The Four Stages of Substacking
On the path to Substack Nirvana
Bonjour!
As you’re getting this email, I’m somewhere in Europe. Probably with wine. Definitely with cheese. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, this is the magic of newsletter writing: you can write and send emails from (almost) anywhere.
And of course you can schedule in advance, like I did for this email - which explains why I am - perhaps - talking about drinking wine at breakfast time 🤔.
Today, let’s explore the Substack journey. And find out…
Where are you on the path to Substack Nirvana?
I jest: there is no Substack Nirvana. No matter how ‘successful’ you become on Substack I guarantee you will still feel like there is more to do, and further to go.
Stage One: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
“I’m so excited about Substack! This is going to be epic!”
The first stage of Substacking is all about ignorance and bliss. It’s the dreams, the plans, the brainstorming, the possibilities, the future. All you need is 10,000 paying subscribers each paying $10, you tell yourself, easy. Easy-peasy. You’ll be there in no time and you’ll be, like, a bazillionaire. Just from writing a few posts each month. Yipee!
We’ve all been there, to Substack dreamland. It’s beautiful.
In stage one you have no idea what it takes to build a newsletter with 10,000 paying subscribers. Or what you need to do to give yourself the best chance of succeeding.
You’re in stage one if you answer yes to any of these questions:
You think your Substack publication will be a low-effort, high-earning side hustle;
You are confident that occasional posts about your daily life are all you need;
You’re impatient to get your first 1,000 subscribers.
What to do if you’re in stage one
Enjoy it. Stage one is fun, full of possibilities and the perfect time to make new ‘friends’ online.
Write as much as you can and hit publish/send often.
Have faith that you’ll figure out stuff as you go along.
Stage Two: Overwhelm
“What do you mean I need to promote my newsletter? Why aren’t I getting any likes or comments? How did they get their homepage looking like that?”
In stage one you were blissfully unaware of everything you didn’t know. Now you know how much you don’t know. Which is pretty much everything.
It’s overwhelming.
The fun side hustle you were expecting has turned into a time-suck that has you butting heads with concepts like marketing, calls-to-action and conversions. There’s so much to do, so much to learn, aaarrrgh.
You’re in stage two if you:
Still secretly believe there’s a magic recipe that will get you to 100,000 subscribers in the next two months.
Are swinging wildly between different topics, styles and formats;
Feel like you are slaving over a hot keyboard for hours every week but getting nowhere.
What to do if you’re in stage two
Keep going, even though it feels like a waste of time.
Commiserate with other creators - join an online community where you can share your frustrations with others;
Focus on building a solid writing habit and pressing ‘Send’ each week.
Stage two, with its chaos, overwhelm and uncertainty is no fun. The good news is that at some point during this stage, something magical starts to happen…
Stage Three: Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
“I’m starting to feel less weird about promoting my work. I’m paying attention to what’s working, and trying to do more of it.”
Stage three Substack-ers are getting used to the hard work and overwhelm of being a one-person publishing empire. Publishing schedule? Yup! Notes? They’re all over it. Social media calendar? They don’t just know what that is, but might actually have one too.
In stage three, Substack-ing is still hard work, but things now feel less urgent and intense.
You’re in stage three if you are:
Getting subscribers;
Feeling (more) relaxed about the process of writing and pressing ‘Send’ each week;
Thinking of your publication as a long-term adventure, not a get-rich-quick scheme.
What to do if you’re in stage three
Give yourself a cheer: you’ve made it past the toughest stage, and are ready to settle in for the long haul. Enjoy each little win, and celebrate every new subscriber.
Focus on your own journey, and try not to compare yourself to other creators.
Review and tweak your offer and make sure you are really clear about who you are writing for and why they are with you. Don’t be afraid to adjust if needed.
In stage three you are transitioning from an unfocused ‘I wanna newsletter’ mindset to one that is ready for long-term growth. Your ultimate goal in this stage should be to discover what’s working for your publication and double down on it… whether that is related to your topic, your audience acquisition methods, or your monetization systems.
Stage Four: Settle down and enjoy the ride
“This is still hard, but I can see results. I’m still not where I want to be but I’ve found something that works and I’m confident in my vision. Bring on the next two years!”
If stage three was about embracing the discomfort, stage four is where you start to feel confident and ready to enjoy the benefits of the hard work you’ve been doing. In stage four you know what you need to do to grow your publication and have the mental space to get on with doing it.
You’re still not at 10,000 subscribers, but you’ve made your peace with the fact that growing a newsletter takes time. And you know that the frustration and impatience never really go away, they just get easier to live with.
You can see your path.
In stage four you have:
Tweaked, experimented, tested and perhaps even pivoted enough;
Started resisting the urge to constantly add new things, or jump straight into every new Substack feature;
Found clarity about your future as a publication owner - you know what you need to do and can focus on doing it.
What to do in stage four
Enjoy the growth you are getting, knowing that plateaus, set-backs and frustrations are still going to appear (and pass).
Treat your publication like a business: examine your overheads, outsource repetitive tasks, make a financial plan, stick to a time budget.
Continue to experiment with ways to ‘meet’ new readers - new social media platforms, podcasts, video channels, referral systems, guest posting…
Keep improving your writing, and surprise your readers with something extra special every now and then.
Final thoughts
No matter where you are in your Substack journey, you still have a path ahead of you. Take heart! The journey gets more comfortable the longer you have been on the road. Not easier, exactly, but less overwhelming, less chaotic, less confusing.
What to do now:
If you’re in stage one, enjoy the anticipation of the journey ahead. Write as many posts as possible. Get used to pressing ‘Send’ and congratulate yourself for starting.
If you’re in stage two, don’t quit. Find like-minded creators to hang out with. Work to build a solid writing habit.
If you’re in stage three, review and refine your offer - get ultra-clear about who you’re writing for and what you are giving them. Seek outside feedback on your publication and strategy. Don’t be afraid to adjust, or even pivot completely if you need to.
If you’re in stage four, keep improving your writing. Work to delight your readers each week. And enjoy the ride.
That’s it for this week. Have a fabulous week on Substack and in life, no matter where you are in your journey(s).
I think I'm in stages 1, 2 and 3 all at the same time! Very useful, thanks Karen
Ok, so this is absolutely brilliant, deeply insightful, and tremendously helpful. Everyone on Substack has gotta read this. The whole thing - which is why I'm not gonna quote my favorite line and say what I think of it.
In case anyone's interested, I think that I'm almost finishing graduating from stage 2 to 3.