Everything You Need to Know About Substack in September 2025
The new rules around paywalling, chat demystified, how to avoid writing like ChatGPT, the Notes Boost Challenge, and more...
Hello!
It has been quite a week—Baby Theo in the ER and then hospitalized, Mr. Sweets still not recovered from his ailment, and me maintaining the apartment that has come to resemble a veterinary office.
The good news? It’s fall. No, it’s not fall everywhere, but fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. (When it’s winter, I’ll say winter is my favorite. Rarely will I say spring. Never summer. I find the beach stressful—all that sand—and the humidity.)
Fall is probably my favorite season because I teach. I’m a sucker for the back-to-school energy that fills the halls at Northwestern and all the universities dotted around the globe. There’s an underlying sense that something will be taught and learned that will matter and make everything make a little more sense.
That’s the energy we’re going to take with us…
September
What we’ll cover:
The new rules around paywalling—yup, they’ve changed, big time
Chat demystified (!)—I’ll tell when, why, how, and when not to use it
How not to write like ChatGPT—i.e., transcending the trite and unoriginal
Notes Boost Challenge (!) continues until 9/30:
Accountability. Support. Community. Connection. Join any time. The point isn’t to do it perfectly, just to do it. Find out more and join here.
Live Events:
Substack for Poets with none other than my friend and hero,
(date: TBD)How to Start a Newsletter like it’s 1659 with special guests (date: TBD)
Premier Members
We’ll continue diving into, adapting, and exploring your Substack DNA and how to communicate it to others.
As we progress through the magical Substack Growth Framework (you know I love the image), we’ll be talking about revenue streams, i.e., how to use Substack to earn a sustainable income off the platform:
Monthly Premier Call (Zoom—9/11-9/13): Using your Substack to create other revenue streams, including courses, memberships, 1:1s, single contributions (Buy me a coffee et al.), book sales, speaking engagements, and more.
Premier Audit Call (Zoom—9/18): Have your Substack mini-audited by me
Substack with Sarah Office Hours (Zoom—9/25)—old school, professor-style—just show up and ask me anything
Premier members, tomorrow you’ll receive the Premier Membership September Plan, all links to register, where to sign up if you’d like your Substack mini-audited, and your September calendar of events.
ICYMI:
In the comments, share what you’re most excited about on your Substack that’s coming in September.
P.S. Paid subscribers and Premier members, remember to go to the 24/7 SW@W chat with your questions, requests for feedback, thoughts, or Substack news.
I'm excited about starting some regular Lean Plate Club chats with experts that I used to interview frequently while at the Washington Post. They're smart and always have interesting new things to share about healthy eating and moving more. What else, you ask? I'm excited about launching the Two Step Family podcast and newsletter with my stepson, Ian, to mark National Stepfamily Day on Sept. 12.
Excited to be launching my new Substack this week: Letters to Dead Authors & Artists. Kicking it off with a letter and Substack Live with @Beth Spencer! (I’m open for pitches!)