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New tools for international writers and readers. Local currency, local payment methods, and Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese language translations unlock international growth, while enabling new readers to find and support publications they love. Learn more.
Thinking about collaborations? Some of the most powerful ways to grow your Substack are the human-powered tools we’ve built that help writers and creators suggest other Substackers to their readers via the subscribe flow, on their home pages and profiles, and in their emails. Get inspired.
To those affected by media layoffs. Hardly a week passes that there isn’t grim news about the media industry—downsizings and mass layoffs, bankruptcies and closures. If you’re a writer who has been laid off or have had enough of the turbulence of ad-supported media, and you’re sorting through your options for what’s next, we’re here to help you explore independence.
Got questions about Substack or feedback about a feature or tool? You’re in the right place! Leave a comment in this thread.
🧠 Main thing I've observed this week? That whenever I’m a bit nervous about a newsletter, or think it might be too personal or too weird, those are always the editions that do really well.
It’s happened at least three times now, with newsletters I very nearly didn’t send. And they all really resonated with readers.
As writers I think we have to feel a bit uncomfortable and as if we’re about to fall over, in order to write our most compelling stuff.
🟧 Have y’all ever thought about allowing writers to limit posts to all subscribers, including free? Think paywall sans payment, where a reader would have to become at least a free subscriber in order to see the whole post. I for one would value this!
✏️ 🟧 I only just started paying attention to my “Weekly Substack Reads” email and am quite impressed by how much I’ve enjoyed each and every story that’s been recommended. It’s been a great way to discover new writers who speak to me. I assume there’s some mysterious algorithm driving the selections; does anyone know how it works or what it’s based on? If we’re featured in someone’s Weekly Reads, would we know?
🧠 - One thing I’ve noticed I’ve told several writers over the past week or two that I believe would be a beneficial reminder to ANYONE who creates for a community:
ALWAYS COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS!
It makes everyone involved feel SO much better :)
I can struggle with perfectionism and wanting things to come across “just right.” Or just forgo a series idea or whatever because I don’t know exactly how I’ll structure it or if I’ll like sharing it or if my peeps will like it...
So just say so!
Tell your people if you’re wanting to try something new, or if you’re going to take a hiatus and what to expect.
Starting something completely different on the same Substack? Put it in a section, share an announcement about it, and link them to be able to manage their subscription in case they aren’t interested in that particular topic.
Hold polls for your people, update your welcome pages when schedules change... it’s all so appreciated (and gives us the biggest exhale to do more of what we’d like!) on both ends when you just communicate what you’re doing.
🟧 Hi all, just a big 👏 to the Substack team in response to the new tools for international readers & writers. I'm based in Ireland and while most of my readers are American, it's great to see the community grow here in Ireland. 🇮🇪
🧠 I just want to say that collaborating with other creatives has been my favourite thing about this platform since I began writing here in July. I love how easy it is to tag other writers and co-author work.
I’m currently on the lookout for female and non-binary multi-hyphenates to interview for the next series of my podcast that I host here. Get in touch if that’s you and you’re interested!
🟧 I recently speculated a future where Substack becomes a powerhouse in the digital ebook marketplace by enabling several key integrations. The response was positive, and the resulting discussion has been really insightful, with several folks asking that it be elevated. I figured sharing the article here at Office Hours might be the best place to follow up with the Substack team or other independent authors who might have takeaways on whether the direction is viable for Substack in general.
✏️ 🟧 As someone who has always been a writer, but hesitated to call myself one, I am so grateful for the creative freedom and consistent writing practice that Substack has empowered me to sustain. Now that I'm 20 weeks in, I want to focus on growing the reach and impact of my writing with a stronger following. Aside from promoting to my existing networks, what else can I do?
✏️ what is everyone's best advice for getting your work out there and growing an audience/community, when you are pretty much starting from scratch on Substack? How do I help the right people see my writing and want to subscribe/pay to see my writing?
✏️ What rituals or processes do you have for making your way through your favorite writers' essays?
I've been reserving time for my Substack Inbox every evening, keeping it up to date with essays that I'm excited to dive into, and archiving essays if they don't spark curiosity during the initial skim through. I use Reader (Readwise's save now, read later tool) if I find myself drawn to passages I'd like to highlight and revisit in the future
🧠 - My latest on the dangers of nostalgia: “I love nostalgia.
I crave it.
I seek it out as much as I can.
Through it, I can tap into those choice moments that have made my life beautiful; memories that include the first time I set eyes on my future wife, the thrill of hurling my mortarboard skyward after graduating, the pleasure of curling up with a good novel on a cold winter’s night.”
- Request: an ability to create templates that can be used as the starting point for each post rather than duplicating old posts
- Use case: I use the same template / framework for each post (same CTA buttons, an “other essays you may enjoy” section, and a “thank you [xyz] for reviewing drafts”). Currently, I duplicate an old essay or start fresh with a blank template for each new essay
For Notes
- Request: a schedule send feature
- Use case: I typically batch reading my Inbox during a specific time of day (and have heard others do the same) and want to engage with a number of pieces using Notes, but find myself flooding the feed when I do — would love a way to send out my Notes throughout the day
🧠 This is how I’m building community. I started a library to highlight Black writers called the Cookout Library 👋🏿👋🏽👋🏾. It’s a different kind of collaboration - it’s a living space where I can add and share the work I love with my subscribers and community.
As Black History month is quickly approaching, if you’re looking to support Black writers, check out this virtual and interactive library. I’m adding some every day while giving them their flowers on notes. Black writers, tap in, there’s room for you on my shelf.
I recently wrote on Substack about my failed attempt to adopt a child from foster care (after 3 years of infertility and 5 miscarriages). I was grieving the loss of this child through my writing, and I got a couple of replies telling me I was a horrible person because it didn’t work out. Someone even created a fake email shouldnothavekids@_____.com and a fake Substack account and paid my monthly subscription fee so they could post an anonymous comment telling me I was a piece of garbage and didn’t deserve to be a parent. I had to paywall the post and my subsequent response to it because I no longer felt safe sharing publicly.
❓ Has anyone else had this experience on Substack? How did you handle it?
I’m new here and 25 people already subscribed to my newsletter. I think that’s an exciting achievement and I’m looking forward to engaging more with people.
🧠 Recently, a fellow Substack writer came to me for assistance with her publication. Her needs motivated and inspired me to take it one step further and offer virtual Substack assistance to anyone who needs it. I'm very active here as a writer and I'm ALL IN on the Substack train. So, why not take it one step further and put my time and skills to good use? I'm here for the greater good and success of anyone who's looking for it! Here's more info about how I can help! 😊😊 www.UnstackSubstack.com
I've been thinking a lot about collaborations lately. I wanted to be more of an active participant in the Substack community rather than a lurker type! I take time each week to read (not skim!) all of the substacks I subscribe to and I leave a comment if they're not limited to paid subscribers. If I'm lucky, some collaborative opportunities may grow out of this in the future. I've found some amazing writers and content on Substack in such a short space of time! There are some talented folks out there who are very inspiring.
✏️ : Also I write Monstellar, which is a collective of ideas, mindsets and inspiration for the curious. We are finally a community of 60+ people.
I have a very important query for my fellow writers here: How do you make a choice between writing relevant and hot topics v/s insights that might not really make sensation but you’re passionate about?
The first one definitely brings in followers but the latter comes right from the soul. What do you do in such situations?
✏️ First day of going paid yday and a whopping 0.5% of free subscribers made the jump....how have other people's launch days gone? Any tips on picking up momentum during the first month?
✏️ We just started our substack and have gotten a tremendous response which is wonderful. A lot of free subscribers coming from our instagram account. I wonder how and when people have decided to paywall things. Our approach is to ensure all critical information is open and accessible but we also need to eventually make some money to support the content. Any and all advice appreciated!
🟧 Thoughts/insights on why one might have a consistently high open rate (i.e. readers are presumably interested in the content!) but a low paid subscriber rate? And/or ideas on how to change this?
✏️ I'd like to compile a list of other writers that are writing about parenting in an authentic way. NOT superficial self-care tips, not mommy hacks, not "30-minute" weeknight recipes, not "expert advice" about how to parent your child. I'm looking for real stories about the realities of parenting in the 21st century. I've got a good list drafted that I'm excited to share but would love additional suggestions and nominations. Thanks in advance!
✏️ My question for fellow writers is…are there any GenZ writers out in the Substack universe? I started a Substack for us to connect and sure would love to collaborate, share, and learn from one another. And if there’s any advice on how to find my fellow Zoomers I’m all ears. https:genzwrites.substack.com
(don’t worry, I appreciate all writers. nothing personal!)
🧠 I've edited others' work for two decades, helping authors tease out what they want to say and shape it into the best version possible is a career that's brought me great delight. Learning to turn the perspective and strategies I honed over the years to my own writing has been amazing!! It's made my writing practice way more joyful and free. And it's for sure made my writing better. I think that's reflected in my having gone from a list of 31 subscribers I brought from my old blog to nearly 400 since starting to publish here six months ago, a number of them paying. Yay!! I don't quite have words for the gratitude I feel. So, my advice is this, if you're wanting to take your writing to a new level, try and look at your early drafts from a fresh perspective. Try to see the writer and the editor in you as separate entities.
Because I'm a systems person, I've geeked out on how I can transform the tools I used over my years as an editor to suit working with my own writing. And I've been developing that into workshops so I can share it with other writers. So, if you'd like to get into how to do this, I'd love to invite you to check out my Be Your Own Editor workshops. :)
✏️ Hi. This is my first time on Writer Office Hours and I feel like I’ve been missing out. I currently have two subscribers (my husband and I!) and would like to connect with writers on the same subject of parenting teens. Any advice?
✏️ 🟧 After a year of Substack I just announced that I'm going to be going paid at the start of February 😬 I'm really nervous! I just have a handful of pledges.
I want to keep as much of my content as possible free because I know it has value and I love serving my community, but I want to give value to my paid subscribers and make it truly worth it and enticing for them. Any thoughts would be so helpful!
Context: I offered a free Oracle card reading (similar to tarot but made by an artist) to those that pledge before Feb 1st but super interested in other ideas for offers or other ways I can add to the value of a paid subscription.
✏️- What’s a good way to craft post titles/subject lines that are *not* clickbaity but still draw a reader’s interest?
I think my titles might be too niche and I’d like to improve in this area. A bit unsure on what to do because I still want to use my voice and writing style.
Just to let you know that using this forum and connecting with people works, I've picked up 2 new subscribers today.
The fact that I also lost a couple and gained a couple in the last two days is fine. People are going to come and go. Don't let that discourage you. You have to look at being here as a life-long commitment. Me? I'm here for the long haul. We all have different reasons for being here. Some want to express themselves through their writing -- well, I suppose we all do -- but some want to share life experiences and some have political opinions, and some want to tell you how you should handle your money, or what books to read, or what movies to watch. Me? I just want to write. I want to prove to myself that I CAN write, and that people like what I write.
I'm retired, so I have a lot of time to hang around and be creative, which is what I've always wanted to do. But being older, and retired, I know my time is limited to just a handful of years. While others in their 30's and 40's can look at forty or fifty years to create a following, I'm lucky if I get 20. So I write. I could have pick an easier target though, with Fiction being what it is, a hard sell.
But there are about 40-45 million people using Substack now, according to the latest write ups I could find. You only need a small percentage to prove to yourself that this is working for you. Right now, I'm probably sitting at .001%, so I've got my work cut out for me. And as for my PAID Subscribers, well, I don't even look at those numbers. NOBODY wants to PAY for fiction. They'd rather read it for FREE.
I run a small newsletter called Unwind where I write about the meaningful things in life.
I really wanted to explore the option of writing guest posts for other substacks and inviting other writers to write guest post on my newsletter (~120 subscribers). I have the following questions:
1. How do I approach other writers?
2. How does the whole process of guest posting work? Like, do we connect over video calls or do we simply restrict it to emal communication where we share the respective drafts?
🧠 - I see a lot of advice about how writers shouldn't worry if they can only write once a week, or even once every couple of weeks. Well, I'm in the opposite boat -- I started a DAILY newsletter! (The idea is that I send subscribers one Rush song every day + a few random thoughts or facts on the song: https://oneadayrush.substack.com/ )
Anyway, I was so nervous my potential readers would be put off by the frequency of emails, but I've found the opposite to be true. My core audience is really engaged, and I've gotten a lot of feedback that they look forward to finding out whatever that day's new song is. So I just wanted to share that Substack can be powerful for more frequent newsletter publishers as well!
Hi I started my sub stacked named Jonathan's substack just out of curiosity and it has grown quite a bit. My questions are that I am kind of a polymath and I write about several different subjects yet I keep reading that it is best to stick to one subject so your readers know what to expect. However that is not my goal so that being said what are the best strategies for people who write about several different subjects in my case medicine Aviation suicide ketamine and Sports Medicine and such. Thank you
✏️ Any writers not adhering to a specific niche? I started my substack yesterday and got one subscriber but my content will vary based on my wholly personal life experiences. I’m worried they will fall off if I don’t stick to a certain topic.
🧠 Hi! I launched my Substack a couple months ago. It's called Everything Is Compostable. I contend that you can turn anything that happens to you, no matter how shitty, into fertile soul-soil. That's what I'm doing through my writing. Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out: https://helenzuman.substack.com/.
Thought this might be of interest to other new Substackers: I started out with a list of about 200 subscribers, which I imported from MailChimp. From the beginning, I put most posts behind a paywall (partly because what I write is often highly personal). I have 14 paying subscribers. There are certainly downsides to this approach—and it's been fun to experiment with doing the opposite of what most recommend.
✏️ Poetry & Short Story (Fiction) Authors: How goes it on Substack? ✏️
I just arrived and am still learning this platform, but am enjoying it already. I know poetry is a tough sell, but I also write short stories (horror and whimsy). Just curious about any tips other poets and authors may have for building a following, etc.
I do post links and/or snippets to my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Author Page. I don't have any family so I can't hassle them. :)
✏️ Would love some advice about how to grow my following. Have no interest in using this platform to make money and I write under a pseudonym so it’s not about building a ‘personal brand’. I guess I just feel really compelled to write about things that make me frustrated to live in a world which I know has such capacity to be kind and tolerant - and yet out political classes seem to make that very difficult. Thanks in advance :-)
🧠 My advice is to be consistent and know what your intentions are. I have two Substacks - one under my name called An Abundant Life and Tales of Karnum that goes with my fledgling author career.
An Abundant life is closing in on 1.5 years and is a weekly I post on Mondays. Most of the time I get at least 3 Mondays out of the month, but I've been more consistent lately. My numbers are not growing fast, but they doubled in the past 6 months. Within 24 hours I have an average open rate of at least a third of my subscribers. I haven't gotten many comments, but I have readers that respond in email. I'm happy with how it is going no matter the size.
Tales of Karnum was created almost a year ago but hasn't seen regular activity until my first book came out. Part of my issue was too much going on at once. I mostly have a monthly wrap up that goes out as email. The rest of my posts I link in that rather than doing email. I get a pretty high open rate on my wrap ups, usually 40 to 50% in the first 24 hours. I put a paid section on this for a longer dystopian tale that I pulled off of Vella because I wanted more control of it. I also do book reviews. So this one needs a tad more consistency beyond the monthly wrap up and more content showing off my writing around my books. I have yet to gain a paid sub here other than the one I gave to a friend for all her help with my writing.
My goal this year is to keep it up and learn how to get my substacks noticed more. I link things on my socials, which is one of my higher access points but direction seems to be increasing for where readers come from.
Here's to all of us finding more readers, consistency and fun in our writing adventures here.
I have a very small readership and would love to grow before going paid, but have been pondering on the idea of paid content and what that could look like. I write about nutrition and health, but don't consider myself a recipe developer (which I think would do great in paid) but any other ideas?
🧠 Do you have those weeks when you simply don’t have a good idea for your upcoming newsletter drop? Since I write about visual storytelling for marketers (https://newsletter.visualstorytell.com/) my approach is to look at photos on my phone. You’d be surprised how many ideas a mere photo can generate - all coming from the photo’s backstory.
🧠 - my advice, if you're not clear on your niche, don't overthink it! Start writing and see where the writing takes you, and then listen to your heart and see where you're led, and where people react best.
I started this 7 months ago under the Publication Name "Prone to Hyperbole" writing about my experiences as a second generation Canadian child of immigrants. My topic was my own, but it wasn't quite "niched down" enough.
As I continued, I found that I most loved writing about (and got the best reactions) when I wrote under my "Letters from a Muslim Woman Series". This week, I used The Substack Soiree's branding bundle and rebranded the whole newsletter as "Letters from a Muslim Woman" and I've jumped up about 150 subs in a week, to over 500 subscribers.
🧠 Notes is the way to go to meet collaborators, like-minded individuals, or just find people to hang out with for a while. Join in conversations, share your own and other people's work, and if you find 'stacks you like then recommend them in your own 'stack and on Notes. Don't expect immediate growth - people have to get to know you and you have to find your 'tribe'. Also remember that very obvious and frequent 'marketing' can put some people off. Don't stress about going paid. Do it whenever you feel like it, there's nothing to lose as long as it's an option and not absolute. I write for free but if people want to pay to support me, they can. I don't offer anything extra for paying readers, just grateful thanks! All my stuff is here if you're interested https://junegirvin.substack.com
🧠 Think no one is reading your work? Think again. My Substack alone has opened doors to major opportunities, media coverage, and more. Keep writing and experimenting. You never know where this will take you.
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.
🧠 Main thing I've observed this week? That whenever I’m a bit nervous about a newsletter, or think it might be too personal or too weird, those are always the editions that do really well.
It’s happened at least three times now, with newsletters I very nearly didn’t send. And they all really resonated with readers.
As writers I think we have to feel a bit uncomfortable and as if we’re about to fall over, in order to write our most compelling stuff.
🟧 Have y’all ever thought about allowing writers to limit posts to all subscribers, including free? Think paywall sans payment, where a reader would have to become at least a free subscriber in order to see the whole post. I for one would value this!
✏️ 🟧 I only just started paying attention to my “Weekly Substack Reads” email and am quite impressed by how much I’ve enjoyed each and every story that’s been recommended. It’s been a great way to discover new writers who speak to me. I assume there’s some mysterious algorithm driving the selections; does anyone know how it works or what it’s based on? If we’re featured in someone’s Weekly Reads, would we know?
Mostly just curious ;)
🧠 - One thing I’ve noticed I’ve told several writers over the past week or two that I believe would be a beneficial reminder to ANYONE who creates for a community:
ALWAYS COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS!
It makes everyone involved feel SO much better :)
I can struggle with perfectionism and wanting things to come across “just right.” Or just forgo a series idea or whatever because I don’t know exactly how I’ll structure it or if I’ll like sharing it or if my peeps will like it...
So just say so!
Tell your people if you’re wanting to try something new, or if you’re going to take a hiatus and what to expect.
Starting something completely different on the same Substack? Put it in a section, share an announcement about it, and link them to be able to manage their subscription in case they aren’t interested in that particular topic.
Hold polls for your people, update your welcome pages when schedules change... it’s all so appreciated (and gives us the biggest exhale to do more of what we’d like!) on both ends when you just communicate what you’re doing.
🟧 Hi all, just a big 👏 to the Substack team in response to the new tools for international readers & writers. I'm based in Ireland and while most of my readers are American, it's great to see the community grow here in Ireland. 🇮🇪
🧠 I just want to say that collaborating with other creatives has been my favourite thing about this platform since I began writing here in July. I love how easy it is to tag other writers and co-author work.
I’m currently on the lookout for female and non-binary multi-hyphenates to interview for the next series of my podcast that I host here. Get in touch if that’s you and you’re interested!
🟧 I recently speculated a future where Substack becomes a powerhouse in the digital ebook marketplace by enabling several key integrations. The response was positive, and the resulting discussion has been really insightful, with several folks asking that it be elevated. I figured sharing the article here at Office Hours might be the best place to follow up with the Substack team or other independent authors who might have takeaways on whether the direction is viable for Substack in general.
Thanks for hosting these opportunities to further the discussion! Here is the article for reference: https://storyletter.substack.com/p/selling-ebooks-on-substack-could
🧠write at your own pace. I publish less but still see daily growth. This allows me to focus on other things as well as create more impactful pieces.
✏️ 🟧 As someone who has always been a writer, but hesitated to call myself one, I am so grateful for the creative freedom and consistent writing practice that Substack has empowered me to sustain. Now that I'm 20 weeks in, I want to focus on growing the reach and impact of my writing with a stronger following. Aside from promoting to my existing networks, what else can I do?
✏️ what is everyone's best advice for getting your work out there and growing an audience/community, when you are pretty much starting from scratch on Substack? How do I help the right people see my writing and want to subscribe/pay to see my writing?
✏️ What rituals or processes do you have for making your way through your favorite writers' essays?
I've been reserving time for my Substack Inbox every evening, keeping it up to date with essays that I'm excited to dive into, and archiving essays if they don't spark curiosity during the initial skim through. I use Reader (Readwise's save now, read later tool) if I find myself drawn to passages I'd like to highlight and revisit in the future
✏️ Question for everyone. Where are most of your new subscribers coming from?
1) Substack community
2) SEO
3) Paid ads
4) social media (please specify which)
5) other
🧠 - My latest on the dangers of nostalgia: “I love nostalgia.
I crave it.
I seek it out as much as I can.
Through it, I can tap into those choice moments that have made my life beautiful; memories that include the first time I set eyes on my future wife, the thrill of hurling my mortarboard skyward after graduating, the pleasure of curling up with a good novel on a cold winter’s night.”
More: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/confessions-of-a-nostalgia-junkie
🟧 Posts & Notes feature requests
For Posts
- Request: an ability to create templates that can be used as the starting point for each post rather than duplicating old posts
- Use case: I use the same template / framework for each post (same CTA buttons, an “other essays you may enjoy” section, and a “thank you [xyz] for reviewing drafts”). Currently, I duplicate an old essay or start fresh with a blank template for each new essay
For Notes
- Request: a schedule send feature
- Use case: I typically batch reading my Inbox during a specific time of day (and have heard others do the same) and want to engage with a number of pieces using Notes, but find myself flooding the feed when I do — would love a way to send out my Notes throughout the day
Thanks, team!
✏️ been thinking a lot about flow this week... it’s the state when my best work pours out of me.
i’m curious: how do you guys get into your ‘flow state’?
🧠 This is how I’m building community. I started a library to highlight Black writers called the Cookout Library 👋🏿👋🏽👋🏾. It’s a different kind of collaboration - it’s a living space where I can add and share the work I love with my subscribers and community.
As Black History month is quickly approaching, if you’re looking to support Black writers, check out this virtual and interactive library. I’m adding some every day while giving them their flowers on notes. Black writers, tap in, there’s room for you on my shelf.
https://raisingmyles.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-cookout-library
✏️ How do you handle the haters? ✏️
I recently wrote on Substack about my failed attempt to adopt a child from foster care (after 3 years of infertility and 5 miscarriages). I was grieving the loss of this child through my writing, and I got a couple of replies telling me I was a horrible person because it didn’t work out. Someone even created a fake email shouldnothavekids@_____.com and a fake Substack account and paid my monthly subscription fee so they could post an anonymous comment telling me I was a piece of garbage and didn’t deserve to be a parent. I had to paywall the post and my subsequent response to it because I no longer felt safe sharing publicly.
❓ Has anyone else had this experience on Substack? How did you handle it?
(Here’s the piece, and my response:)
https://www.lizexplores.com/p/adoption-breakup
Hi!
I’m new here and 25 people already subscribed to my newsletter. I think that’s an exciting achievement and I’m looking forward to engaging more with people.
🧠 Recently, a fellow Substack writer came to me for assistance with her publication. Her needs motivated and inspired me to take it one step further and offer virtual Substack assistance to anyone who needs it. I'm very active here as a writer and I'm ALL IN on the Substack train. So, why not take it one step further and put my time and skills to good use? I'm here for the greater good and success of anyone who's looking for it! Here's more info about how I can help! 😊😊 www.UnstackSubstack.com
I've been thinking a lot about collaborations lately. I wanted to be more of an active participant in the Substack community rather than a lurker type! I take time each week to read (not skim!) all of the substacks I subscribe to and I leave a comment if they're not limited to paid subscribers. If I'm lucky, some collaborative opportunities may grow out of this in the future. I've found some amazing writers and content on Substack in such a short space of time! There are some talented folks out there who are very inspiring.
🟧
Firstly, super grateful to Substack for sharing the piece on making Collaboration as a powerful tool to grow and create amazing content!
This was my question lastly, as I am exploring ways to write and curate more perspectives! ✨
Love the way Substack is such a wholesome platform of writers who are really passionate about sharing their ideologies.
This piece is an ode to me new found sense of community at Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/monstellar/p/reading-simple-steps-to-a-page-turning?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
✏️ : Also I write Monstellar, which is a collective of ideas, mindsets and inspiration for the curious. We are finally a community of 60+ people.
I have a very important query for my fellow writers here: How do you make a choice between writing relevant and hot topics v/s insights that might not really make sensation but you’re passionate about?
The first one definitely brings in followers but the latter comes right from the soul. What do you do in such situations?
✏️ First day of going paid yday and a whopping 0.5% of free subscribers made the jump....how have other people's launch days gone? Any tips on picking up momentum during the first month?
✏️ We just started our substack and have gotten a tremendous response which is wonderful. A lot of free subscribers coming from our instagram account. I wonder how and when people have decided to paywall things. Our approach is to ensure all critical information is open and accessible but we also need to eventually make some money to support the content. Any and all advice appreciated!
🧠 Build your own community 🧠
The best advice I've found for new writers is to find your own community outside of Substack.
• Help people.
• Join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Write posts on Reddit and Quora.
• Even join communities on Slack and Discord.
This is where you'll find your people as opposed to commenting (which helps!) and relying just on Notes.
If you're passionate about your niche, it'll come easy to you.
Good luck!
🟧 Thoughts/insights on why one might have a consistently high open rate (i.e. readers are presumably interested in the content!) but a low paid subscriber rate? And/or ideas on how to change this?
✏️ Any tips for building a new audience, please!
✏️ I'd like to compile a list of other writers that are writing about parenting in an authentic way. NOT superficial self-care tips, not mommy hacks, not "30-minute" weeknight recipes, not "expert advice" about how to parent your child. I'm looking for real stories about the realities of parenting in the 21st century. I've got a good list drafted that I'm excited to share but would love additional suggestions and nominations. Thanks in advance!
✏️ My question for fellow writers is…are there any GenZ writers out in the Substack universe? I started a Substack for us to connect and sure would love to collaborate, share, and learn from one another. And if there’s any advice on how to find my fellow Zoomers I’m all ears. https:genzwrites.substack.com
(don’t worry, I appreciate all writers. nothing personal!)
🧠 I've edited others' work for two decades, helping authors tease out what they want to say and shape it into the best version possible is a career that's brought me great delight. Learning to turn the perspective and strategies I honed over the years to my own writing has been amazing!! It's made my writing practice way more joyful and free. And it's for sure made my writing better. I think that's reflected in my having gone from a list of 31 subscribers I brought from my old blog to nearly 400 since starting to publish here six months ago, a number of them paying. Yay!! I don't quite have words for the gratitude I feel. So, my advice is this, if you're wanting to take your writing to a new level, try and look at your early drafts from a fresh perspective. Try to see the writer and the editor in you as separate entities.
Because I'm a systems person, I've geeked out on how I can transform the tools I used over my years as an editor to suit working with my own writing. And I've been developing that into workshops so I can share it with other writers. So, if you'd like to get into how to do this, I'd love to invite you to check out my Be Your Own Editor workshops. :)
https://hollystarley.substack.com/p/be-your-own-best-editor-and-be-free
✏️ Hi. This is my first time on Writer Office Hours and I feel like I’ve been missing out. I currently have two subscribers (my husband and I!) and would like to connect with writers on the same subject of parenting teens. Any advice?
✏️ 🟧 After a year of Substack I just announced that I'm going to be going paid at the start of February 😬 I'm really nervous! I just have a handful of pledges.
I want to keep as much of my content as possible free because I know it has value and I love serving my community, but I want to give value to my paid subscribers and make it truly worth it and enticing for them. Any thoughts would be so helpful!
Context: I offered a free Oracle card reading (similar to tarot but made by an artist) to those that pledge before Feb 1st but super interested in other ideas for offers or other ways I can add to the value of a paid subscription.
✏️- What’s a good way to craft post titles/subject lines that are *not* clickbaity but still draw a reader’s interest?
I think my titles might be too niche and I’d like to improve in this area. A bit unsure on what to do because I still want to use my voice and writing style.
Would love any advice or tips here!
Just to let you know that using this forum and connecting with people works, I've picked up 2 new subscribers today.
The fact that I also lost a couple and gained a couple in the last two days is fine. People are going to come and go. Don't let that discourage you. You have to look at being here as a life-long commitment. Me? I'm here for the long haul. We all have different reasons for being here. Some want to express themselves through their writing -- well, I suppose we all do -- but some want to share life experiences and some have political opinions, and some want to tell you how you should handle your money, or what books to read, or what movies to watch. Me? I just want to write. I want to prove to myself that I CAN write, and that people like what I write.
I'm retired, so I have a lot of time to hang around and be creative, which is what I've always wanted to do. But being older, and retired, I know my time is limited to just a handful of years. While others in their 30's and 40's can look at forty or fifty years to create a following, I'm lucky if I get 20. So I write. I could have pick an easier target though, with Fiction being what it is, a hard sell.
But there are about 40-45 million people using Substack now, according to the latest write ups I could find. You only need a small percentage to prove to yourself that this is working for you. Right now, I'm probably sitting at .001%, so I've got my work cut out for me. And as for my PAID Subscribers, well, I don't even look at those numbers. NOBODY wants to PAY for fiction. They'd rather read it for FREE.
✏️ My newsletter is focused on children’s books and today I posted an article about diversity in children’s books.
ASK: If you (or your kids) have ever felt underrepresented in children’s books, I would love to interview you. You can go to the post: https://www.readablemomentsbookclub.com/p/we-need-diversity-in-childrens-books and hit the button at the very bottom if you’re interested.
Appreciate this community very much!
✏️- Hey everyone!!
I run a small newsletter called Unwind where I write about the meaningful things in life.
I really wanted to explore the option of writing guest posts for other substacks and inviting other writers to write guest post on my newsletter (~120 subscribers). I have the following questions:
1. How do I approach other writers?
2. How does the whole process of guest posting work? Like, do we connect over video calls or do we simply restrict it to emal communication where we share the respective drafts?
🧠 - I see a lot of advice about how writers shouldn't worry if they can only write once a week, or even once every couple of weeks. Well, I'm in the opposite boat -- I started a DAILY newsletter! (The idea is that I send subscribers one Rush song every day + a few random thoughts or facts on the song: https://oneadayrush.substack.com/ )
Anyway, I was so nervous my potential readers would be put off by the frequency of emails, but I've found the opposite to be true. My core audience is really engaged, and I've gotten a lot of feedback that they look forward to finding out whatever that day's new song is. So I just wanted to share that Substack can be powerful for more frequent newsletter publishers as well!
Hi I started my sub stacked named Jonathan's substack just out of curiosity and it has grown quite a bit. My questions are that I am kind of a polymath and I write about several different subjects yet I keep reading that it is best to stick to one subject so your readers know what to expect. However that is not my goal so that being said what are the best strategies for people who write about several different subjects in my case medicine Aviation suicide ketamine and Sports Medicine and such. Thank you
✏️ Any writers not adhering to a specific niche? I started my substack yesterday and got one subscriber but my content will vary based on my wholly personal life experiences. I’m worried they will fall off if I don’t stick to a certain topic.
🧠 Hi! I launched my Substack a couple months ago. It's called Everything Is Compostable. I contend that you can turn anything that happens to you, no matter how shitty, into fertile soul-soil. That's what I'm doing through my writing. Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out: https://helenzuman.substack.com/.
Thought this might be of interest to other new Substackers: I started out with a list of about 200 subscribers, which I imported from MailChimp. From the beginning, I put most posts behind a paywall (partly because what I write is often highly personal). I have 14 paying subscribers. There are certainly downsides to this approach—and it's been fun to experiment with doing the opposite of what most recommend.
✏️ Poetry & Short Story (Fiction) Authors: How goes it on Substack? ✏️
I just arrived and am still learning this platform, but am enjoying it already. I know poetry is a tough sell, but I also write short stories (horror and whimsy). Just curious about any tips other poets and authors may have for building a following, etc.
I do post links and/or snippets to my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Author Page. I don't have any family so I can't hassle them. :)
Thank you in advance Substackers!
✏️ Would love some advice about how to grow my following. Have no interest in using this platform to make money and I write under a pseudonym so it’s not about building a ‘personal brand’. I guess I just feel really compelled to write about things that make me frustrated to live in a world which I know has such capacity to be kind and tolerant - and yet out political classes seem to make that very difficult. Thanks in advance :-)
Hi! I recently started my fiction newsletter where I send my short stories out. I’m a newbie to posting so I’d love to connect with other writers!
🧠 My advice is to be consistent and know what your intentions are. I have two Substacks - one under my name called An Abundant Life and Tales of Karnum that goes with my fledgling author career.
An Abundant life is closing in on 1.5 years and is a weekly I post on Mondays. Most of the time I get at least 3 Mondays out of the month, but I've been more consistent lately. My numbers are not growing fast, but they doubled in the past 6 months. Within 24 hours I have an average open rate of at least a third of my subscribers. I haven't gotten many comments, but I have readers that respond in email. I'm happy with how it is going no matter the size.
Tales of Karnum was created almost a year ago but hasn't seen regular activity until my first book came out. Part of my issue was too much going on at once. I mostly have a monthly wrap up that goes out as email. The rest of my posts I link in that rather than doing email. I get a pretty high open rate on my wrap ups, usually 40 to 50% in the first 24 hours. I put a paid section on this for a longer dystopian tale that I pulled off of Vella because I wanted more control of it. I also do book reviews. So this one needs a tad more consistency beyond the monthly wrap up and more content showing off my writing around my books. I have yet to gain a paid sub here other than the one I gave to a friend for all her help with my writing.
My goal this year is to keep it up and learn how to get my substacks noticed more. I link things on my socials, which is one of my higher access points but direction seems to be increasing for where readers come from.
Here's to all of us finding more readers, consistency and fun in our writing adventures here.
✏️What are good ideas for paid content?✏️
I have a very small readership and would love to grow before going paid, but have been pondering on the idea of paid content and what that could look like. I write about nutrition and health, but don't consider myself a recipe developer (which I think would do great in paid) but any other ideas?
Still haven't figured out how to include graphic images in my post. What should I know or do about this.?
🧠 Do you have those weeks when you simply don’t have a good idea for your upcoming newsletter drop? Since I write about visual storytelling for marketers (https://newsletter.visualstorytell.com/) my approach is to look at photos on my phone. You’d be surprised how many ideas a mere photo can generate - all coming from the photo’s backstory.
🧠 - my advice, if you're not clear on your niche, don't overthink it! Start writing and see where the writing takes you, and then listen to your heart and see where you're led, and where people react best.
I started this 7 months ago under the Publication Name "Prone to Hyperbole" writing about my experiences as a second generation Canadian child of immigrants. My topic was my own, but it wasn't quite "niched down" enough.
As I continued, I found that I most loved writing about (and got the best reactions) when I wrote under my "Letters from a Muslim Woman Series". This week, I used The Substack Soiree's branding bundle and rebranded the whole newsletter as "Letters from a Muslim Woman" and I've jumped up about 150 subs in a week, to over 500 subscribers.
https://nohabeshir.substack.com/
I was so stressed in those early days about what my niche should be, but I truly don't think I would have found it if I hadn't just started writing.
Also, keep your pub name generic so you can rebrand as often as you want 😅😅 - you can only change this once, so a generic name is best.
And for real for real. The branding bundle. Life changer: https://thesoiree.substack.com/p/the-substack-bundle
🧠 Notes is the way to go to meet collaborators, like-minded individuals, or just find people to hang out with for a while. Join in conversations, share your own and other people's work, and if you find 'stacks you like then recommend them in your own 'stack and on Notes. Don't expect immediate growth - people have to get to know you and you have to find your 'tribe'. Also remember that very obvious and frequent 'marketing' can put some people off. Don't stress about going paid. Do it whenever you feel like it, there's nothing to lose as long as it's an option and not absolute. I write for free but if people want to pay to support me, they can. I don't offer anything extra for paying readers, just grateful thanks! All my stuff is here if you're interested https://junegirvin.substack.com
🧠 Think no one is reading your work? Think again. My Substack alone has opened doors to major opportunities, media coverage, and more. Keep writing and experimenting. You never know where this will take you.