Focus on being your genuine self and doing good, and the subscribers will come.

I started with an imported MailChimp list (1750 subscribers) and grew to almost 3,000 in 4 ½ months.

Here are some things I did:

• Created a monthly Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers. There are plenty of book clubs on Substack, but this one has a different angle that I hadn’t seen elsewhere—we analyze books through a writer’s lens (plotting, character arcs, etc.)

• Subscribed to other interesting Substacks, commented on their posts, and made genuine friends with those writers. Some of these have organically blossomed into cross-posting opportunities (but that was not the initial point—it was to immerse fully in this beautiful Substack community).

• Launched a video podcast where I interview incredibly successful writers on how they built fulfilling careers. These are the kinds of topics I love to talk to other authors about anyway—the HOW of building careers, the mistakes and surprising victories. So it was natural to segue from personal interest to filming my conversations.

• Offered Scholarships for Aspiring Writers ($1,000 and $2,500). I am fortunate to have made a successful career with my books and want to pay it forward, so I personally funded these scholarships to give back.

• 100% of Paid Subscriptions go to more scholarships. Our community is working together to raise even more money for more scholarships. We are stronger when we are supporting each other!

• Engaged in the comments of my posts with every single person who left a comment. Each subscriber who takes the time to write a message deserves acknowledgment, whether it’s a like or a short “thank you.” :)

• Sought out expert advice from

  Sarah Fay
  - sometimes an outside perspective can help you see how to improve on your ideas and really make them pop!
  Claire Venus
  is also a great resource.

Most of all, channel your genuine self on Substack! What I mentioned above is personal to me and my career expertise, but EVERYONE has something unique to offer. Tap into what makes you, YOU.

For me, the book club, video podcast, and subjects I write about are all things that I’m already interested in, so it’s not a stressful stretch to publish here.

If you lead with a kind heart to give to the community, others will find you!