First of all, I joined Substack less than 3 weeks ago, so take my plan with a grain of salt. (And please let me know your opinion of said plan)
I don’t plan on using Substack for traditional newsletters. I plan to use it to publish my fiction. Science fiction to be more precise.
I just posted the first episode of an ongoing serial. The plan is to keep the serial free (released weekly) and offer short stories about serial side characters at least once a month. I also have several novellas almost ready to go that I’ll release chapter by chapter here on substack. The shorts and the novellas would be for paid subscribers.
Sounds like a plan. My personal opinion is that people pay more to learn / solve problems, and less (if at all) to get entertained. And fiction to me goes to the entertainment niche. BUT! I do see fiction newsletters becoming bestsellers, so it will probably work :)
I love this, Yana. Substack is not a get-rich-quick-scheme but anything is possible. I use a tiered approach for mine and appreciate everyone who signs up - whether free or paid. The majority of my subscribers come from Google and other search results. They often tell me they binge read my stories and after 3 or 4 they become paid. (I tend to put the paywall far down so that they get a good taster) I consider the fact that most people take 4-8 'encounters' with your content before they decide to splash out. And that's perfectly fine. What I really don't like about Substack is that there's no way to personalize the emails. But I see you have something I might need to check out. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and much needed time to rest. 💞
You're so right! I also found that way of paywalling to be most effective, works good so far. You're a master of SEO, I'll need to learn more from you about that part :))) Thank you so much, Deni! Merry Christmas to you too! Let's rest before the new 2025 kicks in with new exciting challenges :)
You make up a good point in this article. Sometimes it's not easy to decide. I believe for many (just like me) this is not a full time job, most likely more like a hobby. It would be convenient to get paid for each article, but at the same time, who would pay for a subscription if you have no idea what you're subscribing to... In my own publication, I have for know decided that it's free, but you can choose to opt in for a paid subscription if you'd like to show that kind of extra support. I have a fearly new publication here, so it's definitely not carved out in stone where mine's headed. I am happy with what I have managed so far, and I do plan to do more in 2025. I believe there are quite a lot of people thinking just like me here on Substack. Hopefully to get more acquainted as we write more. Have a peaceful Christmas time and a splendid new year everyone.
Merry Christmas to you too, Christian! I'm sure there are a lot of others like you, and that's perfectly fine. It's part of the journey. I think you can build a paid version later, it's a good strategy.
Totally agree. Paid subscribers need to have a constant good offer. Otherwise, they won't remain. But the decisive question is if you see Substack as a hobby or a business. It makes all the difference mentally.
This is something I'll discuss with you when I upgrade. I'm posting free content as an introduction to my brand, but I wish to transition to paid, and I'll need coaching to move that way.
First of all, I joined Substack less than 3 weeks ago, so take my plan with a grain of salt. (And please let me know your opinion of said plan)
I don’t plan on using Substack for traditional newsletters. I plan to use it to publish my fiction. Science fiction to be more precise.
I just posted the first episode of an ongoing serial. The plan is to keep the serial free (released weekly) and offer short stories about serial side characters at least once a month. I also have several novellas almost ready to go that I’ll release chapter by chapter here on substack. The shorts and the novellas would be for paid subscribers.
Sounds like a plan. My personal opinion is that people pay more to learn / solve problems, and less (if at all) to get entertained. And fiction to me goes to the entertainment niche. BUT! I do see fiction newsletters becoming bestsellers, so it will probably work :)
I love this, Yana. Substack is not a get-rich-quick-scheme but anything is possible. I use a tiered approach for mine and appreciate everyone who signs up - whether free or paid. The majority of my subscribers come from Google and other search results. They often tell me they binge read my stories and after 3 or 4 they become paid. (I tend to put the paywall far down so that they get a good taster) I consider the fact that most people take 4-8 'encounters' with your content before they decide to splash out. And that's perfectly fine. What I really don't like about Substack is that there's no way to personalize the emails. But I see you have something I might need to check out. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and much needed time to rest. 💞
You're so right! I also found that way of paywalling to be most effective, works good so far. You're a master of SEO, I'll need to learn more from you about that part :))) Thank you so much, Deni! Merry Christmas to you too! Let's rest before the new 2025 kicks in with new exciting challenges :)
You make up a good point in this article. Sometimes it's not easy to decide. I believe for many (just like me) this is not a full time job, most likely more like a hobby. It would be convenient to get paid for each article, but at the same time, who would pay for a subscription if you have no idea what you're subscribing to... In my own publication, I have for know decided that it's free, but you can choose to opt in for a paid subscription if you'd like to show that kind of extra support. I have a fearly new publication here, so it's definitely not carved out in stone where mine's headed. I am happy with what I have managed so far, and I do plan to do more in 2025. I believe there are quite a lot of people thinking just like me here on Substack. Hopefully to get more acquainted as we write more. Have a peaceful Christmas time and a splendid new year everyone.
Merry Christmas to you too, Christian! I'm sure there are a lot of others like you, and that's perfectly fine. It's part of the journey. I think you can build a paid version later, it's a good strategy.
Thank you very Yana. We'll talk soon 😉
Looking forward to it :)
Not either/or but both/and.
That’s wisdom right there :-)
Merry Christmas 🎁
Thank you!! Merry Christmas, Jeff!
I understand all of this - after SIX read throughs. I am a retired minister. I write to educate not to make money for anyone including Substack.
It depends what our goal is yes. Thank you!
Totally agree. Paid subscribers need to have a constant good offer. Otherwise, they won't remain. But the decisive question is if you see Substack as a hobby or a business. It makes all the difference mentally.
That's the huge difference, yes. It is a business. If you look at it as a hobby it won't grow that much...
This is something I'll discuss with you when I upgrade. I'm posting free content as an introduction to my brand, but I wish to transition to paid, and I'll need coaching to move that way.
Looking forward to it :) I can definitely help.
Yes, ALL of that.
Thank you Kathleen!
Merry Christmas ( or Happy Holidays) Yana!
Merry Christmas to you too, Marylee!!