George here of George’s Creator Club (formerly Grow Your Newsletter).

If your newsletter has been growing slower than you’d like, or you’re not sure how to make money from it, today’s email is for you.

Growing a newsletter is exciting. But it can also be exhausting. If you’ve been wondering why your subscriber growth has stalled, how to turn readers into revenue, or simply what to do next, I’m here to help.

I’ve just opened up a small number of spots for new clients, and I have a free calls available over the next few weeks.

I’ve been coaching newsletter creators one-on-one for over a year now, and the results speak for themselves:

“Views for my publication have gone up 344.4%, with my subscriber count going up 178.2%... the strategies I did use played a major part in getting me where I am today.” — Max, Lavender Sound

“George helped me spot new revenue streams I hadn’t previously considered... It felt like I was speaking with someone genuinely invested in helping my newsletter grow.” — Laura, Golden Hour

“I left with clearer direction, concrete next steps, and a renewed confidence about what’s possible.” — Erin, unpopular PARENT

Book your free 15-minute chat →

Full coaching sessions are 60 minutes, one-on-one, and tailored to wherever you are right now. We start with a free 15-minute call: A relaxed conversation about your newsletter, where you are, where you want to be, and whether working together makes sense.

Even if coaching isn’t the right fit, you’ll walk away with useful perspective on your situation.

Spots fill up fast when I share these so if you've been on the fence, now's the time.

Grab a free 15-minute call with me here.

A stranger replied to one of my posts on LinkedIn this week.

He’d seen something about the Freelance Writing Network and felt compelled to share his thoughts. “I don’t like how much of your community is paywalled,” he said.

Great. Who asked?

I’m genuinely proud of what the Freelance Writing Network offers. Daily job posts, resources, creative writing opportunities, live sessions, and more, all curated and kept running by actual humans I pay to be there.

Yes, I pay multiple freelancers to keep this thing going (I have no idea how anyone looks at this output and thinks I do everything by myself). It’s a real operation with real costs and real people behind it. Even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be free.

And yet, apparently, the existence of a fee is enough to make someone’s day worse.

I’d love to know if this man also fires off strongly worded messages to the New York Times about their paywall. Does he stand in the supermarket, furious, because they won’t let him take food home for free? Has he considered that we may not, in fact, live in a communist utopia where paywalled newsletters are a moral failing punishable by public shaming on LinkedIn? I have questions. So many questions.

Maybe he has strong feelings about supermarkets too. Maybe I just caught him on a bad day. Maybe I’m overreacting with a giant rant on Substack.

What I do know is this: only I get to decide what my work is worth.

Not a stranger on LinkedIn. Not a guru with a course about growth hacks. Not someone who spent thirty seconds reading a post and typed a sentence before scrolling on. Me. That’s it. Full stop (or period, as my friends across the pond would say).

And the same goes for you too, by the way.

It doesn’t matter if your community has 50 members or 50,000. It doesn’t matter if you launched last month or three years ago. If you’ve built something you believe in, something that takes your time and your energy (and possibly your actual money) to run, you get to charge for it.

No one else gets a vote on that. Not the critics, not the gurus, not the bloke who typed a complaint at you and moved on with his day.

If people want to pay for it, they can. If they don’t, nobody is forcing them to.

The size of your audience does not determine the value of your work.

So many people wait, convinced they need to hit some magic number before they’re allowed to charge, before their work “counts.” That number doesn’t exist. You made it up, or someone else made it up and handed it to you, and either way it isn’t actually real. What’s real is the work you’re doing right now, and whether you believe it’s worth something.

If you do, and you would like to, then by all means charge for it.

Will the growth gurus tell you a paid community limits your reach? Yes, probably. And look, they’re not entirely wrong. Free things spread faster. More people will try something they don’t have to pay for. That’s just how life works.

But your worth isn’t a growth metric, and you don’t have to build a free product just because someone with a large following says that’s the smarter play. Tactics are one thing. Self-respect is another. It’s your work and you set the terms.

If you’ve built something good and you believe it’s worth paying for, then say so. Charge for it. Stand behind it. You rock, genuinely, because building anything takes guts and most people never do it. And even worse, some will scorn you for doing it too (these people are best ignored or blocked).

Most people have an idea and don’t follow through. Most people follow through and then give it away for free because they’re scared someone will tell them it’s not worth the price. You don’t have to be most people.

There’s a particular breed of online criticism that dresses itself up as feedback but is really just a complaint about not getting something for nothing. “I don’t like how you have to pay” isn’t a critique of the product. It’s an objection to the concept of paying.

These are very different things, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re dealing with before you let it get into your head.

Because it will try to get into your head. You’ll read it and for a split second think, should I lower the price? Should I make it free? Is he right? That moment of doubt is normal and human and fine. What matters is what you do next. You can acknowledge the comment (politely, like I did), close the tab, and get back to the work.

That’s a valid response. Probably the best response.

You don’t owe anyone free access to what you’ve built. You don’t need to shrink your price to win approval from people who weren’t going to value it anyway.

Be so, so proud of what you’ve made, keep building it, and let the negative comments wash over you like background noise.

Your work is yours. The price is yours to set. Own it.

This is a great time to share how your newsletter’s going so far, troubleshoot any early challenges, talk through your plans for the months ahead, or just connect with fellow newsletter creators. Come and join me!

5 ways to use Substack chat to grow your newsletter community

If you only ever use Substack for posts and emails, it’s easy to miss how powerful chat can be. Used well, it’s one of the best ways to turn ‘people who read you’ into ‘people who actually feel like they know you and each other.’

Today I’m sharing five simple, practical ways to use Substack chat to grow and deepen your newsletter community (without requiring you to post all day or become a full‑time moderator).

Host ‘getting to know you’ threads

One of the easiest ways to use chat is simply to ask open questions and let readers talk.
Prompts like “What are you working on this week?”, “Where are you reading from?” or “What’s one small win you’ve had recently?” give people a low‑stakes way to say hello and feel seen.

This does a couple of useful things at once: it helps readers see each other (not just you), it gives you a clearer picture of who is actually in your audience, and it quietly builds a habit of replying.

People who are used to answering quick chat prompts become more likely to comment on posts, share your work, or stick around long term.

Create a free ‘front room’ and a paid ‘back room’

You don’t have to choose between free and paywalled constantly.

One effective structure you can use is:

• A free “front room” where anyone can join general, low‑stakes conversations.

• A smaller, paywalled “back room” where you host more specific or sensitive discussions.

For example, the front room might be for weekly check‑ins, casual questions and topic brainstorming.

The back room might be where you talk frankly about money, strategy, personal updates or anything you’d rather keep to your core people. Perhaps a space to share your specialist insight.

New readers always have an easy way in, and paying readers have a dedicated space.

Run consistent, recurring threads

Chat threads can work really well when there’s a rhythm.

You don’t have to drop random posts when you remember, pick a couple of recurring threads and stick with them.

Some ideas could include:

• A weekly ‘what are you working on?’ check‑in

• A Friday ‘extra resources / opportunities’ thread

• A monthly Q&A, where people can ask you anything within your niche

The goal is to make the space feel active and engaged.

Add simple, tangible perks for paid readers

Chat is also a simple way to add clear, recurring value for paid subscribers without writing entirely new essays.

You could:

• Share a weekly bonus thread (extra opportunities, links, templates, files).

• Host paid‑only AMAs on a specific theme (which changes each time): ‘How I wrote a book in three months’, ‘How I successfully pitched the New York Times’, ‘How I plan my gardening calendar’. It could be anything!

• Let only paid subscribers start new threads, so they can ask questions and kick off conversations.

The key is to be specific and consistent. ‘Paid readers get extra stuff sometimes’ is too vague. Define what your chat actually involves, then hard sell it.

Make it easy (and safe) for people to talk

Finally, remember that chat should be about conversation as much as anything else.

To keep it interactive, you could:

• End chat posts with a clear, easy‑to‑answer question.

• Occasionally quote or screenshot a great reply (with permission) to show people the type of participation you enjoy.

• Set a few simple house rules (no spam, no harassment, generous good‑faith) and be willing to remove anything that doesn’t fit.

A lightly moderated, friendly chat can become a signal about your whole publication.

Been thinking of growing your newsletter?

Let’s talk about your Substack and explore how I can help you grow.

Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

Book your FREE 15-minute chat

These monthly sessions are for paid subscribers to drop in and chat directly with me via Zoom whenever it suits you.

This time the session will be for around half an hour (though this might overrun). You can pop in for five minutes or stay for the full thing, whatever you’d prefer.

You don’t even to have your camera on, just show up as you like.

The vibe is very much casual and conversational. Bring questions about your newsletter, share what you’re working on, brainstorm ideas, or just listen in.

Our next call is Wednesday, March 4th at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT.

This is a great time to share how your newsletter’s going so far, troubleshoot any early challenges, talk through your plans for the months ahead, or just connect with fellow newsletter creators.

You can add to calendar, set a reminder and join the call by hitting the link below👇

Read more

Whether you're just starting your newsletter or you've been at it for a while and feel stuck, one-on-one coaching is the fastest way to move the needle.

And if you’ve been thinking about working with me one-on-one but weren’t sure if the timing or budget was right, the timing could not be better.

I’ve just launched a brand-new coaching website, and it comes with something I know a lot of you have been waiting for: the ability to pay in instalments.

Explore the site!

I'll be growing this space over time too, so expect new ways to work together to appear as the year unfolds (and don’t worry, you’ll be the first to hear about them when they go live!).

What’s new?

I’ve moved my coaching sessions to a dedicated space that’s much cleaner, easier to navigate and will provide a better space for all back-and-forth communications in future.

Right now, your options on the new site:

• ✅ A free 15-minute consultation. Not sure if we’re a good fit? Book a no-pressure call and let’s figure it out together

• ✅ Flexible instalment payments on all paid sessions. Now you can invest in your newsletter growth without a big upfront cost!

• ✅ A cleaner booking experience. Pick a time, pay your way & get started.

Two ways to work with me…

1-2-1 Substack Strategy Session

This is a focused, single session built around your specific newsletter.

We’ll dig into your strategy, your content, your growth levers, and you’ll walk away with a clear action plan tailored to your Substack.

Perfect if you want expert eyes on your newsletter and a concrete next step forward.

→ Book your session

The first three people to book a 1-2-1 session get something extra: 30 days of unlimited email support after our call. Three spots — that's it!

The Newsletter Transformation Package (3 sessions)

Most newsletters don't actually fail because of bad writing, but rather because there's no clear strategy behind them.

With three sessions spread over 3-6 months, plus unlimited email feedback, we’ll fix that. Together we'll work through everything: your content, your growth, your monetization plan.

And yes, you can pay in instalments. No need to pay everything upfront.

→ Book your session

Still not sure? Start with a free chat!

If you’re on the fence, don’t overthink it. Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll have an honest conversation about where your newsletter is right now and what it could look like with the right support.

No hard sell. No obligation. Just a useful conversation.

You’ll walk away with at least a few ideas of what’s next, regardless of whether you move on to a full session.

→ Book your free 15-minute call

But did you know that there are five URL extensions that Substack quietly offers, and each one drops people into a different part of your publication?

Depending on what you’re looking for at any given moment, the right link in the right place can make a real difference.

All you have to do is write your Substack domain followed by the relevant extension, so yourpublication.substack.com/extension (though you won’t need .substack if you’ve purchased your own domain name).

Here are all the extensions and when to use them.

/welcome

Add /welcome to your Substack URL and you get a clean, distraction-free page: your logo, your tagline, and a single email box. The only other thing is a custom ‘Skip’ button (which I’d strongly recommend changing).

There is nothing else to click on and nothing else to read. Send people here when your sole goal is getting them to subscribe, because sending them to your main page does not prompt them to subscribe — that’s a website, not a subscription form.

Check it out: thefreelancewritingnetwork.com/welcome

/subscribe

The /subscribe page shows your free and paid tiers side by side, with all the benefits of upgrading listed out. It does the selling for you before anyone’s even arrived at your page.

You can use this one when you’re running a paid push, promoting on social, or linking from anywhere you want people to immediately see what they’d get if they started handing you money.

Check it out: thefreelancewritingnetwork.com/subscribe

/newsletters

If you’ve split your Substack into sections, /newsletters shows all of them in one place.

Someone landing here can see exactly what you cover so they know what bits will interest them most.

It’s useful if you run a multi-topic publication and don’t want to lose readers who like two of your five sections but not all of them. It will have a link to settings at the top of this page, so readers can hit that link to opt in and out.

Check it out: thefreelancewritingnetwork.com/newsletters

/account

This one is a little different because you would only share it with existing subscribers, not new ones.

The /account page lets readers manage their subscription settings. This is great for allowing readers to choose which sections they receive. I send lots of emails through the FWN, so readers can choose exactly what content they receive each month, rather than having to receive all or none of it.

If someone’s about to unsubscribe because they’re getting too much, pointing them here might keep them around.

Of course, they might just use it to unsubscribe completely. And that’s fine!

Check it out: thefreelancewritingnetwork.com/account

/archive

The /archive page is a straight chronological list of every post you’ve published, newest first. That’s it.

It’s ideal when you want to send someone somewhere to get a feel for your writing before they commit, or when you’re chatting about your newsletter and want to say, ‘Here, have a look at what I cover.’

Check it out: thefreelancewritingnetwork.com/archive

None of these require any setup. They’re already live on your Substack right now.

The only thing to do is start using them instead of defaulting to your homepage every single time.

Ready to Grow Your Newsletter?

Let’s talk about your Substack and explore how I can help you grow.

Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

Book your free 15-minute chat

Morning Brew turned business news into a $75 million media empire by doing something most people thought was impossible: making finance fun to read before your first coffee.

Started in 2015 by two University of Michigan students, Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief, in their dorm room, the newsletter now reaches over 4 million subscribers and generates millions in annual revenue.

What first began as a side project called Market Corner has become the gold standard for modern newsletter publishing.

The Morning Brew formula

Morning Brew is a free daily newsletter that started by delivering business and tech news in under five minutes, though editions have lengthened over time. The target audience is people aged 25 to 40 who work in business or want to understand it better, people who want substance without the stuffiness.

Each edition opens with a short, witty comment from that day’s editors. Then you get the top stories, broken into digestible chunks with mini editorials initialled by the relevant editor. You’ll find gifs, memes, and humorous headlines scattered throughout (it’s extremely millennial, if you can picture that). It’s informal without being unprofessional.

The format itself is remarkably simple. Headline, image, body text, repeat. But that simplicity took years to refine.

Why Morning Brew works

Morning Brew solved a problem most business publications ignored: their readers were bored.

Traditional outlets assume that their audiences want dense, serious writing about the latest news. But Morning Brew bet on the opposite. Young professionals want to stay informed, but they also want to be engaged. And I can attest to that: if your business writing is jargon-heavy and dry, I’m not going to read it.

And from there, the newsletter fits seamlessly into any morning routine. Five minutes with a cup of coffee and you’re caught up. It creates a habit, and builds the newsletter into daily life.

But convenience isn’t what builds a $75 million company. Morning Brew’s skill was in understanding that boring topics don’t require boring writing. Finance and tech news can be funny. They proved it daily. Whatever you write about, it can be engaging — even if the topics don’t lend themselves to that initially.

The Brew team also nailed consistency. They appeared in inboxes every single morning, without exceptions. That reliability is what turned casual readers into engaged subscribers. When people know exactly when to expect you, they can build you into their routine.

Morning Brew maintained a 42% unique open rate while scaling from 500,000 to 2.5 million subscribers, a metric that would make even the most established newsletter operators envious. Business newsletters like this might expect an open rate of 15-25%, but Morning Brew went far beyond that.

The referral system

Word of mouth drove Morning Brew’s early growth, but the founders knew they would need something systematic to scale. So they built what is probably the most successful newsletter referral program ever created.​

The mechanics were straightforward. Readers who referred friends earned rewards at different thresholds. 3 referrals meant you got the premium Sunday edition, 5 meant stickers, 15 was a coffee mug and so on.

Morning Brew implemented double opt-in by 2019 (where new subscribers must click a confirmation link in an email to verify their subscription before being added to the list), ensuring only legitimate referrals counted. That means no gaming the system with fake emails. As a result, their conversion rate was extremely high.

Morning Brew revealed they worked meticulously on viral coefficient calculations. They understood network effects. Subscribers referred others, who referred even more people, creating compounding growth. At the program’s peak, more than 300,000 subscribers had gotten at least one referral.

Create something genuinely worth sharing, and readers will want to share it.

Want specific support to grow your newsletter?

Want to apply these strategies to your newsletter? Book a free 15-minute call with me. I've helped dozens of creators — across every niche — grow their subscriber base, improve engagement, and find the right monetization model.

Book a FREE 15-minute chat

No paywalls here!

Morning Brew has never charged readers a penny. Everything runs on advertising revenue.

The key was building an audience advertisers actually want to reach. Business-savvy millennials with disposable income and purchasing power. The average Morning Brew subscriber is in their late 20s or early 30s with jobs at least somewhat related to business. And specific audiences are a goldmine for advertising and sponsorship revenue.

By 2020, Morning Brew was generating over $20 million in revenue and $6 million in profit. They'd been profitable since 2018, a rarity among cash-burning media startups. That October, Business Insider’s parent company Insider Inc. acquired a majority stake in an all-cash deal that valued Morning Brew at approximately $75 million.​

The founders, both in their twenties, had raised only $750,000 in seed funding back in 2017. They turned that into an eight figure exit in three years.

Morning Brew also expanded aggressively into B2B verticals. They launched niche newsletters for specific professional audiences like CFOs, retail executives, and emerging tech specialists. These B2B newsletters command even higher advertising rates because the audiences are more targeted and valuable to advertisers.​

Subject line testing

Morning Brew tests subject lines obsessively. Every single morning. They’ve seen open rates vary drastically depending on which subject line wins, which at this scale means hundreds of thousands of additional readers opening that day’s edition.​

For loyal subscribers, the subject line barely matters. The Brew is already ingrained in their routine. But hundreds or thousands receive Morning Brew for the first time daily. For them, the subject line is important. The difference between opening or ignoring, between becoming an active subscriber or churning.​

Morning Brew’s data showed that getting a new subscriber to open even once in their first few weeks is crucial. If someone doesn’t open at all early on, they probably never will. By testing subject lines, Morning Brew maximizes both daily opens and new subscriber conversion.

Consistency of tone matters

When Morning Brew started launching additional newsletters beyond their flagship daily edition, they faced a challenge. How do you replicate a distinctive voice across different topics and writers?

Initially they tried to copy the exact tone of Morning Brew into every new publication, but it didn’t work. It’s not possible to force every writer to sound identical, especially when you’re covering wildly different subjects. After all, how do you make retail funny in the same way you make tech funny?​

Morning Brew’s solution was to create an umbrella tone. The guidelines are broad: be empathetic, don’t be condescending, don’t be super cheesy (which isn’t always easy for millennials — don’t hate me!).

Even within a small, independent newsletter, having a tone you can replicate is valuable for building an engaged audience.

So what can you actually steal?

Well, you’re unlikely to raise $750,000 in seed funding or sell your newsletter for tens of millions of dollars. Most people aren't writing in a space with that kind of potential, so you might think this doesn't apply.

But that's not true — you can still steal the principles that got them there.

Here are 14 lessons you can take from Morning Brew and apply to your newsletter.

Read more

Want support to help grow your newsletter?

Let’s talk about your newsletter and explore how I can help you grow.

Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

Book your free 15-minute chat

Why me? I’m a full-time Substack creator with more than 1,200 paid subscribers across multiple newsletters. If anyone can spot the gaps in your work, refine your strategy and help you grow — it’s me!

10 ways to make money from your newsletter

When people talk about ‘making money’ from a Substack, they usually mean turning free readers into paying ones. But direct subscriptions are only one potential route for revenue.

There are plenty of other ways to earn from what you’re already doing, and just having an audience exist allows for a wealth of different opportunities.

So let’s talk about the fun part: getting paid. You don’t need a six‑figure list to earn from your newsletter.

Here are ten tried and tested ways to make it happen.

1. Paid subscriptions

Still the most straightforward model. You write, paywall, readers invest and (hopefully) everyone’s happy.

But it only works if you’re giving them something they can’t get for free elsewhere. Think honest takes, niche analysis, or behind‑the‑scenes commentary.

Or perhaps, it’s simply just amazing writing. I’ve seen great writers have success on Substack regardless of what they write about. Edit your work as much as possible — the better it is, the more people who’ll be willing to part with their hard earned cash to read it.

2. Tip jar

A tip jar is low effort and high goodwill. It lets readers send you small or large amounts of money, just because they like what you do. And this one works best if most, or all, of your content is free.

Usually this includes a link to Buy Me a Coffee or PayPal. You won’t retire on it, but it at least signals that your work is worth supporting.

3. Sponsorships

Sponsored slots can turn into a steady revenue stream once you have a few thousand subscribers (perhaps less with a niche or highly desirable list).

Sponsorships work on a number of levels. Sponsored posts, dedicated emails, live events and more. Just ensure that you’re still providing value to your audience, as readers can smell a sellout from a mile a way.

Only ever work with brands you’d actually recommend to your readers even if they didn’t pay you.

4. Deep dives

A free newsletter is great for reach, but deep dives can make you more money.

These are detailed, thoughtful, and usually gated for paying members. Think 2,000 words breaking down how a top writer hit 50,000 subscribers. Why businesses launched and failed. It could be anything, related to any topic, but it’s more extensive and teaches an audience more than just your usual posts.

These posts attract serious readers and make your paid tier feel worthwhile — with a serious amount of work going into the production (and promotion).

5. Q&As

If your audience values your opinion, they’ll pay to ask you things directly.

Monthly Q&A posts or “office hours” can drive engagement. They’re personal, easy to produce, and create that sense of community Substack talks about but struggles to deliver for the most part.

You could mix these up too. Some free, some paid. On or off platform. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

6. Affiliate marketing

Partner with tools or brands your readers already use. Offer them a discount and take an affiliate cut when they sign up. It’s not sleazy if the product fits your niche (though again, only partner to brands you’d authentically recommend).

You should always be transparent: say when you get something for readers signing up and only promote things that actually help your audience.

7. Products

Digital products pair nicely with newsletters because you already have trust and distribution. Sell a short course, guide, or email swipe file that solves a clear problem. And not every product has to be in the ‘writing about writing’ space.

You don’t have to overthink it. One useful resource sold at $29 could outsell months of paid tiers. What expertise do you have? Find that, then pin down a product that matches.

Just make sure you actually write it (no AI bots!), and it holds real value. Otherwise poor reviews will tank sales of your future products.

8. Templates and worksheets

People love shortcuts. A good template saves readers time and gives you another revenue stream.

Examples: a pitch template for freelance writers, a content calendar for creators, or a tracking sheet for newsletter sponsors.

You can charge a small fee for these and keep adding new ones over time.

9. Opportunities

Curate paid jobs, callouts, podcast opportunities or sponsorship listings that your readers can apply to.

You can charge companies to post or gate premium listings behind your paid plan (though I’ve always felt a little off about doing this myself, I discovered one job board charges $29 for the privilege — clearly I’m missing out!).

This works especially well if your niche revolves around freelancing or creative careers. You become a source of income for your readers, and that’s meaningful.

10. Live events

Nothing beats real‑time connection. Host a paid workshop, panel, or casual meet‑up for subscribers.

You could start small: a $10 Zoom chat for half a dozen people where you share a specific strategy. Down the line, you could even expand to in‑person events or retreats. The intimacy of a live event builds loyalty, and loyalty builds up lifetime value (which = more money!).

Money from a newsletter comes from treating your list like an audience, not a number. And you don’t have to use paywalls, though that is an option.

Experiment, track what sticks, and keep your focus on helping readers first.

When I started, the idea was simple: write newsletters, build an audience, get paid. And somewhere along the way, things got more complicated.

I mean, Substack has now launched a TV app. You can watch Substack content on your Apple TV or Google TV. I've enjoyed it in a sense because I get to watch more basketball breakdowns by the Game Theory crew, but that's hardly newsletter-focused, is it?

A newsletter platform made a television app. Just take a moment to process that.

Look, I get it. Substack raised $100 million last year at a $1.1 billion valuation(!). When you take that kind of money, you need to show growth to shareholders. You need to prove you’re not just an email service. The idea, clearly, is that you need to become some sort of social media or general media empire.

So now we have livestreaming. Desktop livestreaming arrived recently. The TV app dropped last week. There is a relentless push toward video content that feels less like evolution and more like chasing whatever YouTube’s doing (remember when they had a section on the app to watch video easily that they removed within months?).

But really: who asked for this?

I came to Substack to write. Almost all of you reading this came here to write. We wanted a clean publishing tool that handled payments and delivery without faff. To allow us to focus on words and content, because the world lacked a platform that existed in such a way.

Competing with YouTube? Why bother?

YouTube has 2.7 billion users monthly. Two. Point. Seven. Billion. They’ve spent nearly two decades building infrastructure, recommendation algorithms, and creator tools. Their parent company might as well be printing money.

So, for reasons I don’t yet understand, Substack has launched a beta TV app and more livestreaming features.

What are we doing here?

The livestreaming push makes a certain kind of sense if you think deeply about it. Video creators have larger audiences in general. Larger audiences mean more subscriptions. More subscriptions mean Substack takes more of that sweet, sweet 10% cut. Everyone wins, right?

Well, maybe not. There is a reason that platforms specialise in different things. Every meeting, every brainstorm, every engineering hour spent on TV apps is an hour not spent on the tools writers actually need.

What features actually matter?

Look, Substack is still trying to compete as a newsletter platform.

Drip campaigns are (sort of) here. Though perhaps not for all of you. The ability to set up automated email sequences has been standard in email marketing for a decade plus. ConvertKit, Mailchimp and others, they’ve all had this forever. Substack is arriving late to that party.

But still, they’re genuinely fantastic. Drip campaigns have been hugely productive for my business using other tools. Having them native to Substack simplifies things considerably. The email marketing capabilities massively lag behind dedicated platforms, but there is at least a small inkling of progress.

A/B testing for headlines landed recently too, though you need 200+ subscribers to access it. Another feature that’s been table stakes elsewhere for ages, but welcome nonetheless. Knowing which subject line performs better before you send to your full list? Revolutionary stuff. If you live in 2015.

But seriously, these are good additions. They suggest someone at Substack occasionally remembers that writers exist and might want functional tools to help them grow.

Wouldn’t that be a novel idea? For a newsletter platform!

The 10% problem

10%. Of every payment. Goes right to Substack.

On top of that, Stripe takes around 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. If someone pays you $50 for an annual subscription, roughly $6.50 disappears before you see any of it. Once you hit a few hundred paid subscribers, the economics stop making sense.

Compare this to alternatives. Beehiiv’s pro plan charges a flat monthly fee with 0% transaction cuts. Ghost takes 0% and charges based on subscriber count. ConvertKit’s creator plan works similarly.

At a small scale, Substack’s model is great. Free to start, you only pay when you earn. Reasonable enough, and the reason it’s so popular to begin with.

At larger scale, that’s painful. If you’re earning $5,000 monthly, you’re handing Substack $500 every month. That’s $6,000 a year for what amounts to email delivery, a basic website, and payment processing. On one of those similar sites, hosting to a similar number of subscribers is much cheaper.

I’ve always been open about this: I’ll do what’s best for my business. If Substack’s organic growth features keep working, the 10% is worth it. The network effects, the recommendations, the app, these things bring readers I wouldn’t find otherwise.

But if they shift focus entirely to becoming a video platform and kill what makes organic growth work? I’ll be off. Simple as that. And you’ll get to come with me!

So what is Substack, then?

This is the question I keep coming back to.

Is it a newsletter platform? Sort of. The core email functionality works fine, though it lacks the sophistication of dedicated tools.

Is it a social network? Increasingly yes. Notes is essentially Twitter without a character limit. The app is designed for browsing and discovery, not just reading your subscriptions. It’s pushing short-form content more and more, and subscribers report spending more time there than reading actual posts. That’s not good.

Is it a video platform? Seemingly it wants to be. The TV app suggests ambitions far beyond email. If this is in place now, what are they going to do in the future?

Is it a podcasting platform? Also yes. Audio uploads and podcast feeds have been around for a while now.

Substack seems to want to be everything to everyone. A place where writers write, podcasters podcast, streamers stream, and viewers watch it all on their tellies. One platform to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.

This strategy rarely works. Companies that try to do everything usually end up doing nothing particularly well. Jack of all trades, master of none, as the saying goes.

How real is shareholder pressure?

When Substack was bootstrapped, they could focus on writers. Writers were the product, the customers, the whole point.

Now there are shareholders to please. Growth targets to hit. Valuations to justify. The incentives keep shifting.

I don’t say this to be cynical. It’s simply how venture-backed companies work. You take the money, you serve the people who gave it to you. That’s essentially the deal. You get more money to do things with, but your priorities have to change somewhat as a result.

The question for us writers is whether our interests still align with Substack’s interests. For now, mostly that’s a yes. The platform still works. Growth is still possible. The features are improving, though slower than I’d like.

But the TV app worries me. The livestreaming push worries me. They suggest a company looking for growth in places that don’t involve people like me sitting down to write.

I genuinely don’t know what Substack is anymore. Maybe that’s fine. Maybe being hard to define is what they’re looking for, and I’m the one who’s out of place.

Or maybe this is a company in the middle of an identity crisis, pulled between what it was built to do and what its investors want it to become.

What do you think? Are you here for the writing, the video, the social features, or some combination? Would you stay if they doubled down on video and let the newsletter tools stagnate?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to know what you think.

Leave a comment

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Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

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That’s the honest truth. I’m much more of a writer than I am a marketer.

And yet, in the two years I’ve been running the Freelance Writing Network, I’ve gained hundreds of free subscribers and dozens of paid subscribers from Google alone.

I didn’t take any of it seriously until recently.

But the fact is, I still don’t know much about it.

So what do I do? I cheat. Obviously.

See, this is where I find AI useful. It’s not a writer or a creative substitute, but it is a tool that functions not unlike a virtual assistant.

I could spend weeks taking courses, learning about SEO, working out how to rank on LLMs. But the honest truth is that I simply don’t want to. I’m busy, have a lot on my plate already, and would love to save myself the hassle.

So instead, I use an AI model to generate a prompt for me.

Now, I’m using Perplexity because I find it far more reliable than other models (and I’d always suggest staying away from ChatGPT). The model knows about my work already because I’ve explained in great detail who my audience is, so it’s able to fine-tune exactly who is going to be finding me via Google.

To maximise the effectiveness, I would suggest telling the model about your work and your ideal reader. Give it as much detail as possible so the SEO details are as focused as possible. Different niches have very different keywords, so this matters.

Results on my experiences of doing this coming soon (though one post got me 608 clicks and 25,000 impressions in just four weeks).

The exact prompt I use for Perplexity is below. Give it a try and see if it helps.

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As a reminder, these monthly sessions are for paid subscribers to drop in via Zoom whenever it suits you. Come for the full hour, pop in for five minutes, or dip in and out as your schedule allows.

There’s no pressure to stay the whole time or even to have your camera on, just show up as you are.

The vibe is casual and conversational. Bring questions about your newsletter, share what you’re working on, brainstorm ideas, or just listen in.

Today’s call is at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT.

Since we’re just a few weeks into 2026, it’s a great time to share how your newsletter’s going so far, troubleshoot any early challenges, talk through your plans for the months ahead, or just connect with fellow newsletter creators.

You can join the call by hitting the link below👇

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How to deal with creative burnout

Late last week I hit a level of burnout I’d never experienced before. I’d had a busy week of calls, meetings and writing, and then had to deal with a variety of internet issues on top. I know this probably doesn’t sound like that much, but as the kids these days say, my brain was cooked.

By the time Thursday afternoon rolled around, I was exhausted. By Friday, I could hardly open my eyes.

Burnout is real. And it hits harder than you expect.

It’s the first time since starting on Substack that it’s hit me like this. Weird, right? I had a break for Christmas only a few weeks ago!

The broader issue is that I’ve been gradually increasing my workload since August and last week it reached tipping point.

The worst thing about it was the sheer guilt I felt for missing posts on my two newsletters. The FWN jobs update was late, and I hadn’t come close to finishing what I had planned for GYN.

People are paying me for this content, so not fulfilling obligations felt unacceptable.

But after two full days of rest, I now appreciate that this is okay. And more than anything, that I really needed it.

It’s okay to take time off. The world won’t end. Every freelance writer did not suddenly stop existing.

When I checked my total number of paid subscribers after three days of not looking (the longest I’ve ever gone without checking), the number had actually gone up.

It’s fine to feel burnt out. It’s good to take a break. And your life won’t fall apart if you do.

What can you do when you feel burnout?

Stop trying to power through. That’s step one (this usually comes after three hours of staring blankly at a screen). Pushing harder when you’re burnt out will lead to frustration and poor-quality work (or you just hit the burnout even harder).

You have to take actual time off. No emails, no open documents, no Substack. Real, genuine disconnection from the work. I deleted any relevant apps from my phone and logged out of all my work emails. Everything was still there when I came back.

If the full disconnect feels too hard, just scale back. Only reply to key emails. Set yourself a small target, then stop when you feel tired. Do the absolute minimum, then take an extended break.

The break is what matters. Powering through doesn’t help.

How do you recharge?

Different people recharge in different ways.

Some of us need physical movement. A long walk through a natural space, a swim, a workout. Something that activates the body.

Others (like me) need stillness. That means a day of rotting on the sofa with a good film or a great book. A long bath. A nap. Anything that switches the brain off completely.

Creative burnout often comes from doing the same thing repeatedly. If you’ve burnt out from writing, stop writing for a few days. Draw, paint, sew or cook. Do something different. Use your hands. Your brain needs different stimulation.

While not for me during burnout, social contact can help too. Phone a friend, chat with your mates. Or alternatively you can just hibernate until it’s spring — whatever feels good.

And sleep! No alarm. Just allow yourself to recharge. You can’t think clearly, write well or work properly when you’re exhausted. Have an early night. Nap in the day. Waking up fresh will make you more productive again.

When you know you’re good to go again

I feel like this is more an intuitive feeling than something that can be easily articulated.

Your eyes won’t feel strained. Your brain is clear. Ideas will start coming through, and the thought of working or writing won’t seem like such a chore.

You don’t have to rush back at full speed, either. You can ease in. Start with something you enjoy, not things that feel like obligations. For example, create a post you really want rather than fine tuning your welcome email. Do the things you really enjoy.

I like to think of this like recovery from an injury. If you sprained your ankle, you wouldn’t run a 10K the next day. You’d rest, take time off, and come back stronger. Your brain needs the same respect as any other body part — possibly more.

Trust your gut. If everything still feels heavy and joyless, you’re not ready. If you catch yourself excited about an idea, you might be there.

Never punish yourself for feeling burnout. Never feel guilty. It’s totally normal, totally expected, and it’s important to respect that feeling when it comes!

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Let's talk about your Substack and explore how I can help you grow.

Browse my coaching options to find what fits: a free 15-minute chat to get a feel for how we could work together, focused growth sprints or deeper strategy sessions.

Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, book the session that works for you.

Book a session!

I wrote recently about how brand deals are a growing tool for monetisation, and allow you to earn from simply having a list of subscribers (or followers if you’re on other social media channels).

So today, I’m sharing how that’s going after my very first video call with the partnerships manager at a major brand.

Why I’m pursuing brand deals

The Freelance Writing Network is my job. Running it is something I do full-time, and that means it’s a business I’m responsible for. That’s amazing, I get it, but it also means the bar for what’s next is getting higher and higher.

Subscriptions and coaching pays bills, but they don’t give me the extra space to experiment, reinvest or hire all the extra help I really want. That’s why brand deals are my primary focus in 2026. They’re a way to provide value to my audience while earning more money for the network.

I also want a proof of concept. If I’m going to talk about newsletter monetisation, I should probably be in the arena, not just clapping politely from the stands.

How I found out about partnerships

It was only in a casual chat with Samantha Anderl of Harlow that I even realised how significant they were. Yes, I knew they existed. But I had no idea just how profitable they can be (if you were to sell a major live event, think $0.50 for every subscriber you have).

So I looked into it. I asked questions, I had a coaching session with Samantha, and I took Justin Moore’s 7-day sponsorship challenge to help me kick on. I had mixed thoughts on the challenge, but I felt far more comfortable afterwards with what I needed to do.

So far, I’ve reached out to six different people at six different brands. With one response. But it’s that one response I’ll be talking about today.

How I picked this brand

Because my audience is primarily freelance writers, I needed brands that were relevant. That’s a crucial point, because I won’t run partnerships with brands that don’t add value to my audience.

I landed on tax and finance, because it’s an area I’ve had a lot of interest in over the last 12 months, and I know lots of newer freelancers struggle with it. Everyone hates admin, worries about tax, and dreads the thought of having to use a spreadsheet.

Tax software, invoicing tools, anything that reduces that pain makes sense.

I used an AI tool to generate a long list of tools in that space, then personally verified all of them. I checked websites, read blogs, and looked at who worked with creators and highlighted brands that seemed invested in freelancers.

That’s how I landed on the company I’m now talking to, a money and tax platform built for small businesses and self‑employed people.

Finding the right person

Once you know who you want to pitch, you have to find the right person.

Ignore vague contact or partnership email addresses. We can do much better than that.

One thing I learned from Justin Moore was how you can use a simple internet search to find the right person. For example, search ‘partnerships manager brand LinkedIn’ and then deduce the right person. This needed some digging, and you have to get a feel for who is most appropriate.

Then it’s a case of finding their email address. Often a partnerships person has a publicly available email or it’s on their LinkedIn, which was the case for me. Otherwise, search for the company email format and work out how they fit.

What I actually put in the pitch

The pitch was not a long monologue about how great I am and how engaged my audience is and how much I love their tool. That stuff matters, but it can’t be the main thing. And definitely not in an initial outreach email.

I used the ROPE structure in the background to keep it tight: make it relevant to what they’re already focused on, show that this is an organic fit with my content, add proof in the form of audience data and past content, and make the proposal easy to say yes to rather than a fuzzy ‘maybe we could do something someday.’

I framed the email around them and my readers, covering:

• Here’s who my audience is, in plain language.

• Here’s the specific problem they have around money and tax.

• Here’s how this company’s product lines up with that problem.

• Here are a couple of brief but concrete ways we could work together to hit their goals.

I pitched access to a very specific group of people at a very specific time, when tax is on their mind and they’re looking for help.

The reply, the call, and what happened next

The partnerships manager replied quickly and suggested a call. Funny, because the other five people I’d contacted didn’t even reply at all.

He suggested a call and sent through his Google Meets calendar. I booked it immediately and did plenty of preparation ahead of time because I realised I had no idea what I was supposed to do next.

The call turned out to be more relaxed than I expected. I explained who I was, what the Freelance Writing Network is, and what sort of thing my readers need. Then we chatted a bit about the brand, before touching on some ways that we could work together in the future.

The call was more of a discovery session than a Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank pitch. And a lot less scary than I envisioned. It seemed to be a genuine fit, which meant we’d look at the next steps.

After the call, I sent a quick thank you email, recapped what we’d discussed and set a clear expectation that I’d come back in a couple of days with sponsorship packages, with flat fees and hybrid options (I do not want an affiliate setup).

Where do things stand right now?

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Here’s what I’ve learned: most newsletter creators are making the same avoidable mistakes. The kind that make readers hit unsubscribe before they’ve even given you a proper chance.

I’m not talking about minor design choices or whether you use GIFs. I’m talking about fundamental problems that signal you don’t actually care about the experience you’re creating.

So let me be honest with you. These are the five things killing your newsletter before it has a chance to grow.

I have no idea what you write about

Your about page is three paragraphs of flowery language about your “journey” and your “passion for storytelling.” Cool. But what do you actually write about? I’ll be damned if I know.

I shouldn’t have to read five past issues to figure out if your newsletter is about marketing, memoir writing, or medieval history. Your homepage should tell me in one sentence. Your bio should tell me in half a sentence. Even your newsletter name should ideally give me a clue.

If I land on your page and think “this could be about anything,” I’m gone. There are 47 other newsletters in my inbox that didn’t make me work this hard.

Your welcome email is a template and I can tell

You know the one. That standard Substack email that everyone has seen a million times before.

This is the first thing I see from you after I hand over my email address. It’s your one shot at making me excited I subscribed, or a chance to remind me about who you are.

Write something real. Tell me why you started this thing. Share your best post from last month. Give me a reason to open your next email instead of letting it rot in my promotions tab. Anything except that soulless template that basically says “I couldn’t be bothered.”

You never link to your other work

You mentioned you have a podcast. You referenced an article you wrote last year. You casually dropped that you have a portfolio of published pieces.

Where are the links, people?!

I’m interested. I want to see more. I care! But you’ve made me go hunting through your social media or Google your name like some kind of detective. By the time I give up, I’ve forgotten why I was looking in the first place.

If you’ve done work you’re proud of, show me. Put it in your about page. Link it in relevant posts. Share it in a header or footer. Make it easy for readers to go deeper.

You promise things you don’t deliver

Your welcome email said you publish every Tuesday and Friday. It’s been eleven days since your last post.

You told me this newsletter would include actionable tips, case studies, and interviews. I’ve received four personal essays and a recipe.

I know I’m being facetious, and I’m not saying you can’t change direction or take breaks. Life happens. Plans shift. But if you set expectations, either meet them or update them. Don’t just ghost your commitments and hope nobody notices.

Every broken promise is another reason for your readers to tune out. They stop trusting that you’ll show up altogether. They stop opening your emails because they’re not sure what they’re getting anymore.

Your rambling posts go nowhere

Last week you sent me 1,200 words about your trip to the supermarket. There was a bit about the self-checkout, something about organic vegetables, and a tangent about your childhood. It ended with something along the lines of “anyway, just some thoughts.”

Great. And what was the point of that?

If you want to write a casual blog where you dump your stream of consciousness, fine. You do you! Start a personal Substack and call it a diary. But if you’ve positioned your newsletter as a resource, a learning tool, or anything beyond “here’s what happened to me today,” then I at least want something I can take away.

I don’t need every piece to be a masterclass. But I need to finish reading and think “I got something from that.” A new perspective. A useful idea. A laugh. Something! I’m not judging.

Otherwise I’m just watching you think out loud, and I’ve got better things to do.

So what next?

Fix your about page today. Rewrite your welcome email this weekend. Check your last five posts and ask yourself if they actually delivered what you promised.

I know that most people on here aren’t doing this for a living, and perhaps aren’t interested in growth. And that’s just fine!

Your newsletter doesn't need to be perfect. But you should still respect your readers' time and intelligence. Fix these simple issues and you'll improves readability, grow trust, and build an audience who actually cares about your work.

Read this and feel like it didn’t apply to you? Great job. You’re already on the right track to growing a successful newsletter.

Still making these mistakes?

Let's fix them!

Book a free 15-minute chat to talk through your newsletter, figure out what's actually holding you back, and see if coaching makes sense for you. No pressure, just honest feedback about your next steps.

Book your free 15-minute chat

As a reminder, these monthly sessions are for paid subscribers to drop in via Zoom whenever it suits you. Come for the full hour, pop in for five minutes, or dip in and out as your schedule allows.

There’s no pressure to stay the whole time or even to have your camera on, just show up as you are.

The vibe is casual and conversational. Bring questions about your newsletter, share what you’re working on, brainstorm ideas, or just listen in.

Our next call is Wednesday, January 21st at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT.

Since we’re just a few weeks into 2026, it’s a great time to share how your newsletter’s going so far, troubleshoot any early challenges, talk through your plans for the months ahead, or just connect with fellow newsletter creators.

Paid subscribers can add to calendar and join the call by hitting the link below👇

Read more

I’ve been thinking about how they offer creators a different way to earn money, without locking content behind a paywall (or you can use the two techniques together).

Put simply, a brand sponsorship is when a company pays you to feature their product or service in your newsletter, usually through a placement, endorsed message or live event that fits your voice and tone.

You’re often working directly with brands to create content that resonates with your specific audience, and the partnerships can be far more lucrative when done right.​

Do paywalls have limits?

Yes, they do.

Paywalls create pressure. You have to deliver content on schedule because people are paying monthly. That can turn writing from something you love into an obligation that drains you (been there, believe it or not).

You’ve also got to consider the math, as my American friends would say. If you charge $6 per month and want to earn $600, you need 100 paying subscribers. After losing 10% to Substack and 3% to Stripe, you’re left with roughly $520 before taxes. For many creators, that doesn’t justify the volume of work and constant promotion required. Even hitting 100 paid subscribers is harder than most people realise when starting out (and it’s why lots of Substack bestsellers don’t live off their Substack income).​

Brand deals sidestep this problem entirely. They give you a way to keep your content free, which means your audience can grow without friction. Sponsors pay you based on the value you deliver to them, not on how many readers you can convince to pull out their wallets each month.

You can start sooner than you think

Most creators assume they need tens of thousands of subscribers before brands will even look their way. Wrong! For B2B or professional newsletters, you can start landing sponsors with just a few thousand subscribers. The value is in the audience and engagement, not sheer numbers.

If your engagement is strong, you can start even smaller. Brands care most about your audience. An AI-news focused newsletter with 3,000 highly engaged readers can outperform a generic one with 15,000 passive subscribers who barely open emails. Quality, and crucially specificity, always beats quantity.​

Value > subscriber count

Brands want access to the right people. A newsletter with 10,000 subscribers could charge hundreds of dollars and up for a sponsorship, depending on engagement and niche (Passionfroot estimated a sponsorship slot for the FWN’s 16,000 subscribers should start at $450). The who matters far more than the how many.

Brands will pay premium rates if they know your entire audience is tuned to exactly what they’re selling.​

This means a parenting newsletter with 5,000 readers is gold to a company selling baby products or educational apps. Those readers are hyper-focused on a specific set of needs. A brand wants engaged eyeballs attached to wallets that care about what they offer. When your niche is tight and your audience trusts you, brands will pay more than you’d think for that access.​

Engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates prove your audience is paying attention. High engagement signals an active, loyal group of readers who actually care about what you send to them. That’s what brands are buying.

The money can be serious

Newsletter sponsorships can become genuinely lucrative. Publications can charge thousands for these partnerships, and creators use the income to live off. As your audience grows and engagement stays strong, those numbers climb. Some newsletters charge far more too, especially in high-value niches like finance, tech or B2B.​

But there’s a catch. You have to provide value to your readers, not just the sponsor. A parenting newsletter should only partner with brands selling things parents actually need, like childcare products or family travel services. If the fit feels forced, readers will notice. And they will lose trust in you.

And once trust is gone, engagement drops. Then the brands disappear too.​

The best sponsorships are more like recommendations, rather than interruptions. Your tone is crucial here. The product or service must genuinely help your audience.

The idea is that everyone wins. The brand gets conversions. Your readers discover something useful. You earn money without destroying the relationship you’ve built.

You can keep it free & still get paid

This is the real magic of brand deals. You can earn from your audience without charging them a penny. Isn’t that cool? It removes all the friction paywalls create. People can share your newsletter freely. New readers can discover your work without hitting a subscription wall. Your list grows faster because there’s no barrier to entry.​

For creators who love writing but hate the pressure of monthly obligations, this route makes more sense. You’re not locked into a publishing schedule dictated by paying subscribers. You write when you like, and brands can pay based on the value your engaged audience provides them. Some creators earn far more through sponsorships than they ever could with paid subscriptions.​

It also gives you more flexibility. You can mix revenue streams, combining sponsorships with digital products, coaching or other offerings (like a paywall if you wanted to keep one).

Crucially, it means you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. If one income source dips, others help sustain your work.

How to get started?

Start by tracking your metrics. Know your open rate, click-through rate and audience demographics. Brands will ask for these numbers. If your engagement is strong, reach out to companies that align with your content. Pitch them directly, explaining who your audience is (value focused first!) and why they’d care about the brand’s product.​

Don’t wait until you have a massive list. If you’re driving solid engagement with a few thousand subscribers, test the waters. The worst they can say is no. The best case? You land your first deal and realise you’ve been sitting on a potential revenue stream this entire time.

Brand deals aren’t a get rich quick scheme, though. They require delivering real value to both sponsors and readers. But if you’ve built a loyal, engaged audience around a clear niche, you’re probably halfway there.

The money is waiting. You just have to ask for it.

More on brand deals coming soon.

Ready to grow your newsletter with purpose in 2026?

If you’re ready to start taking your newsletter seriously, let’s talk about your Substack and explore how I can help you grow.

Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

Book your free 15-minute chat

But, I appreciate, lots of people don’t. After all, it’s not the most exciting aspect of running a newsletter, is it? It’s easy to miss important bits and pieces, skip certain settings and forget customizations.

This checklist has been made to fix that problem. It covers every meaningful setup task, from your About page to your email footers. And it’s a straightforward checklist so you can tick everything off as you go.

I work with lots of Substack creators who miss some of these steps. They still have the generic welcome page, the boilerplate welcome email, About pages with nothing in them. But first impressions matter, and a good setup is important for building a serious foundation.

What’s inside?

• All the pages and settings you need to configure before you publish

• Welcome email templates for both free and paid subscribers (with the generic text stripped out)

• Branding and design elements that make your newsletter look intentional

• Optional features you can add once the essentials are done

You’ll need to make a copy of the document first. That way you can tick boxes as you go, print it if that’s your thing, or keep it open in another tab while you work through Substack’s settings.

This isn’t just for pre-launch, either. If you’re missing anything, this checklist will help establish what you need to refine.

The link is below for paid subscribers.

Get it done once so you can concentrate on the writing!

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I tried to think of a less corny way to say that but couldn’t find the words. Ultimately, my life is different because of everyone reading this post, and I’m so proud of that.

I’ve been freelancing on and off for around eight years now, with mixed results. But thanks to Substack (a now two-year process for me), and your support, this year has been the best by far. And I don’t just mean ‘earnings’, though I’m grateful that this has also been a strength for me this year.

Being able to grow the Freelance Writing Network to 16,000 subscribers, reach 1,000+ paid subscribers in November, place one spot below THE on the literature board, and engage in such a welcoming and thoughtful community throughout the year has been humbling.

So here’s to more of the same next year, right?

What will I be focusing on in 2026?

Consolidation and diversification.

I anticipate that 2026 will be busy for me, with a potential house purchase, 300 miles away from my current home, on the horizon.

With this in mind, I want to build deeper, more intentional foundations with what I’ve already created. That means I’ll be doubling down on areas that work, and focusing on increasing readership of my newsletters. 2025 was a little wild for me, and not everything I tried came off, so I want to be a little more mindful about the steps I take.

The aim is for every experiment, every collaboration, and every new project to ladder up to a clearer, more coherent vision of what Freelance Writing Network and Grow Your Newsletter are here to do.

Diversification will mean expanding within a clearer structure, most likely focusing on new revenue streams and partnerships that align with the core mission instead of pulling away from it.

These systems we work from are so incredibly fragile that I refuse to be held hostage to the whims of ‘tech bros’. The people at Substack seem smarter than most, but since this is now my primary livelihood, there isn’t a rat’s chance in hell that I’m trusting anyone but me to look after myself.

So I’ll be consolidating what works, and diversifying where necessary to reduce reliance on any single platform. And I can’t wait to get started.

What will you be focusing on?

I’d love to know what you’re working on in 2026.

Is it growing your audience? Writing with a more consistent cadence? Experimenting with new content formats or monetisation strategies? Or perhaps it's something completely different: simplifying your workload, honing your niche or taking more creative risks.

Whatever it is, I want to hear about it. So leave a comment and let me know!

Leave a comment

And last of all, please have a lovely New Year celebration.

I hope the holiday period has been peaceful and has allowed you to take time to rest and reflect. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2026!

P.S. It’s the last day for tax write-offs in the US…

I offer private, 1-2-1 coaching for newsletter writers at any stage in the process, whether you’re launching, stuck or scaling. I’ll audit your current newsletter and we’ll work together to fix what’s not working, then build a clear plan for growth.

Sessions are tailored to exactly what you need: launch planning, content strategy, monetisation, audience building, or a full deep-dive into your setup.

And it’s a good time to note that today, December 31, is the last day to write off business expenses if you’re in the US. Book a coaching session today and you can claim it on this year’s taxes while setting yourself up for growth in 2026!

Reply to this email or book here to get started.

Most newsletter advice is all about growth. Useful in places, and you’ll certainly see plenty of that here, but it’s not the only thing that matters.

Ahead of 2026, I’ve created a vision and values newsletter instead. It helps you decide what you actually want your newsletter to be for yourself and for the people who read it.

You can download it for free, then print or type into it. My only real request is that you finish it, then keep it somewhere in front of you while you write.​

Download for FREE now!

Grounding & Context

The first section asks you to describe your newsletter as it is right now. Not your dream version, just the current one. You name when it felt like ‘you’ and when it felt off, which usually reveals more than any spreadsheet.​

You also write what role you want your newsletter to play in your life and in your readers’ lives. When you consider a topic or a new idea, you can glance at those lines and ask, ‘Does this fit what I said I wanted?’.​

Reader‑centred vision

Define who you are writing for, what they are dealing with, and how you want them to feel after they read.

Fill this section in as if you were describing a friend. Clear, specific, without a marketing voice. The more concrete it feels, the more useful it will be when you sit down to write.

Gentle goals & intentions

The final section swaps hard targets for things you can control. You choose how you want to feel about your newsletter by the end of 2026 and what you are done putting up with, like last minute scrambles or forcing topics that bore you.​

You can set a realistic sending rhythm in plain language, then jot down how you will support it, for example batching ideas or using a simple format.

Give future you a few clear ideas and plans to run with.

How to use it

You can download the worksheet for free and either print or edit from there. All you need to do is hit ‘I want this’ when you open via the link below.

My best suggestion is to print it, fill it in, and pin it near where you work so it stays visible.

Download for FREE now!

Ready to Grow Your Newsletter in 2026?

Let’s talk about your Substack and explore how I can help you grow.

Book a free 15-minute chat to discuss coaching options, get clarity on your next steps, and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you want to boost growth, engagement, or monetization, this is a no-pressure conversation designed to help you move forward.

Book your free 15-minute chat

Know what you want already?

January coaching sessions are starting to fill up. Whether you’re looking at building growth, something sustainable or even monetization, let's make 2026 work for your newsletter!

Book a session for January