1579 Comments

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.

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🟧 I see there are no office hours today but I'm still going to write. Is that a waste of time? Will people still see it? sabrinalabow.substack.com

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I saw it. I'll check your publication in a minute πŸ€—

Here's mine:

https://artline.substack.com/

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Hey Sabrina, we aren't hosting Office Hours today but we'll be back next week.

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Hi, Katie. I'm awfully sorry about that. See you next week :)

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🟧 Request to enable reseting referral each month. So new rewards can be given under time windows.

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🟧 Also can you always send email notices about Writer Office Hours at least 12 hours in advance. If you send it only 4 hours in advance in the middle of working hours, it is not enough time for me to send you all my questions.

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🟧 Hi. Did you please already solve that bug, with copy/paste links from my Substack page to other social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Quora. Two examples are links at the end of my Quora comments:

1. https://infoorb.quora.com/How-fair-do-you-consider-life-to-be-1?comment_id=359370489&comment_type=2

2. https://infoorb.quora.com/How-fair-do-you-consider-life-to-be-1?comment_id=359370214&comment_type=2

Every time I'm not signed on my Substack page and try to open a link at the end of these 2 comments I only see the sign "This page is private - try signing in with a different email, or letting the author know they've linked to a private page." written in red.

I copied/pasted these two links from my Substack page while I was signed in. When someone else who is not signed on the Substack page tried to open these two links, he also saw only a sign "This page is private - try signing in with a different email, or letting the author know they've linked to a private page." written in red.

A few days ago when I tried to copy/paste my links to my Facebook posts after simply bing searching Peter Sobotka/Substack and copy/paste links from my page I found there, without signing into my Substack page they seemed to work normally. But I would prefer to be able to copy/paste them while I am signed on my Substack page and I want that people who are not signed on the Substack can read the articles for free subscribers without needing to sign up and give their email to Substack.

I live in Central Europe so I want to make sure that the links I copy/paste to my Facebook posts or other social networks work correctly. Thanks

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Hello, everyone! Not sure if it's a ghost town right now, but I just woke up from a nap that makes me feel like I've slept for days.

Anyway, here is my publication:

https://artline.substack.com/

I write about:

- Life

- Love & relationships

- Poetry

- Fiction

- Music

- Series

and more!

See you there! πŸ€—

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Whoops, just saw this. I’ll include moving forward. πŸ€¦πŸ»β€β™€οΈ

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✏️I got a great tip from someone on office hours which was to post a link to your posts. Like this...sabrinalabow.substack.com. Anyone have any other helpful tips that don't entail a great deal of tech savviness?

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Katie, my suggestion would be to ask your tech team if they could force a choice of one of these or an "other" option to help all of us save time as we scan this very active discussion. There are many new substackers who are asking questions that are already answered in your excellent libraries of materials, and I'd really like to be able to skip over those completely and focus on the ones I may be able to interact with. Perhaps your tech folks could even direct the questions for the Substack team to a separate thread. Also, please consider adding an emoji for questions about the actual craft of writing. That kind of discussion is sorely missing from an event called "Writer's Office Hours."

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These are great tips!

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Who's new to Substack? Introduce yourself and let us know what's top of mind!

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Newbie....too overwhelmed to formulate goals much less express questions based on goals

goals...?

What are/is my goal(s)?

Good place for ME to start

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Hi Kate and all at substack. I'm a guy who just arrived from last week from blogging on stories / flash pieces on https://weirdorwhat.wordpress.com/ for years. I'm finding this place a little different. I've posted a few times but within seconds even I can't find my post! I've tried Notes but maybe there is a central stream of posts somewhere out there I'm missing. https://markrice.substack.com/

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Thanks for the invite, Katie! I've been on here since June, learning, learning. After blogging since 2007 on WordPress, I am pretty high on Substack. Thanks to all of you for making this place for us.

Here's my story - one of them, anyway. I'm a travel writer who loves going beyond the rainbow, for whom the hunt is just as fulfilling as the destination. It took me awhile to learn that there’s no place like home and that home is lots of places with lots of people. It also took me awhile to learn that the best part of traveling isn’t finding home, but searching for it. And writing about what I find on the other side of the rainbow.

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Hi, I've had FuzzNews newsletter for years now and want to get it up on Substack. I signed up some time ago but never really GOT it. Dyslexia is my excuse but in exchange I turned out to be a half decent writer. I wanna get rich on that. Where do I begin?

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Hey, I launched my Newsletter where i talk about the psychology and other aspects of stock trading and unconventional knowledge about the stock market which mainstream media does not cover.

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Hey, Last month I launched my newsletter and has been doing okay-ish so far. I write about technology - software architecture and system design.

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Hi, recently started my newsletter about public health issues and social injustices. Would love to hear your feedback 😊 https://reframed8.substack.com/

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Hi, y'all. I've been around for just a few months. I'm a humor writer. My essays reflect my interests and my grievances; I have many of both. You’ll see a fair amount of pop-culture-related nonsense. You’ll see personal, life-related nonsense. What you won’t see is political nonsenseβ€”I apologize in advance, as I know there is a dearth of that content available online.

Besides essays, I’ll be serving up short humor pieces. My hope is that you will find these funny, which you probably gleaned from my daring use of the word β€œhumor.” Please stop by if you're so inclined! I'll be doing the same with many of yours.

https://chrisstanton.substack.com

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Hi Chris, I loved the 36 murderers I encounter in my lifetime piece. My sort of humour. Good luck with the new site

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Thank you so much, Mark! I really appreciate that.

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Hi Katie. I'm also new. My newsletter is called Demystifying Philosophy: https://mariaantoniettaperna.substack.com/ . I set out to introduce readers to Western philosophy by focusing on current issues analysed through the lenses of great thinkers, past and present.

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I just started my publication β€˜Pages Of Jasmine’. After reading amazing newsletters here for months, I finally decided to create my own substack. Hoping to grow a beautiful community here.

Some topics I will touch upon in my writings are:

~ Literature

~ Art and Aesthetics

~ Personal thoughts

~Twenties

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Hi Katie, I’m Beverley and I write Field Notes From the Body... it draws on my 4 decades of experience in the yoga and somatics world.

I particularly share ideas about embodied anatomy for curious practitioners to explore. Anything from knowledge sharing, guided practices and journaling prompts.

https://beverleynolan.substack.com/

For me, my challenge is converting free subscribers to paid.

Thank you. Appreciating all the links people are sharing in this thread.

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I don't know if I have touched base before, but you will see the title of my substack (which I am and I do). I don't write solely about yoga – I write on anything that captures my imagination so it is something different every week – but I have one post which discusses why people stand on their head and it includes a two minute video of me doing so. As you probably know, this isn't so difficult once you know how to do it, but people are surprised that I still do this at age 81 (80 in the video).

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Thanks for your note, Ann,I shall go and find your writing and the clip. It’s good to keep surprising people, isn’t it? :-)

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Hi , I'm starting out. Loving the short reads, motivation and amazing platform. In exploring my fiction writing, I'm wondering is this a platform to post the 800-1500word chapters as I go? Or is this more a news/information worthy platform? I didn't want to start posting to see how it went, if it is totally the wrong platform. Thanks

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I'm also a fiction writer and new so I share your interest and will hang around to find out. I have to say I've read many postinsg from the writing industry that have lasted 1,000 + words and seem never ending so I will try it and see, aftere a while. Finding my reader is my first task. He or she is out there somewhere, I just know that they are.

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I consider myself Newish. My substack does sendups of American current events, politics and culture. And also, Canadian:

https://anarchyforamerica.substack.com/p/the-shire-commemorates-former-uruk

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Hi, Im @Bernardtvogel, I currently work as a VC backing early stage. Proud founder of curiouscompass.substack.com, a biweekly newsletter crafted for tech enthusiasts, founders, and venture capitalists. I dive deep into the different domains of tech, startups, venture capital, and more. Break down the latest trends, demystify complicated concepts with engaging visuals, and present content that's easy to grasp. My goal is to be the link between your tech queries and the insights you're after.

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Does publishing my first article two weeks ago count as new? The second one is happening tomorrow. I’m writing about the process of writing the serialised novel (which I am getting ready to launch by 2024] and trying not to drop too many hints about the story, which is a Regency-era Arthurian quest to avoid ecological collapse, with sea dragons. https://projectstarfish.substack.com/

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I'm have a final manuscript for a fiction novel, also in hand and am new here too. I think two weeks onboard is still new so you qualify in the newness stakes. The serialised idea sounds interesting. Are you planning pay to read posts?

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Hi Mark, nope. My publication will be free. I am fortunate not to need to make money from this, so someone can read for free and save their subscription dollars for another publication! Maybe yours? Hopping over to take a look.

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Nice idea but I'm free too! I'm just seeking readers.

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Me. I'm Jackie Houchin and I don't know what I'm doing at all! (haha) I read some daily Substack posts that I enjoy, and would like to start maybe a weekly post of my own at first, but I don't know how, who to send to, how long they should be, which of my "semi-ideas" to begin with.... etc. :-0

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Join the club. I'm afraid I can be of no help as I've just joined too but welcome onboard our ship called "SS. Optimism." Can't lose anything but your own time if just sit down and write a post. I often do it because if I don't I'll have forgotten this brilliant story and its gone forever. Good luck Jacqueline!

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I am ohhenepchiko Collins Erhakporo am a newbie into writing as a whole. How do I grow?

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Grab a keyboard and get typing! Nothing to lose and everything to gain, like an audience!

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🟧 Maybe uou can answer to the question below TODAY ?

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🟧 Please a question fro next week, since today nobody answers.

About pledges and their automatic concersion into paying subscribers when the writer installs a paywall. I had received a of 80 (euros or USD, I do not remember and cannot track it on the platform) but when I installed a paywall, which was of USD50 per year, he remained registered as a free subscriber. So his pledge did not transform into a paying subscribtion. Please tell me how this can be fixed. Thanks

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🟧 hello Substack team.

Question :: i have the app on my i phone. I see it gives me a plus + for writing a new note. What about posts ? How can I access dashboard and post a newsletter/ essay from the app ?

Is it possible ?

So far, was only able to access dashboard to post on my laptop which is not always convenient.

Hope you catch this and able to help. Thanks 😊

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Hi. I was able to change my profile pic and tagline, but I can’t change it for my publication Much Ado About Nothing. Can you show me how to do that please? Thank you.

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🟧 I get emails on one of my publications about hitting my publishing streak, but not the other. How do I change/edit/start a goal? Is there a setting somewhere? Thanks!

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✏️&🟧 I’m wondering if the Substack infrastructure is inadvertently creating a β€œcaste system” just as the rest of the economy has. In the past, physical magazines had a fixed price and we had a fixed number of articles to read. With Substack, the number of works available to readers is theoretically unlimited. However, for some of us, our wallets are limited. And more importantly, our time is also limited. For those of us who have to rely on a day job to get by, these constraints may lead to a sense of FOMO and a type of comparison anxiety not unlike what people have experienced on social media, especially if our appetite for reading, learning, growing as well as being appreciated for our work is limitless. It is then that we become acutely aware of our β€œhave not” status. How are you all handling this?

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Ok--first question--how do you put that little orange square next to a question? (sorry, total newbie here)

Second question--I have noticed that some people have "sign up" links that do not include paywall info. You just type in your email and your done. The embed I have flashes the paywall info with the annual payment option already clicked on. I've had several people get all in a twist about this ("I thought you said it was FREE to sign up!"--I guess they dont realize they can click the free option?) Anyway, is there an option for a non-paywall signup link? Thanks for any info.

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Voglio sapere chiaramente se si paga commentate. In questo caso vi avviso di togliere la mia iscrizione, penso che il mio apporto sia molto significativo . Grazie datemi anche ina mail per scrivervi

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Just between you and I, since joining I've found Substack filled with....well, other writers. I've not seen a reader who isn't a writer so far. We are all becoming subscribers for each other. Are there any readers who aren't writers out there?

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🟧 Hi I've created my substack page about a week ago and have generated a few posts on it I am seeking to generate from scratch a whole new readership but my posts have attracted virtually no readers. I posted into Notes too and I comented on other posts but again no readership. Can you glance at my site and see if I have missed something about substack set-up?

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🟧 ✏️ - - I just tried the Beta Video creator. So cool! One question though. Where can I go back in to pair up with a different mic? It seems determined to hang on to the one that won't load. Thanks in advance!

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Hi Everybody in Substack! My name's Mike. I'm a writer, sculptor, actor, speaker, coach, trainer and Humanist Unitarian. I used to have a newsletter called The Passionate Speaker. I'll post a piece from those days on my substack page soon.

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Hi. How come I can listen to some articles and not others? And how do I add the listen option to my articles?

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I am interested in becoming part of Substack. I am a good writer and communicator. I have written appx 20+ short pieces, mostly involving sports and music. I am not looking to earn from sharing my work. It's more about having my work archived where others can read and enjoy. I would like to read other folk's work as well for the same reason. How do I get started?

John Ginn

j9ginn9@gmail.com

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Hi there! I am new here and learning this platform as I go..

✏️ how do I get noticed and gain visibility on Substack without having a previous mailing list?

thanks in advance

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I'm with you on this matter. I'm trying by posting comments in Notes and commenting on other peoples posts. If you find out let me know.

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Today is a good day to unsubscribe from Ask Polly if you're offered by sodomy like me!

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Hi everyone quick question .. is there an available hour to answer question for those of us located "downunder". Otherwise we have to be set our clocks after midnight... best

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Does a recipient of my email post have to be a substack member yo comment on my post? My hubby can’t see to do so.

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✏️Can you fellow writers please give me advice on how to expand my newsletter without any social media platforms?

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In order for a subscriber to share, they should use a share button from within the post. There are several in these. The subscribe buttons within the post makes it easy for new readers to then subscribe.

If a subscriber simply forwards the email with your post, the recipient will be asked to sign in as the subscriber who sent the email.

Alternatively, you can ask friends to share the link to your Substack account.

Good luck

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Please write mycmmnews@substack.com to mycmmnews@gmail.com. Why do you need direct access to our business bank account using our bank account password to transfer payments to us through your paid service? You don't own us. We are not a division of substack. We have no bi-directional comprehensive partnership agreement with you. You don't give us access to your bank account through your password. You can quote all the laws you want but your never going to get access to our business bank account unless you issue to us a bi-directional comprehensive partnership agreement, without exception. Daniel Stetler, My CMM News LLC., General Manager.

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Can you integrate PayPal or pioneer as payment gateway or any other gateway. Substack uses stripe which doesn't allow to receive payment in India. that's why am unable to start my newsletter.

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✏️ - My substack: https://trebreezy.substack.com is very new, but I just crossed 100 subs! One basic principle I keep hearing is being consistent. I am trying to commit to 1-2 posts a week for that. Are there any other core principles that I should be following?

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Hi Tre, read your last piece and its clear and specific about your planned content. I like the poll for readers to chose the content of future pieces. Well done!

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Something is up with uploading podcast/audio files. Keep getting β€˜something went wrong’. Tried different files types, different browsers, different post types, and still the same issue. I’m not sure what to do...thanks.

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need to copy and paste from documents because not able to type i write by talk to text and save to word document. does not seem like substack supports this. is that correct ?

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I'm just starting out and every time I try to update my bio it says error can't save. It gives me no reason

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✏️ have you found a particular day/time to post throughout the week that sees more engagement?

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I read an article today that said they thought most readers read during the working week and early in the morning but research it a bit yourself. Plenty of advice out there. Post away at different times and see what you find yourself.

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I would say post when you can. Make it regular. That seems the most important. If you seem to be only able to post on Sunday then so be it. The most important things seem to be 1) quality writing, and 2) regular posting.

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Thank you mark!

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Medium.com wrote the article and have free membership

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Hi! I’m Christina, I write a Newsletter about personal style, getting dressed (and how it is a form of self expression and taking care of yourself) as well as small essays about my life - heavy on parenthood, adulthood, etc.

I’ve been here awhile but it took a lot of writing for me to start to hone in on β€œwhat I’m doing!” I took a nearly 12 year hiatus from writing, after being an avid writer in high school and college, and then only writing for business purposes throughout my actual career (ugh, e-mails & PowerPoint!) it feels GREAT to be back in the groove, and have a small readership, and especially to read so many other incredible newsletters & writers.

I am also a life-long lover of style and fashion. Once, in high school, I had a friend tell me she thought my closet would be clueless-esque, and was shocked to find I had a small closet, with a small but mighty selection of clothes! I love getting dressed, and helping other people figure out what to wear.

If you are a parent, a mother, recently postpartum, or over 30 and curious about someone else’s life AND trying to find your own style so that getting dressed can be easy and fun and make you feel like your best version of yourself, please read!!

christinatumminello.substack.com

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Hi Christina,

It sounds like we’re writing about similar things in terms of personal style and I thought you might be interested in my Substack.

Also I love the name of yours πŸ˜‚ So clever!

If you’d like to check mine out, it’s doesthislookweird.substack.com 😊

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Hi Lily! So glad you found me/I found you! Can't wait to read more of your Substack!!!

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Substack is new to me. I will need a little hand holding until I am up to speed. I know what I will writing about, but how to load and import my peeps is another thing entirely.

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I would write articles but I ask myself, WHY? It seems nearly impossible to get Google to index and they don't seem much interested in Substack.com.

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Hi Bob, I found your Feb-23 posting and it is an interesting read about the early days pre-Web. It is very long and if I were posting, and bear i mind I'm completely new to Substack, I'd break it up into manageable chunks and post in instalments. I'd tag a lot of the key words that recur in the article and I'd perhaps mention it in Notes. Anyone got better advice? I'm sure someone will guide us both Bob.

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🟧 Hello! Would it be possible to get indents & alignment available for posts? I’m a poet and used these tools a lot usually, but also would love the option to centre headings and such.

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I am looking forward to finding out how to effectively participate on this wonderful venue

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Just get busy with postiing posts or comments on the Notes page or comments here in this area. Hopefully you'll get noticed

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🟧 I've added paid subscriptions to my Substack https://marcelborgstijn.substack.com as well last week. Mainly for people who want to support me. Both free and paid subscribers get the same content. I did notice a bug in the e-mail and app though. Four subscribe prompts right underneath eachother and a fifth one at the bottom of the post. And I had deactivated 'Subscribe prompt' in the settings as I would like to just place one with a custom text. Heard back from fellow Substackers that they encountered the same issue. I hope the Substack-team can fix this really quick as it costed me already a few subscibers who taught I was spamming them with this amount of prompts.

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Hello.

I want to earn money by writing. How to do this. That is, traffic of my writings.

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Hello everyone I need someone that is going to gaidar me

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What is the top strategy to reach to a wider audience for a new starter.

My page is focused on driving curiosity and positivity through a wide range of topics .

https://sabrinaxyzhang.substack.com

A great platform to unleash creativity, would love to explore how to spread it further.

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✏️🟧

Some substack newsletters I get say "Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more" (screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/srnqtMZ.png) in the very first line of the email, while others say "View in Browser" (screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/ekR7OM8.png).

What determines this? is there a way to edit it for my own newsletter?

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🧠 - If you are reading these words, there’s a good chance you are alive.

Breathing and feeling and thinking and doing on this whirling dervish of a planet.

Savor it. Statistically speaking, you shouldn’t be.

More here: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/you-will-die

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I did not, mean to open a substack in my name. That was an entry error and I do not know how to delete it.

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There are two seperate things here. Your "profile" and your substack newsletter. BOTH names can be changed. For the latter, click on your picture in the top right, and go to "writer dashboard". Then "Settings". This contains all the settings for your substack. You can even change the name

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I live overseas in Sydney. It is difficult for me to synchronize office hours with my remote time zone. My question is about certain features like underline, highlight etc., which are not available. Minor issues maybe, but nevertheless.

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I'm trying to figure out what Substack can do for me?

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🟧 - if I change the name of my newsletter, how will that impact the recommendations that other writers have already given me under my current name?

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Is there a way to make your content free but require and email sign up to read?

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Was wondering if the team at SubStack would consider featuring my page”Time Traveler” in one of your future publications. Thanks in advance.

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