May this be the sign you needed to finally start writing on Substack!

Still overthinking your “big Substack debut”? Then this might just be the gentle shove you needed to finally get started.

If you’ve been hovering around the idea of starting a Substack while saving drafts, stalking other writers, convincing yourself you’ll begin “once you have a real niche”, you should know something: you’re not late. The platform has gone through its hype phases, its backlash cycles, and survived them all. What’s left is a steadier, far more generous corner of the internet where people are actually reading again. The tourists have wandered off. The gold rush is over. What remains are people who care about depth, who respect good writing, and who are willing to pay for it.  You don’t need to be a genius, or a brand, or even particularly confident. You just need to start before your fear convinces you to shelve the whole thing for another year.

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So, here's how we think you can finally get started on Substack:

First, get clear on the real reason you’re doing this

Before you open a blank page, ask yourself a question most people skip: What do you actually want this thing to do for you? Not the noble one you think you should be the answer, but the real one. Some people want a reliable income stream, some want a paid hobby that covers rent, some want a direct line to readers before they write a book and others want a place where they can be themselves without algorithms turning them into performers. Whatever your reason is, write it down. It will steer everything, including what you choose to write about, how often you show up, when you feel okay charging money, and even who your audience eventually becomes.

Choose a topic that will still feel fun in three years

Your niche, despite what the internet tells you, is not something you “decide” in one dramatic brainstorming session. It’s something you can talk about without getting bored three years from now. It's usually something between what you know, what you’ve lived, and what people naturally want to read. If you already have an audience somewhere else, don’t reinvent yourself; instead, give people the deeper, slower, more honest version of what they already love about you. If you’re starting from scratch, lean toward inherently interesting topics, like personal finance for people in a specific life stage, behind-the-scenes of things most people never get access to, a personal transformation, or the messy, hyper-local culture of the place you actually live. 

Don't overthink the identity, focus on clarity

When you finally set up your page, keep it simple. Nobody cares about your logo or the perfect shade of beige in your header. They care about clarity. Pick a clean name you won’t hate by next summer, use a real photo of your face, write a line that tells readers exactly what they’re getting in a single breath and don’t sleep on your About page. Think of it as the back cover of a book someone is deciding whether to buy or not. Tell them who you are, what you write about, how often it lands in their inbox, and why they should trust you. The right reader should finish reading it and feel like this newsletter was made specifically for them.

When you’re ready to publish, start with three pieces. Three posts that make you feel like you’ve planted your flag. A welcome note explaining why you’re here, your strongest piece and something useful that asks readers to subscribe if it helped. After that, pick a rhythm you can protect. Weekly works for most humans. Consistency matters more than brilliance.

Accept the only mindset that works

People worry about growth, but Substack is still one of the only places on the internet where you can grow without begging an algorithm for crumbs. Its recommendation system genuinely works. Recommend writers whose work you love, and most will return the love. Share short thoughts and conversations in Notes. Your job is not to be brilliant from day one but to stay alive long enough to become brilliant in public. Consistency beats talent, strategy, and aesthetic perfection every single time. The internet is littered with gorgeous newsletters that never made it past their second post.

So open the tab, write the first sentence and hit publish even if your heart is racing. Six months from now, you’ll either have something solid or you’ll finally know it wasn’t for you, and either outcome is better than another year of thinking about it.

So, are you ready to explore the world of Substack? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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