How to Write an Author Newsletter on Substack
Seven Tips for Connecting with Readers
If you’re considering creating an author newsletter on Substack, or if you have an author Substack that still says “coming soon,” here are seven things to consider. This post is excerpted from my course SUBSTACK FOR AUTHORS, in which I help traditionally and independently published authors start their author newsletter, write posts that resonate, serialize fiction or memoir, reach new readers, and connect in a meaningful way with their audience.
Every author needs a newsletter to keep in touch with readers. The inbox is still a powerful tool—far better at communicating with the readers who care about your work than social media, where your posts can easily get lost in the shuffle. Two years on Substack have convinced me that it is the simplest, best place to host an author newsletter. Since starting Substack, my subscribers have more than doubled. And whereas I used to pay every month to send my newsletters on my old service, I now receive support from my most engaged readers.
In this post, I’ll share best practices for your Substack author newsletter, including posting frequency, how to write a compelling About page, when (and if) to turn on paid subscriptions, how to mine your earlier writing to create a great Substack archive, and what kind of posts tend to engage readers.
But first, a brief bit of background: I started a mailchimp author newsletter more than fifteen years ago. Mailchimp cost about $1,000 per year and required me to jump through a bunch of design and segmenting hoops just to send out an email. Because it was so time-consuming, my author newsletter would lie dormant for many months at a time. Then, when I had a book come out, I was embarrassed to reach out to my email list with a book announcement.
Why Substack is different and better for an author newsletter: Substack allows you to communicate with your readers in a personal, informal way, on a more frequent basis, without any design skill or extra steps. And the Substack network is unbeatable at helping you reach new, engaged readers who don’t yet know about your work.
I made the switch, I made some mistakes, I learned a lot: I switched my author newsletter to Substack in 2022. Soon thereafter, I switched my travel newsletter, as well as my craft-and-publishing newsletter The Caffeinated Writer (which you’re reading now), and my literary magazine over to Substack too. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and have made some rookie mistakes so you don’t have to!
If you want to create an author newsletter on Substack, or if you have a Substack that still says “coming soon,” continue reading to discover seven tips for writing an author newsletter on Substack.