How I Use Substack as a Writer [+ Tips for Readers]

There’s at all times a brand new instrument, platform, course of, you identify it, that you just simply have to attempt.

It’s exhausting as a content material creator to attempt to sustain with the most recent developments and time-consuming to learn to use utterly new platforms. It could additionally really feel dangerous to start out creating content material someplace new when the place you might be is already working for you.

However it’s my skilled opinion that in case you are a author (or reader), you will need to get acquainted with Substack.

Self-described as “a brand new financial engine for tradition,” it launched in 2017 and has grow to be a well-liked house for everybody from famed, skilled authors to younger 20-somethings on the lookout for a spot to air their grievances.

It’s the proper mix of weblog, journal, and e-newsletter, with the bonus of a form and thought-provoking neighborhood. Nonetheless skeptical? Learn on for extra details about Substack and a few ideas and greatest practices for writers and readers alike.

Desk of Contents

What Is Substack?

Substack is a web based content material creation platform that enables writers and creators to publish authentic work and generate profits from paid reader subscriptions.

The mannequin permits writers to maintain roughly 90% of the cash from paid subscriptions, whereas 10% goes again to Substack.

Substack does greater than permit writers to curate an area for his or her content material — it additionally gives instruments for authors to ship and handle email newsletters.

Content material creators may also uncover new writers on the platform, and pay the love ahead by subscribing to different writers.

Why Use Substack as a Content material Creator or Author?

As a author, I battle to know the place I ought to share my writing. I might persist with social media and submit content material on X, however this limits my viewers to followers and related thinkers.

Whereas there are lots of methods to make money on social media, they usually contain partnering with manufacturers on sponsored content material or paid advertisements, which takes away a few of the autonomy in your writing.

The fantastic thing about publishing content material on Substack is that it’s designed to offer creators freedom of thought and speech whereas serving to these creators monetize their work. You’d be hard-pressed to discover a platform that’s as decided to assist writers succeed — in any case, Substack solely makes cash in case you do.

Substack is widespread amongst writers, journalists, and creators trying to publish unbiased content material digitally. On Substack, writers personal their mental property whereas nonetheless publishing it in a public house.

It differs from competitors like WordPress as a result of it lets writers arrange podcasts, add movies, and construct a constant viewers.

One thing that units Substack aside from different content material creation platforms is the prospect to attach authentically together with your viewers. George Saunders talked about in an Esquire article, “With Substack, I’m speaking to the identical individuals nearly on daily basis, each week. It’s given me a deeper expertise of my readers.”

Should you’re a fan of Saunders’ work, you’ll be happy to listen to he’s considered one of many celebrated writers and creators who publish on Substack, together with Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In keeping with Backlinko research, Substack has greater than 2 million paid subscriptions and greater than 500,000 paying subscribers. Greater than 17,000 writers receives a commission for his or her newsletters on Substack, and the ten highest-paid authors on Substack collectively make greater than $25 million per 12 months.

Whilst you might not have plans to be in that high 10, it’s evident there’s a marketplace for subscribers prepared and excited to pay for entry to your authentic content material.

The flexibility to publish and simply ship e-mail newsletters of your work by way of Substack is a big plus, because it helps you attain audiences that is probably not on Substack.

Electronic mail newsletters could be tough to handle and ideal, so you’ll be able to check with our guide to email newsletters to make sure you apply one of the best ideas and methods to your Substack publication.

Tips on how to Use Substack as a Author

I’ll admit I had solely learn a number of free Substack posts earlier than and had by no means printed my very own, so I set off to just do that earlier than diving into this submit. See some steps beneath for find out how to begin utilizing Substack as a author.

1. Create an account.

I do know; I’m really beginning with the fundamentals. However, I feel it’s necessary to know how greatest to arrange your account for fulfillment.

If in case you have an present mailing checklist from one other platform, like WordPress or Mailchimp, you’ll be able to add it once you arrange your account.

If not (like me), you’ll be able to manually add individuals to your subscriber checklist, in case you so select. To get began, I included 13 buddies as subscribers.

If in case you have an present viewers, I strongly advise you to import it.

It’s attainable to construct your viewers from the bottom up on Substack (greater than 50% of all new free subscriptions and 25% of paid subscriptions come from inside its community, based on the platform).

But it surely by no means hurts to start out with the cushioning of people that already devour and luxuriate in your content material.

I additionally determined to arrange my account without cost and never hook up with Stripe (but).

Since I don’t at the moment have an viewers on Substack, it doesn’t make sense to ask readers to pay to subscribe to my content material. They don’t even know what they’re signing up for!

If in case you have a big viewers who already pays to your work elsewhere, you could contemplate instantly diving right into a paid subscription mannequin, however you’ll be able to at all times add this later. Why not give your followers a style of what they will anticipate, first?

2. Handle your author dashboard.

When you’ve created your account, you’re prepared to start your journey as a Substack author! However first, you must have a look in your author dashboard to see what steps are nonetheless pending your evaluate.

Since I’ve already written my first Substack submit and uploaded greater than 10 subscribers, you will notice that each are checked off on my dashboard. Different duties to work on are turning on paid (which you are able to do at any level) and sharing your Substack (which I like to recommend doing as quickly as you’ve written your first submit).

On the backside of your author dashboard, you’ll discover some assets that can assist you get began on Substack.

I particularly loved the “When should I turn on paid subscriptions?” information, which detailed some nice choices to make the most of a paid subscription, resembling pay-walling your posts however utilizing the free preview instrument to offer readers a pattern of your work to entice them to subscribe.

Your author’s dashboard can also be the place you’ll be able to edit your Substack’s identify, look, and really feel. Should you toggle to the tab “Settings” you’ll be able to replace your publication identify, web site design, about web page, emblem, branding, and rather more.

3. Create your first submit(s).

Lastly, we’re on to the enjoyable half! I made a decision to jot down a brand-new submit for my Substack debut (which you’ll be able to try here!) however many writers might contemplate importing an present piece of content material to start.

This may both be a bit you’ve beforehand written that has but to see the sunshine of day or, extra usefully, a bit you’ve already printed that has gained traction elsewhere. If there was a likeability and shareability to the subject on a special platform, that’s a superb signal that it’s going to carry out effectively on Substack.

Should you determine to go the paid route, you would repost some present posts as free content material to seize the eye of recent subscribers, after which begin posting new content material below a paid subscription mannequin.

4. Check and publish your submit.

When you’ve completed your submit, you’ll be able to preview how the submit will look in numerous codecs: cellular versus desktop, net versus e-mail, and free versus paid subscribers.

Should you’re pleased with how the submit appears in its numerous codecs, you’ll be able to ship a check e-mail to your self to make sure the textual content and picture formatting appears appropriate. I additionally used this to confirm my first submit didn’t seem too lengthy on cellular.

I knew it might be a 4-minute learn, however I didn’t need subscribers to be deterred by a prolonged e-mail.

After you’ve examined, you’ll be able to lastly publish your submit! Substack will carry you to the beneath display, the place you have got the choice to share your submit to many platforms, resembling Instagram or LinkedIn, or copy the hyperlink in case you’d choose to distribute it your self.

Substack creates free photos you’ll be able to obtain and share on Instagram Tales or in-feed to advertise your submit. It’s one other instance of how Substack can supply a lot to content material creators without cost that helps you promote your work.

I shared my submit to my Instagram Story after which checked my e-mail the place I obtained my printed submit as an e-mail e-newsletter.

Within the high proper nook of the e-mail, it says “Forwarded this e-mail? Subscribe right here for extra.” That is one other nice tip — you’ll be able to ahead a duplicate of the e-mail e-newsletter to individuals, freed from cost, to encourage them to subscribe (paid or in any other case) to your publication.

5. Preserve monitor of your stats.

Your author’s dashboard has a Stats tab that’s an incredible place to trace the efficiency of your posts and e-newsletter.

I can see the site visitors to my Substack after my first submit and the way these readers discovered it (outlined beneath), my e-mail open charge, data on my subscribers, and extra.

As necessary as our freedom of thought is, it’s equally as necessary to make sure individuals are truly discovering and studying our ideas. Substack offers you some energy as a author with the Stats tab to determine the place most individuals discover your content material and meet them the place they’re.

It’s also possible to edit and create a New Reader Survey which will help you get extra demographic details about your readers. This additionally lets you perceive your audience and might encourage you to provide content material that will be most interesting to these audiences.

As an example, if I noticed most of my readers had been primarily based within the U.S. and aged 18-24, I might analysis what present American school college students are most concerned about, and attempt to incorporate a few of my findings into my writing.

6. Uncover and advocate different writers.

Any author is aware of the worth of a suggestion from one other author. That provides you a much-needed ego enhance whereas additionally opening you as much as the followers of that author’s work.

Subtack has an Discover function which you need to use to find different content material. Whereas this function is particularly useful for readers, it’s a good way for writers to seek out different robust or related writers.

When you discover a author you are feeling obsessed with, you’ll be able to click on “Advocate” on their Substack. In your profile, their publication will seem below “Suggestions” to anybody who views your web page. Beneath, you’ll be able to see that I’ve beneficial my buddy Ginny King’s Substack.

Recommending writers provides your readers different trusted publications to speculate money and time and positions you as a author prepared to assist different writers. And that’s positive to encourage different writers to return the favor.

Tips on how to Use Substack as a Reader

Whereas I’ve totally loved my first expertise at writing on Substack, I’ve particularly beloved exploring the platform as a reader. Learn on for a few of my greatest ideas for utilizing Substack as a reader:

1. Checklist your pursuits throughout sign-up.

The toughest half about becoming a member of Substack as a reader could also be discovering the publications that spark your curiosity.

Like a social media platform, it takes a while for Substack to determine your “algorithm” and goal you with content material it believes you’ll take pleasure in.

You possibly can assist transfer this course of alongside by initially deciding on your pursuits once you join your account.

Above, you’ll be able to see a few of the pursuits I chosen when establishing my account. My first advised publications had been curated primarily based on my most popular matters of Tradition, Information, and Well being & Wellness, amongst others.

You continue to might must do some digging, however it’s going to assist weed out any topics you’re not as drawn to.

2. Seek for your favourite writers.

When you’ve created your account, you must see a flood of Notes in your homepage from numerous creators advised to you primarily based in your pursuits.

Whilst you can learn by means of these recommendations and discover some writers to start out subscribing to, I like to recommend first looking for writers you already know and luxuriate in.

I used the “Search” operate to seek for buddies I knew had a Substack to point out my love and assist. Then, I looked for a few of my favourite writers to see in the event that they occurred to have a Substack.

Hetty Lui McKinnon is considered one of my favourite New York Times Cooking recipe builders and cookbook authors, so I shortly discovered and subscribed to her Substack.

You possibly can repeat this course of for no matter writers you want to, and it’s a easy method to educate the platform on the sorts of publications you’d be concerned about.

Professional tip: Wait to grow to be a paid subscriber to any accounts except you’re already a die-hard fan. Many writers can have a free subscription choice, even when it limits the content material you’ll be able to entry, and it might probably assist you to get a way of their Substack earlier than you totally decide to paying.

Whereas I’d like to financially assist each author, I wish to be sure I decide and select the publications that the majority converse to me earlier than placing down my bank card.

3. Discover related new writers.

When you’ve subscribed to some already-known writers, you could wish to discover new writers who poke your fancy. That is the place you need to use the Discover function once more.

Right here, you’ll be able to browse below the For You tab, which incorporates publications that Substack thinks will align together with your pursuits. In any other case, you’ll be able to look by means of Workers Picks or, my private favourite, by matter, as I did within the instance above by clicking Meals & Drink.

That is particularly useful if, as a reader, you have got made a Substack to learn extra a couple of specific topic. I’m concerned about spicing up my dwelling cooking, so I clicked on Meals & Drink to filter for food-related content material.

One other nice function is the Leaderboard on the right-hand aspect, the place you’ll be able to view a few of the high publications inside that matter. It’s a fast and simple method to discover and subscribe to a few of the hottest writers with out scrolling mindlessly.

4. Obtain the Substack app.

I extremely advocate utilizing the Substack app as a substitute of the desktop interface, in case you’re not already. The app mimics a social media platform and makes a few of the lengthier posts much less intimidating to learn.

It’s a lot simpler to scroll by means of advised publications on the app and subscribe to those you like. You’ll get an e-mail notification once you subscribe to somebody’s publication, alerting you that you just’ve subscribed to a free plan however have choices to improve your subscription.

I choose to obtain push notifications from the app, so I turned off e-mail notifications, however you have got the choice to maintain each.

What I additionally recognize in regards to the app interface is that Notes from each subscribed and advised publications seem in chronological order, much like your Fb Timeline or X Feed. This helps Substack really feel pure and present, with the flexibility to atone for the most recent updates first.

5. Get entangled locally.

I’m in a e-book membership, and I’ve found how rather more excited I get to learn a brand new e-book after I know I’ll get to debate it for hours with my buddies. People are naturally social beings, and there’s immense satisfaction within the dialogue of ideas and sharing of concepts.

I feel for this reason the feedback sections in Substack publications are such a promoting level for writers and readers alike. And since Substack is a platform individuals gravitate to for particular intentions, quite than a big public medium like social media, the discourse is rather more forgiving and considerate.

It’s a spot the place you’ll be able to voice your reflections with out worry of societal disgrace and cheer on beloved writers instantly, as you’ll be able to see beneath in a feedback thread on considered one of Alison Roman’s Substack posts of readers congratulating her on opening a grocery retailer in upstate New York.

Substack Greatest Practices

My expertise testing Substack was extremely eye-opening. It’s an incredible alternative for writers of all genres and ranges of fame to publish their work in a singular house for devoted, paying readers.

In fact, simply because it’s a recipe for fulfillment doesn’t imply all of us have the suitable components. See beneath for my 4 greatest practices to assist get your Substack off the bottom and working.

1. Choose a subject that you could repeatedly ship on.

What makes an concept distinctive? It appears you’ll be able to’t think about something lately that doesn’t exist already — I lately expressed how cool it might be in case you might “check out” a e-book to see in case you prefer it earlier than making a purchase order, then realized that’s what a library is for — which may make it tough to seek out your Substack area of interest.

My recommendation: Decide a subject you would write nearly endlessly about. Don’t select a style that’s too area of interest simply to attempt to make your publication stand out. It’s important to discover a steadiness between a broad sufficient matter that enables for steady ideation and a hook that makes your content material distinctive to you.

Karen Cherry wrote, “To your Substack publication to achieve success, you will need to have one thing of worth to supply your subscribers.”

Cherry goes on to checklist 5 niches you’ll be able to align with, that are instructional (instructing expertise), informational (instructing data), leisure (offering humor, nostalgia, or pleasure), time-saving (bringing all the pieces they want into one place), or money-making (sharing ideas for investing or companies).

You possibly can choose any matter you want, as long as it repeatedly delivers on one of many above targets. This may additionally assist you to uncover why you might be beginning a Substack, what you hope it does for readers, the way it will examine to different publications, and the way it will help you generate profits.

Take former NBA participant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has since began a Substack. He instructed CBS News, “There are occasions once you don‘t have any selection however to talk the reality…I’m at this level in my life, and that is precisely what I’ve to do.”

Whereas not all writing must really feel fairly as revolutionary, it’s an necessary message that what you write about on Substack ought to be one thing you take pleasure in, recognize, and discover necessary.

2. Publish typically and persistently.

Summer Brennan wrote, “Somebody [told me] it wasn’t truthful to those that didn’t have the bandwidth to publish fairly often to should compete with extra established writers. They thought they need to be given some form of leg up by the platform, so they may obtain the identical consideration and development.

Whereas I can actually relate to the frustration… the fact is that if you wish to construct a readership, you do should publish.”

Reaching success as a author on Substack whereas not an already-famed author means you could want to realize some form of virality or no less than robust shareability to develop your subscriber base. The extra typically you publish, the extra doubtless you might be to submit one thing that resonates and will increase your recognition.

Should you submit one thing that goes “viral” — be warned that virality might look a lot smaller on Substack than on X — sustain the momentum. Trip the coattails of that widespread submit and use it as a possibility to encourage readers to maintain tuning in for extra of the identical.

If you’re attempting to provide a excessive quantity of posts and struggling to provide you with revolutionary codecs and types, try our complete collection of content creation templates that may be utilized to all types of content material.

3. Join and construct relationships with different content material creators.

Being a author can typically really feel like a lonely, unbiased job. It’s one thing you do on daily basis by your self, and also you don’t usually obtain reside suggestions. However with Substack, you’ll be able to join with a large ecosystem of writers and readers.

Subscribing to different Substacks is important for a author. It exhibits your willingness to assist different individuals in your trade, and studying their publications can shed some mild on completely different greatest practices and assist you to play with type, size, and codecs to draw new, wider audiences.

Commenting on and recommending different publications is a good way to attach with and present your assist for different writers and construct your community, particularly in your early days. It will doubtless encourage these writers to take a look at your work and provide the identical badge of approval.

Substack is a welcoming place with room for everybody. Don’t deal with it like a contest — when your community grows, you develop with it, so broaden your community as a lot as attainable.

4. Don’t take it too severely.

I’m a author as a result of I really like to jot down (you’ll be able to learn extra about that in my inaugural Substack post). I hope that anybody who writes finds some pleasure in it, even when it brings frustrations and worries. Typically, you simply want a spark of inspiration to switch up your writing and make it really feel recent.

Sophia Efthimiatou, the Head of Writer Relations at Substack, mentioned it greatest:

“What is going to you write about? Who cares… You’ll suppose identified writers with massive audiences have it straightforward right here, however the strain to succeed is felt extra amongst them. The stakes are low in case you are by no means identified. There isn’t a viewers to lose, just one to achieve. And achieve you’ll.

Maybe once you begin your solely subscribers shall be your greatest buddy, your lonely neighbor, and your aunt—who can’t even learn English. After which, at some point, a fourth subscriber will roll in, a complete stranger. That particular person shall be there simply to learn you.”

If you’re beginning a Substack primarily as a brand new technique of earnings, that’s after all severe and one thing to take severely. But it surely’s very attainable to be severe and enjoyable. Take some dangers and check out one thing new. You possibly can at all times attempt once more after.

The necessary factor is that your viewers will come and develop, particularly when you have one thing to say and a real method of claiming it.

(Sub)Stacks of Alternatives

I didn’t anticipate to like Substack as a lot as I did. I actually see the imaginative and prescient and why it has more than 20 million monthly active subscribers.

There’s a large breadth of content material to be consumed, from hilarious fictitious tales to exhausting political information to journey ideas for each nook of the world. There’s a place for each author and each form of writing, and an viewers to match.

I’ve by no means used a platform that was so seamless to jot down a submit proper inside the platform. My debut Substack submit was one of many quickest items of writing I’ve ever written, and an enormous a part of that was how uncomplicated it was to make use of Substack.

It was additionally extraordinarily straightforward so as to add my family and friends as subscribers, preview and ship the e-mail e-newsletter of my submit, share it on social media, and even customise my Substack profile to make it really feel particular. I’ve used Mailchimp and WordPress, and neither is as easy to make use of or monitor stats.

Whereas I created my Substack to check it for this weblog submit, I’ll completely proceed utilizing it to publish a few of my extra private and artistic writing (Should you really feel so inclined, I’d recognize a subscribe).

I encourage any writers and content material creators to offer the platform an opportunity; it might probably carry your audiences from blogs, social media, or different locations to a way more collaborative, accepting setting.