The Substack Success Podcast

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

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.Write Enthralling Narrative Essays Subscribers Will Pay to Read workshopTo enthrall is “to hold spellbound,” which is what the best narratives do.This workshop is about how to enthrall subscribers, especially paying subscribers, with our personal stories (a.k.a. short-form memoir and narrative essays).How do we write enthralling—as in I-can’t-wait-to-read-this-week’s-post enthralling—narrative essays? How can we make our lives that interesting?In this workshop, we’ll cover* What the best storytellers know* The business of narrative essays on Substack* The art of narrative essays on Substack* The 4 steps to writing spellbinding personal stories worthy of paying Substack subscribers

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. I’m so excited to have Matt Kirkland here today for you. Matt is the creator of Dracula Daily, the serialization of Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Substack. Most people know the story of the vampire and his move from Transylvania to London in search of victims. It’s primarily an epistolary novel made up of letters, diaries, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. It takes place from May to November, c. 1890. Most chapters of the novel occur on a particular date.Matt didn’t serialize Dracula by simply dividing it according to word count or chapters. He broke up the novel according to date. All subscribers get a post or an installment of what’s happening in the novel on that date. You receive the parts of the novel that take place on May 3 in your inbox on May 3.In our interview, we talk about how he ended up serializing Dracula. Enjoy! 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. Happy Tuesday!Please read the intro as I forgot to record one!This interview is a concise rundown of the realities of being an author in a publicity-driven world. Courtney Maum is quite possibly the only person who could bring it to us.You might think of there being two eras: BCM (before ) and ACM (after Courtney Maum). Before Courtney and her game-changing publishing guide, Before and After the Book Deal, authors and writers were pretty much left in the dark as to what to expect when they went to sell a book and what would happen during and after. Courtney changed that. Her book and her amazing Substack have changed writers’ lives and empowered us all.Courtney is also a stunning novelist and memoirist. She’s the author of The Year of the Horses, which was chosen by The Today Show as the best read for mental health awareness. A nominee for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the host of the monthly Beyond Fiction conversation series at Edith Wharton's.The Mount, Courtney's essays and articles on creativity have been widely published in outlets like The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian and her short story, “This Is Not Your Fault,” was recently turned into an Audible original.I’m so happy to be able to interview her for you and (I hope) ask her some of the questions you have about writing and publishing on Substack and beyond.Listen or read the transcript below and enjoy! 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

Sophia Efthimiatou, Head of Writer Relations at Substack, discusses the importance of authenticity on the platform, embracing creative freedom, and writing personally for subscribers. The conversation also explores potential growth areas on Substack, category selection strategies, and the platform's rising popularity internationally.

Learn how personal coaching can help writers succeed on Substack, with stories of subscribers doubling and tripling in numbers. Find out why Substack is the best platform for writers financially, professionally, and artistically.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe. On the go? Listen to the audio.If you aren’t a subscriber, become one (!) to master the art and business of being on Substack.On to the reason why so many writers feel bad about promoting their work and why they shouldn’t…For many creative writers, publicity is something to be avoided lest someone accuse them of “self-promotion.” (By “creative,” I mean anyone who’s not a journalist—not that journalism isn’t creative.) The tacit belief is that “real” writers shouldn’t need to promote their work. “Good” writing magically publicizes itself or is promoted by others, i.e., gatekeepers—agents, publishers, critics, the media, celebrity authors, Substack writers with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, etc.I can’t overstate how damaging this has been to writers. It’s brainwashed us into believing 1) all promotion is self-promotion and 2) publicizing our work means slumming and a lack of literary or artistic credibility. More than that, it’s created a culture of dependency and entitlement and a whole lot of professional writers who can’t make a living from their profession.Writers—especially creative writers—seem to think publicity isn’t or shouldn’t be part of our job. Guess what? It is. It’s not the reader’s responsibility to find us. And not just on Substack. You can get the best agent and a big book deal and you’re still expected to sell your own books. (Sorry to pop that fantasy bubble, but it’s true.)Yes, there’s the whole art-versus-commerce angst, which I’ve never understood. The idea that commerce taints art is one that I’d love for us all to question. Maybe it has more to do with reaching people. Art that sells speaks to the buying public; art that doesn’t, well, doesn’t. 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. A bonus for you for the weekend! If you’re serializing or thinking about serializing your book (or possible book), I go through the entire process and what to consider on the Become a Writer Today podcast with Bryan Collins. Bryan is great.We talk about all things serialization and “becoming an author,” including my trajectory from* interviewer at The Paris Review to* MFA-in-creative-writing grad to* PhD-in-English grad to* HarperCollins author to* devoted Substacker serializing my new memoir Cured and helping creative writers everywhere come into their own and make a living as a writer.I hope it inspires you and gets you thinking about serialization on Substack. Listen and enjoy! 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