Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 10

How to Use Substack Newsletters for Marketing and Sales for Supplementary Income

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One of the most common questions I receive is whether freelance writers can use Substack to market and sell their products or services and how to do it effectively. The short answer is yes, but it is crucial to understand the process, its nuances, best practices, and pitfalls, as I will cover in this chapter since most readers are turned off by overt marketing or sales content. I created this chapter after interviewing some best-selling Substack writers and observing their behavior by subscribing to their content.

In the grand scheme, everyone is engaged in selling something — whether it is their time, ideas, products, or services. For instance, Medium offers free services but monetizes through memberships, Substack facilitates creators’ newsletters and earns a 10% commission, and Google profits from advertisements. As creators, we should embrace this reality and not be intimidated by offering our ideas, supplementary services, or products, as it is a natural and essential part of the ecosystem.

While I sell my ideas in my stories or newsletters, I do not directly sell products or services as they are not my main goals. However, in…