What can you create on Substack?
Substack offers four types of posts to work from: text-based posts, discussion threads, podcasts, and video.
Just as no two writers are the same, there are endless, creative ways to publish on Substack. Writers are serializing books, putting together playlists, hosting book clubs, and more.
Finding examples from other writers is a great way to get inspired. Mia Billetdeaux—who writes Borscht for Breakfast—recommends new recipes to readers based on ones they already love. The format was inspired by John Warner’s approach to recommending books on his Substack, The Biblioracle Recommends.
Here are more examples from your fellow writers:
Edited interviews (e.g. Culture Study, Tone Glow)
Link roundups (e.g. Maybe Baby, Liberty’s Highlights)
News (e.g. Platformer, The Charolette Ledger)
Comics and illustrations (e.g. Drawing Links, Abhijit’s Sketchnotes)
Advice columns (e.g. Ask E. Jean, Hot Singles NYC)
How-tos (e.g. Life School)
Discussion threads (e.g. The New Fatherhood, Apparently)
Virtual events (e.g. The Isolation Journals, Bad At Keeping Secrets)
Music (e.g. Wu Fei’s Music, 3 by 7)
Podcasts (e.g. TrueHoop, New Things Under the Sun)
Video (e.g. Maybe Baby, Seeing Things, and Herb Sundays)
Serialize a book (e.g. Salman Rushdie, Chuck Palahniuk)
Voiceovers (e.g. Experimental History, Ælfgif-who?)
Once you decide what you are going to publish, find your rhythm. There is a correlation between posting frequency and publication growth. When you post it gives existing readers a reason to share and new readers a signal that they might bump into.
Our data team recommends aiming for one post a week as a benchmark. The format doesn’t matter as much as consistency does. Your weekly post doesn’t have to be a lengthy essay, it could be a short post, an audio note, or discussion thread.
Here are a few examples of great short posts:
Kate Lindsay and Nick Cattucci of Embedded write a short 500-word reflection on hot internet trends.
Kevin Maguire of New Fatherhood hosts a discussion thread that sparks conversation with a thoughtful, clear prompt.
Nishant Jain of Sneaky Art shares a video update of an art challenge.
Patti Smith checks in with subscribers in an unfiltered video.
Your assignment
Brainstorm the type of posts you will do on Substack. Sketch out an outline and make a list of five topics that you might cover using those formats over the next few months.
If you already writing consistently, how might you channel the mindset of Mia and remix an interesting format to add more flavor to your publication?
Good heavens! You mentioned my little Substack! I feel I've just won the Belmont!
Thank you for recommending Ask E. Jean!!
Yeah I just realized who you are. I was scrolling through deciding whether or not to join substance. Came across your name and decided the latter. NO THANKS SUBSTACK.
I really like your Newsletter, I think you have an interesting view on the topics you write about!
A.M. Productions,
Produce, Before Dawn
Thank you, A. M.!!!
Write back at ya!
Congratulations!! How exciting! I’ll go check it out!! I just started my Su stack I called Diaspora of Love! I’m moving all my articles over from my Wordpress blog and writing new articles every week. I looov this new platform! Agains congratulations on your mention in this awesome group. I’m going to go check out your page now! Cheers, Saralina
Hail, Saralina! Just signed up for DIASPORA OF LOVE!
Oh i wrote a reply but it didn't post it for some reason. So honored you subscribed! I have one article so far called Welcome to Diaspora of Love and then also one on my "about" page! I have lots to upload so I've got to get tobwirk uploading more. I looking forward to reading yours and hearing yiur comments. Feel free to tell me what you're enjoying in reading them and what youd like me to write about and ill write a new article insoired by you and share your channel on my oost with it! Doesnt that sound fun?! If you like either way! Thank you! Have a glorious day!
Wow, yay!!! I'm so honored!! Whoop whoop! Here's my first article. I'd love to hear what you think of it in the comments! Love to hear what parts you enjoy in it also what topics you'd like to here about and I'll wrote about it for you!! Yay
https://diasporaoflove.substack.com/p/welcome-to-diaspora-of-love
And also here's a little article about my page
https://diasporaoflove.substack.com/about
I look forward to reading yours too!
Here about?
As an absolute beginner on Substack I need to know the basics. If I decide to publish some sort stories, is there a standard format, ie typeface, text size, layout etc. Could I submit the stories in Apple Pages? If I wish to use a pseudonym, does my Substack page have to be under that name? I see from Salman Rushdie's fiction he has a graphic at the head. Is this included in the text file he submits?
These are all very basic I know, but I need to feel solid ground before I can step into the Ss universe.
Thank you.
I am new to to Substack too. I am unsure on how to proceed. I will keep searching. Where do I write my first story, or did I already?
Typically Substack creates a first post that you can edit or just delete it and create a new post.
Thanks for the tips - it would be great to get a discussion going about writing ... in a community of writers. I run a monthly writing course and competition here - I'll try out the discussion thread this month and see how that goes.
We'd love for you to come by Office Hours or Shoutout Thread https://substack.com/events
Thank you!
Could you translate the timings for someone like myself who is in London, UK, please?
About 6 months ago, I added a shorter lighter post on Mondays to the regular Friday deep dive post
My readers like it, as measured by my metrics
I'm experimenting with narrating prior posts into podcasts on demand type of approach
That's great!
Hi E. Jean,
Although I was over 60 (and beyond caring about strappy heels and smokey eyes) I still subscribed to Elle magazine just for the pleasure of reading your witty, heartfelt and funny advice column. Glad to know it's alive and well!
May I just say how devastated I was to hear that you were raped by that creepy sleazy bully. It was like it happened to my own sister. Be strong, be well, fight on.
Bueno, estoy recién empezando aquí en Substack (aunque mi primera publicación tiene ya meses jaja) Me interesa mucho mirar las publicaciones de mis colegas y aprender de sus variados estilos. Gracias por compartir.
I ask you all to come check out my humble Newsletter, “A.M.’s Newsletter”, because I have an amazing series I call, Horizon Star Walk. On the Planet Oria, Aurora Borealis, Orion Pulsar, Ares Aldrin, and Gemini Taurus are on the run for their illegal activity, the stakes are HIGH for them all. A young Guardian of Oria, Sinsen Orbit, is hunting them down with his Officers backing him up. Will he catch them to be executed before the Queen and King of Oria, or will they successfully escape to Earth? Subscribe to find out!
I will do discussion threads, perhaps on a more regular basis because I love the engagement with my readers, but I’d also like to do readings of my work since I have a decent speaking voice. I just jotted down ideas for threads and plan to space them out over the next few months. With audio, I need to dust off my equipment and do some testing.
Am I the only one who noticed that Mia hasn't posted in nearly 4 months?
This was very helpful
Hello, Steve here. Do you hate church? If you do, I completely understand. My goal is simple. We are as individuals and a country, in one hell of a mess! Things are happening that I never thought could in America. I want to develop a place where godly information can be shared. We are in a spiritual War! The only way we can fight a spiritual war is with spiritual weapons. They only come from God!
I will make regular post. Wednesday will be the regular posting. So, please check back and share this site with your friends.
This was very helpful as it helped me revamp my tags so that my newsletters can be discovered.
Hi. Just checking. There seems to have been a change in the default promo image in the magazine layout. Seems now to just be the overall substack image, rather than the main image in a particular article or podcast. That right?
Hmm, so for the most prominent post (the one that's most recent or pinned) you are seeing your publication logo instead of the post preview photo?
Hi Bernard, there was a change in the logic of which image gets shown for podcast posts about a week ago, but that got updated back yesterday. Hope that helps!
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The contents of this document are much too important to portray in sound bites.
I want to publish a weekly fictionalized piece on Trump as the Wizard of Odds. I have the first piece ready to go and the outline of the remaining pieces - subject to read feed back. How do I get started? wdratcliffe@gmail.com - Applied Psychologist, brand researcher, serial entrepreneur.
Hola
This is so exiting to be able to use my talent, and show the world how being an American female has allowed me to be who I am.
Great tips for someone just getting started. I just learned that Substack is much more than the newsletters that I have been reading and that is really helpful as I prepare to publish my own works.
Thanx a lot! I hope to earn some money on substack before i'm 40 !!! Hoo la la la
Olá...
Sou Junior Viola e estou precisando de ajuda em publicações e temas mais abordados para que possa em fim começar minhas postagens com mais segurança
Wow this very nice, please am new here, you guys should welcome me okay!!!
It is far too complicated. I just want to copy and paste my blog. So far I have spent three days trying to set up the payment system and trying to figure out how to cut and past my blog onto your platform. It is too much. You had better be worth it.
Very nice, but where does it tell us HOW to post a podcast??
Help! Just sent out my first post—Notes from North of 80, because it over 80 and excited and challenged and scared and enthused by this crazy nation and world. BUT—how do I keep posting? Is every post a “new” one and I have to enter all the headlines and info again? I’m abit at sea without a paddle. Substack faq not helping
:
David O’Fallon
The more I find out about our country, our leaders, etc etc the more I realize how the vast majority of hardworking middle and lower classes have been let down and ignored. The rich and powerful and political (or some combination of that) assume we are dumb, which we aren't. I use to think, back in the 60s that the US was the greatest and best country in the world. Once I retired and really started looking into things and how this greatest country has taken care of "the least of these", I have grown more and more sad and disillusioned.
Great info! Mahalo!
Gratis energie productie ,elektriciteit !!!
En een nieuw transport systeem wat elektriciteit produceert ipv. dat het gebruikt !!!!
Cool!! Lots to read :)
Great resource! Thanks
Would like to know when will embedding Rumble and other video links that have players will be available? This is needed since many are leaving YouTube, the only available embed links.
Rumble, Bitchute, Odysee, and others are needed.
I haven’t hit my stride yet but sending a huge shoutout to the Substack team. This platform is bomb and I feel confident that I will grow my audience with all of the tools and resources you give us access to. So grateful to have discovered Substack!
How do I change a publication name in edit?
Substack offers four types of posts to work with: text-based posts, discussion threads, podcasts, and video (currently in beta). Since no two writers are the same, there are endless creative ways to publish on Substack https://www.wikiproficiency.com/
this is very hard to find... there are many like this, but if you are from the beginning, try to find through social networks. https://www.goldmindthoughts.com/mindset-coaching
Readers can learn more about the guest writer—and subscribe to his substack—via the featured guest bio at the foot of the post. https://authorcareynolds.com/books/
Can I ask a question? New to substack. Started a new post. It will not let me type past the headline and then 3 sentences. Is there a help line to help me with this? This is my second attempt. I pasted my first from a Word document, no problem.
Thanks for the info - super timely & the kick I needed to get back to my regular Substack rhythm! I accept the "assignment" and look forward to adding more flavor to my updates!