New to Substack? These 5 Lessons Will Save You Weeks of Confusion

Also helpful to revisit for my seasoned Substack writers—these lessons still apply.

Substack can be really overwhelming.

I know that firsthand. I signed up over a year ago, but I didn’t get the hang of it and ended up quitting.

A couple of weeks later, I had a moment where I refused to be defeated so easily, so I gave it another shot.

Thank goodness I did.

Coming from a traditional blogging platform, I had a hard time adjusting.

• How do you get subscribers?

• How do people find you?

• What are Notes? Posts? How are they different from a newsletter?

Seeing more and more new people join Substack (and subscribe to me, yay! 🎉), I decided to start covering some Substack basics to help you get started.

Today, I wanted to cover 7 steps to follow when you are just starting out.

Those things I wish I had known in the first weeks just before quitting.

Let’s go.

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April is my final month before completing one full year on Substack.

If you’ve followed my journey, you know I started from zero: no social media following, no email list, no other platform to post on.

I literally sat down, started writing on Substack every single day, and watched where it took me.

• After 3 months, I had my first two paid subscribers (both triggered by one single Note).

• After 6 months, I started making a decent income.

• After 11 months, I had the highest-earning month of my entire life.

I think it’s fair to say: Substack has changed my life.

As a writer. As a creator. As a solopreneur.

I made my dream come true—pivoting from a traditional entrepreneur, dictated by investor calls and outside opinions, to a solopreneur working on my terms.

I reinvented myself in under a year, and I’m here to help you do the same.

(And by all means: you don’t need a 100k subscriber list.)

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5 Helpful Tips for Starting Out on Substack 🧠

They’re fundamentals but even seasoned Substack writers often don’t know all of them. So read through, even if you’ve been around for a while.

#1: The Substack Decoder Ring 🔍

(Understand the Basics)

To make things clear, here’s a short Substack dictionary:

• Publication: Your personal Substack newsletter homepage with your posts, links to products, and anything else you want to include (like your own blog).

• Posts: Long-form texts that can be sent out as a newsletter and are usually placed in your publication (think of them as blog posts).

• Notes: Short-form texts, similar to tweets, that can be shared. At the moment, Notes are tied to you as a person rather than a publication. This means that even if you have multiple publications, Notes can only be posted from your personal profile, not specific to a particular publication.

• Homefeed: A homepage where you can see all Notes, posts, and categories from everyone.

• Threads: Comments under a Note, post, or chat.

#2: Your Mini Homepage, Done Right 🏡

(Set Up a Publication the Smart Way)

Your publication is where your posts live. It’s also where people land when they visit your Substack. Think of it as your own mini homepage.

It can include:

• Your posts

• Menu item links to external products and websites

• Your own sections (like categories of posts)

• Recommendations to other newsletters

You can edit and theme it later, so give yourself time to build it gradually.

Your Newsletter Homepage Could Use a Makeover ✨

#3: Bios That Actually Do the Work ✍️

(Write a Personal & Publication Bio)

You can find your personal bio by clicking on your profile photo—something like this: https://substack.com/@claudiafaith (just replace it with your own handle). This is your personal page, which includes your Notes and activity.

📝 Tip: Notes are tied to you as a person, not to your publication. So you can have multiple publications, but Notes are always written from your personal profile.

Your personal bio should share a bit about:

• Who you are

• Why you’re here

• Your background or experience

• What makes your writing unique

This builds credibility and connection.

Your publication bio is added under:
Dashboard > Settings > Website > Publication short description

This sentence is what people see before subscribing. Use it to clearly state the value they can expect from your newsletter.

#4: Notes Build Trust, Newsletters Build Value 🤝

(Create Value + Build Connection)

From day one, I focused on creating newsletters that offered value.

Whether it was tips, insights, or personal stories, I wanted readers to walk away with something useful.

But newsletters alone weren’t enough to build trust. At least for me, that didn’t work.

Thankfully, Notes became more and more popular this year.

I used Notes to:

• Show up regularly

• Share quick thoughts

• Comment on other people’s ideas

It’s less formal than a newsletter and feels more like an ongoing conversation.

💡 Trust doesn’t happen overnight—but if you’re consistent, it grows.

My key tip:

• Use your newsletter to create value (write 2–3 posts/week)

• Use Notes to build trust (write 2–3 Notes/day)

#5: Slide Into Their DMs (Kindly) 💬

(Use Chat to Build Real Relationships)

In the beginning, I didn’t fully understand the power of Substack’s Chat feature.

One day, I decided to message a few readers directly—just to thank them for subscribing and ask what they hoped to get from the newsletter.

The responses were amazing. People appreciated the personal touch.

As my community grew, I shifted to group chats, which created a space where readers could interact with me—and with each other.

It’s incredible how much stronger a community feels when there’s real conversation happening.

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✨ Pro tip: Try Substack Live sooner than later.
It might feel intimidating, but Substack is leaning heavily into video and podcast formats.
You don’t have to do it—but if you want to grow fast, it helps.

(Need ideas for your first Live? DM me—I’m happy to brainstorm with you.)

To Summarize: 5 Moves to Make Your First Wins on Substack

1. Decode the Lingo
   Get comfy with Substack’s core features—Posts, Notes, Homefeed, Threads—so you’re not lost in translation.

2. Build Your Home Base
   Set up your publication like a personal mini-website. Add sections, links, and recommendations—make it you.

3. Bios That Work While You Sleep
   Write a personal and publication bio that shows your vibe and clearly tells readers what they’ll get.

4. Double Engine Strategy: Value + Trust
   Use long-form posts to provide value, and Notes for daily, casual connection. It’s the trust-builder.

5. Talk to Your People
   Use Chat to connect 1:1 or in groups. Real convos = real community.
   Bonus: Try out Substack Lives when you’re ready!

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