Sparkle on Substack

Thanks so much for joining us!!

1. WHERE YOUR CONTENT ALREADY LIVES

In the top left of your page, you gathered every place your words are waiting for you. Substack, old blogs, Instagram, notebooks in the wardrobe, notes on your phone, workshop slides, even old photo albums. The work you made years ago is often more relevant than you think (we just need t…

Beginners have questions, I have answers - let's go!!

This Q&A is the second part of my class and teaching for Soceity of Authors - https://societyofauthors.org/event/professional-development-substack-for-beginners SUBSTACK CALCULATOR - How to work out Stripe/ Substack fees - https://sparkleon.substack.com/p/can-...30 Day Free Trial to Sparkle on Substack for Society of Author Members - https://sparkleon.substack.com/soa

1. Getting set up

Is there basic guidance on adding images and audio, file formats and the Substack basics? Yes. In the post editor, press the image button and choose any photo from your computer. Click the image to resize it or make other edits. The same button lets you add a gallery of up to nine photos at once. For audio, use the audio button to record straight into Substack or upload an MP3. There’s lots more of this for free inside Sparkle on Substack.

Does Claire’s ebook give a step-by-step guide to setting up Substack? There’s loads of setup guidance inside How to Build a World Class Substack, in paperback or ebook. You’ll also find free and paid interactive resources inside my Sparkle on Substack membership. Message me if you need more.

Do you use your existing email address or set up a separate one? I use my work email, so all my Substack correspondence lands there. If you’re setting up first just to read other people’s Substacks, a personal email is fine. If you’re ready to launch, use your business email.

If I write under two names, should I have two Substacks? Yes. Set up two separate profiles with two separate email addresses. I have a YouTube tutorial on running multiple publications at once.

Is it better to have separate Substacks for different themes or audiences? It depends. Dog training and romance might want pulling apart. Often, though, there’s more synchronicity in us and our personal brand than we expect, so everything can live under one umbrella. Test it, self-express and see what comes out.

Is it better to start a new publication than revive an old one? New writers often get a little flurry of support and visibility, but algorithms change all the time. In my opinion it’s not better to start again. Put your work into the publication you already have and focus on some outreach and marketing.

Can a co-author and I share a profile? There can only be one owner, but you can add multiple authors. The owner receives all the Substack-related emails, as correspondence can’t go to two owners.

2. Branding and customising

What’s a wordmark? Your wordmark is the design across the top of your Substack. You can use one of Substack’s regular fonts, or design your own in Canva or another design programme and upload it. Mine was made by a professional designer. There’s also a separate space for a small logo.

Can you fully customise that area, or only use set formats? You can customise a lot, and Substack keeps giving us more options. Essentially we get a Substack website, so you can design it up. I have tutorials on designing your homepage.

Where was the SAVE button? Posts save automatically as you type. For other settings, look top right, but mostly everything saves by itself.

3. Posts, Notes and formats

Am I publishing an article or a Note when I make a post? An article. Your articles all live in your publication’s archive, whether they’re written pieces, video classes or invitations. Notes are the scrolling feed on the Substack homepage, where you can read everyone’s Notes and post your own. You can create a new article or a Note from the button there.

Where do you put articles? They all go inside your publication, which is your Substack website. Mine is Sparkle on Substack.

Substack doesn’t seem very text-focused. You can absolutely be a writer and simply write. I add community elements because I’m a creative who loves community, but many of the top-grossing Substackers don’t use any bells and whistles. They’re brilliant writers, and they write.

4. What to write about

Is it a good idea to write on a topic nobody is covering? If you’re passionate about it, and other people in the world are too, it can find traction. Substack is simply a format within the wider internet. Have a Google around if you’d like, but if you want to write it, write it, and your readers will come and find you.

Can niche topics like animal rights poetry do well on Substack? Absolutely. The animal rights world is huge, poetry is well loved, and Substack is full of animal lovers. When Notes first launched, we all shared photos of our pets for ages (such a fun time).

What goes in a newsletter if you’re just writing a book? Share the behind the scenes. Write about your process, where the ideas came from and how it’s all going. Tell readers where you write, how you find the time, and whether you use notebooks or online tools. There’s so much to say.

I’d like to start but I’m scared. What can I offer? The best advice I can give is to simply start and see where it goes. That fear is your nervous system worrying about rejection or looking silly. In 2026 we’ve been showing up online for a long time, people are succeeding at this every day, and you’re amongst friends. A supportive community helps you feel like you’re amongst colleagues rather than out on a limb. Try Sparkle on Substack, Beth Kempton’s Soul Sanctuary, Susie Walker’s Heartleap Writing Group, London Writers’ Salon, or what the Society of Authors offers.

5. Growing your audience and being discovered

What are the best ways for a new writer to attract readers? Start by sketching out your ideal reader so you know exactly who you’re writing to. Once those people gather, you’ll get more traction. On Substack, use recommendations, post Notes, comment on other people’s posts and join communities. Off Substack, share on social media and add your Substack to your email signature.

How do you make your content discoverable and stand out? Write well and do your best work. Show up on Notes, and join in with community if you can.

Any tips on connecting with others and reading their work? Use the like button, leave thoughtful comments and join in conversations. Showing up inside communities works beautifully too, because you meet people gathered around someone they admire.

How important is posting on the same day each week? Readers love a rhythm. If your newsletter lands on a Sunday morning, someone might make a cup of tea at 11 and settle in to read it. It’s also one less decision for you to make.

What do you mean by “going viral”? Anything that gathers a momentum much bigger than your regular work, like an avalanche. A quote I shared on Notes had about 600 likes on Tuesday afternoon and around 10,000 by Wednesday teatime. From that, 36 new people joined my publication.

6. Subscribers, emails and data

What’s the difference between subscribers and followers? Followers follow your Substack Notes. Subscribers have signed up to your newsletter, so they receive an email every time you publish a new article.

Do we get our subscribers’ email addresses? Yes, you do.

What’s GDPR? GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation, the data protection law covering how you collect and use people’s personal information, including email addresses. It applies in the UK (as UK GDPR) and the EU.

I find posts by email too much. Why is email always recommended? You can switch to reading in the app and on the website only, so nothing lands in your inbox. That’s how I read, and I receive no Substack emails at all. We only have so much capacity, so delete freely without unsubscribing if you prefer. For writers, email matters because your words land directly with readers rather than relying on an algorithm.

Can anyone read a newsletter, or do they have to subscribe? Anyone can read it without subscribing, unless you’ve put it behind a paywall. Then they need to pay.

Can I make people subscribe for free before they see free content? No, unfortunately not.

Is Substack only for paid subscribers, or can you give content away free? You can give plenty away for free. In the editor you can add a paywall line: free readers stop there, and paid subscribers see everything below it. Use the preview button to see exactly what free readers will see. If you have free trials switched on, they’ll be offered one (mine is seven days).

7. Moving over from websites and other platforms

Can my MailerLite subscribers be moved to Substack? Yes. Download your list and upload it to Substack, but ask your subscribers’ permission first, and if you’re in the UK, check the GDPR rules. Substack isn’t an email service provider in the way MailerLite, Mailchimp, Flodesk or ConvertKit are. Substack sends the emails, and co-owns the data you import, so tell your subscribers about that.

Is there a known way to bring existing followers across from elsewhere? It depends on the platform, and I teach this a lot. There’s plenty on my Instagram, and I ran a free class on moving followers from Instagram to Substack.

What’s the best way to use Substack alongside an existing website? It depends on how you want your business ecosystem to work, and I cover it in my class Your Content Ecosystem with Substack. I use Substack for my free newsletter, membership and paid newsletter. I also have an email list on my website, and I blog there too.

Can you embed a Substack sign-up form on a website or social page? Yes. Find the embed code in your Substack settings and paste it into your website. If it gives you trouble, ask your website developer or have a little Google. On Instagram, simply put your Substack link in your bio.

Why do you have a website as well as Substack, Claire? My website is my business. I sell my digital products there, and it helps with SEO. Substack is a platform, just like Instagram or LinkedIn, so I wouldn’t rely on it alone.

8. Monetisation and pricing

Should I start with monetising, or build an audience first? It’s up to you. I monetised from the start, and it was reassuring when a couple of people chose to pay. Some people say wait until 500 or 1,000 subscribers. Creating for one paying reader might feel a type of way, or it might feel lovely as you build up your paid tier.

When should a business Substack start charging, and how do you decide what’s paid? That’s something to write your way into. My classes are mostly paywalled inside my membership, and tutorials are sometimes free, sometimes paid. In my paid newsletter I write more vulnerably behind the paywall, including sharing my income. Everyone has a different temperature check for what they’d keep off the wider web.

Someone wants to pay for my monthly stories. How much should I charge? Use my Substack calculator to work out your monthly, annual and founding member tiers. Substack takes 10%, then there are Stripe fees. I’d start smaller: early subscribers keep their price for as long as they stay (unless you use a coupon), and you can always raise it for new subscribers later.

How much are Stripe fees? Stripe fees vary by country and card type, so check the Substack calculator and Stripe’s own pricing page for your country.

What’s churn? Churn is when people leave and unsubscribe.

Does Substack advertise, and how does it make its money? Substack takes 10% of everything we earn. They’ve also started working with advertisers.

9. Substack vs Patreon

What makes Substack better than Patreon, especially for monetisation? I don’t use Patreon, so I can’t make a fair comparison.

How do Substack subscriptions differ from Patreon? I’m not sure, as I don’t use Patreon. I believe Patreon also takes a fee.

Should I move my Patreon audio recordings to Substack, and how? Substack doesn’t offer a concierge service, but you can usually download your data from one platform and upload it into Substack. I moved all my WordPress blogs across and it worked fine. There are lots of Substack support people who’ve done this for others, so email me if you’d like a recommendation.

10. Practical concerns

Can Substack work well without AI, and has AI content made discoverability harder? I don’t see any AI-based concerns on Substack. We’re all still getting used to what AI is and does, and anyone writing with it is making their own choice. Substack has an AI detection tool if you’re curious whether someone is churning out articles.

How much time will Substack take away from my writing? That’s up to you. If you publish weekly, it’s about weaving that into your week. Remember you’re building two assets at once, an audience and an archive. For anyone in the world of writing books, I think it’s well worth starting a Substack.

Do you get aggression, and how can you protect yourself from trolls? Not really on Substack. I had a few strong opinions thrown my way around the book when I was very visible, but otherwise it’s always been fine. Our fear of it is usually bigger than the reality. If a sharp email arrives, there’s a delete button. Nobody pays you enough to have to take that on.

Can I pay someone to do this for me? Yes. There are wonderful Substack people who help with the admin and design side. Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 is one of them and she’s great.

Don’t miss your chance to try this WONDERFUL new tool from one of my mentors and the absolute guru of IG with business Mya Nichol - Grab plug and get paid and get those IG story viewers into Substack subscribers! Yay!!

Hello Sparklers,

Here’s the replay of today’s live class delivered on Substack live, where we explored how to gently invite your Instagram audience into your Substack world (and how to keep them there once they arrive).

Pour a cup of tea, grab a chocolate biscuit, and settle in if you’re catching up? My dms are always open.

What we covered

1. Your invite matters more than you think. Social media is a scrolling space, so a quick “read my Substack” on a story sticker often isn’t enough for someone to leap from one platform to another. We practised the coffee shop exercise... imagine telling a supportive friend about your Substack in a busy café, then capture everything you say. That spoken version holds your passion, your why, your cadence and your story, which is exactly what a cold audience needs to hear.

2. Ask yourself “why” five times. This old marketing exercise takes you from “because I want to” all the way down to the life your writing enables. That deeper layer is where your most magnetic invite lives. And tell people when your newsletter lands in their week, so they can picture it arriving.

3. Share more, and share it often. If you post one story slide about your newsletter, try five. People need a reason, a motivation and plenty of repetition before they click. You’re never taking up too much space.

4. The best Substack links for Instagram. We looked at /about (add a subscribe box at the top), /welcome (shows your blurbs as social proof), /subscribe, and individual post links. Remember that paid subscriptions made inside the app can carry Apple fees, and new subscribers will also receive emails from Substack itself, so mention that in your welcome email.

Get a friend or colleague to experiment clicking these links from your story (with your own Substack url in place of mine)

/subscribe

/welcome

/about

and add the subscribe box button right at the top.

5. ManyChat for automated DMs. I showed you how I use comment keywords to deliver Substack links straight into people’s DMs. Short trigger words or emojis work best, and “press here” on the button makes life easier for everyone.

6. What do you sell in your paid Substack? People pay to be educated, to feel something, to feel part of a community, or to feel activated (and often to support you). Perks, social proof on your About page, and talking about what’s happening behind the paywall all help.

7. Plug and Get Paid by Mya Nichol. I demoed the tool that’s helped my neurodivergent brain turn long-form thinking into Instagram story slides that sell. You plug in your offer and ideal reader, and it builds and analyses your stories for you.

Try Plug and Get Paid here: (This is an affiliate link, which means I receive a percentage if you purchase.)

Your gentle next step: speak your invite out loud, write down what you hear, and share it on five story slides this week. I know this is a HUGE topic to learn in an hour long class but step by step is always the way.

We don’t need to go viral loves - we need the right people to find us and I just know they already can’t wait to hear what it is you have to say.

With sparkle for your biggest brightest social media balanced with Substack self.Claire

P.S - Thank you Rachel Jefferies, Kendall Marie Platt 🌱, Vera Lúcia, Alex Ritchie | Textile Art, Jo Gray ✏️, Louise Tilbrook and many others for tuning into my live video and being so chatty and supportive!

Thank you Kate Harvey, Kendall Marie Platt 🌱, Claire Machado, Nance Scott, Jenny Karlsson, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Sparklers... quick summary from my live…

I deleted the Substack app the entire summer (still deleted, if I’m honest). I took a break then took Sparkle down to two newsletters a month instead of my usual cadence, same depth of content but flagging the archive more…

And I said something out loud I want to say here too.

My Substack growth had genuinely slowed to the point where I wouldn’t have had a business if I was relying on it alone.

So I made a call - mastered content creation - grew my Instagram by over 2,000 followers this summer, something I’ve never really done before, and leaned into well-aligned summits instead of waiting for the algorithm to catch up adding 500 subs to my list.

None of that is a Substack failure story more what building this actually looks like some seasons.

If something in your setup feels stagnant right now, whether that’s your cadence, your day, or where you’re putting your energy... you don’t need my blueprint or anyone else’s.

Change it?

See what happens?

Claire

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Join our joyful growth to Substack bestseller challenge - on all of this week…

Turn the Page Retreat - next weekend…

Thank you Jennifer Zarin, LCAT, Angela Limb, Nance Scott, Alison Belsom, and many others for tuning into my live video with Toni Jones! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Join us over here, simply subscribe to our brand new pop up Substack and we’ll make sure you get the updates.

Thank you ✹The Unmasked Woman✹ (Hannah), Vera Lúcia, Rose Wippich, Lisa Conquet, Rita Riebel Mitchell, and many others for tuning into my live video with Bella younger! Join me for my next live video in the app.

You can subscribe to Bella here…

And I highly recommend following her on IG here…where you can also download the template I mention…

* https://www.instagram.com/deliciouslystella

* Her book The Accidental Influencer is here… https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accidental-Influencer-Likes-Nearly-Ruined/dp/0008402493

Ai overview thanks Claude

What this session was: a live audit with Bella Younger (author, “The Pug’s Ear” on Substack) covering identity/rebranding on the page, the about page, positioning.

Old identity, new chapter: Bella’s wrestling with how much to reference her old “Deliciously Stellar” persona.

Claire’s take: you can honour a past identity without leading with it; people don’t need to know who we are in the world, we can just be who we are.

* The about page is prime real estate: a photo, a book link, and social proof (testimonials) belong there — and most people never find the edit button because Substack keeps moving it.

* Subscribe buttons need repeating: one at the bottom isn’t enough. Put one early too, because people get distracted mid-scroll.

* Say less than you’ll do: if you might publish weekly, promise two to three times a month instead — it protects you on a bad week and it’s fairer to readers who are giving you their attention.

* Pricing is emotional, not just mathematical: low, easy price points (the “cost of a coffee”) bring in more subscribers overall, and subscriptions are often the first thing people cancel when they feel overwhelmed — a cheaper annual plan protects against that.

* Momentum beats perfection: scheduling a post before it’s fully finished can be the deadline that actually gets it out the door.

“Nothing has had such a revolutionary impact on my writing... than starting to write on Substack and staying on Substack. It’s an extraordinary thing.” Mark Diacono

I don’t usually email my podcast out but I really felt called to share Mark’s beautiful episode with more of you. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts!

✨

Mark Diacono is a writer, cook, gardener, walker and photographer who lives in the south west of England.

He writes about life, mostly through food and everything connected with it. You’ll find stories, recipes and much about growing and cooking incredible flavours.

He hosts Cafe Murano Book Club and Limewood Book Club, with the wonderful Angela Hartnett. He once led the garden team at River Cottage and I created the groundbreaking Otter Farm

“People from around the world can increasingly find your words and there’s no gatekeeper and there’s no permission giver.”

Mark writes monthly food column for The Sunday Times, and a monthly gardening column for Country Life magazine.

If you’re not yet over here I’m running a Digital Detox this week and today we are organising our photographs - today’s video will be out at noon…

We covered;

* Substack Creator Kits -

* How to be a Bestseller - no drama - https://clairevenus.substack.com/t/growth-to-bestseller-challenge

* Perks! (article out tomorrow).

Join me for my digital detox challenge next week?

Thank you Kate Harvey, SuddenlyJamie, Liza Debevec, Learn English With Jo, Dominik Wieschermann, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

If you want to join me for my free challenge Digital Detox (13-17 July 2026) - by Claire Venus 💫

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Thank you Claire Machado, Amy I Beeson 🐝, Angela Limb, Holly Bailie (she/her), Rachel Joy 💖, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

✨

Links’ people mentioned;

* My Substack book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Build-World-Class-Substack

* My visioning class for 2026 -

* Amy I Beeson 🐝 London writers summer picnic in Kensington - https://luma.com/coimrglv

* Emma Gannon, Farrah @Substack and their podcast recording -

* My friends Emma Simpson, Jo Hutton, Selina Barker, Toni Jones

* Other mentions - Beth Kempton, Mark Diacono, Abigail Bergstrom, Jess Pan, Katie Clapham and the podcast I recorded with her yesterday -

* My mentor Leonie Dawson

* Co-founders of Substack - Hamish McKenzie & Mills Baker

* The piece I wrote sharing more about my insight of the Substack Bestseller’s Party

* Kate Harvey from Letters From Therapy and her gorgeous nervous system, mindset work.

* Jesse Jean - https://www.instagram.com/jessijeanhome/