Confused by Substack? These 10 Lessons Saved Me

Substack felt like a maze — here’s what finally worked

Photo by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash

You open Substack.

You’ve got the urge to write, the itch to finally start…

…and suddenly your brain goes full buffering wheel.

Do I start with a Note or a Post?
Do I need a welcome email?
How do people even find me on here?
And what’s the deal with Chat?

You’re not lazy. You’re not clueless. You’re just lost in a sea of tabs and second-guessing.

I’ve been there.

When I started, I had no clue what I was doing.

But over time, I figured out what actually works — and what just drains your energy and keeps you stuck.

Here are 10 lessons that helped me go from anonymous to earning real money from my writing on Substack.

If you’re feeling invisible or feel like everyone else has cracked the code except you…

…this list is for you.

1. Stop trying to outsmart the algorithm

Your perfectionism isn’t protecting you. It’s paralyzing you.