I Post Daily, But Email Weekly
Have you ever wondered how to post frequently on Substack without annoying your subscribers? Here’s the solution: you don’t need to send every post via email.
I just read a Substack note that said something like, “One post per week, one note per day, one year of patience - that’s the key to success.” The author was referring to how long it generally takes to gain traction on Substack if you follow that routine. I like the advice, but I’m more inclined to write daily. Who blogs once a week and expects to get anywhere? Daily blogging is where it’s at.
I really enjoy posting on my Substack blog. I do it often because I have the time to think about what to write and then actually write it. Many other authors are in similar situations and are thriving with their blogs. The question then becomes: how can an author post frequently without overwhelming subscribers with emails? And aren’t subscribers expecting the emails anyway, since they signed up? The answer to the latter is yes, but imagine signing up for a blog or newsletter and receiving an email every single day. That can quickly become oppressive, and I’m not sure most people would appreciate it.
Is it a Blog or a Newsletter?
I like to think of my Substack page as a blog first and a newsletter second. I’ve run WordPress blogs for years and often used MailChimp’s email newsletter feature. I’ll admit, sending an email every time I published a post started to wear on me. I had this persistent hunch that people would roll their eyes at yet another message from me and eventually unsubscribe. I’m thin-skinned when it comes to that kind of rejection, so I ultimately slowed down my blogging, a decision I never felt good about.
Substack isn’t Only a Newsletter
When it comes to Substack, it’s definitely a blog first for me. As I mentioned above, I like to write, but my subscribers don’t need to know that. After all, and this is worth remembering, no one on earth appreciates receiving a newsletter email every single day. And I mean no one. A publisher’s mother? Nope. Father? Not a chance. No one. So let’s not go down that road.
How to Post Without Sending as an Email
Here’s how I do it from my desktop:
I write each post as usual. After finishing and adjusting my settings, I click the “Continue” button.
Then, I scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the checkbox labeled “Send via email and Substack app” under the “Delivery” section. I make sure that box is unchecked. Once I do, the delivery button changes from “Send to everyone now” to “Publish now.”
I click “Publish now,” and Substack warns me that the post won’t actually reach anyone unless I email it. I ignore the warning and click “Publish on web only.”
This posts my writing to the web without sending emails to subscribers. By doing it this way, I avoid driving anyone nuts, or worse, causing unsubscribes, from my relentless posting.
Why Do I Post So Often?
Honestly, I don’t even know what it feels like to not write every day. I can’t imagine running a blog where I only post once a week. That said, I understand that not everyone works like I do, so I’d like to explain why I write so much.
First, I love it. Writing allows me to channel all that pent-up creative energy that seems to pulse through my veins. It needs an outlet, and my blog is as good a place as any.
Second, writing daily helps me improve. It keeps me from falling into the trap of perfectionism, of feeling like every post must be a masterpiece. I’ve done that before, and it’s exhausting - and frankly, no fun. Life’s too short to stress over blog posts. By practicing regularly, I’ve developed a casual style that I think my readers enjoy.
Third, writing every day naturally produces a lot of content. Some of it is better than others, which leads me to the next point.
How Do My Subscribers Read My Posts?
Every week, I compile the best posts into what I call a “roundup.” Sometimes it’s just two posts, sometimes five. It really depends on how strong I feel each post is. It also depends on the topic. For example, the post you’re reading now is technical, focused on Substack, so I’d probably skip sending it to my subscriber list. Most of them are more interested in traveling the world or hiking around Maine. I doubt any are running a Substack page.
Creating the roundup is simple. I make a new post, add thumbnails and excerpts of the posts I want to include, link to them, and send it out as an email. I usually do this on Fridays. By sending just one newsletter with my favorites included in it, I avoid overwhelming anyone. And most importantly, I feel good knowing I got something out to my readers.
Search Engines Love Lots of Content
Posting every day doesn’t just do my brain good, it also helps with search engines.
Imagine running a website with only one page containing 200 words. That page can really only rank for a handful of keywords. Now imagine a website with 100 pages, each with 200 words. All else being equal, which site do you think will get more traffic from Google, Bing, and the rest? Exactly. The one with more pages and more keywords.
So, besides satisfying my little obsession with writing, I also benefit from it. I create valuable content, attract links from other Substack pages and websites, and ultimately increase my visibility. At least, that’s the plan.
You Need to Remember…
None of your subscribers would have signed up if you told them you’d be sending a daily email. That’s why it’s better to write as much as you like - like I do - and then share a single, non-annoying weekly roundup.
If you decide to adopt this approach, be clear about your message-sending schedule. Include it on your About page or somewhere else easy to find, so subscribers know what to expect.
And always write a healthy number of posts, because (trust me) you’ll need them for your roundups. Without a solid backlog, high-quality posts will become scarce right when you need them most, and you don’t want that to happen.
In Conclusion
The bottom line is that Substack is a writing platform, and it’s one you should use to its fullest creative potential. If you’re going to get involved, don’t hold back. Write freely and write a lot. Once you’ve created your content, you can decide what to share with your subscribers.
Personally, adopting this approach has freed me from the guilt of sending too many emails to people I knew I might be annoying. I now use Substack’s “post only” option, and it makes me much happier. I’m confident my subscribers appreciate it too.