Substack update and how your Substack belongs to you
A little something beautiful
Updates to two of SW@W’s most popular posts on best practices for posting frequency and length on Substack in 2025
Highly recommended interview about AI-farmed content and AI-produced slop
You are amazing. I know there’s been a lot happening in the world and on Substack.
The only reason Substack attracted me in the first place was that I felt empowered by it.
My goal has never been to teach you how to “be” on Substack (or how to game or become subservient to yet another platform. You’re too cool for that. And that’s not why you’re here.
I want you to use Substack as your own personal space on the internet.
Too many people give too much power to whatever platform they’re on.
I don’t like any of it: the AI-farmed content (“364 tips for growing your Substack!”), the plagiarism, the lack of content moderation, or how the algorithm rewards problematic Substacks through the “Rising” category and recommendations.
But here’s what I know: You get to choose where you want to be. And here, you own your work, your content, and your email list.
No matter what you do, I want you to feel empowered as a creator or writer as you’re doing it.
That’s what excites me. That’s always been my mission: helping writers and creators get paid for their work, have a platform, and build something that’s entirely their own.
I just adore you. We’ve got this. We can’t control Substack (I say this as a practicing control enthusiast), but we’re more in control of our work than we’ve ever been—all thanks to Substack.
Below:
A little something beautiful
Updates to two of SW@W’s most popular posts on best practices for posting frequency and length on Substack in 2025
Highly recommended interview about AI-farmed content and AI-produced slop
(And don’t miss Sweets in the video above.)
Something beautiful
This is heart-swelling, tears-inducing inspiring. We should all produce work good enough to quiet a riotous crowd at Wembley Stadium.
Even while someone’s doing a mic check behind us.
How much and how often to post on Substack in 2025
I’ve updated two of SW@W’s most popular posts according to best practices in 2025.
Please don’t take advice on how long your posts should be and when and how often to post from ChatGPT or Google or someone producing AI-farmed content.
How Long Your Substack Posts Should Be in 2025
Why you need to decide for yourself how long your posts should be, not just Google or look to AI for the answer.
Substack Writers at Work Index
This is the full index to all the valuable information on Substack Writers at Work. Below, you’ll find all the posts categorized by type.
Highly recommended interview to watch/listen to
If you want to learn about AI-farmed content and AI-produced slop, watch a smart interview from
of with Wired’s Kate Knibbs: “The rise of AI content farms: Digging in with Wired’s Kate Knibbs.”
Sarah, YOU are amazing! Thank you for being here to help us learn and grow and be our best selves on Substack, and perhaps in life too. You inspire me! (I might even start using video more in my posts, thanks to you.)
Thanks for sharing Tracy; I needed that today. And thanks for believing in us when things appear to be more bleak than ever.