I enjoyed reading through this list Karen. Thank you. Somewhat reassuring to see I can tick a few of those boxes while early on my Substack journey. Promotion is the one I struggle with most at the moment as I am not sure where or how to promote myself. Not a big social media user. I wonder if Notes on Substack is used for this purpose? Any ideas from those more experienced would be welcome. I am also wary of promoting myself, even to friends, until everything is "perfectly" set up. So I probably can't tick the number 3 box either. :-). Working on it! Progress not Perfection.
I'm with you Jo. I feel weird about promoting to my friends and family as well. I'm not sure why I'm more comfortable with strangers than friends lol. I guess I feel like my people are tired of the fact that I tell endless stories 😁 Maybe I need to get over myself.
Thanks for this great concise list of how to succeed on Substack. I especially appreciated how you focus on writers' personal habits, not just grand strategies. It's not just what we do but who we are.
The two on your list that I still struggle with are reader focus and being comfortable with perfection, but I'm getting there.
One habit you didn't mention, which is by far my greatest struggle, is patience. Being at peace with growth taking months and years, no matter how well I do the other 7 habits. (I was taught this early on by one of the dozens of people I asked for news-lettering advice, who responded with 3 words: quality, consistence, patience.)
Patience really is a good reminder. I have to keep telling myself I’ve only been here for 4 months. Growth takes time. I think it’s also important not to treat Substack like Instagram or Twitter where a post or reel can automatically garner hundreds or thousands of new followers. When I’m not playing the comparison game, I’m enjoying building this from the ground up.
So true. We're aiming here for the deeper creator-subscriber relationships. In the past few days, I've personally stopped looking at my subscriber count. At some point it doesn't make a difference because I'm anyways doing what I'm gonna do, and I don't find anymore that I'm learning new things from analyzing who subscribes and why.
I need this kind of discipline. I get a dopamine hit every time I get a subscriber. While I love building authentic connections online, the accumulation social currency is hard to ignore- I sound like an addict. Believe me, I’m just passionate.
It's something I can relate to. Subscribers and likes are a bit addictive. But I'm here for the community, so it's exciting when someone notices my writing.
I'm definitely a validation junkie. Oh, that dopamine from new subs! And just like you said, that goes with being a passionate fellow. I just need to keep my passions balanced, to let go of the meaningless things and focus on the real connections and content.
Oh no, don't remind me of social media! But yes, great point, we're conditioned to working for that immediate validation, and here it's more about creating king-content week after week.
Very cool, and good to know… Personally, I know I can spend a lot of time editing but that might take years so I just hit it with an edit or two… I seem to just have a compulsion to write, more or less so I can get to sleep. I really should care more about my readership, and would, if I considered that fact. Nice of you to point that out as one of the measures of successful writers. I will try to keep that in mind as I fall into the kiladiscope of dreams;)
Check! Roger that! My only difficulty is promoting outside of Substack since I'm not on social media at all. I mean, I have Twitter but it literally does nothing for my visibility.
I'm not sure if this idea is helpful, but if you're not into social media at all, you could try drop cards. Design a fun card that fits the theme of your Substack, have your link and QR code on it, and have them ready to give to people or leave in high-traffic areas. If you have a free level, it's also more widely acceptable - less "hey I'm advertising my business", more "hey check out my free newsletter!" Best wishes :)
Omg I LOVE this idea ❤️ I’ve been wanting to make some zines or something printed for a while, you’ve just given me a good reason to go for it! To promote my work in my local community 🎉
My MIL is not on social media but has a list of friends she emails regularly- I’ve also gotten quite a few subscribers by directly texting a post to friends I already have a texting relationship with friends.
I appreciate the acknowledgement here that raising a young family/children can impact consistency. While the ideal may be publishing consistently 1x/week, I would encourage my peers who are in this life season to really embrace the value of imperfection in cadence as well as content. I like to put out my posts on Friday, for example, but if my kid has a cold and thus my “ideal” schedule gets tossed out the window, or one of my interviewees can’t get me what I need because *their* kid has a cold, it’s not the end of the world to put it out on Sunday for a free newsletter. No one has complained. And the world is a better place for our stories regardless. Better told two days late than not at all.
I am newer to this platform but not to publishing content online and these are all fantastic reminders and guidelines. It’s always surprising how much someone can slack all the other categories but still find success as long as they post engaging things on a consistent basis.
I needed this post today, Karen! I am trying hard to be consistent and have great appreciation for the loyal readers, a list that grows a little bit every day. I am trying not to focus on growth, and simply on sharing learning with the hope that it can spread. Thank you for the post!
I loved this list! It was concise and felt doable. I am new to Substack and I am working on many of the habits. (Actually, I *think* this may be my 14th week!) The last 3 weeks have been hectic at work and home, so I have been forced to embrace imperfection to stick with the habit of consistency. My next big tackle will be figuring out what my readers want. There are just a handful right now, but I am noticing that titles with a question brings a reader in and seems to resonate more than what I think/assume is a snappier title! I am writing about my own recovery of burnout, but I suspect the questions are things the reader wants to ask themselves as well and in order to heal themselves.
As a new 'Substacker' I'm finding putting myself out there both exciting and scary! This post is really helpful in making me clarify my thoughts and justifying some of the habits I'm trying to build.. Thank you - I hope one day I'll be able to use the words 'highly effective' to describe myself.
Thank you for this list, Karen. Substack is a new space for me (7 weeks in) and I struggle with wondering if my current subscriber growth is strong “enough”. Reading this shifted my perspective and encouraged me to simply show up here consistently and follow these trusted & true tips. The writing feels so good - so I know this is worth cultivating. 🫶
Nov 6, 2023·edited Nov 6, 2023Liked by Karen Cherry
Loved how applicable this is to the average writer. Sometimes this sort of content comes across as unrealistic for most people because they can be habits from people already at a certain level, but this applies no matter where you are in the journey. Great stuff Karen!
I found this super informative, and really encouraging. I only "launched" my writing on Substack last week, and having never published any work before it has certainly felt daunting. Reading these 7 habits has made me feel confident I can succeed. I've mapped out a plan for how much writing I can do each week, and have already written some "back up" posts, so that if there's a reason I can't write one week I've still got something to post to ensure I'm consistent. I'm comfortable sharing my work with strangers, but have found it impossible to tell friends and family (so no one knows I'm doing this!) .
Commitment is undoubtedly crucial, and I appreciate the habit of priority-setting to ensure a consistent publishing schedule. The emphasis on reader focus and constantly asking, 'What do my readers want from me this week?' is a powerful strategy to create content that resonates.
Looking forward to more insights and tips from PubStack Success!
I enjoyed reading through this list Karen. Thank you. Somewhat reassuring to see I can tick a few of those boxes while early on my Substack journey. Promotion is the one I struggle with most at the moment as I am not sure where or how to promote myself. Not a big social media user. I wonder if Notes on Substack is used for this purpose? Any ideas from those more experienced would be welcome. I am also wary of promoting myself, even to friends, until everything is "perfectly" set up. So I probably can't tick the number 3 box either. :-). Working on it! Progress not Perfection.
Thanks. Jo :-)
Pepple are definitely using Notes to promote their own work, which is fine. What's even better is that people use it to promote the work of others.
I'm with you Jo. I feel weird about promoting to my friends and family as well. I'm not sure why I'm more comfortable with strangers than friends lol. I guess I feel like my people are tired of the fact that I tell endless stories 😁 Maybe I need to get over myself.
Still a slow learning this could've been better but in chat you don't have the time to edit. https://open.substack.com/pub/discussioncandy/p/the-elite-capture-of-substack?r=21v0ff&utm_campaign=comment-list-share-cta&utm_medium=web&comments=true&commentId=44546589
Thanks. Found all sorts of helpful comments in that thread. 👍
Thanks for this great concise list of how to succeed on Substack. I especially appreciated how you focus on writers' personal habits, not just grand strategies. It's not just what we do but who we are.
The two on your list that I still struggle with are reader focus and being comfortable with perfection, but I'm getting there.
One habit you didn't mention, which is by far my greatest struggle, is patience. Being at peace with growth taking months and years, no matter how well I do the other 7 habits. (I was taught this early on by one of the dozens of people I asked for news-lettering advice, who responded with 3 words: quality, consistence, patience.)
Patience is also something I struggle with. I get so excited when I publish and I can't wait to hear what readers say.
I'm with you on that. Like checking every five minutes for likes and comments...
Patience really is a good reminder. I have to keep telling myself I’ve only been here for 4 months. Growth takes time. I think it’s also important not to treat Substack like Instagram or Twitter where a post or reel can automatically garner hundreds or thousands of new followers. When I’m not playing the comparison game, I’m enjoying building this from the ground up.
So true. We're aiming here for the deeper creator-subscriber relationships. In the past few days, I've personally stopped looking at my subscriber count. At some point it doesn't make a difference because I'm anyways doing what I'm gonna do, and I don't find anymore that I'm learning new things from analyzing who subscribes and why.
I need this kind of discipline. I get a dopamine hit every time I get a subscriber. While I love building authentic connections online, the accumulation social currency is hard to ignore- I sound like an addict. Believe me, I’m just passionate.
It's something I can relate to. Subscribers and likes are a bit addictive. But I'm here for the community, so it's exciting when someone notices my writing.
I'm definitely a validation junkie. Oh, that dopamine from new subs! And just like you said, that goes with being a passionate fellow. I just need to keep my passions balanced, to let go of the meaningless things and focus on the real connections and content.
This is the way.
Great point about patience!
Agreed. With social media giving likes for no effort, It's hard then to make an effort and get no likes/subscriptions 😂
Oh no, don't remind me of social media! But yes, great point, we're conditioned to working for that immediate validation, and here it's more about creating king-content week after week.
Also as a newbie, it takes quite a long time. I'm hoping the process becomes more streamlined with practice.
True.
: quality, consistence, patience. So true!! And thank you!
I do love a concise answer! The 3 words: quality, consistence, patience sit nicely!
Very cool, and good to know… Personally, I know I can spend a lot of time editing but that might take years so I just hit it with an edit or two… I seem to just have a compulsion to write, more or less so I can get to sleep. I really should care more about my readership, and would, if I considered that fact. Nice of you to point that out as one of the measures of successful writers. I will try to keep that in mind as I fall into the kiladiscope of dreams;)
Great article Karen!! I didn’t know that about folks leaving... that’s a high percentage!!!
It is, isn't it? scarily so.
Check! Roger that! My only difficulty is promoting outside of Substack since I'm not on social media at all. I mean, I have Twitter but it literally does nothing for my visibility.
Thank you for sharing this list!
I'm not sure if this idea is helpful, but if you're not into social media at all, you could try drop cards. Design a fun card that fits the theme of your Substack, have your link and QR code on it, and have them ready to give to people or leave in high-traffic areas. If you have a free level, it's also more widely acceptable - less "hey I'm advertising my business", more "hey check out my free newsletter!" Best wishes :)
This is brilliant! QR codes...love the idea!
Omg I LOVE this idea ❤️ I’ve been wanting to make some zines or something printed for a while, you’ve just given me a good reason to go for it! To promote my work in my local community 🎉
That's a great idea, good luck!
My MIL is not on social media but has a list of friends she emails regularly- I’ve also gotten quite a few subscribers by directly texting a post to friends I already have a texting relationship with friends.
That's awesome. It's almost like there's so much technology that we forgot how to do life without it 😂 Thanks for the tips!
I like how you connected the lack of consistency with perfection. That’s definitely my area of weakness.
I appreciate the acknowledgement here that raising a young family/children can impact consistency. While the ideal may be publishing consistently 1x/week, I would encourage my peers who are in this life season to really embrace the value of imperfection in cadence as well as content. I like to put out my posts on Friday, for example, but if my kid has a cold and thus my “ideal” schedule gets tossed out the window, or one of my interviewees can’t get me what I need because *their* kid has a cold, it’s not the end of the world to put it out on Sunday for a free newsletter. No one has complained. And the world is a better place for our stories regardless. Better told two days late than not at all.
Allison, I do this too! I farm so sometimes I am a day late but definitely not a dollar short!
I am newer to this platform but not to publishing content online and these are all fantastic reminders and guidelines. It’s always surprising how much someone can slack all the other categories but still find success as long as they post engaging things on a consistent basis.
I needed this post today, Karen! I am trying hard to be consistent and have great appreciation for the loyal readers, a list that grows a little bit every day. I am trying not to focus on growth, and simply on sharing learning with the hope that it can spread. Thank you for the post!
I loved this list! It was concise and felt doable. I am new to Substack and I am working on many of the habits. (Actually, I *think* this may be my 14th week!) The last 3 weeks have been hectic at work and home, so I have been forced to embrace imperfection to stick with the habit of consistency. My next big tackle will be figuring out what my readers want. There are just a handful right now, but I am noticing that titles with a question brings a reader in and seems to resonate more than what I think/assume is a snappier title! I am writing about my own recovery of burnout, but I suspect the questions are things the reader wants to ask themselves as well and in order to heal themselves.
This is such a great list! I’ll be at 14 weeks on a Substack in 2 days with no signs of stop. Can’t wait to continue to grow and share!
As a new 'Substacker' I'm finding putting myself out there both exciting and scary! This post is really helpful in making me clarify my thoughts and justifying some of the habits I'm trying to build.. Thank you - I hope one day I'll be able to use the words 'highly effective' to describe myself.
Thank you for this list, Karen. Substack is a new space for me (7 weeks in) and I struggle with wondering if my current subscriber growth is strong “enough”. Reading this shifted my perspective and encouraged me to simply show up here consistently and follow these trusted & true tips. The writing feels so good - so I know this is worth cultivating. 🫶
Oh that's so great to hear Allison. Keep showing up and writing well and enjoy the journey.
A bit like "Field of Dreams;" "Build it and they will come."
Loved how applicable this is to the average writer. Sometimes this sort of content comes across as unrealistic for most people because they can be habits from people already at a certain level, but this applies no matter where you are in the journey. Great stuff Karen!
I found this super informative, and really encouraging. I only "launched" my writing on Substack last week, and having never published any work before it has certainly felt daunting. Reading these 7 habits has made me feel confident I can succeed. I've mapped out a plan for how much writing I can do each week, and have already written some "back up" posts, so that if there's a reason I can't write one week I've still got something to post to ensure I'm consistent. I'm comfortable sharing my work with strangers, but have found it impossible to tell friends and family (so no one knows I'm doing this!) .
Go Megan! My friends and family have never seen either of my newsletters either!
Commitment is undoubtedly crucial, and I appreciate the habit of priority-setting to ensure a consistent publishing schedule. The emphasis on reader focus and constantly asking, 'What do my readers want from me this week?' is a powerful strategy to create content that resonates.
Looking forward to more insights and tips from PubStack Success!