As of now, he’s published over 150 books and is widely read. The whole process of reaching out to him was comical – even for me. I’d read one of his books, which I never got the chance of reading, as it was given four years ago. I turned to the back of the book, read the ‘about the author’ and saw his contact details. I’ll admit, he wasn’t really helpful as I’d hoped, but I learnt two things from our conversation:

1. Don’t ever meet your heroes.

2. If I want to get read, I’d have to do it myself.

There are a lot of writers now, and ever so, many more than we might need. It’s a good thing, but at times, one does ask, “Should I even publish a book?” “What’s the difference anyway?” Because what you’ve written, someone else has already written about it in a different font. But that’s the whole point of writing – not because someone else has already written about it, but how you write it.

What about the way you write sets you apart from other writers? Figure that out and let's just say, you've become an asset.

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“Why would you want to self-publish?”

Self-publishing isn’t exactly as easy as it might seem. Yes, you keep all the money, the credits, etc., it is perpetually exhausting and expensive. It gets annoying when you don’t have the money for it, but editors and marketers keep sending you weekly messages because you posted about being “done” with a book once. Even so, whenever I remember that as a Nigerian living in a devastatingly restricted country (from literally every opportunity), being a writer isn’t exactly easy, because there are no straightforward methods for getting paid for your work. And it isn’t said how annoying that is.

It is undeniably the reason why most restricted writers on Substack who can't earn from the platform, now come for the “connection" and the “just because" of writing. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to earn from your work.

I would like to write my book and set its release date after making every other thing possible before writing it. That shouldn’t be hard, but when all you have is a hand-me-down laptop, a country blocked from getting paid, a philosopher’s brain, and artificial intelligence making your book covers, you really wonder if it is even worth achieving, especially with how far AI has taken over almost everything.

I once sent out a cover letter once with an AI-generated flat illustration book cover image to an indie publishing company, and they declined it because I had used an AI-generated book cover. “This disrupts the livelihood of illustrators…” and I don’t deny that, but then, being seventeen and with a dream, that was all I could do. I don’t use AI for my book covers anymore (well, except one time). Instead, I spend six hours on Pinterest, just so I can get an image that matches the one in my head and then edit it using Canva. It isn’t as great as going to a pro designer or paying for Canva, but it works (with the right image and font, of course). More so, because I don’t have $500-$2,000 for an editor/illustrator, because, as I said, restricted.

Everyday I see indie Nigerian creators pushing for growth and audience, showing up even when it feels discouraging. Not because they lack anything, but because some platforms weren't built for their kind of work. Those who found their way were either opportuned or had assistance, but for those without, who are constantly begging the algorithm for visibility, their work gets buried underneath all the others.

There are platforms that help Nigerians that most of them don't ever know about. It might not be Amazon, it might not be Barnes & Nobles, but it will help you write, sell and earn money independently, if only you are willing to accept that it won't drive as much traffic unless you do.

The reason I am even considering self-publishing is purely out of spite, which, as a writer, I reckon you must have to truly succeed. Because of the nine publishing platforms I was banned from and am currently resenting, I have to be successful because then, they’d be crawling sites just to have my book distributed, and I will gladly decline.

Being an indie self-publisher is more than just having control over your work, it's being responsible for it. You are your own publisher, distributor and finance manager as much as the writer. And we all know the writing phase is the hardest.

Having control over your book is one thing I love about self-publishing, because who wouldn’t want to keep all the money from their hard work? But since it promises control, the income, platform access, the audience, and the visibility, they all solely rely on you for their growth. It’s most stressful with marketing. Even with social media made easy, it’s not entirely easy to post your book and expect comments flooding in with how they cannot wait to read it. That’s why it’s mortifying, building a community of cash cows, people who would buy from you.

Then there’s traditional publishing. Maybe it is because of what I now know about it, but all the authors I spoke to about it have all said the same thing: “It is not easy. Just self-publish first, make money from it, then consider it.” Traditional publishing means you don’t do any of that stressful marketing. You simply sell your book to the company, and they take it from there, before/after which you get compensated.

I heard about vanity publishing once. This is just like traditionally publishing a book, but they demand a certain amount of money before you can submit it to them. And honestly, I think you see why self-publishing might not exactly be great, but your easy way out. Some writers make money just by self-publishing their books, and I tell you, it is inspiring.

One thing that is sure to help, is to choose just one platform (particularly Substack), grow on it, and make it your base. Once you start earning, you can always expand that audience and your reach.

I spoke with an author on substack, and he tells me that when he decided to publish traditionally, but regretted the plan he accepted. He was asked to choose between “high advance payment and low royalty rate” or “high royalty rate and low advance payment.” he chose the former. And honestly, I would’ve too if I were in his shoes. But I’m not, and I don’t think I have the patience to wait a year or two for my book to be edited, proofread, etc., before it can be published.

But this isn’t about me. It’s about you and the decision you will make one day about publishing your book. As of now, I still don’t know what to do. I imagine writing a book and selling it, but it isn’t as easy as it seems, because it’s one thing to have a community of people who like what you write about, and it’s another to convince them to buy from you. Because people want value, and if your book isn’t interesting, they’ll ignore it.

It isn’t easy building an audience from scratch, selling your work to them, marketing it with 42 followers across social media, lacking the money to start or do anything, and being banned from the login of nine different self-publishing platforms, simply because you live in Nigeria. But then, that is exactly why I must achieve this. Because I know doing great things requires effort, and I want you to set that as a goal.

I have something to say, and I want the world to listen. It is for that single reason that I am still writing.

I only hope that my publication grows so I can build something big for writers in restricted zones and voices that deserve to be heard. And to the author who sent me one of her books for free on ‘starting your self-publishing journey as an indie-writer’, I cannot say enough about how grateful I am.

~ kingsley.

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I plan to start offering private consultations for writers who want direct help, feedback, and guidance. But if you already support my work, I don’t think you should have to pay twice. Your support already helps make the work possible.

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One thing that ‘kills’ writers faster than not earning from their work, is thinking that they aren’t ready to earn from their work. I know that feeling—it’s imposter syndrome wrapped as wanting discoverability first.

That, until you reach a certain number of subscribers, you think people won’t take you seriously. That until you’ve been exposed, had that viral post and note, you cannot earn from your work. Writers who think this way fail before even starting.

The truth no one told you or that you haven’t heard yet is that you can earn from your work, you just haven’t tried. The writers you envy today didn’t just start from nowhere, they had to try and try again. It’s one thing to try and another to convince yourself that you cannot earn no matter how hard you try—that’s the difference between them and you—they didn’t stop until they became successful, out of spite.

And when you do put yourself out there, and I mean putting the links with the right call to action, and pushing for growth, there’s something you’re still not getting right, and that is: you’re trying to earn without giving out value.

Value = Money.

Right now, this you: 🧍‍♂️

You sell something to your readers: ⭐ (value) → 🧠💡(knowledge)

And you get… money: 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽💰

As a beginner writer, you need to understand that before people can pay you, you have to trade value first. Write something that challenges their thinking, solves their problem, and educates them in real time and you will earn no matter what idea you decide to write on next.

Trying to sell when you have no value? = 🙍‍♂️💭 →❓

Easiest methods to earning off substack right now:

→ Create a buy me a coffee page, and link it to your essays with the right call to action, or create a support your writing page and link it to your essays with a call to action for your readers to support you.

→ Sell a digital product — e-books, courses, bundles products, etc. It could be anything of genuine interest to people, either solving their needs or entertaining them. Be creative!

#1. Talent Alone Isn’t What’s Paying Writers

Most writers think having a talent or knowing how to write is all there is to be equipped or to make it big in the industry but it’s so much more than simply knowing how to write. It’s knowing how to use your skill to fetch paying readers by selling them value and getting paid for it in return.

Writers earn via these methods: Ghostwriting, selling a digital product, etc., and most times, what they do is simple— put their skill to the test, monetize it.

You’re not afraid to earn, you just don’t think you can because on one hand, you want to sell something to your readers, and on the other, you are afraid of your community not being as interested in your product, worse, they hype you without ever buying it.

Having a “talent” for writing isn’t what’s paying writers. It’s knowing how to work smart, find loopholes and patching them so other writers learn something valuable that can make them pay for the knowledge, refusing to delete it even though their phone storage is full.

And many of us writers, we have that knowledge, it was there when we first struggled to have a platform to earn or write from, but because we think we don’t have the discoverability or the richest community, we can’t sell it. You are as ready as you’ll ever be, you just don’t know it yet.

When you hope on having a talent to write or think that you can’t sell because you place low value on your writing, you kill the part of you that as ever willing to make money. Any numbskull could write, even my grandma could sell a scarf she knitted.

Why?

To sell, you must understand that half of the hook writers use to get you to buy, is just persuasion and sounding like they know what they’re doing, while creating a course and crossing their fingers, hoping you’ll buy—in real sense.

Talent alone isn’t what’s paying writers—it’s knowing how to position your product, so people take you seriously, even if you have a blurred photo of a cat as your profile picture.

“If you’re able to sell value to your audience, something they’re dying to understand or are looking to achieve, you can get paid for anything, even if it’s just a seven page course.” – kingsley

#2. Stop Waiting To Be Discovered First Before You Start Selling

If there’s ever a silent killer of dreams, it’s waiting to be discovered until you can sell, because that’s b*llshit. I used to think that until I made up to a thousand subscribers, I’ll sell my books, courses, write persuasive contents like this. I haven’t reached a thousand yet and here I am doing what I thought I couldn’t.

You know you can sell, you’re just waiting for the validation of an audience until you can make the first step. I tell you, if someone newly signed in on substack with the intention of selling, they’ll make more money in three months than you can in a year.

Determination always fuels success.

Stop wasting time, build.

When you wait for discoverability before you can sell, you pause the part of you that wants to earn. Which is why when the times comes, you start degrading your work.

I recently finished my book and would soon publish it in over 240k libraries and 400 bookstores worldwide. I thought I wouldn’t, but I am allowing my work speak for itself, instead of waiting years until people validate me into doing it.

I make money online via selling my course & that has been a primary source of income for rainy days but asides that, I have other ways I earn (asides writing, of course).

I know I’m good. I‘m just stalling.

#3. The Difference Between Writing For Expression and Income

I think knowing when to actually sell something and write out of education and insight is crucial as a writer, because what you want is balance and not people unsubscribing from you because you started selling everything you could lay your hands on.

There’s a difference.

When you write for expression, you are merely sharing insights and educating your readers like you would normally, but when you write for income or with the intention of getting paid, the narrative shifts and you cut off the over-explaining and anything that would throw your readers off or get them to exit in the first paragraph. You begin using click-worthy titles, optimized for visibility and tags in different niches. You think of how you can hook them at the first line.

When you write for expression, you write without the intention to earn, only make people subscribe. Or that the post isn’t locked behind a paywall. An example? You’re reading it.

#4. How To Make Money Writing?

I think I was able to communicate something to you in this article, and that is, if you have basic knowledge about something, enough that it would help a long line of confused writers, because there’s a line and it exists, you can make money.

How writers make money: Hook/article →Value/offer →Sell & get paid→Repeat.

I can only tell you to have a balance, so you don’t become overbearing and annoy your readers with too many paid products. You can make money writing by selling a digital product, creating value, turning an idea into an actionable course, ghostwriting, etc.

Now, you want to do everything here, but the platform to sell that knowledge is the problem, right?

Keep Kingstack Writing

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One thing I’ve noticed about the writers on Substack (especially the dummies) is that they don’t yet understand how things work on Substack. And it’s our (the experienced dummy writer's) job to guide them. We say we want connection, but how far does that connection go? I’m sure you’re familiar with these tools, but the challenge is when and how to use them.

I’m gonna help you out, but first, read my most read article ‘How to Write on Substack For Dummies’ and then come back here to implement these tips to attract your first 50-100 subscribers. Your guaranteed dummy guidebook to make writing more fun!

How to Use These Substack Tools For Dummies

Let’s start with the most ignored and most underestimated tool on the platform:

#1. Tags

I had to bring this up again, because writers still don’t get how tags work on substack. You know how, when you want to post on Instagram, and you tag your posts with ‘#explore’, ‘#funny’, yeah…that’s how, but without the ‘#’. Substack (like we all “agreed”) is a space for intellectuals, and as such, we treat it like one.

Example: If I were a self-development writer who writes growth essays (mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.) I’d write and publish a post and tag it with: ‘Mental health’, ‘personal growth’, ‘health & wellness’, ‘faith & spirituality’ (remember backdoor tagging?) So, it gets seen by people searching that niche. Probably someone going through depression decides to search that niche, they’d stumble upon your read. That’s how it works.

Fiction, mindset, Christianity, love, sex, lgbt, politics, AI, etc., tag your work with whichever category it falls under.

How to use tags the write way:

• Use 3–5 max (don’t spam, it weakens you)

Always include:

→ substack

→ writing

→ one growth-related tag

• Then rotate the rest depending on the post

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#2. Recommendations

Writers & publications you recommend show on your homepage, along with their blurb about your publication on your welcome page.

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#3. Surveys

Surveys are a good way to collect data on topics related to your work. Say, you’re thinking of starting a new blog or venture into a new craft and either can’t decide or want to share, put it up for a survey and let your audience decide. It's a really fun way of engaging your audience.

“Guys, I don’t know...I’ve got this weird bump on my toe, and it’s really starting to hurt. What should I do?”

a) Cut it off?

b) Go to a hospital?

c). ignore it ‘til it kills me.

Survey says... option C.

You get the idea.

#4. Podcast?

Anyone here into podcasts? Not sure I am, but if you are, it’d be great to start one. Tell us what yours is about in the comments, and I’d be sure to give you a listen. Also, I recently started a mini, pre-recorded podcast, and so far, it’s gotten over 1.52k+ downloads.

Listen here.

#5. Sections

Sections are mini publications. The boxes in a drawer that hold everything in place. Instead of creating another publication, why not create a new section underneath it to house whatever it is you want to write?

Unless you’re trying to expand it into another revenue stream, or an entirely different blog, if what you want to write about still corresponds to your original, don’t create a new publication, but a section instead. Saves you 99.9% of the stress. And when you want to publish in that section, make sure to select it before you publish your work.

#6. Leaderboard + Referrals

You can set up gifts or rewards that automatically send an email to your subscribers when they reach the tier’s number limit. Set up rewards like e-books, collaboration, and Q&As for your subscribers when they refer your publication or engage. Your referrals show up in your leaderboard, right on top of your website. You won’t see it if you haven’t set up the referral rewards, and emails… yes, emails.

settings → growth → rewards

#7. Emails

This is where the real work behind the scenes happens, because sending emails occasionally can be a lot harder than it is. It isn’t its the response from your subscribers that is, because this doesn’t require any form of comments or likes, just a casual pen-pal situation, only that it is for ads or commercials or daily notes, and not a think-piece the world needs to indulge in.

Send an email occasionally to your subscribers so they feel a part of something. It doesn’t have to be something extra; sometimes, just a simple “hi guys [reason]” would do. I sometimes email my books or any project I’m working on to my subscribers before it comes out — I like to think it builds anticipation. And don’t worry, it doesn’t get published on your homepage, just sits in your dashboard. Although it does add to the open rates.

Click on subscriber menu → select all subscribers → email

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#8. Stats

Your stats should be your main domain/the first place you visit when you log in on your Substack dashboard, because that’s where the whole thing happens — your traffic, how many people are opening your essays and reading them, what resonates best with your audience, which post gets the best views, and where those said views came from. It’s how you know when a post flops, and you need to up your game. I’m not saying go overboard with it or sulk when you experience low engagement because that happens all the time, but because you deserve to know how your work is being received — good or bad. And it’s your job to make sure you get read.

#9. Website theme editors

I’d love to give you a thorough review and example of how to do this, but then that’d take more than just this post to learn how. I’m trying not to sound “too performative” lol. Just know that how your website looks when people click on it, either via Google or any indexed site, matters. Maybe not as you’d expect, but if you wanna attract readers (and subscribers), it kind of does. I can help you set this up.

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#10. Cross-posting

Sometimes, when someone asks to collaborate with them or give them a shout-out, I think, why not cross-post? A cross-post is kind of like, I accept the notification to allow you to “publish” a post in my publication. It’s more like, you have a post and want to get views on it, send a notification to cross-post, and it transfers to my publication automatically after I accept it, but you still are the sole owner. I just help you get it seen more.

We don’t necessarily need to collaborate on an entire post before it gets seen. Just send a notification of cross-post, and the writer accepts if agreed.

#11. Welcome Emails

Have you set this up yet?

When people subscribe to you, an email automatically gets sent to them. Whenever you post, an email gets sent out, too. Emails are how you build connection and trust with your subscribers (though they can be annoying when received often).

They need to feel a part of the journey, like they belong there. So, your welcome emails are kind of like saying “hi” to them, welcoming them into your world, as you both journey on into the madness.

Two reasons why you haven’t gotten subscribers yet:

• You haven’t set any emails up (yes, they’re more than one).

• Your subscribers probably sent all unknown emails to the spam or archive list.

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#12. Polls

Polls work the same way surveys do. The only difference is they're for collecting shorter data, like votes and actionable insights from your audience. Like so-

Were these tips helpful? Let me know in the comments which one you struggle with.

~ Ciao.

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I deleted a 3,000 words write-up without having a breakdown. This might not sound like a milestone worth celebrating, but three years ago, deleting a single paragraph felt like deleting three hours of overthinking disguised as insight. I’d hover over the backspace key, sweating, negotiating with myself like a hostage negotiator. “Maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe readers will appreciate the seven-paragraph tangent about my childhood goldfish.”

They would not.

But here’s what nobody tells you about writing: ‘The best thing it does for you has nothing to do with the words you put on the page’. The real transformation happens in the space between “I should write something” and “I actually wrote something”, in that messy, uncomfortable middle where you’re forced to confront every defense mechanism you’ve been running since middle school.

We measure writing progress and the way we measure everything else in life, by outcomes. Word count. Finished drafts. Publications. Followers. The external validation that proves we’re not just screaming into the void while our loved ones exchange concerned glances.

The actual growth? That’s happening in the moments you don’t Instagram.

I have a friend who’s been “working on a novel” for six years. On the surface, this looks like failure. She has 50,000 words that she’s rewritten approximately 900 times, zero agent queries sent, and a Scrivener file that’s basically a digital crime scene.

But in those six years? She learned how to sit with discomfort. She discovered that her perfectionism is actually a fear of being seen. She developed the ability to receive feedback without immediately becoming defensive or crying in a Starbucks bathroom. She figured out that her protagonist keeps making the same mistake because she keeps making the same mistake, and maybe it’s time to address that in therapy instead of just on the page. The novel might never get published. But my friend is unrecognizable from the person who started it. And that growth? That’s not a consolation prize. That’s the actual point.

Writing forces you to develop capacities that have nothing to do with sentence structure:

• Patience

Real, unsexy, sit-with-the-mess-until-something-emerges patience. The kind where you’re on draft seven and you still don’t know what this scene is about and you’re starting to suspect you might just be an idiot.

• Self-awareness

You can’t write authentic characters without understanding human motivation, and you can’t understand human motivation without examining your own. Writing is basically expensive therapy where you pay in time instead of money.

• Resilience

Not the motivational-poster kind where you bounce back immediately with a smile and a can-do attitude. The real kind, where you fail, sit in the failure, examine the failure, learn something from the failure, and then; maybe weeks or months later, try again.

• Humility

Every writer eventually writes something they think is brilliant, shares it, and watches it land with the enthusiasm of a corporate team-building exercise. This is devastating, but also necessary. You can’t improve without being wrong first, and you can’t be wrong without the universe lovingly humiliating you into growth.

“That novel you’ve abandoned in chapter three did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

The blog you started and gave up on after two posts? Not a failure. That screenplay you wrote that will never see the light of day? Performed its function perfectly.

Because the function wasn’t to produce a masterpiece but to change you in the process of attempting it. I have a drawer (okay, a folder, because it’s 2025 and nothing’s physical anymore) full of abandoned projects. Short stories that don’t work. Essay drafts that went nowhere. A Young Adult novel that I will absolutely take to my grave because no teenager should ever read that level of cringe.

For years, I looked at this folder as evidence of my inadequacy. I went back through some of those old pieces and realized I couldn’t finish them because I wasn’t ready to. The story that felt “wrong” for three years suddenly became clear when my entire worldview shifted and I realized what I’d been trying to say without knowing how to say it.

Every abandoned draft is a photograph of who you were when you wrote it. And when you look back, you can see exactly how far you’ve come, not because the writing got better (though it probably did), but because you became capable of attempting something you weren’t ready for before.

“I developed the ability to share my work without needing three days of emotional preparation and a safety plan”

I used to journal obsessively about my writing goals. “Finish novel by June.” “Write 1,000 words daily.” “Submit to 10 publications this month.” Measurable, achievable, specific. All the SMART goal bullshit we’re being taught to be valued.

I failed every single one of those goals.

But you know what I did accomplish?

I learned how to write a sentence and not immediately second-guess whether it’s good enough. I figured out how to receive “this isn’t working” without translating it to “you’re not good enough.” I got comfortable with people disagreeing with my perspective without feeling like I had to defend my entire existence.

You can’t put “achieved moderate emotional regulation when facing rejection” on your author bio. But this is the growth that actually matters. Here’s the secret: the writing gets better when you get better, not the other way around.

You can learn all the craft techniques in the world. You can memorize story structure and study sentence rhythm and understand the hero’s journey backward and forward, but if you’re still running from vulnerability, still writing from fear instead of truth, still more invested in being seen as a writer than in actually writing, the work will reflect that.

The work always reflects where you are internally. Always.

How do you track growth that doesn’t come with metrics? Easy! Do it this way..

You pay attention to the moments that used to break you and now just annoy you. You notice when you sit down to write and the voice that says, “who do you think you are?” gets quieter. You recognize when you catch yourself in a pattern; writing the same character, avoiding the same emotional truth, and instead of spiraling into shame, you just get curious about it.

You realize you’re asking different questions than you used to. Not “Is this good?” but “Is this true?” Not “Will people like this?” but “Does this say what I actually mean to say?” Not “Am I talented enough?” but “Am I brave enough?”

Kingsley

For me, writing has always been that safe space when I needed to just pour out my emotions, random thoughts and to just… self-express. It gets better when you not only focus on the numbers but on how far you’ve come in your craft.

When you’d sit to write, you notice how better your thoughts and creativity flows. How you can now write without deleting the same paragraph over and over. How you trust yourself with your words. How you’re focused on the craft than the numbers.

You might also, out of curiosity, decide to check your past works, cringe and then marvel at how better at writing, you’ve become. That’s often the growth you don’t see.

The key to getting read is by first mastering the craft.

The growth shows up in small, unglamorous ways:

• You can sit with a bad first draft without catastrophizing about your entire future.

• You delete work you spent hours on because it’s not serving the piece, and you do it without grief.

• You receive feedback and your first thought is “how can I use this?” instead of “how dare they…”

• You write something vulnerable and hit publish without a panic attack.

• You fail at something, and your dominant emotion is disappointment, not shame.

• You recognize when you’re procrastinating versus when you actually need rest.

• You stop comparing your chapter three to someone else’s finished book.

This is what makes you a writer, not the accolades or the word count, but the person you’re becoming in pursuit of the work.

One Thing About Writing?

Sometimes the journey sucks. Sometimes the process is just you, alone, facing everything you’ve been avoiding, with nothing to protect you except the flimsy excuse that you’re “working on art.”

Writing will show you exactly who you are, and sometimes who you are is petty, defensive, scared, avoidant, and deeply committed to not changing.

Writing will point at your patterns like a mean older sibling: “You’re doing it again. See? Right there. That’s the thing you always do.”

And you can’t argue with the page. The page doesn’t care about your excuses. The page just reflects what you put into it, which is yourself, including all the parts you wish weren’t there. That’s why writing’s so hard. Not because stringing words together is technically difficult (though it can be), but because it requires you to become someone capable of that level of honesty. And becoming that person? That’s a whole different journey than just learning how to structure a story.

Everytime You Write, You Do This Unconsciously

Every time you sit down to write, you’re not just working on a project. You’re building capacity. The capacity to fail without it destroying you. The capacity to be seen without armor. The capacity to tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. The capacity to keep going when there’s no guarantee of success.

You’re developing muscles that don’t show up on any metric: the muscle of tolerance for uncertainty. The muscle of faith in your own voice. The muscle of commitment to something that matters even when no one else can see why it matters. The muscle of showing up for yourself, consistently, in the unglamorous middle of things.

And here’s the plot twist: these capacities don’t just make you a better writer. They make you a more functional human being.

The patience you develop while revising that scene for the tenth time? That translates to patience in your relationships, in your career, in your ability to handle life not going according to plan.

The self-awareness you gain from examining why your characters do what they do? That helps you understand your own patterns and make better choices.

The resilience you build from facing rejection and continuing anyway? That’s useful for literally everything life throws at you.

The humility that comes from publishing something and not having it land? That keeps you grounded, curious, and open to growth.

Writing doesn’t just change your work, it changes how you move through the world.

The Work Before the Work

So yes, keep writing. Keep finishing things. Keep submitting and publishing and putting your work out there. But also: pay attention to who you’re becoming in the process.

Notice the moment you sit down to write even though you don’t feel like it. Celebrate the day you receive criticism and don’t immediately spiral. Honor the draft you delete because you’ve grown enough to see it’s not working anymore. Acknowledge when you catch yourself in a pattern and choose differently.

That’s the growth you don’t always see.

That’s the work before the work. It’s what changes everything.

And the beautiful, frustrating truth is this: you can’t rush it. You can’t hack it. You can’t skip to the end where you’re already the person who can write the thing you want to write. You have to become that person slowly, word by word, draft by draft, failure by failure, tiny moment of courage by tiny moments of courage.

The writing changes when you change. And you change by writing.

What's one thing you've noticed about your writing in the past year? And how has that experience, shaped you and how how you see yourself now?

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Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go stare at a blank page and contemplate whether this essay is good or if I’m just having a moment of unearned confidence.

*sips coffee*

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When I first started writing on Substack, I had no idea what I was doing. I had nothing in mind to begin my writing journey with. No drafts, no guides, no nothing, just me…writing to a void. I basically was a dummy just scrolling through an app I had no idea what it was about or even how I got to know about it. I got confused, didn’t open the app for about a couple weeks. I came back later on, after days of trying to understand the shit I was reading on Google on ‘How to Write on Substack,’ which was of no help at all.

One thing those articles fail to capture (that I’d felt it wasn’t written in) is the confusion. That self-monologuing confusion. They write those “guides” like they’re talking to people who have at least 5% of the knowledge and try to get them to a 10%. (But I don’t know shit, and you don’t know shit either, so what then?) That’s why it feels a bit too performative and clickbait-y when they go on to offering courses on Gumroad and all that crap.

You’re a newbie on substack and find it difficult to navigate because it looks like everyone’s got this perfect newsletter and are gatekeeping knowledge on how to use those cool features you see them use and don’t always talk about. Like, “wait, how did she even get that?” “Wait, when did substack even have this?”

And instead of reading a newsletter explaining that, all you see is “substack connect me with writers who writes…” frustrating, isn’t it? Makes you just wanna…hit ‘em in the throat. But that’s where I come in—the guy who actually does gives a f*ck and would want to help you figure out how shit works.

If you think Substack is unfair, try writing on Medium for a year with no engagement.

How to Be a “Pro” on Substack

#1. What the F*ck is That Publication?

//Everything you need to know about building your publication//

Before I start, please tell me you have access to your substack’s dashboard, otherwise this would be crap to you.

How to get it?

Check your email for the link assigned from when you signed in on substack, or on the substack webpage, click under your profile for ‘dashboard’, and that’s it. And no, long form notes isn’t how we publish contents.

It kills me to see people misuse their publication, because if you know just how important it is for it to be a source of income for others, maybe you’ll treat it a little differently (some of us can’t). And maybe if you feel stuck, or lagging, then I’d advise you step out of that crappy niche you’re in.

• Name

• Description

• Category (Niche)

• Enabling Payment?

• About Page

• Welcome image

• Welcome emails

• Sections

Building a publication isn’t always that simple. You gotta come up with the name, the topics you’d want to talk about under that publication, and worse—picking a niche.

Very few persons know this: when creating a publication (i.e.), where your main hub is or topics are gonna be featured under, at some point if you’re looking to expand that, you can create:

• Sections (mini pubs) ‘underneath’ it, instead of having up to five f*cking publications. Unless they’re for a different category, don’t.

• Categories are where you pick that niche everyone keeps telling you about—education, art, music, literature, philosophy, etc.

• Descriptions tells people about your publication (this is very different from bio), writing category, and well…you & what to expect in the long run. We need to understand you first before we join in on the madness.

• About page is a longer form of that one sentenced description for your publication. Maybe 5-10, a whole paragraph (hey, people do that) about you, what you write about, your purpose and what you want other people to learn from you and why you want us to.

• Enabling payments? 404: Page Not Found.

• Welcome emails. They’re emails that are automatically sent out when you publish a piece.

• Welcome images. They’re what invites people to your publication. It displays the welcome image you choose, publication description, how long you’ve had it and the publications you recommend.

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#2. Your Newsletter isn’t a Frickin’ Spotify Playlist.

If you want people to look at your post while scrolling and go “wow” enough to subscribe from just the thumbnail and title, do this instead: edit that title into something click-worthy.

Sometimes what really reels readers in is the title. Don’t just write and title your read with something as simple as “Grief,” “Love,” etc., look around, do the bestsellers and the writers you like, title their works that way? No.

It's always: “How to do this,” “How to do that,” “This is why…” or on posts that take different routes that warrants it’s unique title. A title can come from a line in your read—something powerful to draw people in to read.

Titles have to be elaborate—they have to contain the emotion of your read like a sentence—love, hurt, humor, all that. So, write your titles like sentences not Spotify playlist’s. My title is exactly what I’m trying to explain. What did you feel when you saw it? Humor? Maybe. Now imagine if I’d titled it “New writers,” or “Substack” (yeah.)

#3. Let’s Add Some Color (Life) to That Boring Publication.

So, you’ve wondered “how do they make their publication so aesthetic?” “how can I do that too?” it’s simple, and the answer to that is in your website editor. In your dashboard (which I’m sure you have) you’d see a ‘website theme editor,’ click that. It’ll take you to where you’ll see your really scattered and boring publication.

Now, here’s where the tricky part is; it’s you who’d determine how you want it. And just know, whatever changes you make, you can see them to verify before saving. You’ll first see ‘branding,’ which is where you add in your (and by now, you must’ve had) publication image, wordmark (that ‘written by Kingsley’ on top, colors (accent & web background), typography (whatever font you want—headers, body) and link style (colored or underline)

The next is the ‘homepage.’ You’ll choose a style you want (magazine, newspaper, highlight, feature, or media highlight).Advanced layout is like if you want to over-beautify your website (like me, who does) so it looks aesthetic enough and pleasing.

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“The key to growth on Substack isn’t always publishing consistently, and some writers ‘know that’ — Ana Calin

#4. Fix that Dumb Bio.

A bio is an ‘introduction’. Just something to make the other person go “ohh,” “ha-ha,” “wow, that’s smart,” depending on what you want them to know about you—something that truly stands out. It should be new, strong, memorable, witty & clever. You don’t want a weird bio that makes people cringe when they see it.

Some people have really good bio’s (the ones that make you pause and admire them), and some people have ones that needs more work, but all are bio’s nonetheless. Because yours isn’t as flashy doesn’t make it a less of what it is. The professional, business writers have bio’s that sets them apart—the “I help you…”’s.

#5. Write Some Damn Words.

Now that your publication is up and running, all you need to do now is to write some damn words. Some writers usually get worn out and post “I’m taking a break from Substack for now…”, fix that by knowing how frequent you want to write—that’s it.

What to do?

Know when you want your work published, or when to write (so you don’t murder yourself one day). Do you…want to write:

• Daily? (Bad option)

• Weekly? (once a week. So, great)

• Bi-weekly? (twice a week. Not so great)

• Monthly? (shut. up. Really?)

• Bi-monthly? (eh…liked monthly better)

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#6. Choose the Right Tags.

Choosing a tag on Substack is just like choosing tags on your Instagram, tiktok or twitter posts but with slight difference, since it’s on substack. Remember when I said you’d have to choose a category? That’s what you’re gonna be tagging to get views.

Here’s the thing:

This is an educative post (right?), and both my niches are education + culture. I will tag it as ‘education’ for people in that niche to see it. Now, the relative tags would be: ‘Substack,’ ‘Substack writers,’ ‘New Writers,’ ‘How to Write,’ ‘How to Write on Substack For Dummies,’ (yes, even the title itself) and basically, anything with a ‘how to’ post is an educational content. Understand it now? If you still don’t, ask chatgpt.

There’s this ‘backdoor’ tagging spoke about. It’s like tagging two niches to save time, basically. So, instead of tagging your newsletter: ‘technology,’ ‘business’ separately, you can just: ‘business’ + ‘technology,’ ‘health + wellness’ it and it gets delivered to both those niches. Smart, isn’t it?

One thing about this feature? You can write on anything outside your niche, and it will get read. Say you write about art or music, who says you can’t write a philosophical essay? Don't let your niche cage you.

#7. Your Title is a Test Monkey.

There’s a new feature on Substack—the title test runs, or A/B title testing. Maybe you have five different title ideas for a specific post, you can see when the current title is changed into the ones you added. What this does for your post is: it gives your post a chance to play with all the title ideas and see the ones that readers get drawn to the most and going with it. It’s a great way of drawing in readers.

#8. Hook ‘em Right Outta the Gate.

What’s all this recent bravado about hooking your readers with the perfect title, subtitle (which are important btw) about? Can’t I just creatively express myself without having to boost or use right optimized titles (to get read? yes)?

“We’re humans not some AI bots that needs indexing.”

(Read below)

#9. Schedule, Publish, Repeat.

Now you’ve written the damn thing, what’s left on the list is to publish it, or if you’re a bit picky and indecisive (like me), you can schedule the date on when you’d want it out.

(Huh. Finally, something so short and self-explanatory).

#10. Spread that Newsletter Like it’s Gospel.

I take sharing my works on social media (twitter, tiktok, instagram) to the core (and of course), with a reasonable amount of unhinged writer. For me, it’s like everyone (including you) must read and cannot escape my newsletters. I didn’t spend 5 hours writing shit that no one would read, even though based on real life events (no one does), I think my words have to account for something and shall not be left to rot in my pub. So, if you’re like me (a writer, who isn’t yet read) you’d do same and annoy other writers with your presence.

Psstt. Hey,

Follow these Writers to Get Better

The writer’s I’d be referring to you, each have published works that I sometimes re-read, because they’ve helped me a lot—in terms of my writing style, tone (okay, not really), articulation, and overall, understanding how shit here works. They’re all female. :3

• – She writes ‘PubStack Success’

• – She writes ‘Down the Rabbit Hole

• – She writes ‘How we Grow’

• – She writes ‘Wander Wealth’

• – She writes ‘Hello Writer!’

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Badmouthing

FUCK NOTES! Substack is insufferable right now

Maybe you thought I was done after my viral piece Substack is a social media you cunt, but surprise bitch, I’ve got some more…

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a year ago · 2635 likes · 359 comments · Luciana Cole they/them

As a fellow writer, who is skeptical about using AI to write, I understand how guilt, so to say, must feel like, when you write with AI. Listening to other writers (critics), talk about how writers who use AI, are ‘fakes,’ and are not to be given an audience to. I’m here to tell you, you’re not a fraud for using AI to write. You’re simply learning.

When I first started writing, I used AI to write. Not because I didn’t have a brain to work with, but because I was new to the craft, and didn’t want my writing to flop.

I was always obsessed with getting subscribers and followers, that I lost track of the reason as to why I wanted to, in the first place. Writing was something I had newly walked into, and not knowing how, felt like I was ignorant of the craft. So, I researched, but didn’t get much help there. I would recommend it though—if you’re a writer, looking to get a slow build of information, rather than a response from AI within seconds.

Making Writing with AI Symbiotic. Here’s How:

A lot of writers (and readers) think that writing with AI, means you mindlessly, mind-lift what it spits out and then post it on your blog. They’ll say you’re a fraud, a no-show, make fun of you for not having a brain to think of your own ideas, criticize, until you delete your publication to “re-strategize.”

But what if you had it all wrong? The idea that using what AI gives you, makes you a daft writer? It is possible to suffer a creative loss, if you frequently mind-lift everything AI gives you and claim it as “yours.” When the fear of “not knowing what to write,” comes in, but as a block. You’d notice you can’t write, or think of what to write, because instead of being creative, you let your brain go south and let AI do all the thinking for you.

What most writers would tell you, is “don’t make use of AI to write. It shows lack of authenticity.” But now, can you say AI doesn’t sound at least, 2% authentic in its craft? I mean, we all use AI, and believe it or not, it is learning from us. Our feedback, our response, it understands and recycles answers and question. What some other person asked and fed into it, is what it’ll give another. Garbage in, garbage out, really.

So, how do you make it to be a symbiotic relationship? That’s easy—write it yourself, then consult it, when you need clarification.

For Instance,

If you wanted to write an article on say, self-publishing and traditional publishing (or maybe even vanity publishing, as I hear) and you wanted to let authors know which to use, (which would be of great help, in case you’re considering it) what would do?

a.) Carry out indefinite research on it. Or,

b.) Ask AI (easy route I’m sure you’d want to take).

Anyone can be a writer now-a-days. You don’t even have to understand the craft to know how to use it. You just need to carry out indefinite research on something you don’t know, gather your points, use your brain right, and that’s a six figure money maker.

A symbiotic relationship with AI means putting in the work, just as it has done. Not mind-lifting and claiming it as your work, but understanding the result of AI and seeing how best, you can craft something out of it.

Have you thought about what you’d do? Research on it or consult the ol’ chat buddy? I’d say both. Well, if you can consult AI, you certainly can research or vice versa. That’s how to leverage both results to get what you want.

Don’t just copy AI, understand it—that’s what it was there for. You asked a question, it gave you an answer. What you do with that answer, makes you who you say you are. That’s where most people get it wrong, especially writers. Sometimes, you need creative boosts from AI, and when you have one, you certainly don’t need to ask it more questions to have a clear image of what you want to write.

As a writer, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with consulting AI for a few content ideas when you feel stuck. Maybe even SEO titles to boost visibility on your newsletter. That might just be what you need to get that creative juice flowing again.

Don’t let the words of yet another blind writer or reader, poison your research skill. AI too, if you think about it, is a research tool.

Using AI Without Feeling Guilty

Consulting AI for our various needs might us make feel like we’re being frauds for it. Especially now, that most readers and writers are against its use. Well, whether they like it or not, that’s what’s in the sales market now, and people are cashing out big time. This newsletter, wasn’t made to sway you from the obvious, but help you see that, you can leverage using AI, in a way that it helps serve your needs better.

1. Carry out research on the topic interest first, then consult it, to clarify.

2. Write it out yourself.

3. Consult it for when you need ideas on what works & what doesn’t.

4. Consult it for pro editing on your recent work, so it stands out.

5. Consult it for SEO titles and meta descriptions that would accelerate your content’s growth and niche writing.

6. Consult it for when you need answers on topics you aren’t sure of, or need deeper answers on.

7. Consult it when you need ideas on how make your content grow in the market.

What I have laid out, these 7 tips on how you can use AI? That’s exactly how you can start to use AI to get what you want. More, if you have a glimpse of what I’m trying to paint. Never consult AI to “help” you write out something you should’ve written yourself, then asked to proofread without changing your tone and style. That’s what makes you a fraud.

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t use AI to write. You’d get dumber before you turn 40.

• Understand how to leverage both AI’s result and your brain’s result to create an even better, powerful write-up.

• Don’t mind-lift what AI gives to you, as an answers. There are other ways to getting them. Like, reading & researching up on it.

• Humans are annoyingly lazy, and would seek the easiest route out of things. Don’t be that with AI, otherwise, you risk putting research (a valuable skill/asset) to waste. What’s the point of all this knowledge when we can’t access it whenever, right?

• You’ll suffer a creative brain damage if you let AI do all the thinking for you. It knows it wasn’t there for that. It’s like stirring a ship that doesn’t know it’s got a stirring wheel.

• No matter how much time we spend talking about AI, let’s face it, some writers would disagree on its benefit (or well, use). One thing about those writers? Those are the ones who use it secretly.

What have you learned from this article? Please let me know in the comments, and I’ll respond to each one.

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In all my time of being a writer (which isn’t that long enough) on substack or just being a writer in general, what I find most convenient is that, writing comes with rules—a lot of them. Be it as it may, we need those soul-crushing rules. Want to get read? Go by the rules. Want a breakthrough write up? Go by the rules.

There hasn’t been a writer (at least, none that I’ve seen or heard of) that goes against that rule. Authors don’t count in this rule, as their work gets edited by a ‘professional’. Why can’t we read a book and see at least three typos in different pages? Worse, in a sentence.

Writers who write on substack knows this; the key to getting read is by first choosing a niche. Then consistently write on that niche ‘til you see an increase in growth. Make your words simple and easy to understand and read (no one wants to scroll through a seven-ten minute read essay).

And then, they tell you, “You have to hook them at the gate.”

But what does ‘hooking’ them really mean?

We’re humans, not some low-budget ai bots that needs indexing.

“I earned a $1000 by doing this one thing on Substack?” compared to, “How to earn your first pay on Substack.” That kind of thing?

They both, do stand out in a sea of business + technology newsletters, but undoubtedly, the first one would perform better. You’re not only giving an insight to how they can earn, you’re giving them a back stage pass, a secret door to earning off substack. 70% of the engagement, would come from those who are in restricted regions.

Do you understand how that works now? I’ll admit, that does hook (dang it).

Common Advice Writers Hear (Especially on Substack/Medium)

#1. Pick a niche/topic & target audience.

Picking a niche, great. Not writing about something you love, because you stuck to a crappy niche? Opposite of great. Niches are understandable, easy, concise—you stick to that topic (wellness, business, etc.), but what if you also scribble a few poems, or love to give anime reviews? You might be losing potential paying subscribers.

Solution: Create another publication or switch between niches—they evolve overtime.

#2. Hook readers from the start.

Not all readers need an overstimulated and dramatic hook. Some just value honesty, slow build, reflection and posts rooted in deep thoughts. If overemphasized, can make a post sound too formulaic or clickbait-y. It’s up to you. Like this post, I’m not even sure if it’s ‘hook-worthy’. But let me know if it was/is (lol).

#3. Title must be perfect/concise/catchy.

I personally don’t have beef with expressive and intentional titles—the ones that makes you pause and open them out of sheer curiosity. They tend to drive clicks faster, and get indexed by google to more eyes. Hence, the search engine optimization everyone’s obsessed with on LinkedIn. Notice how most their content, doesn’t flow with the title? That’s what you get when you’re being lured to posts that get paid per clicks.

#4. Be consistent.

This is where the beef starts. I’ve seen (literally) writers on substack who don’t write consistently, and they have thousands of subscribers (of which, I am one of them). It’s all in the mindset. Value is “vague”. On some reasonable amount of contrary, writing consistency (for most niches) does exceedingly well, while others might flop. It’s not you, it’s probably the niche you are in.

#5. Make every post count.

If my content makes you laugh, reflect, smile, get annoyed, and just…unsubscribe (or subscribe), then I have left my mark—unasked, of course. Writers usually would advise you; “Every issue should teach and entertain,” while I’m here trying to figure out what most writers here even write about.

#6. Be authentic.

Learn the craft first, then be authentic. Personally, I think most writers wing it. And some get ideas from AI but write it in their own style (which is okay too).

#7. Free content is key.

You want that money. We all want to make money off our writing. We didn’t just show up one day, wanting to write endlessly without making at least a dime from it. But that’s what you get when you’re in a country that restricts earning. It gets annoying when you come across a writer who preaches against pay-walling, but does same thing.

I get it. You want eyes. Lots and lots of eyes. But have you thought about what value that would be, if you lost yourself in the process? What you need isn’t more essays, reads or articles pointing you in a directionless route, but a strategy—one that works. Create another publication if you must, send your work to a group or a friend (who you know loves to read), and choose another niche. It’s okay for the niche to shift. You don’t always need a perfect “hook”.

It’s overwhelming and you feel lost, but sadly, that’s part of the journey. And you sort of did, sign up for it (just saying). We’re writers, and growth often comes with a lot of swearing, fear and feeling boxed-in (omg). But that’s the magic of it (or as we’re being told).

What’s that one piece of advice you’ve ignored, and ignoring it has helped you more than following it? Let me guess, somewhere between “choose a niche,” and “be consistent?”

If you can confidently promote your writing without feeling cringe, you’re not just an ordinary writer.

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