Last chance to enroll: The Craft of Writing on Substack
The same Substack course I teach at Northwestern and you don't have to pay $23k or get 1560 on your SATs to take it
Last call for the fall session of The Craft of Writing on Substack: Write a Substack people actually read, engage with, and pay for.
» The same course I teach at Northwestern, and you don’t have to pay $23k or get 1560 on your SATs to take it.
Doors close tonight at midnight CT.
Anyone can get subscribers, but few attract paying subscribers and devoted readers.
Devoted readers come when you master the craft of writing on Substack.
After 20 years teaching creative writing in MFA programs and 3 years working 1:1 with 700+ Substack writers—helping them become bestsellers, get featured, launch businesses, land speaking engagements, get agents and book deals—I’ve found the five craft elements Substack writers need to successfully attract, engage, and convert real readers.
October 24 - December 6
Fridays, 12-3 PM CT
Limited space available to ensure meaningful feedback
Replays available
No class the week of Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday)
Investment
Pay in full: $1,485 (save $90) Pay in full | $1485
Pay in installments: $525/mo Pay in 3 installments | $1575
Paid subscribers get 10% off if you pay in full. Scroll all the way down for the coupon code.
Doors close tonight, 10/17 at midnight CT
Course Overview
Over six sessions, you’ll master the five craft elements of successful Substack writing with me, two expert guest teachers, and a panel of agents and editors:
Voice:
Find your unique voice—the difference between readers deleting and unsubscribing and I need to read everything this person writes.
Storytelling:
Share your life and experience in a way that converts scrollers into subscribers and subscribers into paid supporters—with guest teacher Micaela Blei, co-founder of The Moth’s education program (!).
Humor:
Use humor to pull subscribers in and keep them—not jokes, human writing that makes readers feel like they know you (and know it’s not AI because AI is never, ever funny, clever, or charming).
Edge:
Discover what makes posts shareable, memorable, and impossible to ignore—including:
Writing short and powerful with guest teacher Nadine Kenney Johnstone (she’s mentored dozens of students published in The New York Times Modern Love)
How to write subject lines that get opens instead of deleted and headlines that get your posts shared.
Q&A with a panel of agents and editors about what they look for in a Substack
Processes:
Establish a creative process and publishing calendar that makes Substack sustainable instead of exhausting—with templates for repeatable formats you can adapt
Plus:
Weekly feedback on your actual posts from fellow Substack writers with my editorial guidance
Guided readings from my curated anthology of Substack writers, plus pivotal authors in essay, blog, and newsletter writing
Access to all recordings 24/7
An Excel spreadsheet to track your posts, so you know what’s working and what’s not
✨ “Sarah has been my secret weapon for my writing—both on and off Substack. And I had so much fun doing it. I feel more confident in my writing. I can honestly say she sped up my learning curve by years.” —Latham Turner
✨ “Sarah is a superb teacher. Before, I was clueless about how my posts were landing on Substack. She taught me how to organize my posts to correspond with how people read on Substack. The result has been an improvement in the quality of my posts and a surge in subscribers.” —David Roberts
The Craft of Writing on Substack
October 24 - December 6
Fridays, 12-3 PM CT
Only 25 spots available to ensure meaningful feedback and discussion
Replays available
No class the week of Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday)
Investment
Pay in full: $1,485 (save $90)
Wait but…
Is this worth my time and money?
The quality and confidence of your writing increases the value of your Substack far more than any paid offer or strategy will.
Don’t a lot of people teach how to write online?
If you want to build an engaged list and earn an income, do not learn from people teaching you to “write online.” That’s the lowest common denominator. You need to learn the craft of writing and how it can work online.
This is the exact course I teach at Northwestern University, the #12 university in the United States.
Plus, I’m bringing in Nadine Kenney Johnstone, author and master teacher of the short form, who’s mentored dozens of students to be published in The New York Times’s Modern Love column.
And Micaela Blei, HarperCollins author, Audible bestseller, and co-founder of The Moth’s education program to teach storytelling.
And a panel of editors and agents to tell you exactly what they consider a well-written Substack.
Can’t I just use AI?
Absolutely not. AI is not the future of writing and will not be profitable. But neither is writing without the skills needed on this very tricky platform.
What if I’m not a writer?
We’re all Substack writers. All you have to be is focused and all-in on your writing.
What if I just want to focus on Notes and growth?
Without these skills and techniques (which are transferable to every area of your life that requires you to write), you will be limiting your growth. People do not stay subscribed to Substacks they don’t read and poorly written Substacks don’t get recommended (the other driver of subscriber growth on the platform).
✨ “Sarah is the best teacher I’ve had in a long time. She has a warm personality and genuinely cares about writers and helping them get paid. Her passion is teaching and it shows.” —Leon Macfayden, Policing Mental Health
✨ “As an entrepreneur in the online space, I have taken many expensive courses that make promises they cannot keep. Sarah is ALL substance, NO fluff. It’s like learning from a much wiser, been-there-done-that friend—whether you are dabbling in writing AND if you are an experienced writer.” —Lizzie Assa
Hope to have you!
All my best,
Sarah
P.S. Paid subscribers and Premier members get 10% if you pay in full. Scroll down for the code.
✨ “The perfect combination of practical and validating. She never made me feel like an amateur and for that I am really grateful.” —Petya Grady
✨ “I was working very hard to provide quality every week, but I wasn’t sure what people would come back for. Now that I have clarity about what I’m doing, and thanks to Sarah, a practical hands-on plan to execute it, I know exactly how to focus my energy every week.” —Shaina Read
✨ “Sarah helped me understand the importance of the unique perspective I can provide for readers. She helped me figure out how to focus my array of writing interests into a coherent message.” —Michael Degen