Post Less Often, Please
How often should I post on Substack?
It’s an age-old question that’s sent many a Substacker into spirals of doubt.
Doubt as in Did they unsubscribe because I’m sending too many posts? Am I bothering them? Am I not growing/has my growth slowed because they need more? less?
The problem is that the answer to how often you should post on Substack is wholly individual.
Below I show you why. I also guide you through the 6-part framework I use to help hundreds of my private clients answer the question How often should I post on Substack?
I take you through the four dimensions of part 1 of the framework: There’s no right answer but there are 4 wrong answers—these are gold.
Premium members, we go through the framework’s other five points and how to put all this into practice on your own Substack:
Why you should respect your subscribers’ crowded inboxes
How to be your own publisher
Why your stats matter
Lessons from The New Yorker
My n of 1
How to put all this into practice to create better relationships with your subscribers and produce your best work
NOTE: The headline of this post is a bit of a misnomer. (It’s a play on “Write Less, Please,” one of my more viral posts.) I never tell my clients how often to post, nor am I telling you. Use what’s below to move toward growth and an appreciation that your subscribers have given you two prized possessions: their email address and/or their hard-earned money.
How often should you post on Substack?
1. 4 wrong answers
Wrong answer #1: Substack’s algorithm likes it when I post a lot.
Correct answer: Substack’s algorithm doesn’t favor frequency. Engagement is what matters.1
Substack’s algorithm doesn’t reward frequency.
From Substack: “Substack doesn't prioritize frequency of posting in its algorithm like many other platforms. Substack’s algorithm favors content that engages readers through deep reads, considered arguments, and robust debate.”
Substack is all quality, not quantity.
Again, from Substack: “The focus is on quality and reader engagement. Engagement is a strong indicator that the content is valuable, which can drive more subscriptions.”
It’s about your relationship with your readers.
How often you post—which will differ for each person based on your content and audience—might keep your readers’ interest or it might cause them to unsubscribe. If your readers want to hear from you twenty times a day, blessings. If not, rethink your publishing cadence based on this post.
Visibility does increase with frequency.
By nature and due to the discoverability features on Substack, posting does increase your visibility.
Wrong answer #2: The big names post a lot, so I should too.
Correct answer: Just because x Substacker publishes y number of days a week doesn’t mean I should.
Top sellers post 3-7 times/week, but most are professional journalists, full-on magazines and newspapers, or writing timely columns.
Here are the top-grossing Substacks per Statista.
Translation: 5,000 on the graph means the Substack is grossing $5,000,000.
NOTE: In most categories, once a week used to be the sweet spot, but I’m seeing people go down to fortnightly.
Wrong answer #3: Posting a lot makes me grow faster.
Correct answer: I’m on Substack to transform as a writer, professional, and/or human being. “It feels good to get subscribers” isn’t a good reason to post more.
Hustling to get the high of the subscriber uptick rarely amounts to high-quality work.
Wrong answer #4: If I don’t post and email my list, they’ll forget about me and delete, unsubscribe, etc.
Correct answer: I should focus on making my content unforgettable, not bugging people so they know I’m there.
First, the idea that people will forget about us comes from marketers selling stuff to consumers; we have relationships with humans.
Second, do we really think they’ll forget about us? Really?
If they do, it’s because our content is forgettable and emailing a lot isn’t the solution.
2. Why you should respect your subscribers’ crowded inboxes
Supposedly, most professionals receive 121 emails every day. That includes spam.2
We want ours to be the email our subscribers look forward to, even hunger for.
3. How to be your own Substack publisher
I have a post coming about the four roles we play on Substack: writer, editor, publisher, and publicist.
Be your own publisher.
One of the primary questions a digital media publisher asks is, How can we build our readers’ trust? For us, that means 1) not spamming them with posts and 2) being in their inbox on a consistent day and time of the week.
4. Why your Substack stats matter
Skim the reasons paid subscribers cancel.3 Typically, the reason paid subscribers stop paying is price or time. Rarely if ever is it “Low volume.”
(Dashboard > Stats > Unsubscribes)
Price and time mean the same thing: I’m not getting enough out of this to continue to let you enter my inbox or give you my hard-earned money.
I’m not getting enough out of this typically translates to You’re sending too much stuff.
5. Lessons from The New Yorker
The New Yorker now sends out about two emails a week. A year ago, it cut the number of emails it sends from 18 to 10 per month.
Page views from the News & Politics newsletter went up 35 percent and the amount of time readers spend on the site increased 51 percent.
Part of the increase in views stems from the magazine’s adoption of an editor-curated newsletter/roundup. This approach could work as a strategy on Substack—if you send them to posts on your Substack, not a website or elsewhere. It might be especially useful to those who want to post a lot.
Downside: It’s asking people to take six steps instead of three: click the link, leave their inbox, feel slightly annoyed, land on the article and read, love, upgrade to paid vs. read, love, upgrade to paid.
6. My n of 1
An n of 1 (it worked for me, so it will work for you) isn’t terribly helpful, but I’m going to share mine.
I just pivoted my author Substack Less and Less of More and More. To determine how often I’d post, I asked myself a question I got from the lovely
of Morning Person:What’s the Substack I’ve always wanted in my inbox?
It was Less and Less of More and More—an easy reminder and community of people who want to streamline their mental and emotional lives.
And it would come once a month. I also have a thread once a month, but that’s a light lift for people.
I’ve gotten more paid subscribers than I did when I pummeled my people with posts twice a week. And it’s growing steadily.
The best part? I spend all month thinking about what I’m going to write. That time is precious. My hope is that my readers feel its absence, and that I arrive in their inbox each month as a beautiful gift.
No matter how often you publish—and it’s your decision—I want this for you too.
How to put all this into practice to create better relationships with your subscribers and produce your best work
Get a pen and paper or do this on a note or your computer.
Answer these questions:
What’s the Substack you’ve always wanted in your inbox? What’s the content? The voice? The tone? The topics covered? How often does it arrive? What community features does it offer, if any?
If you were the publisher of your Substack (and you are), what publishing cadence would you set up to earn your readers’ trust?
©2024 Substack Writers at Work
We are often too dazzled by the number of subscribers someone has. Before you indulge in envy, check how their engagement. I’ve worked with clients with 35,000 subscribers who have less engagement than those with 350. Go on the leaderboard and check it out. More on this in the “From Followers to Superfans: How to Gain Devoted Readers on Substack Workshop.”
I couldn’t find a great source for this, but we can assume people get a lot of email.
We get feedback when paid subscribers unsubscribe but not free subscribers.
When I started my Substack, I thought I "should" post weekly, but ended up committing to every two weeks. It takes me those full two weeks to make the kind of post I want to do. I guess I am a slow writer, but I also do my own photos and lots and lots of editing, and that's just how long it takes.
While I understand there are types of newsletters where frequent posts are appropriate, I think every week would be too much for my subscribers. Some of my favorite newsletters arrive less often, and I find myself looking forward to those.
Edited to add: now I’m down to once every three weeks (sometimes four) and I’ve only gained subscribers.
Yes! As a reader, I prefer to get one post a week (or less) per newsletter. I have unsubscribed from folks due to frequency of posting (especially if they’re sending daily posts).