To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.Ah, sections. If you’re like me, you’ve unknowingly gone down this dangerous road. Ill-advised.To group posts on your homepage, so they appear by topic rather than in chronological order, you want groups, not sections.Sections are only if you want to create an entirely separate newsletter within your newsletter. They’re a nightmare for you and your subscribers. Find out why in this video.Thanks for the suggestion to do this tech video, Mitch.Here’s Substack’s guide to setting up sections.✶ Join our community. Get the support of thousands of paying members and benefit from my expert guidance to help you grow your Substack fast.Paid members, we’re here to support you. Need help with your headlines? The members-only headline hub chat is where you get expert advice on how to headline your posts to draw readers in. 24/7. Go here, tell us a bit about what your post is about and the headline you’re considering, and we’ll give you suggestions: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.comTo upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.PDF with the slides and prompts is below!We’ve never been given an opportunity like this to earn an income, build a community of loyal subscribers, be creative, and get exposure for our work.But how do we do it in a way that’s relatively free of overwhelm, doubt, stress, and frustration?Enter your editorial calendar.Part of my genius working with people 1-to-1 as a private Substack consultant is that I listen to their goals, spot exactly what they love to write, and help them set up an editorial calendar that serves them and their subscribers.In this workshop, you get a taste of that.What you’ll do:* Revisit your goals, what you most enjoy posting, and which posts resonate with your subscribers* Determine how often and how much you really need to be posting* Set up strategic editorial and content calendars that improve your life and your SubstackBONUS: How to repurpose content on Notes without feeling lame*Even if you’re satisfied with your posting schedule, it’s always good to check in.✨ Get access by becoming part of the Substack Writers at Work community, the most supportive, connected network on Substack.If you prefer not to subscribe, you can purchase this workshop separately.It's a deep dive into strategizing your editorial calendar on Substack. If any of it feels too high-level, come back to it when you're ready. Note: I reference two other Substack Writers at Work workshops— * The Key to Growth on Substack: Your Expert Guide to Notes workshop * Get Discovered on Substack: Alt Text and SEO Workshop

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.comTo upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.How to Write an Opinion Piece on SubstackOn Substack, most people doing any form of personal writing use three modes:* rumination,* narrative, and/or* opinion.Your posts may be a mix of all three, but to write Substacks that draw readers and create engagement, we need to know which mode we’re in and how each works.Opinion writing may be one of the hardest:* How do we do it without being moralizing, reactionary, or trite?* How do we establish authority?* How do we write something important to readers, not just ourselves?By the end of this workshop, you’ll know the four keys to opinion writing online: * The difference between a hot take, a think piece, an opinion piece, and an op-ed* The ideal structure for an opinion piece that doesn’t come out dull, sloppy, or disjointed or harangue the reader—brought to us by the great* How publishing an opinion piece on Substack can perhaps take a different approach than writing an op-ed for a mainstream media outlet* The 10 keys to a successful op-ed

Learn about six helpful tips for Substack writers to overcome a rut, including focusing on growth over time, exploring other platforms, appreciating current achievements, supporting the community, avoiding fixation on numbers, and being part of a supportive writer community. Also, get a sneak peek at the upcoming Substack Writers at Work Friday office party.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.Here’s a breakdown of the three ways to collaborate with other Substack writers: guest post, cross-post, or interview (print, audio, video). Enjoy!You can find people to collaborate with on the Substack Writers at Work Office Party. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.comTo upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.We ended up doing deep work here—the best kind, the kind that helps you see the value of your Substack and your writing.Yes, personalizing the automated emails so they convince subscribers to stay requires knowing why people subscribe to us in the first place, i.e., what our Substack and writing offers.(In case you’re unfamiliar, Substack sends our subscribers automated Welcome emails, opt-out emails, and a renewal email.)You’ll finish this workshop knowing: * Why people subscribe and would want to stay subscribed to your Substack* The 3 most important automatic emails your subscribers get and how to write them* How to know if your emails “work”* How to write a Welcome email that makes subscribers feel like they’ve just joined an exciting community instead of like they’re going to get yet another email with “stuff” in it* How to ask people to do something after reading your email so they actually do it* The secret to the email banner, header, and footer→PLUS* We crowdsource your approaches and get wisdom and tips from our amazing Substack Writers at Work community.No more unsubscribes!Enjoy.✨ Become part of a thriving 8000+ community to get the support and guidance you need to succeed on Substack and produce your best work. Get the discounted annual subscription.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who said they really liked being on social media. The general sentiment among the people I know is that we use it, it’s a necessary evil, and that’s that.Except it’s not—not to Kat River, who is one of the most expansive, heart-filled women I’ve ever met. She’s all truth and authenticity. And she’s made a place for social media in her life, not in a begrudging way but in a how-can-I-show-up-and-open-myself-to-this? way.In this interview, she teaches us how to embrace (yes, embrace) social media. Our conversation is full of so much wisdom. It’s a must-listen.Please enjoy my interview with the powerful and amazing Kat River. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.comTo upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.What we cover:* What “going viral” means* What counts as “viral”* The 4 reasons a post goes viral* What prevents a post from going viral* The 5 things that make long-form posts go viral* Viral posting strategies* A deep dive into one Substack writer's viral post* The one thing we know a post definitely needs to go viral* A writing exercise to help you write your next (viral) postAs Substack’s Head of Writer Relations Farrah Storr puts it, we do these workshops in good faith that people won’t sign up for the link and then unsubscribe. We’re here to build a community of writers who will come together to grow. If you prefer to purchase the workshop, you can do so here:This is part of the Craft of Writing on Substack series, where we take the best creative writing techniques and make them work for us on Substack.Time to write your viral essay…NOTE: Revision of what makes long-form go viral #4: Speak to a specific group/belief & oppose another++A couple more examples of posts that went “viral” on Substack. In the workshop I mentioned that viral long-form posts often take a stand, agree with one group, and oppose another.But the emotions that also cause people to share are joy, awe/surprise—positive. Check out this from @Jeannine OuelletteAlso, taking a stand doesn’t have to be political. I wrote this in favor of writing fewer words:https://www.writersatwork.net/p/write-less-please(I think it’s best to think in terms of viral for each of us, i.e., particularly widely shared and restacked, rather than putting a number on it.)Please read Kirsten Powers’s essay “The way we live in the United States is not normal”—such a good example. No surprise it went viral.Here’s the annotated version with my notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tsqAP7s42KJt9mhkpzY0u8Aw3U50zIOKY7jENr41h3I/edit?usp=sharing✨ Become a paid subscriber to become a better writer on Substack with How to Write Online workshops like this one. Paid subscribers also get access to the Headline Hub chat (so you can write headlines that go viral) and more to help you achieve your goals on Substack.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.I’ve worked one-to-one with over 250 people—helping them succeed on Substack. That means I’ve been behind a lot of dashboards and mentored a lot of different people—with different interests and goals—to* double and triple and quadruple and septuple their subscribers,* substantially increase their revenue,* build a readership with real engagement, and* be Featured Substacks—the pinnacle of quality on the platform.Personalized guidance is the fastest, most efficient way to start and grow on here. I love strategizing and figuring out how a person’s talents, interests, and expertise will work best on the platform.Notice I didn’t say you can write “for yourself” and expect to be paid. You have to show up like a pro and serve your readers.) There’s nothing better than helping someone see how amazing they are and how Substack can help them have the life and career they want.I’ve learned and know a lot about Substack. Some of it also comes from building my own bestselling, Featured Substacks with over 9000 subscribers in eight months and guiding over 7000 subscribers here at Writers at Work.Here are seven things I hope will bring you growth and joy on Substack in 2024. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. Listen now to my interview with Russell Nohelty. Hear about how to succeed as a self-published author on Substack and how to use crowdfunding and other approaches to further your career.Writers at WorkGrow. Your. Substack.Book a Substack 1-to-1If you’re interested in succeeding on Substack—i.e., want to focus your Substack, accelerate your growth as a writer, and attract subscribers—book a meeting! Find out exactly what your Substack needs, how your talents and expertise can be expressed on the platform, and how to produce work that subscribers (and agents and editors) really want to read and keep reading.You leave with meticulous notes of our meeting that give you a step-by-step action plan, a clear content strategy, a better understanding of Substack’s features, ways to publicize your Substack and draw subscribers and more.I’ve helped hundreds of writers and creatives. Their Substacks have doubled and tripled in subscribers, seen a sharp increase in revenue, gotten real engagement, and been Featured Substacks–the pinnacle of quality on the platform.Get real guidance. Everything I share with you is based on the advice Substack gave me. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe