Good suggestions. I think my title is good, so far as it goes, because it's distinctive and has some nuance (it's meant to be kind of funny, but not really, because there is a very serious side to recovering from an academic exit). My main worry is that it's a little too narrow, but I suppose this is true of all newsletters. Precision will necessarily push some readers away, who don't think they'll find anything to like if they aren't academics.
I wish you had said more at the beginning about the difference between a publication and a newsletter. I will do the research and find out, but I don't know at the moment if this article even applies to me. I have a newsletter I named Quest for Quality. So have I already named a publication? Other than this peccadillo, your article is excellent and informative.
Hi Don, you're right, Quest for Quality is a publication. With Substack it's not possible to create a 'newsletter' (series of emails sent to subscribers) without automatically ending up with a website. A Substack publication is the email series which goes to inboxes and the website plus an archive of sent emails and other posts.
Finally. You are the first person (or post) who could answer this question. I will start collecting my unanswered questions and take advantage of your $20 consult some day soon.
Portals to the Past - I decided to go with alliteration and synonym for my publication title, and hope the header image does the rest until readers glimpse the About page - if they get that far.
In truth, despite History not being a hot topic, I'm thinking conjuring a title for my forthcoming fiction publication will be a much more difficult enterprise.
I wish I'd read this article before I started my Substack newsletter. I've been pretty bad about writing regularly, but you've inspired me to get to work. Thank you
All solid advice. Naming new projects is literally one of my favorite things to do. I once thought about somehow starting a business helping people come up with names and taglines for new blogs, business ventures, etc. But I don't think people pay for that 😂
Hi Karen, I made a YouTube video on the same topic but more about setting up an account and starting a Substack pub. Anyway, if I could go back in time I would wait and then add some insights you shared lol ^^ Interation is the key word here. I've stuck with Kristina's newsletter since I saw Lenny Rachitsky's and thought to build a personal brand, it's definitely cool to have your name in it. However, there are several Kristinas here and I would like to go back, but as shared on Medium, since I would only have one shot, I won't change it to Kristina God for now.
Hi Don, sure! Just recently Medium changed their paywall options and now non-members can't read 3 articles for free anymore. That's why it's smart to share friend links otherwise you'd click it and would be frustrated 🥴. Enjoy the read. It adds some points to the discussion here and it's a series I run on Medium. I'm also in the middle of creating the next tutorial videos for my YouTube channel.but with a baby in the house time is limited. Baby steps... Talk soon! Kristina
Good tips. I decided to revive an old blog name I had rather than use my actual name. My reasoning was a) the space in which I write - commentary on whatever is on my mind - is clogged with established writers, journalists, etc. and b) it creates some mystique. What do you think? Does my name suit the content?
Hi Punditman, I'm not sure who the content is aimed at exactly, after a brief look at your post archives, but I like that the name has personality. Your logo is very professional!
It's like I'm an old style news columnist who writes about whatever they want. They do still exist. The reason people read them is because they've earned their respect and readers want to know what they think. The writer is the niche if you know what I mean.
Thanks for this post. I found it while searching for best practices for changing my publication name from a business name to my own. As it turns out, I do fall into the one category that you give permission to do so:
"Use your own name if you already have a public audience who knows and likes you. For example, if you are a well-known journalist from traditional media, an entertainer, successful novelist, celebrity or sportsperson, then using your own name is a great idea."
I am a somewhat well-known journalist from traditional media (in certain TV news markets, at least) moving into the (hopefully soon-to-be) successful novelist category. While raising my kids I always used my business names for things like this, but for this next chapter I am stepping out of the shadows and using my own name. Thank you for helping me to confirm that I am doing the right thing with the renaming.
As a follow up question, what are the best practices when using your personal name as your Substack name? I already have the URL, but I am not sure if it should be:
* Author Rosa Linda Román
* Rosa Linda's Substack
* Rosa Linda Román
* Author Adventurer Rosa Linda Román
Or some other variation on my name? What do other people do? I appreciate any insight you can offer.
For further data, my Substack newsletter is where I share my writing, both fiction and non-fiction (related to the fact that my family lives on a sailing catamaran in the Mediterranean, which is why I originally titled it "Untethered Adventurers").
Hi Rosa Linda, the usual way to do it would be "Rosa Linda's Substack". Or you could rename it to Adventures with Rosa Linda. The famous comedian Samantha Bee uses her own name and also refers to her newsletter Plan Bee, so you could model yours on hers? (check it out there: https://samanthabee.substack.com/)
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I temporarily changed it to just "Rosa Linda Román" as I was sending something out and I wanted to move away from the old name. But I am already finding quirks with this new name that are somewhat freaky to me. When filling out a survey, for example, a subscriber might be asked:
* How likely are you to recommend Rosa Linda Román to a friend or colleague?
* Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Rosa Linda Román?
* Please tell us specifically what you like the most about Rosa Linda Román.
* Please tell us specifically what you don’t like about the Rosa Linda Román?
And so on. It feels too personal, like they are being asked to judge me, the person, instead of the publication. 🤣 I still haven't come up with a name that feels right, but I will keep working on it. Thanks again for the response.
Don't worry, you can change your publication's name any time. As for changing its URL, Substack will redirect traffic if you change your URL, but you only get to do that once.
Good suggestions. I think my title is good, so far as it goes, because it's distinctive and has some nuance (it's meant to be kind of funny, but not really, because there is a very serious side to recovering from an academic exit). My main worry is that it's a little too narrow, but I suppose this is true of all newsletters. Precision will necessarily push some readers away, who don't think they'll find anything to like if they aren't academics.
I wish you had said more at the beginning about the difference between a publication and a newsletter. I will do the research and find out, but I don't know at the moment if this article even applies to me. I have a newsletter I named Quest for Quality. So have I already named a publication? Other than this peccadillo, your article is excellent and informative.
Hi Don, you're right, Quest for Quality is a publication. With Substack it's not possible to create a 'newsletter' (series of emails sent to subscribers) without automatically ending up with a website. A Substack publication is the email series which goes to inboxes and the website plus an archive of sent emails and other posts.
Finally. You are the first person (or post) who could answer this question. I will start collecting my unanswered questions and take advantage of your $20 consult some day soon.
Portals to the Past - I decided to go with alliteration and synonym for my publication title, and hope the header image does the rest until readers glimpse the About page - if they get that far.
In truth, despite History not being a hot topic, I'm thinking conjuring a title for my forthcoming fiction publication will be a much more difficult enterprise.
Thanks for the post. It's most helpful.
I wish I'd read this article before I started my Substack newsletter. I've been pretty bad about writing regularly, but you've inspired me to get to work. Thank you
Great advice!
All solid advice. Naming new projects is literally one of my favorite things to do. I once thought about somehow starting a business helping people come up with names and taglines for new blogs, business ventures, etc. But I don't think people pay for that 😂
Hi Karen, I made a YouTube video on the same topic but more about setting up an account and starting a Substack pub. Anyway, if I could go back in time I would wait and then add some insights you shared lol ^^ Interation is the key word here. I've stuck with Kristina's newsletter since I saw Lenny Rachitsky's and thought to build a personal brand, it's definitely cool to have your name in it. However, there are several Kristinas here and I would like to go back, but as shared on Medium, since I would only have one shot, I won't change it to Kristina God for now.
Here's the friend link (you can read it even if you're not a paying Medium member): https://medium.com/online-writing-101/how-to-create-a-substack-publication-662e57f08044?sk=f84eef0fbad78d6a0da57e0a98064c23
Thank you for this link!
Hi Don, sure! Just recently Medium changed their paywall options and now non-members can't read 3 articles for free anymore. That's why it's smart to share friend links otherwise you'd click it and would be frustrated 🥴. Enjoy the read. It adds some points to the discussion here and it's a series I run on Medium. I'm also in the middle of creating the next tutorial videos for my YouTube channel.but with a baby in the house time is limited. Baby steps... Talk soon! Kristina
Good tips. I decided to revive an old blog name I had rather than use my actual name. My reasoning was a) the space in which I write - commentary on whatever is on my mind - is clogged with established writers, journalists, etc. and b) it creates some mystique. What do you think? Does my name suit the content?
Hi Punditman, I'm not sure who the content is aimed at exactly, after a brief look at your post archives, but I like that the name has personality. Your logo is very professional!
It's like I'm an old style news columnist who writes about whatever they want. They do still exist. The reason people read them is because they've earned their respect and readers want to know what they think. The writer is the niche if you know what I mean.
Thank you for this, I am struggling to narrow down on my title. I will be asking for feedback within my community to help the decision making process.
Good luck, Jennifer!
Thanks for this post. I found it while searching for best practices for changing my publication name from a business name to my own. As it turns out, I do fall into the one category that you give permission to do so:
"Use your own name if you already have a public audience who knows and likes you. For example, if you are a well-known journalist from traditional media, an entertainer, successful novelist, celebrity or sportsperson, then using your own name is a great idea."
I am a somewhat well-known journalist from traditional media (in certain TV news markets, at least) moving into the (hopefully soon-to-be) successful novelist category. While raising my kids I always used my business names for things like this, but for this next chapter I am stepping out of the shadows and using my own name. Thank you for helping me to confirm that I am doing the right thing with the renaming.
As a follow up question, what are the best practices when using your personal name as your Substack name? I already have the URL, but I am not sure if it should be:
* Author Rosa Linda Román
* Rosa Linda's Substack
* Rosa Linda Román
* Author Adventurer Rosa Linda Román
Or some other variation on my name? What do other people do? I appreciate any insight you can offer.
For further data, my Substack newsletter is where I share my writing, both fiction and non-fiction (related to the fact that my family lives on a sailing catamaran in the Mediterranean, which is why I originally titled it "Untethered Adventurers").
Hi Rosa Linda, the usual way to do it would be "Rosa Linda's Substack". Or you could rename it to Adventures with Rosa Linda. The famous comedian Samantha Bee uses her own name and also refers to her newsletter Plan Bee, so you could model yours on hers? (check it out there: https://samanthabee.substack.com/)
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I temporarily changed it to just "Rosa Linda Román" as I was sending something out and I wanted to move away from the old name. But I am already finding quirks with this new name that are somewhat freaky to me. When filling out a survey, for example, a subscriber might be asked:
* How likely are you to recommend Rosa Linda Román to a friend or colleague?
* Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Rosa Linda Román?
* Please tell us specifically what you like the most about Rosa Linda Román.
* Please tell us specifically what you don’t like about the Rosa Linda Román?
And so on. It feels too personal, like they are being asked to judge me, the person, instead of the publication. 🤣 I still haven't come up with a name that feels right, but I will keep working on it. Thanks again for the response.
Thanks for sharing, really hoped that I had read this before starting.
Don't worry, you can change your publication's name any time. As for changing its URL, Substack will redirect traffic if you change your URL, but you only get to do that once.