If you’re new to Substack, this article is for you. I asked 23 Substack bestsellers to share their number one tip for new publishers, and I’m publishing their answers here.
Building an audience takes time, and knowing if you’re on the right track is hard. That’s why it’s so helpful to be able to learn from people who have already done it. A big part of the magic of Substack is the community (see tips 17–19) and having a platform for collaborating and learning from each other.
23 Tips For New Publishers (from Substack Bestsellers)
These tips are straight to the point and cover the entire journey from figuring out what to write to promoting and growing your Substack to making sure readers want to stick around.
To become a Substack bestseller, you need 100+ paying subscribers, so reaching that status represents a huge vote of confidence. I’m a big fan of all of the bestsellers quoted here and am so grateful they shared their tips with us. Their publications cover a wide range of topics, so be sure to check out any that interest you!
1. Plan monetization first.
“Before you write a single post, decide what you're selling and build your content around it. Most new writers do it backwards: they publish for months, grow an audience, and then try to figure out monetization, only to discover they've attracted the wrong readers entirely. My approach is different: define what you sell → write about it → grow. You don't need a finished product on day one. You need a direction, you can build it in public. Even a rough answer will do, like: "I'll offer deeper frameworks and templates for people who want to [solve this specific problem]" is enough to make every content decision from. When your free posts point toward something valuable, the right readers find you, trust you faster, and convert without you having to push. That's the foundation everything else is built on.”
— Yana G.Y., Unplugged by Yana G.Y.
2. Make sure you know who your audience is.
“Really visualize who you are writing for. Don’t fall into a trap of writing for some fictional smart person you hope is out there. If you can’t clearly describe who would read your stuff, they probably don’t exist.”
— CJ Gustafson, Mostly metrics
3. Map your content to your audience’s needs.
”My number one tip is for new Substack creators to really know their audience - their pain points, fears, desires and aspirations and to create content that meets their needs. Everything from their bio, short description, offers, welcome emails and about page should speak to these needs and wants.”
— Fleur Hull, The Substack Bookstore, Author Growth, Free Books, First.
4. Write what you want to read.
“Write the newsletter you would want to read—not the one you think will ‘perform.’
Stop obsessing over niches, algorithms, or trying to sound like everyone else. Readers can tell when you’re being authentic, and they’ll stick around for your voice—not some polished version of what you think they want. Oh, and one more thing: promote the hell out of it. Writing is half the job; the other half is making sure people actually see it.”
5. Have a point of view and own it.
“My #1 tip for anyone starting a Substack.
Forget helpful. Be interesting instead.
I watched myself do this wrong for months. Careful posts. Structured advice. Everything useful and nothing memorable. The kind of writing people read, nod at, and never think about again.
What changed things wasn’t better writing. It was saying something I actually meant.
Not a tip. Not a framework. A point of view that some readers would disagree with — and the right readers would feel quietly relieved someone had finally said.
That’s what earns a subscriber. Not the information. The perspective.
Because information is everywhere. A writer who says something real and stands behind it — that’s still rare.
Write the post you’ve been watering down. See what happens.”
— Derek Hughes, The Irresistible Writer By Derek Hughes
6. Be open to learning and iterating as you go.
“The willingness to take action, learn and iterate, is the number 1 skill to consider. It’s okay to start where you are and keep making it better, and if you don’t stop success is inevitable.”
— Adam Ming, Ten Minute Artist
7. Test topic ideas before you write about them.
“Use Linkedin or Substack notes to test topics and stories and only write about them in longer form in your newsletter when you get good engagement.”
8. Consistently do the work.
“My advice is simply to write and publish every day. In every company I've built, I've never had success with hacks or strategies. It's always been growth over the long run by consistently writing and publishing.”
9. Focus on delivering real value.
“Writing a newsletter is a long-term journey, so it needs to be approached sustainably.
Don’t let short-term fluctuations (subscriber gains or losses, monetization pressures, or growth hacks, etc) drain your energy.
Instead, focus on consistently delivering real value to your readers over time. If you stay committed to that, the results will follow.
Those results might be fame, money, or subscriber growth, but those are byproducts, not the goal. The most meaningful reward is your own growth along this journey.”
10. Be a conduit for your readers’ transformations.
“Even if you write a very personal Substack, growth is ALWAYS about whether you are a good conduit for the reader’s transformation. If you are having trouble growing, the more you can focus on the transformation somebody is getting from you, the more people will resonate and gravitate.”
— Russell Nohelty, The Hapitalist podcast and The Hapitalist
11. Leverage your unique perspective and superpowers.
“My top tip is to sharpen your focus around your superpower. What's the unique experience and/or insight you can share, and who are you helping? This may seem obvious, but I think it helped that I spent time as a Substack reader before starting my own publication. It helped to understand how I like to use Substack, and use that perspective to inform how I write for my audience. There's always a temptation to follow the trends of what's "working" on here, but I think the best way to thrive on Substack is to be yourself, find your voice and hone in on the unique perspective that only you can bring.”
— Rich Miller, Data Center Richness
12. Put your personality at the forefront.
“Inject as much of your personality into your newsletter as possible. In a world increasingly flooded with AI-generated content, the one thing nobody can replicate is you; your story, your perspectives, your lived experiences. People don't just want information, they want to learn from real people they can relate to and trust. The creators who lean into that are the ones who build the most loyal audiences.”
— Jari Roomer, Write • Build • Scale, Smarter Substack
13. Build your free audience first.
“Focus on building your free audience first. Pour your heart into your writing, share notes daily, and think about the paid strategy later.”
— Claudia Faith, Wander Wealth
14. But don’t be afraid to turn on paid subscriptions.
“Set up and turn on your paid tier right from the start. Don't wait until you have a certain number of subscribers. Some people will want to support you financially off the back of your free content.”
— David McIlroy, How to Write for a Living and The Solopreneur Stack.
15. Help your readers find their way.
“Pin a “Start Here” post to the top of your homepage.
I know it sounds basic but it’s the single highest-impact thing I did early on. Countless readers told me that post was THE thing that made them subscribe. It gives a new visitor an instant overview of what you’re about and where to begin. Without it, someone lands on your page, sees a wall of posts, and leaves.
Your “Start Here” should have a short about section and links to your best articles organized by topic. Think of it as a table of contents for your entire newsletter. When I shared this tip in a Substack Office Hours thread it blew up, and several big newsletter writers implemented it immediately.
The deeper principle here: map out what a random stranger experiences when they land on your page for the first time. Step into the shoes of someone with zero context about you. What do they see? Is it obvious what you write about and why they should care? Most new publications obsess over writing more content when the real problem is that their existing content is impossible to navigate.”
16. Use the right ‘Call-to-Action’ at the right time.
“What do you want your readers to do? Calls to action (CTAs) to grow on Substack are essential. It’s important not to overdo them or you risk disturbing reader flow or worse overwhelming your reader with ‘things to do’. Here are three tips:
A good place for a subscribe button is after the first paragraph to capture early interest.
At the end of every post, guide your readers on what to do next—whether it’s joining the comments, upgrading to paid, or sharing your work on Notes. You can’t assume they’ll take action without a nudge.
I also use evergreen CTAs in my email headers and footers, ensuring key messages (like my membership offer) appear in every email. That way, even if I don’t mention it in the post itself, readers still see the opportunity and it builds awareness over time.
Substack’s “Join the Chat” button is another great way to encourage engagement if you’re using your chat strategically for your publication. Why not get creative with custom buttons or design up graphics and embed a url. The possibilities are endless.”
— Claire Venus ✨, Sparkle on Substack
17. Get to know your readers and other writers.
“Build genuine relationships with both your readers and other writers. Understanding who your readers are will make it so much easier to create helpful content. And knowing other writers will be a door opener for so many collaboration opportunities that can help you grow your audience much faster!”
— Sinem Günel, Write • Build • Scale, Smarter Substack
18. Turn your newsletter into a community.
“Remember that a newsletter is a people business first and a writing business second. Your readers and subscribers are not just looking for information. They are looking for proximity, connection, community. That requires thinking different and beyond and spending time nurturing those relationships. Find your own way to support others, collaborate and be more than just a newsletter. Creating a community takes longer but it pays off.”
— Veronica Llorca-Smith, The Lemon Tree Mindset 🌳🍋
19. Don’t just build a community; start a movement.
“You’re not just starting a newsletter—you’re building a community around a topic you’re passionate about. People crave deeper connections, and you have the power to bring like-minded individuals together and even spark a movement. Substack’s multimedia features help you amplify your reach, from Chat to deepen engagement, LIVE video to connect in real-time, recommendations to grow together, audio and podcasts to strengthen your voice, and Notes to show up as your authentic, multi-passionate self. This isn't just your newsletter, you can start a movement. If you capitalize on the community features to build a community that truly matters to you and others, Substack will change your life.”
— Kristina God, The Online Writing Club
20. Use guest posts to find your people.
“One of the best ways to *grow* your total subscriber count is guest posts. Substack is full of talented and friendly creators, and there’s almost certainly a publication here that has an audience of folks that would also like your content.
Find newsletters that are adjacent to your niche, and reach out to the writer/operator and introduce yourself! It’s a great way to make friends, and writers are often open to guest posts if you can explain a topic that their audience would love. It gives them a break from their posting schedule, their audience a new and unique perspective, and you a chance to get your insight in front of a new audience.
I try to guest post at least once a month, and it’s been the source of almost all of my newsletter subscribers.”
— Jeff Morhous, The AI-Augmented Engineer
21. Focus on your strongest distribution channels.
“Leverage your strongest distribution channel—for me, that’s LinkedIn, where I repurpose key insights to drive subscribers.”
— Ruben Dominguez Ibar, The VC Corner, The Founders Corner
22. Don’t forget about retention.
“Everyone focuses on getting more and more subscribers, but people often ignore what's really important: Retention. Getting subscribers is important too, but retention is what builds a thriving Substack. If people don’t stick with you, growth is just a vanity metric. Focus on delivering consistent, high-value content that makes readers excited to open every single email. Your goal should be to build a loyal audience that voluntarily spreads the word for you, making growth easier and more sustainable.”
— Philip Hofmacher, Write • Build • Scale, Smarter Substack
23. Embrace being small and use it to your advantage.
“Don't get stuck in your head before you've even started.
I keep seeing new writers on Substack sharing that they're afraid they'll lose subscribers if they publish a certain topic, that people won't like it. People curate themselves. If a topic isn't for someone, they'll leave, and that's fine. You want readers who stay for you as a writer, not just for one subject. When you're just starting out, you have nothing to lose, and this is the best time to experiment. It only gets harder later when the audience is bigger and the stakes are higher. I didn't know my niche or how I help people when I started. I figured that out along the way by listening to my readers, engaging in conversations with them, and looking at the data constantly. But the one thing I always did was make sure I really enjoyed what I wrote before I hit publish. Quality is what gets people to subscribe, stay, and pay. The topic matters less than you think, and with time, you figure out what people come to you for and get more confidence in picking topics anyway.”
— Daria Cupareanu, AI blew my mind
My number one tip? Just start! If you’ve made it this far and haven’t started your publication yet, what are you waiting for? Now is a great time to start a Substack publication, and you’ve got a big community waiting to help you!
To endless possibilities,
Casandra
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what an amazing roll up. Thank you for including me here, Casandra
What a great read!