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What it is
Newsletter business strategy covering niche positioning, free versus paid tier design, subscriber acquisition, growth tactics, writing cadence, community features, monetization math, and cross-promotion for sustainable newsletter revenue.
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SKILL.md
434 lines · 2,619 words
Gather requirements. Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.
Analyze the situation. Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to substack writer.
Newsletter business strategy covering niche positioning, free versus paid tier design, subscriber acquisition, growth tactics, writing cadence, community features, monetization math, and cross-promotion for sustainable newsletter revenue.
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Step 1
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Step 2
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Step 3
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Step 4
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What it covers
When to Use
Process
Questions to Ask First
Niche Positioning
Free vs Paid Tier Design
Growth Strategies
Writing Cadence
Subscriber Acquisition Math
Community Features
Monetization Math
Cross-Promotion Strategy
Advanced Substack Tactics
Common Mistakes
Output Format
Example
Edge Cases
Develop the framework. Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.
Deliver actionable output. Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.
Address edge cases. Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.
Use this skill when:
User needs guidance on substack writer
User asks about substack writer best practices or techniques
User wants a structured approach to substack writer
Do NOT use this skill when:
A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
The request is outside the scope of substack writer
Before launching a newsletter, work through these fundamentals:
What is your unique perspective or expertise? What do you know that others would pay to read?
Who is your ideal reader? What are their job titles, interests, and daily challenges?
Can you articulate your newsletter's value in one sentence? ("I help [audience] with [specific value]")
What is your writing background? How fast can you produce quality long-form content?
Are you building a paid newsletter business, or using free newsletters to drive another business?
How often can you realistically publish without burning out? Weekly? Twice a week?
Do you have an existing audience anywhere? (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, blog, YouTube, podcast)
What newsletters in your space do you respect? What gap do they leave unfilled?
Are you comfortable with personal writing, or do you prefer purely informational content?
What does success look like at 1 year? (Subscriber count, revenue, authority, book deal)
Strong newsletters sit at the intersection of three elements:
Expertise
/\
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ SWEET \
/ SPOT \
/____________\
Audience Need Unique AngleExpertise: What you know deeply Audience Need: What people actively want to learn/read about Unique Angle: How you say it differently from everyone else
[Newsletter Name] is a [frequency] newsletter for [specific audience]
who want to [desired outcome]. Unlike [competitor/category], we focus on
[unique angle] through [content format/approach].Examples:
"The Data Stack is a weekly newsletter for data engineers who want to stay current on tooling without reading 50 blogs. Unlike aggregator newsletters, every issue includes original analysis of one tool with hands-on benchmarks."
"Kitchen Margins is a biweekly newsletter for restaurant owners who want to improve profitability. We focus exclusively on the numbers behind menu engineering with real P&L breakdowns."
Search Substack: Are there 3-10 newsletters in your space? (Good -- proves demand)
Check subscriber counts: Use Substack Leaderboard or third-party tools
Read competitors: Where are the gaps in their coverage?
Ask your network: "Would you read a newsletter about X?" (Be specific)
Write 3 sample posts: If they come easily, the niche fits your voice
Monitor engagement: Post your newsletter concept on Twitter/LinkedIn, measure response
The free tier is your growth engine. It must be genuinely valuable.
What to include in free:
Your flagship content (the thing that makes people subscribe)
At least 1 post per week
Enough value that readers feel slightly guilty getting it for free
Occasional "preview" of paid content (first section free, rest paywalled)
What NOT to do with free:
Make it a teaser with no substance
Publish inconsistently
Treat free subscribers as second-class
Paid content must deliver differentiated value. Options:
| Paid Content Type | Works For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Deep-dive analysis | Expert niches | Weekly 3,000-word breakdown |
| Data/research | Industry newsletters | Original survey results, data sets |
| Community access | Niche professionals | Discussion threads, AMAs |
| Templates/tools | Practitioners | Spreadsheets, frameworks, checklists |
| Podcast/audio | Commuter audience | Weekly subscriber-only interview |
| Early access | News/trends | Get insights before free subscribers |
| Archive access | Evergreen content | Full back catalog for paid only |
Discover newsletter (social, search, referral)
--> Subscribe free (deliver immediate value)
--> Read 5-8 free issues (build trust and habit)
--> Hit paywall on compelling piece (trigger conversion)
--> Convert to paid ($5-15/month)
--> Retain through ongoing value + communityConversion rate benchmarks: 5-10% of free subscribers converting to paid is excellent. 2-5% is normal.
Phase 1: First 100 subscribers (Personal network)
Email everyone you know with a personal note (not blast)
Post on every social platform you're active on
Ask friends to forward to 1 person who'd find it valuable
Cross-post your first essay on LinkedIn/Medium/Twitter threads
Phase 2: 100-1,000 subscribers (Content-driven growth)
Publish consistently (train the algorithm and reader habits)
Write 2-3 "banger" posts designed for shareability
Engage in communities where your audience hangs out (not spamming -- adding value)
Guest post on other Substacks
Start Substack recommendations (mutual referrals)
Phase 3: 1,000-10,000 subscribers (Compounding growth)
Substack recommendation network (the single most powerful growth tool)
Cross-promotion swaps with similarly-sized newsletters
Twitter/X threads that link to your newsletter
Podcast appearances (have a clear CTA to subscribe)
SEO-optimize your archive (Substack posts rank on Google)
Referral program: Substack lets you reward subscribers for sharing
Phase 4: 10,000+ subscribers (Scale and diversify)
Paid growth experiments (Twitter ads, sponsoring other newsletters)
Media mentions and PR
Speaking engagements
Book deal or major content project that drives back to newsletter
Hire help for growth (social media manager, growth marketer)
Recommendations: When readers subscribe to you, suggest partner newsletters (and vice versa). This is the highest-converting growth channel on Substack.
Notes: Substack's social layer. Post short-form content to drive discovery.
Restacks: Share other writers' posts to build relationships.
Leaderboard: Category rankings drive organic discovery.
Network effects: Every subscriber's social graph becomes a potential distribution channel.
| Frequency | Best For | Subscriber Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | News, curation, short-form | High commitment from you and reader |
| 3x/week | Prolific writers, current events | Strong growth, high burnout risk |
| 2x/week | Most growth-focused newsletters | Good balance of growth and quality |
| Weekly | Deep-dive, analysis, long-form | Gold standard for most writers |
| Biweekly | Research-heavy, side project | Acceptable if content is exceptional |
| Monthly | Premium research reports | Too slow for growth, only works if established |
Monday: Topic selection + research (1-2 hours)
Tuesday: Outline + first draft (2-3 hours)
Wednesday: Revision + editing (1-2 hours)
Thursday: Final polish + formatting + schedule (1 hour)
Friday: Publish (morning) + engage with comments (30 min)
Weekend: Social promotion of this week's post + idea capture for nextThe Insight Sandwich:
Open with a story or observation
--> Introduce the insight/framework
--> Provide evidence and examples
--> Give actionable takeaways
--> Close with a memorable line or callback to the openingThe Listicle Deep-Dive:
Brief intro establishing why this list matters
--> Item 1 with 2-3 paragraphs of analysis
--> Item 2...
--> Final item (strongest, most interesting)
--> Synthesis: what the list reveals about the bigger pictureThe Contrarian Take:
State the conventional wisdom
--> Present the evidence against it
--> Offer your alternative framework
--> Acknowledge nuances and when conventional wisdom DOES apply
--> Clear recommendation for the readerStarting subscribers: 500
Monthly organic growth rate: 15% (from content + social)
Monthly recommendations: 50 new subs (from Substack recs)
Monthly paid acquisition: 0 (for now)
Monthly churn: 2%
Month 1: 500 + 75 + 50 - 10 = 615
Month 3: ~870
Month 6: ~1,600
Month 12: ~4,800
Month 18: ~14,000
Month 24: ~42,000 (if growth rate sustains, which it rarely does fully)Reality check: Growth rates slow as you scale. 15% monthly is aggressive but achievable early. Expect 5-8% monthly at 10K+ subscribers.
| Channel | Cost Per Subscriber | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Organic (social, SEO) | $0 | Your time is the cost |
| Substack recommendations | $0 | Mutual referral, no cost |
| Cross-promotion swaps | $0 | Time + relationship cost |
| Newsletter sponsorships | $2-8 | Sponsor another newsletter |
| Twitter/X ads | $1-5 | Variable, requires good creative |
| Facebook/Instagram ads | $2-10 | Better for broad consumer topics |
| SparkLoop referrals | $1-3 | Pay-per-subscriber referral network |
Enable discussion threads on every post (signals engagement to algorithm)
Use chat for real-time community interaction
Pin important conversations
Respond to comments within 24 hours (especially early on)
Feature great reader comments in future posts
Discord server: For paid subscribers, deeper real-time conversation
Monthly Zoom calls: Live Q&A or workshops for paid members
Reader meetups: Virtual or in-person events
Collaborative projects: Invite readers to contribute to posts
Subscriber spotlights: Feature readers' work or stories
Assuming $7/month or $70/year pricing:
| Free Subscribers | Paid Conversion Rate | Paid Subscribers | Monthly Revenue | Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 5% | 50 | $350 | $4,200 |
| 5,000 | 5% | 250 | $1,750 | $21,000 |
| 10,000 | 5% | 500 | $3,500 | $42,000 |
| 25,000 | 5% | 1,250 | $8,750 | $105,000 |
| 50,000 | 5% | 2,500 | $17,500 | $210,000 |
| 100,000 | 5% | 5,000 | $35,000 | $420,000 |
Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe takes ~2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.
$5/month ($50/year): Low barrier, high volume needed. Best for broad audiences.
$7-10/month ($70-100/year): Sweet spot for most newsletters. Annual discount encourages commitment.
$15-25/month ($150-250/year): Premium positioning. Works for professional/industry newsletters where value is directly tied to earning potential.
Founding member tier: $200-300/year. Special recognition, limited availability. Creates a premium tier with minimal extra work.
Paid subscriptions: Core revenue (aim for 50-70% of total)
Sponsorships: Sell ad placements in free issues ($25-100 CPM)
Affiliate links: Recommend products authentically ($200-2,000/month)
Digital products: Ebooks, templates, courses ($500-10,000/launch)
Consulting/coaching: Leverage authority ($150-500/hour)
Speaking: Conference and podcast appearances ($500-5,000/event)
Book deals: Newsletter as proof of audience ($10,000-100,000 advance)
Job board: If your niche is professional ($200-500 per listing)
Ideal partners have:
Similar audience size (0.5x to 2x yours)
Adjacent but non-competing topic
Similar quality standards
Engaged readership
Mutual respect for each other's work
Recommendation swap: Add each other to your Substack recommendation list
Shared post: Co-write a post that goes to both audiences
Guest post: Write for each other's newsletters
Newsletter mention: Genuine endorsement in your regular content
Referral exchange: "If you like my newsletter, you'll love [partner]"
Joint webinar/event: Collaborative event marketed to both audiences
Subject: Cross-promotion idea - [Your Newsletter] x [Their Newsletter]
Hi [Name],
I'm a reader and fan of [their newsletter]. Your piece on [specific post]
really resonated with my thinking on [related topic].
I write [Your Newsletter], a [frequency] newsletter for [audience] covering
[topic]. We have [subscriber count] subscribers and a [open rate]% open rate.
I think our audiences would benefit from knowing about each other's work.
Would you be interested in:
- Adding each other to our Substack recommendations
- A guest post swap
- [Other specific proposal]
Happy to share more details about my audience demographics if helpful.
[Your name]
[Link to your best post]Write evergreen posts with keyword-rich titles
Use H2 and H3 headers with target keywords
Substack posts can rank on Google -- treat them like blog posts
Internal linking: reference your past posts within new content
Custom domain improves SEO authority (yourname.com vs yourname.substack.com)
Maintain clean list (remove inactive subscribers quarterly)
Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines
Consistent sending schedule improves inbox placement
Ask readers to move you to primary inbox
Monitor open rates: below 30% may signal deliverability issues
Welcome sequence: Automated emails for new subscribers (Substack supports this)
Best-of roundups: Periodically resurface your best content for new readers
Reader surveys: Ask what they want more of (and less of)
Personal responses: Reply to reader emails and comments
Consistent quality: One great post per week beats three mediocre ones
Starting paid too early: Build to 1,000+ free subscribers before turning on paid
No clear value proposition: "My thoughts on stuff" is not a newsletter
Inconsistent publishing: Missing weeks kills momentum and trust
All promotion, no substance: Social media should showcase your best thinking, not just "subscribe to my newsletter"
Ignoring analytics: Open rates, click rates, and growth trends tell you what's working
Not engaging with readers: Newsletters are conversations, not broadcasts
Underpricing: $5/month often converts at the same rate as $8/month, leaving money on the table
No cross-promotion: Trying to grow entirely alone is the hardest path
Perfectionism: Ship consistently, iterate based on feedback
Neglecting the archive: New subscribers judge your newsletter by your past posts -- make your archive browsable and compelling
Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.
[Substack Writer deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timelineInput: "Help me with substack writer for a mid-size project."
Output: A complete substack writer framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.
Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
Conflicting requirements: Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
Scale mismatch: Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
Domain crossover: When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest
SKILL.md
434 lines · 2,619 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
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