I'm a full-time Substack writer and coach, and if I were starting a publication from scratch tomorrow, here's exactly what I would do:

1. Mindset first. I would make a private promise to myself not to quit during the hard middle stretch. I personally didn't see life-changing results until month nine, after more than 200 long-form posts. The writers who make it here are the ones who stayed long after it stopped feeling exciting.

2. Get clear on my content pillars and define my why. Three topics I could write about on my worst day, in my smallest season, when the numbers aren't moving and the inbox is quiet. Then one sentence that completes this: I write for people who want _______ so that they can _______. Everything else builds from there.

3. Set up the publication properly before posting a single thing. A bio that tells potential readers who you help, what transformation they can expect, and why you're the person to deliver it. An about page that communicates your why, your posting cadence, and introduces you. And a welcome email that mirrors all of this.

4. Develop a posting cadence and a Notes strategy and stick to both. One long-form post a week, alternating between personal essays with lived experience woven throughout, and more tactical deep dives that still carry your voice and perspective. One Note a day minimum. I have full breakdowns of both strategies on Petal + Hearth if you want to go deeper.

5. Post consistently for three to six months before evaluating anything. The compound effect is invisible at first. Most writers quit before it becomes visible. Don't be most writers!!

6. Turn on paid around 1,000 subscribers. By then you've shown up consistently enough that asking people to invest feels earned rather than premature.

7. Once the foundation is solid, start layering in experiments. Monthly lives. An interview series. A paid chat. A digital product. One new thing at a time, with enough runway to see whether it's working.

What questions do you have?! Let me know in the comments below 🫶🏽