This page contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I actually use.
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Newsletter
I started my Substack at 54. I rolled my eyes at it first. Then it turned into a bestseller and one of the steadiest income streams in my business. Here are the eight things I wish someone had told me on day one.
The two guides I hand every new newsletter writer
Substack 101
How I set up, write notes, place the paywall, and turn free readers into paid ones.
Side Hustle to Six Figures
How a newsletter fits into a one-person business with more than one income stream.
I almost didn’t start at all
My coaching clients kept telling me to get on Substack. For months.
I kept saying no. I had enough projects. A blog, a YouTube channel, Pinterest, coaching. I did not need one more thing to feed.
Then I opened it up to see what they were talking about. For their sake, not mine.
It clicked immediately.
But I walked in with a bunch of wrong ideas. I thought it was a blog with a new name. I thought I’d write how-to posts about making money on Pinterest. I thought I had to wait until I was big before I asked anyone to pay.
Wrong, wrong, and wrong.
So here’s what I’d tell myself if I could go back. Tap each one to open it.
What I wish I knew before I hit publish
01Pick something you can talk about every dayNot what sells. What you can’t shut up about.›
If you show up just trying to be a newsletter person, you’ll quit. I’ve watched it happen over and over.
Ask yourself one question. What could I talk about every single day without running out? Travel. Gardening. Your business. Starting over after a divorce. That’s your starting point.
Not sure yet? Pick three things you love and write about all three. The readers will tell you which one wins.
02Come human firstNobody subscribes to advice from a stranger.›
People want your humanness before your advice. You can’t give advice until you first show who you are.
My formula is soul and strategy. Here’s what I did. Here’s where I failed. Here’s what I figured out. Here’s where it got me. Story first, lesson second.
If you have a business, fine. Just don’t make it businessy. A post that opens with “As an expert, here are three tips” dies. A post that opens with the night you cried in a tiny apartment gets read.
03Your topic will change, and that’s the pointI planned one newsletter and ended up with another.›
When I started, I was sure it would all be “how to make money on Pinterest.” It’s not. That’s not where I settled at all.
My readers wanted the woman who started over at 46 and rebuilt everything. The money stuff rides along inside that story.
You won’t know your real topic until you post and watch what people respond to. So don’t spend a month picking a name and a niche. Start, then listen.
04Find three models before you commitNo models means no market. Skip it.›
Go to Substack, click Explore, and type your topic in the search bar. Pickleball. Grandparenting. Full-time RV. Dogs.
You’re looking for publications in your lane with real subscriber counts. When I searched “dog,” I found newsletters with tens of thousands of readers. Every one of them had an angle. Not “look at my cute dog.” A point of view.
Here’s the rule I teach. If you can’t find three people making your topic work, don’t do it on that platform.
05Notes grow you. Articles convert.This one flow changed everything for me.›
I thought the articles were the whole game. They’re not. The short social posts, called Notes, are where people find you.
Here’s the flow. Notes get you followers. Followers become free subscribers when they want more. Free subscribers become paid when there’s something worth paying for below the line.
And sometimes people skip the middle. They like a note so much they go straight to paid without reading a single article.
06Post more than feels comfortableThree notes a day. Keep the winner.›
I used to post one note a day. Now it’s three, minimum. Morning, noon, and night if you like a rhythm. All three at once if that’s when you have the energy.
Here’s how I test. I post two or three, see which one pulls shares or subscribers, and delete the others. That’s how I learned what my readers actually want.
Three a day teaches the algorithm who you are. It also teaches you who you are.
07Turn on paid sooner than you thinkThe first free subscriber is your green light.›
I turned on my paywall when free subscribers started showing up. Not when I felt ready. Not when I hit some big number.
The moment someone subscribes for free is the moment someone might pay you. They’re interested. They’re leaning in.
Then put something below the paywall that’s actually worth it. One or two articles a week with the good stuff behind the line.
08Just ask your free readersI got stuck two away from bestseller. One email fixed it.›
The bestseller badge starts at 100 paid subscribers. I kept bouncing between 97 and 98. Someone would join, someone would leave.
So I sent one email, only to my free subscribers. I told them the truth. I’m two people away from bestseller and I want it. Upgrade by Friday and I’ll send you my Substack 101 guide.
It blew right past the goal. I had never made an offer before that. I should have done it sooner. The template is below.
How a stranger becomes a paying reader
Every newsletter I’ve grown works the same way. Tap each rung.
Short posts that stand on their own
A note is a few lines. No context needed. The best ones make someone say “that’s me” or “I want that.”
Post three a day. Test hooks. Delete what flops. This is the top of your whole funnel, so it gets most of your energy early on.
They want what you send next
A reader hits subscribe when they think, wait, I like where she’s going with this. Now you’re in their inbox.
Keep showing up with one or two articles a week. Stories first, lessons second. This is where trust gets built.
Something real below the line
Paid readers get the part of the article that’s worth money. The how, the numbers, the templates.
Turn this on as soon as free subscribers show up. And don’t be shy about asking your free list directly. That one email did more than months of waiting.
If I were starting from zero, I’d do this
Check each one off as you go.
The “two away” email that got me to bestseller
Send this only to your free subscribers. Swap in your own goal and your own bonus. Keep it honest.
I’m not going to lie. I’m [number] people away from [your goal], and I really want it.
If you upgrade to paid by [day], I’ll send you [your bonus] as a thank you.
That’s it. No pressure. Thank you for being here either way.
Only promise a bonus you already have and can deliver the same day.
“You can’t give advice until you first show your humanness.”Lori Ballen
Starting a newsletter: the real answers
How do I start a newsletter for free?
Substack is free to start and free to publish. You only pay when readers pay you. Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions, plus the card processing fee. No monthly bill while you’re building.
How do I start a newsletter on Substack?
Make a free account, name your publication, and add a photo and a one-line description. Then start posting notes three times a day and publish one or two articles a week. Do the Explore search first so you know your topic has readers.
When should I turn on paid subscriptions?
When free subscribers start showing up. That’s what I did. Someone who subscribes for free is already interested, and interested people are the ones who pay.
Can I start a newsletter for my business?
Yes. Mine grew out of my business. Just lead with your story, not your services. Tell what happened with you or a client, then teach the lesson. Readers can smell a sales pitch from the first line.
How do you make money with a newsletter?
Paid subscriptions are the obvious one. You can also point readers to your own digital products, coaching, or tools you use and recommend. The newsletter is where the trust gets built. The income follows the trust.
Is a newsletter the same as a blog?
Pretty much. On Substack an article is basically a blog post that also lands in your subscribers’ inbox. The difference is the notes feed, which is where new readers actually find you.
How many paid subscribers do you need to be a Substack bestseller?
The bestseller badge starts at 100 paid subscribers. Get a few past it so one or two cancellations don’t knock you back under.
Watch me do it in real time
My Substack is free to follow. Read my notes, see how I write the stories, and copy the parts that fit you. It’s the live version of everything on this page.
Read my Substack →More on building a newsletter
Hey there! Just a quick heads-up: some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase (including through the Amazon Associates program), at no extra cost to you. Occasionally, products featured here are gifted by brands.
I also use AI tools to help research and create content for you! While I love sharing strategies to help you succeed, please remember that everyone's journey is unique—individual results vary, and there are no guarantees. Thanks so much for stopping by!
