What’s Next After Publishing 60 Long Posts in 60 Days?
Lessons, Gains, Introducing My New Series and What’s Next?
Hey Friends!
This is the two-month reflection I mentioned in my previous issue. Here, I’ll talk more about what I’ve learned over the past two months of daily writing—what I’d like to continue, what I want to try next, and what I’d like to stop.
Sixty days, sixty long posts—it's been a lot of work, and I don’t know how many hours it’s taken. But I do know that I’ve achieved and learned
... absolutely nothing!
Just kidding.
Let’s start with the things I have learned.
Notes Are More Powerful Than You Think
I started on Substack with zero subscribers, aside from a few friends who handed over their emails—that's it. I consistently published a long post every day (or sometimes I’d miss a day but publish two the next morning). Even with all that hard work, engagement and subscribers were rare.
My problem?
I was so focused on writing that I hadn’t spent time getting to know the platform. Once I decided to put more effort into engaging here, I discovered the power of posting notes.
A note I posted seven days ago got more engagement than any other post, bringing new subscribers and followers along with it. Since then (7 days ago), I’ve gained seven new subscribers, thirteen new followers, and more engagement on my other posts too.
Except for that time I added a few friends’ emails, this has been the steepest increase in my stats yet.
The note in question:
I’ve also noticed that the notes getting the most attention are the raw, direct ones that provoke strong emotions.
If notes really do boost your reach in the algorithm, it’s worth investing in them.
No matter how much quality content you produce, if it doesn’t get out there for the right people to find, it won’t have the impact it deserves.
Build Your Network as Early as You Can
It’s the community of writers that makes this platform so conducive to creativity.
It’s inspiring to see writers supporting each other and sharing content that’s bold and expressive. I’m always flattered when talented, well-established writers subscribe to my Substack. Beyond just encouraging me to keep creating, I’m learning so much from them.
One lesson? Don’t wait for these writers to find you—reach out and connect. Last week, I started messaging other writers, and I’ve already made a few new friends.
I recommend building your network here as early as possible. These connections will only grow stronger over time, and the benefits will be lasting.
Here are a few ways to connect:
Comment on posts and notes
Leave likes
Restack or quote others’ work
Message them (some might not respond, but that’s okay—you might be surprised by the connections you make!)
What I’ve Gained
I've become faster at writing.
When I first started, it would take me about two hours to write an average-length post. Lately, though, I can finish a first draft in just 30 minutes if I start with a clear idea, then spend another 30 minutes refining it.
Moving Forward
Now, let’s talk about my plans from here on out.
I’m calling this segment “Hello, Love, Goodbye.”
Trivia: The reference for this segment is from a Filipino romantic drama about a Filipino worker facing challenges abroad and a bartender as they balance careers and love in Hong Kong.
This “Hello, Love, Goodbye” is a series concept I’m planning to use, where every first issue of the month, I share:
Hello: Things I’d like to try in the coming month
Love: Things I loved or am grateful for from the previous month
Goodbye: Things I did or had last month that I won’t be carrying forward
This is a way of sharing my reflection and plans with you
HELLO, LOVE, GOODBYE: The First Issue
Hello:
This month, I’ve decided to: Stop writing
What I mean is stop writing daily. I have a few reasons for this.
Recently, I’ve been reviewing my writing routine, and I noticed that most of my time here is spent on writing itself, with little time left for engagement and discovery in the platform, content planning, or other behind-the-scenes work to improve my process.
Because of this, I’m decided to try out, publishing only ones a week, on Wednesdays. I’ll still drop in with extra posts if there’s something I really want to share but the regular issue will just be on Wednesdays. Since I’ll still be publishing on my other publication, Gut-Cha, I’ll still be posting at least twice a week.
The next reason is I wanted to test out an idea.
There’s been a lot of work recently talking about whether writing once a week is enough, with some saying it yields the same results as daily posts. Others insist that daily writing is best. So, I’ve decided to test this out myself.
I want to find out the most effective frequency for publishing a newsletter on Substack. I’ll also be watching to see if having more preparation time improves my writing quality.
My hypothesis is that it will, as I often think of my ideas outside of the actual writing process, like with the note I shared earlier. I think more time to spend on my other interests will help my writing as well.
Also, I think this is also a way for me to move forward given that I have already built the habit and consistency of daily writing.
Lastly, this set up I think will really help me understand the “notes” features more as I will have more time to play with it
Stay tuned—I’ll keep you updated on the results of this experiment!
Love:
After three years, last month, I decided to get back into running!
Don’t get me wrong—I’d still been running from time to time, but since both my knees were badly injured from overtraining in 2021, I haven’t run consistently for the past three years. I also hadn’t been tracking my progress or setting goals to improve my pace and endurance like I used to. I just ran whenever I felt like it, at whatever pace felt right—no goals, no records, no nothing .
Now, I’m back at it, and so far, it’s been great. Three years ago, I initially took up running because I was in a tough place mentally, and while that’s not the case this time, getting back into it has reminded me of why I ran in the past.
Goodbye:
I could just say goodbye to daily writing? 😇
but, for real, my goodbye this month is Instagram!
I quit Instagram, partly for personal reasons I rather not share and partly to focus on things that really matter, like writing. Another reason was that I noticed how posting on Instagram made the “posting” aspect feel like an anticipated part of experiences.
I wanted to simply enjoy things without the impulse to post, to savor each moment as it is. Part of the beauty of these moments is their fleeting nature, shared only with those who are present with you.
So far, it’s been great! For some reason, staying off social media really takes a load off your mind. I initially planned to be gone for just a month, but if I end up enjoying it too much, my break might be a bit longer than expected.
I guess that covers everything! Again, Thank you so much for reading up until the end.
Have a beautiful day!
Frey
Congrats on a wonderful two months, Frey! I think you are right about your writin schedule, it seems like it's better to write more Notes versus trying to write a newsletter daily. That just seems like too much for the writer and reader. I write 2 a week, but I know many writers who only write one issue a week and the seem to do just fine. I think as long as you write weekly plus are active with Notes, it's fine. Looking forward to your next 60 days!
Wow, that’s amazing progress, Frey! I definitely agree with Notes. I post 3-5/week and I’m now starting to see the traction. I do a weekly newsletter which is totally doable. Cheers to growth!