For me, the biggest things I try to focus on are not overthinking things and writing consistently. I find that when I overthink questions like "Will people like today's article?" or "What should I write about today?" it bogs down my creative process. Obviously I do have to consider those things, but it becomes paralyzing if I spend too much time dwelling on them. So I write and write and write and write. I just keep writing about people, songs, and albums that interest me. Sometimes the stories are a success and sometimes they aren't but I keep on writing. Also, I try not to pay too much attention to views and open rates on my emails. I do have to be aware of them but over analyzing them is draining.
That's a great question. It took me several months to hit 1,000 total subscribers. Hindsight being 20/20, I wouldn't have turned on the paid subscription option right away. I would have offered Micro-Chop as a free newsletter for a few months and focused on building my total mailing list. A lot of the most successful Substack writers talk about this strategy. (Check Judd Legum's interview on the Substack podcast for more about this https://on.substack.com/p/a-growth-masterclass-with-judd-legum). But I was in financial dire straits last summer and needed money, so I started out on day one offering one article per week to free subscribers and three articles per week to paid subscribers. I think the biggest key to growing my list has been consistency. My target is publishing three new articles every week and I've only missed that mark once or twice. When I write with consistency and on a schedule, I find it's easier to get people's attention. People know what to expect. I also spend a fair amount of time using the Micro-Chop Twitter account to build engagement, share music, share other people's articles (and credit them), and share my own work. The Micro-Chop Twitter feed draws a lot of people to my Substack. Growth on Substack can be tricky--I had a really good first few months and it has been a bit more up and down since. Regardless, I try to stick to my schedule and do what I can to push through the slow times. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
In the beginning, what are the most important aspects to focus on?
For me, the biggest things I try to focus on are not overthinking things and writing consistently. I find that when I overthink questions like "Will people like today's article?" or "What should I write about today?" it bogs down my creative process. Obviously I do have to consider those things, but it becomes paralyzing if I spend too much time dwelling on them. So I write and write and write and write. I just keep writing about people, songs, and albums that interest me. Sometimes the stories are a success and sometimes they aren't but I keep on writing. Also, I try not to pay too much attention to views and open rates on my emails. I do have to be aware of them but over analyzing them is draining.
How did you get your first 1,000 subs?
That's a great question. It took me several months to hit 1,000 total subscribers. Hindsight being 20/20, I wouldn't have turned on the paid subscription option right away. I would have offered Micro-Chop as a free newsletter for a few months and focused on building my total mailing list. A lot of the most successful Substack writers talk about this strategy. (Check Judd Legum's interview on the Substack podcast for more about this https://on.substack.com/p/a-growth-masterclass-with-judd-legum). But I was in financial dire straits last summer and needed money, so I started out on day one offering one article per week to free subscribers and three articles per week to paid subscribers. I think the biggest key to growing my list has been consistency. My target is publishing three new articles every week and I've only missed that mark once or twice. When I write with consistency and on a schedule, I find it's easier to get people's attention. People know what to expect. I also spend a fair amount of time using the Micro-Chop Twitter account to build engagement, share music, share other people's articles (and credit them), and share my own work. The Micro-Chop Twitter feed draws a lot of people to my Substack. Growth on Substack can be tricky--I had a really good first few months and it has been a bit more up and down since. Regardless, I try to stick to my schedule and do what I can to push through the slow times. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.