Substack Weekend Musings #1
A new weekly roundup of everything worth knowing, reading and discovering on Substack this week.
Welcome to the first edition of GYN’s Substack Weekend Musings!
I’ve been wanting to start something like this for a while, and this new publication is the perfect place for it.
This (mostly) weekly roundup will share a load of things worth knowing if you’re growing a newsletter on Substack (or even if you’re just an active user). A catch-up on recent posts here, some of my favourite reads from other writers and news about the platform, as well as other bits and pieces worth knowing.
✉️ What’s in today’s edition?
💰 A quick look at Substack’s new $100m investment
👀 What you might have missed this week
📚 Three of my favourite reads
🛠️ A Substack tool I’m testing out
This week on Substack 📰
Substack announced $100m in Series C funding this week, led by rich people like your favourite agent Rich Paul and the co-founder of the underwear brand SKIMS, among others. SKIMS actually joined Substack moments later, meaning you’ll now be able to keep up with all those underwear updates you’ve been missing out on.
In all seriousness, this new funding is significant. According to a post this week, Substack says it will use this money to “invest in better tools, broader reach, and deeper support for the writers and creators driving Substack’s ecosystem.” You can read the full post all about this new investment, written by the three Substack co-founders, right here.
I can sit here and explain what that might look like, but the fantastic Emma Gannon has already bagged a full interview with two of the co-founders: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie.
This interview is currently free to watch or read, and I’d recommend checking it out (link here) if you’re interested in the future of Substack.
This isn’t just worth watching if you’re keen on expanding your audience or monetisation, but rather if you’re interested in the future of the entire platform. They touch on learning from the mistakes of others (thanks again for ruining Twitter, Elon), what they’re looking to invest this money in and how you can expect Substack to continue to grow.
I’ve been on Substack for nearly two years and publishing for around 18 months. Just within that time frame I’ve seen it grow and expand far more than I expected. Yes, it’s not perfect. It can certainly be frustrating. Some creators are problematic. But this is absolutely the best place to build your brand and share your writing, I’m absolutely certain about that.
Exciting days ahead here!
Missed anything from GYN? 👀
I’m still working on expanding the content here at Grow Your Newsletter, and there’s lots more coming at you over the next few weeks.
This week I shared two new posts: A little more about why GYN is its own thing, plus a post about the paywall decision and some lesser considered thoughts about the whole process.
These are both free to read, while some paid-only posts will start from this week.
My top three reads this week 📚
I want to use this weekly space to highlight work from other creators on Substack. So here are three of my favourites from this week:
Julie’s fantastic post is great whether you’re going through a layoff, low energy, or just have a chaotic brain (yeah, that one’s me). This is a refreshing way to structure your day, and I’m looking forward to implementing some ideas. The Four Things Framework is full of practical advice, especially if you’re neurodivergent or, like me, tired of the usual productivity hacks.
Paul Docherty’s post about NDAs for freelancers is really insightful. If you’re not sure what they are, or what they might mean for you as a working professional, check this post out. Paul’s publication is all about practical freelancing advice and support, and I’d recommend checking it out in more detail if that’s your jam.
Finally, I really loved Claire Venus’ post about why she’s not leaving Substack despite growth slowing down last month. It’s a fantastic, honest read about creative slowdowns, connecting with readers and staying in the game. It also has a ton of the emotional transparency we need more of, especially in the newsletter business.
A Substack tool I’m testing out 🛠️
Sections!
You’re actually reading one right now. It means that if you were to hit ‘unsubscribe’ at the bottom, you could actually just decide which sections you wanted to hear from, meaning you control the relevant content from the publication.
I’m mostly going to be implementing this more at the Freelance Writing Network, though I’m unsure about how it will go. It gives readers more control on what content they receive directly, but it also implies people are more willing to press buttons and change settings than they really are.
Sure, I do it all the time, but I’m on here all the time (my phone’s screen time for Substack is shocking, especially given I could swear I only use it on my laptop). I’m looking forward to testing sections out for a few weeks before I report back to you on the impact they do or don’t have!
Any thoughts? 💬
Let me know if you have anything to say on anything from today’s inaugural Substack Weekend Musings. I always love to hear what you have to say!
Thanks for this ! Really interesting post. I’ve found myself a bit bored on Substack and thus haven’t published lately. Have you ever experienced that?
Aw great round up and piece lovely. Thanks for the mention - that's super kind - the piece really resonated - I was surprised - you start to think that people are busy/ distracted/ on hols but nope all there!