You’ve published a book, you wrote it, edited, published, and publicized it, and now it’s out into the world. The buzz and excitement around the launch is slowly dying down and you’re ready to crack your knuckles and get to work on your next writing project– but how do you keep your audience engaged in the lull between books?
A great way to “bridge the gap” is through author newsletters or, a platform that has been rapidly growing in popularity, Substack. Let’s dive into the ins and outs of the author-friendly platform!
What is a substack?
Substack is a powerful platform for writers, content creators, journalists, etc. looking to monetize their content. You can write content, and personal stories, share guest articles and so much more with readers and subscribers on a free or paid basis. Substack offers a tiered approach to subscription and you can decide how much content you want subscribers to access based on the tier they subscribe to.
The platform launched in 2017 as an accessible way for writers to directly monetize their content or to reach a wider audience by bypassing the traditional, oftentimes gatekeep-y, aspects of publishing. No more pitching, no more hoops to jump through. If you want to publish an article, write a newsletter, or network with authors then full steam ahead with Substack.
How does it work?
When you create a substack you can publish your content directly on the platform and it will get pushed out to your subscribers via a paid or free newsletter subscription. Substack users publish anything from guest articles, opinion pieces, news articles, open letters, and much much more. This is also a fantastic opportunity for you to connect directly with readers in the lull between books. Fans of your work can subscribe to your Substack and get your content delivered directly to their inbox.
How do I get subscribers to my Substack?
Great question! You’ve created the profile, and published your first article, now what? Below are some tips and tricks to get folks to follow along:
- Use a “call to action” on your substack: Calls to action are helpful because they get the reader engaged with your content. Try to use a button in every post, and ask readers to subscribe, comment, and share widely! Leave some open-ended questions at the end of your posts to encourage discourse in the comments.
- Turn on recommendations on Substack: The recommendations feature in Substack helps writers be discovered by new readers. According to Substack, “writers that make a recommendation are three times more likely to be recommended in return.” If you haven’t already, check out how to turn on recommendations here.
- Post about your substack on social media: If you have an active following, even if it is on the smaller side, on social media, be sure to post an announcement about your Substack. Incorporate a clickable link so folks can immediately subscribe.
- Author Jen Wilde posts about their Substack regularly on their Instagram. This encourages new subscribers in addition to alerting folks that do subscribe and follow their Instagram that a new post has dropped:
- Add a subscription button to your website: This might be a no-brainer, but don’t forget about your website! When readers Google your name, your website is oftentimes the first thing to appear in the search. Make sure everything you want viewers to see is all in one place, including a link to subscribe to your shiny new Substack.
- Books Forward author Evette Daivs has a subscription box at the bottom of her website encouraging viewers to subscribe to her Substack, Dark Thoughts:
- Find similar writers on Substack to connect with: Substack, like other social media platforms, is better when you use it and interact with it! Get connected with other authors, writers, and content creators by subscribing to their Substack. Who knows, they might even return the favor!
- Line up interviews with people who share your niche: Collaboration is always helpful when trying to put yourself on the map of a new platform. Look for other writers in the community who you can interview that might, in turn, help you spread the word about your platform.
- Books Forward author Gail Marlene Schwartz does an excellent job of leveraging folks in the industry by interviewing them on her Substack, Writers in Relationship.
- Post your writing on LinkedIn: If you’re active on the platform then it would be worth a shot to engage with folks on the platform. Check out this Reddit poster’s surprising success with posting their Substack on LinkedIn after years of professionally connecting with folks on the platform:
Once you’ve tried out some of these tactics to jumpstart your Substack, check out some more recommendations from the platform itself here. And for even more recommendations on how to maximize your reader list, check out our blog post here.
A literary omnivore and influential Bookstagrammer, Layne applies her vivid creativity for every title we promote by deftly coordinating news coverage and events for authors, writing and editing diverse content for social media, and assisting with Books Forward’s social media engagement initiatives.
As a former special education teacher, Layne firmly believes in the importance of literature and accessibility. This unique point of view is an asset in her publicity efforts as she works to reach readers across various platforms and demographics.
Layne received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. She lives in New Orleans with her loyal, but sadly illiterate cat, Macaroni.
