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 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PST / 1 p.m.–2 p.m. EST. We encourage writers to stick around after the hour and continue the conversation together.
Some reminders and celebrations from the Substack team:
Celebrating 70: This week marks the 70th Office Hours hosted On Substack. Thank you for continuing to generously show up to support fellow writers. As we look ahead, what support do you need more of? How might the Substack community be able to help? Let us know in the comments.
Chat mentions: Did you know you can now @mention other writers and readers in Chat? Simply search and tag other people subscribed to the same chat by using the “@” key. Mentions work whether sending a new chat or replying to an existing thread.
Reading Room: We spoke to Emma Straub, the New York Times bestselling author of six books for adults, a short story collection, and three picture books—about her daily reading habit, which she describes as being like an “open-mouthed fish trawling the bottom of the ocean.” Emma shares her favorite reads on Substack and beyond.
Got questions about Substack or feedback about a feature or tool? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
More features to promote writers looking to build an audience and perhaps a de-emphasis on writers that have already very well-established audiences. From personal experience, being featured on Substack Reads turbo-charged my publication and got me almost 200 subscribers in 48 hours. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least six writers whose work should be far better-known than it is.
Yes! I would love a feature. We all know that social media is a mess and having a way to get our names out there because we believe we have quality content would be SO helpful. Or even a way to apply to get featured.
Thanks, Sarah. Will check it out. And I just subscribed to your newsletter. Looks interesting and could be a good complement to what some of my subscribers read from me.
Not all social media is a mess. Yes, Twitter is a toxic cesspool I'm glad I left months ago, and Facebook is has more ads than posts and its privacy policies are horrible. I'm not on IG or TikTok and don't want to be. But Post and Mastodon are awesome and have a lot of high quality content and kind people willing to help newcomers figure out how to use them.
I'm excited to spend more time on Post once summer hits. I'm still posting there, but not really making the connections I want to make yet. And I loved IG before they changed all of the algorithms, but it looks like they may be correcting some of that now.
totally agree! I've been getting really frustrated at seeing all these big names just getting bigger when smaller pubs like yours (and mine) have content just as good!
Well, I'll definitely be putting in the recommendation for mine now. I'm glad Substack is growing, but it also gives them more newsletters to go through to highlight. But yes! You have had some amazing pieces.
Recommended both of mine, using the other Substack to recommend ;-) This introverted Enneagram 1w9 struggles with self-promotion, but I also know that it is a necessary evil in the creative space.
Agree about a regular post highlighting newsletters with under 250 subscribers, but would not want it called "New to Substack." Some of us aren't that new and still have <250. Maybe "Hidden Gems" or "Lesser Known Newsletters Worth Checking Out" or something.
You're right, smaller newsletters aren't necessarily new. And I'm sure that Substack could improve on every aspect of my comment if they chose to go that route.
Not sure why 250. I have under 500 and struggle as much as those with 1 subscriber.... I think it could even be under 1000 and based on the article, not the writer's resume, niche, or whatever....
It was a random number that seemed reasonable, but if it isn't much better with 500, or even 1000, then those would be good numbers for them to look at. I'm sure Substack has some sort of data about at what number of subscribers growth supports itself. I only have 175 on one newsletter and 117 on another, so I feel the pain of trying to grow!
I brought some people in from another mailing list I had so that's probably why I struggle also. I've switched to a different topic and even though I cleaned out over 100 old subscribers that weren't opening emails, I could probably get rid of more. It is what it is. I take it as the universe telling me to get back to writing my next book!....
I started one Substack, Why Aren't I Writing?, from scratch, and the other, Word Count I ported over from Mailerlite and thankfully only lost 1 subscriber in the move. But subscriptions have slowed down and it's hard to know how to reach the right people when Twitter's so useless and people rarely click links on Facebook!
An excellent idea! I know from my own experience its been a long climb just to get past 200 subscribers. It would be nice to get a little notice for all our hard work.
I would definitely qualify on that...at the moment I would just like to break the 30 subscriber barrier on my "home" site that's been tantalizingly close for a couple months (stuck on 29) and double digits on my baseball Substack.
I like the low barrier to entry for Substack (after paying for my own domain for 17 years) but it seems like the same old writing conundrum where 1% of the writers have 30 to 40 percent of the subscribers. I don't need 10,000 subscribers but 1,000 paying would be nice as I get closer to retirement.
Agree wholeheartedly. Like many writers, I sometimes feel like I'm on my own little island of one. My writing/photos are all over the place, and I recognize that not having a specific niche is likely not to get them featured. At the same time, I also think there's good stuff in there that deserves a wider audience.
I think with each digest that is sent on Saturday, there's a chance to suggest publications to feature. If not, I would add a comment in the hopes of getting some visibility.
Just out of interest, Robert, how did you come to be featured there? Was it random, or is there a process? I just keep writing what I think is good stuff and hope someone on high will pick up on it!
Terry, I just subscribed to your newsletter. All this time I thought I was subscribed to you, haha! I read Dear Rebecca and I'll look forward to reading through your work! I just posted this but I don't think I posted it as a response to you so I'm reposting it.
Terry, I just subscribed. All this time I thought I was subscribed to you, haha! I read Dear Rebecca and I'll look forward to reading through your work!
People seem to have said what needs to be said. Just adding my two cents: I agree when it comes to helping the little guy. And not just because I'm a little guy. :P Nowadays, when there is a lot of stagnation in the arts, Substack is in a position where it can truly make a big difference in influencing the course of culture. Helping the little guys rise is a crucial part of that.
Other than that, no other complaints I think. In general I feel like you guys really want us to succeed, and while that's only one step it makes a big difference.
Excellent comment, Robert. Yes, getting some pub for us little fish would be nice. I probably get a just a views coming from Substack but the I was hoping for a little more at this point. I'll just keep writing and posting where I can.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the mix of popular and small newsletters highlighted in Substack Reads. But you're right—the smaller ones (look over here!) could use the help.
thank you for posting this - I have been a loyal Substacker for 2 years and all of my growth is organic. Having no social media (mental health first) I grow slowly. A shoutout to the long term regulars be very appreciated.
I'm wondering, as office hours grow, if there is a way to break it up into smaller threads, and/or change the format to something more chat-oriented. I find myself spending a lot of time scrolling here, and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of comments, the speed of comments, and the organization of comments in threads. I find myself focusing on certain sub-conversations, which works pretty well, but also make me wonder if those sub-conversations could happen on e.g. topic-oriented Discord channels or something.
This seems like more of a long-term/larger change, but wanted to throw it out there, and also see what other writers think!
I'll tell you what I do. I just scroll and chip in here and there. It's kind of like the experience with substack as a whole. You know there are thousands of excellent writers that you will never see, so you nurture the first ones you connect with.
I feel you on this. I do think that if you post early, your question might get answered. There's just too many of us asking, which I guess is a good problem!
I agree. Even better would be what (yes) Meta did periodically when Bulletin.com was being built. Having a live form where we human-being writers could interact with each other and human-being developers and coders. It was all more beta than Substack, of course, and only about 100 writers, so scale might be an issue but I think if there were focused sessions that wouldn't be a problem. Of course, Zuck shut it down in any case but I really liked meeting peers, actual conversation - once in awhile!
Substack has done this previously- where they hosted Zoom calls for writers and did it by subject. After the main chat, there were breakout rooms for smaller groups of 3-4 people. I was able to attend one for music writers, and it was really fun.
I'd be happy to host some kind of writers' jam on my Sustain What platform off and on - public or private and always focused on crosstalk. By the way, despite my main focus on sustainability and resilience, I did dozens and dozens on music: http://j.mp/sustainwhatsundays
I've starting collapsing threads. And I'll just end when I have to get to other work. I've found it impossible to get through all of the feed anymore....
oh, no! try it - it makes going through this massive thread so much easier. and you can always expand it back. that's so i don't keep reading the same things....
It would be good if there was an obvious way to contact tech support, both for writers and readers, if there's a problem. There's no contact info for tech support on the site. The contact page (https://substack.com/contact) only has email addresses for press, etc. It says that tech support can handle support questions but for some reason doesn't give an email address!
I wonder if they only reply to substackers of a certain level. Four days ago I submitted a ticket via the online form. When I didn't hear back two days later, I emailed support@substack.com. A day later, when I STILL heard nothing, I pinged on Twitter.
I hope not. I just looked at the 'submit a request' page and it said they are experiencing higher than usual requests. I hope it's that instead of the deprioritising of smaller pubs.
oh, yeah, super slow. i've been finding everything slow these days (and need to learn more patience) so just get on with other things until i hear back....
I came upon that page accidentally one day, heh. But I don't think it's obvious to find. I sent a support ticket several months ago and never got a response. Sent an email to support a few days ago and haven't heard back yet. Wish me luck!
I've always had great responses by emailing them at support at Substack dot com. They're kind of short-staffed, I think, but very nice and very helpful. But often it takes a while.
Substack has grown so much in the past year or so and they're swamped!
I can see that at Office Hours now. As I'm writing this there are 412 comments and Office Hours hasn't even opened yet!
This is a good place to ask if you're having problems. You'll get good answers here, too.
Also if you’re a beginner writer, or any kind of writer, you can follow Ramona because she did a great series on how to get started on Substack, very helpful. She is creating a great community over on her space and is committed to helping other writers succeed.
i'm happy to hear that... i don't even have a post office where i live; i spent half a day trying to fill out forms online just to send my newsletter's giveaway prize to my reader!
Wait a minute! Here we are talking about how hard it is to get support from a company that takes 10% of everything we make. And they are short staffed? It’s not like they don’t have the money to hire some staff. I have some big questions about how to format my posts and I am getting nowhere with finding answers.
I seem to remember we are pretty free (on our own) with formatting. So far, I found options pretty limited. We can size our headings. We can add art, and photos.
My guess is more options will be coming. I'm just working within the known parameters, until and/or unless something better comes along.
I feel very blessed to have Substack to get my words out!
I'm assuming you selected the "post" button. Mine worked 3 of 4 times. But, I think there's one more button (I can't remember what it said), like 'continue' or something. Anyway, I probably didn't wait long enough to see the second button to confirm my 'post' request. Maybe my excitement got the best of me.
This issue is I cannot get past the CONTINUE button because the system freezes up at that point. And, before you ask, yes, I have rebooted the computer, cleared my cache, and closed out and relaunched the Substack app.
My issue, if anyone cares, is that the poetry block stopped working properly. I couldn’t enter a new headline under my poem without the whole poem defaulting to the headline style. Multiple returns didn’t fix it. Reformatting the poem in Word and repasting didn’t fix it. I finally just removed the poem so I could write the rest of the post.
Good luck finding support for a minor issue like this. A two-minute conversation with a knowledgeable CS agent would probably clear it up. But Substack is apparently too cheap for that.
Yes!! I asked this question below but maybe it belongs in this tech support seciton:
Friends have reported suddenly no longer receiving my newsletter. They haven't unsubscribed, they've checked spam and promotions folders. How can I help them??
I like this idea, too. I can understand arguments against it, which include the possibility that tip jars devalue paid subscriptions. But I think there's something to be said for giving authors the option.
I'm all for tip jars. And I believe it makes sense for Substack to offer them as an option... because if more substackers start using "Buy Me Coffee" (which I eventually may do), it cuts Substack out of the transaction. In fact, I once heard that this violates Substack's Terms of Service, though I haven't checked yet.
I just think it's wise to be strategic. If someone gives me a big tip — say, $30 — it feels like a win. And, to some extent, it is. But it's not as much of a win (from a business perspective) compared to the same person paying $60 for a subscription over the same period.
Maybe that's not a choice people make. I don't know. Just some stuff to consider. :)
Or perhaps both, that would allow for tips from your free subscribers and from people looking. It could also allow for giving a writer something extra for a really good piece, maybe?
in the buttons drop down you can create your own button. you have to have a ko-fi etc account, but put in the url and write whatever text you want for the button. Put it into your posts. It's pretty simple once you do it.
Exactly! Although you would need to set up an account with another software company designed to receive the donations. As an example this is the page I set up on kofi: https://ko-fi.com/medha/commissions
Yes to a tip jar! Maybe with the added functionality of a customizable button either within posts or on the homepage (something like we have for what used to be "let me read it first").
I’ve used Buy Me a Coffee before and have had some readers tip who wouldn’t otherwise subscribe monthly. But overall I see Substack’s point in urging $5/month subscriptions.
I think this makes sense but understand businesss-model folks who want to lock people in. Recalling my frustration with news sites (like regional newspapers) that have paywalls that go up on the first visit - locking out folks there for some specific nugget. I wrote about this: How Does a News World with Thousands of Subscription Walls Survive? https://revkin.substack.com/p/how-does-a-news-world-with-thousands-21-09-12
I think that there should be a way to choose either or both for a paywall but I also understand the frustration of the writer/publisher who cannot seem to make ends meet to have a regular income. But yes a per post or story model might work too.
I've found that the single biggest accelerant to my subscriber base was a link posted on a Top Substack author's post. Just one link. Crazy. I've since e-mailed specific posts to a bunch of folks, but, not all authors cross-promote like Rob Henderson. I comment on Rob's posts frequently and he acknowledged this and then subscribed to my pub. Then the cross post happened. I'm happy to spend time finding the authors who consistently cross-promote and who overlap with my topical interests. BUT, it would be so awesome, if Substack had a filter that highlighted the authors who this generous with their platforms. the current Explore feature turns this into a long, manual churn process. I'd like to boost my subscriptions to larger subscriber-based authors who cross-promote
Does anyone remember the Substack author who offers payment for writing pieces on their Substack? He's left the link a few times during office hours but alas, all of my open tabs were closed and I can't remember his name. Thanks for your help! I've been feeling the nudge to submit a piece on grief and loss, hoping it might resonate with others.
I had a chat with Bill Murphy about this recently, so I think he is still doing it. The submission process isn't arduous, so maybe submit and see what happens?
Maybe a really stupid question, but I can't find a way to contact authors. I have found a few substacks that I hope might like to link to mine, but can't figure out how to make the request.
I write about coffee, and am open to cross posting/trade columns, as long as there is a legit connecting thread between the two columns. For example, I'm working on a post with Warning Track Power (baseball) about the coffee shop I visited before going to a spring training game the week Covid shut the world down and he is writing a piece about the best clubhouse coffee in the MLB.
It doesn't have to be exactly the same, but some sort of connecting thread between coffee/entrepreneurship and the collaborating column. (Posting this again as a new comment below). My substack/podcast is www.roastwestcoast.com
Yes. Settings -> Basics-> "Receive email replies to your posts from
Set who can reach you via email by replying to your posts or emailing terryfreedman@substack.com." You can set it to everybody, nobody, all subscribers or paid subscribers
I am always trying to be generous with my platform. As much as we should be grateful for those who helped us along the way, we should also reach out a hand to those coming behind us.
I'd be happy write a guest post ANY TIME! I write regularly about work issues leading up to a major section of my upcoming book. LMK - james@socialawarenessinstitute.org
Looking forward, I would love to a bit more control in the dashboard. Specifically, I wish I could filter my posts by newsletter section.
I have several sections, each with very unique content and posting schedules, and right now the dashboard > posts page just lists everything by publication date. Filtering here would be such a huge help when it comes to tracking stats/performance/etc.
How to find an audience — I was recently released from Club Fed, so of course I have no social media at all, no mailing list, and even lost most of my personal friends. I might be interested in paying a small sum (I don't have much) for marketing help. I believe my writing speaks for itself, but I don't know how to get the rubber onto the road.
Patience, Dalton, and promotion. I subscribed and started reading and am hooked. You have "it," now promote by showing up at Writer Office Hours and engaging in comments/discussion of other Substacks. Many fellow readers will be interested and click your profile, which will lead them to your Substack. Once they get there and read a post, they will subscribe. I didn't promote on social media or with my real life friends and family, and my subscriber list continues to grow--slowly but surely!
Yes! Just this week I was emailing with another author about setting up a way to get one-time donations. The networking behind the scenes is wonderful!
You can set up an account with something like 'buy me a coffee' or kofi and then create a custom button on your substack that links to it. You then choose the wording for the button - maybe something like 'one time donation' for example. Then ta da! You have a one time donation button!
I like the "one-time donation" terminology vs. "tip jar". Thanks, sounds promising. I'd like to be invited to email you and the other author about this. Your choice--but I am a ideal person!
I'm not a part of that email thread, but if it's something you want to you, you can set up an account with something like 'buy me a coffee' or kofi and then create a custom button on your substack that links to it. You then choose the wording for the button - maybe something like 'one time donation' for example. Then ta da! You have a one time donation button!
Really interesting and reassuring to know you don't promote on social media but still see growth Holly. I sometimes feel a bit torn between loving Substack as a seperate entity and feeling more comfortable to talk honestly on here - yet that feeling undermined a little by always sharing links on social too. I guess maybe a hybrid approach could work but yeah, great to hear your experience.
I deleted all my social media accounts quite some years ago, only made new ones once I started writing professionally as a way of promotion. Part of me wishes I had kept the followers I used to have, because what I post does not seem to gain as much traction as it used to 'back in the day'. Regardless, I post everything on facebook, twitter, instagram etc. , it still gives me a few readers here and there.. But it does not seem useful to spend more time there for what I get in return, unlike these comment threads, which are great :)
Biz cards gets your 'Stack to people you'd never otherwise see or contact, no social media involved! My card has the pic you see to your left (me and The Ramones in '77), with my 'Stack web address, plus the back has the QR code to get to my main page!
Leave your card with your payment at restaurants, tack 'em up on Starbux and Panera Bread bulletin boards, put a handful of them on your Panera/Starbux/any restaurant table (neatly in a row)! Give it a try! A significant number of my current subscribers have come from my cards! DON'T FEAR THE PAPER!
Thanks so much, Penny, for subscribing! I just did you back!! As one who was 8 at the time (with nothing but fond, transcendent memories), may I offer a guest post for your 'Stack about seeing THE Liverpool band on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in Feb '64? Lemme know! I'm one of the few who did far more than just watch the video on YouTube!
I subscribed. I grew up in the 70s and often mention it in my stack, Aging Gratefully. Will send your info to my 25 yo son. He loves the 70s. (Past life?)
Thanks so much! I hope your son digs my stuff! If he's interested in guest-writing something, lemme know! I'd be particularly interested in how (and why!) he became enamored of my favorite decade!
Gotta admit your Paul trumps my Ramones....although, 'twas Paul who used to sign into hotels (in the '60s) using the nom-de-tune, "Paul Ramone"! That's why The Ramones called themselves that (early in their career, seeing that on a marquee....they used to say....people thought "The Ramones" were a Mexican cha-cha band, and wouldn't show up)!!🌮😱
There are several apps for iPhone and android that will make them for you as well. I recently heard that in addition to the common square ones they can now be custom shapes as well. I need to look into that some more myself.
How I did it: I had my card made online with VistaPrint, and they offer that as a service....turning a web address into a QR code. Plus, I have a Ko-fi account for tips at the tail-end of articles. They, too, offer QR code availability. See what Paul (Deplatformable Newsletter) offers below.👇
That’s me. I would still hand write but I have an essential tremor in my right hand. Hubby built his computer. Me? I just learned what a QR code is. Haha.
It wasn't from a lack of trying! I threw one of my cards from central Texas in the general direction of England, and hey, if the wind catches it.............💨
"But here’s the thing: social media doesn’t really matter. At least, it doesn’t matter much in terms of my subscriber growth. After nearly two years of publishing Situation Normal on Substack, I’ve gotten 34 subscribers from Twitter (where I post daily) and 14 from Facebook (where I’m a ghost). In total, only about 5 percent of my subscribers come from social media.
While 5 percent of my audience is significant, it’s a disturbingly low figure considering how much time and energy I put into Twitter. Whatever I’m trying to get out of social media, my newsletter data tells me it ain’t growth."
I don't know if that makes you feel better or worse... But in the last 3 months, I've gotten the majority of my subscribers by making real connections on Substack. I wouldn't have believed it before. But being here, engaging, asking & answering questions really helps! It's a WILDLY supportive community. So you're in the right place!!
I guess it depends on the subject matter....for me, I've found, about half-a-dozen times, now, that one of my music articles actually finds the singer/musician/songwriter about whom I wrote!
Like, yesterday, my article on Marshall Crenshaw actually was forwarded to him by a friend of his who saw my link to the piece on a Facebook group. Well, as he said in his e-mail to me, "Marshall C. here"----along with appreciating my efforts, I'm hoping our connection might, now, turn into an exclusive interview! And, then maybe I can interview him right back!!😁👍
So, my presence on social media is less about potential subscribers (although, it's clear that's happened, and in pretty good numbers), than it is about connecting with potential interviewees from whom extra content might emerge!
Dalton, about a year ago, the good folks down at 'Stack Central hosted a Substack Go and Substack Grow; from one of those sprung a bi-weekly (we also do it bi-monthly, in case they're not the same thing) hour-long face-time thing on Google Meet (like Zoom).
What started with about a dozen (who all but swore their allegiance) on our first one has dwindled to a small, but mighty and dedicated handful of regular music writers!
So, if you're able to round up some fellow 'Stackers who write in your similar topic lane (shout out for some here or any Thursday), you might find it helpful to plan something like that. We keep it low-key and informal, and just talk about challenges and successes, and it's a great place to plant the seeds of collabbing, guesting, and other 'Stack essentials! Give it a shot!
I'm guessing you meant that literally. Thank you for sharing. I bet ya can't repeat it. Well, I hope not. I'm trying to be encouraging, because, when I read your post, I thought, "Yeah, that could be me for sure." I think I'm a pretty great writer, but not everyone seems to agree!
It was someone I've known for 20n years, from pre-substack days. The problem with social media is that everyone has to shout louder and louder in order to be heard. I find substack comments and recommendations a much better means of finding new readers -- and writers.
Before I used Substack for my articles, I had my own website, and I remember studying the analytics and seeing how many people on twitter simply liked, retweeted, or commented WITHOUT ever reading the article the post was about. Staggering. Facebook had a bit better engagement, but the number of comments etc was still much higher than the views..
That's interesting to know, Terry. I find that Twitter is useless for REAL engagement so I guess that makes sense. Thanks for sharing that. I guess if it doesn't work....look elsewhere. :-)
I was reading some years ago that Stephen Fry, who had 8m followers at the time, mentioned someone's website. So many people visited that it crashed the server. In the end, 5 people subscribed to the person's newsletter. The lesson I learn from this is that although a big one-off boost is most definitely welcome, I think slow, steady and consistent and consistently good writing gets the best results long term
Thanks for sharing that anecdote. It seems discussion often sways to how to use social media, the adverse feelings towards it and sometimes submission to it. It feels overwhelming and hamster-wheelie. Just do the thing.
I have encountered the same thing.. I still post my articles there , and it brings a few readers to my newsletter, but other than that it does not feel very impactful to spend any more time than that there.. I remember it being different in the past, though, when these platforms hadn't been around that long, or is that just me?
I think Substack is a lot better than other platforms in that regard. I have a few newsletters in Mailerlite, and although the Mailerlite people and resources are very good, there's no cross-promotion of others' newsletters as far as I can tell, and nothing like Office Hours except for a Facebook group. I think it's a matter of keeping on keeping on
I hear you about Twitter. Personally I've given up trying to promote anymore on that toxic platform. I also dumped Facebook and Instagram since they limit the hell out of your feed (unless you pay them.)
On the plus side I've been having better responses on Counter.social, Post.news, Spoutible.com and Mastodon. Proof that Musk's Dirty Bird Kingdom isn't the be all end all of promotion.
Just subscribed to you. I'm a recent retiree from NASA and I'm looking forward to having a public voice again. Because of the Hatch Act and employer confidentiality, there was so much I couldn't comment on pubicly. I just joined Substack this week hoping to give some insights into the experiences I had. Interestingly, when you're an employee there, you're considered "inside the gates." And the rest of the world is "outside the gates." Though being inside the gates, for me, was equivalent to being in an insulated, safe, but limiting cocoon, where in your case it was the opposite. I was just struck by that minuscule parallel.
Where I was, we got to see rocket launches and had something of an inside track. The X-37B flew right over my head one day. So we've got that in common too!
Hi, Mary. Looking forward to reading what you have to say about your time at NASA. I’ve been a spaceflight fan since early childhood. I’m now trying my hand at writing about what I love - spaceflight history, pop culture, and art. You might enjoy my 'Creating Space' NERDSletter.
Your substack is pure gold. I’d recommend engaging with other writers on their stacks for exposure. Also look into cross posting with writers in the financial niche.
On a side note, it’s never too late to start a social presence.
Lately, I've enjoyed Post.News as an alternative to Twitter. It allows long form posts and so far I've need none of the snark and pettiness that Twitter engenders. That might be one place to add to your repertoire.
If you think a post from another writer is something your readers would resonate with, you simply click cross-post at the bottom of their post. It will pop up a window that lets you add your comments before the post, (like, "hey, I thought this was an amazing post and I wanted to share it with you, my readers." and then it will populate on your newsletter. I just cross-posted Katie's post this week from My Sweet Dumb Brain. 💜
Having cross-posted half-a-dozen times, Sue, I concur and would add this info for those new to cross-posting: When you cross-post another's article, it does NOT appear on your Archive page, but it does appear on your Dashboard, so you can follow the open rate, etc, like it was one of your articles (that's a question I've seen pop up here on the Thread)!
Also, I've discovered that, for those who are rendered busy (by work, vacations, illness, etc) can use cross-posting to help "fill the gaps" that may occur in your publishing schedule.
Sadly, you can't schedule cross-posting, so you'll still have to be available to monitor YOUR inbox, and then judiciously and thoughtfully, decide whether this article or that one would be a true match for your subscriber audience!
It's actually really easy, Dalton. You'll see the two arrows and the word cross-post on the top right of the newsletters you subscribed to. If you think the newsletter post is relevant to your readers and would interest them, press the cross-post button, then write a little blurb to tell your readers why you're sharing this with them. They'll receive it in an e-mail and the writer will be notified.
Dalton, I write a newsletter about money and markets for the newer or average investor and found that consistency in writing works wonders. I don't market on social media but I just write a couple times a week consistently. Engage with others. Be disciplined about what you do. It will take time but if it's what you love....it will come. Good luck.
Yes--consistency is key. I appreciate a regular cadence to the posts I receive from others, so I stick to that, too. I publish once a week, which works for my writing schedule. It's helped me be more disciplined in my writing.
I took a class on social media a couple of years ago and one of the most important things I learned was start with one platform and get to know it before expanding. Also not all platforms will have your audience on them so choose wisely.
I like Quora because people with problems hang out there. It's a great place to help people solve their problems by answering their questions. You'll always find topics you can relate to.
Honestly, a huge chunk of my subscriber base (tiny as it currently is) comes from Office Hours. I meet and network with people here, and through that engagement, people click my profile and check out my Stack.
You're on the right track. Other than that, I ask my readers to share the posts that they like with their friends, or people they think might be interested in the subject of activism. They don't share often, but every now and then I get a hit that way!
And then I read and comment and engage with other writers and Stacks, promote my newsletter on Medium, and talk about the issues on social media (with links in my bio, for curious parties.)
I've had the same experience, this (and other Substack events) are a great way to connect with people. I also find that commenting on other people's substacks is a great way to meet new writers and readers!
There are no real shortcuts. Also it’s important to keep in mind the old sales strategy of potential customers needing on average three contacts before a sale. Along with that, to get one new subscriber you need a lot more than that who just come and look.
Office Hours is a great place to start; not just for networking, but for any tech issues/questions you might have. I can almost guarantee someone here has faced the same problem before.
Thanks for sharing your perspectives ... very insightful. Also, fyi, I've explored turning off comments and likes for non-subscribing readers. Yours is the first time I've experienced it ... and found it frustrating so I've removed that pay wall. Still trying to find a pay wall I can live with. Best wishes for your success.
Nice add, Ted! I've also become beyond busy in contributing to other 'Stack music writers' pages, collabbing, asking others to contribute their thoughts on my article pages, etc! In fact, I've now got about 3 or 4 things in the fire I can't even recall......I just watch for other writers' work come into my inbox, and go, "Oh, there's that thing I wrote for so-and-so a couple weeks ago!" It's a blast, and another great way to expand, grow, and add involvement and engagement!
Congratulations on Number 70! That's a big one...and it is for me too as I'll be turning the big Seven O next month. And if you think THAT is old, well one of my subscribers turned 100 on February and my readers and I celebrated her birthday with a special newsletter edition! I wonder if she might be the oldest...or one of the oldest subscribers on the platform!
As always, the big plus for me in Office Hours is the continued community building between writers and the support Substack gives to us.
That's wonderful, Janice! You are an inspiration to many people, I'm sure... I firmly believe its never too late to start a new project or follow your dream! 💕
I understand that... we csn really get in the way of ourselves sometimes, through fear or low self esteem for example. It can be so liberating when we finally let ourselves go!
The #1 thing that would help me (and many other writers, based on previous comments in other Writer Office Hours) would be better organization of Writer Office Hours comments. It would be so helpful if it were quick and easy to see replies to my posts or comments, return to where I was if I click on a link and then come back here, search for comments by category, etc. It would also be nice if there was a specific thread for nothing but questions for staff, so those questions don't get lost among all the other comments and can be responded to promptly.
With that said, I still think these Writer Office Hours are one of Substack's best features and I look forward to them each week. Overall, Substack is already awesome and I'm happy I publish my newsletter here!
Also, even when I click on a notification that someone has replied to my comment, sometimes it doesn't bring me to that reply, just to the thread with tons of other comments I have to wade through if I want to read and respond to that particular reply.
We just want to echo what many other Substackers have said: we've been told that cross-promotion is an important aspect of gaining an audience, but it seems difficult, if not impossible, for many new accounts to either contact other writers or set up a reciprocal scheme.
Perhaps there can a shoutout thread each day where writers of a certain niche connect with one another? Like one day can be for music-based stacks to get in touch and the next can be centered on international affairs?
Just wanted to let you (and others) know that we take this problem extremely seriously and are working on an array of things we think will help. The fact that today Substack has a rich-get-richer dynamic / struggles to drive growth for new publications without existing sources of readers is intensely regrettable, not at all what we want.
I should caution that some of what we need to do to drive growth for "not-already-famous" publications might be non-obvious; that is, you can expect us to ship some new features and surfaces this year that we intend to be part of a solution to this problem but which might not seem directed at it, but in fact are! I'd love to say more, but I can't, of course.
Mainly just wanted to say: (1) we know this is a problem and we badly want to improve this; (2) we're working on some things that we believe will improve it in a truly scalable and enduring way; and (3) I subscribed, very stoked to read your work!
I am! I mean: I can't actually speak for everyone here, of course, but I'm Head of Design here / have been here for about 3 years, and this has been a constant concern for us and something we're extremely eager to sort out. It's very challenging work for a variety of reasons, but we think we have some paths to much-improved discovery and publication growth, esp. for the "long tail" of pubs not already earning tons.
We'll see, of course, but I did want to convey that for us, this is as important as anything on our horizon!
Mills, this is very important to us and we appreciate your sharing what is going on behind the scenes. You & the team at Substack have built something excellent and writer-centric. Most of us just want to write, with minimal "startup founder SGA" hassle. And make some modest income along the way...
exactly, again. Because one of the reasons why I chose substack instead of other platform is exactly that popular wisdom seems to agree that this is the place where it is easier to cross-promote/cross-connect. Please compare this with my other comment of just a few minutes ago about the "Dive into your interest" page at https://substack.com/reader-onboarding
Yes, exactly! Categorizing office hours posts would be enormously helpful. We wouldn't have to spend time scrolling through hundreds of posts to find the ones of interest to us.
Congrats on 70! One thing I'm looking for is better stats for both my newsletter and podcast so I can better see which posts are getting the most traction. I love Substack in comparison to Wordpress, but Wordpress stats are still better.
@Katie - Hi. I'm new here. It would be really beneficial to make this office hours easier to read.
I typed my comments in and I have no way of knowing where they went or who responded to them and when. It makes it really difficult to follow in real time.
For example:
-being able to view Q/A's easier
-being able to collapse a thread that's not useful
-being able to see questions that were already asked
-being able to find the Qs/comments you wrote and their responses/updates.
-being able to share screenshots of issues where images are needed to explain
Agree 💯 and posted a similar comment earlier. It is very hard to read every single post and comment with no ability to filter by topic, separate support questions for staff from other comments, etc.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here's a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you:
Chasing numbers can drive us crazy. Obsessing over the perfect time to post on all of our platforms can rob us of the real joy of sharing our work. Here's a rule I implemented for myself a long time ago, to save myself from the horrible disappointment that often comes with chasing numbers. Right before I click POST on anything, I tell myself, "The people who need it will see it." And I truly believe that. I believe that the right content reaches the right people at the right time, even if that's only a handful of folks.
Do I still find myself worrying when a post only gets three likes? Sure, I'm human! But I quickly remember that the right people saw it, and I move on to the next post. The pressure is off. As long as I inspired someone, anyone, then it was worth it. It may not work for everyone, but this philosophy works for me!
How do YOU avoid the numbers game? Let's share and encourage one another!
Most importantly: keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
Needed to read this! I've been sitting on my newsletter idea FOREVER! I'm terrified to be too preoccupied and self-conscious that will rob me of the joy of writing.
I've been on for a while... Find office hours difficult because if I show up early, everything is moving quickly because so many are posting. If I read afterward, I feel I missed out. I find a voice or comment here or there and get lost then looking at that person's page... but it's all good. I've come to the conclusion that Office Hours is like life. You find who you are supposed to find and have the experience you are ready to have. You will find your comfort zone and also, more importantly, that which inspires you to be you. Enjoy the joy of your writing and it will become contagious for others!
Right. This is my second Office Hours...each time I was just a couple minutes late (three cheers for multitasking) and there were already over 500 posts and replies to read. I'm about a third of the way through them...
Some of these posts say they were from 2 hours ago. Are the invites staggered? Are people waiting overnight in a line around the block to post, like a Stones Concert? :-)
Hi Mark! Substack staff open the thread around 8:30am Pacific time (usually), but the staff don't enter to answer questions until 10am (which is when the official invite goes out, I suppose). So a lot of us linger around early to say hello and post questions. :)
Thanks for answering that question I have had since Office Hours began. Maybe having more sessions available would cut down on the number of participants at a time. I usually pop in to see if there is anything of interest to me. I don't read every comment. It doesn't help to get behind. I daresay the community is growing too big too fast.
Yeah I totally missed the live boat this morning due to travel and am just skimming a few comments that I can get to. I do really enjoy these threads, but experience has shown you have to sort of throw yourself into it early to enjoy the live back-and-forth that goes on.
Or... you can go into so many more of the threads that you couldn't have done in the minute between one hour and the next. You didn't miss anything. You find what you need!
I can confirm it! My small base of subscribers are lovely, and the people I've interacted with are engaging, polite and show real interest in my writing.
I get that! I always wonder who would be interested in what I have to say. But.. I just try to think about what I want to tell people & hope they find it interesting! Enjoy the process i really like it I have a website on word press that I was worried about not emailing from but I am going to give Substack a good try!
Hello S.E. - One way I stay away from the numbers game is to always remind myself that I can control what I write, what I publish. But I cannot control the reaction or lack of reaction from others. Another way I stay away from the numbers game is to delete the next day stats email without opening it.
Yeah, I think that I will have to delete that stats email. It does me no good. It's like weighing one's self every day and seeing little fluctuations that really don't mean anything. Checking once in a while is good, but the important thing is to keep writing.
Yes. I've asked myself: What would I do with those stats? The answer is nothing. They don't help with creativity. You're so right: important thing is to keep writing.
I love this, thank you! I burned out on the numbers thing late last year and took a break to clear my head. I'm back to posting again and this time around I am not looking at numbers, and similar to you, before I hit publish I think that if even one person gets something from my post, it will have been worth it. And I truly believe that. This change in perspective has brought joy back to my writing. :)
That's a good mindset to have. I have seen periods where all of a sudden all these people subscribe to my newsletter, and then periods of stagnation. So you need something else to keep you motivated, and remind yourself that less views on a post does not mean it was worse than the one that got all those views. I hope to keep my readers interested with the many topics I am interested in, and through that enthusiasm get them interested as well. That's what keeps you going, I think.
So good to know there are periods of stagnation, Robert! I started out well and now things are...quieter. I thought, “Oh no, they hate my comics/my writing/both!” I guess this is just what’s happening now. Taking in all this good advice about not measuring worth by numbers.
Ha! All I got was a note to say that now I've subscribed you're pausing the newsletter. Typical. More seriously though, Kerri, I really like your newsletter and I'm sorry not to have commented recently but I'm behind in all my reading!
For me statistics are creative poison. Whether it’s how many people opened a newsletter, or how many books I sold. I have to do things for the love of it first and let the statistics end of it go.
Yes. I disabled the notification about people unsubscribing. For all I know, NOBODY reads my newsletter now -- but I'm happy! Best thing I ever did, frankly, because I'm one of those people who can receive 99 new subscribes and then fret about the one uhnsubscribe.
I did not know I could disable the stats email! Thank you for that; doing it right now. It’s making me a little cray and discouraging me. I just want to keep writing and doing my comics on my Substack, and whoever finds me finds me!
These office hours are great and provides a wealth of information to folks like me who have joined this community recently. Thank you! I started my substack newsletter focused on leadership for managers and aspiring managers - The Manager’s Prism (www.themanagersprism.com) in January. The tools have provided by this platform is just perfect and all one needs to do is focus on writing.
To avoid chasing numbers, all I did was to come up with a few personal rules:
1. Write everyday but start by publishing once a week. Seeing a pipeline of posts ready to be published is extremely motivating.
2. Schedule your posts for a certain day and time of the week.
3. Optimize for the reader. If you have generated an insight for one person, you have won. Focus on writing more.
I remember MrBeast (YouTuber) mentioning this in one of his interviews - (paraphrasing) “Your first 100 videos are going to suck and will not generate the views, likes and subscriptions you are expecting. We can talk when you reach 101”.
All you need to focus on, is, to show up. Share what you like sharing. Pursue being better than what you were yesterday and if you do, I am sure the likes, shares and comments will come. It is important to acknowledge what is in our hands and that is, write. So let’s write, the rest will follow.
I was blown away by listening to an interview with Mr. Beast! Such a cool guy and his story is such a great example of what it takes to become successful. Now if only all my students would listen to him speak and understand that “influencer” isn’t a get rich quick kind of thing!!
I try to avoid the numbers game but inevitably fall into looking just before I publish. I’d love a ‘percentage increase view’ instead of the absolute numbers view. And maybe a comparison of ‘what good looks like’ compared to equivalent industry newsletters :-)
I have a couple of subscribers who like most of what I write. And I've had a couple comment and send me emails thanking me for my hard work.
What keeps me going is that I get a lot of views when I publish a new newsletter.
Most important, my writing helps my decision making because I often consider and write about several ways to do a trade. And I often do trades before or after I write about them.
When I wrote articles and newsletters for clients, I drew on my experiences as a business owner, manager, client, customer, shopper, investor, hospital board member, employee, student and patient.
Totally agree that part of the reward is the thinking process. I started my Substack to write about literacy (I’m a reading teacher) and now I’ve started a non-profit to promote early childhood language and literacy in my community. None of that would have happened had I not sat down to analyze the situation.
I feel the exact same way! I know that I have to treat my three with the same value as I would treat three thousand, because their time and attention is a gift to me! 👍🏼
Yes, and you have the time to get to know them, which you wouldn't with your 3000, and they will become your biggest supporters and advocates in the long run.
I struggle a bit with this. One thing that's helped lately is my own enjoyment of the writing process. It's often difficult and sometimes frustrating, but I learn so much during the research process for the articles I write and I'm genuinely proud of that work.
This has been helping me too! I've been writing about more things that make me happy lately, and that's helping me worry less about numbers or reach or money.
Absolutely. I've come to the point where I recognize some things I write won't reach the audience I hope for, and some things will surprise me. And still I write... it remains my lifeline.
Oh man, overcoming that "numbers" obsession is a daily struggle. I try to keep that same mindset you're talking about, telling myself the "right" people saw it. Or I remind myself how ecstatic I would have been for my current numbers only a few months ago. But there's that voice in the brain that goes straight from "One day I'll have one of those checkmarks after my name" to "everything I do is worthless" in like five seconds. Or I'll get a bunch of new subscribers (yay!) and then lose three... None of this is new or exciting, psychologically. Humans are gonna human. But it helps to be a part of a community and know I'm not the only one.
That's the built in madness of numbers, why isn't 153 154? why isn't 154 155? Just enjoy what you're doing and rejoice at the general direction the numbers are heading in.
By the way, I didn't know Michael Curtis had died -- thanks for the post! Just subscribed.
Always love your advice and encouragement each week 😁
I'm happy with just a few likes per article if I get them, but yeah I absolutely do find myself waking up in the morning wondering if there have been any likes or comments.
I think the best thing I've come to realise though is that every time I hit post is acknowledging that I've actually written something and am happy enough with it to share it. Doing that on a weekly wchedule is a wonderful thing.
So true, Nathan. These are weird times to be living through, but we are so lucky we can connect digitally with like-minded people all around the world.💕
I was thinking about the thread the week before last week from Tami Carey (https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/) about how writers can support writers, and I wanted to share:
I came to Substack DEEPLY skeptical of internet communities. I am a sensitive person, and the experience of being on Twitter, or IG, or reddit, or really basically anywhere on the internet is...mostly awful for me. On top of that, I didn't really believe in genuine connection over the internet.
Substack is starting to thaw my icy position on the internet (I said *starting to*...let's not go overboard 😉). But seriously, even as I come to the platform with a bias that all comments are transactional and everyone is just trying to promote themselves, I am finding myself disproven over and over again here. Thanks to everyone here who is showing up to be supportive, showing up with real and genuine questions, reading each other's work and offering encouraging words, and all the other little acts. I'm still far from being an "internet person," but I have one warm spot in my heart for this little corner of the World Wide Web.
All of this. And I am really appreciating the connections that I'm making here because it feels like a real writing community instead of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."
Absolutely. I love the Office Hours for that- y'all have such great ideas, and you love to share them with newbies like me. It's a super welcoming atmosphere!
I'm not on Office Hours as much as I'd like, and yet there are some familiar faces whose comments I read every word. Yours is one of them, along with S.E., Kevin and Brad, because you're all optimistic about the platform and the potential it holds for writers.
Thanks, Glenn! I appreciate being recognized (well, anywhere, really....who we kidding?) with large 'Stack presences like S.E. and Kevin! Without a last name to go by, I can only hope and assume you meant me, BTW!!!😳
I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around this - maybe I just need to jump in and try! Can you give me an example of the types of connections you're making?
I’m jumping in here to say that I now have regular contact with several people who subscribe to my newsletter (and for a few of them, I read theirs too) via comments and chat. All of them live on different continents to me! It’s lovely ☺️
Honestly, spend some time here, respond to people, find people to follow, and start spending more time interacting with Substacks that appeal to your interests and that work with your own Substack. It's a slow process, but so much more satisfying than standard social media at this point.
ok, interesting. I love all sorts of random topics - weird conspiracies, alternative medicine, science, fashion, lol. could I put that all in one newsletter??? and/or find newsletters like this?
Totally, it took me some time too. So basically I made a rule for myself: only read and comment on things that actually spark something in me, that actually prompt me to say, "that person seems awesome, I would love to know them better!" Then I actually spend some time on my comments - I have tried to frame it as part of my writing practice. It is writing, after all!
I had a big break when my Substack was featured and I started getting an audience who actually comments on my posts. That was a huge shift for me - I chat with the same people over and over and really start to connect. I literally did not know this was possible online 😂
Just subscribed to your newsletter, Rae. I work with people who struggle with I explained health issues and know that there are many who need to hear what you have to say. Thank you for saying.
That's how I feel about Substack compared to other platforms too, Rae! It reminds me of the early days of the internet when things were more hopeful. So glad you've had a good experience here. :)
I have made more connections on Substack than any other place in the virtual world. I think is in part because we are all writers and in part because it matters more to me.
Agreed. Without a particularly easy way to hack growth (gaming an algorithm, etc), you really only come here because you want to be. There aren't the same incentives for spammers, bots etc.
I love the growth features Substack is developing, but I hope we never lose that "real" quality. I'm fine with growing a little slower on a high quality platform.
I’ve heard it referred to as a social media platform several times and I’m really surprised - I guess I’ve always thought of it as a blogging type platform. But is it really more of a community?
IMO, yes. Sure people want to succeed, but most here recognize that there’s room for everyone. Very little “transactional” stuff that is so common on other platforms.
That's a great question Jenny. When I look at the future of Substack, I see a HUGE potential for Substack to become a WWW Hub of High-Quality Communities. Communities of inspired people that (1) love exploring the depths and the nuances in their chosen Substack, and (2) know that they can find what they're looking for in archeived posts and podcasts.
Totally agree! I stay away from other sites as a rule, but Substack just isn't anything like that. The community and standard of writing are inspiring rather than exhausting!
I totally agree, Rae! It's been such a welcoming and encouraging start to sharing writing on Substack (only 2 weeks in but love it here). It's what I always hope other social media will be like but it's not *waves at the bots and trolls* I wonder if it part of that positive atmosphere is that the writers here are also readers, and are actively looking for and reading other Substacks (instead of all of us just screaming into a void hoping to be heard!). The majority of comments I've seen are genuine and interesting which is so lovely, like you say. Nice to have a safe Internet corner, isn't it? ❤️
Yes! I'm always a little embarrassed to admit it, but I basically started my Substack in order to make friends and feel connected to people again after my divorce. I was lonely and out of sorts, I am awkward AF on social media, and the one thing I know how to do is publish stuff. So, on Substack, I get to do what I like to do (publish interesting work) and be part of a ready-made community at the same time. It's like joining a church, maybe? But this church just wants you to write your sweet little heart out.
I feel like I just betrayed my total ignorance of what joining a church is like. Where do humans meet now? No one's joining the Rotary Club anymore... Basically, as long as we don't have to wear anything weird, stop cutting our hair, or shun the outsiders, I'm game for whatever on Substack. I like it here.
And YES on more in-person stuff. We need more meet-ups. I missed the one last September, and I've been beating myself up about it ever since.
And I just delete those occasional comments immediately because I just don't want to deal with it. I want genuine engagement, and I get that from most people here :-)
I honestly think this is the best policy. Ditto with aggressively self-promotional folk who try to seed their links in your Substack comment section (usually by emptying a word salad into a comment that has nothing to do with the newsletter's topic, and then adding loads of links to their stuff). If someone thinks that's a cool thing to do, it's pointless arguing with them. Just block and delete. Any oxygen you give them is encouraging them to do the same thing elsewhere.
I don’t feel comfortable linking to my substack in comments, even if I’m in a Substack similar to mine…not sure if I should get over it or if it is rude. I will reply with a link on Twitter though, and that has been effective.
You realize Mike, that there a a few thousand writers here who are saying right now:"I wouldn't mind someone dumping a word salad on me!" I know, it must get old very fast, but what the hell, it's got to be new before that.
Oh man, I hate when that happens...there are a ton of bots going around on Medium and I've gotten nabbed once or twice before I realized I was engaging with a cardboard cutout that never answered back!
Congrats on the 70th Office Hours! I mentioned this a couple of Office Hours ago, but for those who are trying to grow their Substacks without much of a social media following or established brand, it would be amazing to have a directory of writers who are seeking submissions for guest posts or who are open to cross posting! For example, I know Emma Gannon accepts essay submissions at The Hyphen and Georgia Clark and Hannah Orenstein accept short story submissions at Heartbeat - but I only know that because I follow them on socials.
Thanks for keeping these forums open to take feedback - it's been a great place to learn from other writers.
Agreed that directory would be awesome! Really, any I’ll take any improvements to find peers in general. I’ve been publishing an off- beat tech Substack weekly for 5 months. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack to find peers with that similar combination of tiny, new-ish, ambitious Substacks in either the tech or humor genre. Search tools comes up hundreds of huge, established accounts or dead/inactive accounts.
Contributors to Substack success should receive some compensation even if it's small cash insentitive. Time, effort and money is needed to produce quality publication s. Substack is not a small enterprise and I think there could be sensitives set to reward writers. No one should be expected to work for free George.
That's a great idea, Kelley. I'm always looking for guest writing opportunities. Mary Tabor (Only Connect) takes guest writers. I do too, on the right topic
This probably would need thinking about, but in other contexts the organiser has set up a google from in which people could indicate their willingness to accept guest posts. The form can be set up to generate a spreadsheet, which can be made View only.
Yeah, I did wonder about that as well. I wonder if there's been much annoying @ linking in posts? I did wonder if that might happen with people trying to get the attention of people (ooh, I should @ Margaret Atwood!).
Tricky one!
Maybe you could have a user setting with some preferences for comment mentions:
- Anyone can @ you
- Only people who subscribe to your publication can @ you
Yes, I can imagine that the incidences of people leaving spammy self-mentions would go through the roof, plus the rest of that kind of behaviour that's not hard to see on social media. But agreeing with Simon - it'd be so helpful!
Maybe you could roll out a trial version where it only works with my name and my Substack? I'd be happy to be your guinea pig! You can trust me, Bailey. I'm not spammy.
*quietly prepares one billion comments and targets half a million Substacks to leave them on*
Is anyone else noticing a marked decrease in subscriptions over the past months? I'm getting better than ever engagement, number of views, and feedback but subscriptions have struggled. I feel like it aligns with an increased difficulty in actually subscribing through Substack's system. For example:
1. I can click through and read the article but if I'm not a substack member, I get a splash screen that appears to force a subscription
2. If I do enter my e-mail address I'm faced with going to my inbox to validate it.
3. Then I have to pick a plan and the dollar values flashed in my face is intimidating
4. Then I get hit with a screen to subscribe to other substacks
5. Then I get pushed to post it to Twitter
6. Only then do I actually get to the content I wanted to read.
I think this is pushing people away and I'd like to see the numbers of how many people fail to follow-through that entire sequence!
I agree that there are a lot of steps, but I would say that the forced subscription splash screen is optional. If you're seeing that, the writer has enabled it. You can change it in post settings.
Thanks! I see a lot of information about how to edit my welcome page, and what information I'd like to share on my welcome page, and even how to edit the 'opt out' on my welcome page, but I don't see how to disable my welcome page. Were did you find that?
Oh, we might be talking about different things. Are you talking about when you visit a specific post or the 'stack's main page?
I meant the actual pop up that comes up on some 'stacks when you try to read a specific free post. It requires you to sign up for a free subscription to keep reading. That can be turned off in settings.
But I think you mean the page that comes up when you go to a 'stack, that shows the name of the Substack and suggests subscribing? That page doesn't require anything, you can click on the link that says "No thanks" or "Let me read it first."
Yes, that's the one I'm talking about and I think it's holding people back from reading. I've had some people question it worried about being 'forced to'
Send them to your about page substack.com/about, they won't see the 'enter your email to read' page AND you can control what they see. It's made a huge change for me.
I found I can't reduce the monthly (has to be $5) but I can reduce my yearly (I lowered it to $30). But that screen does make me balk at moving forward so I wonder how others feel. I personally would rather start free and then I can do marketing to move them to paid (to be honest, I think ALL my paid started as free anway)
The Facebook group, "Substack writers" has been super helpful in discovering new writers. I think the discover feature on Substack could be a little bit better in terms of finding new writers that don't have a huge following.
You have to request to join, but it is free - there are several group options and helpful hints. Casey Botticello is the administrator. He is a consultant who is very involved with Medium and Substack. This link will introduce him: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1964721613653075/user/100000971066431
Hello. I have asked this before and had no answer, so i will try again. Substack very reasonably tries to aid potential readers by classifying the different newsletters according to a complex typology. But I could not see anywhere in that typology for we generalists to be noted. I am not an expert on anything in particular, but i know how to think and I know how to write. And a growing number of people are choosing to follow The Granny Who Stands on her Head, covering everything from regretted careers to orgasms to thinking about death to the significance of travel time. There must be other people out there who are not easily classified. Surely, you could create one category that is clearly universal for those with a taste for our writings.
Hello Ann! This is a great idea. Our typology is not nearly as sophisticated or comprehensive as we'd like; we simply haven't had time to get deep into it, and typologies / topic ontologies are a whole universe of challenges.
All that said: we agree that this is a missing category, a real gap; I happen to also be a "generalist" writer and I think I wound up using the tag "culture," but with some discomfort. In any event: great feedback and we'll try to get this incorporated when we make changes to topics; I don't have a timeline to share, unfortunately, but it's definitely important.
Thanks. Suck to Suck (meaning? the mind boggles!) does not sound like you are a Substack administrator, but you write as if you are, so I will take you at your word. I have always assumed that I was not unique in not fitting into the given categories and the number of likes and comments suggests that assumption is correct. I'm not sure what the wording should be: even non-classifiable would be better than nothing. There must be a number of memoirists, so that might be a category of its own, but my newsletter is really a lot of musings or ruminations on different aspects of life, not memoirs. I invite you to have a look.
I'm sorry about my publication name; I recently learned that my mother-in-law is an avid reader, and she detests that word, which my generation —I was born in 1980— treats as innocuous. Every time she "likes" a post, I feel so guilty about making her see it, but I also do love the phrase, which I first heard when I moved to California. My understanding of the meaning is: it's said to people who are complaining (which I do a lot), as a way of reframing the problem; I might say to my wife "ugh, I hate how tired I am all the time," and she might say "well, try not staying up until the wee hours every night, what do you expect? Sucks to suck, Mills!" (Meaning: I am the problem).
In any event, I'm the Head of Design at Substack and have been here for almost 3 years. And all your comments on this subject are great; it's a bit tricky, but I've seen creative solutions to it in the past, and one solution is to let people invent any topic tag they like and then just show the ones people converge on, whether that's "memoirs" or "musings" or "generalist" or whatever else. We'll see, but it's definitely a great point that the current system leaves some people in the lurch!
On thinking about it further, "non-classifiable" is a terrible idea for a generalist category. Someone suggested 'thoughts on life' - and that or something of that ilk would cover me and quite a few others, I suspect.
Jen Zug and Rebecca Holden are both other writers who would fall into that category. There's so much value in their writing, but there's no clear way to categorize their publications.
I feel you on this. For now, choose the "Literature" category, as this is where I've found the bulk of more seasoned "memoir-esque" writers sharing their life musings.
I don't think 'literature' is where I am at, but I would like to be discoverable. I don't write memoirs as such but more musings about life. Quite a few people seem to have discovered me with no category at all, but this does not mean the situation couldn't be improved. Thanks for the suggestion, nonetheless. Where is a Substack admin person??
I have the same question--for the lack of a better category, I stuck myself in travel and international, but the posts there are not exactly reflective of my writing.
I agree. I write a ton about managing mental health, particularly grief and trauma, and I'm a memoir coach who runs writing retreats — but I only "qualify" for Substack categories like "literature" and "wellness". Would love to see the following options:
I'd love to see a Memoir category. At the moment I publish memoir stuff as a separate section on my main substack page. Listen to me, MAIN substack page - I have 16 followers and have been writing here for just three weeks....
I agree. I write essays every week but they range from losing my sweet dog Molly to how I got forewarned that the pandemic was about to hit two weeks early from a top MD at an insurance company. (so i had more time to panic!) Hard to categorize what I do every week.
I just hit the 50 subscriber mark and I am marking that with personal thank you notes to each one. Just looking for any new ways of marketing and promotion to build on that subscriber base. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I have just discovered this. Go to your subscribers list, use the check boxes and at the top of the list, it will give you an opportunity to email them.
Yeah Becky, emails to subs that's tricky, but thank you notes maybe. I have wondered if I could say hi to subs in different countries or would that be creepy/privacy breach or something. We have the stats but subs don't know that
want to boost your subscribers? post consistently while subscribing to authors with larger platforms who consistently cross-promote, comment on their posts authentically until they recognize you and there is a decent likelihood you'll get a cross-promoted link. Or you could even ask!
I've gotten many subscribers (and subscribed to many other writers' newsletters) because of the Writer Office Hours, too. I've also learned about features I wasn't aware of, like the magazine format option for my page, which I love!
One feature that would greatly improve the look and perceived value of newsletters is the ability to wrap text around images. I know this is not 'simple' programming wise but surely it's doable. The 'centered only' format makes it look rather clunky. Please Substack.
While I only did page layout for a student newspaper for a few years (and web development), I strongly agree with you. I'd like to use images more but the all-or-nothing full width formatting is limiting.
How do i get featured by Substack? I'm interested in what tools substack uses to grow newsletters, and how to find them.
Part of the point of my newsletter (a year offline on Britains canals - https://sehejo.substack.com/) is that I don't use any social media, and am mostly offline - so don't have normal methods of outreach available.
How often are you spotlighting fiction writers? Particularly fiction writers who aren't already best sellers with a large following? Fiction doesn't necessarily provide deep dives into clear topics, but there are an awful lot of us working hard to find our audience here. To engage with readers, one needs readers. 🙂
I've been thinking a lot about recommendations. There are a lot of publications I'd like to recommend (and currently do!), but I start to worry about overwhelming new subscribers at sign-up if they see a list of like, 25. Was thinking a cool feature might be if these could rotate in and out (say a different 5 each week.) Also, would love a way to choose which publications to highlight under the recommendations that show up on my homepage.
As I understand it, Ramona, only five Substacks show up, and always the same five, so it makes no sense for us to recommend more than five. I heard that here in Office Hours a few weeks ago. Might be inaccurate. But I've been acting as if it's true. Of course, only three show up and you have to scroll down to see the other two.
As I understand it, Alicia, only five Substacks show up, and always the same five, so it makes no sense for us to recommend more than five. I heard that here in Office Hours a few weeks ago. Might be inaccurate. But I've been acting as if it's true. Of course, only three show up and you have to scroll down to see the other two.
Last week I hit 57 subscribers and gained my first PAID subscription. Just one, but it has to start somewhere.
Part two of my most popular story releases today at 11:11am CST. Deception by Omission of the truth is a cautionary tale about crafty coaches weaselling trusting people like me out of hard earned money.
One feature suggestion. I have found several writers on Substack with whom I would like to discuss a collaboration, but getting in touch with them can be challenging.
If there was a way for Substack writers to communicate with each other, through the platform, it would be a great enhancement.
I don't want to give anything away —and don't have firm timelines— but this is something we're aware of and have plans to address this year. So hopefully soon it'll be much, much easier to message on Substack!
First time commenting here, so tell me if I’m doing this wrong! Lately, I’ve started to think about the success of my posts by the quality of conversations it starts afterwards. This week I wrote about how getting older makes you feel less “cool.” It was fun to hear from others who felt the same way and made me care less about the actual views.
When you think about it, people's comments are truly the pulse that indicates whether something is working or not. Once we take that into consideration, the decision has been made for us. In other words, thank God for the comments section.
Yes, comments are key. But here’s the thing with mine: I circulate my newsletters on Facebook (to get more readers interested and increase my subscriber base) so those that read the posts tend to comment there, not on my substack or the chat. I’ve got lots of people commenting, but my comments section itself look pretty barren.
How about a Substack Writer of the month? Like a Spotlight on new writers or even writers that have been writing consistently for awhile but don't have very big followings? Just something so that everyone can see what everyone is writing about, not just Substack Reads where it's someone with a very strong following and doing well, we should also be spotlighting new writers and long time writers that may also be struggling and being featured would help.
Hello fellow online writers! I've missed most of the Office Hours events in recent weeks due to work commitments but I would like to check in to ensure everyone is doing well. Keep up the good work! Persist!
P.S. like my own post this week, I've written this comment without the use of the letter A.
Something I'd love is to be able to tag each post according to topic (with the ability to add more than one tag to a post) and then organise the navigation bar on my page according to those topics. I find the current sections model a bit limiting as things often have crossover content but would love people to head straight to (in my case) all posts about running, or adventure, or work.
Hi there, I am still quite new to substack (less than a year) but I am loving the minimalist container Substack provides. I brought over a couple hundred subscribers from Convertkit and am having a bit of trouble getting ppl to like or engage with the posts. Besides asking persons to comment or like, has anyone found a way to increase engagement with your posts. My goal is to build a community that supports each other and not one where all the information comes solely from me. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hi Melissa. I recommend investigating how your readers want to engage and how engagement fits into your overall goals on Substack vs seeing it as a siloed event.
You can ask directly or conduct a few tests to see what readers respond to.
Most readers/subscribers of my Substack engage via comments. I’ve found they love the photographs throughout my posts so I am thinking of testing the “threads” feature. The best way to describe it is a private channel with your subscribers. I’ll test sending photos and little updates in between posts since I am only writing once a month.
A writer who does this well is Brooke McAlary from The Tortoise.
Elise, thank you so much for not only such a thoughtful response but for another resource in Brooke McAlary's substack. It was the challenge I needed to hopefully get to a place of clarity around my overall goals. I love that you also write about the benefits of moving more slowly and intentionally.
I asked this question in a workshop the other week and the suggestion was to ask. I've since seen people doing it and decided this is the way to go- I'm not afraid to ask for external validation!😂
Emma, thank you. I love your photography. There is so much beautiful movement captured in a still photo. I am getting bolder in just asking the questions I want to ask so your response gave me more courage to do so. I just tried a Q&A post (aka Ask Me Anything) for the first time and got a little more engagement so clearly there is something to what you are saying. 🤣
Thank you! Hope the tactic works- I haven't tried it yet but definitely will do when I'm back on my A-game. Have been too scared to do an AMA. I don't even get engagement on those on Instagram stories so it seems even less likely here!😅 glad it worked for you though.
Yeah, I've seen this happen too. I think people sometimes subscribe if they see your 'stack recommended somewhere. They tell themselves that they'll read it, but then they don't. The ones that aren't reading will unsubscribe eventually and your open rates will even back out. This has happened to me a couple times after features or viral posts and the open rates always bounce back.
For sure! I vivdly remember wrestling with this feeling a year or so ago. These are the moments when S.E. reminding us not to worry about the numbers really helps!
I wonder if more people becoming more comfortable with the idea of subscribing means more inbox spam, which means more deleted emails, or more unopened ones. I get some subs who follow dozens of others, and I can't imagine there's enough bandwidth to read everything. I image there's going to be cycles of expansion and contraction when it comes to the ACT of reading/subscribing/using Substack.
I agree, Matt. I actually subscribe to so. many. Substacks! I definitely am not able to read them all each week, but I don't want to unsubscribe because I genuinely enjoy all of them (I evaluate and cull regularly). Sometimes I wonder if some writers get irked at me for not reading. :) I guess it depends on how they define their success here.
At the moment I kind of have my "gold list" of stuff that I actually subscribe to using my email, and then a bunch of "I know I'm never going to kick money to this" newsletters that I use an RSS reader for. Kind of keeps things compartmentalized, and saves my inbox a ton.
Yes, overwhelm is certainly going to be an increasing thing. (I've also seen a few people cancel their paid subscriptions to mine by citing "Time" as the reason, and I bet that's going to be a growing thing too). But it's also a creative call to arms for us, because - how can we look a bit different to everyone else? When there are 99 other Substacks writing about [our chosen thing], how are we going to stand out from them?
Thinking about this question deeply and trying a lot of experiments is maybe a good way to combat that anxiety about that audience overwhelm...
And "How can this be weirder?" is always a good question to ask about what we're doing. :)
I ignore open rates altogether. Misery thy name is open rates. I focus on total opens only, ie the people who are actually reading and enjoying your content. You’ll be happier if you don’t worry so much what who’s not reading. Take care of those who are.
Hey Holly. I think I notice this a bit, and there's definitely an element to it that should be expected. People subscribe telling themselves they'll read, but then just don't have the time.
That said, I know that *some* of the Substacks I subscribe to get booted into my "promotions" folder on Gmail, and others go straight to my primary inbox. I still haven't figured out why this is the case. I can manually move a newsletter from "promotions" to "primary", but I don't know why some trigger gmail's spammy-promotion filter and some don't.
I suspect that some of my subscribers aren't seeing any of my newsletters--I'm talking about people I know IRL who will comment on a piece I publish if I link it to FB, but who never open my newsletters from their inbox.
Maybe someone with more knowledge about the promotion filter can chime in.
Yep! Absolutely normal, I think. I reckon it's like the number of people unsubscribing from your free list, it's just a factor of growth - unless it's a wildly anomalous spike, in which case there's something specific going on. (When I started with less than 1k on my free list, my opens were 65-70%. Now at 15k they're at 45-55%.
But I guess it's also an opportunity to look for the people who aren't opening anything and see what you can do about it? (Some people recommend sending them an email, others say just remove them if they're super-inactive - although in some cases they may only *look* inactive because they're using the app? It's tricky...)
In some ways, you might actually want to push the app to your readers because the stats will be more accurate... unlike email opens which can be affected by a lot of anti-tracking factors.
Holly, YES. I recently had a huge increase in subs, thanks to being featured on Substack Discover, and it was amazing in every way, AND I've seen my open rates go down 10-15% since. I'm not stressing about it -- I have other things to worry about right now -- but it's real.
My decrease is about the same %. I'm not stressing either, but I was wondering if that's a pattern others see. I used to pride myself on that 65% open rate...guess I've been humbled a bit! LOL!
Thanks for asking, Chandra--that's why we show up here, so I'm glad you asked! Your open rate can be seen on your dashboard in the "Posts" section. You'll see a rate for each post your publish. This is how many subscribers actually open your email.
I had a 10% drop in open rates a few months ago when I had a viral spike in subscribers. But when my growth is steady, my open rates appear to remain steady. There's definitely a dark side to rapid subscriber growth.
I was in the comment section of another substack where a guy mentioned that once a year he filters subscribers who haven't opened emails in X number of months, emails them directly to ask if they're still interested in engaging with his content, and he deletes anyone who doesn't respond.
That's definitely something I plan on doing in the future.
I think it's normal especially with regard to the referrals from Substack. I'm getting lots of people subscribing that also subscribe to 50+ other Substacks and I think there's no way they could possibly spend that much time reading!
It's been so cool to discover writers and journalists that I already read are on Substack, like Susan Rinkunas's The Body Politic https://bodypolitic.substack.com/. I mentioned her in my latest newsletter, by embedding a link. Is that the best way to connect across newsletters? I'm a little confused about linking vs cross posting.
Happy office hours, everyone! I have a question: I've taken a hiatus with my newsletter as I start work on my new album and am unsure now how to launch back into it. Who has seen great examples of artists/musicians share their process on Substack?
Hey Olivia. I think often we really overthink these things. As a writer just say hey, it’s been a minute since I’ve been here and this is what I’ve been up to....
You could absolutely just do that. Don’t apologize, never apologize for not being there because nobody wants to read that. It’s a bad energy, a bad vibe.
Just be yourself say hey fam, I’m back
Pen in hand from a musical journey. Then write about that experience.
Hello everyone! Great to be here. We are passionate about music and share our most exciting finds every Friday with our subscribers. Looking forward to reading about your learnings :)
Hi Songletter. I suppose I am equally passionate about music. Each of my posts has at least two songs/pieces in it. Some have plenty. I've checked your site and subscribed:)
Thanks Dariusz, interesting. will subscribe as well and check it out. We focus on finding one great music discovery every weekend so that subscribers can add them directly to their playlists on spotify, soundcloud etc. We also give a highlight of the artists behind every song
Is there a way to know who's big and who is just getting started. Some folk on here are already somewhat famous online so they may only be in their 3rd month of posting but already have hundreds or more subscribers. How do we know who the smaller subs are and how can we support them?
It's almost impossible to keep track of the thousands of writers (like myself) who are small potatoes. The Biggies either bring their followers with them or are famous enough to get them to follow in droves.
The only way it works is to find writers who speak to you and to comment or recommend, etc. It's always a game of marketing, isn't it?
Hi Katie, I just wrote a comment about Substack offering virtual (smaller) tutorials on various subjects and charging for them. Can't find the comment...hope it went through~! (This is precisely why this format confuses me haha).
Can we have a way to add tables and maybe maybe markdown implemented for folks who are already writing in markdown like me. It makes my formatting so much easier just to copy paste
This is my first time dropping into office hours. I finally decided to start publishing a month ago and one of the things that’s been the most helpful is the advice to not stat watch. It seems healthiest to be here because you love writing and have something to say. If people get value from it and an audience builds because of that, great.
Thanks to this community and the authors of a few posts I’ve read for the reminder.
Hi everyone! I wanted to share a "celebratory" moment that's been a long time coming for me. Last week, I met my goal of querying 10 agents for my novel, The Pattern Shop, a book I've been writing for almost a decade!
For so long, this step felt impossible. I wasn't sure I would ever finish it (enough to send it out into the world) and I had no idea how to write a pitch. But! One, small step at a time I kept chipping away at my fears and feel a sense of surrender now that I've done my part. Honestly, I didn't realize how badly I needed to follow-through on this project because the relief I feel now is HUGE.
I wonder...is there a project or idea that's "hanging over your head?" Are there small steps you can take to move it forward or make it tangible? I'm guessing these are the ideas and projects that really want to be out in the world and it's up to us to set them free!
I'd love to hear your thoughts if you can relate. Happy writing!
I absolutely relate to this!! I've been making very slow progress on a book for the past two years now. My deadline for it was a year ago! We've had a few genuine hiccups but mainly I've just been getting in my head about it/not getting on with it. I really need to finish it just for that RELIEF moment and to free up headspace to get on with another project.
Huge congratulations for your queries - that's a massive step and like you say, you've done your part. It's exactly why I always prefer to frame as goals as, say, 'query 10 agents' rather than 'get a book deal' because one of them you have control have, and the other you kind of don't.
I recently saw a fellow writer publish a booking link for one on one meetings directly via Substack. This is something I offer on my website, but would love the option for my readers to book directly through Substack. How does one gain access to this option?
Great question. I've been trying to figure that out as well. My gut feeling (as a former software programmer) is that Substack corp has a pilot program going on for a potentially new "Booking" option. Substack doesn't publish their API (public interface to their platform) so when the booking app shows up on a Substack URL - then the most logical conclusion is that was either created by Substack or created by a 3rd party application working with Substack.
Delighted to be here with you all. It's only early days for me as I started my 'baby substack' a few weeks ago. I hesitated for months before biting the bullet. What actually made me start was a burst of anger 😆. Employees suffering from poor management, lack of trust and leadership in organizations, disrespect, office politics make me very angry. I suffered from all that for many years too, and this is an ongoing problem worldwide! I wanted to protect my teams from that when I became manager myself. And it is possible to build a great working environment for team members where everyone has a say, where they feel safe and heard. If I could do it, anyone can; and I wanna help!
So, here I am writing about this on substack as it helps me channel my thoughts and my experience to date, hoping to meet like-minded people along the way.
Any suggestions and tips on writing formats, or how to find like-minded subscribers, etc. would be highly appreciated.
With more visually orientated, photo-driven interior design & lifestyle bloggers like myself moving to Substack it would be great to have a category for us that’s searchable, i.e. Interior Design, Home & Garden etc.
Also, if there were an option to include a smaller type photo caption under images that would be very helpful.
I use a lot of pictures as well. When you writing your essay, and your cursor is at the end of the line above the photo: Do a Right Arrow " > " That will put your cursor on the right hand side of the picture. Then hit the "Enter" key. Now your cursor will be just below the picture, and when you begin writing it will be in a small font size (perfect for key references and details).
I just discovered the anchor tool on Substack, and that is GOLDEN.
To take it up a notch, can we also get the <summary></details> HTML equivalent, where you can collapse segments of text that a reader can click on to expand?
Here is the link. Have fun! The only negative to using it is that you have to publish first. Then go back view in one window, edit in another to assign the links. Text me if you need help. I am an oldie-worldie coder!
I'm still trying to figure out the sequence so that my email readers can click on the titles in the summary. But I made the adjustment before pushing it out to twitter and LinkedIn.
Here is the link. The only negative to using it is that you have to publish first. Then go back view in one window, edit in another to assign the links.
Ooh, I'd love this. My readers range from curious to full throttle enthusiasts and I would use expanded sections to speak directly to those seeking nitty gritty details, without bogging down the rest of the folks reading.
Hi everyone - I'd love thoughts and advice on adding a second Substack and including it as a section/tab in the header of my main Substack.
I write mostly music-themed personal essays for Earworms and Song Loops but I also write fiction and have set up a new Substack newsletter that is not public yet for my fiction. My plan was to explain all this in a new post for Earworms and then cross-post a piece the following week. I want to encourage readers to subscribe to both if interested but leave the decision up to them.
I know many of you have multiple newsletters and was wondering the best way to "debut" the new Substack newsletter to maximize readership and engagement. Just wanting to get all my ducks in a row as it were before making the announcement.
It is "live" right now under the name Dig If You Will My Fiction (digifyouwill.substack.com), for anyone interested in checking it out! Hoping to announce it next week to the Earworm readers.
Sorry, no advice, but I have the same question. There is the current option of adding a "section" within your current Substack, and it isn't terrible, but it feels clumsy and it's not very well documented (sometimes they call it a "section", sometimes a "newsletter", and it takes a lot of experimenting to figure out exactly how it works, what the reader sees, etc.).
It's a good question. It's too bad no one answered this thread, but I guess the question I have for you is, is your audience the same for both? If so, then keeping on the same newsletter might be better. I have a feeling you'd get a range of opinions on this. For me, the 2nd newsletter is going to be more sporadic and so building a big subscriber base is less important for me. And I am adding access on the main newsletter so people who want to read it but not subscribe can read it there.
Hey all - I wanted to share something that has been working well for me lately. I write a newsletter called The Tobin Report that is about money, markets, & charts...I love what I do and want to do more for more people. That's what drives me.
I found that connecting with other newsletter writers and recommending the ones that I think would add value to my current subscribers works great. It has to be genuine...and I don't fear "competition" because I think differing views even on the same topic add an overall better experience for our readers that enjoy what it is we write about.
I'm always looking to cross post, share, and connect with other Substack authors!
I've had this experience too with other science and environmental writers. It has to be genuine, I think, as you mention, not just done with the purpose of promotion.
I'm up to over 300 free subscribers. A couple of days ago my blog about "Selling puts stock options" got almost 500 views.
I usually get around 250 views.
That tells me that my readers really want to know what I'm trading and how. They make their own trading decisions. I can't decide for them and don't want to.
This week marks six months since my official launch on Substack, and I've loved every minute of it! When I first started, I subscribed to a bunch of 'stacks based on topic, hoping to learn and connect with others in my lane. Over time I've unsubscribed from many of those and started following a bunch of 'stacks I would have never thought I'd be into but ended up enjoying very much.
The big difference? Community.
When I started seeing familiar names in my comments and in the comment sections of other 'stacks I read, and checked out their posts, and commented back and forth, and so on and so on.... my community grew exponentially and it changed how I interacted with their writings. I look forward to hanging out with all my online friends, now.
Many thanks to all my readers who comment regularly -- I sincerely adore you so so much, and I've discovered many awesome new people and publications through the community of commenters growing on your own 'stacks. Thank you for grokking my vibe and engaging with humor and authenticity.
To new writers here at Substack who are asking how to grow your readership -- explore, read, like and comment. Do it genuinely. Be yourself in your writing and in your networking. Be patient and have a long-view of your growth. It won't happen over night, but with persistence, it can happen.
I write for my readers so they can understand so they can understand how circadian biology affects their pregnancies and families, more quickly than it took me to learn it.
Would love to hear from Substackers who've written free for awhile and then went completely paid. Not sure I'm ready to do that, but it's on my mind. I'm still new...with 260 free subscribers and 24 paid. Have a LONG way to go, but I'm looking ahead. Thanks for any perspectives...
I have a hard time understanding 'completely paid', unless you have thousands of readers already and don't want many more. Or unless you write on a topic not for everyone's eyes.
I thought the goal was to build a readership, so isn't setting up a paywall kind of defeating that purpose?
I'm just trying to understand, since there are several big names who do have only a paywall. I can't possibly pay for every newsletter, no matter how much I might appreciate the writer.
Oh, it was a blip? I wondered! LOL
Glad it wasn't anything worse!
More features to promote writers looking to build an audience and perhaps a de-emphasis on writers that have already very well-established audiences. From personal experience, being featured on Substack Reads turbo-charged my publication and got me almost 200 subscribers in 48 hours. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least six writers whose work should be far better-known than it is.
Yes! I would love a feature. We all know that social media is a mess and having a way to get our names out there because we believe we have quality content would be SO helpful. Or even a way to apply to get featured.
You can recommend a newsletter to be featured (including your own) here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScs-yyToUvWUXIUuIfxz17dmZfzpNp5g7Gw7JUgzbFEhSxsvw/viewform
"Featured" doesn't necessarily = Substack Reads. There are various ways they highlight newsletters; Substack Reads is just one of them.
Thanks, Sarah. Will check it out. And I just subscribed to your newsletter. Looks interesting and could be a good complement to what some of my subscribers read from me.
Aw, thanks!
Thanks Sarah, I'm going to recommend my newsletter right now:-) !
I just followed link and recommended myself! Thank you!
Thank you, Sarah. I did not know that and appreciate you sharing the link.
I didn’t know about this, thank you!!
Thanks for this!
I had no idea that was a thing! I went and put one in. Thanks so much for including this link!
thanks, Sarah
Thank you for this!
Thank you, Sarah.
@Medha: if you see this, I've just recommended 'Great Things'. Best of luck, you deserve a bit more exposure!
Thank you Sarah for providing this link. Was not aware of it but we just added our publication.
We feel that finance community should be aware of our equity research reports.
Not all social media is a mess. Yes, Twitter is a toxic cesspool I'm glad I left months ago, and Facebook is has more ads than posts and its privacy policies are horrible. I'm not on IG or TikTok and don't want to be. But Post and Mastodon are awesome and have a lot of high quality content and kind people willing to help newcomers figure out how to use them.
I'm excited to spend more time on Post once summer hits. I'm still posting there, but not really making the connections I want to make yet. And I loved IG before they changed all of the algorithms, but it looks like they may be correcting some of that now.
Having troubles with both Mastodon (sign-ins) and Post says I have to subscribe to someone there but not found way to get my publication on the site
Ha! Did not even know about Post and Mastodon. I will check them out to see how those work. Thanks for sharing.
Me neither!
totally agree! I've been getting really frustrated at seeing all these big names just getting bigger when smaller pubs like yours (and mine) have content just as good!
Well, I'll definitely be putting in the recommendation for mine now. I'm glad Substack is growing, but it also gives them more newsletters to go through to highlight. But yes! You have had some amazing pieces.
(I already submitted myself - maybe it's time we both get more brazen....)
Recommended both of mine, using the other Substack to recommend ;-) This introverted Enneagram 1w9 struggles with self-promotion, but I also know that it is a necessary evil in the creative space.
Oh yes an application request would be good. I sometimes look to see how long folks have been writing but there doesn’t seem any rhyme or reason?
I think that's just ALL of writing 😂
Yes yes yes
Totally agree! Perhaps a regular "New to Substack" post that looks at newsletters with under 250 subscribers?
Agree about a regular post highlighting newsletters with under 250 subscribers, but would not want it called "New to Substack." Some of us aren't that new and still have <250. Maybe "Hidden Gems" or "Lesser Known Newsletters Worth Checking Out" or something.
I second that - Hidden Gems sounds nice :)
I like this idea a lot – especially the distinction between “new” and “hidden gems.”
'Hidden Gems' sounds lovely!
You're right, smaller newsletters aren't necessarily new. And I'm sure that Substack could improve on every aspect of my comment if they chose to go that route.
Great idea!
Not sure why 250. I have under 500 and struggle as much as those with 1 subscriber.... I think it could even be under 1000 and based on the article, not the writer's resume, niche, or whatever....
Definitely. I'm still trying to break 20, but I know that 500 isn't a lot. Good comment.
It was a random number that seemed reasonable, but if it isn't much better with 500, or even 1000, then those would be good numbers for them to look at. I'm sure Substack has some sort of data about at what number of subscribers growth supports itself. I only have 175 on one newsletter and 117 on another, so I feel the pain of trying to grow!
I brought some people in from another mailing list I had so that's probably why I struggle also. I've switched to a different topic and even though I cleaned out over 100 old subscribers that weren't opening emails, I could probably get rid of more. It is what it is. I take it as the universe telling me to get back to writing my next book!....
I started one Substack, Why Aren't I Writing?, from scratch, and the other, Word Count I ported over from Mailerlite and thankfully only lost 1 subscriber in the move. But subscriptions have slowed down and it's hard to know how to reach the right people when Twitter's so useless and people rarely click links on Facebook!
An excellent idea! I know from my own experience its been a long climb just to get past 200 subscribers. It would be nice to get a little notice for all our hard work.
Absolutely. I've hoping that Substack would add this.
I would definitely qualify on that...at the moment I would just like to break the 30 subscriber barrier on my "home" site that's been tantalizingly close for a couple months (stuck on 29) and double digits on my baseball Substack.
I like the low barrier to entry for Substack (after paying for my own domain for 17 years) but it seems like the same old writing conundrum where 1% of the writers have 30 to 40 percent of the subscribers. I don't need 10,000 subscribers but 1,000 paying would be nice as I get closer to retirement.
love this idea!
Yes please! I wish I could like this more than once. There’s a LOT of great writing that deserves to be in the spotlight.
Agree wholeheartedly. Like many writers, I sometimes feel like I'm on my own little island of one. My writing/photos are all over the place, and I recognize that not having a specific niche is likely not to get them featured. At the same time, I also think there's good stuff in there that deserves a wider audience.
Pick me! Pick me! I would love to be featured. How does one get their site on the Substack Reads?
I think with each digest that is sent on Saturday, there's a chance to suggest publications to feature. If not, I would add a comment in the hopes of getting some visibility.
Start by putting on a wig. :)
Haha. The clip ons are amazing. I wish falls would come back in style. My mom wore it well in the 60s.
Or an odd hat?
Done both, didn't work 😉
I was giving her a silent shout out for her last piece, which is about losing hair. She is really funny.
Just out of interest, Robert, how did you come to be featured there? Was it random, or is there a process? I just keep writing what I think is good stuff and hope someone on high will pick up on it!
I had the very lucky fortune of having a fellow Substacker recommend me to be included, which happens occasionally still.
Very nice. By the way, are you familiar with Brad Kyle's substack? He writes about music too.
Yes indeed! I am a fan!
I just keep writing compelling content that moves readers. Just keep doing it consistently over and over. Every day if possible.
Subscribed.
Looks interesting. I've subscribed.
Terry, I just subscribed to your newsletter. All this time I thought I was subscribed to you, haha! I read Dear Rebecca and I'll look forward to reading through your work! I just posted this but I don't think I posted it as a response to you so I'm reposting it.
Terry, I just subscribed. All this time I thought I was subscribed to you, haha! I read Dear Rebecca and I'll look forward to reading through your work!
People seem to have said what needs to be said. Just adding my two cents: I agree when it comes to helping the little guy. And not just because I'm a little guy. :P Nowadays, when there is a lot of stagnation in the arts, Substack is in a position where it can truly make a big difference in influencing the course of culture. Helping the little guys rise is a crucial part of that.
Other than that, no other complaints I think. In general I feel like you guys really want us to succeed, and while that's only one step it makes a big difference.
Love this, Felix!
Excellent comment, Robert. Yes, getting some pub for us little fish would be nice. I probably get a just a views coming from Substack but the I was hoping for a little more at this point. I'll just keep writing and posting where I can.
Agreed. We maintain a pyramid where a select few stay at the top with little predictability for mobility.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the mix of popular and small newsletters highlighted in Substack Reads. But you're right—the smaller ones (look over here!) could use the help.
just subscribed to you, Andrew.
Just seen Garfield...
Subscribed!
How do you get featured in Substack Reads?
There's opportunities to recommend publications - it was a great stroke of luck that I was able to be featured.
Yes please! I wish I could like this more than once. There’s a LOT of great writing that deserves to be in the spotlight.
Great idea!
This would be really great. I realise this is a slow and steady process (for me, anyway), but absolutely agree!
thank you for posting this - I have been a loyal Substacker for 2 years and all of my growth is organic. Having no social media (mental health first) I grow slowly. A shoutout to the long term regulars be very appreciated.
Yes. I’ve been saying this for months.
Thanks, Michael!
Congrats on #70 to the Substack Community team!
I'm wondering, as office hours grow, if there is a way to break it up into smaller threads, and/or change the format to something more chat-oriented. I find myself spending a lot of time scrolling here, and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of comments, the speed of comments, and the organization of comments in threads. I find myself focusing on certain sub-conversations, which works pretty well, but also make me wonder if those sub-conversations could happen on e.g. topic-oriented Discord channels or something.
This seems like more of a long-term/larger change, but wanted to throw it out there, and also see what other writers think!
I'll tell you what I do. I just scroll and chip in here and there. It's kind of like the experience with substack as a whole. You know there are thousands of excellent writers that you will never see, so you nurture the first ones you connect with.
how do you make it work for you if you have an actual question?
I feel you on this. I do think that if you post early, your question might get answered. There's just too many of us asking, which I guess is a good problem!
Also, I find answers to my questions from others as I scroll through the comments.
Patiently
like sampling the buffet, you mean?
Yes. Exactly. Thanks for demonstrating to me how I could have commented with three words.
Good advice. So easy to go down the rabbit hole as I want to read all-the-things every week!!
I would ignore all my worldly duties if there was an Office Hours for writers in the "Literature" genre.
Just start a new thread. (comment above all the other comments). You'll see if there is interest. Then you can schedule a chat thread on the app.
Same for an office hours for economics/investing/markets
You mean like George Saunders who offers such a thing as an incredible writer? Look it up - it will change your world!
Haha right!
Ohhhh good point 🙌🙌
Agreed. I'd love to see one for all the artists and cartoonists here.
Yes, I find it hard to navigate and I always worry I am missing something.
I agree. Even better would be what (yes) Meta did periodically when Bulletin.com was being built. Having a live form where we human-being writers could interact with each other and human-being developers and coders. It was all more beta than Substack, of course, and only about 100 writers, so scale might be an issue but I think if there were focused sessions that wouldn't be a problem. Of course, Zuck shut it down in any case but I really liked meeting peers, actual conversation - once in awhile!
would be so nice to see some faces
Tooootally! Hard to imagine how a Zoom would work, but I would be very game to try....
OMG Can you imagine a zoom chat with 700 other people? 😂
Who all have stories to tell!!
Substack has done this previously- where they hosted Zoom calls for writers and did it by subject. After the main chat, there were breakout rooms for smaller groups of 3-4 people. I was able to attend one for music writers, and it was really fun.
I'd be happy to host some kind of writers' jam on my Sustain What platform off and on - public or private and always focused on crosstalk. By the way, despite my main focus on sustainability and resilience, I did dozens and dozens on music: http://j.mp/sustainwhatsundays
I've starting collapsing threads. And I'll just end when I have to get to other work. I've found it impossible to get through all of the feed anymore....
You are so brave! Collapsing threads. Even the sound of it makes me tremble!
oh, no! try it - it makes going through this massive thread so much easier. and you can always expand it back. that's so i don't keep reading the same things....
Will do!
LOL
I completely agree!
1st time here, cannot find anything.
Based on this experience I wouldn't want to repeat.
It does get easier as you get used to it. I had to force myself to do a few before I got the hang of it, and I'm glad I did in the end.
Hi Rae, I totally agree.
I just play spin the wheel and scroll down a few times then chip in but yeah it’s a lot now!
It would be good if there was an obvious way to contact tech support, both for writers and readers, if there's a problem. There's no contact info for tech support on the site. The contact page (https://substack.com/contact) only has email addresses for press, etc. It says that tech support can handle support questions but for some reason doesn't give an email address!
Bob
http://www.bobsassone.com
I had to google how to get tech support last time because like you, I could not track down contact info.
I found this page, which let me submit a request (much like opening a support ticket), and someone got back to me very promptly.
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
I wonder if they only reply to substackers of a certain level. Four days ago I submitted a ticket via the online form. When I didn't hear back two days later, I emailed support@substack.com. A day later, when I STILL heard nothing, I pinged on Twitter.
I hope not. I just looked at the 'submit a request' page and it said they are experiencing higher than usual requests. I hope it's that instead of the deprioritising of smaller pubs.
that's very useful, thanks. It took me nearly a month last time to finally get a sensible response
I just email support@substack.com when I have an issue. It takes ages now for an answer, but they'll get back.
That's a bit slow though I think
oh, yeah, super slow. i've been finding everything slow these days (and need to learn more patience) so just get on with other things until i hear back....
You are obviously better at googling than me, coz I tried and dind't find any contact info! Thanks for sharing.
ha! I don't remember what my search term was, but I got lucky!
thank you, Erin.
That's fabulous. Thanks for posting!
I came upon that page accidentally one day, heh. But I don't think it's obvious to find. I sent a support ticket several months ago and never got a response. Sent an email to support a few days ago and haven't heard back yet. Wish me luck!
Ugh! That’s so frustrating. I’m sorry. I’ve only had to use it the once, and had good results, but maybe I got lucky.
Might be worth trying again...? Hard to say.
I had the same issue. Tried their online form, emailing "support@substack.com" and even hitting them up on Twitter. Crickets. For four days now.
I think it's most likely because they have too many people reaching out. Not sure if they have a bot answering or if it's a human.
It's a human - I have a particular issue right now and it took at least a week each email, but they're at least looking into it.
I've always had great responses by emailing them at support at Substack dot com. They're kind of short-staffed, I think, but very nice and very helpful. But often it takes a while.
Substack has grown so much in the past year or so and they're swamped!
I can see that at Office Hours now. As I'm writing this there are 412 comments and Office Hours hasn't even opened yet!
This is a good place to ask if you're having problems. You'll get good answers here, too.
Also if you’re a beginner writer, or any kind of writer, you can follow Ramona because she did a great series on how to get started on Substack, very helpful. She is creating a great community over on her space and is committed to helping other writers succeed.
Thanks so much, Donna. I'm always happy to help newbies and to talk about writing with everyone!
https://writereverlasting.substack.com/
I joined right when it theoretically started and there were already 706 comments.
Who isn't short staffed these days. The post office, at least in my area is. I got my mail delivered one day this week at 9:00 PM(!)
i'm happy to hear that... i don't even have a post office where i live; i spent half a day trying to fill out forms online just to send my newsletter's giveaway prize to my reader!
I just hit up support@substack.com and get responses right away!
Yes, but I don't see that email on the contact page (or anywhere else).
haha. True. I just guessed it based on typical support emails!
Same. They’re literally helping me work through an issue as I type this.
That's good to know given how many people are saying they have gotten no response.
Response times really vary.
Brill
Wait a minute! Here we are talking about how hard it is to get support from a company that takes 10% of everything we make. And they are short staffed? It’s not like they don’t have the money to hire some staff. I have some big questions about how to format my posts and I am getting nowhere with finding answers.
I seem to remember we are pretty free (on our own) with formatting. So far, I found options pretty limited. We can size our headings. We can add art, and photos.
My guess is more options will be coming. I'm just working within the known parameters, until and/or unless something better comes along.
I feel very blessed to have Substack to get my words out!
I'm not able to post at all...so that is a definite hit to my business. Yet, they seem not to care.
I'm assuming you selected the "post" button. Mine worked 3 of 4 times. But, I think there's one more button (I can't remember what it said), like 'continue' or something. Anyway, I probably didn't wait long enough to see the second button to confirm my 'post' request. Maybe my excitement got the best of me.
--this may be what happened.
This issue is I cannot get past the CONTINUE button because the system freezes up at that point. And, before you ask, yes, I have rebooted the computer, cleared my cache, and closed out and relaunched the Substack app.
LOL. Yes. I've posted multiple times before successfully. The system from up on me and seemingly deleted my posts. Yes, I know how to post.
My issue, if anyone cares, is that the poetry block stopped working properly. I couldn’t enter a new headline under my poem without the whole poem defaulting to the headline style. Multiple returns didn’t fix it. Reformatting the poem in Word and repasting didn’t fix it. I finally just removed the poem so I could write the rest of the post.
Good luck finding support for a minor issue like this. A two-minute conversation with a knowledgeable CS agent would probably clear it up. But Substack is apparently too cheap for that.
Yes!! I asked this question below but maybe it belongs in this tech support seciton:
Friends have reported suddenly no longer receiving my newsletter. They haven't unsubscribed, they've checked spam and promotions folders. How can I help them??
Yes Bob, I have continued issues with Comment pages on computer sites shutting down and sites loading up on phone for Office Hours segments
There's a little blue "Help" button that shows up on my 'Stack Dashboard page. I'm guessing your D-board page, too.
That's not tech support, just a search/link to support documentation.
Oh. It's never occurred to me to push it. I guess I've never needed anything even resembling help.
You self-sufficient, man of all knowledge!:) I just had to tease "never needing anything resembling help...:)
Oh, believe me, I only mean here on the 'Stack! As I once heard a comedian say, "I'm usually walking around with my head in a sling!"😁
So much yes to this commment!
I think it's been awhile since anyone asked, but any plans on adding tip jar functionality instead of subscriptions?
I like this idea, too. I can understand arguments against it, which include the possibility that tip jars devalue paid subscriptions. But I think there's something to be said for giving authors the option.
True but a tip jar is like an invisible sliding scale for the public. I would welcome anyone who can afford a big tip. Hello mama.
I'm all for tip jars. And I believe it makes sense for Substack to offer them as an option... because if more substackers start using "Buy Me Coffee" (which I eventually may do), it cuts Substack out of the transaction. In fact, I once heard that this violates Substack's Terms of Service, though I haven't checked yet.
I just think it's wise to be strategic. If someone gives me a big tip — say, $30 — it feels like a win. And, to some extent, it is. But it's not as much of a win (from a business perspective) compared to the same person paying $60 for a subscription over the same period.
Maybe that's not a choice people make. I don't know. Just some stuff to consider. :)
Or perhaps both, that would allow for tips from your free subscribers and from people looking. It could also allow for giving a writer something extra for a really good piece, maybe?
Yes. I just need a billionaire to like a story.
Or several of them!
I second this!
Even if they don't formally add the functionality, you could always create a custom button and link it to 'buy me a coffee' or kofi etc.
how?
in the buttons drop down you can create your own button. you have to have a ko-fi etc account, but put in the url and write whatever text you want for the button. Put it into your posts. It's pretty simple once you do it.
Exactly! Although you would need to set up an account with another software company designed to receive the donations. As an example this is the page I set up on kofi: https://ko-fi.com/medha/commissions
yes! (that's what I meant about having another account like ko-fi) - that has to be set up first.
Yes yes yes! I would love this so very much.
Would love this!!
Yes to a tip jar! Maybe with the added functionality of a customizable button either within posts or on the homepage (something like we have for what used to be "let me read it first").
You can do that- it came up a week or two ago. I think it's in settings... you can change it back to 'let me read it first' or something else.
yes, liking this one.
Great idea!
I’ve used Buy Me a Coffee before and have had some readers tip who wouldn’t otherwise subscribe monthly. But overall I see Substack’s point in urging $5/month subscriptions.
I think this makes sense but understand businesss-model folks who want to lock people in. Recalling my frustration with news sites (like regional newspapers) that have paywalls that go up on the first visit - locking out folks there for some specific nugget. I wrote about this: How Does a News World with Thousands of Subscription Walls Survive? https://revkin.substack.com/p/how-does-a-news-world-with-thousands-21-09-12
I think that there should be a way to choose either or both for a paywall but I also understand the frustration of the writer/publisher who cannot seem to make ends meet to have a regular income. But yes a per post or story model might work too.
Office hours has been super awesome since the very first one.
Wholeheartedly agree. Learn something new every time I visit.
Agree, too. Weekly office hours are super helpful!
Amen 💯
I'm trying to reply here and when I hit "Post" , I keep getting error message: "Something went wrong" .
I've found that the single biggest accelerant to my subscriber base was a link posted on a Top Substack author's post. Just one link. Crazy. I've since e-mailed specific posts to a bunch of folks, but, not all authors cross-promote like Rob Henderson. I comment on Rob's posts frequently and he acknowledged this and then subscribed to my pub. Then the cross post happened. I'm happy to spend time finding the authors who consistently cross-promote and who overlap with my topical interests. BUT, it would be so awesome, if Substack had a filter that highlighted the authors who this generous with their platforms. the current Explore feature turns this into a long, manual churn process. I'd like to boost my subscriptions to larger subscriber-based authors who cross-promote
Does anyone remember the Substack author who offers payment for writing pieces on their Substack? He's left the link a few times during office hours but alas, all of my open tabs were closed and I can't remember his name. Thanks for your help! I've been feeling the nudge to submit a piece on grief and loss, hoping it might resonate with others.
https://www.understandably.com/p/writers-wanted-share-your-work-on
It's Bill Murphy Jr., but I'm not sure if he is actively doing this anymore, or how often.
Yes, thank you!!
I had a chat with Bill Murphy about this recently, so I think he is still doing it. The submission process isn't arduous, so maybe submit and see what happens?
I saw someone doing this recently...I *think* it was Emma Gannon.
Cross promotion and collaboration really works well.
Maybe a really stupid question, but I can't find a way to contact authors. I have found a few substacks that I hope might like to link to mine, but can't figure out how to make the request.
You can email any substack writer w/ nameofpublication@substack.com. So mine is whattoreadif@substack.com
Awesome, thanks!
Or you can also just reply to their newsletter emails!
I write about coffee, and am open to cross posting/trade columns, as long as there is a legit connecting thread between the two columns. For example, I'm working on a post with Warning Track Power (baseball) about the coffee shop I visited before going to a spring training game the week Covid shut the world down and he is writing a piece about the best clubhouse coffee in the MLB.
It doesn't have to be exactly the same, but some sort of connecting thread between coffee/entrepreneurship and the collaborating column. (Posting this again as a new comment below). My substack/podcast is www.roastwestcoast.com
How to email anyone with a substack publication?:
My publication URL is https://pau1.subtack.com and my email address is pau1@substack.com
This hold true for any substack publication. Daltons newsletter is https://club44.substack.com/
so his email would be club44@substack.com
I just subscribed to your stack. My email will be sent to you. penmom.
Thank you!
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Here's one way: bradkyle@substack.com. Gimme a holla, yo! The rest of 'Stack is on their own!
Sometimes you can reply to their 'stack. Mine works that way. Other times, leave a comment if it's not paywalled
that's the way my readers do it, by replying to my Substack via e-mail.
Is there something in settings that allows a subscriber to email back?
Yes. Settings -> Basics-> "Receive email replies to your posts from
Set who can reach you via email by replying to your posts or emailing terryfreedman@substack.com." You can set it to everybody, nobody, all subscribers or paid subscribers
Ha. You just taught me something! I thought everyone could reply.
James F. Richardson, your newsletter is AWESOME. And, I am picky!
I just subscribed. Looking forward to it.
thanks so much!
What a great message James.
I am always trying to be generous with my platform. As much as we should be grateful for those who helped us along the way, we should also reach out a hand to those coming behind us.
this is such a great idea
Great idea.
I'd be happy write a guest post ANY TIME! I write regularly about work issues leading up to a major section of my upcoming book. LMK - james@socialawarenessinstitute.org
Happy 70th Office Hours!
Looking forward, I would love to a bit more control in the dashboard. Specifically, I wish I could filter my posts by newsletter section.
I have several sections, each with very unique content and posting schedules, and right now the dashboard > posts page just lists everything by publication date. Filtering here would be such a huge help when it comes to tracking stats/performance/etc.
erinbowman.substack.com
Absolutely agree with this. Would be a fantastic addition.
Agreed!! The search function is awesome, but I see so many possibilities with adding filters
agree, great idea
Oh this filtering is a great idea, Erin!
How to find an audience — I was recently released from Club Fed, so of course I have no social media at all, no mailing list, and even lost most of my personal friends. I might be interested in paying a small sum (I don't have much) for marketing help. I believe my writing speaks for itself, but I don't know how to get the rubber onto the road.
Patience, Dalton, and promotion. I subscribed and started reading and am hooked. You have "it," now promote by showing up at Writer Office Hours and engaging in comments/discussion of other Substacks. Many fellow readers will be interested and click your profile, which will lead them to your Substack. Once they get there and read a post, they will subscribe. I didn't promote on social media or with my real life friends and family, and my subscriber list continues to grow--slowly but surely!
Thats great advice Holly.
I've met so many different writers on here who I now converse regularly with outside of this group.
They become a great support network.
Yes! Just this week I was emailing with another author about setting up a way to get one-time donations. The networking behind the scenes is wonderful!
Would love to know more about one-time donations and thanks for your comments.
You can set up an account with something like 'buy me a coffee' or kofi and then create a custom button on your substack that links to it. You then choose the wording for the button - maybe something like 'one time donation' for example. Then ta da! You have a one time donation button!
I like the "one-time donation" terminology vs. "tip jar". Thanks, sounds promising. I'd like to be invited to email you and the other author about this. Your choice--but I am a ideal person!
I'm not a part of that email thread, but if it's something you want to you, you can set up an account with something like 'buy me a coffee' or kofi and then create a custom button on your substack that links to it. You then choose the wording for the button - maybe something like 'one time donation' for example. Then ta da! You have a one time donation button!
That would be me, lol! Thanks again, Holly! 💜
Well, I wasn't going to out you, but...
Love having you as part of my network, Sue!
Really interesting and reassuring to know you don't promote on social media but still see growth Holly. I sometimes feel a bit torn between loving Substack as a seperate entity and feeling more comfortable to talk honestly on here - yet that feeling undermined a little by always sharing links on social too. I guess maybe a hybrid approach could work but yeah, great to hear your experience.
I deleted all my social media accounts quite some years ago, only made new ones once I started writing professionally as a way of promotion. Part of me wishes I had kept the followers I used to have, because what I post does not seem to gain as much traction as it used to 'back in the day'. Regardless, I post everything on facebook, twitter, instagram etc. , it still gives me a few readers here and there.. But it does not seem useful to spend more time there for what I get in return, unlike these comment threads, which are great :)
I just did exactly what Holly said! Good stuff Dalton and I am looking forward to more.
Agree with Holly, its very good Dalton!
Biz cards gets your 'Stack to people you'd never otherwise see or contact, no social media involved! My card has the pic you see to your left (me and The Ramones in '77), with my 'Stack web address, plus the back has the QR code to get to my main page!
Leave your card with your payment at restaurants, tack 'em up on Starbux and Panera Bread bulletin boards, put a handful of them on your Panera/Starbux/any restaurant table (neatly in a row)! Give it a try! A significant number of my current subscribers have come from my cards! DON'T FEAR THE PAPER!
Ooh, impressed by the Ramones pic.
Really? Then, you're sure to dig my account of spending an evening with the lads in their Houston hotel room in '78! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/keyless-entry-my-night-in-the-ramones Thanks, Penny!
Thanks, I'll read it later. You might like mine - it's all post-punk stuff but mostly UK bands. https://pennykiley.substack.com/
Thanks so much, Penny, for subscribing! I just did you back!! As one who was 8 at the time (with nothing but fond, transcendent memories), may I offer a guest post for your 'Stack about seeing THE Liverpool band on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in Feb '64? Lemme know! I'm one of the few who did far more than just watch the video on YouTube!
I subscribed. I grew up in the 70s and often mention it in my stack, Aging Gratefully. Will send your info to my 25 yo son. He loves the 70s. (Past life?)
Thanks so much! I hope your son digs my stuff! If he's interested in guest-writing something, lemme know! I'd be particularly interested in how (and why!) he became enamored of my favorite decade!
You've heard of Photoshop, right, Penny? 😂
There's a photo of me with Paul McCartney on my Substack and that's not Photoshop either.
so you used to write for Melody Maker? I'm impressed. I always liked that mag
Gotta admit your Paul trumps my Ramones....although, 'twas Paul who used to sign into hotels (in the '60s) using the nom-de-tune, "Paul Ramone"! That's why The Ramones called themselves that (early in their career, seeing that on a marquee....they used to say....people thought "The Ramones" were a Mexican cha-cha band, and wouldn't show up)!!🌮😱
Photoshop THIS, Terry!!😉👍
😂
That's a great idea! Leaving your card at restaurants and stuff when you pay. I love it!
Or as a tip
thanks for such a great idea! Stuff like this is why I come to office hours!
how do you get a qr code?
just google "qr code generator" there are lots of places you can get one.
There are several apps for iPhone and android that will make them for you as well. I recently heard that in addition to the common square ones they can now be custom shapes as well. I need to look into that some more myself.
How I did it: I had my card made online with VistaPrint, and they offer that as a service....turning a web address into a QR code. Plus, I have a Ko-fi account for tips at the tail-end of articles. They, too, offer QR code availability. See what Paul (Deplatformable Newsletter) offers below.👇
That's great, Brad!
I'm just going to be cheeky and mention that I've noticed many music-related 'Stacks here tonight. Come and say hello!
Brad you're a star! I'll give that a go. Thank you!
Love this idea!
Respect the paper! Haha. What's a QR code. I'm an analog writer. Still learning backroom lingo.
This is a great write up about qr codes...https://pau1.substack.com/p/one-thing-011723
You can make one with canva for free: https://www.canva.com/qr-code-generator/
did someone say 'analogue' ??
That’s me. I would still hand write but I have an essential tremor in my right hand. Hubby built his computer. Me? I just learned what a QR code is. Haha.
I didn't come from your cards.
It wasn't from a lack of trying! I threw one of my cards from central Texas in the general direction of England, and hey, if the wind catches it.............💨
😂 You just summarised my marketing strategy!
Nice! My biggest problem is always discovering the correct direction to face!
"But here’s the thing: social media doesn’t really matter. At least, it doesn’t matter much in terms of my subscriber growth. After nearly two years of publishing Situation Normal on Substack, I’ve gotten 34 subscribers from Twitter (where I post daily) and 14 from Facebook (where I’m a ghost). In total, only about 5 percent of my subscribers come from social media.
While 5 percent of my audience is significant, it’s a disturbingly low figure considering how much time and energy I put into Twitter. Whatever I’m trying to get out of social media, my newsletter data tells me it ain’t growth."
- Michael Estrin, https://michaelestrin.substack.com/p/i-hit-1000-subscribers-heres-what
I don't know if that makes you feel better or worse... But in the last 3 months, I've gotten the majority of my subscribers by making real connections on Substack. I wouldn't have believed it before. But being here, engaging, asking & answering questions really helps! It's a WILDLY supportive community. So you're in the right place!!
I guess it depends on the subject matter....for me, I've found, about half-a-dozen times, now, that one of my music articles actually finds the singer/musician/songwriter about whom I wrote!
Like, yesterday, my article on Marshall Crenshaw actually was forwarded to him by a friend of his who saw my link to the piece on a Facebook group. Well, as he said in his e-mail to me, "Marshall C. here"----along with appreciating my efforts, I'm hoping our connection might, now, turn into an exclusive interview! And, then maybe I can interview him right back!!😁👍
So, my presence on social media is less about potential subscribers (although, it's clear that's happened, and in pretty good numbers), than it is about connecting with potential interviewees from whom extra content might emerge!
Sue are there other times/place to do this kind of engagement with other substack writers, besides this writers room?
This is the only other one like Office Hours I've seen so far: https://on.substack.com/p/shoutout-18/comments
But engaging in comments threads anywhere works!
Dalton, about a year ago, the good folks down at 'Stack Central hosted a Substack Go and Substack Grow; from one of those sprung a bi-weekly (we also do it bi-monthly, in case they're not the same thing) hour-long face-time thing on Google Meet (like Zoom).
What started with about a dozen (who all but swore their allegiance) on our first one has dwindled to a small, but mighty and dedicated handful of regular music writers!
So, if you're able to round up some fellow 'Stackers who write in your similar topic lane (shout out for some here or any Thursday), you might find it helpful to plan something like that. We keep it low-key and informal, and just talk about challenges and successes, and it's a great place to plant the seeds of collabbing, guesting, and other 'Stack essentials! Give it a shot!
Interesting, thank you!
Yes. Someone I know with 100,000 twitter followers recently mentioned an article of mine. It was seen by 1,000 people and was liked by 1
I'm guessing you meant that literally. Thank you for sharing. I bet ya can't repeat it. Well, I hope not. I'm trying to be encouraging, because, when I read your post, I thought, "Yeah, that could be me for sure." I think I'm a pretty great writer, but not everyone seems to agree!
It was someone I've known for 20n years, from pre-substack days. The problem with social media is that everyone has to shout louder and louder in order to be heard. I find substack comments and recommendations a much better means of finding new readers -- and writers.
Before I used Substack for my articles, I had my own website, and I remember studying the analytics and seeing how many people on twitter simply liked, retweeted, or commented WITHOUT ever reading the article the post was about. Staggering. Facebook had a bit better engagement, but the number of comments etc was still much higher than the views..
That's interesting to know, Terry. I find that Twitter is useless for REAL engagement so I guess that makes sense. Thanks for sharing that. I guess if it doesn't work....look elsewhere. :-)
Agreed, Eric
Wow interesting to see that.
I was reading some years ago that Stephen Fry, who had 8m followers at the time, mentioned someone's website. So many people visited that it crashed the server. In the end, 5 people subscribed to the person's newsletter. The lesson I learn from this is that although a big one-off boost is most definitely welcome, I think slow, steady and consistent and consistently good writing gets the best results long term
Thanks for sharing that anecdote. It seems discussion often sways to how to use social media, the adverse feelings towards it and sometimes submission to it. It feels overwhelming and hamster-wheelie. Just do the thing.
Eggzactly, Faith
I have encountered the same thing.. I still post my articles there , and it brings a few readers to my newsletter, but other than that it does not feel very impactful to spend any more time than that there.. I remember it being different in the past, though, when these platforms hadn't been around that long, or is that just me?
I think Substack is a lot better than other platforms in that regard. I have a few newsletters in Mailerlite, and although the Mailerlite people and resources are very good, there's no cross-promotion of others' newsletters as far as I can tell, and nothing like Office Hours except for a Facebook group. I think it's a matter of keeping on keeping on
I hear you about Twitter. Personally I've given up trying to promote anymore on that toxic platform. I also dumped Facebook and Instagram since they limit the hell out of your feed (unless you pay them.)
On the plus side I've been having better responses on Counter.social, Post.news, Spoutible.com and Mastodon. Proof that Musk's Dirty Bird Kingdom isn't the be all end all of promotion.
will check those out, thanks. Have also tried out Minds recently, but not sure yet how useful it is for promotion
I hadn't heard of these!
Yes!
Ditto, Sue.
Just subscribed to you. I'm a recent retiree from NASA and I'm looking forward to having a public voice again. Because of the Hatch Act and employer confidentiality, there was so much I couldn't comment on pubicly. I just joined Substack this week hoping to give some insights into the experiences I had. Interestingly, when you're an employee there, you're considered "inside the gates." And the rest of the world is "outside the gates." Though being inside the gates, for me, was equivalent to being in an insulated, safe, but limiting cocoon, where in your case it was the opposite. I was just struck by that minuscule parallel.
Where I was, we got to see rocket launches and had something of an inside track. The X-37B flew right over my head one day. So we've got that in common too!
Hi, Mary. Looking forward to reading what you have to say about your time at NASA. I’ve been a spaceflight fan since early childhood. I’m now trying my hand at writing about what I love - spaceflight history, pop culture, and art. You might enjoy my 'Creating Space' NERDSletter.
Sounds interesting, count me in! Would love to learn more about the 'inside story' behind space travel.
Your substack is pure gold. I’d recommend engaging with other writers on their stacks for exposure. Also look into cross posting with writers in the financial niche.
On a side note, it’s never too late to start a social presence.
Totally right on the social presence. Im currently trying them all out....
Twitter - tricky to get engagement when you dont have many followers
LinkedIn - really easy to get engagement but hard to get click throughts to Substack
TikTok - started experimenting last night but heard it is great for getting views! I'll come back to you on this one!
Lately, I've enjoyed Post.News as an alternative to Twitter. It allows long form posts and so far I've need none of the snark and pettiness that Twitter engenders. That might be one place to add to your repertoire.
Keep at it. Takes time.
Thank you! I'm not sure I understand how cross posting works. Is there a guide or documentation?
If you think a post from another writer is something your readers would resonate with, you simply click cross-post at the bottom of their post. It will pop up a window that lets you add your comments before the post, (like, "hey, I thought this was an amazing post and I wanted to share it with you, my readers." and then it will populate on your newsletter. I just cross-posted Katie's post this week from My Sweet Dumb Brain. 💜
Having cross-posted half-a-dozen times, Sue, I concur and would add this info for those new to cross-posting: When you cross-post another's article, it does NOT appear on your Archive page, but it does appear on your Dashboard, so you can follow the open rate, etc, like it was one of your articles (that's a question I've seen pop up here on the Thread)!
Also, I've discovered that, for those who are rendered busy (by work, vacations, illness, etc) can use cross-posting to help "fill the gaps" that may occur in your publishing schedule.
Sadly, you can't schedule cross-posting, so you'll still have to be available to monitor YOUR inbox, and then judiciously and thoughtfully, decide whether this article or that one would be a true match for your subscriber audience!
thanks, Brad. You just enlightened me on a few aspects about cross-posting that I did not know! 💜
It's actually really easy, Dalton. You'll see the two arrows and the word cross-post on the top right of the newsletters you subscribed to. If you think the newsletter post is relevant to your readers and would interest them, press the cross-post button, then write a little blurb to tell your readers why you're sharing this with them. They'll receive it in an e-mail and the writer will be notified.
I've just subscribed because (a) it looks interesting and (b) I used to teach in a prison (murderers) and I think it's hard for people to get back on their feet so to speak (https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/teaching-behind-bars-with-a-postscript)
You would be correct on all those points! Thanks.
Dalton, I write a newsletter about money and markets for the newer or average investor and found that consistency in writing works wonders. I don't market on social media but I just write a couple times a week consistently. Engage with others. Be disciplined about what you do. It will take time but if it's what you love....it will come. Good luck.
Yes--consistency is key. I appreciate a regular cadence to the posts I receive from others, so I stick to that, too. I publish once a week, which works for my writing schedule. It's helped me be more disciplined in my writing.
Don't worry.
You can always start from where you are.
I'd recommend joining Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Quora.
Pick ONE platform.
Setup your profile. Use that as your funnel - point that to your Substack.
You don't need to have any friends or followers at all to start with.
Join groups. Start genuine conversations. Help where you can.
You don't need to promote your Substack at all.
No need to pitch.
You are unique. Your content is unique. Have faith and patience.
People will get curious and check out your profile.
You WILL eventually start attracting people to your Substack organically.
Wish you only the very best!
I took a class on social media a couple of years ago and one of the most important things I learned was start with one platform and get to know it before expanding. Also not all platforms will have your audience on them so choose wisely.
Yep. Makes sense.
Quora-- didn't think of that one.
I like Quora because people with problems hang out there. It's a great place to help people solve their problems by answering their questions. You'll always find topics you can relate to.
I've never really engaged with Quora. Is it intutive to use?
Yeah, it's in a Q&A format. Very intuitive.
Honestly, a huge chunk of my subscriber base (tiny as it currently is) comes from Office Hours. I meet and network with people here, and through that engagement, people click my profile and check out my Stack.
You're on the right track. Other than that, I ask my readers to share the posts that they like with their friends, or people they think might be interested in the subject of activism. They don't share often, but every now and then I get a hit that way!
And then I read and comment and engage with other writers and Stacks, promote my newsletter on Medium, and talk about the issues on social media (with links in my bio, for curious parties.)
I've had the same experience, this (and other Substack events) are a great way to connect with people. I also find that commenting on other people's substacks is a great way to meet new writers and readers!
This happened two weeks ago. I felt like I was being exploited.
There are no real shortcuts. Also it’s important to keep in mind the old sales strategy of potential customers needing on average three contacts before a sale. Along with that, to get one new subscriber you need a lot more than that who just come and look.
That's cool, I did not mean to imply that I'm looking for shortcuts.
Office Hours is a great place to start; not just for networking, but for any tech issues/questions you might have. I can almost guarantee someone here has faced the same problem before.
Promote, promote, promote.
How? How? How?
Perfect, Brad...
Am I getting it? Am I getting it? Am I getting it?
Thanks for sharing your perspectives ... very insightful. Also, fyi, I've explored turning off comments and likes for non-subscribing readers. Yours is the first time I've experienced it ... and found it frustrating so I've removed that pay wall. Still trying to find a pay wall I can live with. Best wishes for your success.
Cross-promotion is another good way to build an audience
"Genuine conversations: absolutely
Dalton, don't pay anyone yet. I just subscribed to your stack, I've had a lot of experience in PR - I'll take a look and send you a few suggestions.
That's so kind of you! Go Dalton!
Wow, that is super generous. Thank you very kindly.
Nice add, Ted! I've also become beyond busy in contributing to other 'Stack music writers' pages, collabbing, asking others to contribute their thoughts on my article pages, etc! In fact, I've now got about 3 or 4 things in the fire I can't even recall......I just watch for other writers' work come into my inbox, and go, "Oh, there's that thing I wrote for so-and-so a couple weeks ago!" It's a blast, and another great way to expand, grow, and add involvement and engagement!
I'd love to see a way to filter search results so that it's not just the Substacks with the largest followings that show up first.
Sometimes I'm not wanting to find someone who's mainstream or popular. Here are some ways that the search function could filter differently:
- show results for the fastest growing Substack in a 7-day or 30-day period
- show results for the oldest Substack in a search result
- show results for the fastest Substack converting from free-to-paid subscribers
I'm sure there are most ways the search function could filter more helpfully. What else am I missing?
"I'd love to see a way to filter search results so that it's not just the Substacks with the largest followings that show up first."
EXACTLY! Thanks Amanda, for saying what I tried to express just a few minutes ago, much better than me.
great ideas, Amanda
Seconded!! Great idea Amanda. You're full of them ;)
Yes please!! I would love this.
What Amanda said! 😁
Congratulations on Number 70! That's a big one...and it is for me too as I'll be turning the big Seven O next month. And if you think THAT is old, well one of my subscribers turned 100 on February and my readers and I celebrated her birthday with a special newsletter edition! I wonder if she might be the oldest...or one of the oldest subscribers on the platform!
As always, the big plus for me in Office Hours is the continued community building between writers and the support Substack gives to us.
I am 84 years old and began my writing career two years ago thanks to Substack.
That really cheered me up: I’m ‘only’ 72 and just starting to dip my toe in. Maybe we should have a corner for 70+ writers?
That's wonderful, Janice! You are an inspiration to many people, I'm sure... I firmly believe its never too late to start a new project or follow your dream! 💕
Thank you Ali. I had wanted to write for a long time - and finally decided to do it rather than just thinking about it.
I understand that... we csn really get in the way of ourselves sometimes, through fear or low self esteem for example. It can be so liberating when we finally let ourselves go!
congratulations, Janice.
That's a really lovely thing for you to do for her, Kate! 😍
I'm right behind you, Kate! Keep up the good work! 💜
how lovely! and so memorable for her and for your community.
She was very touched by it!
The #1 thing that would help me (and many other writers, based on previous comments in other Writer Office Hours) would be better organization of Writer Office Hours comments. It would be so helpful if it were quick and easy to see replies to my posts or comments, return to where I was if I click on a link and then come back here, search for comments by category, etc. It would also be nice if there was a specific thread for nothing but questions for staff, so those questions don't get lost among all the other comments and can be responded to promptly.
With that said, I still think these Writer Office Hours are one of Substack's best features and I look forward to them each week. Overall, Substack is already awesome and I'm happy I publish my newsletter here!
Also, even when I click on a notification that someone has replied to my comment, sometimes it doesn't bring me to that reply, just to the thread with tons of other comments I have to wade through if I want to read and respond to that particular reply.
Yeah, unfortunately, when that happens I don't answer. I don't have the time to wade through a massive thread to try to find a reply....
Same.
Yes, that is definitely a problem.
Genius idea about the different threads for engaging with staff vs writers. Agree with everything you've said!
We just want to echo what many other Substackers have said: we've been told that cross-promotion is an important aspect of gaining an audience, but it seems difficult, if not impossible, for many new accounts to either contact other writers or set up a reciprocal scheme.
Perhaps there can a shoutout thread each day where writers of a certain niche connect with one another? Like one day can be for music-based stacks to get in touch and the next can be centered on international affairs?
Just wanted to let you (and others) know that we take this problem extremely seriously and are working on an array of things we think will help. The fact that today Substack has a rich-get-richer dynamic / struggles to drive growth for new publications without existing sources of readers is intensely regrettable, not at all what we want.
I should caution that some of what we need to do to drive growth for "not-already-famous" publications might be non-obvious; that is, you can expect us to ship some new features and surfaces this year that we intend to be part of a solution to this problem but which might not seem directed at it, but in fact are! I'd love to say more, but I can't, of course.
Mainly just wanted to say: (1) we know this is a problem and we badly want to improve this; (2) we're working on some things that we believe will improve it in a truly scalable and enduring way; and (3) I subscribed, very stoked to read your work!
Just to make sure I'm following - are you commenting on behalf of Substack?
I am! I mean: I can't actually speak for everyone here, of course, but I'm Head of Design here / have been here for about 3 years, and this has been a constant concern for us and something we're extremely eager to sort out. It's very challenging work for a variety of reasons, but we think we have some paths to much-improved discovery and publication growth, esp. for the "long tail" of pubs not already earning tons.
We'll see, of course, but I did want to convey that for us, this is as important as anything on our horizon!
Mills, this is very important to us and we appreciate your sharing what is going on behind the scenes. You & the team at Substack have built something excellent and writer-centric. Most of us just want to write, with minimal "startup founder SGA" hassle. And make some modest income along the way...
Thanks,
Or if there were an easy way to message the creator of certain Substacks?
Sarah, you can email most writers with the formula nameofpublication@substack.com. So mine is whattoreadif@substack.com
P.S.
Our Substack is one that compares historical events to those today. If anyone is interested in connecting, our email is historyrinserepeat@gmail.com.
exactly, again. Because one of the reasons why I chose substack instead of other platform is exactly that popular wisdom seems to agree that this is the place where it is easier to cross-promote/cross-connect. Please compare this with my other comment of just a few minutes ago about the "Dive into your interest" page at https://substack.com/reader-onboarding
I think we need something that can help gain subscribers because it's hard to gain subscribers when you have no audience.
Like maybe an "Up and Coming" reading list published by Substack??
could be good. An interim level between complete newbie and celeb
That would be great.
a smart idea, Sue!
A great idea!
Absolutely with you on this
I have no shame in promoting. I even played the "subscribe to the gal who guest starred on Seinfeld" card.
what card is that? I hadn't heard of this person
Me.
oh sorry, didn't pick up on that. It's bin a long day and I'm famished
I think commenting on other people's work, if done genuinely, helps build audience
I agree, Terry, genuinely agree...
😂
Maybe separating this office hours into different categories:
-Q&A
-I just want to chat
-Promoting yourself
-Tips & Tricks
Things like that. Because I feel like the actual Q's are lost somewhere in here.
Yes, exactly! Categorizing office hours posts would be enormously helpful. We wouldn't have to spend time scrolling through hundreds of posts to find the ones of interest to us.
Amen to that! Would love to see a separate time and place for all the networking and self-promotion. So I can skip it...
Congrats on 70! One thing I'm looking for is better stats for both my newsletter and podcast so I can better see which posts are getting the most traction. I love Substack in comparison to Wordpress, but Wordpress stats are still better.
@Katie - Hi. I'm new here. It would be really beneficial to make this office hours easier to read.
I typed my comments in and I have no way of knowing where they went or who responded to them and when. It makes it really difficult to follow in real time.
For example:
-being able to view Q/A's easier
-being able to collapse a thread that's not useful
-being able to see questions that were already asked
-being able to find the Qs/comments you wrote and their responses/updates.
-being able to share screenshots of issues where images are needed to explain
Agree 💯 and posted a similar comment earlier. It is very hard to read every single post and comment with no ability to filter by topic, separate support questions for staff from other comments, etc.
Hello all, and happy Office Hours! Here's a little bit of encouragement from one small newsletter to all of you:
Chasing numbers can drive us crazy. Obsessing over the perfect time to post on all of our platforms can rob us of the real joy of sharing our work. Here's a rule I implemented for myself a long time ago, to save myself from the horrible disappointment that often comes with chasing numbers. Right before I click POST on anything, I tell myself, "The people who need it will see it." And I truly believe that. I believe that the right content reaches the right people at the right time, even if that's only a handful of folks.
Do I still find myself worrying when a post only gets three likes? Sure, I'm human! But I quickly remember that the right people saw it, and I move on to the next post. The pressure is off. As long as I inspired someone, anyone, then it was worth it. It may not work for everyone, but this philosophy works for me!
How do YOU avoid the numbers game? Let's share and encourage one another!
Most importantly: keep going, keep writing, and DON'T GIVE UP! 🌿
Needed to read this! I've been sitting on my newsletter idea FOREVER! I'm terrified to be too preoccupied and self-conscious that will rob me of the joy of writing.
I've been on for a while... Find office hours difficult because if I show up early, everything is moving quickly because so many are posting. If I read afterward, I feel I missed out. I find a voice or comment here or there and get lost then looking at that person's page... but it's all good. I've come to the conclusion that Office Hours is like life. You find who you are supposed to find and have the experience you are ready to have. You will find your comfort zone and also, more importantly, that which inspires you to be you. Enjoy the joy of your writing and it will become contagious for others!
This is exactly how I use office hours. It's always hit and miss. But I also always come away with something valuable. 💜
That is a great way to set your expectations. Use what appeals and let the other stuff be there for someone who may need that message.
Yes, you are one of my finds from Office Hours!
Right. This is my second Office Hours...each time I was just a couple minutes late (three cheers for multitasking) and there were already over 500 posts and replies to read. I'm about a third of the way through them...
Some of these posts say they were from 2 hours ago. Are the invites staggered? Are people waiting overnight in a line around the block to post, like a Stones Concert? :-)
Hi Mark! Substack staff open the thread around 8:30am Pacific time (usually), but the staff don't enter to answer questions until 10am (which is when the official invite goes out, I suppose). So a lot of us linger around early to say hello and post questions. :)
That’s very helpful info, thank you. It’s my first time here so it’s especially welcome to have such tips. Thank you again.
No problem at all, Aileen, and welcome! I know it can be a bit chaotic at first, but glad you made it. 🌿
Thanks for answering that question I have had since Office Hours began. Maybe having more sessions available would cut down on the number of participants at a time. I usually pop in to see if there is anything of interest to me. I don't read every comment. It doesn't help to get behind. I daresay the community is growing too big too fast.
Ah, I like that answer better than mine (signs of early dementia).
Thanks so much!
Yeah I totally missed the live boat this morning due to travel and am just skimming a few comments that I can get to. I do really enjoy these threads, but experience has shown you have to sort of throw yourself into it early to enjoy the live back-and-forth that goes on.
Or... you can go into so many more of the threads that you couldn't have done in the minute between one hour and the next. You didn't miss anything. You find what you need!
True. At least this all stays up doesn't disappear once it closes.
Go for it, Jenny! I was the same but I've found such a supportive community and readership here : )
I hear that over and over again! It’s hard to believe in this media climate but it must be true!!!
I can confirm it! My small base of subscribers are lovely, and the people I've interacted with are engaging, polite and show real interest in my writing.
So far, it's a great community.
I hear you!
I'm looking forward to the first post!
I get that! I always wonder who would be interested in what I have to say. But.. I just try to think about what I want to tell people & hope they find it interesting! Enjoy the process i really like it I have a website on word press that I was worried about not emailing from but I am going to give Substack a good try!
um, have you seen the title of my newsletter?? I don't know what relaxation means. ;)
Hello S.E. - One way I stay away from the numbers game is to always remind myself that I can control what I write, what I publish. But I cannot control the reaction or lack of reaction from others. Another way I stay away from the numbers game is to delete the next day stats email without opening it.
Yeah, I think that I will have to delete that stats email. It does me no good. It's like weighing one's self every day and seeing little fluctuations that really don't mean anything. Checking once in a while is good, but the important thing is to keep writing.
Yes. I've asked myself: What would I do with those stats? The answer is nothing. They don't help with creativity. You're so right: important thing is to keep writing.
“It’s like weighing one’s self every day”--SO true. I’m going to throw out my scale and stop looking at the stats! Thank you, Zina.
Great analogy, Zina!!
I don’t subscribe to stats emails
Thank you. I didn't know that was an option. Great tip!
I love this, thank you! I burned out on the numbers thing late last year and took a break to clear my head. I'm back to posting again and this time around I am not looking at numbers, and similar to you, before I hit publish I think that if even one person gets something from my post, it will have been worth it. And I truly believe that. This change in perspective has brought joy back to my writing. :)
That's a good mindset to have. I have seen periods where all of a sudden all these people subscribe to my newsletter, and then periods of stagnation. So you need something else to keep you motivated, and remind yourself that less views on a post does not mean it was worse than the one that got all those views. I hope to keep my readers interested with the many topics I am interested in, and through that enthusiasm get them interested as well. That's what keeps you going, I think.
So good to know there are periods of stagnation, Robert! I started out well and now things are...quieter. I thought, “Oh no, they hate my comics/my writing/both!” I guess this is just what’s happening now. Taking in all this good advice about not measuring worth by numbers.
Hang in there. It's already worth so much because you care about it!
Thank you, Robert! It's so true; even the evilest part of my number-and-stat-obsessed mind can't stop me now.
defo!
Yep. Exactly. Up n down. Nature of the beast.
Ha! All I got was a note to say that now I've subscribed you're pausing the newsletter. Typical. More seriously though, Kerri, I really like your newsletter and I'm sorry not to have commented recently but I'm behind in all my reading!
LOL! Only a PART of it is on pause, Terry! 🤣 No worries about commenting! It'll be there at the exact right time for you to read it. :)
OK! By the way, I wrote my reply to Becks this afternoon. Do read it and comment, if you have time!
I just saw that come in and I said an internal "yippee!" I'm saving the letter until this evening when I have the time and space to enjoy it. xo
Yay! (Whatever that means: I'm British. We say things like, "Not bad" to express wholehearted exuberance)
Yes Terry, there are a lot of great writers, but finding the time is tough and tech gliches sure don't help
agreed!
That’s a great mindset! I’m so happy about numbers because I’ve never seen consistent growth like this on other platforms...
Good idea 👍
For me statistics are creative poison. Whether it’s how many people opened a newsletter, or how many books I sold. I have to do things for the love of it first and let the statistics end of it go.
Yes. I disabled the notification about people unsubscribing. For all I know, NOBODY reads my newsletter now -- but I'm happy! Best thing I ever did, frankly, because I'm one of those people who can receive 99 new subscribes and then fret about the one uhnsubscribe.
100% yes to that!! Turning those off was one of the best moves I’ve made.
Same, same, same!! (This seems to be my favorite word right now.)
Same!
Holy crap. Great idea!!!
I did not know I could disable the stats email! Thank you for that; doing it right now. It’s making me a little cray and discouraging me. I just want to keep writing and doing my comics on my Substack, and whoever finds me finds me!
One of those people who frets about the one negative in a sea of positives? A human being you mean.. ;)
something like that! 🤣
You can be notified if someone unsubscribes? ... :-o
Yessir, it's on by default. Who needs that kind of a downer?
I agree; I'm sure when you do things for the love of it first, it shows up in your work, making it more likely to reach more people anyway.
100%, Kate
Same!
I’m with you, Mark.
These office hours are great and provides a wealth of information to folks like me who have joined this community recently. Thank you! I started my substack newsletter focused on leadership for managers and aspiring managers - The Manager’s Prism (www.themanagersprism.com) in January. The tools have provided by this platform is just perfect and all one needs to do is focus on writing.
To avoid chasing numbers, all I did was to come up with a few personal rules:
1. Write everyday but start by publishing once a week. Seeing a pipeline of posts ready to be published is extremely motivating.
2. Schedule your posts for a certain day and time of the week.
3. Optimize for the reader. If you have generated an insight for one person, you have won. Focus on writing more.
I remember MrBeast (YouTuber) mentioning this in one of his interviews - (paraphrasing) “Your first 100 videos are going to suck and will not generate the views, likes and subscriptions you are expecting. We can talk when you reach 101”.
All you need to focus on, is, to show up. Share what you like sharing. Pursue being better than what you were yesterday and if you do, I am sure the likes, shares and comments will come. It is important to acknowledge what is in our hands and that is, write. So let’s write, the rest will follow.
Hope this helps.
PS. I love Substack!
Absolutely love this Rohit and it's something I'm trying really hard to do at the moment - the just keep showing up and not worry about the rest.
I was blown away by listening to an interview with Mr. Beast! Such a cool guy and his story is such a great example of what it takes to become successful. Now if only all my students would listen to him speak and understand that “influencer” isn’t a get rich quick kind of thing!!
Good tips. Just subscribed. Looking forward to reading more!
"The people who need it will see it" - I think I need this on a poster in front of my desk haha
How do *I* avoid the numbers game? I show up to writers office hours so you can give me these reminders! Thanks, S.E.!
🙌
I try to avoid the numbers game but inevitably fall into looking just before I publish. I’d love a ‘percentage increase view’ instead of the absolute numbers view. And maybe a comparison of ‘what good looks like’ compared to equivalent industry newsletters :-)
I have a couple of subscribers who like most of what I write. And I've had a couple comment and send me emails thanking me for my hard work.
What keeps me going is that I get a lot of views when I publish a new newsletter.
Most important, my writing helps my decision making because I often consider and write about several ways to do a trade. And I often do trades before or after I write about them.
When I wrote articles and newsletters for clients, I drew on my experiences as a business owner, manager, client, customer, shopper, investor, hospital board member, employee, student and patient.
Writing is a learning experience. Enjoy.
Totally agree that part of the reward is the thinking process. I started my Substack to write about literacy (I’m a reading teacher) and now I’ve started a non-profit to promote early childhood language and literacy in my community. None of that would have happened had I not sat down to analyze the situation.
that's awesome! congrats!
I feel the exact same way! I know that I have to treat my three with the same value as I would treat three thousand, because their time and attention is a gift to me! 👍🏼
Totally a gift! Thanks for sharing this Rachel!
Yes, and you have the time to get to know them, which you wouldn't with your 3000, and they will become your biggest supporters and advocates in the long run.
I struggle a bit with this. One thing that's helped lately is my own enjoyment of the writing process. It's often difficult and sometimes frustrating, but I learn so much during the research process for the articles I write and I'm genuinely proud of that work.
This has been helping me too! I've been writing about more things that make me happy lately, and that's helping me worry less about numbers or reach or money.
Another vote for this!
Finding the joy in it works wonders, doesn't it? Makes a huge difference! 🌿
Absolutely. I've come to the point where I recognize some things I write won't reach the audience I hope for, and some things will surprise me. And still I write... it remains my lifeline.
These sessions are brighter with you here. Not trying to be funny at all. Thanks for supporting so many in the community.
Oh man, overcoming that "numbers" obsession is a daily struggle. I try to keep that same mindset you're talking about, telling myself the "right" people saw it. Or I remind myself how ecstatic I would have been for my current numbers only a few months ago. But there's that voice in the brain that goes straight from "One day I'll have one of those checkmarks after my name" to "everything I do is worthless" in like five seconds. Or I'll get a bunch of new subscribers (yay!) and then lose three... None of this is new or exciting, psychologically. Humans are gonna human. But it helps to be a part of a community and know I'm not the only one.
That's the built in madness of numbers, why isn't 153 154? why isn't 154 155? Just enjoy what you're doing and rejoice at the general direction the numbers are heading in.
By the way, I didn't know Michael Curtis had died -- thanks for the post! Just subscribed.
Thanks so much, Laura!
I like that "the people who need it will see it" and I truly believe it. I also send a thought of love - a white light - with each article I post.
Love this! Such a great mindset to have and so true. Thank you for sharing!
Always love your advice and encouragement each week 😁
I'm happy with just a few likes per article if I get them, but yeah I absolutely do find myself waking up in the morning wondering if there have been any likes or comments.
I think the best thing I've come to realise though is that every time I hit post is acknowledging that I've actually written something and am happy enough with it to share it. Doing that on a weekly wchedule is a wonderful thing.
So true, Nathan. These are weird times to be living through, but we are so lucky we can connect digitally with like-minded people all around the world.💕
I was thinking about the thread the week before last week from Tami Carey (https://outsourcedoptimism.substack.com/) about how writers can support writers, and I wanted to share:
I came to Substack DEEPLY skeptical of internet communities. I am a sensitive person, and the experience of being on Twitter, or IG, or reddit, or really basically anywhere on the internet is...mostly awful for me. On top of that, I didn't really believe in genuine connection over the internet.
Substack is starting to thaw my icy position on the internet (I said *starting to*...let's not go overboard 😉). But seriously, even as I come to the platform with a bias that all comments are transactional and everyone is just trying to promote themselves, I am finding myself disproven over and over again here. Thanks to everyone here who is showing up to be supportive, showing up with real and genuine questions, reading each other's work and offering encouraging words, and all the other little acts. I'm still far from being an "internet person," but I have one warm spot in my heart for this little corner of the World Wide Web.
All of this. And I am really appreciating the connections that I'm making here because it feels like a real writing community instead of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."
Absolutely. I love the Office Hours for that- y'all have such great ideas, and you love to share them with newbies like me. It's a super welcoming atmosphere!
I just wish I could spend a lot more time here responding!
The thread moves so quickly its hard to keep up! 🤣
I'm not on Office Hours as much as I'd like, and yet there are some familiar faces whose comments I read every word. Yours is one of them, along with S.E., Kevin and Brad, because you're all optimistic about the platform and the potential it holds for writers.
Always appreciate your insights and presence here, Glenn! 👏
Thanks, Glenn! I appreciate being recognized (well, anywhere, really....who we kidding?) with large 'Stack presences like S.E. and Kevin! Without a last name to go by, I can only hope and assume you meant me, BTW!!!😳
I'm honored to even be considered a "large 'Stack presence"! 😭♥️
Oh, please.....someone called me that once in 5th grade.....gotta be honest, it cut really deep then! Now? Kinda bitchin'!!😁👍
😆😆😆
I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around this - maybe I just need to jump in and try! Can you give me an example of the types of connections you're making?
I’m jumping in here to say that I now have regular contact with several people who subscribe to my newsletter (and for a few of them, I read theirs too) via comments and chat. All of them live on different continents to me! It’s lovely ☺️
ah that's awesome, thanks for sharing!
Honestly, spend some time here, respond to people, find people to follow, and start spending more time interacting with Substacks that appeal to your interests and that work with your own Substack. It's a slow process, but so much more satisfying than standard social media at this point.
ok, interesting. I love all sorts of random topics - weird conspiracies, alternative medicine, science, fashion, lol. could I put that all in one newsletter??? and/or find newsletters like this?
Yes and yes :-) Check mine out!
Totally, it took me some time too. So basically I made a rule for myself: only read and comment on things that actually spark something in me, that actually prompt me to say, "that person seems awesome, I would love to know them better!" Then I actually spend some time on my comments - I have tried to frame it as part of my writing practice. It is writing, after all!
I had a big break when my Substack was featured and I started getting an audience who actually comments on my posts. That was a huge shift for me - I chat with the same people over and over and really start to connect. I literally did not know this was possible online 😂
awww that's amazing to hear that you've found a community here. I really hope I can find one too!
Just subscribed, Jenny. You’re on to something.
aw thanks Renee!
Thanks for sharing, Rae. As a newbie, your words are encouraging.
Just subscribed to your newsletter, Rae. I work with people who struggle with I explained health issues and know that there are many who need to hear what you have to say. Thank you for saying.
That is/was a huge reason why I rarely write on Medium anymore.
Totally - it feels so different, and it's hard to really put a finger on why.
I agree. I've got so much from connecting with other Substack writers and have also appreciated the engagement I've had from readers.
It's really special. I've been blown away.
Definitely 👍
That's how I feel about Substack compared to other platforms too, Rae! It reminds me of the early days of the internet when things were more hopeful. So glad you've had a good experience here. :)
I have made more connections on Substack than any other place in the virtual world. I think is in part because we are all writers and in part because it matters more to me.
I think so--unified by a common goal certainly helps!
Yes exactly ❤️
I echoed this same sentiment in one of my earliest Substack posts.
Valorie: I’m not paying for your stack (yet...) but you might find this post interesting: https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/literary-agent-rejections
I think the format self selects for more thoughtful people. It’s a totally different feel from other apps. Love your Substack!
Agreed. Without a particularly easy way to hack growth (gaming an algorithm, etc), you really only come here because you want to be. There aren't the same incentives for spammers, bots etc.
I love the growth features Substack is developing, but I hope we never lose that "real" quality. I'm fine with growing a little slower on a high quality platform.
I’ve heard it referred to as a social media platform several times and I’m really surprised - I guess I’ve always thought of it as a blogging type platform. But is it really more of a community?
IMO, yes. Sure people want to succeed, but most here recognize that there’s room for everyone. Very little “transactional” stuff that is so common on other platforms.
Some Substacks are more of a community than others, but I think most people start it with that intention.
Is it like one of those PowerPoint parties that the kids are doing these days? 😂
That's a great question Jenny. When I look at the future of Substack, I see a HUGE potential for Substack to become a WWW Hub of High-Quality Communities. Communities of inspired people that (1) love exploring the depths and the nuances in their chosen Substack, and (2) know that they can find what they're looking for in archeived posts and podcasts.
Agree: not social media at all
Yes!
Subscribed! You’re doing great work!
Thank you! I'm proud of it so far.
Totally agree! I stay away from other sites as a rule, but Substack just isn't anything like that. The community and standard of writing are inspiring rather than exhausting!
I totally agree, Rae! It's been such a welcoming and encouraging start to sharing writing on Substack (only 2 weeks in but love it here). It's what I always hope other social media will be like but it's not *waves at the bots and trolls* I wonder if it part of that positive atmosphere is that the writers here are also readers, and are actively looking for and reading other Substacks (instead of all of us just screaming into a void hoping to be heard!). The majority of comments I've seen are genuine and interesting which is so lovely, like you say. Nice to have a safe Internet corner, isn't it? ❤️
Sooo nice
Yes! I'm always a little embarrassed to admit it, but I basically started my Substack in order to make friends and feel connected to people again after my divorce. I was lonely and out of sorts, I am awkward AF on social media, and the one thing I know how to do is publish stuff. So, on Substack, I get to do what I like to do (publish interesting work) and be part of a ready-made community at the same time. It's like joining a church, maybe? But this church just wants you to write your sweet little heart out.
Here here to "awkward AF on social media."
The Church of Substack....verrryyy interesting. I do crave an in-person component though.
I feel like I just betrayed my total ignorance of what joining a church is like. Where do humans meet now? No one's joining the Rotary Club anymore... Basically, as long as we don't have to wear anything weird, stop cutting our hair, or shun the outsiders, I'm game for whatever on Substack. I like it here.
And YES on more in-person stuff. We need more meet-ups. I missed the one last September, and I've been beating myself up about it ever since.
Thanks for this comment. It really sums up how I feel as well.
I feel you on this, 100%! :)
Yay! Another wary internet user :)
Still soooo wary, but, like you, am beginning to thaw!
I guess it's hard for us to find each other lol
I can confirm all of this true. A thawing of immense, very good proportions
Everyone should read your stack. You are a damn good writer, Rae
Well, you just made my damn day Michael ❤️
Couldn’t agree more Tami and Rae. Thank you for reposting this, Rae.
And I just delete those occasional comments immediately because I just don't want to deal with it. I want genuine engagement, and I get that from most people here :-)
Some guy selling watches liked everything I wrote in last week’s office hours! 🙄🙄🙄
Yep. It's everywhere, but I just move right along and keep developing actual writing relationships.
I honestly think this is the best policy. Ditto with aggressively self-promotional folk who try to seed their links in your Substack comment section (usually by emptying a word salad into a comment that has nothing to do with the newsletter's topic, and then adding loads of links to their stuff). If someone thinks that's a cool thing to do, it's pointless arguing with them. Just block and delete. Any oxygen you give them is encouraging them to do the same thing elsewhere.
I don’t feel comfortable linking to my substack in comments, even if I’m in a Substack similar to mine…not sure if I should get over it or if it is rude. I will reply with a link on Twitter though, and that has been effective.
haha, like the visual of a word salad
You realize Mike, that there a a few thousand writers here who are saying right now:"I wouldn't mind someone dumping a word salad on me!" I know, it must get old very fast, but what the hell, it's got to be new before that.
Yep.
LOL. Womp. But they are few and far between....
I had a couple of those and just reported and deleted the comment.
Oh man, I hate when that happens...there are a ton of bots going around on Medium and I've gotten nabbed once or twice before I realized I was engaging with a cardboard cutout that never answered back!
Yeah, I have no idea how it has stayed so pure. Do you know? I can't help but worry a little about the future...
But for now I'll just enjoy it!
Congrats on the 70th Office Hours! I mentioned this a couple of Office Hours ago, but for those who are trying to grow their Substacks without much of a social media following or established brand, it would be amazing to have a directory of writers who are seeking submissions for guest posts or who are open to cross posting! For example, I know Emma Gannon accepts essay submissions at The Hyphen and Georgia Clark and Hannah Orenstein accept short story submissions at Heartbeat - but I only know that because I follow them on socials.
Thanks for keeping these forums open to take feedback - it's been a great place to learn from other writers.
PS. My newsletter is called Cheers! (https://cheerskelley.substack.com/)
Agreed that directory would be awesome! Really, any I’ll take any improvements to find peers in general. I’ve been publishing an off- beat tech Substack weekly for 5 months. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack to find peers with that similar combination of tiny, new-ish, ambitious Substacks in either the tech or humor genre. Search tools comes up hundreds of huge, established accounts or dead/inactive accounts.
Contributors to Substack success should receive some compensation even if it's small cash insentitive. Time, effort and money is needed to produce quality publication s. Substack is not a small enterprise and I think there could be sensitives set to reward writers. No one should be expected to work for free George.
"moviewise: Life Lessons From Movies" is open to Guest Posts:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/be-our-guest
Prompt: If you've ever felt that you learned something about life from a movie, please share 🤗
I've now watched the film (again) and made notes. Review coming real soon
Yay!
Thank You!!
Yes, this would definitely be a cool resource to have!
I'm also keen to understand if you'll be launching any new fellowships!
Yes such a good idea!
Oh yes. I really like your idea of a directory!
I just subscribed, Kelley. Anyone who loves London is a good person in my book!
That's a great idea, Kelley. I'm always looking for guest writing opportunities. Mary Tabor (Only Connect) takes guest writers. I do too, on the right topic
A classifieds office hours! Have people respond with what they're about and what kind of collab they are after!
Yes Scoot, would love to see more collaborations. Film, music posts with photo captions and audio embeds. I would like to collaborate with someone
Yes definitely you could crowdsource it so easily! Or you could make a discover page / a tag for writers to opt in to saying they accept submissions
This probably would need thinking about, but in other contexts the organiser has set up a google from in which people could indicate their willingness to accept guest posts. The form can be set up to generate a spreadsheet, which can be made View only.
Any plan to add mentions to comments? That would definitely be helpful, especially in shout-out threads!
This comment is the shortest and most popular thing I've ever posted on Substack. There's a lesson there somewhere... :P
+1
👍👍👍
☝🏾
Ayup. That would be terrific.
Yeah! I agree.
+1
+1
Yeah, I did wonder about that as well. I wonder if there's been much annoying @ linking in posts? I did wonder if that might happen with people trying to get the attention of people (ooh, I should @ Margaret Atwood!).
Tricky one!
Maybe you could have a user setting with some preferences for comment mentions:
- Anyone can @ you
- Only people who subscribe to your publication can @ you
- Only people you subscribe to can @ you
- No-one can @ you
Yes, I can imagine that the incidences of people leaving spammy self-mentions would go through the roof, plus the rest of that kind of behaviour that's not hard to see on social media. But agreeing with Simon - it'd be so helpful!
Maybe you could roll out a trial version where it only works with my name and my Substack? I'd be happy to be your guinea pig! You can trust me, Bailey. I'm not spammy.
*quietly prepares one billion comments and targets half a million Substacks to leave them on*
This makes sense.
Has there been any consideration given to setting up insentitives or rewards for writers Bailey?
Is anyone else noticing a marked decrease in subscriptions over the past months? I'm getting better than ever engagement, number of views, and feedback but subscriptions have struggled. I feel like it aligns with an increased difficulty in actually subscribing through Substack's system. For example:
1. I can click through and read the article but if I'm not a substack member, I get a splash screen that appears to force a subscription
2. If I do enter my e-mail address I'm faced with going to my inbox to validate it.
3. Then I have to pick a plan and the dollar values flashed in my face is intimidating
4. Then I get hit with a screen to subscribe to other substacks
5. Then I get pushed to post it to Twitter
6. Only then do I actually get to the content I wanted to read.
I think this is pushing people away and I'd like to see the numbers of how many people fail to follow-through that entire sequence!
I agree that there are a lot of steps, but I would say that the forced subscription splash screen is optional. If you're seeing that, the writer has enabled it. You can change it in post settings.
Would also like to know this. Although I'm not sure whether it is more beneficial to leave it on or to turn it off
Thanks! I see a lot of information about how to edit my welcome page, and what information I'd like to share on my welcome page, and even how to edit the 'opt out' on my welcome page, but I don't see how to disable my welcome page. Were did you find that?
Oh, we might be talking about different things. Are you talking about when you visit a specific post or the 'stack's main page?
I meant the actual pop up that comes up on some 'stacks when you try to read a specific free post. It requires you to sign up for a free subscription to keep reading. That can be turned off in settings.
But I think you mean the page that comes up when you go to a 'stack, that shows the name of the Substack and suggests subscribing? That page doesn't require anything, you can click on the link that says "No thanks" or "Let me read it first."
Yes, that's the one I'm talking about and I think it's holding people back from reading. I've had some people question it worried about being 'forced to'
Send them to [name].substack.com/archive not ideal but it works
Send them to your about page substack.com/about, they won't see the 'enter your email to read' page AND you can control what they see. It's made a huge change for me.
I have concerns about that as well. I have been experimenting with my own landing page off Substack for this reason.
***Update*** I have made a new landing page with mailerlite at subscribepage.io/jokes
+1 to nixing the Twitter CTA and saving recommendations until later.
I found I can't reduce the monthly (has to be $5) but I can reduce my yearly (I lowered it to $30). But that screen does make me balk at moving forward so I wonder how others feel. I personally would rather start free and then I can do marketing to move them to paid (to be honest, I think ALL my paid started as free anway)
The Facebook group, "Substack writers" has been super helpful in discovering new writers. I think the discover feature on Substack could be a little bit better in terms of finding new writers that don't have a huge following.
It would be great to have a feature that enables readers to filter by "new" substacks. "Created in the last 3 months" or something.
I agree with you regarding the Substack Writers Group on FaceBook. They are very supportive and I have learned new information as well.
Could you tell me more about this Facebook group Janice?
Hi
Substack Writers is a Facebook group for writers who publish newsletters on Substack. The link to the group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/substackwriters.
You have to request to join, but it is free - there are several group options and helpful hints. Casey Botticello is the administrator. He is a consultant who is very involved with Medium and Substack. This link will introduce him: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1964721613653075/user/100000971066431
Hope that helps.
Janice
That sounds useful. Do you have a link, please?
Hello. I have asked this before and had no answer, so i will try again. Substack very reasonably tries to aid potential readers by classifying the different newsletters according to a complex typology. But I could not see anywhere in that typology for we generalists to be noted. I am not an expert on anything in particular, but i know how to think and I know how to write. And a growing number of people are choosing to follow The Granny Who Stands on her Head, covering everything from regretted careers to orgasms to thinking about death to the significance of travel time. There must be other people out there who are not easily classified. Surely, you could create one category that is clearly universal for those with a taste for our writings.
Hello Ann! This is a great idea. Our typology is not nearly as sophisticated or comprehensive as we'd like; we simply haven't had time to get deep into it, and typologies / topic ontologies are a whole universe of challenges.
All that said: we agree that this is a missing category, a real gap; I happen to also be a "generalist" writer and I think I wound up using the tag "culture," but with some discomfort. In any event: great feedback and we'll try to get this incorporated when we make changes to topics; I don't have a timeline to share, unfortunately, but it's definitely important.
Thanks. Suck to Suck (meaning? the mind boggles!) does not sound like you are a Substack administrator, but you write as if you are, so I will take you at your word. I have always assumed that I was not unique in not fitting into the given categories and the number of likes and comments suggests that assumption is correct. I'm not sure what the wording should be: even non-classifiable would be better than nothing. There must be a number of memoirists, so that might be a category of its own, but my newsletter is really a lot of musings or ruminations on different aspects of life, not memoirs. I invite you to have a look.
I'm sorry about my publication name; I recently learned that my mother-in-law is an avid reader, and she detests that word, which my generation —I was born in 1980— treats as innocuous. Every time she "likes" a post, I feel so guilty about making her see it, but I also do love the phrase, which I first heard when I moved to California. My understanding of the meaning is: it's said to people who are complaining (which I do a lot), as a way of reframing the problem; I might say to my wife "ugh, I hate how tired I am all the time," and she might say "well, try not staying up until the wee hours every night, what do you expect? Sucks to suck, Mills!" (Meaning: I am the problem).
In any event, I'm the Head of Design at Substack and have been here for almost 3 years. And all your comments on this subject are great; it's a bit tricky, but I've seen creative solutions to it in the past, and one solution is to let people invent any topic tag they like and then just show the ones people converge on, whether that's "memoirs" or "musings" or "generalist" or whatever else. We'll see, but it's definitely a great point that the current system leaves some people in the lurch!
On thinking about it further, "non-classifiable" is a terrible idea for a generalist category. Someone suggested 'thoughts on life' - and that or something of that ilk would cover me and quite a few others, I suspect.
I fall into the same category, Ann, and I just picked two and went with it. I'd love to see a "slice of life" or "memoirists" category.
I like ‘slice of life’.
Jen Zug and Rebecca Holden are both other writers who would fall into that category. There's so much value in their writing, but there's no clear way to categorize their publications.
👍
If you like slice of life: https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/youth-a-short-story
Thanks, Michael! I will definitely check it out.
Yes Holly!!
I feel you on this. For now, choose the "Literature" category, as this is where I've found the bulk of more seasoned "memoir-esque" writers sharing their life musings.
I don't think 'literature' is where I am at, but I would like to be discoverable. I don't write memoirs as such but more musings about life. Quite a few people seem to have discovered me with no category at all, but this does not mean the situation couldn't be improved. Thanks for the suggestion, nonetheless. Where is a Substack admin person??
Thanks for that tip, Amanda! Much appreciate.
I have the same question--for the lack of a better category, I stuck myself in travel and international, but the posts there are not exactly reflective of my writing.
I agree. I write a ton about managing mental health, particularly grief and trauma, and I'm a memoir coach who runs writing retreats — but I only "qualify" for Substack categories like "literature" and "wellness". Would love to see the following options:
--Memoir
--Personal essays
--Writing coaching/writing support
--Retreats
--Trauma
--Grief
Thanks for your consideration.
I'd love to see a Memoir category. At the moment I publish memoir stuff as a separate section on my main substack page. Listen to me, MAIN substack page - I have 16 followers and have been writing here for just three weeks....
❤️🫰
I was going to suggest 'personal essays' which is where I would put myself. Or 'life lessons'
I second this!!!! 💜
I agree. I write essays every week but they range from losing my sweet dog Molly to how I got forewarned that the pandemic was about to hit two weeks early from a top MD at an insurance company. (so i had more time to panic!) Hard to categorize what I do every week.
I have been agitating for a memoir category on Substack and think that would be a very appropriate addition.
I just hit the 50 subscriber mark and I am marking that with personal thank you notes to each one. Just looking for any new ways of marketing and promotion to build on that subscriber base. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Go, you! Before you know it, 50 will turn into 100 then 100 will turn into 200! Keep going, and I love the touch of a personal thank you note.
Well done, and that's really amazing of you to send something personal to everyone!
I’m so close to 50, just can’t seem to hit it
That’s a great idea! I will try that too. 👍🏽
Congrats on 50 subs, Becky! That's awesome. Keep going!
What a wonderful idea! How are you sending your personal thank you notes to each one? Via email?
I have just discovered this. Go to your subscribers list, use the check boxes and at the top of the list, it will give you an opportunity to email them.
Congratulations!
Yeah Becky, emails to subs that's tricky, but thank you notes maybe. I have wondered if I could say hi to subs in different countries or would that be creepy/privacy breach or something. We have the stats but subs don't know that
I hit one million cumulative article views last week!
https://karlstack.substack.com/p/karlstack-hits-one-million-reads
To get this chart I manually added up all the dates/views fore each of my articles in a spreadsheet
What a fabulous idea!!!! You go, man!
Congrats!
Congratulations Karl. That's a fantastic milestone. Hitting 2 million will now be that much easier!
One million is, likewise, one of my personal targets on my new Tao substack. I've always had a firm belief that "Nothing is Impossible."
Wow- well done!!
Jesus, how does one do that!!!?
Hi, there! What would be the qualification to be featured in Substack Reads? Thanks in advance for your advice 😎
Your writing has to be recommended to them. At the end of each Substack Reads post, it says:
"Posts are recommended by staff and readers, and curated and edited from Substack’s U.K. outpost by Hannah Ray.
Got a Substack post to recommend? Tell us about it in the comments."
Oh...Thank you!
Yeah, it's not too bad! That comment section doesn't have to be measured in miles of length, like this one does. 😂
+1 !
Ooh, good question...and the Staff Picks, too!
Interested too
Yes! I would love to know how to make this happen.
Also interested.
want to boost your subscribers? post consistently while subscribing to authors with larger platforms who consistently cross-promote, comment on their posts authentically until they recognize you and there is a decent likelihood you'll get a cross-promoted link. Or you could even ask!
I spend way more time on Substack than on Facebook now and it has made a difference, personally and with my own Substack.
Good advice! I never thought of this “strategy”!
I have the same problem. I cover a specific niche of music but it's UK based and most music Substacks are from the US.
Yeah, there’s only 4 I think, including myself in my very specific niche on Substack
Hey! I now have 14 subscribers, 100% of them from in here. Thank you all! ha ha ha
I've gotten many subscribers (and subscribed to many other writers' newsletters) because of the Writer Office Hours, too. I've also learned about features I wasn't aware of, like the magazine format option for my page, which I love!
Yes me too Wendi
One feature that would greatly improve the look and perceived value of newsletters is the ability to wrap text around images. I know this is not 'simple' programming wise but surely it's doable. The 'centered only' format makes it look rather clunky. Please Substack.
totally agree with you, Brent. I worked at newspapers, often on layout, for decades and the limited use of photos is frustrating.
While I only did page layout for a student newspaper for a few years (and web development), I strongly agree with you. I'd like to use images more but the all-or-nothing full width formatting is limiting.
Hey there :)
How do i get featured by Substack? I'm interested in what tools substack uses to grow newsletters, and how to find them.
Part of the point of my newsletter (a year offline on Britains canals - https://sehejo.substack.com/) is that I don't use any social media, and am mostly offline - so don't have normal methods of outreach available.
Yes, how to get featured without social media? Been wondering myself...
Also interested in how to writers get featured!
Also interested in how to get featured!
How often are you spotlighting fiction writers? Particularly fiction writers who aren't already best sellers with a large following? Fiction doesn't necessarily provide deep dives into clear topics, but there are an awful lot of us working hard to find our audience here. To engage with readers, one needs readers. 🙂
Preach it, Meg ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Is there a number of subscribers required to be featured?
What is the status of Chat coming to desktop? Thanks.
Yes have they cancelled it? I am still putting invites at end of my articles Kevin. I looked for it recently but could not access it
I've been thinking a lot about recommendations. There are a lot of publications I'd like to recommend (and currently do!), but I start to worry about overwhelming new subscribers at sign-up if they see a list of like, 25. Was thinking a cool feature might be if these could rotate in and out (say a different 5 each week.) Also, would love a way to choose which publications to highlight under the recommendations that show up on my homepage.
I agree. I recommend quite a few but the same ones seem to appear on my opening page. I would like to know how to change that.
As I understand it, Ramona, only five Substacks show up, and always the same five, so it makes no sense for us to recommend more than five. I heard that here in Office Hours a few weeks ago. Might be inaccurate. But I've been acting as if it's true. Of course, only three show up and you have to scroll down to see the other two.
Well, that's not good! How do I choose just five?? No, they definitely should have a plan to alternate them when there are many.
Yes. choosing five is difficult.
As I understand it, Alicia, only five Substacks show up, and always the same five, so it makes no sense for us to recommend more than five. I heard that here in Office Hours a few weeks ago. Might be inaccurate. But I've been acting as if it's true. Of course, only three show up and you have to scroll down to see the other two.
Yes Alicia, highlighting recs and any other suggestions to help promote writers
Good idea 👍
Last week I hit 57 subscribers and gained my first PAID subscription. Just one, but it has to start somewhere.
Part two of my most popular story releases today at 11:11am CST. Deception by Omission of the truth is a cautionary tale about crafty coaches weaselling trusting people like me out of hard earned money.
https://substack.com/profile/4895139-patricia-meier?utm_source=account-card
I don’t really have a question however I am truly grateful for this platform and community! 💞🙏💞
First paid sub is huge! Congrats.
Thank you! It did feel huge to me! 💞💞💞
Treasure those people, and you'll learn what kind of relationship you want to nurture for the ones in the future.
Woot woot 🙌🙌
Congratulations on achieving your first paid subscriber!
One feature suggestion. I have found several writers on Substack with whom I would like to discuss a collaboration, but getting in touch with them can be challenging.
If there was a way for Substack writers to communicate with each other, through the platform, it would be a great enhancement.
Thanks
I don't want to give anything away —and don't have firm timelines— but this is something we're aware of and have plans to address this year. So hopefully soon it'll be much, much easier to message on Substack!
You can email anyone on Substack by putting the url of their newsletter ahead of @substack.com -- for example, I could send you an email using gordoncomstock@substack.com. Or you could email me using canweread@substack.com.
Thank you. Good to know.
excellent tip!
First time commenting here, so tell me if I’m doing this wrong! Lately, I’ve started to think about the success of my posts by the quality of conversations it starts afterwards. This week I wrote about how getting older makes you feel less “cool.” It was fun to hear from others who felt the same way and made me care less about the actual views.
https://fromthedesk.substack.com/p/no-longer-cool
I subscribed. Looking forward to reading what you have to put out.
When you think about it, people's comments are truly the pulse that indicates whether something is working or not. Once we take that into consideration, the decision has been made for us. In other words, thank God for the comments section.
Yes, comments are key. But here’s the thing with mine: I circulate my newsletters on Facebook (to get more readers interested and increase my subscriber base) so those that read the posts tend to comment there, not on my substack or the chat. I’ve got lots of people commenting, but my comments section itself look pretty barren.
Yes! And clicking those little hearts. They all add up.
How about a Substack Writer of the month? Like a Spotlight on new writers or even writers that have been writing consistently for awhile but don't have very big followings? Just something so that everyone can see what everyone is writing about, not just Substack Reads where it's someone with a very strong following and doing well, we should also be spotlighting new writers and long time writers that may also be struggling and being featured would help.
Like the spotlight idea Christine
Hello fellow online writers! I've missed most of the Office Hours events in recent weeks due to work commitments but I would like to check in to ensure everyone is doing well. Keep up the good work! Persist!
P.S. like my own post this week, I've written this comment without the use of the letter A.
Hahaha! Like a Sesame Street episode backwards 🤩 Now I’m definitely curious about that post 😆
I can tell you how to get there!
Found it and bookmarked it 😁 Thanks for that fun writing idea/tool!
Something I'd love is to be able to tag each post according to topic (with the ability to add more than one tag to a post) and then organise the navigation bar on my page according to those topics. I find the current sections model a bit limiting as things often have crossover content but would love people to head straight to (in my case) all posts about running, or adventure, or work.
Good idea, Elise. I change my categories each time I post about a different topic. Helps a little.
I agree about the cross-over. It would be nice if we could add our posts to more than one section.
Hi there, I am still quite new to substack (less than a year) but I am loving the minimalist container Substack provides. I brought over a couple hundred subscribers from Convertkit and am having a bit of trouble getting ppl to like or engage with the posts. Besides asking persons to comment or like, has anyone found a way to increase engagement with your posts. My goal is to build a community that supports each other and not one where all the information comes solely from me. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hi Melissa. I recommend investigating how your readers want to engage and how engagement fits into your overall goals on Substack vs seeing it as a siloed event.
You can ask directly or conduct a few tests to see what readers respond to.
Most readers/subscribers of my Substack engage via comments. I’ve found they love the photographs throughout my posts so I am thinking of testing the “threads” feature. The best way to describe it is a private channel with your subscribers. I’ll test sending photos and little updates in between posts since I am only writing once a month.
A writer who does this well is Brooke McAlary from The Tortoise.
https://brookemcalary.substack.com?r=1fz4sm&utm_medium=ios
Lastly, sometimes a simple reminder on the ways to engage can go a long way.
Elise, thank you so much for not only such a thoughtful response but for another resource in Brooke McAlary's substack. It was the challenge I needed to hopefully get to a place of clarity around my overall goals. I love that you also write about the benefits of moving more slowly and intentionally.
You are so welcome. I just subscribed to Wealthy Mama, looking forward to reading and engaging :))
Thank you. I just subscribed to yours as well!
I asked this question in a workshop the other week and the suggestion was to ask. I've since seen people doing it and decided this is the way to go- I'm not afraid to ask for external validation!😂
Emma, thank you. I love your photography. There is so much beautiful movement captured in a still photo. I am getting bolder in just asking the questions I want to ask so your response gave me more courage to do so. I just tried a Q&A post (aka Ask Me Anything) for the first time and got a little more engagement so clearly there is something to what you are saying. 🤣
Thank you! Hope the tactic works- I haven't tried it yet but definitely will do when I'm back on my A-game. Have been too scared to do an AMA. I don't even get engagement on those on Instagram stories so it seems even less likely here!😅 glad it worked for you though.
My subscriber list is increasing a good bit each week, but now I'm seeing my open rate decline. Has anyone experienced this with increased readers?
Yeah, I've seen this happen too. I think people sometimes subscribe if they see your 'stack recommended somewhere. They tell themselves that they'll read it, but then they don't. The ones that aren't reading will unsubscribe eventually and your open rates will even back out. This has happened to me a couple times after features or viral posts and the open rates always bounce back.
Thanks for sharing that insight, Valorie!
For sure! I vivdly remember wrestling with this feeling a year or so ago. These are the moments when S.E. reminding us not to worry about the numbers really helps!
Indeed! (Also, I cannot imagine why I haven't been introduced to Unruly Figures before now. The very premise has me all in!)
Ah! I'm so glad it resonates with you! I'm a little behind on posting but committed to catching up this week. :)
I wonder if more people becoming more comfortable with the idea of subscribing means more inbox spam, which means more deleted emails, or more unopened ones. I get some subs who follow dozens of others, and I can't imagine there's enough bandwidth to read everything. I image there's going to be cycles of expansion and contraction when it comes to the ACT of reading/subscribing/using Substack.
I agree, Matt. I actually subscribe to so. many. Substacks! I definitely am not able to read them all each week, but I don't want to unsubscribe because I genuinely enjoy all of them (I evaluate and cull regularly). Sometimes I wonder if some writers get irked at me for not reading. :) I guess it depends on how they define their success here.
At the moment I kind of have my "gold list" of stuff that I actually subscribe to using my email, and then a bunch of "I know I'm never going to kick money to this" newsletters that I use an RSS reader for. Kind of keeps things compartmentalized, and saves my inbox a ton.
Yes, overwhelm is certainly going to be an increasing thing. (I've also seen a few people cancel their paid subscriptions to mine by citing "Time" as the reason, and I bet that's going to be a growing thing too). But it's also a creative call to arms for us, because - how can we look a bit different to everyone else? When there are 99 other Substacks writing about [our chosen thing], how are we going to stand out from them?
Thinking about this question deeply and trying a lot of experiments is maybe a good way to combat that anxiety about that audience overwhelm...
And "How can this be weirder?" is always a good question to ask about what we're doing. :)
I ignore open rates altogether. Misery thy name is open rates. I focus on total opens only, ie the people who are actually reading and enjoying your content. You’ll be happier if you don’t worry so much what who’s not reading. Take care of those who are.
Hey Holly. I think I notice this a bit, and there's definitely an element to it that should be expected. People subscribe telling themselves they'll read, but then just don't have the time.
That said, I know that *some* of the Substacks I subscribe to get booted into my "promotions" folder on Gmail, and others go straight to my primary inbox. I still haven't figured out why this is the case. I can manually move a newsletter from "promotions" to "primary", but I don't know why some trigger gmail's spammy-promotion filter and some don't.
I suspect that some of my subscribers aren't seeing any of my newsletters--I'm talking about people I know IRL who will comment on a piece I publish if I link it to FB, but who never open my newsletters from their inbox.
Maybe someone with more knowledge about the promotion filter can chime in.
Yep! Absolutely normal, I think. I reckon it's like the number of people unsubscribing from your free list, it's just a factor of growth - unless it's a wildly anomalous spike, in which case there's something specific going on. (When I started with less than 1k on my free list, my opens were 65-70%. Now at 15k they're at 45-55%.
But I guess it's also an opportunity to look for the people who aren't opening anything and see what you can do about it? (Some people recommend sending them an email, others say just remove them if they're super-inactive - although in some cases they may only *look* inactive because they're using the app? It's tricky...)
So if they read it on the app, it doesn't count in our numbers?
No, opens in the Substack app will be counted in the stats.
That's good to know! I was unclear on this...
In some ways, you might actually want to push the app to your readers because the stats will be more accurate... unlike email opens which can be affected by a lot of anti-tracking factors.
Holly, YES. I recently had a huge increase in subs, thanks to being featured on Substack Discover, and it was amazing in every way, AND I've seen my open rates go down 10-15% since. I'm not stressing about it -- I have other things to worry about right now -- but it's real.
My decrease is about the same %. I'm not stressing either, but I was wondering if that's a pattern others see. I used to pride myself on that 65% open rate...guess I've been humbled a bit! LOL!
Also, your 'stack looks interesting. Just subscribed!
Thanks for asking, Chandra--that's why we show up here, so I'm glad you asked! Your open rate can be seen on your dashboard in the "Posts" section. You'll see a rate for each post your publish. This is how many subscribers actually open your email.
I have noticed that a bit, yes. Just in the last few weeks.
I had a 10% drop in open rates a few months ago when I had a viral spike in subscribers. But when my growth is steady, my open rates appear to remain steady. There's definitely a dark side to rapid subscriber growth.
I was in the comment section of another substack where a guy mentioned that once a year he filters subscribers who haven't opened emails in X number of months, emails them directly to ask if they're still interested in engaging with his content, and he deletes anyone who doesn't respond.
That's definitely something I plan on doing in the future.
I think it's normal especially with regard to the referrals from Substack. I'm getting lots of people subscribing that also subscribe to 50+ other Substacks and I think there's no way they could possibly spend that much time reading!
Yes me too Holly. Those 0 opens rates mean what?!
It's been so cool to discover writers and journalists that I already read are on Substack, like Susan Rinkunas's The Body Politic https://bodypolitic.substack.com/. I mentioned her in my latest newsletter, by embedding a link. Is that the best way to connect across newsletters? I'm a little confused about linking vs cross posting.
Visually I really prefer to just hyperlink the text because I don’t like how much space it takes up in the post.
That’s what I’ve been thinking. Thanks!
Happy office hours, everyone! I have a question: I've taken a hiatus with my newsletter as I start work on my new album and am unsure now how to launch back into it. Who has seen great examples of artists/musicians share their process on Substack?
Hey Olivia. I think often we really overthink these things. As a writer just say hey, it’s been a minute since I’ve been here and this is what I’ve been up to....
You could absolutely just do that. Don’t apologize, never apologize for not being there because nobody wants to read that. It’s a bad energy, a bad vibe.
Just be yourself say hey fam, I’m back
Pen in hand from a musical journey. Then write about that experience.
Hello everyone! Great to be here. We are passionate about music and share our most exciting finds every Friday with our subscribers. Looking forward to reading about your learnings :)
Songletter - do you take submissions or have anywhere artists can comment their work? I'm wrapping up an EP and will be looking to get the word out.
Timothy, happy to have a listen, will contact you!
Hi Songletter. I suppose I am equally passionate about music. Each of my posts has at least two songs/pieces in it. Some have plenty. I've checked your site and subscribed:)
Thanks Dariusz, interesting. will subscribe as well and check it out. We focus on finding one great music discovery every weekend so that subscribers can add them directly to their playlists on spotify, soundcloud etc. We also give a highlight of the artists behind every song
I'd love to do a guest post exchange with you. There's so much good music out there.
Like the title
👏👏
Is there a way to know who's big and who is just getting started. Some folk on here are already somewhat famous online so they may only be in their 3rd month of posting but already have hundreds or more subscribers. How do we know who the smaller subs are and how can we support them?
It's almost impossible to keep track of the thousands of writers (like myself) who are small potatoes. The Biggies either bring their followers with them or are famous enough to get them to follow in droves.
The only way it works is to find writers who speak to you and to comment or recommend, etc. It's always a game of marketing, isn't it?
Hi Katie, I just wrote a comment about Substack offering virtual (smaller) tutorials on various subjects and charging for them. Can't find the comment...hope it went through~! (This is precisely why this format confuses me haha).
Can we have a way to add tables and maybe maybe markdown implemented for folks who are already writing in markdown like me. It makes my formatting so much easier just to copy paste
This is my first time dropping into office hours. I finally decided to start publishing a month ago and one of the things that’s been the most helpful is the advice to not stat watch. It seems healthiest to be here because you love writing and have something to say. If people get value from it and an audience builds because of that, great.
Thanks to this community and the authors of a few posts I’ve read for the reminder.
Hi everyone! I wanted to share a "celebratory" moment that's been a long time coming for me. Last week, I met my goal of querying 10 agents for my novel, The Pattern Shop, a book I've been writing for almost a decade!
For so long, this step felt impossible. I wasn't sure I would ever finish it (enough to send it out into the world) and I had no idea how to write a pitch. But! One, small step at a time I kept chipping away at my fears and feel a sense of surrender now that I've done my part. Honestly, I didn't realize how badly I needed to follow-through on this project because the relief I feel now is HUGE.
I wonder...is there a project or idea that's "hanging over your head?" Are there small steps you can take to move it forward or make it tangible? I'm guessing these are the ideas and projects that really want to be out in the world and it's up to us to set them free!
I'd love to hear your thoughts if you can relate. Happy writing!
I absolutely relate to this!! I've been making very slow progress on a book for the past two years now. My deadline for it was a year ago! We've had a few genuine hiccups but mainly I've just been getting in my head about it/not getting on with it. I really need to finish it just for that RELIEF moment and to free up headspace to get on with another project.
Huge congratulations for your queries - that's a massive step and like you say, you've done your part. It's exactly why I always prefer to frame as goals as, say, 'query 10 agents' rather than 'get a book deal' because one of them you have control have, and the other you kind of don't.
Yes, thank you for the reminder! It's so hard to differentiate between what we can control and what we can't...and not to beat ourselves up about it!
Good for you for perservering! What is your book about?
Writing the book and sending queries - no small accomplishment. Congrats. Be sure to celebrate!
Thank you so much! I can't wait to see what happens next and what projects or ideas have been waiting for room to come through!
I recently saw a fellow writer publish a booking link for one on one meetings directly via Substack. This is something I offer on my website, but would love the option for my readers to book directly through Substack. How does one gain access to this option?
Great question. I've been trying to figure that out as well. My gut feeling (as a former software programmer) is that Substack corp has a pilot program going on for a potentially new "Booking" option. Substack doesn't publish their API (public interface to their platform) so when the booking app shows up on a Substack URL - then the most logical conclusion is that was either created by Substack or created by a 3rd party application working with Substack.
70th Office Hours 🥳🍾
Hello everyone!
Delighted to be here with you all. It's only early days for me as I started my 'baby substack' a few weeks ago. I hesitated for months before biting the bullet. What actually made me start was a burst of anger 😆. Employees suffering from poor management, lack of trust and leadership in organizations, disrespect, office politics make me very angry. I suffered from all that for many years too, and this is an ongoing problem worldwide! I wanted to protect my teams from that when I became manager myself. And it is possible to build a great working environment for team members where everyone has a say, where they feel safe and heard. If I could do it, anyone can; and I wanna help!
So, here I am writing about this on substack as it helps me channel my thoughts and my experience to date, hoping to meet like-minded people along the way.
Any suggestions and tips on writing formats, or how to find like-minded subscribers, etc. would be highly appreciated.
Many mercis 😍
Thank you very much!
Working on growing my two newsletters: www.mondaypickmeup.com and www.scaredtobeamom.com. Any advice?
Read and subscribe to Substack's that are read by your potential readers, especially those that are direct competitors.
If you post friendly, agreeable and smart comments on those newsletters, you'll develop a following.
Invite and expect other bloggers to comment on your posts for the same reason. We're all in this together.
With more visually orientated, photo-driven interior design & lifestyle bloggers like myself moving to Substack it would be great to have a category for us that’s searchable, i.e. Interior Design, Home & Garden etc.
Also, if there were an option to include a smaller type photo caption under images that would be very helpful.
Thanks!
Hi Victoria!!
Click those three dots when you hover over the image and then a caption edit option will show up!
Hi Bekka!
And thanks so much!
Huge fan of your work!
Thank you so much!
I use a lot of pictures as well. When you writing your essay, and your cursor is at the end of the line above the photo: Do a Right Arrow " > " That will put your cursor on the right hand side of the picture. Then hit the "Enter" key. Now your cursor will be just below the picture, and when you begin writing it will be in a small font size (perfect for key references and details).
Once you get used to it, it's easy!
Happy Days, from Mendocino!
oh amazing! thank you!
I have a technical ask.
I just discovered the anchor tool on Substack, and that is GOLDEN.
To take it up a notch, can we also get the <summary></details> HTML equivalent, where you can collapse segments of text that a reader can click on to expand?
Particularly for the essay pages on our substack.
Thanks.
Where can I learn about the anchor tool?
Here is the link. Have fun! The only negative to using it is that you have to publish first. Then go back view in one window, edit in another to assign the links. Text me if you need help. I am an oldie-worldie coder!
I'm still trying to figure out the sequence so that my email readers can click on the titles in the summary. But I made the adjustment before pushing it out to twitter and LinkedIn.
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/6978646417300-How-do-I-add-anchor-links-in-my-Substack-post-
Thanks so much for your response. I'll check it ou.
where is the anchor tool please?
Here is the link. The only negative to using it is that you have to publish first. Then go back view in one window, edit in another to assign the links.
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/6978646417300-How-do-I-add-anchor-links-in-my-Substack-post-
This is how I used it this week:
https://tiltthefuture.substack.com/p/hibernating
Ooh, I'd love this. My readers range from curious to full throttle enthusiasts and I would use expanded sections to speak directly to those seeking nitty gritty details, without bogging down the rest of the folks reading.
This is a great tool I’m going to look for this...
I think they don't currently include it as it would hit the email length limit when mailing out our essays.
I took a quick peek at your newsletter, and really like Andie. Do you know or follow Sam Knowlton?
https://tiltthefuture.substack.com/p/niche-one-of-a-handful
Hi everyone - I'd love thoughts and advice on adding a second Substack and including it as a section/tab in the header of my main Substack.
I write mostly music-themed personal essays for Earworms and Song Loops but I also write fiction and have set up a new Substack newsletter that is not public yet for my fiction. My plan was to explain all this in a new post for Earworms and then cross-post a piece the following week. I want to encourage readers to subscribe to both if interested but leave the decision up to them.
I know many of you have multiple newsletters and was wondering the best way to "debut" the new Substack newsletter to maximize readership and engagement. Just wanting to get all my ducks in a row as it were before making the announcement.
It is "live" right now under the name Dig If You Will My Fiction (digifyouwill.substack.com), for anyone interested in checking it out! Hoping to announce it next week to the Earworm readers.
Thanks for all advice and suggestions.
Sorry, no advice, but I have the same question. There is the current option of adding a "section" within your current Substack, and it isn't terrible, but it feels clumsy and it's not very well documented (sometimes they call it a "section", sometimes a "newsletter", and it takes a lot of experimenting to figure out exactly how it works, what the reader sees, etc.).
Following...
I'd like to hear about this too.
+1 for me. I question whether I should start a senate newsletter or just double my output on the main newsletter. What are the pros and cons?
It's a good question. It's too bad no one answered this thread, but I guess the question I have for you is, is your audience the same for both? If so, then keeping on the same newsletter might be better. I have a feeling you'd get a range of opinions on this. For me, the 2nd newsletter is going to be more sporadic and so building a big subscriber base is less important for me. And I am adding access on the main newsletter so people who want to read it but not subscribe can read it there.
Penny - just subscribed to your Substack. Looking forward to reading your music posts!
Hey all - I wanted to share something that has been working well for me lately. I write a newsletter called The Tobin Report that is about money, markets, & charts...I love what I do and want to do more for more people. That's what drives me.
I found that connecting with other newsletter writers and recommending the ones that I think would add value to my current subscribers works great. It has to be genuine...and I don't fear "competition" because I think differing views even on the same topic add an overall better experience for our readers that enjoy what it is we write about.
I'm always looking to cross post, share, and connect with other Substack authors!
Eric
I've had this experience too with other science and environmental writers. It has to be genuine, I think, as you mention, not just done with the purpose of promotion.
I'm up to over 300 free subscribers. A couple of days ago my blog about "Selling puts stock options" got almost 500 views.
I usually get around 250 views.
That tells me that my readers really want to know what I'm trading and how. They make their own trading decisions. I can't decide for them and don't want to.
Does anyone else illustrate their Substack? Or know of others? Thanks!
I see a few of these! One of my favorites is https://onecouldargue.substack.com.
I illustrate a comic strip:
https://moviewise.substack.com/p/its-all-good-times
Robert Reich draws the best illustrations for his Substack! Multi-talented Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton: robertreich.substack.com
What a surprise. Thanks. I'll check it out.
I have a substack that's a comic strip, if that counts :) https://sadbook.substack.com/
I have postcard fronts painted by my wife at monthly intervals. Also, as there is lots of music in my newsletters, I have some videos timelapsed by my wife. Take a look: https://novaliterary.substack.com/p/double-challenged-by-a-woman-of-courage
https://novaliterary.substack.com/p/the-lazy-cowboy-and-other-donkey
I am excited today! I just launched my series of monthly virtual book club meetings for paid and founding member subscribers. Please take a look!
https://evolutionshift.substack.com/p/the-virtual-book-club-is-now-live
I would really like to know how to get started. Is there a tutorial, or even better, someone I can speak to?
I've published a four-part tutorial for newbies. Here it is. I hope it answers your questions. If not, please just ask!
https://writereverlasting.substack.com/p/exploring-the-mysteries-of-substack
This week marks six months since my official launch on Substack, and I've loved every minute of it! When I first started, I subscribed to a bunch of 'stacks based on topic, hoping to learn and connect with others in my lane. Over time I've unsubscribed from many of those and started following a bunch of 'stacks I would have never thought I'd be into but ended up enjoying very much.
The big difference? Community.
When I started seeing familiar names in my comments and in the comment sections of other 'stacks I read, and checked out their posts, and commented back and forth, and so on and so on.... my community grew exponentially and it changed how I interacted with their writings. I look forward to hanging out with all my online friends, now.
Many thanks to all my readers who comment regularly -- I sincerely adore you so so much, and I've discovered many awesome new people and publications through the community of commenters growing on your own 'stacks. Thank you for grokking my vibe and engaging with humor and authenticity.
To new writers here at Substack who are asking how to grow your readership -- explore, read, like and comment. Do it genuinely. Be yourself in your writing and in your networking. Be patient and have a long-view of your growth. It won't happen over night, but with persistence, it can happen.
Great advice!
Anyone writing about / interested in great music discovery? Please reach out to us, and we can explore if we can do something together
What kind of great music are yall discovering? :-)
Various genres Diar, but always the best ones (songs)
i would love to hear more about your process
https://songletter.substack.com/about
feel free to drop us an email Diar, happy to explain more :)
If you'd like to do a cross-post and/or guest post for artsx.substack.com, write me at lauramoreno@substack.com
My brother and I are attempting to explore our favorite music and what it means to us. I just posted my first attempt at this here: https://derekpetty.substack.com/p/lend-your-ear-a-pandemic-song
Let me know what you think!
I’m always open to collaborations!
Kevin, lets do this :)
Alright, I'm in!
Do you write for yourself or for your readers?
I write for my readers so they can understand so they can understand how circadian biology affects their pregnancies and families, more quickly than it took me to learn it.
Thanks for sharing!
First me the my readers. I write about what resonates with me and then share insights with my readers in hopes it will help them as well.
Thanks for sharing!
Would love to hear from Substackers who've written free for awhile and then went completely paid. Not sure I'm ready to do that, but it's on my mind. I'm still new...with 260 free subscribers and 24 paid. Have a LONG way to go, but I'm looking ahead. Thanks for any perspectives...
I have a hard time understanding 'completely paid', unless you have thousands of readers already and don't want many more. Or unless you write on a topic not for everyone's eyes.
I thought the goal was to build a readership, so isn't setting up a paywall kind of defeating that purpose?
I'm just trying to understand, since there are several big names who do have only a paywall. I can't possibly pay for every newsletter, no matter how much I might appreciate the writer.