Office Party! There’s so much wisdom in the Writers at Work community whether you’ve been on the platform for 6 years or 6 seconds.
Newbies and Veterans, give us your best Substack advice. It might be on how to get your first post out or how to celebrate when you get your first paid subscriber. Or it’s wisdom gleaned from two years of writing headlines. Or insights into word count, creating community, or writing sentences that sing. Anything!
Here’s how it works:
In all caps, give us the one-word topic of your advice, e.g., POSTING or NOTES
Then share what you’ve learned/discovered
Include the URL of your Substack
Find at least 2 other pieces of advice in this thread that resonate with you, comment, thank them, and share their wisdom on Notes! Click the little wheel or click share.
BONUS: Check out their Substack and maybe even subscribe.
This is us taking the W@W Office Party to the streets! Let’s spread the wisdom far and wide!
Newbies and Veterans, give us your best Substack advice. It might be on how to get your first post out or how to celebrate when you get your first paid subscriber. Or it’s wisdom gleaned from two years of writing headlines. Or insights into word count, creating community, or writing sentences that sing. Anything!
Here’s how this works:
-In all caps, give us the one-word topic of your advice, e.g., POSTING or NOTES, anything
-Then share what you’ve learned/discovered
-Include the URL of your Substack
-Find at least 2 other pieces of advice in this thread that resonate with you, comment, thank them, and share their wisdom on Notes! (Click the little wheel or click share.)
-BONUS: Check out their Substack and maybe even subscribe.
Hi this one's for the Newbies - I'm a year in here so I'm no expert, but I've gone from 0 to 300+ and earned almost $6K in the first year - so I think some of my observations from the field with an inde/outsider flare might be helpful to some! https://sleepyhollowink.substack.com/p/hack-your-substack-10-tips. Enjoy!
This isn’t as sexy as the kind of advice I usually love to give like, be generous in Notes, Restacks and Comments. Or once you press 'publish', let go of what comes next. Like releasing a message in a bottle, surrender control and be happy that you were brave enough to let your words set sail into the unknown. ✨
But it’s one the things I am so glad I did last month.
I shared this on my latest Substack diaries, but it’s worth repeating here because I wish I did it sooner!
I changed over my personal address in Substack to an email address I created SOLELY for Substack. Now I open up my “substack” email, like I open up a magazine, with all my fav newsletters ready to be read and comments etc to reply to! Game changer!!
Mika this is such a cool idea — I love the app for this reason. It's been fun noticing how I now reach to read longer pieces instead of SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL everywhere else.
Great! Oh, yeah, I don't do paid for my own stack, but I pay for a couple subscriptions and just wondered if my payment card would still be matched to my new email. Thanks for your help!
Done!! Thank you again for these wonderful Friday prompts. I am feeling more comfortable each week to party along with you all! Have a wonderful, magical weekend :)
Think of showing up for your Substack as showing up for yourself. Because you deserve it. Give your Substack love and others will feel it pouring through.
You don't need to apologize if you send your newsletter out a day or a week late or even if you skip a week. Most of your subscribers don't notice and the apology draws attention to it. New writers often get the advice to "stick to a schedule" and "pick a cadence" but this doesn't work for everyone.
Your readers would rather hear from you when you've got something interesting to say, not because it's a Wednesday.
Sometimes, when the idea sparks, you have to follow it, stoke it. I love your advice because it not only speaks to our hectic lives, but the “in the moment” way writing inspiration can manifest, that “when you have something to say,” is most important.
I wrote a spontaneous post. in real-time, about accepting a last-minute invitation. I was short on time and extremely nervous. My fingers didn't cooperate with me, and there were many typos. The closest I came to editing it was to add "I'm not editing this" to the beginning. At the end, I said I'd follow-up.
I haven't written the follow-up, and it's been weeks. After a day or two of not having the chance to write it, the momentum is gone, and it wouldn't have the same energy... I'm not even going to mention it.
This is so good! I realized that this year. I missed a post and wanted to hop back in the next week with a "sorry" but then I realized, no one cares! That was so freeing. On the flip side, when I just started with Substack I accidentally published a post TWICE within minutes of each other. I thought it hadn't posted because I didn't receive and email with my post. I was mortified and thought about sending another post to apologize but luckily I phoned a friend first. She was like, "who hasn't done this? Say nothing. I repeat, say nothing!" And when I thought about it I flashed to all the apology emails I'd received over the years for such things and was like, yeah, who needs yet another email for me?
This is the advise I started giving myself only recently after years of agonizing over being a day or few days late. Now ‘the sky is not going to fall if I miss a day’ and ‘I don't need to apologize’ have become my new mantras.
@dizzyzaba nice advice here. I’m not perfectly publishing on the date I plan to publish. I don’t really pay too much attention to the day the people I subscribe to publish. I think you’re right on this!
Love this advice -- and need to follow it myself more often. Every newsletter seems to start out with, "I had every intention of getting this out on time, but then [INSERT SHIT NO ONE CARES ABOUT] ..." Thanks!
This is a relief to hear. I agonised over getting posts out every Wednesday and Saturday no matter what, then the strain turned out to be too much and I'd give up entirely for weeks (ok, sometimes months) at a time and feel like a failure... bit of a cycle. or I'd put stuff out that wasn't as good just to have something out on the promised day.
Thank you for taking me "off the hook" for skipping a week. I was just about to apologize for skipping a post in a series I've developed, but I'd really be apologizing to myself for letting myself down. And that's just unnecessary.
Don't try to be cute. Be yourself. You are on a journey to find the people who resonate with your message. Some will, some won't, so what. People are resonating with your content even if they don't comment.
Also, I prefer to keep mine short so they can read it and get an actionable takeaway.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking what you have to share has already been done. No one has heard it in YOUR voice yet. You are unique and the world is best served when you are uniquely you, not someone else.
Yes to this! People often say Be Yourself, but you've given good reasons to do so. People have not yet heard a point of view in YOUR voice. So even if you are writing about a familiar topic, there can definitely be a new take on it.
I often start writing something, then before it's done, the same topic is in the news! Then I consider what makes my POV unique, and reshape the post.
Awesome point, Tarek. There was a time when I was very concerned I was getting few comments and now I recognize I am similar to my readers. I can really appreciate something I read and also not comment on it (plus, most of my readers are only on email and not Substack).
I invited them to hit reply and while I'd be happy to hear from them in that way, my CTA is more about them hitting a "Share" button.
I’ve been watching where I get most of my reads and followers of a very nascent substack. I thought social like Threads, or even X/Twitter might get the most attention. But I get somewhere between 11-30% of my readers from posts with links on LinkedIn. I was rather surprised. My LinkedIn felt very “okay-ish.” But, it just went to show me that I should pay attention to the analytics, and not rely on what I think. My LinkedIn is my oldest account, and what I’ll call “old Twitter” was more established than other places. So your analytics might be better on other platforms. It’s just a matter of giving time and attention to the tool, and watching the trends.
Also, I have very modest expectations for my substack, which I should probably have lead with.
I have only been on Substack as a writer for about 2 weeks - I figured out through my settings tab how to update color, font, layout, etc of my page - which makes it feel more like me and something to be proud of! I like that you can see a preview of what emails will look like - it has been a lot of playing and learning but it is fueling the right side of my brain - so I'm all for it.
Thanks for sharing! I'm very new...like today new....and am still trying to figure out how to change the design of my page. Any tips or advice on how you figured yours out? (Your site looks beautiful!) I was also thinking that maybe mine doesn't look great yet since I only have three posts up...
Yes! Go to your writer dashboard, then settings, then under basics it says site design, then click customize. It’s easier to do on a laptop but doable on a phone!
If your publications revolves around a specific niche, consider writing a few guides or 101 on xyz topic type pieces. You might think I don’t have a relevant topic to do that for but I did it with Indian food and you can do it too. Go as specific as you can so I have a 101 for Dahl, Roti and an Indian Pantry shopping list. They’ve been my most popular posts yet.
I never notice (or even know if there's a way to notice) that comments on a post are open only to paid subscribers until I get to the end of the post. If I feel compelled to comment, I use a workaround I haven't heard of anyone doing. Maybe it's a common thing people are doing; I don't know.
Sounds like cheating, doesn't it? I thought so, too, when I thought of it, but I came to the conclusion that likely reasons to close comments to free subscribers and the rest of the world are: 1) Protect your time from hacks and trolls/keep the thread "clean" 2) Preserve your time so that you can respond to more (or all) of your paid subscribers.
The workaround doesn't infringe upon either of those, so I don't feel like there's an ethics violation in it.
The workaround is simple: Restack with a Note. Easy-peasy. Anyone else doing this?
Having recently added a supplementary piece as a thank you to paid subscribers right at the end of my regular letter, I learned that Substack limit comments, which doesn’t work for me as a writer. So yes, restacking with a comment is a good workaround, but I would like to be able to control this myself and allow everyone to comment. Meanwhile, no paywall. Hope that makes sense!
Listen, if you haven’t done something you planned to. If you’ve dropped the ball, fallen off the bandwagon— whatever it is. It’s a good thing! You aren’t measured by how consistent you are. This is life and sh*t happens. But because you’re so awesome you know how to just begin again.
Here’s how to fail at everything you planned and still feel might good about it.
One of the things I do to personalize my experiences with my community is responding by name. There is something so sweet about taking the time to respond to someone by their name. If it’s not above their name, take the time to look for it.
Addressing someone by their name (make sure it’s spelled write) allows people to not just be seen but KNOW they are seen.
I love this, my dad always does this in person, too. Whether we would be out to eat and asking the server their name, and then thanking them by name. It really makes a difference. As a nurse, when my patients call me by name, it's amazing how good that feels. Thank you for sharing, Josefina! :)
This is a great one! It's a skill I work on in real life, too. People always say, "I'm bad with names." But I think that is a choice. I always say, "I'm good with names and faces." Even though it isn't always true it tells my brain that this is something we value and helps me connect with people a little more.
When I write, I picture a good friend and I write as if I’m talking to only her. This helps my writing flow because it’s a way to be myself and not overthink it. I think whoever your audience is, picturing that person and writing for the one, you are writing for those who the substack is for. 🙏
I saw this on a rabbit hole I went down in the Notes party thread, thank you @SethWerkheiser I'd started to go off on probably too many tangents and this is now something I ask myself everytime I write, am I bringing people into my world? You can visit my world here...😉 https://joscottartist.substack.com/
One of my early mentors, the great Sun Ra, once said "You made a mistake, you did something wrong; now make another mistake and do something right." Do not give this stuff up - if you write and publish something that you think sucks, write and publish something else.
Close to 50% of my Substack subscribers has come from other's recommendations (albeit my count is still small at 150). I would say find kindred spirit in your subject and clap, comment, encourage these writers, as when they take off, they will take you with them if they like your work!
Recommend generously - no need to limit to 3 or 5 - some people recommend 35! I have watched her grow from 100 to 2000 in 3 months (obviously with quality and consistent writing too)
Thanks Renee. Someone once said, while there are probably a lot of us writing about same subject matter (in my case finance), but each one offers a unique angle due to our different experiences. So we all learn from each other.
And this is what I love about Substack - no competition, just genuinely cheering each other on because even if people have similar newsletters, we are all different in our own ways. We should always be supporting one another!
I try to record audio for my posts (especially the longer ones) so folks can listen to them in addition to reading. I've been surprised by how this has helped me grow. More than once a reader has commented on listening to a post while on a walk or in the car. A friend of mine even said, "I heard your latest podcast episode ..." I chuckled and thought, "great, folks have been telling me I need a podcast for years."
What I'm doing is not a podcast in anyway BTW. I literally just read what I have written. I'm not perfect on these recordings. I mess up. I ad lib. There's zero music or any fancy editing. I think of it like talking to a friend. But, this offers more accessibility to my writing. A long post might be intimidating but when someone sees it's only 10 minutes long, they may be more likely to engage.
Another potential bonus for those who are seeking to grow paid subscriptions, I just learned from Sarah Fay that if you use the record audio feature in Substack, you can gate the audio for paid subscribers only. This may be something I play with in the future.
Thank you Kelsey! I just recorded mine for my weekly post that will go up tomorrow! I'd love to do a podcast at some point so this was an easy entry point.
I've been doing this too. And its also very fun. Today I couldn't get my audio done because I have covid, but I'll just have to settle for posting something and feeling good about that.
that's lovely! working on my submission now; excited to see all the cool ideas we generate! even better when there are unexpected benefits to something we put out.
Adding onto a previous comment about not apologizing, when I haven’t written in a while, I start to get this feeling that I should just quit. Does it look better to not be on at all than to be eratic? But than I post and I feel better, never worse. I show up and come back into the community. No apologies.
The "not apologizing" comment resonated with me, too. So does yours.
I let my publication title go dormant for years until I started my Substack, then I got it out of mothballs and dusted it off. I returned to Repurposed Kate.
I think it's everything to write from the heart, to follow your bliss, the light of your longing and ache.
To unselfconciously write for writings sake.
I'm not always sure of the singularity of muse or subject in the words that fall out. It's like I'm showing up to witness them, as much my readers do for me. That's quite a thing. Obviously for them to have resonance in other people's lives is part of the alchemy of writing and reading.
Quality over quantity. You may think you don't have much to say this week but if it has value, say it! A short post is highly likely to be read first by a reader as they set aside longer posts for when they have more time. If it is only a sentence or two, turn it into a meme. Bottom line, speak up. I love this post, it's like a pyramid letter only in a good way.❤️ HTTPS://Writersshowase.Substack.com
I’m new to Substack, and my whole career (ok my life probably 😅) has been defined by my uncanny ability to know what other people want and make it for them. I literally get paid by other companies to tell them what to make and how to sell.
So when it came to my own work, I was so excited at the idea that this was my space to make things that delight me. And then I started getting more readers!! And then I started to worry if what I was making would be what they wanted. And I started making things based on my guess of what people might want from me instead of what I was feeling curious about.
I very quickly stopped having fun, and not long after that, what had seemed like an infinite well of inspiration dried right up.
I had to be really honest and recognize that I had started trying to productize my work by taking myself out of the equation — literally the opposite of why all those folks started following me in the first place 🫠
As soon as I went back to my pleasure, my love, my enjoyment, I had a big breakthrough about both my content and the value of my offer.
I also spoke with some readers who helped me connect with what they love about my work, and lo and behold, it was the same thing I love about it 🤪
Anyway, don’t forget to enjoy it — I love reading the work of people who are having an irresistibly good time.
Great advice! I am just getting started here on Substack and I'm excited about the possibility of creating whatever the heck I want. But so far, the two times I have posted, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time thinking about whether or not I "should" post. Old programming dies hard. But I refuse to give up trying to find what pleases me. Thanks for the reminder that it does matter.
OMG, Yes to all this! I'm writing about "finding my voice" in middle age after a lifetime of caregiving and people-pleasing. It's so much harder than it sounds.
Don't be shy to comment on posts or other peoples Notes! I made wonderful connections thanks to Notes and most people here on Substack are very kind and welcoming.
It’s ok to experiment, to try, fail and share your vulnerability and your awesomeness. To change, evolve and grow together.
I find it comforting that I can always trust my readers to stay when they love the content, to leave when it’s no longer relevant for them and to send it and share when they find it inspiring.
I’ve felt such fatigue with all the calls to action and attention-grabbing techniques these last years online, I think because we’re sometimes so insecure that no one will see if we’re not shouting from the rooftops. So now I try trusting my readers and being more patient.
And there is less pressure on me too! It’s a win win all around 🎊
I think this is beautiful, Laure — it speaks to the very American feeling of IF IT ISN'T ACTIVELY GROWING IT IS DEAD. What a nice reminder that there are many ways to experience and find value in a creative act
My Substack motto has become “Fail Out Loud” - it allows me to try things, to set the hare running before I’m sure the dogs are ready, to experiment. What I’ve found is a community so supportive and open to ideas that no matter what happens, nobody cares how I feared they would and everybody cares in the way I only dreamt was possible before I built my home here. So try things, fail out loud, pick yourself up, fail better. We are all doing the same and out of this beautiful, daring effort at life, creations are born that make all our lives feel better.
At the outset you will wonder what on earth you have to write about and share. It doesn’t need to be clever, funny or long – just something that shifted the needle on your day; we’re all looking for precious moments that offer respite from a turbulent world. Write wherever you are, when you think of something – dictate it into your phone so you don’t forget. Six months in, I have so many things I want to put into words about this place and share, and the seed for this was committing to writing weekly here. It’s taken a long time to realise that if you want to have a regular writing habit, you have to write regularly.
You can turn off the notifications for when somebody unsubscribes to your newsletter. Mine is off. I mean, who needs that kind of news in their inbox?
However, I did notice the other day that I lost a few. I took it as a sign that my community was weeding itself out. I do this myself. Who among us hasn't subscribed to a Substack only to find it wasn't what we thought it was, or just not our thing? I'm not for everyone. I'm just glad to know my writing drew them in at some point.
I have such a hard time with never looking. I lost a couple the other day, and much like you Jeff I had to remind myself that folks have to try things for a second to see if they fit, and if they don't that is just fine — attention is precious. When you're excited about what you're making, or more so, when you are vulnerable in a post, it can be hard not to look for safety in the dashboard to confirm that you are not a crazy person!
I get discouraged fairly easily with my writing because I am relatively new at it. But what I have learned is that what I want to write overrules the discouragement - I am committed to continuing to say what is in my heart at https://agingwell.news/.
Bring those parts of you onboard that you’ve secretly fantasised about writing from. If you can do it anywhere it’s Substack. Get loose, stop worrying about being on brand or even adhering to the same style of ‘voice’ in each post.
You are naturally dynamic AND you’ll liberate yourself and your art this way.
You can be specific with your writing theme and your values, and get looser with how you bring them to life.
all of this! My topics vary, and sometimes are more humorous, sometimes serious. It's all my voice, but different sides of it. When I go back and look at my posts, although they range from politics to Scientology, it appears a "brand" has been created!
People's responses to your writing are never a reflection of your worth as a human being.
Whether they react in a negative way to your writing or unsubscribe, there are a million different possibilities of what prompted them to do so. We cannot control any of those circumstances.
What we can do is to stay the course, trust ourselves and write honest newsletters that align with our core.
Substack does a meh job of generating organic traffic! Most of the work to get our visibility has to be done through networking and rigorous relationship building. For me, especially as a newer writer, it can be emotionally exhausting in high quantities. This exhaustion can lead to inauthentic engagement or worse burnout!
To lessen the burden, I have found I can leverage my other social media networks to funnel traffic to my Substack. Whether it's through a call-to-action on long form content or having a link to my landing page in my bio... as I grow on other platforms, I will be growing my Substack too!
The daily cadence made me live a more interesting life, just so I could write about it. And I learned about writing on Substack by writing on Substack. In 2 years, I wrote 700 pieces, then I put it all behind the paywall as ‘the archive’, (more was my first ‘product) and started refining my topics using the data from writing 700 pieces.
Being brand new to Substack, this advice terrifies me. I have posted twice in the past week and have 13 beautiful subscribers already. 🎉 But I know they are family and friends and the thought of bombarding them with more of my writing feels intrusive like, "I know they want to support me, but only if I post once in a while." I also feel the pressure to post "the right things."
That said, I am committed to keep showing up for myself and my future community by working through that discomfort. Thanks for the advice to nudge me to get out of my own way.
I'm finding I need to strike a balance with how much time I spend on Substack, immersed in other people's writing. There's a sweet spot where I get plenty of nourishment, inspiration and connection with others, but where it doesn't drown out being able to hear my own voice, or leave me feeling overwhelmed and believing I have nothing new or original to offer (aka imposter syndrome kicks in). Anyone else relate?
Absolutely. I have to be very sparse with reading other people's work. I feel their fingerprints in my mind, and in my writing immediately. I'm like a sponge that way. I do the same with accents for some weird reason. It also somehow exhausts me and saps my creative inspiration.
I'm the kind of person who likes to check off the boxes. Therefore, I design series goals based on a meaningful number of items, and the topics fall naturally out of that. For 12 weeks last fall, I took one reject photo from a card collection I made, and connected it to a piece of the memoir I've written. The posts also included a photo from my childhood, a current landscape photo, and a little invocation. Including all those five things set a little puzzle for myself each week that I enjoyed solving.
Right now I'm 4 weeks into a series of 24 Flag Oracle readings. I pull two cards from the deck I've made, write the reading, design an invocation, and include a current landscape photo.
This way, I never have to look for topics. Keep in mind that I have been a professional writer since 2004 and the only way I get things done is to give myself assignments and make myself publish at the same time every week. These are fun assignments that fill me with a sense of purpose and satisfaction when I complete them! Also, my readers know what to expect, and my open rate has remained consistent. https://leeannprescott.substack.com/
SUBSCRIBERS Soooo... I was stuck and not growing at all until I started posting regularly and engaging in notes and commenting on posts. The engagement makes alllll the difference. Bonus: it’s an amazing community to engage with! I am soooo much happier chatting with people on Substack rather than Instagram.
Could not agree more. Prior to landing on Substack, I left both FB and Instagram for 7 months. I have no desire to go back. My entire psyche and sense of well being is completely different. Substack feels like nourishment❤️ This is my substack : https://nikischultz74.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=1t9f19
How much or how often would you say engage? I'm on notes frequently, and post there as well as commenting on a post, like this. But trying to walk that line of not obnoxiously pushing my Very Amazing Writing.
I try to engage in notes every other day. If I am short on time, I literally set a timer. I sure hope you are sharing your very amazing writing a lot! I heard Sarah say in a workshop to share your published pieces on notes right after you publish. Are you doing that? Going to check your page out now :-).
Often when I’m writing and I find my topic starting to get broad I’ll start up another draft and start to put the things I want to say but maybe don’t quite fit into that. Often by the end I have enough writing to start and create another post. That way I can follow on from my themes and also keep my posts shorter and easier to digest.
This is a great idea — I've found that once I got going with an editorial calendar it really helped me do more breaking things out into chunks. A friend of mine who is a content strategist also offered me this gem: Good content strategy has an arc. Start with things that introduce a topic and ask questions, build up to a bigger idea and then conclude it. Things we know to do in a piece, but not necessarily things I had thought to do as posts. I've now divided my weeks into themes, and I came up with some features that will allow me to break things out more strategically. It's also less burden on the writing because I can stay with an idea for longer instead of switching things up a ton.
This happens to me, too! Sometimes a bit of one article leads to a whole new post, and that's the post that gets published. The other one never sees the light of day! But that's ok – the better idea won out.
This is the advice I give myself all the time: Edit. Kill your darlings. Don't fall in love with your words so much that you're not willing to cut some out. Imagine your readers reading your post. Have you lost them? Are they bored? Edit. Edit Edit.
Yes the pause is needed, the more critical editing voice needs another day. I've only just begun really but my pieces are short, and if they've strayed to longer I know I've got lost.
Someone said that in writing the subject line,write something intriguing. Use the subheading to explain what the topic is about. So don’t make your subject line boring—make it catch their eye, and get the reader curious. You can do more of the dry explaining in the subheading. Here’s an example: https://summerisferal.substack.com/p/making-friends-with-our-monsters
Whether you have one, ten or a hundred posts already, don't hesitate to RESTACK and promote your past pieces. Not everyone in Substack saw it the first time, or noticed it in Notes; and if you cross promote content to other social media or websites, there will constantly be new audiences who would be thrilled to read your greatest hits and past pieces.
Likewise, don't forget to mention previous pieces consistently in your latest posts, too. Any way you can reference "as I wrote about in....." and "when I explored...." weeks, months or years ago, the more you can help people get deeper into your existing body of work - especially new subscribers who may have not yet enjoyed your past brilliance!
I really like this idea. It's a potential "gold mine" for drawing in new subscribers. However, my archive posts are paywalled. I'm wondering if it's best to remove the paywall when I mention them in a new psot or share them on Notes. I feel that if I share them in a new post, and my readers already dig what I write nowadays, they might get curious to read my older posts, and this may potentially lead to some paid subscriptions. But what about Notes for new readers? What do you think?
I would experiment with all of the options. Un-paywall some older posts and repost them and see what happens. Or, simply repost your more recent posts more frequently (for example, my posts don’t paywall until 4 weeks later, which gives me a month to reshare them multiple times). I think referring to paywalls posts in your content definitely drives some paid conversions, because readers are already enjoying your fresh work and will feel confident investing in the subscription as an extension of what they are already enjoying (to get more).
It’s also why I hope Substack builds a feature someday (like Mailchimp has) that lets you resend your posts to people who either a) didn’t open them the first time you sent it or b) weren’t subscribers at the time you published and joined since. Both would be good ways to “recycle” existing content and extend its value. But for now, you can improvise with any of the above suggestions. Good luck!
Those are excellent suggestions! Thanks so much. It would be amazing if Substack could implement that feature and other common aspects of an email service provider (especially segmentation). But for now, experimenting with older posts definitely sounds like a good idea!
Absolutely! In fact, I regularly socialize and repost at least three "older" pieces of content weekly into NOTES (restacking fresh quotes, different parts) as well as create fresh assets to put into my Insta / LinkedIn and FB accounts weekly... and it drives GREAT results!
Perhaps it's an opportunity to outsource it? I have decent followings on the platforms so it really is about migrating my audience - but maybe you can get someone to post for you affordably (from the gig platforms) or use an app to setup a month of posts at a time (works for business accounts on those platforms). Trust me - you'll get EXCITED when you check your email and see new subscribers and comments, each morning!
Glad it resonated; I like to think of each piece as part of the "greater body of work" so referencing past material is very similar to how we go on "tangents" when we have everyday conversations with people. :)
Think of showing up for your Substack as showing up for yourself. Because you deserve it. Give your Substack love and others will feel it pouring through.
I signed up for substack months before I actually started writing. When I finally jumped in it was with the intent to use this platform to prime the pump of writing to get the first draft of my memoir finished.
I am getting closer to believing I am on my way to a writing career and feel satisfied to so far that I have had a weekly article sent out since the fall.
Belief my voice matters, even though I did not go to school to be a writer and as I subscribe to more authors and their voices seem oh so much more, witty, intelligent, and creative then mine.
POSTING: Just be authentic and keep posting. And expect nothing in return. Then you're posting because you want to and not because you are chasing something.
The only way to feel more confident with posting when you're just starting out is to just. keep. posting. And then share it.
It doesn't matter if it's perfect. It doesn't matter if it's perfectly curated for an audience. If you are here just to share your story or sing your song - do just that. I joined a writing class and ended up just publishing everything I wrote as a result, and then sharing it with people. People I never expected to be interested have become subscribers and fans. It might be small but posting a load of things and sharing helped me want to actually write and post more.
Thanks so much for this Karen. I needed this. I am just setting up my Substack and polishing my first post now and I find I am teetering at the start line. These are encouraging words.
I'm glad it's helped! Please, just post, just share. Just sing your song. "Writing is medicine" - Beth Kempton. It's always medicine for the writer, and it's usually medicine for someone else too.
Oh this is so great. The generosity of just sharing it all. This is beautiful. Thank you! You may have just encourage me to share more things that aren’t necessarily polished or perfect or “done”.🙏
Oh do it! I highly, highly recommend Beth Kempton's Winter Writing Sanctuary, or anything she does actually. I just took the majority of those exercises and shared them, and I don't regret it at all. I'm so grateful I did it, the confidence it has given me is brilliant. So share, share share! I also love the idea that I can go back to unpolished pieces and polish them later. x
Oh thank you! I will check her out. I love that you took the exercised and shared them. That feels so brave to me. I just read your piece on when the words are stuck and I loved it. Excited to read more from you! ❤
I hope you enjoy her stuff, Beth has a lot of wonderful stuff to help! Honestly, I could have gone right back to the start of the Sanctuary as soon as I finished, and done all the exercises again and come out with entirely different pieces. Such a valuable course.
I didn't consciously decide to share the exercises when I started. In fact, I don't even really remember what I wanted to get from it before I started the course. It was a total whim to do it. But when I'd written the first piece, it felt so great to be speaking with my own voice, I wanted to share it. And maybe that's what made it feel great - I wrote it with no intention to share. It felt brave to share it, honestly! It still does. That's what I loved about the course so much, it made me feel braver and more confident in my words, and then sharing it and seeing how my friends and family and Substack readers liked it just helped grow that.
So, the sooner you share stuff, the better ☺️
Ah thank you so much! That's really kind! That was the first piece I shared that was written after finishing Beth's course. I was really nervous about what I'd write after leaving behind the guides and prompts she gave us. So I'm really, really glad to hear you enjoyed it 😊
That's such a lovely endorsement! And I loved hearing about your process and that it was a whim to do it! What a wonderful way to follow your gut. And the outcome - yay!! How lucky we all are that you did. ;)
I have only been posting on Substack for about a month now, but the biggest thing I've learned is to show up for myself. For me, that means not trying to tackle too many things at once and set easy to manage goals for myself so that I'm not overwhelmed. So far, my goals have been to consistently show up on Notes as much as I can as well as batch my content so I don't have to worry about it for each post.
ENGAGE. Ohmygosh engaging and connecting is what I want most and it’s the thing that scares me most. I’m afraid to say the wrong thing or not sound smart enough or writerly enough, I’m afraid no one will see what I posted or I’ll post before I’m done. But Every. Single. Time I comment or post or reply, I feel good, like I’m part of something and that outweighs the fear. So my advice is get in there and engage. I write Hello Beautifuls at https://jocelynlovelle.substack.com
Thank you @sarahfay for all that you do to connect us here on the stack. 🙏
I seen some results in terms of views and subscribers when I started posting regularly weekly, I think that weekly is the minimum, now I'm considering to have two posts a week. Also engaging with the other writers like restacking, commenting etc... is very important, I'm doing it regularly.
Newbies and Veterans, give us your best Substack advice. It might be on how to get your first post out or how to celebrate when you get your first paid subscriber. Or it’s wisdom gleaned from two years of writing headlines. Or insights into word count, creating community, or writing sentences that sing. Anything!
Here’s how this works:
-In all caps, give us the one-word topic of your advice, e.g., POSTING or NOTES, anything
-Then share what you’ve learned/discovered
-Include the URL of your Substack
-Find at least 2 other pieces of advice in this thread that resonate with you, comment, thank them, and share their wisdom on Notes! (Click the little wheel or click share.)
-BONUS: Check out their Substack and maybe even subscribe.
GROWING
Hi this one's for the Newbies - I'm a year in here so I'm no expert, but I've gone from 0 to 300+ and earned almost $6K in the first year - so I think some of my observations from the field with an inde/outsider flare might be helpful to some! https://sleepyhollowink.substack.com/p/hack-your-substack-10-tips. Enjoy!
EMAIL OVERWHELM
This isn’t as sexy as the kind of advice I usually love to give like, be generous in Notes, Restacks and Comments. Or once you press 'publish', let go of what comes next. Like releasing a message in a bottle, surrender control and be happy that you were brave enough to let your words set sail into the unknown. ✨
But it’s one the things I am so glad I did last month.
I shared this on my latest Substack diaries, but it’s worth repeating here because I wish I did it sooner!
I changed over my personal address in Substack to an email address I created SOLELY for Substack. Now I open up my “substack” email, like I open up a magazine, with all my fav newsletters ready to be read and comments etc to reply to! Game changer!!
https://musingsbymika.substack.com/p/substack-diaries-27-to-180-in-a-month
That is a great idea! I'm already terrible at keeping up with my email - so this would help!
I love this suggestion! I turned email notifications off but I feel like I miss some things. This is a great way to approach it!
Mika this is such a cool idea — I love the app for this reason. It's been fun noticing how I now reach to read longer pieces instead of SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL everywhere else.
Exactly!!
What a great idea! Was it as simple as it sounds? It didn't mess anything up as far as your subscriptions or payments or anything?
I don’t do paid subscription so not sure about that. It was super simple, settings and then edit email 😊
Great! Oh, yeah, I don't do paid for my own stack, but I pay for a couple subscriptions and just wondered if my payment card would still be matched to my new email. Thanks for your help!
Oo good question. It seemed ok.
totally agree!
Done!! Thank you again for these wonderful Friday prompts. I am feeling more comfortable each week to party along with you all! Have a wonderful, magical weekend :)
CONSISTENCY IN POSTING
Think of showing up for your Substack as showing up for yourself. Because you deserve it. Give your Substack love and others will feel it pouring through.
https://tanmeetsethimd.substack.com
excellent point indeed.
This is such a good point! Consistency is defintely one of the best ways to keep your readers and get discovered more.
Excellent advice, thank you!
This is SUCH a great thread! You're amazing, Sarah!
COMMENTS
Read a post you like? Share on notes and comment. It’s a great way to connect.
https://substack.com/@blingnotbling?utm_source=user-menu
Thank you for the office party!
Commenting is my fav part of Substack. I love dropping and receiving comments!
Definitely! There's nothing like a recommendation and I love the way that Notes can take you sideways to new inspiration.
Absolutely!
APOLOGIZING
You don't need to apologize if you send your newsletter out a day or a week late or even if you skip a week. Most of your subscribers don't notice and the apology draws attention to it. New writers often get the advice to "stick to a schedule" and "pick a cadence" but this doesn't work for everyone.
Your readers would rather hear from you when you've got something interesting to say, not because it's a Wednesday.
https://demarcation.substack.com/
Sometimes, when the idea sparks, you have to follow it, stoke it. I love your advice because it not only speaks to our hectic lives, but the “in the moment” way writing inspiration can manifest, that “when you have something to say,” is most important.
I agree 100%
I wrote a spontaneous post. in real-time, about accepting a last-minute invitation. I was short on time and extremely nervous. My fingers didn't cooperate with me, and there were many typos. The closest I came to editing it was to add "I'm not editing this" to the beginning. At the end, I said I'd follow-up.
I haven't written the follow-up, and it's been weeks. After a day or two of not having the chance to write it, the momentum is gone, and it wouldn't have the same energy... I'm not even going to mention it.
Also, you are all now sworn to secrecy. lol.
I could not agree more!
Why bother to write a ‘sorry I’m exhausted’ post, no one wants to read that. 👏👏
This is so good! I realized that this year. I missed a post and wanted to hop back in the next week with a "sorry" but then I realized, no one cares! That was so freeing. On the flip side, when I just started with Substack I accidentally published a post TWICE within minutes of each other. I thought it hadn't posted because I didn't receive and email with my post. I was mortified and thought about sending another post to apologize but luckily I phoned a friend first. She was like, "who hasn't done this? Say nothing. I repeat, say nothing!" And when I thought about it I flashed to all the apology emails I'd received over the years for such things and was like, yeah, who needs yet another email for me?
This is the advise I started giving myself only recently after years of agonizing over being a day or few days late. Now ‘the sky is not going to fall if I miss a day’ and ‘I don't need to apologize’ have become my new mantras.
SO TRUE - no-one notices!
@dizzyzaba nice advice here. I’m not perfectly publishing on the date I plan to publish. I don’t really pay too much attention to the day the people I subscribe to publish. I think you’re right on this!
Love this advice -- and need to follow it myself more often. Every newsletter seems to start out with, "I had every intention of getting this out on time, but then [INSERT SHIT NO ONE CARES ABOUT] ..." Thanks!
This is a relief to hear. I agonised over getting posts out every Wednesday and Saturday no matter what, then the strain turned out to be too much and I'd give up entirely for weeks (ok, sometimes months) at a time and feel like a failure... bit of a cycle. or I'd put stuff out that wasn't as good just to have something out on the promised day.
I needed this reminder. Thank you for the permission slip.
took me a while to stop thinking like this. i am more consistent now, but i'd always be like "sorry for being gone!" if I took a break.
Thank you for taking me "off the hook" for skipping a week. I was just about to apologize for skipping a post in a series I've developed, but I'd really be apologizing to myself for letting myself down. And that's just unnecessary.
Totally! Give yourself a break, I’m sure your audience would prefer you turn up refreshed and not frazzled. 👏👏
ENGAGING CONTENT
Don't try to be cute. Be yourself. You are on a journey to find the people who resonate with your message. Some will, some won't, so what. People are resonating with your content even if they don't comment.
Also, I prefer to keep mine short so they can read it and get an actionable takeaway.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking what you have to share has already been done. No one has heard it in YOUR voice yet. You are unique and the world is best served when you are uniquely you, not someone else.
www.tareks.blog
Yes to this! People often say Be Yourself, but you've given good reasons to do so. People have not yet heard a point of view in YOUR voice. So even if you are writing about a familiar topic, there can definitely be a new take on it.
I often start writing something, then before it's done, the same topic is in the news! Then I consider what makes my POV unique, and reshape the post.
https://theindiaink.substack.com/
Well said Yamuna! Have an excellent day.
Ditto to all of this!
Thanks Jo! It’s a process isn’t it? I’m still trying to give up perfection.
Thank you for this, incredibly helpful.
Thanks Niki! I’ve only been doing this a few months so I’m in learning mode as well!
I could definitely do a better job of focusing my content on value....
Sometimes I get carried away with trying to make it perfect!
My struggle as well! Perfection is dead. Let’s have the real Boysie!!!
You are so right!
The world needs the real Melissa!
Love it Tarek. Sharing of yourself makes it more fun and less of a chore.
Isn’t it much easier just to be you? Amen to that Vince.
Awesome point, Tarek. There was a time when I was very concerned I was getting few comments and now I recognize I am similar to my readers. I can really appreciate something I read and also not comment on it (plus, most of my readers are only on email and not Substack).
I invited them to hit reply and while I'd be happy to hear from them in that way, my CTA is more about them hitting a "Share" button.
Just gave similar advice! Totally agree
Great minds Lauren! ;-)
SHARING LINKS
I’ve been watching where I get most of my reads and followers of a very nascent substack. I thought social like Threads, or even X/Twitter might get the most attention. But I get somewhere between 11-30% of my readers from posts with links on LinkedIn. I was rather surprised. My LinkedIn felt very “okay-ish.” But, it just went to show me that I should pay attention to the analytics, and not rely on what I think. My LinkedIn is my oldest account, and what I’ll call “old Twitter” was more established than other places. So your analytics might be better on other platforms. It’s just a matter of giving time and attention to the tool, and watching the trends.
Also, I have very modest expectations for my substack, which I should probably have lead with.
https://reneeknicholson.substack.com/
DESIGN
I have only been on Substack as a writer for about 2 weeks - I figured out through my settings tab how to update color, font, layout, etc of my page - which makes it feel more like me and something to be proud of! I like that you can see a preview of what emails will look like - it has been a lot of playing and learning but it is fueling the right side of my brain - so I'm all for it.
My substack is nataliehenning.substack.com - would love to meet you there! This thread is great!
Thanks for sharing! I'm very new...like today new....and am still trying to figure out how to change the design of my page. Any tips or advice on how you figured yours out? (Your site looks beautiful!) I was also thinking that maybe mine doesn't look great yet since I only have three posts up...
Yes! Go to your writer dashboard, then settings, then under basics it says site design, then click customize. It’s easier to do on a laptop but doable on a phone!
GUIDES AND OBVIOUS STUFF
If your publications revolves around a specific niche, consider writing a few guides or 101 on xyz topic type pieces. You might think I don’t have a relevant topic to do that for but I did it with Indian food and you can do it too. Go as specific as you can so I have a 101 for Dahl, Roti and an Indian Pantry shopping list. They’ve been my most popular posts yet.
http://perzen.substack.com
COMMENTS / NOTES / RESTACK
I never notice (or even know if there's a way to notice) that comments on a post are open only to paid subscribers until I get to the end of the post. If I feel compelled to comment, I use a workaround I haven't heard of anyone doing. Maybe it's a common thing people are doing; I don't know.
Sounds like cheating, doesn't it? I thought so, too, when I thought of it, but I came to the conclusion that likely reasons to close comments to free subscribers and the rest of the world are: 1) Protect your time from hacks and trolls/keep the thread "clean" 2) Preserve your time so that you can respond to more (or all) of your paid subscribers.
The workaround doesn't infringe upon either of those, so I don't feel like there's an ethics violation in it.
The workaround is simple: Restack with a Note. Easy-peasy. Anyone else doing this?
https://repurposedkate.substack.com
Having recently added a supplementary piece as a thank you to paid subscribers right at the end of my regular letter, I learned that Substack limit comments, which doesn’t work for me as a writer. So yes, restacking with a comment is a good workaround, but I would like to be able to control this myself and allow everyone to comment. Meanwhile, no paywall. Hope that makes sense!
BEGIN AGAIN
Listen, if you haven’t done something you planned to. If you’ve dropped the ball, fallen off the bandwagon— whatever it is. It’s a good thing! You aren’t measured by how consistent you are. This is life and sh*t happens. But because you’re so awesome you know how to just begin again.
Here’s how to fail at everything you planned and still feel might good about it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/niftyjacob/p/what-happens-when-its-not-a-new-year?r=584m&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
One of the things I do to personalize my experiences with my community is responding by name. There is something so sweet about taking the time to respond to someone by their name. If it’s not above their name, take the time to look for it.
Addressing someone by their name (make sure it’s spelled write) allows people to not just be seen but KNOW they are seen.
https://cuidate.substack.com
love this! great advice. Thanks, Josefina :)
I love this, my dad always does this in person, too. Whether we would be out to eat and asking the server their name, and then thanking them by name. It really makes a difference. As a nurse, when my patients call me by name, it's amazing how good that feels. Thank you for sharing, Josefina! :)
This is a great one! It's a skill I work on in real life, too. People always say, "I'm bad with names." But I think that is a choice. I always say, "I'm good with names and faces." Even though it isn't always true it tells my brain that this is something we value and helps me connect with people a little more.
https://rosalindaroman.substack.com
POSTING
When I write, I picture a good friend and I write as if I’m talking to only her. This helps my writing flow because it’s a way to be myself and not overthink it. I think whoever your audience is, picturing that person and writing for the one, you are writing for those who the substack is for. 🙏
https://latebloomersclub.substack.com/
KEEP THEM IN YOUR WORLD
I saw this on a rabbit hole I went down in the Notes party thread, thank you @SethWerkheiser I'd started to go off on probably too many tangents and this is now something I ask myself everytime I write, am I bringing people into my world? You can visit my world here...😉 https://joscottartist.substack.com/
Love this Jo! I need to filter through this lens often.
MAKE ANOTHER MISTAKE
One of my early mentors, the great Sun Ra, once said "You made a mistake, you did something wrong; now make another mistake and do something right." Do not give this stuff up - if you write and publish something that you think sucks, write and publish something else.
I'm Not Complaining - https://notcomplaining.substack.com
RECOMMENDING GENEROUSLY
Close to 50% of my Substack subscribers has come from other's recommendations (albeit my count is still small at 150). I would say find kindred spirit in your subject and clap, comment, encourage these writers, as when they take off, they will take you with them if they like your work!
Recommend generously - no need to limit to 3 or 5 - some people recommend 35! I have watched her grow from 100 to 2000 in 3 months (obviously with quality and consistent writing too)
Welcome to The Learner's Mind: https://marianneo.substack.com
There is an abundance mentality that feels just right in your advice.
Thanks Renee. Someone once said, while there are probably a lot of us writing about same subject matter (in my case finance), but each one offers a unique angle due to our different experiences. So we all learn from each other.
And this is what I love about Substack - no competition, just genuinely cheering each other on because even if people have similar newsletters, we are all different in our own ways. We should always be supporting one another!
Nicely said!!
WRITING AND INSPIRATION
Decide why you want to write, then do it. Learn the rules then put them aside. Read a lot. If you are not a reader, you're not a writer.
PERSEVERE!
I am late to the party because...covid. But it is so funny. I wrote this piece about getting to 100 subscribers on Substack this week - and the theme is really about never giving up. And about enjoying the small rewards along the way. I've loved reading these and will share a few that really hit me right. https://open.substack.com/pub/camillebrightsmith/p/18-jobs-i-had-before-i-became-a-writer?r=18hqih&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
RECORDING AUDIO
I try to record audio for my posts (especially the longer ones) so folks can listen to them in addition to reading. I've been surprised by how this has helped me grow. More than once a reader has commented on listening to a post while on a walk or in the car. A friend of mine even said, "I heard your latest podcast episode ..." I chuckled and thought, "great, folks have been telling me I need a podcast for years."
What I'm doing is not a podcast in anyway BTW. I literally just read what I have written. I'm not perfect on these recordings. I mess up. I ad lib. There's zero music or any fancy editing. I think of it like talking to a friend. But, this offers more accessibility to my writing. A long post might be intimidating but when someone sees it's only 10 minutes long, they may be more likely to engage.
Another potential bonus for those who are seeking to grow paid subscriptions, I just learned from Sarah Fay that if you use the record audio feature in Substack, you can gate the audio for paid subscribers only. This may be something I play with in the future.
https://kelseyblackwell.substack.com
ooh. love this idea. thank you for sharing. is there an app or program that you use to record them?
This is a really great idea, and I think I will definitely add that to my posts! Though hearing my own voice can be quite painful -- haha!
Awesome! I've been exploring this idea so thanks for the inspiration, definitely trying it out for this week's newsletter.
Awesome! Way to go
Thank you Kelsey! I just recorded mine for my weekly post that will go up tomorrow! I'd love to do a podcast at some point so this was an easy entry point.
Awesome job!
I've been doing this too. And its also very fun. Today I couldn't get my audio done because I have covid, but I'll just have to settle for posting something and feeling good about that.
Practice not perfect. <3 Thought I did record once with a stuffy a nose and folks found it funny.
I’ll try again. I started coughing during the recording!
Always keep your promise by giving out value. It's only those who give that will receive. Collaboration is also good for mutual benefits
https://substack.com/@preciousmumzumi
MONEY
"An Essay Contest. It’s January 1, 2050/ How, in 2024, did we pull off saving the world?" https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/an-essay-contest-its-january-1-2050
When I put out money prizes for writing essays a couple of weeks ago, it started a steady stream of new subscribers that still is flowing in!!!
that's lovely! working on my submission now; excited to see all the cool ideas we generate! even better when there are unexpected benefits to something we put out.
RETURN
Adding onto a previous comment about not apologizing, when I haven’t written in a while, I start to get this feeling that I should just quit. Does it look better to not be on at all than to be eratic? But than I post and I feel better, never worse. I show up and come back into the community. No apologies.
The "not apologizing" comment resonated with me, too. So does yours.
I let my publication title go dormant for years until I started my Substack, then I got it out of mothballs and dusted it off. I returned to Repurposed Kate.
FEEL NO SHAME
I think it's everything to write from the heart, to follow your bliss, the light of your longing and ache.
To unselfconciously write for writings sake.
I'm not always sure of the singularity of muse or subject in the words that fall out. It's like I'm showing up to witness them, as much my readers do for me. That's quite a thing. Obviously for them to have resonance in other people's lives is part of the alchemy of writing and reading.
QUALITY
Quality over quantity. You may think you don't have much to say this week but if it has value, say it! A short post is highly likely to be read first by a reader as they set aside longer posts for when they have more time. If it is only a sentence or two, turn it into a meme. Bottom line, speak up. I love this post, it's like a pyramid letter only in a good way.❤️ HTTPS://Writersshowase.Substack.com
PRIORITIZE MY PLEASURE
I’m new to Substack, and my whole career (ok my life probably 😅) has been defined by my uncanny ability to know what other people want and make it for them. I literally get paid by other companies to tell them what to make and how to sell.
So when it came to my own work, I was so excited at the idea that this was my space to make things that delight me. And then I started getting more readers!! And then I started to worry if what I was making would be what they wanted. And I started making things based on my guess of what people might want from me instead of what I was feeling curious about.
I very quickly stopped having fun, and not long after that, what had seemed like an infinite well of inspiration dried right up.
I had to be really honest and recognize that I had started trying to productize my work by taking myself out of the equation — literally the opposite of why all those folks started following me in the first place 🫠
As soon as I went back to my pleasure, my love, my enjoyment, I had a big breakthrough about both my content and the value of my offer.
I also spoke with some readers who helped me connect with what they love about my work, and lo and behold, it was the same thing I love about it 🤪
Anyway, don’t forget to enjoy it — I love reading the work of people who are having an irresistibly good time.
You can find me here!
https://onpurposeproject.substack.com/
Great advice! I am just getting started here on Substack and I'm excited about the possibility of creating whatever the heck I want. But so far, the two times I have posted, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time thinking about whether or not I "should" post. Old programming dies hard. But I refuse to give up trying to find what pleases me. Thanks for the reminder that it does matter.
❤️
-Rosa Linda
https://rosalindaroman.substack.com/
OMG, Yes to all this! I'm writing about "finding my voice" in middle age after a lifetime of caregiving and people-pleasing. It's so much harder than it sounds.
So. Much. Harder!! Love what you’re writing about Laurie ❤️
NOTES
Don't be shy to comment on posts or other peoples Notes! I made wonderful connections thanks to Notes and most people here on Substack are very kind and welcoming.
https://mindandheart17.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2yf2sa
TRUST YOUR READERS
It’s ok to experiment, to try, fail and share your vulnerability and your awesomeness. To change, evolve and grow together.
I find it comforting that I can always trust my readers to stay when they love the content, to leave when it’s no longer relevant for them and to send it and share when they find it inspiring.
I’ve felt such fatigue with all the calls to action and attention-grabbing techniques these last years online, I think because we’re sometimes so insecure that no one will see if we’re not shouting from the rooftops. So now I try trusting my readers and being more patient.
And there is less pressure on me too! It’s a win win all around 🎊
Yes! Great reminder. Thank you.
I think this is beautiful, Laure — it speaks to the very American feeling of IF IT ISN'T ACTIVELY GROWING IT IS DEAD. What a nice reminder that there are many ways to experience and find value in a creative act
That sounds like an amazing mindset and is a great piece of advice! I'm will definitely try taking that mindset more to heart.^^
My Substack motto has become “Fail Out Loud” - it allows me to try things, to set the hare running before I’m sure the dogs are ready, to experiment. What I’ve found is a community so supportive and open to ideas that no matter what happens, nobody cares how I feared they would and everybody cares in the way I only dreamt was possible before I built my home here. So try things, fail out loud, pick yourself up, fail better. We are all doing the same and out of this beautiful, daring effort at life, creations are born that make all our lives feel better.
YES
So important to risk the shame of poor writing. Better writing can only come of more experiments.
POSTING
At the outset you will wonder what on earth you have to write about and share. It doesn’t need to be clever, funny or long – just something that shifted the needle on your day; we’re all looking for precious moments that offer respite from a turbulent world. Write wherever you are, when you think of something – dictate it into your phone so you don’t forget. Six months in, I have so many things I want to put into words about this place and share, and the seed for this was committing to writing weekly here. It’s taken a long time to realise that if you want to have a regular writing habit, you have to write regularly.
https://michelagriffith.substack.com
Wow so much great advice
How do you do a hero post. I'm completely new here so still finding my way around the app.
Hi Nicola! Karen Cherry of Pubstack Success has a post about making hero posts. It's what I used to make mine. Hope this link works.
https://pubstacksuccess.substack.com/p/how-to-get-more-subscribers-with?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Thank you
CONTENT - be yourself. You will always be YOU and will have all the new ideas which make your Substack original, personal and engaging.
https://jothompson.substack.com
LOSING SUBSCRIBERS
You can turn off the notifications for when somebody unsubscribes to your newsletter. Mine is off. I mean, who needs that kind of news in their inbox?
However, I did notice the other day that I lost a few. I took it as a sign that my community was weeding itself out. I do this myself. Who among us hasn't subscribed to a Substack only to find it wasn't what we thought it was, or just not our thing? I'm not for everyone. I'm just glad to know my writing drew them in at some point.
Good one, I'll admit the first time it happened it got me too, but as long as the general vibe feels positive, it's okay, must switch that off.
Never look....
I have such a hard time with never looking. I lost a couple the other day, and much like you Jeff I had to remind myself that folks have to try things for a second to see if they fit, and if they don't that is just fine — attention is precious. When you're excited about what you're making, or more so, when you are vulnerable in a post, it can be hard not to look for safety in the dashboard to confirm that you are not a crazy person!
I already know I’m a crazy person. I take comfort, knowing that people realize they’re not crazy like me. 😂
ahahahahaha
COMMITMENT:
I get discouraged fairly easily with my writing because I am relatively new at it. But what I have learned is that what I want to write overrules the discouragement - I am committed to continuing to say what is in my heart at https://agingwell.news/.
Keep going... I've been here for over two years now, and it takes time, but it's so worth it
I totally agree. It has been a lifesaver for me.
BADASSARY
Bring those parts of you onboard that you’ve secretly fantasised about writing from. If you can do it anywhere it’s Substack. Get loose, stop worrying about being on brand or even adhering to the same style of ‘voice’ in each post.
You are naturally dynamic AND you’ll liberate yourself and your art this way.
You can be specific with your writing theme and your values, and get looser with how you bring them to life.
https://sarinazoe22.substack.com
all of this! My topics vary, and sometimes are more humorous, sometimes serious. It's all my voice, but different sides of it. When I go back and look at my posts, although they range from politics to Scientology, it appears a "brand" has been created!
I really appreciate that--I find myself not only editing my content (necessary) but editing my natural voice as well.
That is wonderful advice! I like the way you think and letting yourself lose is such a great thing for creativity.^^
ABSOLUTELY 100% !
DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
People's responses to your writing are never a reflection of your worth as a human being.
Whether they react in a negative way to your writing or unsubscribe, there are a million different possibilities of what prompted them to do so. We cannot control any of those circumstances.
What we can do is to stay the course, trust ourselves and write honest newsletters that align with our core.
This is my Substack, Lily Pond: https://lilypond.substack.com
Great advice.
Thank you, Jeffrey!
FUNNELING TRAFFIC
Substack does a meh job of generating organic traffic! Most of the work to get our visibility has to be done through networking and rigorous relationship building. For me, especially as a newer writer, it can be emotionally exhausting in high quantities. This exhaustion can lead to inauthentic engagement or worse burnout!
To lessen the burden, I have found I can leverage my other social media networks to funnel traffic to my Substack. Whether it's through a call-to-action on long form content or having a link to my landing page in my bio... as I grow on other platforms, I will be growing my Substack too!
https://thebluepath.substack.com
IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE, WRITE MORE!
In the beginning, write more, write daily.
I started my substack as a daily ‘blog’.
The daily cadence made me live a more interesting life, just so I could write about it. And I learned about writing on Substack by writing on Substack. In 2 years, I wrote 700 pieces, then I put it all behind the paywall as ‘the archive’, (more was my first ‘product) and started refining my topics using the data from writing 700 pieces.
In the beginning write more.
https://www.tenminuteartist.com/
Being brand new to Substack, this advice terrifies me. I have posted twice in the past week and have 13 beautiful subscribers already. 🎉 But I know they are family and friends and the thought of bombarding them with more of my writing feels intrusive like, "I know they want to support me, but only if I post once in a while." I also feel the pressure to post "the right things."
That said, I am committed to keep showing up for myself and my future community by working through that discomfort. Thanks for the advice to nudge me to get out of my own way.
-Rosa Linda
https://rosalindaroman.substack.com/
BALANCE
I'm finding I need to strike a balance with how much time I spend on Substack, immersed in other people's writing. There's a sweet spot where I get plenty of nourishment, inspiration and connection with others, but where it doesn't drown out being able to hear my own voice, or leave me feeling overwhelmed and believing I have nothing new or original to offer (aka imposter syndrome kicks in). Anyone else relate?
https://drvickiconnop.substack.com/
Absolutely. I have to be very sparse with reading other people's work. I feel their fingerprints in my mind, and in my writing immediately. I'm like a sponge that way. I do the same with accents for some weird reason. It also somehow exhausts me and saps my creative inspiration.
Oh yes, I do that with accents too! Perhaps some of us are more porous than others in that way. Really good point 😊
Agree - that's what I said as well! I hear you 100%. It's a daily balancing act!
Agree!
SET SERIES GOALS
I'm the kind of person who likes to check off the boxes. Therefore, I design series goals based on a meaningful number of items, and the topics fall naturally out of that. For 12 weeks last fall, I took one reject photo from a card collection I made, and connected it to a piece of the memoir I've written. The posts also included a photo from my childhood, a current landscape photo, and a little invocation. Including all those five things set a little puzzle for myself each week that I enjoyed solving.
Right now I'm 4 weeks into a series of 24 Flag Oracle readings. I pull two cards from the deck I've made, write the reading, design an invocation, and include a current landscape photo.
This way, I never have to look for topics. Keep in mind that I have been a professional writer since 2004 and the only way I get things done is to give myself assignments and make myself publish at the same time every week. These are fun assignments that fill me with a sense of purpose and satisfaction when I complete them! Also, my readers know what to expect, and my open rate has remained consistent. https://leeannprescott.substack.com/
SUBSCRIBERS Soooo... I was stuck and not growing at all until I started posting regularly and engaging in notes and commenting on posts. The engagement makes alllll the difference. Bonus: it’s an amazing community to engage with! I am soooo much happier chatting with people on Substack rather than Instagram.
https://open.substack.com/pub/wellnesslovely?r=e8lli&utm_medium=ios
Could not agree more. Prior to landing on Substack, I left both FB and Instagram for 7 months. I have no desire to go back. My entire psyche and sense of well being is completely different. Substack feels like nourishment❤️ This is my substack : https://nikischultz74.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=1t9f19
Nourishment is the right word Niki! Soooo much the right word. I am very fatigued by Instagram - so happy I found this amazing communtity!
How much or how often would you say engage? I'm on notes frequently, and post there as well as commenting on a post, like this. But trying to walk that line of not obnoxiously pushing my Very Amazing Writing.
I try to engage in notes every other day. If I am short on time, I literally set a timer. I sure hope you are sharing your very amazing writing a lot! I heard Sarah say in a workshop to share your published pieces on notes right after you publish. Are you doing that? Going to check your page out now :-).
Engagement seems to be a recurring theme everywhere I go!
I have to better about it on here, it's just intimidating not knowing where to start, but having all these options.
Just start exploring notes, newsletters, etc that vibe with you and leave your support and questions via comments. It is sooo much fun!
I love that you do this for everyone. Nothing to share for now but will enjoy reading everyone else's!
ASK
The most success I've had on here came from humbly asking much bigger Substacks if I could write a guest post for their site.
https://riverpeoplerebuild.substack.com/
Say more please!!
I have not tried that! Will have to explore...
TURN ONE POST INTO TWO
Often when I’m writing and I find my topic starting to get broad I’ll start up another draft and start to put the things I want to say but maybe don’t quite fit into that. Often by the end I have enough writing to start and create another post. That way I can follow on from my themes and also keep my posts shorter and easier to digest.
https://ourtimesandseasons.substack.com
This is a great idea — I've found that once I got going with an editorial calendar it really helped me do more breaking things out into chunks. A friend of mine who is a content strategist also offered me this gem: Good content strategy has an arc. Start with things that introduce a topic and ask questions, build up to a bigger idea and then conclude it. Things we know to do in a piece, but not necessarily things I had thought to do as posts. I've now divided my weeks into themes, and I came up with some features that will allow me to break things out more strategically. It's also less burden on the writing because I can stay with an idea for longer instead of switching things up a ton.
Oh I love this! Suck good ideas. Thanks for sharing
This happens to me, too! Sometimes a bit of one article leads to a whole new post, and that's the post that gets published. The other one never sees the light of day! But that's ok – the better idea won out.
Yes! I have quite a few drafts that are basically spare parts for other articles! It’s a messy process but it works!
I just split a post in two today! Great advice.
EDIT
This is the advice I give myself all the time: Edit. Kill your darlings. Don't fall in love with your words so much that you're not willing to cut some out. Imagine your readers reading your post. Have you lost them? Are they bored? Edit. Edit Edit.
https://loublaser.substack.com/
Hi Lou! So true!
Always! I never write and publish the same day.
I don't either. I try to write a few weeks in advance (several drafts going simultaneously). I joke that it takes a while to edit out the snark :)
Yes the pause is needed, the more critical editing voice needs another day. I've only just begun really but my pieces are short, and if they've strayed to longer I know I've got lost.
It takes longer to write shorter.
Interesting! I have never considered this! Thank you!
Me too! I let it rest.. like a steak 😭
I really like this idea!
POSTING
Someone said that in writing the subject line,write something intriguing. Use the subheading to explain what the topic is about. So don’t make your subject line boring—make it catch their eye, and get the reader curious. You can do more of the dry explaining in the subheading. Here’s an example: https://summerisferal.substack.com/p/making-friends-with-our-monsters
That's a good one, sometimes I've got my subject line wrong, but I always go for something that asks a question, vs explaining.
Yes, I'm always trying to balance the headline and the subhead for interest.
This makes so much sense
LEARNING. The more I write, the more I learn about myself and what I'm really trying to say.
Writing Essential Issues
Key ideas and thought how to change ourselves and the world for the better
https://www.essentialissues.news/
I’ve felt myself and my Substack evolve this way too.
REPOST YOUR OLD CONTENT
Whether you have one, ten or a hundred posts already, don't hesitate to RESTACK and promote your past pieces. Not everyone in Substack saw it the first time, or noticed it in Notes; and if you cross promote content to other social media or websites, there will constantly be new audiences who would be thrilled to read your greatest hits and past pieces.
Likewise, don't forget to mention previous pieces consistently in your latest posts, too. Any way you can reference "as I wrote about in....." and "when I explored...." weeks, months or years ago, the more you can help people get deeper into your existing body of work - especially new subscribers who may have not yet enjoyed your past brilliance!
http://mferrara.substack.com
That's a great idea. I hesitated to do that, but some articles have more longevity, and could benefit from another boost!
I really like this idea. It's a potential "gold mine" for drawing in new subscribers. However, my archive posts are paywalled. I'm wondering if it's best to remove the paywall when I mention them in a new psot or share them on Notes. I feel that if I share them in a new post, and my readers already dig what I write nowadays, they might get curious to read my older posts, and this may potentially lead to some paid subscriptions. But what about Notes for new readers? What do you think?
I would experiment with all of the options. Un-paywall some older posts and repost them and see what happens. Or, simply repost your more recent posts more frequently (for example, my posts don’t paywall until 4 weeks later, which gives me a month to reshare them multiple times). I think referring to paywalls posts in your content definitely drives some paid conversions, because readers are already enjoying your fresh work and will feel confident investing in the subscription as an extension of what they are already enjoying (to get more).
It’s also why I hope Substack builds a feature someday (like Mailchimp has) that lets you resend your posts to people who either a) didn’t open them the first time you sent it or b) weren’t subscribers at the time you published and joined since. Both would be good ways to “recycle” existing content and extend its value. But for now, you can improvise with any of the above suggestions. Good luck!
Those are excellent suggestions! Thanks so much. It would be amazing if Substack could implement that feature and other common aspects of an email service provider (especially segmentation). But for now, experimenting with older posts definitely sounds like a good idea!
Thank you for this "permission'... I mean, reminder!
Good idea, thanks
I've wondered if I should do this or not. Thanks for this advice and answering my inner questioning.
Absolutely! In fact, I regularly socialize and repost at least three "older" pieces of content weekly into NOTES (restacking fresh quotes, different parts) as well as create fresh assets to put into my Insta / LinkedIn and FB accounts weekly... and it drives GREAT results!
This is a great idea re: Notes. I should do this more.
Well Done! You are more motivated then I. ATM I just can't spend time or energy on any of those other platforms. heehee
I feel that 100%
Perhaps it's an opportunity to outsource it? I have decent followings on the platforms so it really is about migrating my audience - but maybe you can get someone to post for you affordably (from the gig platforms) or use an app to setup a month of posts at a time (works for business accounts on those platforms). Trust me - you'll get EXCITED when you check your email and see new subscribers and comments, each morning!
Hmmm perhaps, thank you for helping get my thinking cap on. I appreciate the encouragement.
Thank you for this reminder and brilliant advice about mentioning and linking past pieces, Matthew!
Glad it resonated; I like to think of each piece as part of the "greater body of work" so referencing past material is very similar to how we go on "tangents" when we have everyday conversations with people. :)
CONSISTENCY IN POSTING
Think of showing up for your Substack as showing up for yourself. Because you deserve it. Give your Substack love and others will feel it pouring through.
https://tanmeetsethimd.substack.com
1000% experiencing this currently, after some Substack dabbling, I’m now all in and it feels exactly like this - I deserve to show up for me. X
Love it!
Yes! I publish every Sunday, usually by 3pm at the latest.
Love the commitment. I’m good about the day but the timing is a little less sure. I’m thinking of moving to twice a week though
BELIEF
Belief is the best advice for myself...LOL
Believe I am a writer at work.
I signed up for substack months before I actually started writing. When I finally jumped in it was with the intent to use this platform to prime the pump of writing to get the first draft of my memoir finished.
I am getting closer to believing I am on my way to a writing career and feel satisfied to so far that I have had a weekly article sent out since the fall.
Belief my voice matters, even though I did not go to school to be a writer and as I subscribe to more authors and their voices seem oh so much more, witty, intelligent, and creative then mine.
Find my story and photos of my feathered friends and saviors, the trumpeter swans. https://substack.com/@magicalmargarita
I need a bit more of this belief myself
I believe in you!!! Hope that helps :)
Thank you ☺️
POSTING: Just be authentic and keep posting. And expect nothing in return. Then you're posting because you want to and not because you are chasing something.
www.vincewetzel.substack.com
I love the "expect nothing in return." This is everything. My expectations set the tone for everything. https://nikischultz74.substack.com/
This is very true. If I focused only on the numbers, I would drive myself crazy.
Totally agree.
POSTING & SHARING
The only way to feel more confident with posting when you're just starting out is to just. keep. posting. And then share it.
It doesn't matter if it's perfect. It doesn't matter if it's perfectly curated for an audience. If you are here just to share your story or sing your song - do just that. I joined a writing class and ended up just publishing everything I wrote as a result, and then sharing it with people. People I never expected to be interested have become subscribers and fans. It might be small but posting a load of things and sharing helped me want to actually write and post more.
https://ontheoutside.substack.com
I like it. Posting and Sharing. Good advice for those of us who can’t stop writing. Thanks.
That’s the entire reason I ended up posting as much as I have! The words just kept coming. And I’m grateful for that so why not share? 😁
Thanks so much for this Karen. I needed this. I am just setting up my Substack and polishing my first post now and I find I am teetering at the start line. These are encouraging words.
The hardest post is always the first one. From there, it gets much easier!
Thank you!
I'm glad it's helped! Please, just post, just share. Just sing your song. "Writing is medicine" - Beth Kempton. It's always medicine for the writer, and it's usually medicine for someone else too.
Oh this is so great. The generosity of just sharing it all. This is beautiful. Thank you! You may have just encourage me to share more things that aren’t necessarily polished or perfect or “done”.🙏
Oh do it! I highly, highly recommend Beth Kempton's Winter Writing Sanctuary, or anything she does actually. I just took the majority of those exercises and shared them, and I don't regret it at all. I'm so grateful I did it, the confidence it has given me is brilliant. So share, share share! I also love the idea that I can go back to unpolished pieces and polish them later. x
Oh thank you! I will check her out. I love that you took the exercised and shared them. That feels so brave to me. I just read your piece on when the words are stuck and I loved it. Excited to read more from you! ❤
I hope you enjoy her stuff, Beth has a lot of wonderful stuff to help! Honestly, I could have gone right back to the start of the Sanctuary as soon as I finished, and done all the exercises again and come out with entirely different pieces. Such a valuable course.
I didn't consciously decide to share the exercises when I started. In fact, I don't even really remember what I wanted to get from it before I started the course. It was a total whim to do it. But when I'd written the first piece, it felt so great to be speaking with my own voice, I wanted to share it. And maybe that's what made it feel great - I wrote it with no intention to share. It felt brave to share it, honestly! It still does. That's what I loved about the course so much, it made me feel braver and more confident in my words, and then sharing it and seeing how my friends and family and Substack readers liked it just helped grow that.
So, the sooner you share stuff, the better ☺️
Ah thank you so much! That's really kind! That was the first piece I shared that was written after finishing Beth's course. I was really nervous about what I'd write after leaving behind the guides and prompts she gave us. So I'm really, really glad to hear you enjoyed it 😊
That's such a lovely endorsement! And I loved hearing about your process and that it was a whim to do it! What a wonderful way to follow your gut. And the outcome - yay!! How lucky we all are that you did. ;)
SHOW UP FOR YOURSELF
I have only been posting on Substack for about a month now, but the biggest thing I've learned is to show up for myself. For me, that means not trying to tackle too many things at once and set easy to manage goals for myself so that I'm not overwhelmed. So far, my goals have been to consistently show up on Notes as much as I can as well as batch my content so I don't have to worry about it for each post.
https://briheron.substack.com
A sustainable writing practice is a good writing practice.
ENGAGE. Ohmygosh engaging and connecting is what I want most and it’s the thing that scares me most. I’m afraid to say the wrong thing or not sound smart enough or writerly enough, I’m afraid no one will see what I posted or I’ll post before I’m done. But Every. Single. Time I comment or post or reply, I feel good, like I’m part of something and that outweighs the fear. So my advice is get in there and engage. I write Hello Beautifuls at https://jocelynlovelle.substack.com
Thank you @sarahfay for all that you do to connect us here on the stack. 🙏
Ah thank you for sharing this! I have felt the same, and it's been so nice to prove myself wrong by just engaging anyway!
Yes! I love it! You’re welcome and thank you for letting me know I’m not the only one ❤️
I literally said the same thing. Great minds...😊
I love it!
CONSISTENCY
I seen some results in terms of views and subscribers when I started posting regularly weekly, I think that weekly is the minimum, now I'm considering to have two posts a week. Also engaging with the other writers like restacking, commenting etc... is very important, I'm doing it regularly.
https://open.substack.com/pub/ionlytakepics?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2843be