Six Lessons from Hitting 6,000 Subscribers
Honestly, no one is more surprised than me
I launched a book recommendation newsletter, What To Read If, in November 2020, mostly on a lark. I wanted a project that would keep me writing during the pandemic, and I love nothing more than telling people what to read, so this seemed like a perfect fit.
I sent my first issue to one subscriber — myself — and figured I might be able to convince a handful of friends and family to subscribe. This week, I crossed the 6,000-subscriber threshold.
I often hear from newsletter writers looking for advice, so I thought this was a good time to share six lessons from three years of Substacking:
1) Focus on the reader.
Social media sites like Twitter (or, ahem, X) are often compared to a town square, where everyone is shouting and fighting to be heard. In contrast, a newsletter is someone inviting the writer into their personal space.
Think of how crowded your inbox is — adding more emails to it can feel a little absurd, but we do it for writers who offer us something special and distinct. They entertain us, inform us or solve a problem. In the best cases, they do all three.
Understanding who a newsletter’s target audience is helps to focus the content. To define this, use the formula “Where XX community finds YY content.”
Mine is “Where book lovers find their next great read.”
writes Publishing Confidential, a place where authors can learn more about the publishing industry. In ’s Dearest, jewelry and antique enthusiasts can see the weirdest, most fascinating finds from recent auctions.All my favorite newsletters — and many of the most successful ones — have a clear mission, defined by their audience, that they deliver on again and again.
2) Always write like you have a big audience.
As I mentioned above, I sent my first edition to myself, and that was it. But even in the early days when I had double-digit subscribers, I took my Substack seriously. I took care to highlight a wide range of books, chose high-res photos and tried to write in a clear engaging way. I wanted people who stumbled on my newsletter to see the value it could bring.
This paid off in a big way in February 2021 when my (now) pal Ashley Holstrom of
featured me on a Book Riot list of the best newsletters for readers. More than 500 people subscribed to my newsletter after that article went live — and I think part of the reason is that site visitors could quickly see they would be getting something fun, informative and, hopefully, well-written to their inboxes.
3) Make friends!
The single best thing that has come out of three years of newsletter writing is the friends I’ve made. It’s cheesy, but true. Take Ashley. I was a huge fan of her newsletter, Crooked Reads, and when I launched mine, I sent her a note. She highlighted What To Read If in BookRiot and we started communicating regularly after I DM’d her on Twitter to say thanks.
I’m now in a “networking group” for Ashley and other Bookstackers, including
, and more. It’s mostly a place to talk books and trade growth strategy ideas, but some of us have met in person.Even outside my niche, I’ve met so many fabulous, interesting people on Substack by cold-emailing others and asking if we could collaborate on a project. I’ve become real-life friends with authors who I interviewed for Q&As years ago and am looking forward to visiting Chicago, so I can finally meet all the cool Substackers who live there.
4) Don’t forget SEO.
Substack has taken steps to make it easier for Google to find newsletters, but I find writers often don’t know about it.
To take advantage of it, on a post page, click “settings.” Mid-way down the page, there’s an “SEO Options” tag. Clicking on that gives the option to add an SEO title, SEO description and to customize a post URL. Fill each of those with terms a reader might search to find the post.
I’m not an SEO expert but here are two other small steps that can make a big difference:
Add “alt text” describing images. This copy helps visually impaired people understand what a visual looks like. It also gives search engines something to assess when analyzing pages.
Including links to past posts helps Google index a website and can help boost search results.
5) Be consistent.
Tons of people start newsletters. Far fewer people stick with them. Just by showing up regularly, writers can build trust with readers.
This isn’t to say writers can’t take breaks — but they should tell readers if they’re taking some time off. I’ve heard from subscribers asking where I am when I take a week off unexpectedly.
6) Embrace slow growth.
It’s hard not to compare myself to other newsletter writers who’ve seen explosive growth — gaining tens of thousands of subscribers in a year. When I fall down this rabbit hole, I remind myself that I’ve built real connections, and that matters.
I decided long ago that I’d rather have a high open rate with a smaller list, than a huge list with a middling open rate. Whenever someone unsubscribes, it stings for a half second, but then I remember that one community is not the right one for every person. I want subscribers who genuinely enjoy receiving my book recs each week. I want them to be happy they’ve invited me into their living room. Finding those people takes time, but it’s worth it.
Yesterday, a subscriber emailed me to tell me she had her baby and, of course, what she was reading. In that moment, I felt like we were both part of each other’s lives, even if our interactions take place across a screen.
What to Read If is a free weekly book recommendation newsletter. Need a rec? Want to gush about a book? Reply to this email, leave a comment or find me on Twitter @elizabethheld.
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Congratulations!!! And thank you for this fantastic advice. These truths distilled feel like encouragement--a tap of a warm mug across the screen and, “You’re on the right track!”
Happy three years! Just hit my three year mark too! Relate to: “It’s hard not to compare myself to other newsletter writers who’ve seen explosive growth — gaining tens of thousands of subscribers in a year. When I fall down this rabbit hole, I remind myself that I’ve built real connections, and that matters.” -- I love getting personal emails from my peeps!