This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com

Brand sponsorships on Substack aren't just about some sort of weird brand placement that's awkward. I

t's about rethinking Substack and how you make money on here, and how we support each other in making money.

In this episode, I give you everything you need to know about Substack's new brand sponsorships program — how it works, what brands actually want, and how to fill out your Creator Kit strategically, not generically.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

The highest earners on Substack aren't debating whether to use AI. They're asking a better question: how to stay valuable in a world that's full of it.

I spent a day in New York in a room with some of the biggest names on the platform, and the words that kept surfacing weren't the ones the growth-advice economy sells. No one said hacks. No one said viral. What they talked about was fun, taste, and the person behind the words.

This episode covers:

*Why the era of giving your best work away for free may be over.

*Which skills are about to gain value on Substack, and which are about to lose it.

*Why slow, steady growth is the only kind with substance.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

Here’s your weekly dispatch from the front lines of Substack growth—with the platform’s leading Growth Strategist, me. Usually, the best stuff is below the paywall.

Today: What’s out, what’s in, and what really makes a Substack go viral

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

Welcome to our new series for paid subscribers: “The Minimalist’s Guide to Substack.” Declutter your Substack brain and life, so you can actually grow in what is an increasingly crowded Substack landscape.

The biggest mistake I see on Substack is people making it way too complicated.

Principle #1: Post when you have something worth sending.

Each post should pass two tests: Is this something people need right now? Is this something they could get from ChatGPT?

Enter the Golden Nugget post.

It's an easy, short post you can create when you don't have time for a full, high-quality post. A gift—a book, a song—something that doesn't ask readers to do anything. A full post, not a Note, that comes from a genuine desire to share one thing that means something to you right now. No call to action, no questions for comments. Don't make readers do any work.

But a Nugget post isn't about you. It's a gift to your readers—something they can absorb without much effort. The Nugget gives you and your readers breathing room while maintaining connection.

Join SW@W

Book a Substack Strategy 1:1 with me

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com

Nearly 250 paid subscribers came to the monthly paid-subscriber live with Seth Werkheiser of SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB.

» I love when we all get to be together.

Seth walked us through a 4-step approach to Notes that converts, pulls you out of your comfort zone by showing you how to engage with others, and stops you from feeling like you’re just posting into the void.

Listen for more and if you aren't a paid subscriber to Substack Writers at Work, become one: www.substackwritersatwork.com

How your Substack posts land in your reader's inbox matters more than you think.

In this live, I walk through what your subscribers actually see when your post arrives, how to find out where you're being read (email, app, or web), and why creating a familiar, consistent post structure is more important now than ever.

I also cover what's working with images, why stock photos can devalue your writing, and how to think about your opening lines so readers actually want to stay.

https://www.substackwritersatwork.com/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe