Have questions about publishing, growing, or going paid on Substack?
The Substack team, and your fellow writers, are here to help!
To help organize conversations over the last couple of months, we’ve opened up theme discussion threads on creating community, launching paid subscriptions, collaboration, products like subscriber referrals, and more. Today we’re opening one general thread for any questions about how Substack works. What questions are top of mind as you get started, grow, and earn money?
Our team will answer questions and share insights with you in the threads 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.
What's your favorite topic that we covered in themed office hours (https://on.substack.com/s/office-hours)? What areas do you need support going forward?
I appreciated getting to meet other people who write about things I'm interested in! I love the feeling that everyone is gathered here virtually to learn from each other. Thank you for hosting this space!
I would appreciate some guidance in how to reach more people. For example some specifics on SEO, cross-platform posting, marketing, etc.
Come to the Publicize Your Substack workshop on July 6 at 7 pm CT on Zoom. The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber.
July 6, 2023 | 60 minutes | 7 pm CT | Zoom | Replay will be available
» For writers at any stage of their writing careers and Substacks
In this workshop, you will
-understand the difference between internal and external publicity on Substack and which are most effective;
-get the lowdown on how Substack’s Notes, cross-posts, mentions, guest posts, referrals, and recommendations work and how to use them;
-be cured of two common writer ailments—self-promotionitis and anti-publicityosis;
-get a template for a media pitch and media status sheet (for when you’re ready);
-“master” Substack’s SEO feature;
-lay out your posts, so they speak to readers (and other Substackers and the media); and
-discover ways to launch your books and give them a long life on Substack (instead of being remanded to the backlist after a year).
Where the information I’ll share with you comes from
-My conversations with the amazing people who run Substack—I want to share with you the advice they’ve given me.
-My own experience building two Substacks, each with over a thousand subscribers and growing.
-Business icons and marketing gurus. Over the past three years, I’ve taken a lot of marketing and entrepreneurship courses and now use terms like call to action (CAT, actually) and content without irony. Yup—something I never thought I’d do. Weirdly, I’ve enjoyed it, and believe it or not, my soul hasn’t withered.
-My study of creative writers and other writers on Substack who’ve been successful and provide a service and community for readers.
Can you add some tips for turning free to paid? That's where I'm at now with tons of free subs, and pls don't just say, "add value and they will come." That's like the Easter Island cargo cult!
Congrats on having a ton of free subscribers! I just scanned your Substack--really nice! So timely. If you haven't turned on paid, do. Don't paywall but send a post to your subscribers for support. That's actually how Katelyn Jetelina runs Your Local Epidemiologist, and she has 19,000 paid subscribers:
This is really helpful advice sarah - I’m still trying to get the word out there to free subscribers but I find it very hard to self-promote so not an easy task!
Would you take a look at my Substack and let me know if you think I could make any particular changes to attract more paid subscribers? I am relatively new, so I don't yet have a huge subscriber list or a ton of content, but I am working as a "steady forward" to reach the goal strategy.
Would your workshops help writers who are more non-fiction-y? I see when I became a subscriber it's for "creative writers", so is that just a general sweet of us Substackians? Haha
Sarah's workshops are awesome. I highly recommend them. I'm just starting on this substack journey and try to apply what I learn from her, one step at a time.
1) You said we can use this rescource to "Publicize Your Substack! (But not in an icky way)" What do you mean by our substack. Do you mean our writings on substack.
2) You said, "The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber."
Re this asssertion, I have these questions:
a) Where and when will the replay be available
b) What do you mean in asserting that "it" can be accessed separately. What is "it."
c) You said that by "accessing it separately," one need not become a paid subscriber. A paid subscriber of what, of what journal or rescource or program.
Hi there! Yes, if you don't want to become a paid subscriber to Writers at Work, you can buy access to the live workshop or replay here: https://www.writersatwork.co/
The replay usually takes me a few hours, so plan on it being available by 9 am on July 7.
Yes, publicizing your Substack means publicizing the writing (and whatever else you have--video, podcasts, etc.) on your Substack.
Sarah shares the recording and slides with paid subscribers for 2 weeks after the event. I've been coming to her workshops regularly and they've helped me so much.
Oooh, subscribed and interested. How often do you offer this? (Asking for someone who may be very bedraggled after this upcoming holiday weekend with a toddler in tow.)
I saw that you're serializing Frankenstein! I just interviewed Matt Kirkland of Dracula Daily (the OG) for Writers at Work and I interviewed E. Jean Carroll, Mary Trump, and Jenn Traub for The Active Voice. I've proclaimed July National Serialization Month.
That's awesome. Matt is a great guy. I asked him some questions before I started the Illustrated Frankenstein. (https://pau1.substack.com/p/dracula). I'm going to check out your interviews. Love National Serialization Month idea!
If you like illustrated serial classics, here are two more illustrated by the same Substacker who does the daily comic Sadbook Collections (https://sadbook.substack.com/ :) ...
Thanks Shonda! I would just include the pdf files into a new post. Don't publicize the URL. You can embed PDFs simple by dragging the file into your page as you are editing it. Then share the unique URL (page link) with the recipients. Or if it is just a one off type of offer to only a few subscribers, email it to them. Hope that answers your questions.
I write two Substacks, Kindness Magnet (2 years) and...brand new...After 21 Club. Paul has been a huge help along the way. He also has posts about marketing.
The post mentions getting a custom domain for your substack. Is that always worth the 50$ that substack charges for it, or should you start considering that once you grow to a certain amount of subscribers? Others with custom domains, feel free to chime in, would love to see / hear about some stats on this.
I have one, since I started this newsletter using my own website, but switched to substack once I saw the powerful network effect and how many more readers it was bringing in (most importantly, how much more consistently!) If I could still use that to get even more readers, that would be swell.
I just responded to Robert about this. I have a custom domain, which makes publicity easier (no need to roll out the .substack.com) but I actually was just advised to keep your name in your domain rather than a Substack title because then it's more likely to come up in a Google search of your name.
Thanks Sarah. Yes, I have heard of read that as well. I knew I had a good reason for not going ahead with a custom domain, even though almost buying one, but couldn't recall what it was!
I have a custom domain, which makes publicity easier (no need to roll out the .substack.com) but I actually was just advised to keep your name in your domain rather than the name of your Substack because then it's more likely to come up in a Google search of your name.
I saw that advice too, so I made sure to include my name in my publication title, as well as making it my extension. Still, I'd be curious to see what a custom domain can do, and whether I should just make that my name or choose another name.
Same! :) see all your instagram posts, so it's strange I didn't realise you were here until now but I guess it speaks to your question about reaching people and visibility!
Hi Rey. I subscribe to a lot of Substacks, which turned my Notes into a lively place for finding people with interests similar to mine. It's a slow strategy, but it suits me to grow slowly. I just took a peak at your Stack and appreciated the essay I read! Given the options, I programmed my Siri to sound white-male. It surprised me that an androgynous voice was not an option. (I recommend Julia Bedell's Pride post of yesterday at "vessels" - personal and brave.)
Most all of my questions are answered in office hours especially when I read through the replies. I love the support that I find here and on Substack in general. I cheer for those who are acknowledged as a Featured Publication. I'm just about to enter my 3rd year publishing here and hope that maybe I'll receive that acknowledgement someday, too.
There are actually a few. I'm about to go paid and I'm wondering if there's a good "best practices" checklist out there that would help me do it right the first time. I'd also love to hear from anyone who has figured out how to most time-efficiently explore all the resources Substack makes available to us to help us expand our audience. Last, I'm wondering if there's a Substack forum similar to this that only focuses on the craft of writing, sharing insights, asking for suggestions, sharing experience and thoughts. Basically, a Writer's Group just about writing.
Hi, Howard. I'm all about non-fiction right now (and poetry--but that's a different animal). These Substack conversations are great for learning about this platform, but I prefer small group and 1:1 for discussing the craft of writing--rather than large group commenting. Check out my site and if you like what you read (i.e., "like" as in resonate with as a writer) then let's talk. I'm 64 and don't have time for lots of scrolling and trolling to find what I need. Trying to be a good literary citizen here without getting sucked into all the distractions. andipenner.substack.com and on Facebook, Andrea Penner (same profile photo as here).
Hi Andi. So we're contemporaries. I'm 67. Tried to PM you on Facebook but it tells me I can't see your page because I'm not part of the audience that can. Not sure what that means, but looking for your suggestions for contact.
Huh. I don't know Facebook that well! I was away from that app for a ten years--not my favorite thing, but it's useful. you can email me...pennerink@gmail.com
🟧 Collaboration is my favorite topic, followed by creating community. I need support understanding how to cross-post effectively. I've only done it once, and my brief intro and cross-post appeared in the other person's newsletter as well as mine. The share, like, comment, and most importantly the subscribe buttons all were for her original post, not my newsletter. Also, on my page that issue of my newsletter was not larger and centered as usual (I use the magazine layout) but on the side with previous posts. Is there a way to change that?
Also, is there a way to reorder my list of recommendations on my page, so my favorites appear first? When I add a new recommendation, it is always at the top, and since only a partial list of recommendations are shown on the page that means some of my favorites no longer show up.
Recommendations order is still broken for me. I'd love to be able order them. I've been told that it's randomised, but for me it isn't. There's several publications that just never appear there despite being my most-wanting-to-recommend.
I liked the one where everybody was offering advice on how you can be active on the platform, and how they have gone about creating their newsletters and communicating with their subscribers.
I enjoy most topics because I'm quite new on here. I'm always keen to hear from other people about growing subscribers, about maximising reach, and the pros and cons of going paid if you don't want to put anything behind a paywall.
Other than the obvious con that very few people will pay for content they can get for free, I can't think of any con for going paid without putting anything behind a paywall. I did that for a long time and got a handful of paid subscribers. Starting in August, I'm keeping the first week of each month's issue free but paywalling the other three, with the hope of getting more paid subscribers. I'm also introducing private chat threads for paid subscribers only. My most recent post explains that, along with the new referral program.
It also includes a poll asking subscribers which rewards they want. So far, free paid subscriptions is the winner by far. So subscribers (paid or free) will get free paid subscriptions (3, 6, and 12 months based on the number of referrals; those who are already paid get those added at the end of their current subscription).
Interesting. Yes I'm currently thinking first offering paid as an option and growing through free content, and then start offering paid posts on top of free posts sounds like a good growth strategy
It's confusing. A substack is what you publish overall - mine is Diane Discovers. Every time you create a new "newsletter" you're actually creating a new page on your substack site - they're different sections. If you look at mine, you'll see I have the headings up top. They're different sections but Substack calls them different newsletters. You can have subscribers only get certain sections/newsletters. You just need a little time to learn the lingo here. And it's gotten more complicated as Substack has added more bells and whistles.
I just saw this and looked at your Substack, Diane. Very interesting and well presented!
It helped me understand how sections function. A few months ago, I started my newsletter about Work, and I realize that I've had trouble choosing a lane between an HR-related audience (where I have a lot of contacts) and people who are interested in thinking critically about work (where I have a lot of passion). After reading your comment here and looking at your site, I realize that I can bifurcate those tracks, so folks could subscribe to one or the other, and have it all amalgamate on the home page.
But I'll have to think about it. I feel like it could conceivably cause confusion for subscribers and prospective subscribers. And I'm sure I'd find a way to make it complicate my life, too. :) I gravitate toward simplicity.
Either way, thanks for the explanation and offering your Substack as a model. Very helpful.
It is confusing. I want to write about very different topics, but it's difficult because even though it says you're creating different newsletters, you only get to chose one main name for your overall page.
If you'd like to keep the topics completely separate, start another publication under the same account. For instance, I have Virtual Hockey Scout (hockey newsletter) and A Forgetting Place (music newsletter). Different names for different niches.
To do this, go to your Account Settings, scroll down to Publications and you'll see the option to create a new publication.
You could truly create an entirely new Substack under the same account if that helps! I have a second private Substack I was using to document my feelings once my mom passed. Completely different audience (told my few caregiver friends and shared in the caregiver facebook groups I'm in for the one that's private).
Even though it would be under the same substack, I've found "sections" to be pretty flexible!
Same audience, and you can send "secret" newsletters to people wanting to read those topics. They can show up on your Substack's home page or not, and you choose whatever piece you're writing to go where... If that makes sense.
Hi Cierra! Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll have to play around with it and find something that works. It seems like only one can show up when you comment, etc., like here. I was hoping you could choose the different ones when you're engaging. Thanks for the private idea, that may be useful in the future.
I didn't even know there was a difference. Substack has a lot of bells and whistles and you are correct that we just need to take the time to figure it out. At least I do! sabrinalabow.substack.com
A Substack is a blog x email newsletter wrapped into one. All Substack publications are discoverable through our apps and websites, so writers benefit from being a part of this bigger network of readers and writers.
The easiest way to start is just to publish one newsletter (which I still do after a year of publishing every week). Within the writer dashboard, just click "new post" to write each new issue. I'm not sure how to change it if you already have four different newsletters, though.
🟧 I would also like some advice on SEO. If I re-use content that's already been on my blog, will this affect SEO because Google could see it as duplicate content?
Perhaps it would be a good idea to put in order what to do first and so on. It's a lot to figure out at once. I need to set aside a day to figure it all out. It's a bit overwhelming, but I will do it!
🟧 I would like some advice on emails. 1. When readers email me on my Substack address, it goes to my personal email. If I want to reply to them, I have to reply from my personal address. I don't particularly want everyone to know this so is there a way round it?
Honestly, once I started separating my email accounts into personal, work, shopping, newsletters etc, it's become so much easier to keep track of stuff. Not to mention how much easier it is to just delete the account when you start getting too much spam.
In a way, it's highly personal and dependent on your newsletter, your audience, and what you are comfortable with. I don't think it needs to be set in stone either, it can be an evolving thing that changes along with your newsletter (and with you). As long as you communicate clearly to your subscribers about what you are doing and why I don't think you need to know all the answers and can just try out what works for you.
🟧 I appreciate that there are now usually two threads to choose from that focus on specific topics. However, it would be great to have a third "miscellaneous" or "everything else" thread. Sometimes I look at the two thread choices and neither one appeals to me so I don't participate that week. I wouldn't want to go back to the totally unorganized format that required a fishing expedition to find posts (even my own, and the replies to them), but I would like a third, broader thread.
It would also be great to have different threads for writers in different niches, perhaps once a month one of the threads could be for "mental health," "fiction," "tech," etc.
✏️ I've been stacking for a few months now, it's going pretty well, but it's not really organically growing. I was wondering if anyone had the time to give me some honest feedback on my substack?
I took a quick look. Honestly, the cartoon article pictures are amazing! Who does the artwork? Those pictures alone gravitate towards me clicking on an article and reading the post. So that's a plus. As for stacking - I'm guessing you are talking about Notes - I was told to use it as a storytelling asset tool. Your article on AI took our jobs, you can probably create notes with added pictures from the perspective of your narrator of your article to create more conversation about your work and talk about life in general. It's a huge topic. Everyone is talking about it. Getting in on topics like that could help. It's how you play the game to get people chatting about your work, you know. It's not easy, but you got this and on the right track. Good luck.
Hi Marie! Thanks for checking out and for the feedback. I'm really glad you like the images. I hire an artist through fiiver for the artwork. I'm really enjoying the process of thinking up the ideas and seeing the results.
That's a really good idea! Thank you. I definitely haven't been very active on notes yet. That's a good way to get things going. Best of luck to you. P.s. my brother's really into wrestling, I'll send him your way
The most useful thing I’ve learned (and I can’t remember now who told me this, sorry), was that a Substack is a destination. People won’t really stumble on it accidentally, if it’s just there in splendid isolation; you need to build some roads to the destination. That usually means writing about your subject elsewhere, in brief, or just generally engaging generously with communities who are interested in your subject, and linking to your Substack so people who have enjoyed what you’ve said can click through and find out more. Doing a Twitter thread based on your post used to be a great way to do this (though Elon has kind of sabotaged that for now, unfortunately). Being a good member of a relevant Reddit forum. Answering questions about your subject on Quora. Stuff like that. Hope that helps...
Thank you, Julian. That’s a really helpful way of thinking about it. Appreciate you taking the time to give me some advice. I arrived here for the last week of the glory days on Twitter. I’ve tried posting in Reddit a bit. I’ll plough on
You’re welcome, glad it helped. Oh, the other really useful thing to do is engage generously with other writers in your field on Substack itself. Read their work, comment thoughtfully (don’t simply plug your Substack!), help their best stuff find its audience. Be a good member of that community. And people will check you out and, if they like your work, subscribe. (I don’t do this enough, because I am a solitary grouch, but when I do, it’s very good for everybody. If a good writer recommends you to their readers, it’s HUGELY helpful.)
Haha that is yet another nutritious nugget. I want to find other writers but I don’t really know where to look. Do you have any good humour substacks you could recommend?
I don't really know what your publication is about easily, and I don't know any more by reading your about page, so that's probably why people bounce without subscribing. Is this a comedy publication? What is it about?
The art drew me in but I also couldn't get a sense of what it was about. Good feedback Russell. Before I continue I think I had better reevaluate my own about page.
Thanks for the feedback! Hmmmm that's interesting. As it's kind of a "humour" blog about lots of things, rather than one topic I wonder how I can get that across.
I think I got that sense from your short description, but you could consider a pinned post of "what is this blog?" or something along those lines, to quickly try and convey that to anyone who ends up on your homepage.
Thanks Nathan, thats a good idea. I think I always struggle to describe my blog. It’s basically anything funny I can think to write about, which is generally the grottier topics. I sometimes get caught between as I don’t want to label it as 100% filthy, as I think it will scare people off and I don’t want to be forced to write about one kind of theme. But at the same time, I generally do write about naughty things. Hmm quite the pickle
Just like you said it here. Use your own words or describe it to a friend have them look at your SS and then see how they would describe it. I have rewritten my about page a few times and I 'm not even sure if it's quite right. I'm not a natural writer so I struggle with these things too.
Hi Russel, that's really helpful. Thank you! I was a little bit concerned about that with my welcome page particularly. Yeah, that's it, pretty much. It's a comedy blog but generally on quite grotty topics. But, I didn't want to come right out and claim to be a comedy blog. So I tried to sort of dance around the subject, but it seems the subject has resisted my advances - if it's not working. Do you think a lot of people use the about us to make their decision? I think I'll have to give that some more thought.
Haha shit! Maybe I’ve stumbled on it. I’ll try that out. I think I was attempting to be so witty that no one knew what I was on about. I felt self conscious about calling it comedy as it felt like self declared funniness. But maybe that’s all in my head
Brilliant to ask others to comment. I may do the same. Your page is aesthetically beautiful--made me realize I must work on mine! Your AI article is really good I would perhaps add a little more of you in your post. Your grasp of the English language is exceptional, I would like to hear a bit more about your own personal experiences. That is something AI cannot do:) That's my two cents. sabrinalabow.substack.com
Hi Sabrina! Thanks for the feedback! That's nice to hear. Normally, I'm too concerned about the amount of me I stick in there - but I think you're right, Substack allows you get personal. Thank you, really glad you like it. Here's a personal one you might like, it's about the time where I took a bunch of ecstasy and built a shed with my friend https://wrongchannel.substack.com/p/house-that-pills-built
I've checked out you substack, I think it's really cool! One thing I would say, it would be good to have an image on the welcome screen. I think people are used to seeing them and it can look a bit empty without
Hi Sam, just had a look. Someone gave me a piece of advice a while ago to declutter a bit. I'm now in favour of the page theme of a single post at the top and then everything underneath in a column. I also keep a fixed "newcomers" post as that very top one to hopefully be an easy starting point for anyone new arriving to my Substack. It's helped me, I think. (But I'm no expert.)
Different people favour different themes, though, but for me I do feel a little overwhelmed when I see a large grid array of posts and I'm not sure which to try clicking on first.
I like the consistency of your artstyle on your page; it definitely gives it a cohesive feel.
Notes is a good place to engage and grow, if you aren't using it yet.
🟧 Do you think Substack could create an option to change font color within the posts? I would love to be able to do this to distinguish, say, embedded quotes or poetry from that which I might write about them.
🟧 I would love to know how can I improve my newsletter’s discoverability in “Explore.” When I search terms that I would expect my newsletter to come up in, it’s either very low in results, below similar news letters with far fewer subscribers, or not there at all. Thanks!
The savvy Substack growth guy @reidtandy would probably have some good ideas. I have a few ideas (like the keyword needs to be in a headline or in the title or description of the newsletter) but it still doesn't explain my low results. My substack has 2000 subs, and I'm falling below substacks that are no longer active and have < 100 subs.
I added the word "Fiction" in parenthesis to my stack name and that helped the Explore process. I don't know all the ins and outs, but it seems having the word you want in the title helps.
Hey Patrick - Just to check that I understand your question: Are you hoping to boost the visibility of your publication on Substack's internal search? And if so, do you have some examples of common queries that you think should lead to your publication?
We're frequently making changes to search ranking in hopes of improving discoverability. Having search terms in your publication's name, description, or in recent posts can all help.
I have been asking for some time - with no effect at all - for a Substack 'category' for people who write on all sorts of different topics and are not therefore classifiable as sports, politics etc. I write a short fortnightly newsletter on any topic that takes my fancy (I subtitle it 'Thought for the Fortnight' like BBC radio's 'Thought for the Day'. Whenever I have asked for this, 5-10 other writers have joined in to support the idea. This would help people like me to at least be seen by potential readers. I started with 25 family and friends last November and now have 360+ subscribers (67% open rate) so I don't have – or even expect - a HUGE readership, but people are sticking with me.
Apologies for late writing, but Thursday is my choir rehearsal night and Friday was our concert, so I am surfacing now.
Hi Chris, someone interested in my newsletter would probably search for the topic “RPG,” “TRRPG,” “solo RPGs,” or “boardgames”. Those are where I would expect to be showing up higher in results.
I’m less concerned about them searching for the name of my substack. If they know that, I’m sure they’ll be able to track it down.
Yes I agree and have raised this on Office Hours a few times now (but got no response yet from the team) See my own post on this today - further down stream on this thread. https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/
I would like to know what criteria are used to show Substacks on a leaderboard category, e.g. Fiction is very broad and always has Mr Saunders on top, which is very nice for him of course but then you scroll around and find Substacks without much traction on most of their posts beneath, which makes it hard to discern any sort of measure or criteria other than mostly subscriber numbers? Any clarification is appreciated. Or if not possible, that's fine too, I remember Flickr always has been rather hush-hush about their explore-algo.
🧠- I think the Office Hours that covered building community and how to find/collaborate with other writers were great-especially valuable for new writers just coming to the platform.
✏️ - What have y’all found to be the most effective ways to grow your publication? Do y’all have any tips about how I can make my newsletter stand out from everyone else?
✏️ - I’m new to writing my articles, and I feel like I’m struggling to find my “voice”/unique style. I have an overall format that I’m trying to stick to, but I want my writing to feel a bit more personal and laid-back. How can I go about finding my unique style of writing?
✏️ - A really hard part of running my Substack is trying to find new people to join. So far, I haven’t earned any new subscribers, and I’m not really sure how to go about reaching people (I’d like to avoid posting on social media if I can). What have y’all found to be the most effective way of finding and reaching new subscribers? I’ve tried using Notes as well as uploading voiceovers of my articles to YouTube/podcast and linking them back to my newsletter, but I haven’t found either of them to be effective.
🟧 - Do you by any chance have plans of adding email templates in the future? There are a lot of common things I tend to include in my emails, and it can get a bit tedious having to go back into previous emails and copy/paste them into newer ones. I know I could technically write a template post that I can duplicate every time I want to make a post, but it would be so much easier if this was its own dedicated option (maybe even with the ability to have a default template that applies every time I create a new post or even just the ability to select a template every time).
I think it's great to say as obvious as it sounds. Didn't William Goldman say, "The script is the thing." Something like that. All the bells and whistles help but in the end the writing is king! sabrinalabow.substack.com
This is really good advice. The "give it a year" resonates well. I'm impatiently grinding away about 2 months in and trying to grow this thing! I'm loving the platform and writing habits it's created, but this beginning phase is quite the grind.
Can attest on the same space point, do I follow lots of writers, sure. Those I actually reach out to online though are those who share the same interests.
I started my Substack at the beginning of this year, so I'm still trying to figure it all out. I've had some luck with Notes, but it's been really slow growth.
I feel I'm still finding my voice as well. And while not super helpful, I've found the more I write, the more I'm slowly focusing in on my voice. Whatever that is.
I think 'slow' growth is also more reliable than fast growth, as you get the time to develop over time, and people who stick with you longer are more likely to stick around as you change. Of course it's nice if you go viral and get a flux of new subscribers, but I think those could just as easily decide to unsubscribe again after a while.
That’s really good advice! I’d much rather grow a smaller list of really dedicated people rather than a really big list of people who don’t really care that much. Building a community is really important to me, and that definitely takes time, but I’m sure it will be much more rewarding in the end.
Hey Austin, My substack growth has been in spurts - but when it has come, it's been through sharing with my network on LinkedIn, and also through being a Podcast guest. I've found the latter most enjoyable. I actually wrote about my relationship with the whole topic of growth a couple of weeks ago https://glitterandbiscuits.substack.com/p/this-substack-isnt-growing. Re voice and style I imagine I'm talking/writing to one person. One person who TOTALLY gets me and my Substack, and why I am here. Often I do that lying down on my sofa with my feet up because when I sit at my desk it puts me in a more serious/proving mode which isn't good for anyone. Often my best (most authentic) writing pops out when I'm on walks, moving my body, and I make notes on my phone. Then pull it across and edit whilst sitting up :-). It sounds strange, but it works for me. If I am stiff and upright, I write stiff and upright. Relaxed body posture - the words feel more like me. I hope this is helpful!
This is such an interesting insight - I have found myself most often writing outside in the garden, or sitting down comfortably inside... but not at my desk, except to edit. Hadn't noticed it before!
🧠 Hi Austin. Welcome to the Substack community! I just read your article about Flip phones. You are knowledgeable! Awesome!
I'd like to respond to your question about 'finding your voice'. I've been writing Kindness Magnet for 2 years now. When I first started, I had trouble finding my voice. Soprano? Alto? Loud? Soft? Give it to 'em straight? Funny? So many options!
Here's what really helped me. I decided to try doing a podcast, just using the Substack podcast feature and reading what I had written. Wow. That was an eye opener.....and an ear opener, so to speak! I sounded stilted. My words seemed academic (no offense to academics....I happen to be one haha). I realized that, as I was reading the article, I started changing some of the words, so it sounded more like I was talking to a friend. Then I went back into my article and revised it....then tried the 'podcast method' again....it's amazing what you'll learn when you play that podcast back to yourself!
So that's my soapbox for finding your voice. You have a lot of great information on your site. Ask yourself.....is that how I'd explain it to a friend? Would I keep their attention span for that long, or should I shorten my posts? Do I start each post with a 'hook' that would capture my reader's attention and make them want to go on?
That's my 🧠 power for today.....Hope it helps you! ❤
Wow...that is really good advice! Thanks so much for the kind words (and for reading my article)!
I so relate to the "sounding stilted" thing 😅
I started off with podcasting in the beginning, and I couldn't help but cringe at the way I talked (haha). Lately, I've been focusing a lot more on the newsletter with voiceovers, and I sometimes notice that my words just don't come out naturally. Lately, I've been trying to write my articles with my voice-overs in mind, and as I go, I sometimes whisper the words to myself to see if they sound unnatural. Definitely been helpful!
Thanks again for sharing! I really appreciate your reply :)
FWIW Austin, I suspect every one of us on this thread are on a continuing search for our voice. Myself, I came to Substack to find the opportunity to develop and explore my voice. Everything I've written previously was for publications and their advertisers. The rest of your questions I would love to see the answers to. Thanks for asking them.
Thanks for sharing! I think my biggest hurdle I'm trying to overcome right now is "loosening up" my writing to be a bit more witty and casual. Hopefully, that will come in time the more I practice. It's all about remembering why you're doing what you're doing.
Don't be concerned too much about it being grammatically perfect with just the right sophisticated vocabulary. People want to connect. sabrinalabow.substack.com
It's also about not "trying" (no Yoda reference there...) If you are witty and casual your voice will eventually be witty and casual. It's important to constantly be reading yourself and asking "was that witty and casual?" Writer's voice seems to me to be like romance. If you're looking for it, it never comes.
The only way to find your voice and style is to keep writing long enough to discover what you are most passionate about and want to write more of. Experiment and see what kinds of articles get the most likes, shares, and comments, too (though don't expect many, especially at first). Be patient and read and comment on other Substacks you like. Participate in these Writer Office Hours and Notes (most of my new subscribers come from these Office Hours, and now a few from Notes. Here, I mostly try to be helpful and answer questions from other writers. On Notes, I mostly restack posts from other Substack writers and comment on why I like their newsletters (or the specific post from it they just shared on Notes).
Re: voice, relax and try to be real/yourself. Your voice/unique style will develop. Some topic really compelling to you that you're afraid to share your story about? Do it and go as deep as you dare to. If there's some tension there to explore, it will be that much more interesting.
Finding your voice is a mix of deliberate decisions and simply practice. To use myself as an example (for the sake of simplicity), I decided that I would pull out as much opinions from my writing as is feasibly possible. So my voice is "no voice."
I started my project in September, and while I don't notice it weekly, when I went back to my old issues, it was notable how much the newer ones have improved. Just longer, more details, a better grasp on the stories.
I bet you are further along in finding your voice than you realize.
"My voice really developed over a long time, and the Village Voice was a fantastic place to experiment and allow a voice to emerge. A lot of experiments seeing what your writing does to people. How do people respond?
We didn’t have the great advantage of this kind of feedback [that writers get online today]. It’s not just thumbs-up, it’s thumbs-down. It’s also interactive. People say, “This moved me” or “I felt this,” and then you think to yourself more and more, “Well, what did I do there? Let me break down what I did, so I can understand technically what was working, what affected people emotionally, what got them reading and going.” That’s what I did over a very long period of time, just writing pieces without that kind of intimate feedback, but now it’s very helpful, even though I have a more developed voice than I did when I started writing for the Voice in my 20s."
Hmm, for posts about tech products and trends, I suspect focusing on search engine optimization could be very helpful. Make sure you're set up in Google Search Console (I have to add each post individually in there because Substack doesn't have a sitemap)
Keywords Everywhere is a great tool to inspect search keywords to see what people are searching for. (and then include those keywords multiple times in your post)
SEO can take months to ramp up but is very powerful for bringing in strangers to your product posts....good luck!
Overall, I'm not sure what value I'm getting from your page. It looks like you're just selling electronics. You say on your about page you send random emails, but it seems like this is all tech, and almost all consumer electronics related.
Hey Russell! I can definitely see where you're coming from...a few of my earlier articles were about products I found interesting because I wasn't really sure what to write about. Nowadays, I'm focusing a lot more on tech news, reviews, and opinion pieces. I considered my emails "random" in terms of those types of articles, not necessarily the topics I published. Everything is consumer electronics-related, but one day I may write a news piece, and the next article may be a review. I apologize if my about page was not very clear. Definitely going to tidy it up and clarify some things.
If you’d like help, I have a lot of free material on improving your writing. I’ll be offering a workshop about the craft of writing on Substack (including Voice) at the end of July. Subscribe to Writers at Work to be notified if you’re interested. You can also work with me 1-to-1. You’re writing on tech and should be getting traction. Quick thoughts: Definitely change up your thumbnails and publish regularly (particular days or day of the week, not randomly). https://www.writersatwork.net/
I'd be curious to know what percentage of free subscribers typically convert to paid for people. Have been modelling launching a paid tier in a spreadsheet and this is currently my biggest unknown - I've heard some people reach as high as 17% - though others 7%. (Both much higher than I would have guessed!)
How low those numbers are really depends also upon how long you've been doing this. I think the hardest resource for writers (at least me) to obtain is patience with yourself.
I wonder if that depends on your content and audience quite a bit. I have seen newsletters that have a lot of paid content focusing on growing your business or even a group coaching environment. I imagine more people are willing to pay for something that makes them money, compared with donating to support educational content. I, personally, make the free educational content... 😅
That is a very interesting observation and one that I failed to articulate when I had the same question of % conversion.
I realized that the people I’m willing to pay a subscription for are the ones with course-type content. It kind of feels like MOOC through newsletters but with less prior structure and many variables on the content I’m being served.
I guess a good strategy would be to think of that end-goal on what you would like to serve your paid subscribers and garner that kind of audience starting out.
I do sometimes. Most stuff is free, though. I went back and forth for a long time on that, and finally (more or less) settled on the same model as NPR.
I started out with around 10% with my first couple hundred subscribers. As my list grows and gets further away from people I know personally, it’s dropped down to 5%.
88 subbies and 3 paid! But I've been writing personal essays, poetry, and reflections lately. I dunno if that'll change and I want the quality to be improved and consistent... But I'm proud that being myself is getting this type of traction!
Substack obviously has aggregate data on conversion and perhaps they will release it at some point, maybe by topical area. In my case, I got up to around 4% when I offered research reports on stocks last year. Conversion is lower now since I no longer do stock research on Substack.
🟧 I'd like to see Substack do more to find ways of helping newer Substacks to reach out to their particular target audience. On previous Office Hours I have suggested making the 'Explore' topics much more specific and detailed.
For example, my own Substack is one for serious intellectual discussion of political and cultural undercurrents in Western society but people would never find that using the current bland 'Politics' tab. They'd much more likely be looking for daily news type stuff or angry polemic type stuff.
Agreed. I just recently started my horror newsletter and I feel it can be hard for people to find it in the explore page — I myself wasn’t too sure where to even categorize it LOL
Hi Graham, we've seen a lot of success with writers cross promoting using the Recommendations feature. This can help folks who subscribe to similar publications to yours find you and vice versa. Here's a post with some more details on the feature: https://on.substack.com/p/recommendations
Thanks for this response and I will take a look at the link. But I think that this very oft-stated advice on the benefits of Recommendations is way too broad brush. Yes, it may well work for some kinds....but not for others. My competitors (on my kind of Substack) typically have thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers. Recommending them would be highly unlikely to be reciprocated; (You need them but they simply don't need you). That's the reality and Substack needs to take that reality on board and become more subtle, nuanced and Newsletter-TYPE specific in its advice.
It would be nice to feel more supported by Substack as a new writer on the platform, but I feel like that will only happen if you share a clear idealogical connection with those in the C suite.
Don't "wait" to go paid! There's absolutely no reason. You're literally stopping people from supporting you right now. Just turn on paid and don't paywall any posts. Where it says, 'Paid subscribers get...' just put something like 'the chance to support this project/newsletter early on.'
You'll be surprised. People want to support us even if we aren't paywalling.
I do it this way and it's heartening when you receive an upgrade to paid (just under 10% of my subscriber have upgraded including a handful of people who don't know me personally). I also say on my about page where I talk about this 'I also believe that money is one of many forms of energy. I trust that if you are choosing to be here, you will support me and pay forward the nourishment Glitter and Biscuits offers in whatever way feels good to you.' I have a similar message in my header. At this point it is lovely to receive a paid subscription, but often I appreciate people sharing my work even more.
That's such good advice. Maybe some people love your work but don't have the extra money -- why should one exclude them. You give people the freedom to support you if they want and can.
None. I did it straight away cos otherwise you're potentially leaving money on the table. Also, you're preventing fans from supporting your work financially if they so wish
I started seriously on Substack in February and never enabled monetization and a month into it new subscribers would pledge on their own. When asked why they said I provided easy to query information that caters to their needs given a current trend. In other words, I solved a pain point by giving them the exact information they needed to find with little to zero friction. 30 articles later, this trend holds up.
I forget... Are you required to offer annual subscriptions? Assuming you are, can I share an anxiety? Though I'm committed to my newsletter, I also try to keep in mind that it's taking a *huge* amount of time from my paying work. A solution might be to turn on Paid subscriptions. But the anxiety is that I get, like, a small handful, and I'm then deeply committed to accommodating them (esp., if they paid for the year). Because my newsletter has a professional angle (it's not like I'm writing fiction or memoir) and I have somewhat of a presence in my field, my reputation is a little bit at stake if I discontinue the newsletter, miss a few issues, etc.
2nd anxiety: Some people (especially those who know me) don't want to pay, but feel guilty about subscribing without paying, so they unsubscribe.
Also, it's a work in progress as I gain clarity about my audience and their favorite topics. (I started off targeting HR and HR-adjacent professionals, but gradually have shifted more toward non-HR people interested in work. I think my readership is like 50/50 and, amazingly, their interests don't overlap as much as one might think).
I’ll only speak on what I know when I say this, nobody cares about what you do online. Sounds harsh but that’s the reality I’m embedded into. Freedom of speech by no means imply freedom of reach. You want what what you share to be worth someone’s time? Show proof. I’ve seen someone complain about losing subscriptions before and I pointed out that the nature of how this site is structured might have something to do with it. It’s not always the content published.
Substack is a weird platform all things considered. It blurs the line between blogging, social media, networking and business tool. It doesn’t quite seem to know where it wants to be yet. So do yourself a favor and let go of the worries right way, it’ll save you time that should be dedicated to your next publications or research.
What I do know is that consumer behavior stays about the same across the board. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Twitter... If people have no incentive to do so, you will not see them stick around.
The only choice left is to reassess your why. As a creative consultant, what I’ve learned from doing sessions with clients in the entertainment industry is that they often times struggle to execute, furthermore they over emphasize details that don’t matter in the bigger picture.
You don’t need to feel bad. In fact, you don’t need to bring feelings into this at all. The beauty of this platform is that it combines curation of content and patronage with ease. All you have to do at that point is to set up the environment so that the people that do come can easily understand why you write, what topics you’re a voice of authority on and what key insights they can expect to obtain.
Don’t obsess with being monetized off the bat. Matter of fact, there’s a YouTube video I recommend you watch titled Colin & Samir: A conversation with Doug DeMuro. They discuss that topic at length and you’ll learn a ton from someone who effectively turned their writing into a full blown media and sales company.
If you have more pressing questions, my socials are linked in my bio. Twitter is the easier way to contact me. That would be all for now.
I always turned it on from the beginning. How you ask for money might change, but before there’s a ton of content built up I just say you’re supporting my creative endeavor or News reporting (depending on the publication)
I went paid from day 1, and got 3 paid subscribers within the first few weeks - my total subscriber list was under 30 so I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely don't wait 😊
None, I started paid right away, with all the content free to all anyway. Since Feb I've got 14, mostly people I know to be honest. Upselling the strangers seems much tougher. (285 and counting for subscribers; I guess I'll have a mini party when I hit 300.) It's all hard won!
But I'm grateful for the extra petty cash and don't have to feel pressure from it since no one expects any more from it than what I'm already doing. One a week, and it's a lot of work for me to just do that.
Turn it on! Literally no reason to have it off. If people like you, they'll pay. And as you learn more about the business and what people value you can find ways to paywall.
Most of that has been driven by improvements Substack has made over the last several months. Notes & Recommendations both help a lot. But part of is driven simply by my spending more time on the platform and less on places like Twitter.
I have gotten the majority of new subscribers through Substack, even though I post on other social media platforms also. I think everyone who is going to join my newsletter on social media, has already joined.
Question, Rey. When you're posting on social media are you also posting to groups where there are people who don't yet know you, and are you using hashtags to accomplish the same? I've found more traction in groups than in my own feed, but thinking about it that doesn't seem surprising.
I’d say yes. I do very little to build my list, though I should. Probably a third of my subscribers have come from using Notes, the substack network, engaging on others’ posts, and from participating in substack grow and making connections with other writers.
And I’ll add I don’t see much of a down tick in open rate. So proportionally, the same number of people are reading it. Or at least that’s what I take away from that information.
I've grown like... I'm pretty sure ~98% of my Substack solely through Substack!
I made like three posts on IG months ago, and one person came from there and became a paid subscriber! And one of my IG friends got on board and came onto my Substack.
Aside from that? I believe all of the other 86 subbies I have all came from the Substack network!
I truly enjoy this ecosystem so I try to get on and comment and share and help as much as possible. And I guess it pays off gradually! Makes me happy!
Yes, a lot of my growth has come from the substack network, I wasn't having much luck on social media with getting people to actually see the content, which is kind of the point..
plus they have honestly changed over the years. I had deleted all my social media accounts before I started writing online, and had to start from scratch growing again. It used to be easier to be seen and to grow, there are all sorts of things going on with their algorithms that make it harder to be noticed nowadays, I'm sure.
I love reading other people's posts on how they've grown their Substacks--and the back and forth on self-promotion and publicity.
For those who want to grow their audience and get over self-promotion-itis, come to the Publicize Your Substack workshop on July 6 at 7 pm CT on Zoom. The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber.
Here's why Taylor Swift thinks you should attend or watch the replay:
July 6, 2023 | 60 minutes | 7 pm CT | Zoom | Replay will be available
» For writers at any stage of their writing careers and Substacks
In this workshop, you will
-understand the difference between internal and external publicity on Substack and which are most effective;
-get the lowdown on how Substack’s Notes, cross-posts, mentions, guest posts, referrals, and recommendations work and how to use them;
-be cured of two common writer ailments—self-promotionitis and anti-publicityosis;
-get a template for a media pitch and media status sheet (for when you’re ready);
-“master” Substack’s SEO feature;
-lay out your posts, so they speak to readers (and other Substackers and the media); and
-discover ways to launch your books and give them a long life on Substack (instead of being remanded to the backlist after a year).
Where the information I’ll share with you comes from
-My conversations with the amazing people who run Substack—I want to share with you the advice they’ve given me.
-My own experience building two Substacks, each with over a thousand subscribers and growing.
-Business icons and marketing gurus. Over the past three years, I’ve taken a lot of marketing and entrepreneurship courses and now use terms like call to action (CAT, actually) and content without irony. Yup—something I never thought I’d do. Weirdly, I’ve enjoyed it, and believe it or not, my soul hasn’t withered.
-My study of creative writers and other writers on Substack who’ve been successful and provide a service and community for readers.
🟧 why is the content of my substack not indexed by google and searchable? Even if I put in my publication name and a verbatim phrase, if that phrase isn’t in the title of the post, I can’t find it. Substack search is slightly better for my purposes but if someone online doesn’t know what substack is and wants to find the time I wrote about X, they aren’t going to find it by searching google. Is there a rationale behind this and/or a way to rectify this?
Yeah, it's frustrating that Google doesn't index it automatically. I did set up my Substack in Google Search Console and I manually copy paste each post in there for indexing. It is a bit extra work but my posts are showing up on Google search now.
Kevin, are you saying you drop your Substack url into Reddit posts? I've been reluctant to do that, even when my content is relevant to the thread (which is the only circumstance under which I would even try), because a lot of the subs prohibit it. I guess I've been concerned about getting blacklisted or something.
Whiz Pill, are you saying you drop your Substack url into Reddit posts? I've been reluctant to do that, even when my content is relevant to the thread (which is the only circumstance under which I would even try), because a lot of the subs prohibit it. I guess I've been concerned about getting blacklisted or something.
Do you find it affects your SEO having the same content in two places? I thought Google doesn't like duplicate content, so that's put me off doing similar.
I’m not sure about that. I have my free content on Wordpress because the blog is 14+ years old and I don’t like relying too much on Substack as the only distribution for my writing. I have a number of rss feed subscribers for my blog. For paid content, it’s only on Substack.
This is something I reversed engineered a ton so here’s my insight on the matter. Reddit will be your most valuable ally in allowing your content to be easy to query by machines.
The reason being Reddit ranks very high in search. It’s called the front page of the internet for a reason. In terms of SEO, Reddit lends itself perfectly to bite sized content that funnels the reader back to your Substack platform.
And the more hits you score on Reddit, the more likely your actual Substack site will pop up alongside it, assuming branding is consistent across platforms that is. In my case, Whiz Pill is the chosen moniker for the brand.
If you use AI search or Google, it’ll show its pretty much everywhere and the places that will rank the highest are LinkedIn & Reddit.
Speaking of AI, get into the habit of using the Bing AI search engine, it’ll show you effectively what needs improvement through natural language, if the AI assistant tells you I can’t find something, figure out why that might be on the back end by asking it follow up questions.
Bonus tips, on sites where content is predominantly video or photo based, use their native tools to add captions or ALT text for the hard of sight because on the search engine side, these are deemed a priority search.
The more related the keywords are to the content you publish, the better. That is all folks. Hope you found something helpful.
Thank you for this thorough answer! That definitely helps me understand the under-the-hood stuff a little better. I appreciate you pulling out a quote from my post to demonstrate this.
My issue is mostly with my news publication, as I have had trouble in the past finding info to refer back to or specific articles to link to readers. I publish every day so going back thru my old content is harrrrd. I do see a few results coming up now for things people would search, and even some front page results when I don’t use my publication name so I’ll see if this issue comes up again.
Thanks. Is there a way to determine my site’s reputation? I don’t have a separate Burlington buzz website, just the Burlington.buzz custom domain on substack.
✏️ - How many posts per week is 'too much' for paid subscribers? I'm about to add an additional 2 posts for primos in addition to my weekly post, but don't want to spam people with too much content. I'm already feeling sheepish about being in their inbox to begin with. I don't want to overstay my welcome.
Why not poll your readers? There's a poll function in the dashboard. It's different for everyone. If I get more than 1 newsletter a week from someone, I usually unsubscribe. I get so many that every other week works for me. But there are some huge substacks with daily posts. So maybe a poll would help you decide.
I don't think there's a hard-and-fast rule here, Jason. I started out just doing one day a week, but after about a year I added a second day. I was nervous about overstaying my welcome too, but what I found was that open rates stayed the same (or improved) and growth took off. Meanwhile, churn stayed constant and nobody complained that I was writing too much. I'm sure there's a limit, but what I found was that my fear just didn't line up with reality. My advice is to try it, keep and eye on your data, listen for qualitative feedback (but take it with a grain of salt), and see what happens. Hope that helps!
I think it's great that you're asking, Jason. I don't know the answer. But I do know there tends to be a consensus, endorsed by Substack, that you should post very often. I think I just saw something like "...posting 1x/day results in much more rapid growth compared to 1x/week."
I like data and don't give too much credence to anecdotal info, but I think so much depends on the content. At this point, I won't subscribe to a newsletter that arrives more than once a week. I feel like it's clutter in my inbox. For me, it's tantamount to bad time management.
Similarly, people say you should publish like clockwork. For example, if it's weekly, every Thursday at around the same time, so readers know when to expect it. That may be true, but I'll tell you that, for the newsletters I subscribe to, I have no idea what day or time any of them arrive, and it doesn't matter to me.
For my own (free) publication, I'm currently publishing biweekly. My articles are thoroughly researched, usually with plenty of links and footnotes and a lot of fact-checking. Also, admittedly, I'm a slow wordsmith. It takes me about 2 weeks to produce a post. And, perhaps presumptuously, I'm confident my readers would view anything more than, say, 1x/week as annoying.
That said, if a newsletter is a quote, a haiku, maybe even a digest, or a cartoon (which I believe is your wheelhouse), I'm sure readers, especially if they've paid, would welcome frequent posts.
I guess I'm not being much help here, but thought I'd share my thoughts. The Substack "post as often as possible" credo sometimes overlooks the diversity of content in various newsletters and the diverse needs of readers.
Right? I'm surprised this doesn't come up more in these conversations. I always thought most people want fewer emails, not more. (Though I admit that many Substackers have proven me wrong.)
I resonate with what you say. I write on my timetable when inspired and hot to get all my thoughts out on a topic, spend delicate time musing about it, infusing it with more depth thinking, and do any needed research and a lot of editing. My timetable probably isn't the best for building readership but feels natural and authentic. I put some pressure on myself to get a new post out a couple of times a month at whatever time and day I complete it.
I ship 5x weekly, and no one has told me it’s too much. That said, I agree with Diane; take a pill and see what people think. If nothing else, it’ll be a great data set.
Beyond the poll, perhaps try thinking of your writing as a conversation. Substack seems to be continuously striving to find new tools to help us increase engagement and interaction with our readers. As you begin conversing with them, start asking what it is that attracts them or attracted them to your substack in the first place. Also, as a deep believer in the power of networking, ask them to refer you to others who might also like your content. People love to give (it's more blessed than it is to receive....)
It’ll vary based on your audience. As long as the content is worth reading, I doubt people will be annoyed with too much content. I also think carefully before hitting send. It’s a big responsibility to avoid showing up in inboxes without something important to say…
My questions never get anssered because it seems I arrive late even though I'm following the times in the emails. But trying again - Does Substack claim any ownership of any kind once your content has been published to the platform? Such as, if it tell an extended story on Substack and then sell movie rights or a book to a publisher?
You own what you create. Any original content you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide to Substack remains yours and is protected by copyright and any other applicable intellectual property laws.
Katie, is there a way to change which of my newsletters is displayed here in Writer's Office Hours? The Business Technologist's Journal is very focused but my other newsletter, What Do You Want? is far more targeted at a broader audience. How can I change what is displayed here and in other Substack threads??
Hi Howard! If you edit your profile (https://substack.com/@biztechjournal), you can decide which publication you want to be the primary one - on your profile and by your name in the comments
Firstly, thank you for creating such a great and supportive creative platform.
I am wondering two things: is there a way that non-subscribers could also have access to the “like“ button at the end of articles? Many people tell me that they love my work, but only subscribers can “like” it, and I only have a modest number of subscribers. Lots of “likes “ would help create momentum and potentially generate more subscribers.
Secondly, is there a way that articles could be published first to subscribers via email, well before they appear on the website as a whole? At the moment, I suspect some people feel there’s no need to subscribe because everything is available online instantly.
I posted a reply in another thread related to Substack Go, but it's a similar idea: Something that involves growing and learning alongside other writers would be really helpful. Especially a small group where it feels intimate and not too overwhelming.
🧠Hey all, I recently wrote a post about the Substack Life Cycle. I previously wrote about applying the Product Life Cycle to substack strategy, but this changes some of the ideas in the product life cycle and makes it specific to Substack.
People in comments have found this as a helpful roadmap and they have been able to map their own progress onto my idea for the Substack Life Cycle.
If you are interested in growing your substack, in going paid, in trying to figure out how to use the substack tools to grow and map your path into the future, this article is for you! I hope it helps!
I always just try to remember that 10% of 10,000 is the same as 20% of 5,000 -- and the goal is to reach people, not open rates. (Also, those are not my numbers, it's called manifesting :P )
1. Yes, your open rate will likely decrease as your subscriber base increases.
2. Some folks ignore open rate entirely, because it's not the most reliable metric, and focus on click through rate / comments instead.
Others, myself included, do a regular purge of inactive subscribers from their list. The danger with inactive subscribers is that if your emails are being largely ignored, clients like Gmail begin to think your newsletters are spam or "promotions" and it starts a vicious cycle where the newsletter gets less read over time.
So once a year I go into my Subscribers tab, find subscribers who've never opened or clicked on a single newsletter, and I send them an email asking them to click a button if they want to stay. Those that do, I keep. The others, I remove. Inevitably, my open rate increases as a result.
Very interesting strategy that I want to try out! What button do you include for them to click on? And how do you get notified if they click? Is it sent through your personal email vs substack newsletter?
Substack actually keeps track of who clicks on links in your email. If you go to an individual post's stats > Recipients > Details, you'll get a list of who clicked. So it doesn't matter what the button is or where it goes, as long as there's only one link to click on in the email, you'll know who clicked it.
My open rate has dropped somewhat as subscribers come on board, yes.
And I deal with it by doing nothing. If I see that a bad email address got in there (all drops), I'll remove that one. But other than that, nothing.
There's no point. Maybe people who aren't reading will do so in the future. Maybe they'll unsub. Just let it be.
If you were paying for the number of people on your list like at MailChimp or other places, it would make sense to clean it up. But if you just want to increase your open rate, you're missing out on possible new readers in the future.
I’ve seen my open rates go down as I grow. I’m going to experiment with filtering my list for no-shows so I can send them an email asking if they want to stay subscribed. If they don’t respond, I’ll delete them.
that depends on what kind of growth. Mine went down about 10% when I added the last 9000 people to my list that I porter over, but before then when I went from a few hundred to 17,000, the open rates actually went up.
'When I added the last 9000 people to my list that I porter over....' 'when I went from a few hundred to 17,000, the open rates actually went up.' In what situation does one 'porter over a list' ....can you explain more?
If you have any that you are definitely not actively reading (like haven’t opened the last 5 or so), it’s probably time to unsubscribe. Your inbox gets breathing room, and the writer doesn’t have a cold subscriber impacting their stats.
My open rate was above 50% for a long time but dropped when Notes was first rolled out and I got an influx of new subs. Now it is inching back to 50% which I read is a very good open rate. I’d rather have a smaller list with a higher open rate then a larger list with a low open rate.
Substack is so great in so many ways. I've loved using it. Just one request: At some point can the design of the block quote function be reconsidered? The dense blue line is the one inelegant element on any Substack page and it's really jarring. Thanks!
🟧 It would be great if “Math” could be added as a topic. My substack does not fit into any of the categories currently. Is that a category that might be added in the near future? This would help readers find my substack.
@substack Can we reduce the number of clicks from when a subscriber enters their e-mail till they get back to the content? Right now it's closing in on 6 screens trying to push more and more stuff. There's got to be a better way!
I've started a substack section 'This Week, Those Books' that I really want to grow. One of the suggestions I've seen is to ask to be recommended by fellow substackers, but would welcome any and all advice on how to contact them and ask this big favour.
I don't ask for recommendations. I have felt that I will recommend people and I do a wrapup where I tag other publications and sometimes they will recommend me. TThe recommendations definitely helps.
It does feel really scary to ask other people for recommendations. Particularly since the recommendations are usually just 3 substacks for each person. No advice, just sympathy...
I agree -- we need to think of some ways to help all of us recommend to each others audiences, especially newbies like me trying to get a leg up and grow!
Instead of asking for a recommendation (which does make me squirm), I get to know other writers whose Substacks I enjoy reading that have something in common with what I'm writing. I've met some awesome people that way! I will add those as 'recommendations' on my site (instructions in your settings for how to do that). And often those writers will choose to recommend me back. It's a much happier 😁 way to do recommendations....at least for this chicken. 🐔 Hope that helps, Rashmee. ❤
✏️ This is my first office hours and I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack trying to read everything. I can't figure out what to answer or how to follow the threads. It seems like a confusing mess of information. It also seems like there are a ton of gems in here if I could find them.
Any suggests for me? How do you follow this process? How do you know what to answer and how to find answers to your questions?
Julia, do you know that you can click on any thread line (the gray line) and collapse it. This helps to navigate up and down and close comments you are not interested.
It is very hard to follow, and can be a fishing expedition to find helpful info or answers to your questions. You will get notifications if someone replies to your post, though, even if they reply when you are no longer present in this chat. That helps somewhat.
I just try to reply to some questions I can answer in a way that hopefully will help others. I scroll through comments looking for posts related to my questions or the topic of my newsletter (mental health).
I agree it's helpful to get a notification for reply's to my posts. But sometimes, I can't follow the reply's without context. I feel like it's reading with glasses that block part of my vision. LOL.
Thank you, Wendi. I'm sure I'll get the hang of this.
And I love the idea of looking for posts related to my newsletter topic. Great idea.
For me, the easiest way to find and reply to a comment in Writer Office Hours is to wait until I get an email notification of that comment, then click on the view comment button.
I love being able to publish an audio file with my bird posts (https://mygaia.substack.com/s/wild-birds). Is it possible to show a short movie in a similar way?
✏️I've noticed some Substack writers using the Buy me a Coffee tool to supplement paid subscriptions. Has anyone here tried it, and if so, what do you think?
I was wondering the same. I think some people prefer a donation rather than a subscription and I have thought about trying it out. Maybe on my posts that don't have a pay wall, there's a lot of ways to approach it but some examples would be helpful.
Since I haven't gone paid yet, I think I'm inclined to just put it on every post and see if I catch any generous folk who happen by. But I think more traffic is what really matters, and for that I think a previous helpful comment here about putting links in the google console for SEO purposes in order to get indexed may be key...
Quick question: is there a simple way to respond directly to a private message from a subscriber? I looked around on Ecosia and all through my Substack dashboard and couldn't see anything regarding this :)
The subscriber’s email is in the body of the email notification when you get a note from a new paid subscriber or pledge. If you hit reply and copy and paste their email in the “to” field, that’s the best way to respond for now. We hope to make it easier soon!
Yes, I did just do it by emailing her, but that seemed less cozy than having her get a reply on Substack. :) Thanks, Katie. I do appreciate that you took the time to answer!
🟧 May I ask for a feature request for a sitemap to help index Substack posts in Google? Currently I copy paste each post URL into Google Search Console manually for indexing, but I would love to just submit a sitemap once and have my new posts show up in search automatically. Thanks for your consideration!
Thanks, Charlie! Wow, this is interesting - when I looked for the sitemap about a month ago, it did not exist, but today, it is there! This is great, I'm definitely submitting the sitemap to Google. Thanks so much for pointing me to this.
Well that's slightly different than what I'm talking about. I have basically two types of content. A weekly 500 word piece about a particular thing, then I have 2,000 word pieces that are released to paid subscribers first. It's only later that it goes for free subscribers.
Perhaps, though I'm planning some exclusive paid subscribers only pieces in the future. I've noticed a few people who got their first paid subscriber after doing an exclusive piece for paid subscribers.
I’d very much appreciate a Substack Reads for individual areas of interest: politics, books, art, photography, etc. A hundred versions of Substack Reads! These could themselves, in the comments, become valuable resources for people hungry for specific recommendations. One more point: country-specific recommendations. UK politics, Scottish politics, US politics etc.
✏️ I've been posting consistently, being authentic with my voice and my stories. I've managed to get a few subscribers, and while I have no interest in going paid before I hit a good amount of subscribers, what can I do to keep growing? I feel a bit stuck.
Hey everyone! What would you say is the single thing you did to spur the most Substack growth? Everyone always says consistency, “share with your friends”, etc., but does anyone have any specific and creative ways they’d like to share? Thank you!
Many true artist spend a life time to unravel the confinements of social norms and pressures. For me that means be aware when I'm trying to be to overly consistent and marching to someone else's tune. I like being in touch with larger perspective and write with my authentic inclinations, at least most of the time.
I would say Office Hours and engaging with fellow writers has helped me. I know that is two things, but they are kinda related so, I am going to count that as one ;)
A certain degree of shamelessness helps. I realized a lot of people keep their emails in their LinkedIn accounts, so that was a lead generation source.
Which is exactly why I made my LinkedIn email address private. People wanted to connect so they could add me to list without asking. It would be okay if they had really wanted to engage with me, but it seemed I was just another email addy.
That's fine. But LinkedIn is also specifically designed for working professionals, so it's like creating a permanent business card. When I give someone a business card, they can do with it what they please. But yes, if that bothers you, then make the email private, it's not a big deal either way.
Does Substack have a way of sorting articles/posts by geography? My recent interview with a Singaporean business owner would be more relevant to Singaporeans than Americans, for example. (lononaut.substack.com)
Not to my knowledge. I have managed to find a number of other New Zealand substack writers by using the search term New Zealand on the "explore" page, but it's a bit hit and miss.
Because my primary Substack is free, I am in the process of rolling out some sections that would be subscriber only.
But it would be really helpful if I knew how many people subscribed to each section. I can tell roughly be looking at how many people open it, but I as I try out new sections, I'm trying to better track which ones are getting traction.
fwiw, my current paid to free ratio is 3.4%. Which I guess is okay given that until the last couple of weeks, paid subscribers didn't get anything extra.
🟧 I'm curious at the limitations, if any, on uploading videos to Substack to embed in newsletters (versus uploading the videos to YouTube and linking in a substack newsletter) - is there a storage and/or file size limit?
✏️ Does anyone have any examples of "notes" in action on their substack? All the Substack newsletters on the topic have been too vague/esoteric and haven't really given me a sense of how the function works or what to do with it. Would love to see some tangible examples of what it's for.
What do you mean by Notes on a publication? Notes is a different thing, which is more like social media than the publication. Or do you mean adding notes to an article?
Hey Rusell - I'm confused because I didn't say "notes on a publication." I just said "notes" because I literally have no idea what it is or how to use it so any examples you can provide of "notes" in action would be helpful. Thanks!
🧠 Quick tip for these busier Office Hours threads: If you're focusing on a specific comment, right click on the comment's timestamp and open the comment in a new thread. That will bring you to a page with only that comment and its replies, and the page won't jump around from all the activity in other comment threads.
Office Hours have gotten much better in recent months with the breakout into different pages, but when it's all on one page some other suggestions here might be helpful: https://mostlypython.substack.com/p/using-substack
🟧 - I've been thinking about the Audience Overlap section of the Subscriber Report. Ever since it started, I've gotten the same six Substacks, most of which I've already collaborated with (like trading recommendations). If the idea of the product is to spark new collaborations, I'd love if that list was more dynamic. For example, rather than showing only all-time overlap, how about overlap by country? Or overlap in new subscribers? Or overlap with most engaged readers? Wow, I've never written the word "overlap" so many times in a row, but here we are!
My thoughts on this overlap with Geoffrey's (see what I did there?). When Audience Overlap first launched, it was really useful for helping me think about collaboration, but the insights haven't changed, even though my audience is 3X what it was at the time of launch. Is there a way to make that tool more granular so that we can continue getting mileage out of it?
It's an interesting addition to the reporting available. One challenge for me is that, with 1 - 2 exceptions, my overlap is with some pretty huge newsletters, like Heather Cox Richardson, Culture Study and Austin Kleon. So this is interesting info but I'm not sure how to action it. I do have a paid subscription to Kleon's blog and try to comment there weekly so there's that I suppose.
🟧 Would it be possible to add access for writers to the Writer’s Dashboard through the reader app?
I love the reader app too. Writer’s Dashboard access through the app would let me write and revise articles without needing to open a web browser, login, etc.
I often write/revise on my phone while waiting at kid school pickup, violin pickup, etc., and quicker access would be great! Thank you for considering my request.
🧠 Maybe this is obvious to everyone but me. Frankly, I'm disappointed in myself for not thinking of it sooner. But, I thought I'd offer a wee cautionary tale about the effect of the images we select to accompany our social shares.
This week, I wrote a piece on how we as individuals might go about addressing political extremism (https://elizabethbeggins.substack.com/p/look-out). While I really tried to offer a balanced approach, I chose an image that included a major, left-leaning publication with a photo of our current president.
A friend shared the post to FB and someone she knows made a negative comment based on that image. They never saw the content below the photo, and as far as I know, never read the piece, because they assumed they would disagree with the content. The irony!
Anyway, I realize I made the wrong choice, and it reminded me to think harder about my images in general and how they might be interpreted, especially if they appear out of context. Perspective is everything, right? And, we all come with our own biases. Good to keep that in mind if you're trying to broaden your audience, or - uh - not p*ss people off right out of the gate.
🟧 I haven't actually looked to see if this is possible, but can the "lead" image be changed post-publish? I think yes? I hope so! :)
Yes, the image can be changed post-publish. It's just like any other change (for a typo or whatever). Edit the article and re-publish. You probably already know this, but when you edit/re-pub, it doesn't send it out by email again. Just updates the web site.
I sympathize but when using images I usually try to work backward I choose the image first and then write the copy I need to use with it but this solution will not work with all topics or authors.
🟧 I noticed that footnotes in a browser are links, but footnotes in the app are not. Is there any plan to implement footnotes as links in the app as well?
And thank you as always for the many ongoing improvements. :)
What can be done to move the platform to a more robust format such as Word? Who has to be lobbied to achieve that improvement and how long might it take to accomplish that. Taking a survey of the writer group might help decide if this is worthwhile.
I've been learning my way around the new dashboard (thanks Substack for the monster lift I'm sure that ended up being for some of you!) and realizing:
✏️As with my computer and phone, I'm sure I'm only tapping into a fraction of what's available there. Would be helpful for me to read which features others find to be most valuable/practical for them.
🟧 Staying w/ the dashboard theme (now, I'm suddenly hearing Meatloaf in my head), am I missing the memo on how to see who has Restacked posts? I keep wanting that info to be available by hovering over the icon, a la Facebook, but in the absence of that, am I meant to be digging into individual subscribers and using filters somehow?
Hi there! 🟧 For restacks, it's a little buried right now. You have to go to the bottom of a post and click the hyperlinked number count of restacks to see them. Here's a little GIF that explains it better - https://substack.com/@substackwriters/note/c-17622388
✏️ Do you limit comments on free posts to paid subscribers as a way to push for more paid subscribers? Several Substacks that I read do that. My paid subscribers are already my most active commenters.
I've seen a lot of Stacks do that but it seems a strange approach. Surely you want engagement with your posts regardless of whether folk have paid or not?
This. Which is why I would have liked the option to have free subscribers comment on articles with paywalls. That way you are free to decide what content is free and paid while not preventing anyone from commenting. Right now, any paywall automatically means only paid comments. I have got around this issue by putting the paid content on a separate page, then linking to it from the post through a custom button. I want everyone to be part of the discussion!
Some people have mentioned a Poll function in our dashboards. I haven't used it, but it seems like a safe way to see if that would have any unexpected impact on your free subscribers.
In settings, you should see referrals in the left hand nav column... it's four space up from "danger zone," which is the very last entry. hope that helps!
I should add, there's a template notification email to tell readers about referrals. you'll see it once when you toggle referrals on, but if you don't do anything with it, that template lives in your drafts folder.
So curious to see what you offer as rewards! Maybe a secret cartoon? You can add images, videos, and more to the referral rewards emails that go out to subscribers when they unlock rewards.
My increase in subscribers has been slow but gradual on Substack probably due to my gradual learning of the ropes over the last two years. I had brought a number of subscribers over from my WordPress site and MailChimp email collector of about 300. I am now up to about 440. See my latest post: https://www.inmindwise.com/p/the-reality-of-decision-making-and
Thanks for your reply Vinh. Your comment shows as,"Vitual Hockey Scout" because of this, I don't know you also write about music. I only see that if I click on you. Someone may not do that if they think you only write about hockey. I don't see a way around it. It seems like you only get one MAIN name, which sort of becomes your public name when your on other spaces. I hope what I'm saying makes sense. I appreciate your help.
I missed the hours! Anyways, I find it hard to get my first subscribers and grow. I have been posting at least once a week in the past month or so, with no new subscribers other than friends and family. Any tips?
What's your favorite topic that we covered in themed office hours (https://on.substack.com/s/office-hours)? What areas do you need support going forward?
I appreciated getting to meet other people who write about things I'm interested in! I love the feeling that everyone is gathered here virtually to learn from each other. Thank you for hosting this space!
I would appreciate some guidance in how to reach more people. For example some specifics on SEO, cross-platform posting, marketing, etc.
Come to the Publicize Your Substack workshop on July 6 at 7 pm CT on Zoom. The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber.
https://www.writersatwork.net/p/july-workshop-publicity-for-creative
Hope to see you!
Details:
Publicize Your Substack! (But not in an icky way)
July 6, 2023 | 60 minutes | 7 pm CT | Zoom | Replay will be available
» For writers at any stage of their writing careers and Substacks
In this workshop, you will
-understand the difference between internal and external publicity on Substack and which are most effective;
-get the lowdown on how Substack’s Notes, cross-posts, mentions, guest posts, referrals, and recommendations work and how to use them;
-be cured of two common writer ailments—self-promotionitis and anti-publicityosis;
-get a template for a media pitch and media status sheet (for when you’re ready);
-“master” Substack’s SEO feature;
-lay out your posts, so they speak to readers (and other Substackers and the media); and
-discover ways to launch your books and give them a long life on Substack (instead of being remanded to the backlist after a year).
Where the information I’ll share with you comes from
-My conversations with the amazing people who run Substack—I want to share with you the advice they’ve given me.
-My own experience building two Substacks, each with over a thousand subscribers and growing.
-Business icons and marketing gurus. Over the past three years, I’ve taken a lot of marketing and entrepreneurship courses and now use terms like call to action (CAT, actually) and content without irony. Yup—something I never thought I’d do. Weirdly, I’ve enjoyed it, and believe it or not, my soul hasn’t withered.
-My study of creative writers and other writers on Substack who’ve been successful and provide a service and community for readers.
Can you add some tips for turning free to paid? That's where I'm at now with tons of free subs, and pls don't just say, "add value and they will come." That's like the Easter Island cargo cult!
Congrats on having a ton of free subscribers! I just scanned your Substack--really nice! So timely. If you haven't turned on paid, do. Don't paywall but send a post to your subscribers for support. That's actually how Katelyn Jetelina runs Your Local Epidemiologist, and she has 19,000 paid subscribers:
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/
What about pay walling your interviews to start? Interview other Substackers and go for big names.
This is really helpful advice sarah - I’m still trying to get the word out there to free subscribers but I find it very hard to self-promote so not an easy task!
You’re not alone! Even the most ‘successful’ writers feel this.
Would you take a look at my Substack and let me know if you think I could make any particular changes to attract more paid subscribers? I am relatively new, so I don't yet have a huge subscriber list or a ton of content, but I am working as a "steady forward" to reach the goal strategy.
Schedule a meeting! https://www.writersatwork.net/meetings
Would your workshops help writers who are more non-fiction-y? I see when I became a subscriber it's for "creative writers", so is that just a general sweet of us Substackians? Haha
Yes! Just a way to distinguish between straight-up news journalists, finance writers, etc. It will be great to have you!
Awesome! Thank you for the clarity! And super stoked to join! :D
Great!
Sarah's workshops are awesome. I highly recommend them. I'm just starting on this substack journey and try to apply what I learn from her, one step at a time.
Thank you for your input. It's always good to hear others opinions/reviews! sabrinalabow.substack.com
I have a few questions.
1) You said we can use this rescource to "Publicize Your Substack! (But not in an icky way)" What do you mean by our substack. Do you mean our writings on substack.
2) You said, "The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber."
Re this asssertion, I have these questions:
a) Where and when will the replay be available
b) What do you mean in asserting that "it" can be accessed separately. What is "it."
c) You said that by "accessing it separately," one need not become a paid subscriber. A paid subscriber of what, of what journal or rescource or program.
b) I believe "it" is referring to the replay
c) a paid subscriber of Sarah's Substack
Hi there! Yes, if you don't want to become a paid subscriber to Writers at Work, you can buy access to the live workshop or replay here: https://www.writersatwork.co/
The replay usually takes me a few hours, so plan on it being available by 9 am on July 7.
Yes, publicizing your Substack means publicizing the writing (and whatever else you have--video, podcasts, etc.) on your Substack.
Hope this helps!
This sounds excellent!
I would love to come to this thanks
Great!
Thank you for sharing! This sounds great!
It sounds like you're a pro at SEO!
I wish I was. I am going to devote a full day to figuring it out! sabrinalabow.substack.com
Hi, Sarah! Will you be recording the Zoom? I'm unable to attend on Thursday.
Sarah shares the recording and slides with paid subscribers for 2 weeks after the event. I've been coming to her workshops regularly and they've helped me so much.
Yes! The replay will be available!
Maybe I need this :)
This sounds great. I will try to come to the next one. I like that lovely photo of you at the end of your post.
Oooh, subscribed and interested. How often do you offer this? (Asking for someone who may be very bedraggled after this upcoming holiday weekend with a toddler in tow.)
Anyone with a toddler is excused! The replay will be available!
O really butt I have no idea 💡
🧠
I answered the questions you have. You will find some answers here:
100's of ways to reach more people - https://pau1.substack.com/p/stackhacks-get-more-readers-all-4
New to Substack - https://pau1.substack.com/p/start
SEO your posts - https://pau1.substack.com/p/6-steps-for-more-substack-subscribers
Any questions or clarification, just hit me up. Good luck!
I saw that you're serializing Frankenstein! I just interviewed Matt Kirkland of Dracula Daily (the OG) for Writers at Work and I interviewed E. Jean Carroll, Mary Trump, and Jenn Traub for The Active Voice. I've proclaimed July National Serialization Month.
That's awesome. Matt is a great guy. I asked him some questions before I started the Illustrated Frankenstein. (https://pau1.substack.com/p/dracula). I'm going to check out your interviews. Love National Serialization Month idea!
If you like illustrated serial classics, here are two more illustrated by the same Substacker who does the daily comic Sadbook Collections (https://sadbook.substack.com/ :) ...
https://doriangrayweekly.substack.com/
https://jekyllandhydeweekly.substack.com/
Yes, thank you!
Thanks for the recommendations!
Oh, haha. I just replied to Rey's post with a link to your SEO content.....then scrolled down to see this!
👏
Great, nice to see a fresh set of ideas here in the "ways to reach more people" category.
Helpful resources. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing these resources!
I love your content. I have some PDFs to offer paid subscribers. How do I deliver downloadable content to paid subscribers?
Thanks Shonda! I would just include the pdf files into a new post. Don't publicize the URL. You can embed PDFs simple by dragging the file into your page as you are editing it. Then share the unique URL (page link) with the recipients. Or if it is just a one off type of offer to only a few subscribers, email it to them. Hope that answers your questions.
Thank you!
Thanks, Paul. I shall read the 100s of ways one after this
Promise Terry? There WILL be a test
Yes, promise. As for test, I shall use ChatGPT ha ha
Thank you for sharing. Look forward to reading these.
Hi Rey. @Paul Macko has a really good post about using SEO for Substack. Here's a link to his article: https://pau1.substack.com/p/6-steps-for-more-substack-subscribers. He has a couple of other SEO posts on his site (Deplatformable) which you can search for.
I write two Substacks, Kindness Magnet (2 years) and...brand new...After 21 Club. Paul has been a huge help along the way. He also has posts about marketing.
Hope this helps! ❤
The post mentions getting a custom domain for your substack. Is that always worth the 50$ that substack charges for it, or should you start considering that once you grow to a certain amount of subscribers? Others with custom domains, feel free to chime in, would love to see / hear about some stats on this.
Good point, one that I've wondered about myself. I think a custom domain looks more professional.
I have one, since I started this newsletter using my own website, but switched to substack once I saw the powerful network effect and how many more readers it was bringing in (most importantly, how much more consistently!) If I could still use that to get even more readers, that would be swell.
Interesting. Do you mean using the substack.com address made a difference?
ditto
I just responded to Robert about this. I have a custom domain, which makes publicity easier (no need to roll out the .substack.com) but I actually was just advised to keep your name in your domain rather than a Substack title because then it's more likely to come up in a Google search of your name.
Thanks Sarah. Yes, I have heard of read that as well. I knew I had a good reason for not going ahead with a custom domain, even though almost buying one, but couldn't recall what it was!
I have a custom domain, which makes publicity easier (no need to roll out the .substack.com) but I actually was just advised to keep your name in your domain rather than the name of your Substack because then it's more likely to come up in a Google search of your name.
I saw that advice too, so I made sure to include my name in my publication title, as well as making it my extension. Still, I'd be curious to see what a custom domain can do, and whether I should just make that my name or choose another name.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you !
Thank you very much, Heather!
You're welcome. Paul is awesome.
Hi Rey, so good to see you on here!
Hi Aisling, great to see you here too! Just subscribed! Thank you for reaching out! 🙌🏻
Same! :) see all your instagram posts, so it's strange I didn't realise you were here until now but I guess it speaks to your question about reaching people and visibility!
Yes, I wish I could automatically follow people on all the platforms I'm on. That would be so useful. I'm glad I found you here!
And especially things I'm not interested in! Because then later I become interested in it.
Hi Rey. I subscribe to a lot of Substacks, which turned my Notes into a lively place for finding people with interests similar to mine. It's a slow strategy, but it suits me to grow slowly. I just took a peak at your Stack and appreciated the essay I read! Given the options, I programmed my Siri to sound white-male. It surprised me that an androgynous voice was not an option. (I recommend Julia Bedell's Pride post of yesterday at "vessels" - personal and brave.)
Most all of my questions are answered in office hours especially when I read through the replies. I love the support that I find here and on Substack in general. I cheer for those who are acknowledged as a Featured Publication. I'm just about to enter my 3rd year publishing here and hope that maybe I'll receive that acknowledgement someday, too.
We <3 Kate!!
It's quite nice to pour over everyone's questions and responses with a cup of tea/coffee. I wish it was on Sundays sometimes though, on my day off.
Yes, Thursdays have become the day I report to Notes and get totally distracted from the Day Job, oops.
Congrats on 3 years Kate, that's amazing. I hadn't even heard of Substack until this January, but it's been an amazing nearly-six months so far.
Kate knows what she's talking about, and of course her Newsletter should be featured.
There are actually a few. I'm about to go paid and I'm wondering if there's a good "best practices" checklist out there that would help me do it right the first time. I'd also love to hear from anyone who has figured out how to most time-efficiently explore all the resources Substack makes available to us to help us expand our audience. Last, I'm wondering if there's a Substack forum similar to this that only focuses on the craft of writing, sharing insights, asking for suggestions, sharing experience and thoughts. Basically, a Writer's Group just about writing.
We made a checklist for writers! It's here: https://on.substack.com/p/going-paid-checklist
Good luck, Howard!
V helpful! Thank you. I’m struggling to know what to offer paid subscribers - so hopefully this will help!
Thank you! I will print it out! sabrinalabow.substack.com
The main thing is to create meaninngful perks for each tier.
That's a great idea. There are so many resources Substack provides it would be good to know which to focus on first. sabrinalabow.substack.com
Aside from the one that Substack put together? https://substack.com/going-paid-guide
I put one together as well. https://authorstack.substack.com/p/how-to-go-paid-on-substack-without
@shainaread just started Fiction Workshop - maybe that's what you're looking for?
Writing fiction is a long-held dream, but my reality right now is all non-fiction. Thanks!!
Hi, Howard. I'm all about non-fiction right now (and poetry--but that's a different animal). These Substack conversations are great for learning about this platform, but I prefer small group and 1:1 for discussing the craft of writing--rather than large group commenting. Check out my site and if you like what you read (i.e., "like" as in resonate with as a writer) then let's talk. I'm 64 and don't have time for lots of scrolling and trolling to find what I need. Trying to be a good literary citizen here without getting sucked into all the distractions. andipenner.substack.com and on Facebook, Andrea Penner (same profile photo as here).
Hi Andi. So we're contemporaries. I'm 67. Tried to PM you on Facebook but it tells me I can't see your page because I'm not part of the audience that can. Not sure what that means, but looking for your suggestions for contact.
Huh. I don't know Facebook that well! I was away from that app for a ten years--not my favorite thing, but it's useful. you can email me...pennerink@gmail.com
🟧 Collaboration is my favorite topic, followed by creating community. I need support understanding how to cross-post effectively. I've only done it once, and my brief intro and cross-post appeared in the other person's newsletter as well as mine. The share, like, comment, and most importantly the subscribe buttons all were for her original post, not my newsletter. Also, on my page that issue of my newsletter was not larger and centered as usual (I use the magazine layout) but on the side with previous posts. Is there a way to change that?
Also, is there a way to reorder my list of recommendations on my page, so my favorites appear first? When I add a new recommendation, it is always at the top, and since only a partial list of recommendations are shown on the page that means some of my favorites no longer show up.
I believe the recommendations rotate randomly. But I agree that it would be nice to set them in a particular order for the people who want it.
Robert, do you know if it's possible to see other people's recommendations of one's own newsletter all in one place?
okay just found it!!
xxx.substack.com/publish/settings/blurbs
I agree, I'd love to sort these recs
Recommendations order is still broken for me. I'd love to be able order them. I've been told that it's randomised, but for me it isn't. There's several publications that just never appear there despite being my most-wanting-to-recommend.
I am open to doing this. My audience is small business owners
I liked the one with the "best advice" you've gotten. Many gems in that to learn from.
I liked that one too, although I was having a hard time remembering who I had heard it all from..
everything's pretty dizzying here ;)
Reminds me that there are now years of these Office Hours threads and a simple tool for searching the archives by keyword would be super useful!
I liked the one where everybody was offering advice on how you can be active on the platform, and how they have gone about creating their newsletters and communicating with their subscribers.
Do you have a link by any chance?
Yes, if you do pls send. Thank you! sabrinalabow.substack.com
no sorry. it might have been multiple as well.. but you can go to https://on.substack.com/s/office-hours and search through them there.
No worries. Thank you!
I always like getting help on Substack specific topics, because y'all can give us an insider perspective we can't get when we help each other.
Yes.
I enjoy most topics because I'm quite new on here. I'm always keen to hear from other people about growing subscribers, about maximising reach, and the pros and cons of going paid if you don't want to put anything behind a paywall.
Other than the obvious con that very few people will pay for content they can get for free, I can't think of any con for going paid without putting anything behind a paywall. I did that for a long time and got a handful of paid subscribers. Starting in August, I'm keeping the first week of each month's issue free but paywalling the other three, with the hope of getting more paid subscribers. I'm also introducing private chat threads for paid subscribers only. My most recent post explains that, along with the new referral program.
It also includes a poll asking subscribers which rewards they want. So far, free paid subscriptions is the winner by far. So subscribers (paid or free) will get free paid subscriptions (3, 6, and 12 months based on the number of referrals; those who are already paid get those added at the end of their current subscription).
Interesting. Yes I'm currently thinking first offering paid as an option and growing through free content, and then start offering paid posts on top of free posts sounds like a good growth strategy
OK. Thanks for sharing. I haven't grappled with referrals yet - I can see I'm going to have to...
Thanks Wendi. Have you tried 1Paid/3Free or 2P/2F and was curious if you had thoughts?
I like the Poll. Good idea.
Me too
I'm still trying to understand how it works. What is a Substack and what is a newsletter? In my dashboard I have 4 different pages.
It's confusing. A substack is what you publish overall - mine is Diane Discovers. Every time you create a new "newsletter" you're actually creating a new page on your substack site - they're different sections. If you look at mine, you'll see I have the headings up top. They're different sections but Substack calls them different newsletters. You can have subscribers only get certain sections/newsletters. You just need a little time to learn the lingo here. And it's gotten more complicated as Substack has added more bells and whistles.
I didn't realise it was as complicated as that. I thought 'Substack' was just the name of the platform, haha!
I just saw this and looked at your Substack, Diane. Very interesting and well presented!
It helped me understand how sections function. A few months ago, I started my newsletter about Work, and I realize that I've had trouble choosing a lane between an HR-related audience (where I have a lot of contacts) and people who are interested in thinking critically about work (where I have a lot of passion). After reading your comment here and looking at your site, I realize that I can bifurcate those tracks, so folks could subscribe to one or the other, and have it all amalgamate on the home page.
But I'll have to think about it. I feel like it could conceivably cause confusion for subscribers and prospective subscribers. And I'm sure I'd find a way to make it complicate my life, too. :) I gravitate toward simplicity.
Either way, thanks for the explanation and offering your Substack as a model. Very helpful.
It is confusing. I want to write about very different topics, but it's difficult because even though it says you're creating different newsletters, you only get to chose one main name for your overall page.
If you'd like to keep the topics completely separate, start another publication under the same account. For instance, I have Virtual Hockey Scout (hockey newsletter) and A Forgetting Place (music newsletter). Different names for different niches.
To do this, go to your Account Settings, scroll down to Publications and you'll see the option to create a new publication.
You could truly create an entirely new Substack under the same account if that helps! I have a second private Substack I was using to document my feelings once my mom passed. Completely different audience (told my few caregiver friends and shared in the caregiver facebook groups I'm in for the one that's private).
Even though it would be under the same substack, I've found "sections" to be pretty flexible!
Same audience, and you can send "secret" newsletters to people wanting to read those topics. They can show up on your Substack's home page or not, and you choose whatever piece you're writing to go where... If that makes sense.
Hi Cierra! Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll have to play around with it and find something that works. It seems like only one can show up when you comment, etc., like here. I was hoping you could choose the different ones when you're engaging. Thanks for the private idea, that may be useful in the future.
Absolutely! I hope you find something that suits your needs! I had to play around quite a bit too as more features rolled out.
I'm in the same page with you here.
I didn't even know there was a difference. Substack has a lot of bells and whistles and you are correct that we just need to take the time to figure it out. At least I do! sabrinalabow.substack.com
A Substack is a blog x email newsletter wrapped into one. All Substack publications are discoverable through our apps and websites, so writers benefit from being a part of this bigger network of readers and writers.
What are the 4 different pages you're seeing!!???
I have Yannis's newsletter,Yannis Helios's Substack, Yannis's Substack, Yannis's Newsletter.
The easiest way to start is just to publish one newsletter (which I still do after a year of publishing every week). Within the writer dashboard, just click "new post" to write each new issue. I'm not sure how to change it if you already have four different newsletters, though.
🟧 I would also like some advice on SEO. If I re-use content that's already been on my blog, will this affect SEO because Google could see it as duplicate content?
Perhaps it would be a good idea to put in order what to do first and so on. It's a lot to figure out at once. I need to set aside a day to figure it all out. It's a bit overwhelming, but I will do it!
🟧 I would like some advice on emails. 1. When readers email me on my Substack address, it goes to my personal email. If I want to reply to them, I have to reply from my personal address. I don't particularly want everyone to know this so is there a way round it?
I created separate email accounts
Wow that's... That's so smart and such an easy fix.
LOL, I NEVER thought of that!
Honestly, once I started separating my email accounts into personal, work, shopping, newsletters etc, it's become so much easier to keep track of stuff. Not to mention how much easier it is to just delete the account when you start getting too much spam.
That's brilliant! Goodness, haha. Thanks for sharing that! My inbox is a mess.
I’d love some best-practices for giving away my paid content, if you’ve got any! 😬 Thanks for asking.
In a way, it's highly personal and dependent on your newsletter, your audience, and what you are comfortable with. I don't think it needs to be set in stone either, it can be an evolving thing that changes along with your newsletter (and with you). As long as you communicate clearly to your subscribers about what you are doing and why I don't think you need to know all the answers and can just try out what works for you.
How will we integrate with threads
I had duck duc hide my email and you have my real email. Now have two accounts but can’t publish or log into either.
For paid pubs, I’d say the right tier strategy to maximize paid sub growth. I’ve been testing various changes and look for more ideas.
To help organize the conversation, please use one of the following emojis when you start a new comment.
🧠 - when sharing strategy or advice for fellow writers
✏️ - when asking questions or seeking feedback from fellow writers
🟧 - when asking a question you hope the Substack team can help answer
Use your emoji keyboard or simply copy and paste the emoji at the beginning of your comment.
🟧 I appreciate that there are now usually two threads to choose from that focus on specific topics. However, it would be great to have a third "miscellaneous" or "everything else" thread. Sometimes I look at the two thread choices and neither one appeals to me so I don't participate that week. I wouldn't want to go back to the totally unorganized format that required a fishing expedition to find posts (even my own, and the replies to them), but I would like a third, broader thread.
It would also be great to have different threads for writers in different niches, perhaps once a month one of the threads could be for "mental health," "fiction," "tech," etc.
yes or like a 'casual chat' one , where you can just talk about different topics and help each other out
Yeah, I think the first one they hosted in this format, I said there should be a "watercooler" thread each week!
really good point!
✏️ I've been stacking for a few months now, it's going pretty well, but it's not really organically growing. I was wondering if anyone had the time to give me some honest feedback on my substack?
Here it is: https://wrongchannel.substack.com/
I took a quick look. Honestly, the cartoon article pictures are amazing! Who does the artwork? Those pictures alone gravitate towards me clicking on an article and reading the post. So that's a plus. As for stacking - I'm guessing you are talking about Notes - I was told to use it as a storytelling asset tool. Your article on AI took our jobs, you can probably create notes with added pictures from the perspective of your narrator of your article to create more conversation about your work and talk about life in general. It's a huge topic. Everyone is talking about it. Getting in on topics like that could help. It's how you play the game to get people chatting about your work, you know. It's not easy, but you got this and on the right track. Good luck.
Hi Marie! Thanks for checking out and for the feedback. I'm really glad you like the images. I hire an artist through fiiver for the artwork. I'm really enjoying the process of thinking up the ideas and seeing the results.
That's a really good idea! Thank you. I definitely haven't been very active on notes yet. That's a good way to get things going. Best of luck to you. P.s. my brother's really into wrestling, I'll send him your way
The most useful thing I’ve learned (and I can’t remember now who told me this, sorry), was that a Substack is a destination. People won’t really stumble on it accidentally, if it’s just there in splendid isolation; you need to build some roads to the destination. That usually means writing about your subject elsewhere, in brief, or just generally engaging generously with communities who are interested in your subject, and linking to your Substack so people who have enjoyed what you’ve said can click through and find out more. Doing a Twitter thread based on your post used to be a great way to do this (though Elon has kind of sabotaged that for now, unfortunately). Being a good member of a relevant Reddit forum. Answering questions about your subject on Quora. Stuff like that. Hope that helps...
Thank you, Julian. That’s a really helpful way of thinking about it. Appreciate you taking the time to give me some advice. I arrived here for the last week of the glory days on Twitter. I’ve tried posting in Reddit a bit. I’ll plough on
You’re welcome, glad it helped. Oh, the other really useful thing to do is engage generously with other writers in your field on Substack itself. Read their work, comment thoughtfully (don’t simply plug your Substack!), help their best stuff find its audience. Be a good member of that community. And people will check you out and, if they like your work, subscribe. (I don’t do this enough, because I am a solitary grouch, but when I do, it’s very good for everybody. If a good writer recommends you to their readers, it’s HUGELY helpful.)
Haha that is yet another nutritious nugget. I want to find other writers but I don’t really know where to look. Do you have any good humour substacks you could recommend?
I don't really know what your publication is about easily, and I don't know any more by reading your about page, so that's probably why people bounce without subscribing. Is this a comedy publication? What is it about?
The art drew me in but I also couldn't get a sense of what it was about. Good feedback Russell. Before I continue I think I had better reevaluate my own about page.
Thanks for the feedback! Hmmmm that's interesting. As it's kind of a "humour" blog about lots of things, rather than one topic I wonder how I can get that across.
I think I got that sense from your short description, but you could consider a pinned post of "what is this blog?" or something along those lines, to quickly try and convey that to anyone who ends up on your homepage.
Thanks Nathan, thats a good idea. I think I always struggle to describe my blog. It’s basically anything funny I can think to write about, which is generally the grottier topics. I sometimes get caught between as I don’t want to label it as 100% filthy, as I think it will scare people off and I don’t want to be forced to write about one kind of theme. But at the same time, I generally do write about naughty things. Hmm quite the pickle
Just like you said it here. Use your own words or describe it to a friend have them look at your SS and then see how they would describe it. I have rewritten my about page a few times and I 'm not even sure if it's quite right. I'm not a natural writer so I struggle with these things too.
Thank you, that's a really good idea! I'll take that aboard and sail to victory
Hi Russel, that's really helpful. Thank you! I was a little bit concerned about that with my welcome page particularly. Yeah, that's it, pretty much. It's a comedy blog but generally on quite grotty topics. But, I didn't want to come right out and claim to be a comedy blog. So I tried to sort of dance around the subject, but it seems the subject has resisted my advances - if it's not working. Do you think a lot of people use the about us to make their decision? I think I'll have to give that some more thought.
“A comedy blog on grotty topics” is actually a pretty great tagline. I’m now intrigued!
Haha shit! Maybe I’ve stumbled on it. I’ll try that out. I think I was attempting to be so witty that no one knew what I was on about. I felt self conscious about calling it comedy as it felt like self declared funniness. But maybe that’s all in my head
Brilliant to ask others to comment. I may do the same. Your page is aesthetically beautiful--made me realize I must work on mine! Your AI article is really good I would perhaps add a little more of you in your post. Your grasp of the English language is exceptional, I would like to hear a bit more about your own personal experiences. That is something AI cannot do:) That's my two cents. sabrinalabow.substack.com
Hi Sabrina! Thanks for the feedback! That's nice to hear. Normally, I'm too concerned about the amount of me I stick in there - but I think you're right, Substack allows you get personal. Thank you, really glad you like it. Here's a personal one you might like, it's about the time where I took a bunch of ecstasy and built a shed with my friend https://wrongchannel.substack.com/p/house-that-pills-built
I've checked out you substack, I think it's really cool! One thing I would say, it would be good to have an image on the welcome screen. I think people are used to seeing them and it can look a bit empty without
Do you have any recommendations set up? I would encourage you to do that! https://on.substack.com/p/recommendations
Thanks Bailey, not at the moment, I'll check this out
Hi Sam:
Looks great - I love the aesthetic.
Thanks Paul!
Hi Sam, just had a look. Someone gave me a piece of advice a while ago to declutter a bit. I'm now in favour of the page theme of a single post at the top and then everything underneath in a column. I also keep a fixed "newcomers" post as that very top one to hopefully be an easy starting point for anyone new arriving to my Substack. It's helped me, I think. (But I'm no expert.)
Different people favour different themes, though, but for me I do feel a little overwhelmed when I see a large grid array of posts and I'm not sure which to try clicking on first.
I like the consistency of your artstyle on your page; it definitely gives it a cohesive feel.
Notes is a good place to engage and grow, if you aren't using it yet.
All the best.
Check out https://www.writersatwork.net/ and see if it would be of interest to work with me. That’s what I do. It’s on the tab ‘Meet with Me.
🟧 Do you think Substack could create an option to change font color within the posts? I would love to be able to do this to distinguish, say, embedded quotes or poetry from that which I might write about them.
🟧 I would love to know how can I improve my newsletter’s discoverability in “Explore.” When I search terms that I would expect my newsletter to come up in, it’s either very low in results, below similar news letters with far fewer subscribers, or not there at all. Thanks!
The savvy Substack growth guy @reidtandy would probably have some good ideas. I have a few ideas (like the keyword needs to be in a headline or in the title or description of the newsletter) but it still doesn't explain my low results. My substack has 2000 subs, and I'm falling below substacks that are no longer active and have < 100 subs.
Thank you for that @reidtandy suggestion. I will check out. It's tough because we are all inundated with so much! sabrinalabow.substack.com
I added the word "Fiction" in parenthesis to my stack name and that helped the Explore process. I don't know all the ins and outs, but it seems having the word you want in the title helps.
Mine is on grants for small business owners
Hey Patrick - Just to check that I understand your question: Are you hoping to boost the visibility of your publication on Substack's internal search? And if so, do you have some examples of common queries that you think should lead to your publication?
I see that you are the first match for "Soloist" on https://substack.com/search/soloist?searching=publication . However, other queries like "Solo RPGs" have your publication lower down in the list.
We're frequently making changes to search ranking in hopes of improving discoverability. Having search terms in your publication's name, description, or in recent posts can all help.
I have been asking for some time - with no effect at all - for a Substack 'category' for people who write on all sorts of different topics and are not therefore classifiable as sports, politics etc. I write a short fortnightly newsletter on any topic that takes my fancy (I subtitle it 'Thought for the Fortnight' like BBC radio's 'Thought for the Day'. Whenever I have asked for this, 5-10 other writers have joined in to support the idea. This would help people like me to at least be seen by potential readers. I started with 25 family and friends last November and now have 360+ subscribers (67% open rate) so I don't have – or even expect - a HUGE readership, but people are sticking with me.
Apologies for late writing, but Thursday is my choir rehearsal night and Friday was our concert, so I am surfacing now.
Hi Chris, someone interested in my newsletter would probably search for the topic “RPG,” “TRRPG,” “solo RPGs,” or “boardgames”. Those are where I would expect to be showing up higher in results.
I’m less concerned about them searching for the name of my substack. If they know that, I’m sure they’ll be able to track it down.
Thanks!
Typo. Search term is TTRPG, for Tabletop Role Playing Game.
Yes I agree and have raised this on Office Hours a few times now (but got no response yet from the team) See my own post on this today - further down stream on this thread. https://grahamcunningham.substack.com/
I would like to know what criteria are used to show Substacks on a leaderboard category, e.g. Fiction is very broad and always has Mr Saunders on top, which is very nice for him of course but then you scroll around and find Substacks without much traction on most of their posts beneath, which makes it hard to discern any sort of measure or criteria other than mostly subscriber numbers? Any clarification is appreciated. Or if not possible, that's fine too, I remember Flickr always has been rather hush-hush about their explore-algo.
would love to improve mine as well - great question!
🧠- I think the Office Hours that covered building community and how to find/collaborate with other writers were great-especially valuable for new writers just coming to the platform.
Thanks for that. Would you know if it's possible to find that info again?
Here are the links:
https://on.substack.com/p/office-hours-community-79/comments
https://on.substack.com/p/office-hours-growth-features-78/comments
yes - just go to the top of this and click on the 'creating community' link
Thanks so much Diane. (And I've just discovered 'Diane Discovers'!)
haha - thanks!!!
hello beautiful lady 🌹🥰 how are you doing today
how are you doing
✏️ - What have y’all found to be the most effective ways to grow your publication? Do y’all have any tips about how I can make my newsletter stand out from everyone else?
✏️ - I’m new to writing my articles, and I feel like I’m struggling to find my “voice”/unique style. I have an overall format that I’m trying to stick to, but I want my writing to feel a bit more personal and laid-back. How can I go about finding my unique style of writing?
✏️ - A really hard part of running my Substack is trying to find new people to join. So far, I haven’t earned any new subscribers, and I’m not really sure how to go about reaching people (I’d like to avoid posting on social media if I can). What have y’all found to be the most effective way of finding and reaching new subscribers? I’ve tried using Notes as well as uploading voiceovers of my articles to YouTube/podcast and linking them back to my newsletter, but I haven’t found either of them to be effective.
🟧 - Do you by any chance have plans of adding email templates in the future? There are a lot of common things I tend to include in my emails, and it can get a bit tedious having to go back into previous emails and copy/paste them into newer ones. I know I could technically write a template post that I can duplicate every time I want to make a post, but it would be so much easier if this was its own dedicated option (maybe even with the ability to have a default template that applies every time I create a new post or even just the ability to select a template every time).
For growth:
Do good work
•Connect with other authors in your same space
•Do more good work
•Join the weekly Office Hours threads
•Offer to guest post on someone's Substack
•Be patient
•Keep doing good work
•Link to your 'Stack every where; IG & Twitter bio, your email, LinkedIn. Everywhere.
•Give more than you take
•More...you guessed it- good work
•Give it a year. Good things will happen.
•Once they do, pay it forward to someone that's in the same spot you are now.
For your own voice:
Weave in personal stories with whatever you might be discussing. And write like you talk.
All good, and in the "write like you talk" vein, READ IT OUTLOUD. That really helps you hear if it's working or not.
^YES^
That is a terrific idea! sabrinalabow.substack.com
Excellent advice...for substack, as for life!
That was all really superb, Kevin. But do you think its important to do more good work??? :)
I think it's great to say as obvious as it sounds. Didn't William Goldman say, "The script is the thing." Something like that. All the bells and whistles help but in the end the writing is king! sabrinalabow.substack.com
Lol. Always.
Great advice Kevin. Like all platforms, the “doing good work” can’t be emphasised enough.
Those may just be the best suggestions I have read. I cut and pasted into my Substack ideas, tips folder. Thank you! sabrinalabow.substack.com
This is really good advice. The "give it a year" resonates well. I'm impatiently grinding away about 2 months in and trying to grow this thing! I'm loving the platform and writing habits it's created, but this beginning phase is quite the grind.
Great advice!
That's really good advice. Thanks so much for sharing! 😄
Can attest on the same space point, do I follow lots of writers, sure. Those I actually reach out to online though are those who share the same interests.
I am interested in guest posting
To your templates question, there is a function called "Duplicate to drafts". I use this for my monthly Gathering Basket emails. https://open.substack.com/pub/caitlinhmallery/p/the-gathering-basket-june-edition-e38?r=es1i2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Then I have the template and can erase what changes, rather than copy/paste which is definitely tedious.
Ohhh this is so helpful. Thank you!!
Was just coming to share the same thing but Caitlin beat me to it! Here is a resource on how to use the feature: https://on.substack.com/i/98748237/duplicate-posts
I started my Substack at the beginning of this year, so I'm still trying to figure it all out. I've had some luck with Notes, but it's been really slow growth.
I feel I'm still finding my voice as well. And while not super helpful, I've found the more I write, the more I'm slowly focusing in on my voice. Whatever that is.
I think 'slow' growth is also more reliable than fast growth, as you get the time to develop over time, and people who stick with you longer are more likely to stick around as you change. Of course it's nice if you go viral and get a flux of new subscribers, but I think those could just as easily decide to unsubscribe again after a while.
I needed to hear this today! Thank you for that advice, Robert!
That’s really good advice! I’d much rather grow a smaller list of really dedicated people rather than a really big list of people who don’t really care that much. Building a community is really important to me, and that definitely takes time, but I’m sure it will be much more rewarding in the end.
Exactly. I think I prefer the slow growth route, it seems more natural.
I don’t understand notes
Me neither!
Hey Austin, My substack growth has been in spurts - but when it has come, it's been through sharing with my network on LinkedIn, and also through being a Podcast guest. I've found the latter most enjoyable. I actually wrote about my relationship with the whole topic of growth a couple of weeks ago https://glitterandbiscuits.substack.com/p/this-substack-isnt-growing. Re voice and style I imagine I'm talking/writing to one person. One person who TOTALLY gets me and my Substack, and why I am here. Often I do that lying down on my sofa with my feet up because when I sit at my desk it puts me in a more serious/proving mode which isn't good for anyone. Often my best (most authentic) writing pops out when I'm on walks, moving my body, and I make notes on my phone. Then pull it across and edit whilst sitting up :-). It sounds strange, but it works for me. If I am stiff and upright, I write stiff and upright. Relaxed body posture - the words feel more like me. I hope this is helpful!
This is such an interesting insight - I have found myself most often writing outside in the garden, or sitting down comfortably inside... but not at my desk, except to edit. Hadn't noticed it before!
🧠 Hi Austin. Welcome to the Substack community! I just read your article about Flip phones. You are knowledgeable! Awesome!
I'd like to respond to your question about 'finding your voice'. I've been writing Kindness Magnet for 2 years now. When I first started, I had trouble finding my voice. Soprano? Alto? Loud? Soft? Give it to 'em straight? Funny? So many options!
Here's what really helped me. I decided to try doing a podcast, just using the Substack podcast feature and reading what I had written. Wow. That was an eye opener.....and an ear opener, so to speak! I sounded stilted. My words seemed academic (no offense to academics....I happen to be one haha). I realized that, as I was reading the article, I started changing some of the words, so it sounded more like I was talking to a friend. Then I went back into my article and revised it....then tried the 'podcast method' again....it's amazing what you'll learn when you play that podcast back to yourself!
So that's my soapbox for finding your voice. You have a lot of great information on your site. Ask yourself.....is that how I'd explain it to a friend? Would I keep their attention span for that long, or should I shorten my posts? Do I start each post with a 'hook' that would capture my reader's attention and make them want to go on?
That's my 🧠 power for today.....Hope it helps you! ❤
Wow...that is really good advice! Thanks so much for the kind words (and for reading my article)!
I so relate to the "sounding stilted" thing 😅
I started off with podcasting in the beginning, and I couldn't help but cringe at the way I talked (haha). Lately, I've been focusing a lot more on the newsletter with voiceovers, and I sometimes notice that my words just don't come out naturally. Lately, I've been trying to write my articles with my voice-overs in mind, and as I go, I sometimes whisper the words to myself to see if they sound unnatural. Definitely been helpful!
Thanks again for sharing! I really appreciate your reply :)
It's my pleasure.
I still laugh at myself when I do the 'podcast method'.
I like how you signed off on that post.....those words seemed like something you'd say.
Adios.
FWIW Austin, I suspect every one of us on this thread are on a continuing search for our voice. Myself, I came to Substack to find the opportunity to develop and explore my voice. Everything I've written previously was for publications and their advertisers. The rest of your questions I would love to see the answers to. Thanks for asking them.
Thanks for sharing! I think my biggest hurdle I'm trying to overcome right now is "loosening up" my writing to be a bit more witty and casual. Hopefully, that will come in time the more I practice. It's all about remembering why you're doing what you're doing.
Take care! 😄
Don't be concerned too much about it being grammatically perfect with just the right sophisticated vocabulary. People want to connect. sabrinalabow.substack.com
If you are writing you have found your voice. Now you just need to grow into it, so to speak!
It's also about not "trying" (no Yoda reference there...) If you are witty and casual your voice will eventually be witty and casual. It's important to constantly be reading yourself and asking "was that witty and casual?" Writer's voice seems to me to be like romance. If you're looking for it, it never comes.
The only way to find your voice and style is to keep writing long enough to discover what you are most passionate about and want to write more of. Experiment and see what kinds of articles get the most likes, shares, and comments, too (though don't expect many, especially at first). Be patient and read and comment on other Substacks you like. Participate in these Writer Office Hours and Notes (most of my new subscribers come from these Office Hours, and now a few from Notes. Here, I mostly try to be helpful and answer questions from other writers. On Notes, I mostly restack posts from other Substack writers and comment on why I like their newsletters (or the specific post from it they just shared on Notes).
Re: voice, relax and try to be real/yourself. Your voice/unique style will develop. Some topic really compelling to you that you're afraid to share your story about? Do it and go as deep as you dare to. If there's some tension there to explore, it will be that much more interesting.
Finding your voice is a mix of deliberate decisions and simply practice. To use myself as an example (for the sake of simplicity), I decided that I would pull out as much opinions from my writing as is feasibly possible. So my voice is "no voice."
I started my project in September, and while I don't notice it weekly, when I went back to my old issues, it was notable how much the newer ones have improved. Just longer, more details, a better grasp on the stories.
I bet you are further along in finding your voice than you realize.
I appreciated this anecdote from Laurie Stone about how she developed her voice as a young writer: https://on.substack.com/p/lauriestone-notes
"My voice really developed over a long time, and the Village Voice was a fantastic place to experiment and allow a voice to emerge. A lot of experiments seeing what your writing does to people. How do people respond?
We didn’t have the great advantage of this kind of feedback [that writers get online today]. It’s not just thumbs-up, it’s thumbs-down. It’s also interactive. People say, “This moved me” or “I felt this,” and then you think to yourself more and more, “Well, what did I do there? Let me break down what I did, so I can understand technically what was working, what affected people emotionally, what got them reading and going.” That’s what I did over a very long period of time, just writing pieces without that kind of intimate feedback, but now it’s very helpful, even though I have a more developed voice than I did when I started writing for the Voice in my 20s."
Hmm, for posts about tech products and trends, I suspect focusing on search engine optimization could be very helpful. Make sure you're set up in Google Search Console (I have to add each post individually in there because Substack doesn't have a sitemap)
Keywords Everywhere is a great tool to inspect search keywords to see what people are searching for. (and then include those keywords multiple times in your post)
SEO can take months to ramp up but is very powerful for bringing in strangers to your product posts....good luck!
I have found that when I personalize my texts or emails to someone with the link to my site, I get a good response. sabrinalabow.substack.com
You can click on the tree dots on any post and select Duplicate to drafts. There is your template.
Overall, I'm not sure what value I'm getting from your page. It looks like you're just selling electronics. You say on your about page you send random emails, but it seems like this is all tech, and almost all consumer electronics related.
Hey Russell! I can definitely see where you're coming from...a few of my earlier articles were about products I found interesting because I wasn't really sure what to write about. Nowadays, I'm focusing a lot more on tech news, reviews, and opinion pieces. I considered my emails "random" in terms of those types of articles, not necessarily the topics I published. Everything is consumer electronics-related, but one day I may write a news piece, and the next article may be a review. I apologize if my about page was not very clear. Definitely going to tidy it up and clarify some things.
Thanks a lot for your reply!
We've got a work around for reusable templates! You can duplicate past posts to drafts, here's a doc on how to do that: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407316907412-Can-I-create-and-save-a-template-that-I-can-reuse-
If you’d like help, I have a lot of free material on improving your writing. I’ll be offering a workshop about the craft of writing on Substack (including Voice) at the end of July. Subscribe to Writers at Work to be notified if you’re interested. You can also work with me 1-to-1. You’re writing on tech and should be getting traction. Quick thoughts: Definitely change up your thumbnails and publish regularly (particular days or day of the week, not randomly). https://www.writersatwork.net/
how do you do that, I thought you could only add sites there that you owned? (i.e. if you owned the domain).
I'd be curious to know what percentage of free subscribers typically convert to paid for people. Have been modelling launching a paid tier in a spreadsheet and this is currently my biggest unknown - I've heard some people reach as high as 17% - though others 7%. (Both much higher than I would have guessed!)
I have 105 subscribers and 29 of them are paid—27%. Low numbers but a high percentage.
How low those numbers are really depends also upon how long you've been doing this. I think the hardest resource for writers (at least me) to obtain is patience with yourself.
Thanks, Howard. I first posted almost a year ago.
Those are good odds. I'm at 285, 14 paid. All relative!
Very high!
That’s fantastic, actually. A small and very engaged crowd. Congrats.
I wonder if that depends on your content and audience quite a bit. I have seen newsletters that have a lot of paid content focusing on growing your business or even a group coaching environment. I imagine more people are willing to pay for something that makes them money, compared with donating to support educational content. I, personally, make the free educational content... 😅
That is a very interesting observation and one that I failed to articulate when I had the same question of % conversion.
I realized that the people I’m willing to pay a subscription for are the ones with course-type content. It kind of feels like MOOC through newsletters but with less prior structure and many variables on the content I’m being served.
I guess a good strategy would be to think of that end-goal on what you would like to serve your paid subscribers and garner that kind of audience starting out.
Yes, that's a great insight. It's almost like paying for a class.
Hello How are you doing today?
I know you weren’t asking me, but in my circle of writers it runs from 3-7%...
⬆️ I believe this is the accurate range.
How do gain entrance to a circle of writers these days?
Introduce yourself?
Hi Kevin. I'm Rashmee in London, England
Hi Ramshee, I’m in Madison WI.
One of my fave parts of the world. My husband's from WI and we visit often.
Kevin! Nice to meet you. I'm a father/student/strategist writing about the state of our world, mental health and personal anecdotes.
That's a fine idea. Hello there! I'm Sam. I've been writing for 10 years or so in my spare time. Nice to meet you!
Hi Sam, I'm a writer and a journalist.
Hi Rashmee. oh that cool. I'm a content writer by day. I studied journalism but I was only ever any good at writing silly things
And do you offer a different content for paid subscribers ?
I do sometimes. Most stuff is free, though. I went back and forth for a long time on that, and finally (more or less) settled on the same model as NPR.
Ou ok! So basically people are paying to "support you", right?
That's cool, thanks for sharing, Kevin!
They're supporting the project as a whole, but yes. Paid supporters keep the lights on, and the work accessible for everyone.
I have nearly 1000 subs and 20 paid. The 20 goes up and down alot...
I am at 4%
I started out with around 10% with my first couple hundred subscribers. As my list grows and gets further away from people I know personally, it’s dropped down to 5%.
However, I don’t heavily push paid subscriptions.
I am around 23% with 2.36k total and over 500 paid.
I believe the consensus is 5% is a reasonable target.
88 subbies and 3 paid! But I've been writing personal essays, poetry, and reflections lately. I dunno if that'll change and I want the quality to be improved and consistent... But I'm proud that being myself is getting this type of traction!
A fee of mine have converted to both monthly and annual
Substack obviously has aggregate data on conversion and perhaps they will release it at some point, maybe by topical area. In my case, I got up to around 4% when I offered research reports on stocks last year. Conversion is lower now since I no longer do stock research on Substack.
🟧 I'd like to see Substack do more to find ways of helping newer Substacks to reach out to their particular target audience. On previous Office Hours I have suggested making the 'Explore' topics much more specific and detailed.
For example, my own Substack is one for serious intellectual discussion of political and cultural undercurrents in Western society but people would never find that using the current bland 'Politics' tab. They'd much more likely be looking for daily news type stuff or angry polemic type stuff.
Agreed. I just recently started my horror newsletter and I feel it can be hard for people to find it in the explore page — I myself wasn’t too sure where to even categorize it LOL
Hi Graham, we've seen a lot of success with writers cross promoting using the Recommendations feature. This can help folks who subscribe to similar publications to yours find you and vice versa. Here's a post with some more details on the feature: https://on.substack.com/p/recommendations
Thanks for this response and I will take a look at the link. But I think that this very oft-stated advice on the benefits of Recommendations is way too broad brush. Yes, it may well work for some kinds....but not for others. My competitors (on my kind of Substack) typically have thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers. Recommending them would be highly unlikely to be reciprocated; (You need them but they simply don't need you). That's the reality and Substack needs to take that reality on board and become more subtle, nuanced and Newsletter-TYPE specific in its advice.
It would be nice to feel more supported by Substack as a new writer on the platform, but I feel like that will only happen if you share a clear idealogical connection with those in the C suite.
How many followers should you have before you start charging for subscribers? Asking for a broke ass friend, who would be me.
Don't "wait" to go paid! There's absolutely no reason. You're literally stopping people from supporting you right now. Just turn on paid and don't paywall any posts. Where it says, 'Paid subscribers get...' just put something like 'the chance to support this project/newsletter early on.'
You'll be surprised. People want to support us even if we aren't paywalling.
I do it this way and it's heartening when you receive an upgrade to paid (just under 10% of my subscriber have upgraded including a handful of people who don't know me personally). I also say on my about page where I talk about this 'I also believe that money is one of many forms of energy. I trust that if you are choosing to be here, you will support me and pay forward the nourishment Glitter and Biscuits offers in whatever way feels good to you.' I have a similar message in my header. At this point it is lovely to receive a paid subscription, but often I appreciate people sharing my work even more.
That's such good advice. Maybe some people love your work but don't have the extra money -- why should one exclude them. You give people the freedom to support you if they want and can.
This makes very good sense.
^This^
Thank you.
None. I did it straight away cos otherwise you're potentially leaving money on the table. Also, you're preventing fans from supporting your work financially if they so wish
My .02: Turn it on today, regardless of what the count might be.
Somehow, somewhere someone started telling people that you needed 1000 readers first. IMO, that’s terrible advice.
I started seriously on Substack in February and never enabled monetization and a month into it new subscribers would pledge on their own. When asked why they said I provided easy to query information that caters to their needs given a current trend. In other words, I solved a pain point by giving them the exact information they needed to find with little to zero friction. 30 articles later, this trend holds up.
I forget... Are you required to offer annual subscriptions? Assuming you are, can I share an anxiety? Though I'm committed to my newsletter, I also try to keep in mind that it's taking a *huge* amount of time from my paying work. A solution might be to turn on Paid subscriptions. But the anxiety is that I get, like, a small handful, and I'm then deeply committed to accommodating them (esp., if they paid for the year). Because my newsletter has a professional angle (it's not like I'm writing fiction or memoir) and I have somewhat of a presence in my field, my reputation is a little bit at stake if I discontinue the newsletter, miss a few issues, etc.
2nd anxiety: Some people (especially those who know me) don't want to pay, but feel guilty about subscribing without paying, so they unsubscribe.
Also, it's a work in progress as I gain clarity about my audience and their favorite topics. (I started off targeting HR and HR-adjacent professionals, but gradually have shifted more toward non-HR people interested in work. I think my readership is like 50/50 and, amazingly, their interests don't overlap as much as one might think).
That's a good question! It's been awhile, but I don't think they are a requirement
I’ll only speak on what I know when I say this, nobody cares about what you do online. Sounds harsh but that’s the reality I’m embedded into. Freedom of speech by no means imply freedom of reach. You want what what you share to be worth someone’s time? Show proof. I’ve seen someone complain about losing subscriptions before and I pointed out that the nature of how this site is structured might have something to do with it. It’s not always the content published.
Substack is a weird platform all things considered. It blurs the line between blogging, social media, networking and business tool. It doesn’t quite seem to know where it wants to be yet. So do yourself a favor and let go of the worries right way, it’ll save you time that should be dedicated to your next publications or research.
What I do know is that consumer behavior stays about the same across the board. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Twitter... If people have no incentive to do so, you will not see them stick around.
The only choice left is to reassess your why. As a creative consultant, what I’ve learned from doing sessions with clients in the entertainment industry is that they often times struggle to execute, furthermore they over emphasize details that don’t matter in the bigger picture.
You don’t need to feel bad. In fact, you don’t need to bring feelings into this at all. The beauty of this platform is that it combines curation of content and patronage with ease. All you have to do at that point is to set up the environment so that the people that do come can easily understand why you write, what topics you’re a voice of authority on and what key insights they can expect to obtain.
Don’t obsess with being monetized off the bat. Matter of fact, there’s a YouTube video I recommend you watch titled Colin & Samir: A conversation with Doug DeMuro. They discuss that topic at length and you’ll learn a ton from someone who effectively turned their writing into a full blown media and sales company.
If you have more pressing questions, my socials are linked in my bio. Twitter is the easier way to contact me. That would be all for now.
A lot of wisdom there. Thanks.
I think you've persuaded me.
"...They over emphasize details that don’t matter in the bigger picture."
Uh-oh. You've seen me.
Looking forward to reading your new articles. Keep it up.
Some people have gone paid immediately and others have waited until they had more content. I've seen both work very well.
I always turned it on from the beginning. How you ask for money might change, but before there’s a ton of content built up I just say you’re supporting my creative endeavor or News reporting (depending on the publication)
I went paid from day 1, and got 3 paid subscribers within the first few weeks - my total subscriber list was under 30 so I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely don't wait 😊
I would turn them on from the off. I’ve written about it in my Substack tips section if you want to have a look. 👀
None, I started paid right away, with all the content free to all anyway. Since Feb I've got 14, mostly people I know to be honest. Upselling the strangers seems much tougher. (285 and counting for subscribers; I guess I'll have a mini party when I hit 300.) It's all hard won!
But I'm grateful for the extra petty cash and don't have to feel pressure from it since no one expects any more from it than what I'm already doing. One a week, and it's a lot of work for me to just do that.
Turn it on! Literally no reason to have it off. If people like you, they'll pay. And as you learn more about the business and what people value you can find ways to paywall.
Hi
Ooh, my first office hour!
✏️ I would like to know whether anyone has grown their subscriber base solely through using Substack: posting, commenting.
Welcome to Office Hours, Denise!
Thank you so much, Katie!
I would say that 90-95% of my growth is currently coming from w/in the Substack ecosystem. It used to be around 5-10%
Wow! That's an incredibly high percentage. Any idea on why the increase?
Most of that has been driven by improvements Substack has made over the last several months. Notes & Recommendations both help a lot. But part of is driven simply by my spending more time on the platform and less on places like Twitter.
Yeah same
I have gotten the majority of new subscribers through Substack, even though I post on other social media platforms also. I think everyone who is going to join my newsletter on social media, has already joined.
Question, Rey. When you're posting on social media are you also posting to groups where there are people who don't yet know you, and are you using hashtags to accomplish the same? I've found more traction in groups than in my own feed, but thinking about it that doesn't seem surprising.
Ah that's good advice - I should try that. I have been using groups and hashtags to promote some services but not my Substack. Makes sense! Thanks!
At least we know that not having to use social media is possible!
I haven't - I post out on social media when I write something. Why leave out the billions of people who don't (yet?...) read on substack?
Well, yes. There is that to consider, too.
I’d say yes. I do very little to build my list, though I should. Probably a third of my subscribers have come from using Notes, the substack network, engaging on others’ posts, and from participating in substack grow and making connections with other writers.
That's good to hear.
And I’ll add I don’t see much of a down tick in open rate. So proportionally, the same number of people are reading it. Or at least that’s what I take away from that information.
Me. 100% . It has helped me break out of my personal bubble and reach people I have zero connection with.
I find commenting here every week is my best growth source inside of Substack, then recommendations, then Notes. Chats is kinda pointless so far.
This is all great to hear, I need to do a better job of engaging with this great community!
I’m with you. For me, Notes made the Chat function redundant. I go days without checking it.
Exactly what I need to do: The bubble has shrunk over the years!
These responses give me hope.
Just takes a few to take the leap! I'll subscribe now haha. Aiming for subscribe back .
Aww, thanks. I love how supportive this community is. One subscription coming your way...
Hi, Denise! Welcome to Substack!
I've grown like... I'm pretty sure ~98% of my Substack solely through Substack!
I made like three posts on IG months ago, and one person came from there and became a paid subscriber! And one of my IG friends got on board and came onto my Substack.
Aside from that? I believe all of the other 86 subbies I have all came from the Substack network!
I truly enjoy this ecosystem so I try to get on and comment and share and help as much as possible. And I guess it pays off gradually! Makes me happy!
Hi Cierra, thank you!
I love this.
Absolutely! And thank you :)
Well, I've grown to 118 that way, but tings have slowed lately....
That's a good start. How long did it take to reach that figure?
About four months, posting twice a week.
Yes, a lot of my growth has come from the substack network, I wasn't having much luck on social media with getting people to actually see the content, which is kind of the point..
It would seem that you either need to have a huge audience or be lucky on social media for it to work.
plus they have honestly changed over the years. I had deleted all my social media accounts before I started writing online, and had to start from scratch growing again. It used to be easier to be seen and to grow, there are all sorts of things going on with their algorithms that make it harder to be noticed nowadays, I'm sure.
Yep, they wan't us to pay to play more than anything.
I love reading other people's posts on how they've grown their Substacks--and the back and forth on self-promotion and publicity.
For those who want to grow their audience and get over self-promotion-itis, come to the Publicize Your Substack workshop on July 6 at 7 pm CT on Zoom. The replay will be available. You can access it separately if you don't want to become a paid subscriber.
Here's why Taylor Swift thinks you should attend or watch the replay:
https://www.writersatwork.net/p/workshop-july-6-publicize-your-substack
Hope to see you!
Details:
Publicize Your Substack! (But not in an icky way)
July 6, 2023 | 60 minutes | 7 pm CT | Zoom | Replay will be available
» For writers at any stage of their writing careers and Substacks
In this workshop, you will
-understand the difference between internal and external publicity on Substack and which are most effective;
-get the lowdown on how Substack’s Notes, cross-posts, mentions, guest posts, referrals, and recommendations work and how to use them;
-be cured of two common writer ailments—self-promotionitis and anti-publicityosis;
-get a template for a media pitch and media status sheet (for when you’re ready);
-“master” Substack’s SEO feature;
-lay out your posts, so they speak to readers (and other Substackers and the media); and
-discover ways to launch your books and give them a long life on Substack (instead of being remanded to the backlist after a year).
Where the information I’ll share with you comes from
-My conversations with the amazing people who run Substack—I want to share with you the advice they’ve given me.
-My own experience building two Substacks, each with over a thousand subscribers and growing.
-Business icons and marketing gurus. Over the past three years, I’ve taken a lot of marketing and entrepreneurship courses and now use terms like call to action (CAT, actually) and content without irony. Yup—something I never thought I’d do. Weirdly, I’ve enjoyed it, and believe it or not, my soul hasn’t withered.
-My study of creative writers and other writers on Substack who’ve been successful and provide a service and community for readers.
“Self-promotionitis and anti-publicityosis” - I got ‘em both, badly! Workshop sounds very useful.
🟧 why is the content of my substack not indexed by google and searchable? Even if I put in my publication name and a verbatim phrase, if that phrase isn’t in the title of the post, I can’t find it. Substack search is slightly better for my purposes but if someone online doesn’t know what substack is and wants to find the time I wrote about X, they aren’t going to find it by searching google. Is there a rationale behind this and/or a way to rectify this?
Yeah, it's frustrating that Google doesn't index it automatically. I did set up my Substack in Google Search Console and I manually copy paste each post in there for indexing. It is a bit extra work but my posts are showing up on Google search now.
Whoa this is gold. Screenshotted. Thank you!!
Happy this is helpful! Thanks!
Oh man that would be a lot for my daily news publication!!!
never in a million years would I have thought of that, thank you!
This is really good advice. My visit to this forum is worthwhile. I don't actually know how to do that haha. but I can look it up.
Kevin, are you saying you drop your Substack url into Reddit posts? I've been reluctant to do that, even when my content is relevant to the thread (which is the only circumstance under which I would even try), because a lot of the subs prohibit it. I guess I've been concerned about getting blacklisted or something.
I think you're asking the wrong person. I need to research what "Google Search Console" even means lol
You're right. Sorry. This was intended for @Whiz Pill.
Whiz Pill, are you saying you drop your Substack url into Reddit posts? I've been reluctant to do that, even when my content is relevant to the thread (which is the only circumstance under which I would even try), because a lot of the subs prohibit it. I guess I've been concerned about getting blacklisted or something.
I'm pretty active on Reddit and find most communities will ban you pretty quick for linking Substacks.
Interesting...I have zero presence on Reddit. Where might one even begin?
WOW! REY! I didn't even know this was an option. Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm so glad it was helpful! Thanks!
Fascinating!! I’ll have to look at this..,
Hope it helps! Thanks!
Thanks for the tip!
We've got a support doc that has a few suggestions that might be worth trying! Setting up Google Search Console is definitely a good idea, like others suggested https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407702258836-How-can-I-optimize-my-Substack-publication-for-SEO-
Thanks, I’m set up in search console but I’ll take a look to see if there’s anything here I haven’t tried.
Yeah, as I suspected I already do those things. None of them address indexing, though, which is the issue I’m having
I haven't done anything technical but Google knows about my new posts. I know this because I have a Google alert set up for my own name.
All of my free content is also on my Wordpress website where I have SEO plugins so the content is indexed.
Do you find it affects your SEO having the same content in two places? I thought Google doesn't like duplicate content, so that's put me off doing similar.
I’m not sure about that. I have my free content on Wordpress because the blog is 14+ years old and I don’t like relying too much on Substack as the only distribution for my writing. I have a number of rss feed subscribers for my blog. For paid content, it’s only on Substack.
I likewise have also kept my WordPress and also put my content there where I have SEO plugins.
This is something I reversed engineered a ton so here’s my insight on the matter. Reddit will be your most valuable ally in allowing your content to be easy to query by machines.
The reason being Reddit ranks very high in search. It’s called the front page of the internet for a reason. In terms of SEO, Reddit lends itself perfectly to bite sized content that funnels the reader back to your Substack platform.
And the more hits you score on Reddit, the more likely your actual Substack site will pop up alongside it, assuming branding is consistent across platforms that is. In my case, Whiz Pill is the chosen moniker for the brand.
If you use AI search or Google, it’ll show its pretty much everywhere and the places that will rank the highest are LinkedIn & Reddit.
Speaking of AI, get into the habit of using the Bing AI search engine, it’ll show you effectively what needs improvement through natural language, if the AI assistant tells you I can’t find something, figure out why that might be on the back end by asking it follow up questions.
Bonus tips, on sites where content is predominantly video or photo based, use their native tools to add captions or ALT text for the hard of sight because on the search engine side, these are deemed a priority search.
The more related the keywords are to the content you publish, the better. That is all folks. Hope you found something helpful.
Hello How are you doing today?
Thank you for this thorough answer! That definitely helps me understand the under-the-hood stuff a little better. I appreciate you pulling out a quote from my post to demonstrate this.
My issue is mostly with my news publication, as I have had trouble in the past finding info to refer back to or specific articles to link to readers. I publish every day so going back thru my old content is harrrrd. I do see a few results coming up now for things people would search, and even some front page results when I don’t use my publication name so I’ll see if this issue comes up again.
Thanks again for responding!
Thanks. Is there a way to determine my site’s reputation? I don’t have a separate Burlington buzz website, just the Burlington.buzz custom domain on substack.
✏️ - How many posts per week is 'too much' for paid subscribers? I'm about to add an additional 2 posts for primos in addition to my weekly post, but don't want to spam people with too much content. I'm already feeling sheepish about being in their inbox to begin with. I don't want to overstay my welcome.
Why not poll your readers? There's a poll function in the dashboard. It's different for everyone. If I get more than 1 newsletter a week from someone, I usually unsubscribe. I get so many that every other week works for me. But there are some huge substacks with daily posts. So maybe a poll would help you decide.
Aha -- I haven't done a poll yet. Great idea. Thank you, Diane!
https://caitlinhmallery.substack.com/p/what-do-you-want-to-chat-about Here is how I did a poll just this week.
This is excellent. Thank you!
I second the poll. Everyone's audience is different.
I'm about to try a poll for this very reason. I'll maybe report back on how it goes in a future office hours!
Brilliant!
Polls can definitely give you insight to your readers
Jason, how did you do the cool spinning profile picture thingy? 🤩
I don't think there's a hard-and-fast rule here, Jason. I started out just doing one day a week, but after about a year I added a second day. I was nervous about overstaying my welcome too, but what I found was that open rates stayed the same (or improved) and growth took off. Meanwhile, churn stayed constant and nobody complained that I was writing too much. I'm sure there's a limit, but what I found was that my fear just didn't line up with reality. My advice is to try it, keep and eye on your data, listen for qualitative feedback (but take it with a grain of salt), and see what happens. Hope that helps!
Love how your icon rotates, Jason. How did you do that?
Thanks, George. I just made a gif.
I think it's great that you're asking, Jason. I don't know the answer. But I do know there tends to be a consensus, endorsed by Substack, that you should post very often. I think I just saw something like "...posting 1x/day results in much more rapid growth compared to 1x/week."
I like data and don't give too much credence to anecdotal info, but I think so much depends on the content. At this point, I won't subscribe to a newsletter that arrives more than once a week. I feel like it's clutter in my inbox. For me, it's tantamount to bad time management.
Similarly, people say you should publish like clockwork. For example, if it's weekly, every Thursday at around the same time, so readers know when to expect it. That may be true, but I'll tell you that, for the newsletters I subscribe to, I have no idea what day or time any of them arrive, and it doesn't matter to me.
For my own (free) publication, I'm currently publishing biweekly. My articles are thoroughly researched, usually with plenty of links and footnotes and a lot of fact-checking. Also, admittedly, I'm a slow wordsmith. It takes me about 2 weeks to produce a post. And, perhaps presumptuously, I'm confident my readers would view anything more than, say, 1x/week as annoying.
That said, if a newsletter is a quote, a haiku, maybe even a digest, or a cartoon (which I believe is your wheelhouse), I'm sure readers, especially if they've paid, would welcome frequent posts.
I guess I'm not being much help here, but thought I'd share my thoughts. The Substack "post as often as possible" credo sometimes overlooks the diversity of content in various newsletters and the diverse needs of readers.
I hate it when I get tons of emails every week from the same person. I don't have time to read them as well as the others that I follow.
Right? I'm surprised this doesn't come up more in these conversations. I always thought most people want fewer emails, not more. (Though I admit that many Substackers have proven me wrong.)
I resonate with what you say. I write on my timetable when inspired and hot to get all my thoughts out on a topic, spend delicate time musing about it, infusing it with more depth thinking, and do any needed research and a lot of editing. My timetable probably isn't the best for building readership but feels natural and authentic. I put some pressure on myself to get a new post out a couple of times a month at whatever time and day I complete it.
I ship 5x weekly, and no one has told me it’s too much. That said, I agree with Diane; take a pill and see what people think. If nothing else, it’ll be a great data set.
I know you meant to type 'poll', but I'm taking your advice as written instead.
Haha. In that case, I’ll leave it as is. :)
Beyond the poll, perhaps try thinking of your writing as a conversation. Substack seems to be continuously striving to find new tools to help us increase engagement and interaction with our readers. As you begin conversing with them, start asking what it is that attracts them or attracted them to your substack in the first place. Also, as a deep believer in the power of networking, ask them to refer you to others who might also like your content. People love to give (it's more blessed than it is to receive....)
It’ll vary based on your audience. As long as the content is worth reading, I doubt people will be annoyed with too much content. I also think carefully before hitting send. It’s a big responsibility to avoid showing up in inboxes without something important to say…
My questions never get anssered because it seems I arrive late even though I'm following the times in the emails. But trying again - Does Substack claim any ownership of any kind once your content has been published to the platform? Such as, if it tell an extended story on Substack and then sell movie rights or a book to a publisher?
You own what you create. Any original content you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide to Substack remains yours and is protected by copyright and any other applicable intellectual property laws.
More here on our terms of service: https://substack.com/tos#:~:text=First%20and%20foremost%2C%20you%20own,other%20applicable%20intellectual%20property%20laws.
Katie, is there a way to change which of my newsletters is displayed here in Writer's Office Hours? The Business Technologist's Journal is very focused but my other newsletter, What Do You Want? is far more targeted at a broader audience. How can I change what is displayed here and in other Substack threads??
Hi Howard! If you edit your profile (https://substack.com/@biztechjournal), you can decide which publication you want to be the primary one - on your profile and by your name in the comments
No - you own all IP. And you can repost anywhere you want.
This is what it says on the website:
You own your mailing list, subscriber payments, and intellectual property. If you decide to leave, you'll take what you've built with you.
Firstly, thank you for creating such a great and supportive creative platform.
I am wondering two things: is there a way that non-subscribers could also have access to the “like“ button at the end of articles? Many people tell me that they love my work, but only subscribers can “like” it, and I only have a modest number of subscribers. Lots of “likes “ would help create momentum and potentially generate more subscribers.
Secondly, is there a way that articles could be published first to subscribers via email, well before they appear on the website as a whole? At the moment, I suspect some people feel there’s no need to subscribe because everything is available online instantly.
Thank you.
Sorry, that should’ve started with a 🟧
🟧 - will Substack hold another Substack Grow program or something similar?
Good question 👌🏻 Also keen to know this!
No short term plans. What would you like to see from a Grow program?
I posted a reply in another thread related to Substack Go, but it's a similar idea: Something that involves growing and learning alongside other writers would be really helpful. Especially a small group where it feels intimate and not too overwhelming.
🧠Hey all, I recently wrote a post about the Substack Life Cycle. I previously wrote about applying the Product Life Cycle to substack strategy, but this changes some of the ideas in the product life cycle and makes it specific to Substack.
Read it here: https://gibberish.substack.com/p/the-substack-life-cycle
People in comments have found this as a helpful roadmap and they have been able to map their own progress onto my idea for the Substack Life Cycle.
If you are interested in growing your substack, in going paid, in trying to figure out how to use the substack tools to grow and map your path into the future, this article is for you! I hope it helps!
✏️ I am curious to learn from other writers - does your open rate drop as your subscribers grow? How do you deal with that? What are your strategies?
Personally, I feel as a reader that I'm a bit over-subscribed and I'm definitely not opening/reading all the newsletters these days.
I always just try to remember that 10% of 10,000 is the same as 20% of 5,000 -- and the goal is to reach people, not open rates. (Also, those are not my numbers, it's called manifesting :P )
Based on what I've read and my experience:
1. Yes, your open rate will likely decrease as your subscriber base increases.
2. Some folks ignore open rate entirely, because it's not the most reliable metric, and focus on click through rate / comments instead.
Others, myself included, do a regular purge of inactive subscribers from their list. The danger with inactive subscribers is that if your emails are being largely ignored, clients like Gmail begin to think your newsletters are spam or "promotions" and it starts a vicious cycle where the newsletter gets less read over time.
So once a year I go into my Subscribers tab, find subscribers who've never opened or clicked on a single newsletter, and I send them an email asking them to click a button if they want to stay. Those that do, I keep. The others, I remove. Inevitably, my open rate increases as a result.
Very interesting strategy that I want to try out! What button do you include for them to click on? And how do you get notified if they click? Is it sent through your personal email vs substack newsletter?
Substack actually keeps track of who clicks on links in your email. If you go to an individual post's stats > Recipients > Details, you'll get a list of who clicked. So it doesn't matter what the button is or where it goes, as long as there's only one link to click on in the email, you'll know who clicked it.
My open rate has dropped somewhat as subscribers come on board, yes.
And I deal with it by doing nothing. If I see that a bad email address got in there (all drops), I'll remove that one. But other than that, nothing.
There's no point. Maybe people who aren't reading will do so in the future. Maybe they'll unsub. Just let it be.
If you were paying for the number of people on your list like at MailChimp or other places, it would make sense to clean it up. But if you just want to increase your open rate, you're missing out on possible new readers in the future.
That's a great perspective!
I’ve seen my open rates go down as I grow. I’m going to experiment with filtering my list for no-shows so I can send them an email asking if they want to stay subscribed. If they don’t respond, I’ll delete them.
that depends on what kind of growth. Mine went down about 10% when I added the last 9000 people to my list that I porter over, but before then when I went from a few hundred to 17,000, the open rates actually went up.
'When I added the last 9000 people to my list that I porter over....' 'when I went from a few hundred to 17,000, the open rates actually went up.' In what situation does one 'porter over a list' ....can you explain more?
I can relate to that!
If you have any that you are definitely not actively reading (like haven’t opened the last 5 or so), it’s probably time to unsubscribe. Your inbox gets breathing room, and the writer doesn’t have a cold subscriber impacting their stats.
My open rate was above 50% for a long time but dropped when Notes was first rolled out and I got an influx of new subs. Now it is inching back to 50% which I read is a very good open rate. I’d rather have a smaller list with a higher open rate then a larger list with a low open rate.
I noticed a drop when Notes was rolled out too! But ~50% I'd say is pretty amazing!
I would say that I did see a drop off. But my open rate has remained stable around 30% despite a larger growth of around 100 subscribers.
I have noticed that my open rate decreases in July and August and if I post on weekends.
Substack is so great in so many ways. I've loved using it. Just one request: At some point can the design of the block quote function be reconsidered? The dense blue line is the one inelegant element on any Substack page and it's really jarring. Thanks!
🟧 It would be great if “Math” could be added as a topic. My substack does not fit into any of the categories currently. Is that a category that might be added in the near future? This would help readers find my substack.
What other categories have you tried? Your stuff is totally in my sons wheelhouse. Do you call yourself an educator?
“Science” and “Education” are the categories I’ve tried. I am a professor at the University of Colorado.
Well those are good starts. Have you played with the SEP options on your posts to make it more discoverable?
A Substack about math, I’m in!
I've just passed the one-year mark for my Substack, and renewals from paying subscribers are coming in.
My question is, are they being automatically renewed or being asked to renew and given a choice?
I was reminded on the Stacks I pay for.
Kathleen,
Reminded on the expiry day or ahead of time (if you recall)?
Thanks!
It was a few days, or maybe a week? Looked automatic (not from the author)
@substack Can we reduce the number of clicks from when a subscriber enters their e-mail till they get back to the content? Right now it's closing in on 6 screens trying to push more and more stuff. There's got to be a better way!
✏️ i’d be quite curious of how to embed or share other types of media ie videos in our threads
You can learn how to do that here! https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037832971-How-do-I-embed-media-in-my-post-e-g-images-video-GIFs-
Same!
wow that's very nice
✏️ and 🟧
I've started a substack section 'This Week, Those Books' that I really want to grow. One of the suggestions I've seen is to ask to be recommended by fellow substackers, but would welcome any and all advice on how to contact them and ask this big favour.
I don't ask for recommendations. I have felt that I will recommend people and I do a wrapup where I tag other publications and sometimes they will recommend me. TThe recommendations definitely helps.
It does feel really scary to ask other people for recommendations. Particularly since the recommendations are usually just 3 substacks for each person. No advice, just sympathy...
Yes, very true.
I agree -- we need to think of some ways to help all of us recommend to each others audiences, especially newbies like me trying to get a leg up and grow!
Instead of asking for a recommendation (which does make me squirm), I get to know other writers whose Substacks I enjoy reading that have something in common with what I'm writing. I've met some awesome people that way! I will add those as 'recommendations' on my site (instructions in your settings for how to do that). And often those writers will choose to recommend me back. It's a much happier 😁 way to do recommendations....at least for this chicken. 🐔 Hope that helps, Rashmee. ❤
You should definitely read this post about how Elizabeth Held grew by reaching out to other Substack writers! https://on.substack.com/p/grow-series-6
Thanks so much
✏️ This is my first office hours and I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack trying to read everything. I can't figure out what to answer or how to follow the threads. It seems like a confusing mess of information. It also seems like there are a ton of gems in here if I could find them.
Any suggests for me? How do you follow this process? How do you know what to answer and how to find answers to your questions?
Julia, do you know that you can click on any thread line (the gray line) and collapse it. This helps to navigate up and down and close comments you are not interested.
Thank you for that tip! I've been here for more than a year and did not know that!
I didn't know that either. Thank you.
It is very hard to follow, and can be a fishing expedition to find helpful info or answers to your questions. You will get notifications if someone replies to your post, though, even if they reply when you are no longer present in this chat. That helps somewhat.
I just try to reply to some questions I can answer in a way that hopefully will help others. I scroll through comments looking for posts related to my questions or the topic of my newsletter (mental health).
I agree it's helpful to get a notification for reply's to my posts. But sometimes, I can't follow the reply's without context. I feel like it's reading with glasses that block part of my vision. LOL.
Thank you, Wendi. I'm sure I'll get the hang of this.
And I love the idea of looking for posts related to my newsletter topic. Great idea.
For me, the easiest way to find and reply to a comment in Writer Office Hours is to wait until I get an email notification of that comment, then click on the view comment button.
I agree. It's quite difficult to keep up!
I wish I knew!
I love being able to publish an audio file with my bird posts (https://mygaia.substack.com/s/wild-birds). Is it possible to show a short movie in a similar way?
You can copy and past a link from YouTube and it will open directly in the post.
✏️I've noticed some Substack writers using the Buy me a Coffee tool to supplement paid subscriptions. Has anyone here tried it, and if so, what do you think?
I was wondering the same. I think some people prefer a donation rather than a subscription and I have thought about trying it out. Maybe on my posts that don't have a pay wall, there's a lot of ways to approach it but some examples would be helpful.
Since I haven't gone paid yet, I think I'm inclined to just put it on every post and see if I catch any generous folk who happen by. But I think more traffic is what really matters, and for that I think a previous helpful comment here about putting links in the google console for SEO purposes in order to get indexed may be key...
Hey guys! 🟧 Question for the team. Is there a way to see how many of my subscribers came from a specific Substack network feature (e.g. Notes)?
Quick question: is there a simple way to respond directly to a private message from a subscriber? I looked around on Ecosia and all through my Substack dashboard and couldn't see anything regarding this :)
The subscriber’s email is in the body of the email notification when you get a note from a new paid subscriber or pledge. If you hit reply and copy and paste their email in the “to” field, that’s the best way to respond for now. We hope to make it easier soon!
Yes, I did just do it by emailing her, but that seemed less cozy than having her get a reply on Substack. :) Thanks, Katie. I do appreciate that you took the time to answer!
So if you just hit "reply" they don't get anything??
I’d love for that to be a feature too.
I’d like to know this too! I just received one. I didn’t even know that was a thing on here.
🟧 May I ask for a feature request for a sitemap to help index Substack posts in Google? Currently I copy paste each post URL into Google Search Console manually for indexing, but I would love to just submit a sitemap once and have my new posts show up in search automatically. Thanks for your consideration!
Here is a post on how to find the sitemap:
https://rsilt.substack.com/p/how-i-got-my-substack-to-be-google
Thanks, Charlie! Wow, this is interesting - when I looked for the sitemap about a month ago, it did not exist, but today, it is there! This is great, I'm definitely submitting the sitemap to Google. Thanks so much for pointing me to this.
It took it a while to find mine, I wonder if it doesn't generate until you add the Google console code or something.
Hi Dan,
Thanks so much for sharing what Substack is automatically doing to help SEO! I really appreciate the detailed explanation. This is very helpful.
Thanks,
Rey
✏️ I am adding “Bonus Materials” to my substack at A Piece of the Pi: mathematics explained. https://apieceofthepi.substack.com/
What content do readers enjoy the most that I might include in this area? Any suggestions?
It depends on what you mean by bonus material? My focus is on longer content that goes in the “bonus content” option.
My plan is to add longer content that didn’t make it into the initial post.
Well that's slightly different than what I'm talking about. I have basically two types of content. A weekly 500 word piece about a particular thing, then I have 2,000 word pieces that are released to paid subscribers first. It's only later that it goes for free subscribers.
This would work well if you have a list of paid subscribers already. I am working on building my list still.
Perhaps, though I'm planning some exclusive paid subscribers only pieces in the future. I've noticed a few people who got their first paid subscriber after doing an exclusive piece for paid subscribers.
I’d very much appreciate a Substack Reads for individual areas of interest: politics, books, art, photography, etc. A hundred versions of Substack Reads! These could themselves, in the comments, become valuable resources for people hungry for specific recommendations. One more point: country-specific recommendations. UK politics, Scottish politics, US politics etc.
✏️ I've been posting consistently, being authentic with my voice and my stories. I've managed to get a few subscribers, and while I have no interest in going paid before I hit a good amount of subscribers, what can I do to keep growing? I feel a bit stuck.
Hey everyone! What would you say is the single thing you did to spur the most Substack growth? Everyone always says consistency, “share with your friends”, etc., but does anyone have any specific and creative ways they’d like to share? Thank you!
You might enjoy our grow interview series where writers share all the different ways they have grown https://on.substack.com/t/writer-stories
Many true artist spend a life time to unravel the confinements of social norms and pressures. For me that means be aware when I'm trying to be to overly consistent and marching to someone else's tune. I like being in touch with larger perspective and write with my authentic inclinations, at least most of the time.
I would say Office Hours and engaging with fellow writers has helped me. I know that is two things, but they are kinda related so, I am going to count that as one ;)
A certain degree of shamelessness helps. I realized a lot of people keep their emails in their LinkedIn accounts, so that was a lead generation source.
Which is exactly why I made my LinkedIn email address private. People wanted to connect so they could add me to list without asking. It would be okay if they had really wanted to engage with me, but it seemed I was just another email addy.
That's fine. But LinkedIn is also specifically designed for working professionals, so it's like creating a permanent business card. When I give someone a business card, they can do with it what they please. But yes, if that bothers you, then make the email private, it's not a big deal either way.
🟧 Why are links no longer able to be embedded such that we can get social previews on links?
Hey, what kinds of links are you trying to embed? Twitter is the only embed we no longer have the means to include.
Katie, can I get a reply to this today?
I'm trying to embed links to news sites. I want a social preview to show for the article that I'm linking to.
I've tried to embed links to news sites. Can't even get the embed feature to trigger in Safari.
The steps for embedding a link to get a social preview are to just past the link, right?
Does Substack have a way of sorting articles/posts by geography? My recent interview with a Singaporean business owner would be more relevant to Singaporeans than Americans, for example. (lononaut.substack.com)
Not to my knowledge. I have managed to find a number of other New Zealand substack writers by using the search term New Zealand on the "explore" page, but it's a bit hit and miss.
Yes, I'd like to be able to find other UK writers.
Because my primary Substack is free, I am in the process of rolling out some sections that would be subscriber only.
But it would be really helpful if I knew how many people subscribed to each section. I can tell roughly be looking at how many people open it, but I as I try out new sections, I'm trying to better track which ones are getting traction.
fwiw, my current paid to free ratio is 3.4%. Which I guess is okay given that until the last couple of weeks, paid subscribers didn't get anything extra.
That seems very reasonable. I'll flag it to our team.
That would be useful. I was also wondering if there could be separate email templates for each section.
🟧 I'm curious at the limitations, if any, on uploading videos to Substack to embed in newsletters (versus uploading the videos to YouTube and linking in a substack newsletter) - is there a storage and/or file size limit?
✏️ Does anyone have any examples of "notes" in action on their substack? All the Substack newsletters on the topic have been too vague/esoteric and haven't really given me a sense of how the function works or what to do with it. Would love to see some tangible examples of what it's for.
Hi Terri! The video types accepted are 3GP, AAC, AVI, FLV, MP4, MOV, MPEG-2 and the maximum size is 20 GB. Here's a doc that outlines some more details about videos on Substack: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4416357212436-How-do-I-add-a-video-to-a-Substack-post-
What do you mean by Notes on a publication? Notes is a different thing, which is more like social media than the publication. Or do you mean adding notes to an article?
Hey Rusell - I'm confused because I didn't say "notes on a publication." I just said "notes" because I literally have no idea what it is or how to use it so any examples you can provide of "notes" in action would be helpful. Thanks!
🧠 Quick tip for these busier Office Hours threads: If you're focusing on a specific comment, right click on the comment's timestamp and open the comment in a new thread. That will bring you to a page with only that comment and its replies, and the page won't jump around from all the activity in other comment threads.
Office Hours have gotten much better in recent months with the breakout into different pages, but when it's all on one page some other suggestions here might be helpful: https://mostlypython.substack.com/p/using-substack
🟧 - I've been thinking about the Audience Overlap section of the Subscriber Report. Ever since it started, I've gotten the same six Substacks, most of which I've already collaborated with (like trading recommendations). If the idea of the product is to spark new collaborations, I'd love if that list was more dynamic. For example, rather than showing only all-time overlap, how about overlap by country? Or overlap in new subscribers? Or overlap with most engaged readers? Wow, I've never written the word "overlap" so many times in a row, but here we are!
My thoughts on this overlap with Geoffrey's (see what I did there?). When Audience Overlap first launched, it was really useful for helping me think about collaboration, but the insights haven't changed, even though my audience is 3X what it was at the time of launch. Is there a way to make that tool more granular so that we can continue getting mileage out of it?
This is an interesting insight and idea! I passed it along to the smart, data minds to think about.
I see what you did there! 👁️ 👁️
And that's spot-on. More granularity would be rad.
Great minds overlap!
It's an interesting addition to the reporting available. One challenge for me is that, with 1 - 2 exceptions, my overlap is with some pretty huge newsletters, like Heather Cox Richardson, Culture Study and Austin Kleon. So this is interesting info but I'm not sure how to action it. I do have a paid subscription to Kleon's blog and try to comment there weekly so there's that I suppose.
Good point, Mark! Wondering there's a way to exclude a pub from that view, or put a filter on that says, "show me overlaps with subs under X amount"?
🟧 Would it be possible to add access for writers to the Writer’s Dashboard through the reader app?
I love the reader app too. Writer’s Dashboard access through the app would let me write and revise articles without needing to open a web browser, login, etc.
I often write/revise on my phone while waiting at kid school pickup, violin pickup, etc., and quicker access would be great! Thank you for considering my request.
🧠 Maybe this is obvious to everyone but me. Frankly, I'm disappointed in myself for not thinking of it sooner. But, I thought I'd offer a wee cautionary tale about the effect of the images we select to accompany our social shares.
This week, I wrote a piece on how we as individuals might go about addressing political extremism (https://elizabethbeggins.substack.com/p/look-out). While I really tried to offer a balanced approach, I chose an image that included a major, left-leaning publication with a photo of our current president.
A friend shared the post to FB and someone she knows made a negative comment based on that image. They never saw the content below the photo, and as far as I know, never read the piece, because they assumed they would disagree with the content. The irony!
Anyway, I realize I made the wrong choice, and it reminded me to think harder about my images in general and how they might be interpreted, especially if they appear out of context. Perspective is everything, right? And, we all come with our own biases. Good to keep that in mind if you're trying to broaden your audience, or - uh - not p*ss people off right out of the gate.
🟧 I haven't actually looked to see if this is possible, but can the "lead" image be changed post-publish? I think yes? I hope so! :)
Yes, the image can be changed post-publish. It's just like any other change (for a typo or whatever). Edit the article and re-publish. You probably already know this, but when you edit/re-pub, it doesn't send it out by email again. Just updates the web site.
Thanks -- come to think of it, I may have done this once before. Long enough ago that I nearly forgot. Appreciate the reply on that part.
yes, you have to click on the settings page (at the right vottom of the page) and you can easily exchange the "lead" photograph
I sympathize but when using images I usually try to work backward I choose the image first and then write the copy I need to use with it but this solution will not work with all topics or authors.
🟧 I noticed that footnotes in a browser are links, but footnotes in the app are not. Is there any plan to implement footnotes as links in the app as well?
And thank you as always for the many ongoing improvements. :)
I think we just haven't prioritized this yet. I will flag it to the team!!!
What can be done to move the platform to a more robust format such as Word? Who has to be lobbied to achieve that improvement and how long might it take to accomplish that. Taking a survey of the writer group might help decide if this is worthwhile.
I've been learning my way around the new dashboard (thanks Substack for the monster lift I'm sure that ended up being for some of you!) and realizing:
✏️As with my computer and phone, I'm sure I'm only tapping into a fraction of what's available there. Would be helpful for me to read which features others find to be most valuable/practical for them.
🟧 Staying w/ the dashboard theme (now, I'm suddenly hearing Meatloaf in my head), am I missing the memo on how to see who has Restacked posts? I keep wanting that info to be available by hovering over the icon, a la Facebook, but in the absence of that, am I meant to be digging into individual subscribers and using filters somehow?
Thanks!!
Hi there! 🟧 For restacks, it's a little buried right now. You have to go to the bottom of a post and click the hyperlinked number count of restacks to see them. Here's a little GIF that explains it better - https://substack.com/@substackwriters/note/c-17622388
Thanks, Bailey!!
Thank you for asking! I've wondered that, too. The GIF makes it simple.
✏️ Do you limit comments on free posts to paid subscribers as a way to push for more paid subscribers? Several Substacks that I read do that. My paid subscribers are already my most active commenters.
I've seen a lot of Stacks do that but it seems a strange approach. Surely you want engagement with your posts regardless of whether folk have paid or not?
This. Which is why I would have liked the option to have free subscribers comment on articles with paywalls. That way you are free to decide what content is free and paid while not preventing anyone from commenting. Right now, any paywall automatically means only paid comments. I have got around this issue by putting the paid content on a separate page, then linking to it from the post through a custom button. I want everyone to be part of the discussion!
Some people have mentioned a Poll function in our dashboards. I haven't used it, but it seems like a safe way to see if that would have any unexpected impact on your free subscribers.
I’ll admit, that’s worked on me since I happen to like discussion. It might just annoy people, though.
✏️ - Hi, can anyone help me with the referrals program? I cannot find it on my settings and want to understand it
In settings, you should see referrals in the left hand nav column... it's four space up from "danger zone," which is the very last entry. hope that helps!
I should add, there's a template notification email to tell readers about referrals. you'll see it once when you toggle referrals on, but if you don't do anything with it, that template lives in your drafts folder.
Thanks, now I see it. I went to Settings via my dashboard, not the page itself. Thanks!
So curious to see what you offer as rewards! Maybe a secret cartoon? You can add images, videos, and more to the referral rewards emails that go out to subscribers when they unlock rewards.
Here's the support article: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/16142857300372-What-are-subscriber-referrals-on-Substack-
I just added a signed doodle to the rewards on Tier 3, Katie! How do I send out a referal email notice? Not sure I did that yet.
okay I will make you understand
My increase in subscribers has been slow but gradual on Substack probably due to my gradual learning of the ropes over the last two years. I had brought a number of subscribers over from my WordPress site and MailChimp email collector of about 300. I am now up to about 440. See my latest post: https://www.inmindwise.com/p/the-reality-of-decision-making-and
Thanks for your reply Vinh. Your comment shows as,"Vitual Hockey Scout" because of this, I don't know you also write about music. I only see that if I click on you. Someone may not do that if they think you only write about hockey. I don't see a way around it. It seems like you only get one MAIN name, which sort of becomes your public name when your on other spaces. I hope what I'm saying makes sense. I appreciate your help.
Hi i have trouble finding this! What do you mean when you say its live office hours?
I missed the hours! Anyways, I find it hard to get my first subscribers and grow. I have been posting at least once a week in the past month or so, with no new subscribers other than friends and family. Any tips?
Thanks!