Substack Live Podcast

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When this first appeared, it created some controversy. It even sparked an excellent counter-post. (I joked that his post would have been better if it had been shorter.)

Today, we look at readers' habits and what that means in terms of writing on Substack. Length doesn’t equal greater creativity or artistry. More words don’t create complexity or depth. Think of the three s’s: synthesis, selection, and subtext.

00:00 Why writing less on Substack matters

01:05 Improving Your Writing on Substack

03:06 Understanding Reader Habits

03:42 The Importance of Writing Less

06:39 Data on Reader Engagement

10:46 Design and Medium Considerations

14:00 Thinking in terms of quality, not quantity

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Should you serialize your memoir on Substack?

Yes! Why? Five reasons:

* Memoirs are well suited to the platform.

* It’s an opportunity to show proof of concept to agents and editors (i.e., that people are interested and will buy the book). Right now, publishers don’t consider writing on Substack previously published. My editor at HarperCollins encouraged me to serialize my new memoir Cured (the sequel to my journalistic memoir Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses) before we go to sell it. My powerhouse agent and I ultimately made the decision to do so together—I mention that she’s a powerhouse to reassure you she knows her stuff.

* You’ll become a more attuned memoirist.

* It will make you a sharper editor of your work.

* The result will be a more mature book.

Yes, you’ll build your platform and email list, but the best part about serializing a memoir on Substack is the way it will change you and your book. Let me explain.

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I’m so excited to have Matt Kirkland here today for you. Matt is the creator of Dracula Daily, the serialization of Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Substack. Most people know the story of the vampire and his move from Transylvania to London in search of victims. It’s primarily an epistolary novel made up of letters, diaries, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. It takes place from May to November, c. 1890. Most chapters of the novel occur on a particular date.

Matt didn’t serialize Dracula by simply dividing it according to word count or chapters. He broke up the novel according to date. All subscribers get a post or an installment of what’s happening in the novel on that date. You receive the parts of the novel that take place on May 3 in your inbox on May 3.

In our interview, we talk about how he ended up serializing Dracula.

Enjoy!

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Happy Tuesday!

Please read the intro as I forgot to record one!

This interview is a concise rundown of the realities of being an author in a publicity-driven world. Courtney Maum is quite possibly the only person who could bring it to us.

You might think of there being two eras: BCM (before ) and ACM (after Courtney Maum). Before Courtney and her game-changing publishing guide, Before and After the Book Deal, authors and writers were pretty much left in the dark as to what to expect when they went to sell a book and what would happen during and after. Courtney changed that. Her book and her amazing Substack have changed writers’ lives and empowered us all.

Courtney is also a stunning novelist and memoirist. She’s the author of The Year of the Horses, which was chosen by The Today Show as the best read for mental health awareness. A nominee for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the host of the monthly Beyond Fiction conversation series at Edith Wharton's.The Mount, Courtney's essays and articles on creativity have been widely published in outlets like The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian and her short story, “This Is Not Your Fault,” was recently turned into an Audible original.

I’m so happy to be able to interview her for you and (I hope) ask her some of the questions you have about writing and publishing on Substack and beyond.

Listen or read the transcript below and enjoy!

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On the go? Listen to this on the Substack Writers at Work podcast here!

This is the best fifty-two minutes you can spend. This Q&A with the amazing Sophia Efthimiatou, Substack’s Head of Writer Relations, will fill you with inspiration, optimism, and a true appreciation for Substack and how much it’s doing for us.

Sometimes it can feel like we’re just writing on a platform, but Substack is made up of real people, many of whom are writers themselves. They believe in giving us the professional opportunities we deserve. Here, we’re part of a community.

Become a member of the Substack Writers at Work community. Join 11,000+ Substack writers. Annual members get everything. I encourage you to commit to your Substack with my guidance for a year and get the discounted annual subscription. You, your Substack, and your work are worth it.

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I will save you from spending years flailing around on Substack, trying to figure out the platform, and not getting any traction.

Book a single meeting:

Or a discounted 3-meeting package to get $25 off:

Substack is the best platform for writers—financially, professionally, and artistically—and the hardest to succeed on. Don’t do it alone.

This will be the best money you’ve ever spent. I don’t say that lightly. Just ask the writers who’ve met with me. Their Substacks have

* doubled and tripled in subscribers,

* seen a sharp increase in revenue,

* gotten real engagement, and

* been chosen as Featured Substacks–the pinnacle of quality on the platform.

“More than worth the money.” —Joyce Wycoff, Gratitude Mojo

You can’t find this level of mentoring, attention, and expertise anywhere else. No one else has the relationship with Substack that I do and specializes in the unique nature of the platform, how it can be used to earn an income, and how it complements traditional publishing and all aspects of a writer’s career.

To upgrade to listen on Apple, go to www.writersatwork.net/subscribe.

On the go? Listen to the audio.

If you aren’t a subscriber, become one (!) to master the art and business of being on Substack.

On to the reason why so many writers feel bad about promoting their work and why they shouldn’t…

For many creative writers, publicity is something to be avoided lest someone accuse them of “self-promotion.” (By “creative,” I mean anyone who’s not a journalist—not that journalism isn’t creative.) The tacit belief is that “real” writers shouldn’t need to promote their work. “Good” writing magically publicizes itself or is promoted by others, i.e., gatekeepers—agents, publishers, critics, the media, celebrity authors, Substack writers with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, etc.

I can’t overstate how damaging this has been to writers. It’s brainwashed us into believing 1) all promotion is self-promotion and 2) publicizing our work means slumming and a lack of literary or artistic credibility. More than that, it’s created a culture of dependency and entitlement and a whole lot of professional writers who can’t make a living from their profession.

Writers—especially creative writers—seem to think publicity isn’t or shouldn’t be part of our job. Guess what? It is. It’s not the reader’s responsibility to find us. And not just on Substack. You can get the best agent and a big book deal and you’re still expected to sell your own books. (Sorry to pop that fantasy bubble, but it’s true.)

Yes, there’s the whole art-versus-commerce angst, which I’ve never understood. The idea that commerce taints art is one that I’d love for us all to question. Maybe it has more to do with reaching people. Art that sells speaks to the buying public; art that doesn’t, well, doesn’t.

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A bonus for you for the weekend! If you’re serializing or thinking about serializing your book (or possible book), I go through the entire process and what to consider on the Become a Writer Today podcast with Bryan Collins. Bryan is great.

We talk about all things serialization and “becoming an author,” including my trajectory from

* interviewer at The Paris Review to

* MFA-in-creative-writing grad to

* PhD-in-English grad to

* HarperCollins author to

* devoted Substacker serializing my new memoir Cured and helping creative writers everywhere come into their own and make a living as a writer.

I hope it inspires you and gets you thinking about serialization on Substack. Listen and enjoy!

Substack is its own world, unlike any other platform. What works on Medium or wherever doesn’t work on here.

This session is how you begin the process of growing your Substack. Understand the platform and your purpose—your why.

Too often people get on Substack and just start writing and publishing. You have to know your purpose and your goals to set up or remodel your Substack the right way.

In this session, you’re going to understand what Substack really is.

You’ll get an overview of Substack and we’ll touch on key features and tools

I’m going to give you examples of successful Substacks and approaches.

You’ll also set or decide your goal for being on Substack.

Finally, you're going to define your newsletter’s purpose and audience.

I bring you all my insider information and everything I’ve learned working with hundreds of writers, being behind their dashboards, and seeing what you need to do to set up your Substack to grow.

In this video:

01:12 Understanding the Nature of Substack

01:54 The Trust Factor in Substack

02:16 Substack's Business Model

03:17 Substack's Versatility

04:03 Substack as a Personal Media Platform

04:18 Navigating Key Features and Tools

05:18 Substack's Backend and Subscription Management

05:52 Customizing Your Substack

06:29 Substack's Analytics and Email Delivery

07:02 Promoting Your Substack

07:17 The Authenticity of Substack

07:28 Monetizing Your Substack

07:38 Mobile Optimization on Substack

07:47 Exploring Successful Substack Approaches

Substack’s design features are limited, which is a beautiful thing. You don't have to spend time branding and can get to building your Substack and achieving your goals instead. 

What’s here…

* 00:00 Introduction to Substack's Ever-Changing Design Features

* 00:14 Design Philosophy: Prioritizing Writing Over Aesthetics

* 00:25 Personal Experience: Transforming Substack into a Website

* 01:02 Exploring Substack's Design Options

* 01:36 Homepage Layouts: Customizing Your Look

* 02:17 Advanced Layouts and Grouping Content

* 03:03 Setting Up Tags and Groups

* 03:46 Conclusion: Basic Design Features Recap