Should Authors Use Substack?

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT

Should authors use Substack?

I’ve been using Substack for several years now, and I’ve come to see it as something more useful than just another social media platform. For writers, it can be a blog, newsletter, community, podcast platform, and—most importantly—a way to build an audience you actually own.

In this episode, I break down how I use Substack as an author, how recommendations and Notes can help grow your readership, how often I think writers should post, what kinds of content work, and how Substack can ultimately help you build an email list and sell more books.

You don’t need to master everything on day one. Start publishing, participate in the community, experiment with your content, and figure out what your readers respond to.

And remember: unlike your followers on most social platforms, your email list can go with you.

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TIMECODES:

00:00 Why I’m talking about Substack
00:59 What Substack actually is
02:31 Blogs, newsletters, Notes, video, and podcasts
03:28 How Substack helps grow your mailing list
04:51 Recommendations and sharing audiences with other writers
05:44 How often should authors post?
07:06 What should writers publish on Substack?
08:37 Writing for your readers—and for yourself
09:28 Fiction, paid subscriptions, and monetization
10:27 Podcasts, livestreams, and video
10:54 Why owning your mailing list matters
11:28 The posting schedule I recommend
12:12 My concern about Substack and AI
13:07 Can Substack actually help sell books?

If you’re a writer trying to navigate writing, publishing, book marketing, building an audience, and making a living from your work, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where we talk about the practical side of becoming a better writer, reaching more readers, and building a sustainable author career.

FIND KEVIN:

Find Kevin and his books:
https://kevintumlinson.com

Join Kevin on Substack:
https://kevintumlinson.substack.com

Wordslinger Podcast home page:
https://wordslingerpodcast.com

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS:

Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:
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Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:
https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger

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https://authoranchor.com

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