What can you create on Substack?

Substack offers four types of posts to work from: text-based posts, discussion threads, podcasts, and video.

Just as no two writers are the same, there are endless, creative ways to publish on Substack. Writers are serializing books, putting together playlists, hosting book clubs, and more.

Finding examples from other writers is a great way to get inspired. Mia Billetdeaux—who writes Borscht for Breakfast—recommends new recipes to readers based on ones they already love. The format was inspired by John Warner’s approach to recommending books on his Substack, The Biblioracle Recommends.

Here are more examples from your fellow writers: 

• Edited interviews (e.g. Culture Study, Tone Glow)

• Link roundups (e.g. Maybe Baby, Liberty’s Highlights)

• News (e.g. Platformer, The Charolette Ledger)

• Comics and illustrations (e.g. Drawing Links, Abhijit’s Sketchnotes)

• Advice columns (e.g. Ask E. Jean, Hot Singles NYC)

• How-tos (e.g. Life School)

• Discussion threads (e.g. The New Fatherhood, Apparently)

• Virtual events (e.g. The Isolation Journals, Bad At Keeping Secrets)

• Music (e.g. Wu Fei’s Music, 3 by 7)

• Podcasts (e.g. TrueHoop, New Things Under the Sun)

• Video (e.g. Maybe Baby, Seeing Things, and Herb Sundays)

• Serialize a book (e.g. Salman Rushdie, Chuck Palahniuk)

• Voiceovers (e.g. Experimental History, Ælfgif-who?)

Once you decide what you are going to publish, find your rhythm. There is a correlation between posting frequency and publication growth. When you post it gives existing readers a reason to share and new readers a signal that they might bump into.

Our data team recommends aiming for one post a week as a benchmark. The format doesn’t matter as much as consistency does. Your weekly post doesn’t have to be a lengthy essay, it could be a short post, an audio note, or discussion thread. 

Here are a few examples of great short posts:

• Kate Lindsay and Nick Cattucci of Embedded write a short 500-word reflection on hot internet trends.

• Kevin Maguire of New Fatherhood hosts a discussion thread that sparks conversation with a thoughtful, clear prompt.

• Nishant Jain of Sneaky Art shares a video update of an art challenge.

• Patti Smith checks in with subscribers in an unfiltered video.

Your assignment

Brainstorm the type of posts you will do on Substack. Sketch out an outline and make a list of five topics that you might cover using those formats over the next few months.

If you already writing consistently, how might you channel the mindset of Mia and remix an interesting format to add more flavor to your publication?