16 Comments

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Oct 7, 2023·edited Oct 7, 2023Liked by Karen Cherry

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.

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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

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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 😂

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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

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Thank you for this link!

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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

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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?

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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!

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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.

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Thanks for sharing, really hoped that I had read this before starting.

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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.

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