Substack for Authors: Find Your Loyal Readers (and have more fun writing)
If you're an author thinking about Substack...
Writer friends often ask me whether or not it’s worthwhile to set up a Substack. The short answer is: Absolutely!
Over the past few years, I’ve become a little addicted to Substack. It’s the first place I go online in the morning to read, and it’s the first site I open when I want to write. I learn something every day, and I end up writing a lot more than I used to.
Because I go several years between books, I worry that my readers will forget about me before the next one comes out. My name is pretty common, I don’t enjoy social media, and it’s easy to get lost in the noise of new book deals and shiny debuts.
That’s why I love Substack. It’s perfect for those of us who would rather be writing and reading than pretty much anything else.
I’ve tried Instagram, and I had a very brief flirtation with TikTok. But both of them gave me a headache. I don’t want to spend time creating “content” that people are going to scroll past. I don’t want to worry about lighting and sound and trending music. I don’t want to “stitch” anything or figure out how a reel works or try to fit my thoughts into an algorithm. I’m old-fashioned that way! I just want to write. Coming up with an image to stick at the top of a post is about as design-y as I like to get.
For me, Substack has been a natural fit. It’s a way to
share my writing regularly
find new readers who are interested in my voice and my stories
stay in conversation with my readers so they feel connected to me, and I feel connected to them
I love that I can write a fully-formed essay on Substack, or just share a quick note of inspiration. I love that I can give a deep dive into my books or just talk about spending a writing weekend in an iconic motel with a tremendous view.
So I created a course about it.
In Substack for Authors, I guide writers, step through step, through the process of creating and maintaining their Substacks. The course is based on my own experience. I made a lot of mistakes when I started, so I can help you avoid them.
We cover things like:
how to start your Substack or refine an existing Substack
what to write—and how to maintain a writing habit
how to use existing work (your backlist, fragments, chapters left on the cutting room floor)
how to stay connected to readers without feeling sales-y
and how to build a sustainable author platform (psst, it doesn’t happen overnight).
If your About page still says “Coming Soon,” or if you’re thinking about starting an author Substack but it feels overwhelming, you can read more here:
Learn more about SUBSTACK FOR AUTHORS…and see some of the terrific Substacks that started in my course.
Here’s a note from one of my newest students, Nicole Bahn, who just set up Invisible String in April and is now a rising Substack…
I wouldn't have gotten started without your class...I am tweaking things every day, and I ALREADY have enough subscription pledges to justify turning on payments, AND I got a notification from Substack that I am #8 today on the rising Music subcategory...Thanks again for your part in this.
- Nicole Bohn, Invisible String



So nice! In a few minutes reading that I could find precious words. Thanks!