
Writer reflections on Substack’s Grow Fellowship
11 fellows on what they took away from the program
In December, we welcomed 11 writers into our Grow Fellowship to explore and accelerate their publication strategies, growth potential, and ability to make the most of the Substack platform. These fellows participated in regular gatherings to share ideas, discuss different approaches to how they write and who they write for, and hear about how Substack’s product team develops new features.
The cohort represented a diverse array of topics and expertise on Substack, from fiction to culture, local journalism to parenting. These writers were united in a shared desire to grow their publications into viable ways of earning or supplementing a living. They also shared an appetite for brainstorming, collaborative problem-solving, and learning from one another’s wins and errors.
Here are the fellows’ biggest takeaways in their own words, with illustrations from Grow fellow Nishant Jain:
Redefining a publication’s purpose and strategy
“This Grow Fellowship forced me to refocus on my ‘why’ and ‘how,’ which surprised me because I thought I’d sorted those foundations. I’m now clearer about what I’m doing, who it’s for, and how to cultivate a sustainable, safe and growing place—what we call our Turangawaewae in Aotearoa-New Zealand.” ~ Bernard Hickey, The Kākā
“This fellowship forced me to ask some fundamental questions about what The New Fatherhood is. From the first session, I realized I hadn’t interrogated the “why” … why people sign up, why they relate to my writing, why they become paid members, why they want to join in the conversation. I had wandered off course, looking for a magic number that I hoped would make it all click—a conversion percentage, a revenue target, a paid subscriber threshold. But TNF is about more than that. It always has been. I'm happy that this fellowship helped me get back on track, and meet some incredible new writers (and Substack folks) along the way.” ~ Kevin Maguire, The New Fatherhood
Solidarity in trying new things
“My main takeaway from the fellowship is actually to be less precious about what I’m putting out there. It’s really cool to see what everyone is experimenting with. I tend to be perfectionistic and while that does lead to higher quality output, sometimes it stops me from trying stuff!” ~ Randa Sakallah, hotsingles.nyc
“It is good to hear new ideas. But what is truly impactful is hearing something you have already thought about, but never gave due consideration. I have received validation and reassurance from my other Fellows and the people of Substack. This gives me the mandate to trust my instincts and move forward with confidence!” ~ Nishant Jain, The SneakyArt Post
“Publishing an independent newsletter is empowering and exciting for those writers with an entrepreneurial spirit and a yen for experimentation. But don’t expect to make a living from it any time soon, and don’t expect what works for others to work for you. Others can help you sort through your project’s strategy to an extent, but when it comes to building an actual living around it, you’re going to mostly be on your own.” ~ Dave Infante, Fingers
“Thanks to my fellow Fellows, I now have other ideas to consider, such as launching an external community, using tools to get more feedback on posts, creating merch, and much more. My takeaway from the whole experience is that the possibilities for my newsletter are endless.” ~ Sharon Hurley Hall, Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter
There is value in connecting with other writers
“This fellowship has been invaluable—chatting with the cohort, trading tips, reading everyone’s stories. We’re all different, and our plans and processes often don’t line up, but that’s only made this whole experience even more important for me.” ~ Animation Obsessive
“My number one takeaway from this experience is the brilliance and the diversity of the Substacks in the Grow Fellows program. I spend most of my days talking to finance professionals and it’s been a breath of fresh air to get new perspectives on writing and life in general. My Substack has a very practical purpose. I now realize that I can add value in many ways, including empowering my readers, taking them on a path of exploration or building a community.” ~ Michael Fritzell, Asian Century Stocks
“The biggest thing this fellowship did for me was give me hope again. Having exposure to writers who actually earn a living from their craft, and access to writers who are far ahead of my own success, have made all the difference.” ~ Elle Griffin, The Novelleist
“Many writers face the temptation to want to do it alone, to travel the long road by their lonesome. I used to be that way, mainly because I felt I was walking a path no one else had done before me. But I’ve learned that there is strength in numbers, that there is power in community, that I never have to walk alone anymore.” ~ David Adeleke, Communiqué
“I learned a lot: about Substack, about how to better steer the ship of my newsletter, about what's working for other people and what might work for me. But the thing I always take away from Substack-led experiences is the importance of a community you can trust and the space to foster real connections, especially when you're doing something as vulnerable as sharing your writing. ~ Katherine Dee, Default Wisdom
We’re grateful to the Grow Fellows for authentically showing up and being so generous with their knowledge.
We look forward to hosting more short-form programs such as the Grow Fellowship. Watch out for future Intensives and Fellowship opportunities on our Programs page here, and learn more about our next opportunity: an Intensive for Food Writers.
Thank you for sharing your experiences! Fostering community does seem to be vital in expanding creative growth. I’m looking forward to hearing about future Substack programs.
Bex Sinden, I am positive that this is just the beginning. Surely, we will see more to come here at Substack.
Substack is just a wonderful space.
HRH
🌏👌
Thank you for sharing this! It's incredibly inspiring to read about the fellowship experiences. It really shed light on the value of community energy creating a strong foundation for growth and a safe place to experiment with new ideas. So cool!
It's been such a joy to watch and learn from y'all's journeys — excited to keep collaborating!
🌱🖼Indeed it is about enjoying the journey and collaborating with joy, it is a true blessing.
HRH 🌏🌱👌
What a lovely summary, congratulations and gratitude to the Grow Fellows
Congrats to all the fellows! It’s nice to hear how fulfilling the experience has been for these writers and I hope to see more programs like this.
Really useful post - so great to read everyone’s insights and different takes on their Substack experience. What David Adeleke said - about feeling like you’re “walking a path no one else had done before me” really resonated with me. It’s definitely inspired me to seek out or create a community of fellow writers to share learnings and ideas. Thanks!
Excellent takeaways.
That was such a valuable experience. Thank you so much for investing in us!
Thank you for this wonderful experience. 😊
Thank you for this amazing experience!
V inspiring to read this. Thanks Substack for making an exciting place for writers : )
❤️🌏🌱👌Excellent takeaways. Thank you and congratulations to the 11 writers…
Congratulations to Substack for they have gained an incredible and valuable asset…
Artistically, well done. HRH ❤️
Substacks programs are really inspiring and they are one of the reasons I committed to this platform. It's so great to hear how beneficial this one was for its participants. Can't wait to hear about the next one.
Nice drawings, Nishant.
Thanks, Mark!
Really loved reading everyone’s takeaways, and learning that Substack has these sorts of programs! 🙌
It took me a while to realize what Substack is doing. It's not primarily a service for readers, it's primarily offering on-the-job training for writers.
Substack is trying to solve the problem that Batya has been shouting about. In previous decades writers started writing early. They didn't waste 10 years in high school and college absorbing useless information, they just started working at newspapers when they were 14, and gradually moved up from printers devil or copyboy to editor.
The math is simple when you pry out all the conventional assumptions. A worker who starts at 14 has a 10-year head start on a worker who starts at 24.
Congrats to Substack for helping to solve a real problem. Learning by doing is the ONLY way to learn.
I submitted a ticket for assistance this past Friday I've not received assistance. I also tweeted and no one from Substack has responded.
Hi there! Our team will get back to you if you submitted through the contact form! Hang tight and sorry for the delay.
Thanks for the reply. Thus far it's been five days and still waiting. Has your company considered paying its own writers to augment customer service? Another suggestion provide a paid customer service fee for those seeking help via the phone or urgent help and also keep your ticket system free for those who aren't in urgent needs.
Being new to Substack has challenged me to better understand my quest to share my experiences, opinions, and wisdom. Though, after reading all the great input from Substack's writers, I find myself captured in a multiple of learning opportunities. Even though I have twelve grandchildren, I feel like the new babe on the block. I look forward to joining your community of dedicated humanists.
The only way
Mulțumim!! Sper sa pot descoperi și posta lucrările de arta are altora și are mele!🥲
👏Sharon Hurley, I see your email, but I don’t see your comment here at Substack.
Thank you for your liking and comment. 👏👏👏