Newsletter Dating, the New Restack, and more
Your Substack Dispatch: What to pay attention to and what to tune out
“There are many Substacks about Substack. This one is the OG.”
—Gregg Easterbrook
This week:
Substacks making news, newsletter dating, Substack in Japan, why you don’t have to go viral on Notes anymore, it’s okay to ask for what you want, the new way to restack your posts, and who’s here.
Signals
What to pay attention to
1. Substacks making news
It happens a lot now, but I still get a thrill every time a Substack makes the news—not the person or the Substack but the article. This is probably because I spent so many years trying to explain to people what Substack was before people knew what Substack was. It shows Substack’s influence in media and in the culture.
This happened recently with Jeremy Faust, MD’s Substack Inside Medicine in the Boston Globe, Michael Burry in Business Insider, and Pete Buttigieg’s Substack in The Atlantic.
2. Dating newsletters
Anna Holmes (yes! founder of Jezebel) wrote a piece in The Atlantic about Substacks that have inspired a kind of dating scene in their comments, posts/articles, and in real life.
She mentions only two (Miranda July and John Fulton), but so many of you have created such cool communities that playing matchmaker is, for some, a paid subscriber opportunity. (No, we will not be doing that here on SW@W.)
3. Substack in Japan
Substack recently named Oki Ito, a former news director of Japan’s public broadcasting network, as head of partnerships for Japan. Ito said Substack interested him because it’s “a place where depth and trust matter.”
Substack’s only rival in Japan is a platform called, ironically, Note, which sounds like it’s a much smarter, philosophical, and substantive version of LinkedIn—minus the icky networking vibe, corporate speak, and with longform posts.
This means Substack will, I hope, corner the market on manga, great writing, fiction chock full of magical realism, video essays, and at least one Hello Kitty-fandom Substack.
I mention this because we forget that Substack is a global phenom, and we’re part of it. It’s easy to get into a silo and just be thinking about subscribers and who you see on Notes.
Also, I love Japan. I don’t travel unless I have to, but Japan is a place I’d go back to. Any country that originated the sushi conveyor belt, was home to Basho, and is obsessed with cats is the one for me.
Noise
What to tune out
1. There’s no need to go viral on Notes
About six months ago, someone wrote about how a Note of his had gone viral and he’d gotten a thousand subscribers, but they were totally inactive and unengaged. That doesn’t happen to everyone who goes viral, but virality and low quality tend to go together.
When my clients go viral—and I’m happy for them—it makes them feel like it should and needs to happen again. Slow and steady, my friends. Slow and steady. You don’t get the dopamine hits, but it works.
Do this instead: Notes in one hour a week. If you aren’t doing it, please, please, please start. Notes leads to growth when you engage with others—not by posting all the time. That’s how the algorithm works. I created a system for you: Notes Hour One.
2. Don’t expect people to guess what you want them to do
Notes isn’t hospitable to outright promotion or anything that feels like outright selling.
But it’s okay to ask for what you want, and I’m seeing a bit of a shift in the effectiveness of posting about yourself and what you do and asking people to subscribe on Notes. You can also send an email asking free subscribers to upgrade, not because you’re having a sale but by sharing who you are, what you do, and why their support is important.
Announcements work well. Thank-yous work well. Genuinely letting people know what you do and who you are can work very well.
It should go without saying not to post on Notes one of those “Dear Substack, show me…” or “Drop your link below, I want to subscribe to you.” And avoid super salesy Labor Day sale-ish emails.
Here’s Aaron Parnas’s recent Note, which works very well:
3. The new restack
I’m not sure if it’s Substack’s media assets or what, but restacked posts/articles rarely get traction on Notes. It’s a shame because we want people to click on our posts so they can come and be more deeply invested, which is more likely to turn them into a subscriber and a paid subscriber than just a bunch of Notes.
Do this instead: Restack your post as usual, then go to the restacked Note and add the first comment. This has been working particularly well, both for my clients and others. You may try adding your first comment to a standalone Note too.
Who’s here
The fierce Naomi Klein, who’s had a presence on here for some time but just launched her Substack in earnest. We have the same (wonderful) agent, who tells me that Klein’s new book End Times Fascism (out in September) is a dark, stunning must-read.
Hunter Biden launched “Where’s Hunter?” and his hero/welcome post is fantastic—so compelling, reminding us that people in the news are humans with lives.
Music phenom R O S A L Í A (!), who might be the most interesting young musician on earth, just posted even though she’s on a massive world tour.
Anna Holmes, founder of the iconic website Jezebel, Atlantic contributor, and author of the upcoming book The Power of No (also out in September).
What’s next
In next week’s post, I’ll share how the way we make (more) money in 2026 and beyond has completely changed.
I’m going live with two amazing Substack writers, authors, and humans: Susan Cain and Elizabeth Gilbert. Be sure to add the dates to your calendar below. ↓
If you want to stay ahead of the curve as Substack grows, join us by becoming a paid subscriber.
All my best,
P.S. If you appreciate all I do here on Substack Writers at Work to keep you up to date and ahead of the curve, please share it with others, comment, or like the post below. (See that’s me asking for what I want.)
Upcoming Substack Lives! Mark your calendars:
Live with Susan Cain: On Building a Substack That’s Thoughtful, Sensitive, and Quietly Massive: 7/31 at 1 PM CT.
Add to your calendar here.
Live with Elizabeth Gilbert: When a Substack Becomes a Spiritual Practice: 9/9 at 2 PM CT.
Add to your calendar here.
This week’s Notes Boost Community. Note: The Notes Boost was created for a different algorithm. You’re welcome to do it to meet each other, but it’s not what I recommend for growth right now.
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Sarah, how genius to write the first comment on our own Notes and Restacks. Thank you for that tidbit! I also love your advice about "slow and steady" with growth. Mine has been on that trajectory for quite some time, and there are moments I feel frustrated about that, but seeing that this is a positive trend gives me a little breathing room today.
Sarah, I always appreciate your input...even a lurker like me who has been somewhat inactive of late. Just wanted you to know you you have always been and remain my go to SS person and I recommend you frequently. Currently working through your One Hour a Week instructions and getting back in the game.