Google how do I become a Substack bestseller and your search results will be crowded with YouTube videos and Substack posts and Medium posts with titles like
Thank you for clarifying the technical part! How do you suggest communicating the targeted discount to those most-engaged free subscribers? I'm still unclear on that. Should I write a personal email to each of them with the offer and the link? And if so, do you have wording you'd suggest?
I figured out that you can select that 4-star group of subscribers, click "send an email" and then send that way. But why 4-stars and not 5-stars -- or did you mean both 4 and 5 stars?
I've never offered discounts. I feel like that's almost unfair to the people who paid full price for a subscription.
I have never had a viral post turn into a large number of paid subscriptions. It's been a slow grind, with most posts generating zero, one, or maybe two paid subscribers. But it adds up if you are posting twice a week for three years.
I agree that it seems unfair to offer discounts. You're so right. What does it say to those who paid full price? We aren't a clothing store with seasonal items.
I agree. My small (unbadged) publication isn’t seasonal. I have offered discounts in the past, always with an uneasy feeling about the reaction of those who paid full price. I doubt I will do so again.
I feel like gamification is exactly what they did by adding the petal badge for all subscribers (to indicate how many Substacks you subscribe to). And you’re right that it is designed to keep us anxious and striving and then generate a “more”/scarcity escalation. I ran a special for a month (was supposed to be two weeks but I messed it up since it was my first promo ever and I had no idea how it worked. I hadn’t been clear about the end date in my emails even though it was on the subscribe page and some folks begged for the special rate after the fact I didn’t know I could offer them individually a different rate so I just extended it. I’ll probable do another promo at my one year anniversary but shorter and targeted only to existing free via email, no banner on home page etc. also shorter time frame, like a week or five days). I had just gotten my badge but this more than doubled where I was. When I turned it off I thought it would be a while before anyone paid full but they still did. My issue for sure is over delivering so I’m working on that!
I'm doing the same thing, Darien. Every time Sarah posts about "doing less" I click on the link and read it! But I have so many things I want to share and it's hard to keep it streamlined for me and readers. I'm working on it though!
Yes a 100 times! thank you for this post Sarah. Honestly "find your value & focus on pain point" is the type of advice that annoys me the most. As a reader, I'm tired of hearing about all the things I do wrong and fail at. As a writer, I've been confused for so long because value/pain point means I need to commodify and water down my writing to the point where it doesn't sound like me anymore. At least when it comes to articles/books/etc not everyone read to solve a pain point. They read to relax, unwind, get entertained, inspired. Those sale tactics i feel like only work for a certain type of product/services but essentially selling our words doesn't feel as linear and I'm glad you were able to put this into words and show me that it isn't just me doing it wrong!
You're so right. It just feels like such nonsense.
I read somewhere (I can't remember where right now so take it with a grain of salt, but it was a legitimate source) that the "pain point" approach doesn't even work anymore. The world is so crazy that speaking to people's pain points actually turns people off.
You hit it: "They read to relax, unwind, get entertained, inspired."
I feel the same way, Laura. I hate feeling like "I'm the problem" or being told I'm doing life wrong. And on the other side, I don't want to spend all my time teaching. I want to be paid for that and do it in manageable increments. I don't want everything I post to "add value" in that way. And I keep looking at what I actually pay to read. I have a couple subscriptions for work, but I also subscribe to Big Salad and Evil Witches, because I just like the vibe. I don't even comment that much. I'm mostly lurking. But it feels like reading an old school magazine or eavesdropping on the cool kids. That's a treat I am willing to pay for!
This is such an interesting article Sarah. It tells me if I want that badge, I’ll need to devote some additional time and energy, maybe even some cash, into learning how others have done it and figuring out what I’d actually be selling (hopefully not my soul).
For context, here’s what I already do: daily notes, a free monthly newsletter, roughly two Lives a month, chapter-worthy posts every 5–8 weeks that I eventually paywall, and a set of in-depth, practical deep-dive articles on subjects like anxiety, depression, stress, and anger. I’m also working on getting my book The Wellbeing Equation published, that’s what first brought me to Substack.
So for me, the paid tier probably looks something like this:
Paid subscribers ($10/month or $80/year) get:
-Access to my in-depth, chapter worthy essays (archive + new longform pieces)
-Practical deep dives on subjects that affect daily life, with tips and action items
-Occasional early looks at revisions from The Wellbeing Equation
-Everything else: daily notes, the free newsletter, and my Lives, remains open to the wider community.
Here’s what I keep wondering, though: is that enough? Or does moving toward the badge mean I need to create something unique beyond what I already do—or perhaps simply reframe and package it so readers feel/see more clearly what’s distinct about the paid tier?
Hi, Bronce! First, you're doing such great work. You have something so singular to share. We've worked on how to communicate it to people. That's huge and one of the hardest parts of all of this.
We're going to be looking at your paid subscription in October.
The question is, Is this what you would pay for?
That, to me, is the best way to create a paid subscription.
What would you pay for?
Because you are your first paid subscriber--literally.
That's one of the best ways to tap into a paid offer that fuels you and actually converts and perhaps leads to the badge.
I would also say it's too much. People tend to pay us to save them time, energy, and money.
"The question is, Is this what you would pay for?" For me, I have financial issues. I only pay for subscriptions in very particular circumstances because I just don't have a lot of expendable income. So I'm not a good judge of what people would pay for. This is a blind side. How can I get a sense of what others typically pay for?
Thank you, Sarah. Your no-nonsense, honest, and thoughtful approach is what the Substack World (and the rest of it as well) needs. I haven’t been writing/tending my space. And when I see a Stripe payout, I feel a twinge of guilt. As I work to manage my personal issues, it’s your professional writing guidance I will continue to rely on. Brava, Sarah, brava. Never stop Substacking!
I am constantly investigating whether my desires are the ones DFW identifies as an insidious default. They seem to be both things at once: yes I want to be powerful and seen and yes at the same time I genuinely want to share with women what’s on my heart. ❤️
Thank you for helping to keep me grounded and real. It’s almost too easy to be swept away in the flood of marketing hacks out there promising to make you rich and famous.
This left me wondering, “What is it about us that feels good and creative writing, art and expression on its own is not enough? Our expression is only good when it makes money or gets likes and followers!” What a trap!
It is! But I truly believe everyone should be paid for their work—from McDonald’s to Substack. Artists and writers should be paid—no question. Is the gamification and what it does to our brains that’s the problem.
What a timely essay! You had me laughing at this: "50 percent off? We’re not the Gap with seasonal items."
But seriously, yesterday I was chatting with another Substack friend about this elusive checkmark and how I hate it, because I feel incredible pressure to reach that level--only to have it fluctuate (of course it will), which drives me mad.
I can't be chasing metrics all the time.
So your post was quite refreshing, Sarah. It's also true that hard work pays off and I have to be in this for the long haul.
Love this, Sarah -- thank you! Question: For targeted discounts, once you apply that filter, how do you actually create a targeted discount?
Ah. I should have said this:
Settings > Special Offers
Opt for it only to apply to the annual (just my suggestion) and only people with the link.
Thank you for clarifying the technical part! How do you suggest communicating the targeted discount to those most-engaged free subscribers? I'm still unclear on that. Should I write a personal email to each of them with the offer and the link? And if so, do you have wording you'd suggest?
I figured out that you can select that 4-star group of subscribers, click "send an email" and then send that way. But why 4-stars and not 5-stars -- or did you mean both 4 and 5 stars?
I've never offered discounts. I feel like that's almost unfair to the people who paid full price for a subscription.
I have never had a viral post turn into a large number of paid subscriptions. It's been a slow grind, with most posts generating zero, one, or maybe two paid subscribers. But it adds up if you are posting twice a week for three years.
I agree that it seems unfair to offer discounts. You're so right. What does it say to those who paid full price? We aren't a clothing store with seasonal items.
I agree. My small (unbadged) publication isn’t seasonal. I have offered discounts in the past, always with an uneasy feeling about the reaction of those who paid full price. I doubt I will do so again.
I feel like gamification is exactly what they did by adding the petal badge for all subscribers (to indicate how many Substacks you subscribe to). And you’re right that it is designed to keep us anxious and striving and then generate a “more”/scarcity escalation. I ran a special for a month (was supposed to be two weeks but I messed it up since it was my first promo ever and I had no idea how it worked. I hadn’t been clear about the end date in my emails even though it was on the subscribe page and some folks begged for the special rate after the fact I didn’t know I could offer them individually a different rate so I just extended it. I’ll probable do another promo at my one year anniversary but shorter and targeted only to existing free via email, no banner on home page etc. also shorter time frame, like a week or five days). I had just gotten my badge but this more than doubled where I was. When I turned it off I thought it would be a while before anyone paid full but they still did. My issue for sure is over delivering so I’m working on that!
You offer so much and have such a clear sense of what you're doing on here. And you so overdeliver. You do such great work.
I'm doing the same thing, Darien. Every time Sarah posts about "doing less" I click on the link and read it! But I have so many things I want to share and it's hard to keep it streamlined for me and readers. I'm working on it though!
Thank you for being the voice of reason and sense. I value your advice.
Thank you, Jorunn.
Yes a 100 times! thank you for this post Sarah. Honestly "find your value & focus on pain point" is the type of advice that annoys me the most. As a reader, I'm tired of hearing about all the things I do wrong and fail at. As a writer, I've been confused for so long because value/pain point means I need to commodify and water down my writing to the point where it doesn't sound like me anymore. At least when it comes to articles/books/etc not everyone read to solve a pain point. They read to relax, unwind, get entertained, inspired. Those sale tactics i feel like only work for a certain type of product/services but essentially selling our words doesn't feel as linear and I'm glad you were able to put this into words and show me that it isn't just me doing it wrong!
You're so right. It just feels like such nonsense.
I read somewhere (I can't remember where right now so take it with a grain of salt, but it was a legitimate source) that the "pain point" approach doesn't even work anymore. The world is so crazy that speaking to people's pain points actually turns people off.
You hit it: "They read to relax, unwind, get entertained, inspired."
I feel the same way, Laura. I hate feeling like "I'm the problem" or being told I'm doing life wrong. And on the other side, I don't want to spend all my time teaching. I want to be paid for that and do it in manageable increments. I don't want everything I post to "add value" in that way. And I keep looking at what I actually pay to read. I have a couple subscriptions for work, but I also subscribe to Big Salad and Evil Witches, because I just like the vibe. I don't even comment that much. I'm mostly lurking. But it feels like reading an old school magazine or eavesdropping on the cool kids. That's a treat I am willing to pay for!
Must confess am tired of the gameificatio of things. Just want to write my fantasy serials attract new readers and enjoy myself.
Agreed.
This is such an interesting article Sarah. It tells me if I want that badge, I’ll need to devote some additional time and energy, maybe even some cash, into learning how others have done it and figuring out what I’d actually be selling (hopefully not my soul).
For context, here’s what I already do: daily notes, a free monthly newsletter, roughly two Lives a month, chapter-worthy posts every 5–8 weeks that I eventually paywall, and a set of in-depth, practical deep-dive articles on subjects like anxiety, depression, stress, and anger. I’m also working on getting my book The Wellbeing Equation published, that’s what first brought me to Substack.
So for me, the paid tier probably looks something like this:
Paid subscribers ($10/month or $80/year) get:
-Access to my in-depth, chapter worthy essays (archive + new longform pieces)
-Practical deep dives on subjects that affect daily life, with tips and action items
-Occasional early looks at revisions from The Wellbeing Equation
-Everything else: daily notes, the free newsletter, and my Lives, remains open to the wider community.
Here’s what I keep wondering, though: is that enough? Or does moving toward the badge mean I need to create something unique beyond what I already do—or perhaps simply reframe and package it so readers feel/see more clearly what’s distinct about the paid tier?
Hi, Bronce! First, you're doing such great work. You have something so singular to share. We've worked on how to communicate it to people. That's huge and one of the hardest parts of all of this.
We're going to be looking at your paid subscription in October.
The question is, Is this what you would pay for?
That, to me, is the best way to create a paid subscription.
What would you pay for?
Because you are your first paid subscriber--literally.
That's one of the best ways to tap into a paid offer that fuels you and actually converts and perhaps leads to the badge.
I would also say it's too much. People tend to pay us to save them time, energy, and money.
"The question is, Is this what you would pay for?" For me, I have financial issues. I only pay for subscriptions in very particular circumstances because I just don't have a lot of expendable income. So I'm not a good judge of what people would pay for. This is a blind side. How can I get a sense of what others typically pay for?
Wise advice. Thanks, Sarah. You’ve reminded me of what really matters and the importance of personal integrity.
Thank you, Sarah. Your no-nonsense, honest, and thoughtful approach is what the Substack World (and the rest of it as well) needs. I haven’t been writing/tending my space. And when I see a Stripe payout, I feel a twinge of guilt. As I work to manage my personal issues, it’s your professional writing guidance I will continue to rely on. Brava, Sarah, brava. Never stop Substacking!
Thank you!
And never stop Substacking! Love it.
I am constantly investigating whether my desires are the ones DFW identifies as an insidious default. They seem to be both things at once: yes I want to be powerful and seen and yes at the same time I genuinely want to share with women what’s on my heart. ❤️
I actually don’t think I want a badge. I want a committed circle of women who want to work together with healing energy.
But I do want o earn money. 😂
You just described my own emotional rollercoaster on this! 😂
😂 I felt so silly. New “ notes to self” kept popping up.
You’re not what DFW is talking about. There’s a difference between wanting and worshipping.
Good point.
Loved this. Such a grounded perspective.
Thank you for helping to keep me grounded and real. It’s almost too easy to be swept away in the flood of marketing hacks out there promising to make you rich and famous.
This left me wondering, “What is it about us that feels good and creative writing, art and expression on its own is not enough? Our expression is only good when it makes money or gets likes and followers!” What a trap!
It is! But I truly believe everyone should be paid for their work—from McDonald’s to Substack. Artists and writers should be paid—no question. Is the gamification and what it does to our brains that’s the problem.
100%!!
Super disappointing to realize badges are only for Substackers with paid subs, unlike all the other internet badges/verifications.
I get that the operative word is "sell" but some of us do not want to sell. Just write. (Can you tell I have my paid option turned off?)
Becoming a best seller? Not on the horizon. But maybe one day.
This is so spot on! And I love DFW. At Wheaton we assign “This is Water” to all first year students. I also wrote about striving for the orange checkmark here: https://open.substack.com/pub/christinabieberlake/p/on-striving-not-to-strive?r=fgtpe&utm_medium=ios
Sarah,
What a timely essay! You had me laughing at this: "50 percent off? We’re not the Gap with seasonal items."
But seriously, yesterday I was chatting with another Substack friend about this elusive checkmark and how I hate it, because I feel incredible pressure to reach that level--only to have it fluctuate (of course it will), which drives me mad.
I can't be chasing metrics all the time.
So your post was quite refreshing, Sarah. It's also true that hard work pays off and I have to be in this for the long haul.
Thank you always!