How to Publish on Substack as a Beginner

Publishing on Substack is a great way to share your ideas and connect with like-minded individuals. To get started, you'll need to sign up for a Substack account, which is free.

Substack offers a range of features, including customizable newsletters and payment options. You can choose from a variety of templates to create a visually appealing newsletter.

As a beginner, it's essential to understand Substack's pricing model. Substack takes a 10% commission on all paid subscriptions, and you can earn up to $50,000 per year on a single newsletter.

A different take: Substack Email Newsletter

You can start a Substack publication right now, today, on Substack in less than 20 minutes. It's fine to use a pseudonym for your Substack profile name.

To begin, create a publication on Substack, which will be where you'll post content and write newsletters. Substack will ask you two things. You can start a Substack publication by following the simple steps in a post, and if you don't like the result, you can bin it and start again.

The first step is to create a publication, and then all the other pieces will fall into place. Your first post is already waiting for you when you create a Substack publication, and it's called 'Coming Soon'.

On a similar theme: Substack Publication

To create an account, you can start by going to Substack and signing up. It's fine to use a pseudonym for your Substack profile name.

Substack will ask you to create an account, which is the first step to getting started.

You can subscribe to Substack now if you haven't already. I don't use your email address for anything else, so don't worry about sharing it.

On a similar theme: Use Google Cloud to Publish Website with Terraform

You can start a Substack publication in under 20 minutes. In fact, Substack will even assign you a default publication name, "[Your name]'s Newsletter", if you don't have a better idea. This can be changed later, but it's a good starting point.

Substack is free to use, and you can create a newsletter without charging your readers. If you do want to charge, Substack takes a 10% cut. Either way, you won't have to worry about ads or spammy harassment.

To get started, you'll need to create an account and then create a publication. This is where you'll post your content and write your newsletters. You can choose a publication name and write a description, but don't worry too much about this step - you can change it later.

For more insights, see: Newsletter Alternatives to Substack

Here are the steps to create a publication in under 20 minutes:

1. Create an account

2. Create a publication

3. Choose a publication name and write a description (you can change this later)

4. Start writing your first post

Remember, starting a newsletter is easy, and it's never too early or too late to start. In fact, most people wish they had started sooner. So take the first step and create a publication today!

Recommended read: Should I Start a Substack

If you're a coach, Substack is an excellent platform to build your audience and share your expertise.

Coaches can leverage Substack to share their knowledge and connect with like-minded individuals.

Creators and consultants can also benefit from writing on Substack, as it allows them to establish themselves as authorities in their respective fields.

Anyone who wants to build a readership online should consider writing on Substack, as it provides a unique opportunity to share their ideas and connect with potential clients or customers.

Writing on Substack can help you grow your audience and make money as a writer, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to establish an online presence.

Start by choosing a format for your newsletter, such as a how-to tutorial or listicle, like "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y."

You can find inspiration from many other newsletters, but ultimately, you'll want to develop your own style.

To create a publication on Substack, you'll be prompted to choose a publication name and write a description during the signup process.

Substack helps you beat procrastination at this step by assigning a default name: [Your name]’s Newsletter. If you don’t have anything better, go with that.

Your publication needs a brief description, which will be shown on its welcome page, ideally explaining what your newsletter is about and who it's for.

Substack allows you to customize your theme, welcome messages, headers, footers, and about page to make your publication stand out.

To get traction, aim to write at least 100 pieces, and don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.

Here are two popular formats for newsletters: How-to tutorialsListicles (e.g. "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y.")

A different take: When Did Substack Start

Creating a publication on Substack is a straightforward process. You'll be prompted to choose a publication name and write a description. Substack even helps you beat procrastination by assigning a default name: [Your name]’s Newsletter.

Your publication needs a brief description, which will be shown on its welcome page. This description should ideally explain not just what your newsletter is about, but who it is for.

You can change your publication's name and description later, so don't stress about getting it perfect at first. Substack allows you to make changes, and you can only change your publication's URL once.

Writing on Substack, Medium, and your own blog can be a great way to share your content with a wider audience. You can repurpose the same article on both Medium and Substack, which allows you to reach more people with your article.

Having your own blog is like owning a piece of real estate on the internet, and it's the only platform that you truly own. But simply posting on your blog without a solid SEO strategy won't do the trick.

Additional reading: Substack Blogging

If you want to write more social-type blog posts and grow your newsletter subscribers, adding Substack to the mix makes sense. You can use your Substack as your newsletter platform and embed the signup form on your blog.

Substack still lacks some features that make autoresponders useful, such as tags, automations, and third-party integrations.

Writing an article for your Substack newsletter can be a daunting task, but don't worry, I've got you covered. You can find inspiration from many other newsletters, but ultimately, you'll want to develop your own style.

One way to get started is to use a specific template for your emails, like Jamie Northrup's Minimalist Hustler Daily, which follows a simple format of sharing one of his articles, then an article from someone else, and finally something from his sponsors.

The two most popular formats for these are how-to tutorials or listicles, like "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y." You can pick one that suits your style and expertise.

To get traction, aim to write at least 100 pieces, and don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.

Writing on Substack can be a liberating experience, especially when you don't have to worry about SEO keywords. You can focus on sharing your best work and engaging with your readers.

To get started, you can use a specific template for your emails, like Jamie Northrup's Minimalist Hustler Daily, which follows a simple format of sharing your own articles, someone else's article, and something from your sponsors.

The two most popular formats for Substack newsletters are how-to tutorials or listicles, like "7 Tips to Achieve X" or "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Y." These formats are engaging and easy to follow, making them perfect for Substack.

You can find inspiration from many other newsletters, but it's essential to develop your own style. Consistency is key, so aim to write at least 100 pieces to start getting traction.

Substack offers a range of features, including like and comment features, making it easy to engage with your readers. You can also customize your theme, welcome messages, headers, footers, and about page to make your newsletter stand out.

Related reading: Substack Features

Here are some essential tips to keep in mind:

Remember, your writing voice often matters more on Substack than how well you rank on Google. So, don't be afraid to experiment and find your unique voice.

As you write on Substack, you'll begin to notice that many writers don't allow a niche to restrict themselves. They can comment on something tangential, and it still receives responses. This freedom is what makes Substack so enjoyable.

Once your Substack account is created, you'll be dropped into your main screen, where you'll see a lot of options to customize your newsletter.

Customization is very straightforward, especially if you're looking for something simple like I did.

Work your way down the options and you'll be all set.

You can customize your publication name, giving it a little description to help readers understand what your newsletter is about.

Upload a few graphics to give your newsletter some visual appeal.

Set up your About page by putting a picture up and saying a little bit about yourself.

Describe your plans for the newsletter, including what kind of content you'll be sharing with your readers.

If this caught your attention, see: How to Get Started on Substack

You can post on Substack whenever you want, but it's best to stick to a schedule to keep your readers engaged.

Substack allows you to schedule posts in advance, so you can plan your content and promotions well in advance.

To promote your posts, use the built-in email notifications feature to send updates to your subscribers.

Customize your email notifications to include a compelling subject line and a brief summary of your post.

You can also share your posts on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to reach a wider audience.

Make sure to include a link to your post in your social media updates, so readers can easily find and subscribe to your newsletter.

Substack also allows you to embed your posts on your own website, making it easy to share your content with your existing audience.

This feature is especially useful for bloggers and writers who already have a established online presence.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Substack Notifications

Publishing on Substack is a cost-effective way to share your ideas with the world. Substack doesn't rely on ads, which means you can focus on creating quality content without distractions.

The platform takes a 10% cut when someone subscribes to your publication, so you can monetize your work without worrying about ad revenue.

Cost is a crucial aspect to consider when deciding on a platform for your publication.

Substack doesn't rely on ads, which means you won't have to worry about ad revenue or click-through rates.

They take a 10% cut when someone subscribes to your publication, which is a straightforward fee structure.

Transitioning from free to paid on Substack can be a crucial step in monetizing your writing.

You don't have to wait until you've built a massive following to go paid, but it's generally recommended to spend months or even years experimenting and building a subscriber base before turning on paid settings. John Warner, who writes the Biblioracle, only turned on paid settings after writing his newsletter for over a year.

On a similar theme: Substack Paid Subscriptions

To give your best content away for free, build momentum before considering going premium. This will help you gauge interest and engagement from your audience. Continue to give some of your best content for free even after you've gone premium.

Frequency and consistency are key for paid Substack creators. You should only monetize after you've built up a habit of creating content consistently, weekly. This will help you establish a loyal audience who value your writing.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when transitioning from free to paid:

Posting daily notes can help you stay consistent and engaged with your audience.

To achieve success on Substack, aim to post 1-2 long-form pieces a week, in addition to your daily notes.

Posting daily notes is a great way to stay consistent, and it's recommended to do so.

Posting daily notes can help you develop a habit of regular writing, which is essential for success.

I'd recommend posting 1-2 long-form pieces a week, as this allows you to dive deeper into topics and share more substantial content with your audience.

This frequency also gives you time to research and write in-depth pieces without feeling overwhelmed or rushed.

Customizing a footer block to appear at the end of every newsletter can also help. This can include a writer bio followed by a call-to-action.

Designing a newsletter header image can also establish consistency. This image can be used across all your newsletters.

Creating a template for a featured image for every newsletter is a good idea. This image appears as a thumbnail on your archives and accompanies your Substack link on social media.

To further tie in with your online presence, you can set brand and accent colors in your newsletter settings. This can help create a cohesive look across all your applications.

Customizing your ‘from’ field in your newsletter settings can also help establish consistency. For example, you can use your website name and URL, like “Ming’s Memo | mingwrites.com.”