Thank you for this reminder. As a person who stopped consistently posting on social platforms outside of Substack, I have noticed a big shift. This was the push I needed to go back to what I know works.
I just don't know what to say to my connections on LinkedIn. I have a good number of them gained over the years but I sort of think none of them want to know about Creative Writing. I could be wrong...
Should I just go for it, Karen, and post something everyday? What's the best 'look' do you think for a creative professional?
Oh gosh, Yasmin, LinkedIn is absolutely not the right place to get new subscribers for some creatives. Sorry if I gave you that impression.
I use LinkedIn for my food safety publication, and my LinkedIn network is full of food safety professionals, so LinkedIn works for me. But it won’t work for everyone.
If you’re a creative writer and your current LinkedIn connections aren’t interested in creative writing then my strategy won’t work for you.
My aim with sharing the daily LinkedIn strategy was less about LinkedIn and more about demonstrating how it can be simple to do more of what’s working. And the pitfalls of always trying new things and NOT spending time on proven strategies.
[One final thought on LinkedIn for you, Yasmin: If creative writing has become your main professional focus, you can re-brand yourself on LinkedIn and make new connections with people who ARE interested in creative writing, letting your other connections drift away.]
Thank you, Karen. You are an excellent writer and a help for people getting started on Substack.
I started three weeks ago. With some help from you and Substack itself, I began my new website that will reach people around the world. John Shanahan's Substack - Energy And The Modern World, johnshanahan.substack.com.
Note: I am 85, and have been writing computer programs since 1963. With your help, people of all ages and backgrounds can start writing on Substack.
Welcome, John, I’m glad you’re finding my posts helpful. And thank you for being a paid subscriber. BTW John, there is no need to drop your publication link everywhere… people can click on your name in the comment thread to see what you publish if they are interested.
On Substack it’s considered poor etiquette to drop links in comments unless they are directly related to the conversation at hand.
“occasionally poking around on LinkedIn if I could stomach it” - you must have a stronger stomach than me if you are sustaining going there daily. It seems to be full of (and operating for) the toxic patriarchy.
I hear you, re LinkedIn, Felicity, but I’ve brutally curated who I follow on LinkedIn, used the ‘Not interested’ button ruthlessly and muted anyone even vaguely bleh. These days LinkedIn is much more bearable.
Plus (lucky me!) there are also loads of smart talented women in my industry, and these typically post better content than some of their male counterparts.
Sorry about your experience with LinkedIn, Felicity. It has served me well for 16 years in my mission of global public education (124 countries) about the importance of energy in the modern world.
I am an engineer and understand algorithms. I've simply used LinkedIn to connect with professionals with similar interests. It has worked in that way, and I'm connected with professionals in 124 countries.
Working on ways how to connect my Substack and Linkedln to post notes started the 2 at same time 5 weeks ago and I seem to have lots of request connectins on Linkedln but my first home is Substack.
As a counterpoint, I was posting daily notes but had hit a depressing subscription plateau and was suffering a bit of Notes burnout.
For two weeks, I stepped back to three notes per week, albeit carefully chosen, and experienced my first real surge in subscriptions, including a few paid ones, in months. I wondered if the algorithm might have been noticing my absence and pushing the notes I had put up? Do you think that's possible? I suppose anything is.
I see a few others I know doing one post a day, and it seems to be very successful for them.
(I'm amazed at just how prolific some of you are.)
One thing I can't tell on Substack = who goes in for deeper reads vs. more shallow engagement via notes. I wonder what the distribution is for A | B vs. A & B and also what the social graph looks like re: engagement preferences.
Yet another reason why getting a step closer to the API may be fun.
Thank you for this reminder. As a person who stopped consistently posting on social platforms outside of Substack, I have noticed a big shift. This was the push I needed to go back to what I know works.
poking around on LinkedIn if I could stomach it
Exactly how I feel!!!
Great newsletter!
I just don't know what to say to my connections on LinkedIn. I have a good number of them gained over the years but I sort of think none of them want to know about Creative Writing. I could be wrong...
Should I just go for it, Karen, and post something everyday? What's the best 'look' do you think for a creative professional?
Oh gosh, Yasmin, LinkedIn is absolutely not the right place to get new subscribers for some creatives. Sorry if I gave you that impression.
I use LinkedIn for my food safety publication, and my LinkedIn network is full of food safety professionals, so LinkedIn works for me. But it won’t work for everyone.
If you’re a creative writer and your current LinkedIn connections aren’t interested in creative writing then my strategy won’t work for you.
My aim with sharing the daily LinkedIn strategy was less about LinkedIn and more about demonstrating how it can be simple to do more of what’s working. And the pitfalls of always trying new things and NOT spending time on proven strategies.
[One final thought on LinkedIn for you, Yasmin: If creative writing has become your main professional focus, you can re-brand yourself on LinkedIn and make new connections with people who ARE interested in creative writing, letting your other connections drift away.]
Thanks for the clarification, Karen. Much appreciated.
Thank you, Karen. You are an excellent writer and a help for people getting started on Substack.
I started three weeks ago. With some help from you and Substack itself, I began my new website that will reach people around the world. John Shanahan's Substack - Energy And The Modern World, johnshanahan.substack.com.
Note: I am 85, and have been writing computer programs since 1963. With your help, people of all ages and backgrounds can start writing on Substack.
Best wishes
John Shanahan
Denver, Colorado, USA
Welcome, John, I’m glad you’re finding my posts helpful. And thank you for being a paid subscriber. BTW John, there is no need to drop your publication link everywhere… people can click on your name in the comment thread to see what you publish if they are interested.
On Substack it’s considered poor etiquette to drop links in comments unless they are directly related to the conversation at hand.
Thanks for explaining how Substack software works regarding finding info about a commentator's own Substack.
Where can I find a written guide to Substack etiquett?
Thanks.
you can find a written guide to Substack etiquette right here, John: https://pubstacksuccess.substack.com/p/substack-etiquette-in-2025
“occasionally poking around on LinkedIn if I could stomach it” - you must have a stronger stomach than me if you are sustaining going there daily. It seems to be full of (and operating for) the toxic patriarchy.
I hear you, re LinkedIn, Felicity, but I’ve brutally curated who I follow on LinkedIn, used the ‘Not interested’ button ruthlessly and muted anyone even vaguely bleh. These days LinkedIn is much more bearable.
Plus (lucky me!) there are also loads of smart talented women in my industry, and these typically post better content than some of their male counterparts.
I suppose it’s like anywhere; it depends how much work you put in.
Sorry about your experience with LinkedIn, Felicity. It has served me well for 16 years in my mission of global public education (124 countries) about the importance of energy in the modern world.
See:
johnshanahan.substack.com
Maybe you understand how it works better than me, but it seems to have biased algorithms.
I am an engineer and understand algorithms. I've simply used LinkedIn to connect with professionals with similar interests. It has worked in that way, and I'm connected with professionals in 124 countries.
Best wishes.
johnshanahan.substack.com
Working on ways how to connect my Substack and Linkedln to post notes started the 2 at same time 5 weeks ago and I seem to have lots of request connectins on Linkedln but my first home is Substack.
As a counterpoint, I was posting daily notes but had hit a depressing subscription plateau and was suffering a bit of Notes burnout.
For two weeks, I stepped back to three notes per week, albeit carefully chosen, and experienced my first real surge in subscriptions, including a few paid ones, in months. I wondered if the algorithm might have been noticing my absence and pushing the notes I had put up? Do you think that's possible? I suppose anything is.
Hi Betty, that’s interesting, thank you for sharing.
It could be an algorithm strategy, where they try to assist creators who appear to be losing interest. Interesting idea!
It would be cool to test this premise - and I may do so later this year.
And how different is creating notes for substack vs post on LI?
I see a few others I know doing one post a day, and it seems to be very successful for them.
(I'm amazed at just how prolific some of you are.)
One thing I can't tell on Substack = who goes in for deeper reads vs. more shallow engagement via notes. I wonder what the distribution is for A | B vs. A & B and also what the social graph looks like re: engagement preferences.
Yet another reason why getting a step closer to the API may be fun.