5 Lessons I Learned From Building A Bestselling Substack Publication

The best practices to grow and monetize your Substack publication.

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When I joined Substack in July 2024, I didn’t expect Write • Build • Scale to become a bestselling publication just a few months later.

Honestly, I just wanted to try something new after years of writing on Medium. But what started as an experiment turned into a game-changer.

In just a few months, the publication gained over 4,000 new subscribers, hit Substack’s Bestseller status, and approaches $10k in annnual recurring revenue (just from paid subscription alone).

So, if you’re looking to grow your Substack (or start one), here are five lessons I learned from the journey of going from zero to Substack bestseller.

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1. Clarity Is Everything

If people don’t understand what your Substack publication is about within 30 - 60 seconds, they’re not going to subscribe. It’s harsh, but true.

Your Substack needs a clear focus. That means knowing exactly:

• Who you’re writing for (your audience)

• What problem you’re solving (your value)

• Why it’s worth subscribing to your publication (your unique angle)

The challenge is that many writers want to appeal to everyone.

They fear that narrowing their focus will limit their audience, but the opposite is true.

When you’re clear about your niche, you attract the right people. And those people are way more likely to subscribe, engage, and eventually buy something from you.

For our Write • Build • Scale publication, the goal is clear: We help online writers and creators grow their audience and monetize their expertise.

Everything we write reinforces that message.

Practical Tip: Ask yourself, “What do I want readers to get out of my Substack?” Write your answer in one sentence and use it as the foundation of your tagline, about page, and posts.

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2. Daily Notes = Daily Growth

Substack Notes is hands down one of the best features for growing your audience organically. I made it a habit to post at least one Note every day, and it paid off.

Notes are like the short, snackable content of Substack. They’re perfect for:

• Sharing quick insights

• Engaging with your audience

• Building your personal brand

• Staying on top of your audience’s mind

• Getting your message in front of new people

For example, relatively simple Notes like the ones below are getting a lot of engagement and drive new subscribers to the Write • Build • Scale publication.

Not only are Notes great for growing your audience, but also for connecting with other Substack creators.

I’ve met dozens of awesome creators simply by restacking or replying to their notes.

Some of these new connections turned into newsletter recommendations, guest posts, and best of all, new friendships.

Practical Tip: Commit to posting one Note daily. Experiment with different formats - questions, insights, tips - and track what resonates most with your audience. Double down on what works.

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3. Collaboration Is Everything

Substack is a community, and the fastest way to grow is to connect with other writers. Especially through:

• Guest Posting: Cross-posting or guest writing for other Substacks put me in front of new audiences, bringing in many new subscribers

• Newsletter Recommendations: Swapping newsletter recommendations introduced over 2,000 (!) new subscribers to our publication

But collaboration isn’t just a growth hack - it’s a way to make the whole process more enjoyable.

Writing can feel lonely sometimes, but when you’re part of a community, it becomes a lot more fun and rewarding.

Practical Tip: Engaging with 3 - 5 writers in your niche every week. Comment on their posts, restack their Notes, exchange newsletter recommendations, and reach out for potential guest post opportunities.

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4. Consistency Beats Perfection

Your Substack doesn’t need to be perfect. But it does need to be consistent.

When I started, I committed to publishing once a week, no matter what. Sometimes my posts weren’t as polished as I wanted, but they still provided value - and that’s what mattered most.

Consistency does three things:

1. Builds trust: Readers know when to expect new content

2. Keeps you top of mind: Regular posts mean you stay in your audience’s inbox

3. Improves your skills: The more you write, the better you get

It’s easy to fall into the perfectionism trap, thinking every post has to be flawless before hitting publish.

But your audience doesn’t expect perfection. They expect authenticity, value, and a regular post in their inbox.

Practical Tip: Start with a realistic publishing schedule. Whether it’s weekly or bi-weekly, commit to it and stick to it.

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5. Getting Paid Subscribers Requires Marketing

Getting people to subscribe to your paid Substack doesn’t just happen because you write great content (I wish it were that simple).

Truth is, most of your free subscribers won’t automatically upgrade to a paid tier unless you give them a reason to.

But marketing your paid tier doesn’t have to feel pushy.

Instead, about showing your audience the value of upgrading and making it easy for them to say “yes.”

So, don’t be shy about reminding your subscribers that you have a paid tier. Include a call-to-action (CTA) in your posts, emails, and even your Notes.

You don’t have to sound pushy, but if you’re not regularly reminding people about your paid tier, they’ll forget it exists.

Furthermore, subscribers need to understand exactly what they’re missing out on by not joining your paid tier.

What exclusive value will they get?

Why is joining paid better than staying a free subscriber?

How will the paid plan help them get closer to their goals?

I highly recommend thinking beyond exclusive articles and adding more perks to make your paid tier truly irresistable.

For example, consider adding:

• Live Training or Webinars: Host monthly sessions on topics your audience cares about (we host a monthly live training, and our paid subscribers love it)

• Tools and Templates: Create tangible resources that people can use (for example, a productivity Substack could offer habit trackers, planners, or workflow templates)

• Coaching or Q&A Sessions: Paid subscribers could get access to group coaching calls or personalized advice

• Mini-Courses and PDF Guides: Create bite-sized courses or detailed guides that tackle specific challenges your audience faces (we offer exclusive courses and workshops as part of our paid Substack)

These additional benefits make your paid tier feel like more than just extra content - it becomes a solution to your audience’s challenges.

Yes, it requires more work. But it makes your paid Substack so much more valuable than most other paid Substacks out there.

And the more valuable your paid tier, the more paid subscribers you’ll get.

Practical Tip: Create a list of what’s included in your paid tier. Highlight the benefits, and include this list wherever you promote it—your Substack page, CTAs in posts, and emails to your free subscribers.

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