124 Comments
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JP Pelosi's avatar

Terrific advice. I do think when you’re toiling away on a piece you can easily forget why you’re doing it.’you worry nobody will read! But your point about being consistent really resonates. Thanks for this!

Alice Kuipers's avatar

Thanks for the lovely advice!!

Kolina Cicero's avatar

Congratulations! I'm launching my bookish Substack on 11/30 and I'm feeling a lot of anticipatory ups and downs. Reading this was exactly what I needed. I'm so glad I found this newsletter and I can't wait to catch up on some back posts!

Kathi Roach's avatar

I love this & congratulations!!!

Delia Lloyd's avatar

Thanks! This is super helpful. I'm still stalking here but debating bringing my newsletter over from MailChimp. The SEO is especially helpful.

Sixty Thousand Thoughts's avatar

An excellent insight! I only "launched" my writing on Substack, or anywhere for that matter, just under two weeks ago. Sometimes I feel a bit silly writing in a way which sounds as though I'm addressing an auditorium rather than my 35 subscribers, but I know it's important to start as I mean to go on (this has just confirmed it!). I also love the attitude of cultivating a community where you have a high open rate, where people are genuine readers rather than a whole lot of subscribers who never read your words. Thank you for sharing!

Michael Mohr's avatar

Right on. Slow growth for sure. And always writing as if you have a big audience. Congrats on 6K. I just passed 1,000 a month ago. It’s exhilarating. I like your comment on making writer friends, too. Yes: you have to connect with other writers on Substack.

Here’s a helpful piece about this topic:

https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/what-is-the-point-of-substack-making

Ossiana Tepfenhart's avatar

Ayeee! I wanna be you when I grow up!

Bella Foxwell's avatar

I love point number 6 - embrace slow growth 🤍 it’s the absolute antithesis of what we’re encouraged to do and feel in hustle culture but it’s the approach I’m taking too and god it feels good not to be trying to hit X subs by X date! 🤍

Nguyen Phuong Lam's avatar

Congratulations and thank you for your insightful sharing. I had started a newsletter before and left it behind because I expected high number of subscribers, but I will take your learning about real connections rather than big number with middle open rate as my motto when starting again.

Alexander Semenyuk's avatar

Incredible numbers! Congrats

Larry Flick's avatar

This is such helpful information. Thank you for breaking it down in plain-speak!

Rachel BS she/hers's avatar

Very helpful. Slow and steady growth is the goal ! Thank you 🤙🏼

Basma Taha's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing this Elizabeth.

I have actually started my newsletter around a month ago. I strarted to be more active in notes around two weeks ago. I am aware that making friends here is good. But I have noticed that people who were already on Substack long before me are more loyal to each others (they share, comment, recommend each other posts) and it's a bit hard to connect with them in a personal level (I mean they are great and I learn alot from them but they are still not catched so much by what I write)

I think it's normal since I haven't written so much yet.

Would love to hear more of your thoguhts on how to make friends online on Substack?

Drake Greene's avatar

Great insight and encouragement. I have been questioning the value of writing on Substack and I now feel me inspired to get back to it.

Kristine Neeley's avatar

This is so helpful! Thank you for sharing!