The 'Going and Staying Paid' round up

Claire Venus ✨

Sep 25, 2024

Hi Sparklers,

This month here at Sparkle on Substack we are focussed in on GOING and STAYING paid.

Running a newsletter subscription/ membership can feel a big deal.

Remember, I have a whole section on my home page to help you explore how you feel in relation to this topic.

There’s a three pronged approach here we need to work through;

The VALUE we deliver and what we charge for it in a joyful sustainable way.
The MONEY we charge and how many people we can comfortably serve this way.
The HOW of when, where and how we tell people about our paid offer.

In the words of those ‘making it work’

I’ve curated some posts which I think help lift the veil and share helpful tips about mindset, decision making and sustainability in a joyful way.

💫

You can also listen to us chat about pricing for my podcast as a special preview by subscribing to my YouTube channel;

I chose this post from
Emma Gannon
because it’s a great read for those of us who have BIG aspirations with our Substack.

The Hyphen by Emma Gannon

How I make six figures on Substack

It’s been an incredible and creatively fulfilling eighteen months on Substack; I am grateful to have discovered a platform that seamlessly pulls all my different creative threads together and has also (as a bonus!) allowed me the freedom to step away from social media. It actually feels incredibly radical to have a self-funded media platform that doesn’t rely on advertising or corporate sponsors. I haven’t chased an accounts department in months…

2 years ago · 1357 likes · 152 comments · Emma Gannon

and a bonus extra because, well it’s Emma - she’s smart and has brilliant things to say.

The Hyphen by Emma Gannon

Why Substack still works

10 months ago · 224 likes · 36 comments · Emma Gannon

This post from
Anna Wharton
is a favourite of mine because I’ve chatted with Anna a little about her process and getting clarity on what she really wants to do here. Once we feel like we have a base layer of income, there is definitely space to give ourself some leeway with new experiments.

White Ink with Anna Wharton

How I Built My $10,000 Substack From Scratch

What I dislike, more than anything on Substack, are posts by people who say ‘let me tell you the secret to building a super successful substack’ and then once you pay to read, you discover that their ‘secret’ was that they imported a huge email list…

10 months ago · 1 like · Anna Wharton

This by
Satya Robyn
for
Russell Nohelty
reminds us to stay gentle with ourselves- it’s a timely read if you feel like you are on the brink of burnout or want to get your mindset right for the long term.

The Author Stack

Gentle Monetisation

“Focus on the work for its own sake. Sometimes the money follows that, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s the only way.” - Summer Brennan…

a year ago · 88 likes · 31 comments · Satya Robyn

Top Tips for ‘going and staying paid’ in summary;

1. Build your Substack income gradually and only count on it as a core income stream once it's stable. Growth takes time, and relying too heavily on early income can lead to stress and burnout. Churn is part of it, it’s not personal.

2. Writing success doesn't always correlate with financial rewards. It's essential to separate your self-worth from how much money you make from writing/ hosting here, especially given the unpredictability of monetisation.

3. Enjoy the process - appreciate every ‘small’ success, and focus on enjoying the journey. Writing here should bring fulfilment, joy and sparkle regardless of the financial outcome.

Need more on strategy?

Replay this recent workshop;

✨Membership ✨