How to Avoid the Mistakes So Many People Make on Substack

Having helped thousands of Substack writers succeed, I've seen firsthand the mistakes people consistently make on the platform. This is your expert guide on how not to make them.

Substack isn’t an easy platform to get traction on, but with real guidance (me!) and a team of people behind you (the SW@W community!), you will achieve your goals.

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The Top 5 Mistakes People Make on Substack (and How to Avoid Them)—PDF below

Mistake #1: No Clear Goal

• Your goal doesn’t necessarily have to be getting a certain number of subscribers or hitting a revenue amount. It might be Post consistently every week for three months or Connect with one other Substack writer. It might be Generate $1000 monthly revenue by Q4 or Build email list to 500 engaged readers. Whatever it is, write it down, put it somewhere you can see it, and don’t stray from it.

• Solution: Have a goal, stretch goal, and ultra stretch goal.

  • Here’s why:

    • It’s easy to compare ourselves to others on Substack and lose sight of why we’re on here.

    • Without a benchmark, you risk getting discouraged and thinking Substack “isn’t working.”

    • You need to have a goal to achieve it.

  • Do now:

    • Sit down in front of your computer or grab a Post-It or your journal:

      • Set year-long goal.

      • Write it down.

      • Sit with it for a moment.

      • Is that “realistic”? Right now, the growth on Substack is explosive, so quick growth is possible but you also want to support yourself and not get discouraged. You’re creating your home in the internet universe---your own fan base, revenue stream, and engaged community. That takes time.

      • Set a goal that feels “easy.”

      • Then create a stretch goal that feels “hard.”

      • Then an ultra stretch goal that feels kind of scary.

      • These are your Substack goals---plural---for the year.

Mistake #2: Not Having the Substack Mindset