Simple Substack Strategies for Authors: 8 Quick Wins and a 30-Day Growth Plan That Works
Actionable, low-stress ways to grow your Substack readership, engagement, and confidence without needing to be a tech expert.
Why Substack Works for Writers
Substack isn’t just for journalists anymore. It’s a creative lab for writers who want to have a little more control of our audience, potential revenue, and voice without the noise of other social media platforms.
I’ve been writing weekly since August of 2023, and am just starting to gain traction. Don’t give up! But be consistent. As you can see below, I've just hit a list for the first time. (I blinked and it was gone.) Yay.
💥 Shout-out to my exclusive advertising sponsor, the always-free Booklinker (universal book links—so helpful!), and the paid tool, GeniusLink. I love both💥 (affiliate link).
The algorithm rewards consistent sharing, smart engagement, and authentic storytelling (supposedly). You’ll see a lot of people discussing the algo. I’m not here to explain that (as if I could).
Point is, you don’t need fancy tools or viral tricks. You need small, steady moves that build community and trust.
To be clear: I’m not a “Substack Expert,” so I’ve linked to many popular posts and Stackers who are experts that I’ve learned from over the past two years.
Let’s discuss.
1. Post on Notes to Be Discovered Inside Substack
Notes are Substack’s built-in micro-blogging space. If you’re a Twitter refugee, you get it. Use it daily or a few times a week to jot down short thoughts, quotes, or snippets from your writing.
Notes get surfaced in other writers’ feeds and discovery pages, helping new readers find you.
I also like Notes because search engines can supposedly index them. To what extent? Not as much as posts. So mix it up.
➡️ Learn how to use Notes effectively: Substack Help: Notes Overview
Tip: As soon as you publish your post, share it as a Note as well, so it enters the Substack ecosystem.
2. Turn High-Engagement Notes Into Full Posts
If a Note gets traction with likes, restacks, or thoughtful replies, expand it into a full post. Add context or a story behind it.
Then embed the original Note at the top of the article. It gives readers an entry point and strengthens your internal discovery loop.
➡️ Tip: Claire Díaz-Ortiz on Substack Growth
3. Engage Thoughtfully in Comments and Notes
Comment on other writers’ posts and Notes with genuine insights. Don’t just say “Great post” or leave a single emoji (unless that’s all you have time for at that moment).
Add a perspective or ask a smart follow-up question. It builds visibility and reputation organically.
➡️ More engagement advice: The Writing Lab on Medium
4. Create a Strong “Free Sample” Post
Your free posts are your handshake with readers. Select your best writing and share it with everyone. End with a clear call-to-action like:
“If you enjoyed this piece, subscribe free or support my work with a paid plan.”
➡️ Resource: Substack’s Getting Started Guide
Tip: It doesn’t hurt to ask for paid subs. I added this sentence to the end of my recent posts and doubled my paid subs in a few days. I kid you not. (Full transparency: I have over 8,000 subscribers, and this newsletter is free and will continue to be; all but 12 are paid.
But that’s okay! I went from 6 paid to 12 paid in less than a week by asking. And huge thanks to everyone who supports my work.
Steal these (edit as desired) if you want to motivate folks to support you for the work you do:
Version 1: 🌻 This newsletter is free to read, but it takes time, research, and a lot of coffee to make it happen. If you’d like to support my work, please consider upgrading to paid. Your support makes a real difference.
Version 2: If you’ve made it this far, we might already be friends. Subscribe or upgrade to paid to keep this conversation going.
5. Collaborate With Other Writers
Guest posts, cross-interviews, or collaborative essays expose you to new audiences. Pick writers who share similar readers, not just bigger ones.
Offer mutual value through an interview, Q&A, or a co-written piece. That can be fun as long as you connect with someone in similar genres.
➡️ Example: Substack’s Official Collaboration Tools
6. Use the Recommendations Feature
Curate two or three writers you genuinely enjoy and recommend them. Then politely reach out and ask if they’ll do the same. If that feels too ick, don’t reach out. Just feature them and throw it to karma.
Recommendations show up on each writer’s profile and discovery pages.
➡️ Learn how: How Recommendations Work on Substack
7. Sharpen Your Niche and Bio
Be clear about who you write for and what readers get. Instead of something general or vague like “musings on life and creativity,” try “Stories about how writers stay human in a digital world.” Clarity converts.
Remember WIIFM (What’s in it For Me)? That.
➡️ Example of a clear bio: Austin Kleon’s Newsletter
8. Repurpose Your Best Content
Slice one long essay into several shorter pieces.
Turn quotes into Notes, Threads, or Instagram posts.
Break a big article into a mini-series or create a listicle version with resources.
I like this option because I work with many professional writers who have bylines in national magazines for their essays. Essays are different than newsletters or blog posts, so I find it helpful to break a longer essay into parts when it makes sense.
➡️ Helpful read: How to Repurpose Content
🗓️ 30-Day Substack Growth Plan for Writers - Steal This!
Week 1: Optimize Your Presence
Update your bio, profile photo, and publication tagline.
Choose three to five of your best posts and make one free (or keep everything free to start. Up to you.)
Pin your most popular posts.
Set up your “About” page with links to your books, socials, and website.
Week 2: Engage and Be Seen
Post at least three Notes throughout the week.
Leave five thoughtful comments on other writers’ work.
Share one of your Substack posts on your social platforms with a personal note.
You can share ANY Substack post on Mondays on X and Bluesky with the hashtag #MondayBlogs. Learn more here. (Note: not for book promo!).
Week 3: Build Connection
Ask readers a question at the end of your post, such as “What did you think of the book?” or “How was your experience with this service?” This opens up a discussion.
Reply personally to comments and new subscribers.
Recommend two other writers and message them about potential cross-promotion opportunities. The worst someone will say is ‘no, thank you.’
Week 4: Expand and Reflect
Publish one collaboration or guest Q&A. Here’s a guest post on my Substack by J. Herman Kleiger, psychological fiction author, on why we creatives are particularly susceptible to scams.
More here:
The Creative Artist's Survival Guide: How to Avoid Scammers Who Target Your Dreams
I’m so excited to share Dr. J. Herman Kleiger, author and psychologist, with you today!
Turn your best-performing Note into a full article. I’ve had a few Notes get some traction. I’ll get into this further in future posts.
Review your analytics. Look at what got clicks, what got replies, and what felt natural. Where are your clicks originating? Track that using GeniusLink or Booklinker.
Set goals for the next month, such as gaining fifty new subscribers or scheduling one collaboration.
✅ What That Means for Your Strategy
Given that full posts are indexed more than Notes, here’s how you might treat Notes vs full posts:
Full posts are your SEO workhorses
These are the pieces you optimize (keywords, meta title, backlinks). These are the ones likely to rank and get traffic via search. More on SEO here (I promise, it’s not scary).Use Notes for internal growth and engagement
Think of Notes as your community tool: spark conversations, tease out ideas, and attract attention within the Substack ecosystem, rather than relying on it as your primary SEO lever.Embed Notes inside full posts
If a Note is rich or engaging, include it in a full article. That way, those words get exposed in a context that is likely to be indexed by search engines.Encourage external linking
If someone puts your Note (or excerpt) on a blog or social media with a link to your full post, that can help SEO. External pages are more likely to be crawled.
Final Thoughts
Substack rewards authenticity and effort. The more you show up consistently, generously, and with your own voice, the more you’ll grow.
Listen, you don’t need a massive following. You need a recognizable rhythm and a genuine connection with your readers.
Happy writing!
These suggestions will help everyone interested in growth on Substack make their mark. At least, they give me assorted ways to try.
This is bloody brilliant. Thank you love. I always intend to do all the things but....well sometimes I wish I had an assistant (butler???) to do all the admin clever bits so I can just write. Really helpful though and I've just subscribed ✨️