently lit, original photo gets a lot of interaction.
Thanks. I'll look to add something original rather than the Unsplash option...
I started drawing with my posts just a little before starting my Substack and that's been received incredibly well. I'm shifting to a lot more drawing because the response has been so good. Haven't tried video yet.
I show up and mingle, get a few subscribers, write a good newsletter, repeat. Your advertisement is your presence. Your niche is you. That’s the only thing that’s worked for me. That and holding on to the hope that Oprah will plug my Substack.
Haha. Has she plugged anyone's Substack in the past?
She has! Apparently Paul Macko got a shoutout.
Edit: He said no but part of me wants the rumor to spread anyway. It’s all about supporting community. 😌
love the humour Teague :) Just today I was on a call with a woman who's been preparing a Powerpoint for about 8 years. I suggested she have someone interview her and just post that . I secretly want to do videos and podcast myself. (Don't tell anyone!)
❤️❤️❤️. Keep writing quality material. Stay consistent. Engage with other stacks. (As you’re doing here.) Don’t be pushy about subscriptions. (I’m speaking generally, not about you specifically, obviously.)
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
The last two weeks I've discovered different newsletters, so this chat is a great feature for interaction. As for approaches- I tried treating this as a regular blog when I first joined, and it didn't work. Now that I'm posting more regular I'm noticing more views/ visitors. So as long as you're genuine about what you do, it'll come across.
I find that consistent posting is key, too.
Yes!!
There is a lot of writing here about niching down and narrowing your focus for the benefits of finding a fan base. I guess to do that too much narrowing down would be to strangle the discovery and artist in you. All contrary to my life and experience. I love to dabble at times into wasteful things by others' standards. I love to take a side trip into such things as podcasting, as I sometimes do with ventures into social media and other interests. It sounds like you are a true artist and adventurer, a person of substance with great stuff to share. I will check out your writing and podcast, as podcasting is my latest adventure in uncharted water. You would be a great person to interview. I'm off to sail to more uncharted shores.
I love Audience insights!
🫰💯
I didn't know audience insights existed. I never click the Stats tab. But now you got me curious and I see that Dynamic Creed is read across 19 US states and 15 countries. Thank you 15 countries...
The audience insights are fascinating. Thank you! I would still love to be able to more easily see comparisons by month and over time, but this is a great start.
I'm curious how people who are already using Substack will utilize private newsletters. I'm finding myself using Facebook less and less but I would still like an easier way to keep in touch with friends and family. Has anyone considered starting a separate newsletter just for that purpose?
Finally, I have finally completed my book of essays/memoir and it is now available for pre-order through Amazon! I'm so excited and after this experience (I have some minor revisions to do before official launch on February 14), I'm ready to start the next project. I'm actually thinking about using the next project to encourage more people to sign up for paid subscriptions by making one unpolished chapter of the next book available each month for paid subscribers, as well as finally writing some spicier takes for just paid subscribers. Thoughts? Oh, and here's the link about my "final" steps 😊 https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/finishing-my-first-book
You might consider a private substack for family and friends?
That's what I'm thinking about doing. I'm three weeks late sending the "Christmas" newsletter I was going to send, so I guess I could start there ;-)
Congratulations on your book! 🎉
Thank you!
Have subscribed to your newsletter! :)
Thank you!
Congrats on the essays/memoir.
Thank you!
I'm curious about those private newsletters, too. Wondering how I might use one. Congrats on your book!
Thank you!
Is Office Hours at a difficult time for you? It's just after 6am here in New Zealand. For those who struggle with the time, I hosting Zoom meetups at a time friendly to people in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific region (it works for eastern Asia and American west coast as well).
Here's a link to the page which gives the day and time for the next meetup, in a couple of days.
https://lu.ma/p5fri9sr
Thanks for organizing Melanie, and joining us so early!
Hello Melanie from a finally sunny California! The time difference is indeed challenging. Thank you for taking this initiative. Is the meetup an addition to office hours or more a meetup for fellow writers?
It's a separate thing, a Zoom meetup for Substack writers. Usually we just chat about how our writing has been going, what we are working on, share ideas etc.
❤️❤️
I’m not into quote devotion, but I do relate to a few. Like this one that I keep next to my typewriter:
The outer work can never be small if the inner work is great. And the outer work can never be great if the inner work is small. Meister Eckhart
Okay, I don't have a typewriter any longer, but I've had this quote around for a long time. And I keep it in mind, especially when I get sad about metrics, which I'm not immune to. This whole thing seems slow, but I must keep on my path, popular or not.
You had me with the Meister Eckhart, Victor. He wrote a lot of famous stuff when accused by the Inquisition. He certainly kept his head while writing it . . . but unfortunately lost it afterwards. He also said that he was thankful for the most hard times b/c they enabled him to come closer to God , 'cause otherwise he'd just be trundling along. A beautiful man!
Kind of like, "so within, so without." The older I get the more I'm finding energy work is really the precursor to all external outcomes!
You continue to do all the right things, Victor, write well and just enough, engage in the community and provide your own insights. You're doing great!
Thank you Brian.
Thank you Bailey and tech staff for your help in getting all stacks back on the free Leaderboards!
So so sorry for the delay on that Kate!
Better late than never!
Audience insights is amazing!
True that. We think the wisdom flows down but maybe up. We can harness that by getting the audience together in real time so they share with each other. Playful, fun.
Hello! Any suggestions on how to push for more paid subscribers? Mine are growing, slowly, but I would like them to come on board more quickly. Just activated the chat, use video as well. Thanks for any suggestions!
I try to only put out 1 or 2 paid posts a week and the rest are free. When I put out a paid post, I try to cut it off on a cliffhanger. It's horrible, I know, but it works. Have you tried the free-trial option? I get some through that too.
Ditto 🔥🫰❤️
Following, fellow cartoonist. I can't figure out what helps. When I ask directly nothing happens and when I don't even mention the paid option, someone signs up. But that's not very helpful advice I guess.
If you haven't yet read this post it might have some good tips!
"How to motivate readers to upgrade their subscription"
https://on.substack.com/p/free-vs-paid
Thank you!
It’s a tough one. You don’t want to irritate readers too much by trying to get people to pay. There honestly isn’t much I’m aware of that you can do here other than write quality material consistently.
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
Love the new stats feature. Also love seeing new features added periodically. It's like Christmas
My first impression of Substack was that it looks rudimentary and I feared facebook will buy it soon. But they have improved a lot since 2021.
Hi,
I've really liked your new latex feature! Understandably its still in beta and you asked for feedback, so heres been my experience:
1) In-line latex would be super useful. microsoft onenote for example implements this super well, "alt+=" allows you to insert latex anywhere in a document. Substack currently only allows "latex blocks".
2) Using \newline doesn't work, it just formats everything into one line, so you have to make a new latex block which is inconvenient.
3) Latex blocks look bad on the mobile app, especially using dark mode. It makes huge white images for one line that take up half the page.
If you could pass this on to your dev team it would be really appreciated :)
Hey, I'm one of the engineers that worked on the beta here and wanted to give you a little more context.
Re: in-line LaTeX, it's something that we're working on, but is a bit far away. The reason is that while it's quite easy to do on the web, it's very difficult to do in email, since each post has to render in potentially dozens of email clients/browsers/devices, which are less standardized than on web. For the "blocks" we currently have we can render things as an image, which is straightforward, but very hard to do appropriately sized inline.
Definitely hear you on the newlines/text feedback, I will make sure those get addressed in upcoming releases.
As for the app, I have to pass that along further to the app team as that's outside of my domain, but I'll make sure the right eyes take a look.
Appreciate the feedback!
Thanks so much for the quick response :)
Looking forward to it!
Hi Ben, maybe it's too late to ask this but I'll try. Is this the same reason that the code block element is so plain? Every tech blog, and every platform that hosts discussions about tech, has syntax highlighting. Ideally we'd have the option to include line numbers, and the option to highlight specific lines.
Is there any movement on this?
Yeah, code blocks are definitely something that could get some more love, but are also plagued with similar email rendering issues. Are there any platforms that you think do an especially good job here?
I am not aware of a newsletter platform that does a better job with code blocks. If Substack could implement something to make writing about code easier, I think it would make the platform even more appealing to tech writers.
I'm aware that only building support for posts that are viewed on the web or through the app isn't really an option, because explanatory text needs to match what every reader sees in the code block. Writing "notice in the highlighted line..." only works if every reader sees a highlighted line.
Thinking more about this today, it seems the two highest priority elements would be implementing line numbering, and/or highlighted lines. Either or both of those features would give writers much better control about how to talk about a nontrivial code listing.
I believe emails are rendered as html tables; if that's correct I could see an implementation where line numbers are one additional column in the table that represents a code block.
Giving writers the option of highlighting lines could be limited to one color that lets individual lines stand out. That could probably be implemented with inline css? Right now I'm just bolding the code that I want to discuss, but it looks much less professional than a highlighted line.
I love what you all have built, and the pace of development as well. Thank you for replying.
Edit: To clarify, when I say "highlighted line" I'm not talking about syntax highlighting. I just mean "highlight lines 3,5, and 10". The use case is to indicate lines that have changed since the last listing, or specific lines that are being discussed in the text.
Hi again, I hope you see this. I kept thinking about this, and I think I came up with a working demo. There are three things I'd like in code blocks: titles (mostly for showing filenames), highlighting specific lines, and line numbers.
I started with code block titles, because that's the simplest. Here's an imgur post that shows the best way I can add filenames to code blocks currently, and what it would look like with a simple parsing change: https://imgur.com/a/Jp1uWZE
I generated the second screenshot by copying the source html of a draft post from the Substack post editor. That draft included a couple paragraphs and a single code block. I sent myself a test email, and downloaded the original .eml file, so I could see what Substack actually sends people. I broke that into the part before the post body, and the part after.
Then I wrote a parser that reads through the post body. If it finds a code block, it looks for "### title=". If it finds that, it moves the <pre><code> elements to the next line of the code block, and adds in appropriate style rules for a title line. The parser then builds a new .eml file that looks just like the file Substack sent, with the modified post body section.
The result is an email that should work in all clients that Substack currently supports. This involves no changes to the Substack post editor, and no changes to the style rules that are currently included in Substack emails.
I believe a similar approach could work for highlighting specific lines, and adding optional line numbers as well. If any of this is interesting to you, I'm ehmatthes at gmail.
Hey, this is awesome. Going to shoot you an email in the next few days.
Shared this with our team. Thank you!
I was thrilled to learn about Audience Insights. It says the newsletter is "read across 38 US states and 31 countries." Who would have thought.
Thank you Substack for these writer office hours. The interaction with other writers is so helpful, in addition to the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions of Substack staff.
Hey writers -
How much time do you set aside to write?
Do you time block some time out? Or just go at it from when you feel an itch to type?
Finding it tricky with having an idea, but not the time instantly to get it written down
I took the entire week after Christmas and before New Year's to bang out six different posts. I tend to let the ideas percolate until I can find the time to explore. I'll set up the posts in Substack as drafts, adding notes as I think of things until I can sit down and really devote time to the draft.
Love the idea of setting them up as drafts.
Just subscribed to your Substack. Best of luck!
There's a great free app I use called Trello . It's on my phone and I just write down ideas, links to website articles or other content I like (quotes, etc) to refer back to later.
I publish every week on Fridays, and usually write my articles that day, often without planning in advance what I'll write about. I think it would be much faster and easier to figure it out in advance and hope to reach that point.
How is this different than, for example, the Notes app on an iPhone?
I don’t use the notes app or know enough about it to say how Trello is different. Trello can scan what you want to save (a website link or quote etc) using your phone’s camera and you can create specific cards for each article with deadlines you get reminder emails about, etc.
Between a newborn and starting a new job, writing has become really tough. I also struggle to find topics to write about. Any tips on generating newsletter ideas?
Not such a bad thing to have to decrease the writing a bit while you enjoy life as a parent of a newborn - this exciting and beautiful moment will pass too quickly and you will get your time (and sleep) back - happened to me not that long ago...
Thanks for the reminder. This is our second kiddo and I'm trying to cherish the fleeting time where they are so little. Kids grow up quick!
Think about what you're curious about. Write about having a newborn and starting a new job! Write about what would resonate with you right now. And write down every idea that comes to you. Once you start writing them down, and honoring every possible idea (you won't end up using them all), it'll start priming your brain for coming up with viable ideas.
So simple yet so practical. I was pigeon-holing my ideas because my newsletter is about a very particular area in the tech industry. But I just realized that I could write about starting a new job with a newborn and that would be relevant!
Like S.E. Reid said earlier in these Office Hours: your niche is YOU. So you can write about the job and the newborn and if it's about you, it'll still be about your very particular area in the tech industry. Honestly you could probably write dozens of essays about a new job and a new baby and your industry, both separately and how they are all overlapping in your life.
I keep a note where I write what crosses my mind. Often it is just titles.
The topics sometimes come from discussions with friends. Some other times, from questions I am myself asked. And I reply in the article ;)
I hope this helps.
Hey substackers,
I'm coming up on my eight month on this platform with slow growth, but I recognise that that's okay! I've not let it get me down (even though somedays I definitely wonder why I bother! - anybody else feel like that?) This Sunday, I'm sharing my latest piece on the discomfort of self-promotion and how I've tried to overcome it. Step 1 being that I have to do things with more intention and just be brave!
I thought it would be nice to share three of my top best performing (that also happen to be pieces that resonated with me and readers the most):
#1: https://ontheverge.substack.com/p/lets-talk-about-ldfs-long-distance
#2: https://ontheverge.substack.com/p/me-myself-and-my-average-life
#3: https://ontheverge.substack.com/p/even-if-only-for-a-while
What are your best written pieces? Let's share!
Thanks for sharing yours. And Yes, I do feel like that at times. But then I try to stay disciplined and focused. I admit it's a bit of a roller coaster sometimes. Here's a couple of my stories that I love:
https://dcreed.substack.com/p/baz-tries-crime-first-time
https://dcreed.substack.com/p/the-passages-of-war-and-sickness
Hi Victor,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Hi Victor,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Hi Natalie,
I believe in your sentiment of sharing. We all should support and encourage each other in our endeavors. Please feel free to check out my story, A Miraculous Journey With Thor And Hisstory. I'm happy to share it with you. I think you'd enjoy it and welcome any comments. Wishing you great success.
Thanks for sharing Hisstory Haven. The first sentence of the first chapter is beautifully written, honestly the details and description are "Wow!" I think I've just found my evening reading for tonight!
Thank you, Natalie, for your compliment. I am thrilled you are going to read it. Your encouragement means the world to me. I write for the pure pleasure of sharing with others, so if there are people you know who would like the story, please feel free to share it with them. As a writer, you understand what a difference it makes to know that people enjoy your passion for creating a world with your words. I thank you for your support and appreciate any comments or questions you may have. My blessings to you in this New Year.
I honestly don’t know mine but have made a note to look
What’s the prognosis for building a readership without a preexisting social media presence? Is regular quality output + consistent engagement with other Substack users and content + the Substack algorithm enough? Or is it advisable to take out advertising or something like that?
I'm not on social media, and am really pleased at how my readership has built since last June when I first started on Substack. I post regularly (every Saturday, plus some extras which are part of a collaboration with a fellow writer), and spend time engaging with other writers by reading and commenting on their posts. And Office Hours is a great place to meet people! So yes: regular output and consistent engagement count for a LOT.
So glad to hear this. I really dislike social media and am working on building consistency and community here on Substack. Any specific tips for optimizing the time spent engaging on the platform?
i try to respond to every comment and to engage on other Substack pages, especialy those belonging to my subscribers. There's enough to keep you busy on Substack without engaging in social media, and I think it's much more satisfying.
That's the key for me: I'm already stupidly busy. Trying to work out a cadence that allows me more time here. I used to have an RSS feed of blogs that I read daily during the height of personal blogging (wrote about it a bit here: https://blog.foster.co/future-of-media-will-look-like-the-past/), and I feel like Substack could be similar.
I try to check in at least twice a day - more so on the days when I post, so I can engage with any lovely readers who are leaving comments - but I read what's in my inbox every day, and comment and engage where and when I like (which is everywhere and often, pretty much!). I really enjoy that community feel. I'm not sure any of this counts as optimising: basically I'm here to read fabulous writing that I enjoy, to talk to people about what they're writing about, and to have an outlet (and a readership, which is lovely!) for my own writing. This is my happy place. 😊
Sounds like you've built up a good network at rapport with your audience here. 🙂 I guess I'm not there yet...and I don't have very much time to dedicate each day, so I have to be strategic. I have time to read and comment on maybe 1-2 posts per weekday, and I've been trying to answer comments daily.
Sounds like you’re doing great! Any engagement helps, and reading and commenting daily is a really good idea. 😀
These are great tips.
I don't think that question can realistically be answered - it's different for everyone. Try it with all Substack for 6 months or so - if that doesn't work, look at other things like advertising. If you get really active on Substack and do cross promotions, you might find enough people here. But there's no magic bullet.
I can share my experience. I started my first Substack about a year and a half ago, if I remember correctly. All I did was write here and then post a link to my Substack posts to Twitter where I did not have a great following. Then, one day, one of the most popular Substackers came across a post of mine and he reposted it to his huge Twitter following. My subscriber numbers literally took off from about 100 to four-figure territory and have been going up steadily since then.
I launched my second Substack a few months ago, in a totally different area, I've been doing no social media reposting because I'm in no rush whatsoever, and I've got about four subscribers, I think. I don't know how helpful this is but that's my experience so far.
That’s incredibly helpful. Thank you!
My pleasure! Best of luck!
Yes, for the most part. Engage directly on here with other stacks.
Thank you for the encouragement! I needed that today.
Love the audience insights
Thanks for mentioning "audience insights." I didn't realize it was a new "stats" option. It's quite fun! 😎
"moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies is read across 36 US states and 56 countries.
United States 49%; India 14%; United Kingdom 7%; Canada 6%; Singapore 2%"
Thanks Substack team!!
❤️❤️