What I’ve Learned from Publishing 100 Newsletter Issues
100 posts in 100 weeks.
I checked my dashboard today and saw 100 published posts on my Substack.
I feel good about this.
Two years ago, when I started writing here, I had no idea how far this would go. All I wanted was a place I could write and share my ideas online.
I’d been writing on Medium before that, but I never had real control over who saw my posts or who didn’t. The algorithm decided that for me.
Substack, however, gave me my own space.
Writing here has been one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time.
I’ve been able to grow a small, engaged audience and build a real writing business on the back of it, something I couldn’t say two years ago when I was just hitting publish and hoping someone would read it.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about building online, it’s that most people quit long before they ever see results. And honestly, I don’t blame them.
A lot of people start for the wrong reasons. They start writing to gain subscribers fast, and when it doesn’t happen in the first few weeks, they give up.
Some read a post from a writer who’s made X amount of money from their newsletter, and they want that too, until they realize how much effort goes into getting there.
That’s the part nobody shows you. Not the screenshot of the income report, not the “I hit 10k subscribers” post.
What they don’t show is the months of writing to an audience of a few hundred people, wondering if anyone’s even reading.
The time you spend responding to comments, DMs, and emails.
The posts that flop after you were sure they’d do well.
I’ve had all of that over these past two years, and I’m still here.
Anyway, I’m grateful for this journey, and if you started your Substack recently, all I can say is: don’t give up.
There will be months where nothing seems to be moving.
There will be months where everything seems to go your way.
That’s just the pattern of life, and it’s the same pattern with building any kind of audience online.
What changed things for me
Looking back at 100 issues, a few things stand out as the real turning points.
I stopped writing for everyone and started writing for someone. Early on, my posts were all over the place because I was trying to appeal to anyone who might stumble across my page. Once I got specific about who I was writing for, my writing got sharper, and my growth followed.
I showed up even when the numbers didn’t move. There were stretches, sometimes a full month, where my subscriber count barely budged. I kept publishing anyway. Looking back, those quiet months were where I got better at writing, even if it didn’t feel like progress at the time.
I stopped chasing what worked for other people. I used to look at what other successful newsletters were doing and try to copy it. It never worked, because it wasn’t me. The moment I leaned into my own story, my background, my voice, the way I talk, things started clicking.
I treated this like a business, not a hobby. Somewhere around issue 40 or 50, I stopped thinking of this as “just writing” and started thinking about offers, income streams, and what value I could give paid subscribers. That mindset shift is what turned this into a real source of income.
None of this happened overnight, and I won’t pretend it did. It took consistency, a lot of trial and error, and a willingness to keep showing up on the days I didn’t feel like it.
If you’re a few issues in and wondering if this is worth it, it is. Stick it out long enough, and you will be proud of what you build.
A small thank you, and an offer
To everyone who’s been reading since issue one, and to everyone who just found me, thank you. This newsletter doesn’t exist without you showing up week after week.
To celebrate hitting 100 issues, I’m doing something I don’t usually do.
If you upgrade to a paid subscription this week, I’ll personally give you a free Substack audit, where I’ll go through your newsletter and give you honest feedback on what’s working, what’s not, and what to fix to start growing faster.
This offer is only valid for this week, so if you’ve been thinking about upgrading, now’s the time.
Upgrade your subscription here and get a free audit.
(This offer ends on Sunday at midnight)
Here’s to the next 100 issues.
Thank you for being here.