How to Actually Succeed on Substack: 5 Essential Skills of a Substack Writer
Mastering This Platform Is More than Mastering the Skill of Writing
Substack has exploded into the creative mainstream as a new frontier for writers, thinkers, and niche content creators.
At first glance, it seems like a simple equation: write, publish, grow, repeat.
But for those who’ve actually stepped into the ring, the reality is far more complex.
Substack isn’t just about writing.
It’s about mastering a system—one that demands far more than your average “newsletter hustle.”
Special announcement at the end :)
It requires a layered set of skills, spanning writing, design, marketing, community building, time management, and an ever-evolving grasp of the platform’s quirks.
In other words: if you think this is just about cranking out articles, think again.
1. The Rise of Hustle Culture on Substack
Substack is increasingly glorifying the grind.
Scroll through Notes or Substack Chat and you’ll see the same messages again and again: write more, post more, be more visible.
You don't just need to learn how to write articles on Substack.
You also need to publish daily notes, interact with your audience, create structured chats, think about offers if you want to monetize, collaborate with other writers, and explore all the little corners of Substack—like recommendations, tags, and now this new semi-paid, not-quite-subscriber category called "comps."
It’s a lot. I know
And not only do you need to learn all of it—you’ll eventually need to master efficiency over them , then organize then, and hopefully build a sustainable system around it... so you're not just flying in a hundred directions at once.
It’s the reason I burned out more than once.
In fact, many writers burn out trying to keep up.
The race for growth can become unsustainable, especially when there’s just so much to cover. And that’s not even counting the fast-paced nature of the online world, where communities jump from one trend to the next, or one problem to another.
We can’t take that away it’s part of being online.
And while Substack started as a slower, more intentional platform, it’s gradually shifting in that same direction: faster, louder, and more reactive.
So, as a biologist, I have only one solution in mind:
To continue existing, I have to adapt.
And adapting starts with learning the environment
Then developing the traits that suit that environment best.
2. The Real Time Sink: Learning the Platform
What most people don’t realize is that before you can even start growing on Substack, there’s a steep learning curve.
Substack is deceptively simple on the surface, but it hides a complex ecosystem underneath.
Writers who succeed aren’t just prolific, they’re strategic, design-savvy, community-aware, and system-driven.
It’s why seasoned writers on other platforms excel so well here, Substack gives you the chance to beef up different aspects of your online presence.
It has an avenue for almost everything,
Long-form content, short-form content, community building, pictures, videos, lives —you name it. Substack has it, so learning these things could mean the difference between success and failure for a writer.
Learning what to focus on, what matters most for growth, and how to use all the platform’s tools can eat up months of trial and error.
The 5 Skill Zones Every Substack Writer Must Master
Let’s break down what being a successful Substack creator actually requires. It’s more than being a good writer—you need to become a full-stack creator. Here are the five key areas:
3.1 Content Strategy & Format Mastery
On Substack, writing takes different forms, and each serves a unique purpose:
Long-form posts: The anchor of your brand, your deeper dives.
Short articles: Quick insights, updates, and riffs.
Substack Chat: Informal, real-time interaction for community building.
Notes: A hybrid of social media and discovery engine.
Extras: Podcasts, video embeds, and image-based storytelling.
You need to know how to balance them. Too many long posts might burn you out faster without achieving visibility.
Only Notes? You won’t be able to convert readers into loyal supporters.
The key is in the mix.
But that’s just the surface.
These two might catch someone’s interest, but they’re often just passing by. They saw a bit of value, but they don’t really know you yet and probably won’t stick around.
Subscriber chat is how you make that change. That’s how you retain them.
On top of that, you need these three to harmonize.
That’s on content forms ALONE.
3.2 Substack Profile & Brand Optimization
Mastering this means creating a clear, compelling, and cohesive presence across your Substack. It includes:
Writing a purposeful, reader-focused bio
Designing a memorable visual identity (logo, colors, imagery)
Choosing a professional or intentional profile photo
Crafting a high-converting landing page
Pinning pillar posts to showcase your best work
Writing an About page that builds trust and connection
Setting up automated welcome emails to onboard new readers
Organizing content into clear subsections or premium tiers
This skill blends storytelling, user experience, and conversion strategy to turn casual visitors into loyal readers.
3.3 Community Building & Strategic Growth on Substack
This skill is about growing your newsletter through genuine connection, collaboration, and platform-savvy tactics. It includes:
Building relationships through DMs with readers and fellow writers
Using Recommendations to boost visibility and support others
Engaging consistently on Notes to stay relevant and top-of-mind
Joining or hosting collaborations that expand your reach
Creating small support circles for cross-promotion and feedback
Leveraging Subscriber Chat to deepen community and spark discussion
Behind many fast-growing newsletters is a strong network.
Mastering this skill means understanding that growth is social visibility often comes from connection, not just content.
3.4 Staying Organized So You Can Keep Showing Up
Writing on Substack takes more than just good ideas. If those ideas aren’t acted on or executed well, they go to waste no matter how great they are.
That’s why building simple systems no matter how they would look like for you that make your life easier is key to getting the most out of your creativity.
This skill is all about creating a workflow that helps you publish consistently without burning out.
Your System Might look and accomplish things like:
Keep all your ideas in one place (Use a tool like Notion, Google Docs, or even your phone’s notes app.) Store outlines, headlines, and half-finished drafts somewhere you can always come back to and build on.
Plan your posts ahead of time (Use a basic calendar to sketch out what you’ll publish and when. Having a few templates on hand also saves time and lowers the mental load.)
Build simple routines that work for you.
Capture ideas as they come.
Review and refresh your idea list regularly .
Repurpose your content across formats (Turn a longform article into a Note. Convert a newsletter into a thread. One idea can go further than you think when you design for reuse.)
Bottom line: The more you systemize, the easier it is to keep showing up.
And on Substack, showing up consistently is half the game.
Don’t rely on motivation alone build habits that help you grow on repeat.
4. The Human Side: Mindset, Energy, and Sustainability
Even if you master all the skills above, there’s still one crucial part many people overlook: taking care of yourself. Self-care is actually a skill too — you get better at it the more you practice it mindfully and intentionally.
Managing Burnout
The skill of recognizing your limits and setting clear boundaries. This means pacing your work, knowing when to pause, and taking intentional breaks to protect your energy. Mastering burnout management keeps your creativity sustainable over time.
Building Confidence
The skill of believing in your own work and showing up consistently, even during tough moments. It involves handling criticism, staying motivated through dips, and developing a resilient mindset that fuels your writing and engagement.
Mastering Time Management
The skill of protecting your time and energy by setting boundaries around work hours, minimizing distractions like endless scrolling, and recognizing when you’ve done enough for the day.
Effective time management helps you balance Substack with the rest of your life.
Final Thoughts: The Long Game is the Only Game
Substack rewards long-term thinkers.
You might not blow up in a month.
But the compound returns of steady, strategic, meaningful publishing are real.
So instead of asking, “How can I do more?” ask this:
How can I do the right things, at a sustainable pace, with a long-term vision?
That’s the real hustle.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
🎉 I’m finally launching the premium version of my work a complete strategy and systems playbook to build your Substack presence from scratch.
This First Half Focuses on the 1st Skill of a Substack Writer | Mastery of the different Content Forms In Substack.
(PART 1 of the series MASTERING SUBSTACK)
This guide comes with an easy-to-use database that lets you skip through lessons anytime, so you can quickly grasp the core principles behind Substack Articles, Notes, and Subscriber Chat.
It includes practical frameworks, exercises, visual examples, and step-by-step instructions on how to use every Substack feature to maximize your impact and growth.
A brief overview: 👇
📚 Summary of Contents:
✍️ Part 1: Mastering the Substack Article
✅What makes an article valuable + how to write with purpose
✅Craft click-worthy titles (roles, tips, examples)
✅Maximize your sumtitles
✅Keep readers engaged till the end
✅Use every Substack editing tool effectively (headings, buttons, paywalls, images, etc.)
✅The ultimate article checklist to build with confidence
🗒️ Part 2: Mastering Substack Notes
✅ How are Notes so Powerful
✅ 3 core goals of powerful Notes
✅MASTER FRAMEWORK — Theme × Structure × Principle
✅Use Substack’s Note tools efficiently
✅ Keep ideas flowing consistently
✅Know when to post Notes and why it matters
💬 Part 3: Mastering Subscriber Chat
✅Why Chat is valuable + what it helps you develop as a Writer and How does it help the Readers: Principles you can build on for your own strategy
✅Subscriber Chat Strategy Framework (access, support, community, daily content, offers, etc.)
✅How to plan weekly Chat sessions that align with your goals
Design to bridge information with implementation
Learn at your own pace and build a strategy that works uniquely for you.
Join the waitlist below to get early access and exclusive offers.
This HANDBOOK aims to shorten your learning curve and get you into implementation as quickly as possible by guiding you every step of the way.
There’s no shortcut to success—but there is a shortcut to learning 🔥🔥
Check out below as well the next parts of this series will be released soon after but the rest will be packaged as one so be on a look out for that as well
Up Next: 6 Key Stages Every Successful Substack Writer Must Overcome
You’re showing up. You’re putting in effort. But growth still feels slow, inconsistent, or confusing.
Chances are, you're stuck at a bottleneck — and you might not even realize it.
In the next part, you’ll uncover which stage you’re actually at, what that means, and how to break through it — so you can stop second-guessing and start gaining real traction on Substack.
This might just change how you see your entire writing journey.
That’s all for today! I appreciate you so much for reading up until here! 😊 If you think this article could help someone, feel free to share it or like it it really helps expand its reach to help others as well. 💌
Frey.
All my articles are free to read. If you’ve been enjoying them and want to show a little love, you can buy me a coffee ☕ using the link below. Your support truly helps me keep creating.
Simple, honest, and exactly what most of us need to hear.
No tricks, just keep going.
This one’s worth coming back to.
Without sounding frivolous, there's a book here! 😉 Keeping this.