Substack Live Podcast

Sarah Fay
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Your weekly behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening and working on Substack—with the platform’s leading Growth Strategist, Sarah Fay. The only podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve as Substack changes and changes again and again, so you can use it to fuel your creative, professional, and financial life. Plus, conversations with the best writers and creators who came to Substack early and made the platform great to show you how to create and, yes, monetize, not by gaming a platform but by bringing your amazing work to the world and making the world a better place in doing so. www.substackwritersatwork.com

  1. 4 hrs ago

    How to Be the One Well-Loved Substack People Pay For

    Your behind-the-scenes look at what’s really happening and really working on Substack right now—with the platform’s leading Growth Strategist Sarah Fay. Part 2 of the 2026 Pathway to Earning an Income on Substack Okay, so I did some digging to see if there really is a crisis in paid subscriptions on Substack (and newsletters generally). ICYMI, someone wrote a viral article that stoked a lot of fear about the future of paid subscriptions on Substack. The feelings are real—the worry—but the reality…might surprise you: * It has always been hard to get paid subscribers. * The rhetoric that Substack’s subscription model will never work has been around for half a decade, possibly since the platform’s inception in 2017. It might not, but the talk is nothing new. * The data doesn’t support the idea that something has suddenly happened foretelling a grim reality and terrible future with paid subscriptions on Substack. The worry just fosters assumptions that aren’t supported by the data: * The economy is terrible, and people won’t pay. * Subscription fatigue is driving a downturn in paid subscriptions. * There’s a “subscription pie” we have to compete for a slice of. * Bundling newsletters is the solution. * Making Substack into a platform of Dollar Stores is the answer. Today, I show you the flaws in these five (deadly) assumptions and five things you can do right now to be the one well-loved Substack people pay for. SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

  2. Jul 31

    How Susan Cain Built 'The Quiet Life' to 275,000 Subscribers

    Nearly 400 people joined us live to talk about Susan Cain’s amazing Substack The Quiet Life. If you don’t know Susan Cain, she’s the author of the mega bestsellers “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” and “Bitter Sweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.” She was a lawyer before becoming one of the most compelling writers of our time. We talk about envy and jealousy, how to write your posts/articles as kindred letters, how loving what you do makes a successful Substack and a more enjoyable life, the magic of her candlelight chats (the community feature she offers as an introvert and for introverts), and why "vibe" might just be the word for 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 14

    Newsletter Dating, the New Restack, and more

    “There are many Substacks about Substack. This one is the OG.” —Gregg Easterbrook This week: Substacks making news, newsletter dating, Substack in Japan, why you don’t have to go viral on Notes anymore, it’s okay to ask for what you want, the new way to restack your posts, and who’s here. SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

  4. Jul 10

    How Letter Writing Will Make You a Better Writer with Lindsay Hurty

    Today’s live was phenomenal! Please listen to the podcast version while you’re cooking this weekend or walking or running or whatever. In my live with the amazing Austin Kleon reminded me that on Substack, we’re writing news-letters. I wanted an expert in letter writing to share how exactly the principles of letter writing could help us be better writers on Substack and write more engaging Substack articles. Lindsay Hurty offered a wealth of advice on how we can use letters and the act of letter writing in many different ways to nurture our subscribers and write better Substack articles. (You can subscribe to her Substack here.) Be sure to listen, too, because the story she tells in the beginning will (if I have anything to do with it) someday be a viral TED Talk. SW@W homepage | Premier homepage | Substack Starter Pack | 24/7 Community Chat | Manage your subscription | Book a 3-Month Substack Growth Package 1:1 with me This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

    How Letter Writing Will Make You a Better Writer with Lindsay Hurty

  5. Jun 19

    Masterclass: How To Get a Brand Deal on Substack

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com Brand sponsorships on Substack aren't just about some sort of weird brand placement that's awkward. I t's about rethinking Substack and how you make money on here, and how we support each other in making money. In this episode, I give you everything you need to know about Substack's new brand sponsorships program — how it works, what brands actually want, and how to fill out your Creator Kit strategically, not generically.

    Masterclass: How To Get a Brand Deal on Substack

  6. Jun 9

    Live: Substack News for the week of 6/9 + the person you should learn Notes from

    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

    Live: Substack News for the week of 6/9 + the person you should learn Notes from

  7. May 5

    The Minimalist's Guide to Substack: The Magic of the Golden Nugget Post

    Welcome to our new series for paid subscribers: “The Minimalist’s Guide to Substack.” Declutter your Substack brain and life, so you can actually grow in what is an increasingly crowded Substack landscape. The biggest mistake I see on Substack is people making it way too complicated. Principle #1: Post when you have something worth sending. Each post should pass two tests: Is this something people need right now? Is this something they could get from ChatGPT? Enter the Golden Nugget post. It's an easy, short post you can create when you don't have time for a full, high-quality post. A gift—a book, a song—something that doesn't ask readers to do anything. A full post, not a Note, that comes from a genuine desire to share one thing that means something to you right now. No call to action, no questions for comments. Don't make readers do any work. But a Nugget post isn't about you. It's a gift to your readers—something they can absorb without much effort. The Nugget gives you and your readers breathing room while maintaining connection. Join SW@W Book a Substack Strategy 1:1 with me This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com/subscribe

  8. Apr 4

    The Million Dollar Question: Do Substack Followers Really Become Subscribers?

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.substackwritersatwork.com Nearly 250 paid subscribers came to the monthly paid-subscriber live with Seth Werkheiser of SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB. » I love when we all get to be together. Seth walked us through a 4-step approach to Notes that converts, pulls you out of your comfort zone by showing you how to engage with others, and stops you from feeling like you’re just posting into the void. Listen for more and if you aren't a paid subscriber to Substack Writers at Work, become one: www.substackwritersatwork.com

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About

Your weekly behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening and working on Substack—with the platform’s leading Growth Strategist, Sarah Fay. The only podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve as Substack changes and changes again and again, so you can use it to fuel your creative, professional, and financial life. Plus, conversations with the best writers and creators who came to Substack early and made the platform great to show you how to create and, yes, monetize, not by gaming a platform but by bringing your amazing work to the world and making the world a better place in doing so. www.substackwritersatwork.com

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Fay
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Writers at Work LLC
  • Show Website
    Substack Live Podcast

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