Below are highlights from the workshop, step-by-step guidance on how to write a Nugget post, your Substack Golden Nugget template (PDF), and time stamps1 for easy reference. Then share your Nugget post—or idea for one—in the comments to get feedback and give feedback to others!
Too often on Substack, we feel pressure to constantly produce lengthy, polished posts.
Or we think that “quality” = more: longer posts or simply more “stuff,” i.e., video, audio, etc.
We end up overextended and stressed, feeling like “nothing is working,” which really is a signal that we’re working too hard, i.e., putting too much energy into Substack in ways that don’t benefit us or our readers.
Substack is the first platform where we’ve been able to slow down, be ourselves, and discover what we want to do with our own tiny corner of the internet universe.
What if we could make Substack much, much easier on ourselves and (maybe) give our readers more?
→ Enter the Nugget post.
Tenets of the relaxing approach to Substack
Substack is a long game.
Quality doesn’t equal more.
You don’t have to produce lengthy, polished posts all the time.
Consider pivoting to monthly or bimonthly longer posts alternating with Nugget posts.
What to post when you don’t feel like (or can’t) post
A Substack Nugget post—an easy, short post (written, maybe audio or video) you can create when you don’t have time for a full post.
What is a Nugget?
A type of post I developed with my private clients when I saw how stressed they were and how many of them wouldn’t post if they didn’t have something that was “perfect” or lengthy
A gift—something that doesn’t ask readers to do anything
A moment of true connection, not just a short post
Full posts, not Notes, that come from a genuine desire to share something that means something to you right now
But! A Nugget post isn’t about you
They’re gifts to readers, not asks—something they can absorb without feeling overwhelmed. (Even when we ask them to read us, especially when we ask them to read us, we’re asking for something.)
The Nugget gives you and your readers breathing room while maintaining connection.
Think of it as sharing with a friend versus posting your work or content.
What makes a Nugget different from a short post
This is a post, not something you add to your posting calendar.
It’s one thing you want to share—not a roundup of 10 things.
No call to action, no questions for comments. Don’t make readers do any work.
It should come from a genuine desire to share a book, song, show that means something to you right now.
How to create a Nugget Post for your Substack
Free subscribers, you now have the basics of the Substack Nugget post, something I (a human) created and that has worked very well on Substack for hundreds of my clients. Become a paid subscriber for step-by-step guidance on how you might use it in your Substack.
→ Community! Don’t forget to share the Nugget you come up with in the comments!
