self publishing rol (and cash?) Also unlike most blogs, from which copy can be taken,


writers retain full copyright on Substack. “Authors own their copy, so you do own your copyright to


any original content and you have a contract with Substack that sets this out clearly,” says Lily. So, setting up a Substack account is the easy bit, it would seem. But then writers progress to the muc harder bit: how to write, what to write and when to post. Oh, and how to make money from it.


Beginners’ guide to Substack ✓


Step one: be prepared to post regularly “A lot of journalists use it ad hoc, as and when they have something to


promote,” explains Lily. “I don’t personally think this is very successful. It puts me off as a subscriber and certainly puts me off wanting to pay for content.” Successful Substackers post at least once a week. “Journalists are used to


working to deadlines so, even if it’s every third or fourth Wednesday or once a month, you have to set that deadline and you have to stick to it.”


✓ ✓


Step two:decide what to write You do not need to be constantly posting exclusives, as Lily reassures


me. Freelancing for Journalists does not include original news and she points out that its most successful newsletters are the personal ones: “We surveyed our subscribers and found our readers wanted to know how we had overcome challenges. The really personal stuff does best.”


Step three: tell a story Sticking with the personal theme, it would seem Substack newsletters


where the writer ‘embeds themselves’ in the story also score highly with subscribers. Lily says the most engaging ones written by journalists might, as well as telling a story, include explanations of how they found it and how they went about presenting it.


hundreds of thousands from a large audience. Most writers may need to


✓ ✓


✓


bring in subscribers for free and start charging when they reach a threshold. Freelancing for Journalists earns money in two ways: sponsorship (an advert


at the top of the newsletter) and subscription fees: “Even so, we are talking thousands, not tens of thousands a year.”


Step six: you might want to use social media


If you want to extend your reach, having a presence on Facebook and Twitter can help bring in subscribers. Being able to tweet your stories can expand your subscriber base hugely.


and adding images is easy. Lily says: “If you want to use a photo, you upload it and there’s a button you can press and it sizes it for you.”


✓ theJournalist | 15


Step seven: it’s actually quite easy You don’t need to be a technical whizz: you sign up and just write,


Step four: use analysis “The most-read Substacks are the analytical ones,” says Lily.


“The biggest one reports on news in China. It’s technical, it’s detailed and it’s analytical. People want long reads.”


Step five: free or paid – you decide Writers of the most popular newsletter are earning in the


GARY NEILL


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