Featured Substack: Anchor Change with Katie Harbath

Featured Substack: Anchor Change with Katie Harbath

Anchor Change with Katie Harbath is the Substack to subscribe to for insights on the 2024 election and the role that tech will play.

The title of her Substack says so much, and I love her clear description of what Anchor Change offers: Reporting and analysis of what’s happening around the world at the intersection of democracy and technology.

Katie is a powerhouse. She’s a global leader at the intersection of elections, democracy, civic, and tech. For ten years, she was the public policy director at Facebook. Her analysis has appeared in news outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Washington Post, Axios, Associated Press, and Politico.

She’s ambitious in the best sense of the word—having a desire to achieve a particular goal to help others. Her Substack brings her subscribers the insights and knowledge we don’t have, so we can better navigate the complex ways that technology affects politics.

Her writing strikes just the right note, especially given her topic: ultra-professional but there’s a person there. We know Katie is talking to us.

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A Conversation with Katie Harbath

What’s your Substack about in one sentence?

Anchor Change is a newsletter that provides reporting and analysis of what’s happening around the world at the intersection of democracy and technology.

When did you start on Substack?

September 2021.

How long did it take for you to see real growth?

I had a small burst when I first started, but it took 8 months before I started to see real growth. Substack recommendations helped a ton.

Who do you write for? Who are your readers? 

My readers are mainly people who work in tech, politics, a combination of the two, or reporters who cover those beats.

What does Anchor Change off them in terms of value?

Anchor Change offers a unique analysis from someone who has spent 20 years in this field and 10 of those at Facebook. I also play a curating role of sharing good stories I've seen and a calendar of events people working in this field should know about.

How does Anchor Change take us to a place no other Substack does?

The combination of my personal stories and experiences brings a different perspective to the challenges facing our society today. I also take a much more global view than many others.

What significant change (or changes) have you made in your Substack (design, content strategy, etc.) in the past three months?

Thanks to working with Sarah, I’ve changed up my home page, I have a clearer welcome for new readers, and I’m becoming more consistent with my posting. I’ve also made my newsletters shorter.

What advice would you give a writer who’s struggling on Substack?

Just keep writing and don’t overthink it. One of the most important things is predictability for readers of when my newsletters are coming out, and that I’m providing them something of value—whether that’s a different perspective they can’t get anywhere else, or information they don’t have time to find.

Katie’s posts have it all for a journalism/political Substack: expertise, personality, and the sense that a person, not a collective of editors, is guiding us.

Have you gotten any advice directly from Substack and if so, what was it and how have you followed or not followed it? 

I’ve had an initial call with Substack where they gave some great advice such as the fact that the most successful Substack’s publish about 21 times a month. They suggested formats such as AMAs and short audio clips to enhance what I’m already doing. For me, these are great data points that I’m considering as I build out my content calendar. I want to make sure I don’t burn myself out but can also grow. I’m not sure what I’ll decide yet, but it’s amazing to have so many options to consider and decide what works for me.

Subscribe to Anchor Change with Katie Harbath!

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Criteria for Writers at Work Featured Substacks

My goal is to provide inspiring examples to help all of us succeed, not to be a gatekeeper. The notion of “best” isn’t absolute; context matters. Here are the criteria. The Substack

• explores a narrow focus deeply and uniquely,

• strives for the highest quality writing,

• consistently delivers on its promises,

• follows Substack’s guidelines, and

• is proven through regular publication.

What’s irrelevant:

• subscriber count,

• post length,

• branding (!).

Writers should be an annual paid subscriber to Writers at Work or have met with me. This narrows it down from 17,000 Substacks. Yes, it does reward my paid subscribers and those I’ve met with. Think of it like an entry or reading fee to a contest or magazine.

So become a Paid Subscriber.

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