by Yana G.Y.

FREE
10-DAY SUBSTACK
CRASH COURSE

Set-up Substack for High Conversion Rate

Gain Your First 1000 Subscribers

Convert Subscribers to Paid

[Free Substack Course] I’m so happy you’re
here!

Hey!

I decided to do something different.

Since you joined my Unplugged newsletter, you’re probably looking for more ways
to grow your Substack.

You’re not alone…

I’ve been there too.

And you know what?

I was so confused…

Substack is confusing, isn’t it?

When I first joined, I started looking for resources to learn faster what works and
what doesn’t.

Guess what!

Resources are limited.

It’s because this platform is still young. Most writers are still figuring it out.

So yes, I found some paid newsletters and some great courses. But they all were
either too general or too basic, some very outdated...and to be honest, the rest
didn't really talk about the business part of it.

Why? Because most people who deliver this knowledge know mainly how to write
online and a bit about selling. But nothing about running a subscription business.

See, I've been building and selling subscription based services for more than 15
years in my 9-5. It's enough to know it's not (only) about writing. You need a solid
business plan to get there.

So I started my own learning curve:

- Research
- Implement

- Measure, adapt, repeat

This took me about a year and a half.

I created my Substack account in March 2023 but I went all in with a ready-to-go
strategy only in September 2024.

It took me an year and a half to understand how to become a Bestseller in

3 months.

Preparation is everything.

And it worked.

I kicked-off my growth strategy in September 2024.

Two and a half months later I’m at 8.9% conversion rate from all Substack
organic channels. That’s above average for Substack!

At the moment of writing this email I’m at 1651 total subscribers coming from
organically Substack, with 147 paying.

And I just gained my bestseller badge!

Took me a total of five months to get there, but just two and a half months from
going all-in (1st of September'24 with 20 paid subscribers -> 15th of November'24
with 101 paid subscribers).

That's fast!

Unlike many other Bestsellers, I did it without an external email list or social
media audience.

My audience is small.

But my conversion rate is high.

That's how I know my strategy works.

Most writers measure different KPIs - audience, revenue, profit.

The key is to aim for a high engagement rate instead.

Why?

Simple.

It's a prerequisite for a high conversion rate, which allows you to earn more from
doing less.

I created the Unplugged newsletter to help you and other people like you and me.
I personally help writers on Substack do the same, and skip the learning curve.

I walked the bumpy road so you don’t have to.

You’re on the right place!

My Gift for You

To remove all the confusion, I prepared a 10-Day email crash course called
"Substack Kickstarter - Grow Your First 1000 Subscribers" to help you get on
board.

It's based on my work with paid and V.I.P. members so I'm confident you'll find it
helpful.

And you won't find this published anywhere else, so watch your emails ;)

Here’s what to expect in the following days:

1. [DAY1] Free vs. Paid Newsletters

2. [DAY 2] Finding your niche
3. [DAY 3] Defining your target reader and writing for them
4. [DAY 4] Create your irresistible offer
5. [DAY 5] Set up your Substack for high conversion rates
6. [DAY 6] Grow your first 1000 subscribers in just 15 minutes / day
7. [DAY 7] Convert free readers into paid subscribers without sounding
salesy
8. [DAY 8] Retain your paying subscribers
9. [DAY 9] Case study: becoming a Substack bestseller in 3 months
10.[DAY 10] Grow with 1-2 new paid subscribers per day

Every email’s subject will start with the day number, so that you can easily filter
them and read them at once if you’d like to. Make sure you whitelist my email
address (yana@[Link]) so they don’t get lost.

Excited?

Me too!

Tomorrow, when we gonna analyze the strategy of having a free vs. paid
newsletter.

Excited?

I am!

See you tomorrow! Yana

P.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-diving
into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a flagship
course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case studies
and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid members
and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade now and
secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY1] Free vs. Paid Newsletters

One of the questions I often hear from people in my Substack community:

Should I run a free or a paid newsletter?

Substack writers are mostly split into two camps—those who swear by free
newsletters and those who champion paid ones. Both have strong opinions about
why their approach is the “right” one.

Not me.

I love to test and learn.

My tests prove one thing:

It’s not EITHER/OR!

You can (and should) do both.

I run a paid newsletter on Substack, and I became a bestseller in just three

months. But I also believe in the power of free newsletters. Both have their place,
and both can help you monetize your Substack.

Let me break it down for you.

Free Newsletters

Why Choose Free?

1. Simple & Easy: Free newsletters are straightforward. You write, grow your
audience, and build trust.
2. Monetizatize from day 1: Even without a paywall, you can monetize right
away through:
 o Selling digital products (like courses and ebooks)
o Affiliate marketing
o Sponsorships
3. Faster growth: Free newsletters tend to grow faster on Substack, especially
if you’re active on Substack Notes (the social media of Substack). And if
you have a solid portfolio of offers, you can easily grow to 6 figures in just a
few months.

The Downsides:

• Needs constant creation of new offers on top of your content: Selling

the same digital product to the same subscriber gets tricky after a few
attempts. You need to build a new offer (ideally) every month to maintain a
6 figure revenue and grow from there.
• More sales skills required: You’ll need strong marketing and especially
copywriting skills to continuously sell digital products. And there's the
additional effort required in building the digital products, setting the landing
pages and building the sales funnels.
• Against Substack’s business model: Substack thrives on paid
subscriptions, so there’s always a risk they might limit free content
distribution in the future (just a hunch).

Paid Newsletters

Why Choose Paid?

1. Aligned with Substack’s model: Substack’s tools are designed to support

paid subscriptions, and the platform prioritizes features that help you grow a
paying audience. It's the best place to grow a paid newsletter, because
Substack specializes ONLY in that business model, so the tools and features
are state-of-the-art. Substack literally helps you sell more subscriptions.
2. Your content Is the offer: With paid newsletters, your content itself
becomes the product. You don’t need to constantly create new offers—you
can even build digital products in public, one piece at a time. You can write a
book or build a course chapter by chapter and paywall it.
3. Long-term income: Paid newsletters compound over time. With each new
subscriber, your recurring revenue grows.

The Downsides:

• More Complex: Running a paid newsletter is running a business. But not

any kind of business, it's a subscription business. One of the most complex
business models. Yet, one of the sweetest and most lucrative ones because
of the faulty belief people will continue to pay indefinitely. You’ll need to keep
providing tangible benefits to your subscribers (e.g., tools, guides, case
 studies). And you need to retain them (no need when you sell one-time
offers). You need to build relationships.
• Takes Time: Paid newsletters don’t scale overnight. You’ll need patience to
see the compound effect. You don't get to the 6 figures fast, but rather
steadily.

So, What’s the Best Approach?

Do both.

Here’s how I see this:

1. Run a paid newsletter:

o Your core content goes here, and it’s where you focus your efforts.
o Provide additional tangible value for your paid subscribers, like
templates, tools, or exclusive workshops.
2. Work with your free subscribers as if you run a free newsletter:
o Sell digital products or affiliate offers to your free subscribers (I give
exclusive discounts to my paid subscribers)
o Use free content to funnel readers toward your paid subscription.
3. Automate:
o Import automatically all your Substack subscribers to Kit (or other
EMS)
o Set up email funnels to upsell free subscribers on your paid offers and
make money on autopilot!

Essentially you monetize the same content many times:

• you write a book or build a course one chapter at a time and offer it to your
paid subscribers.
• when ready, you create the digital product and sell it to free subscribers.
• sell your product to other platforms like Amazon and Gumroad.

It's the core concept of any online content business: Repurpose. Repurpose.
Repurpose.

Voila!

You’ve got the best of both worlds!

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll dive into an even bigger question: How to find your niche.
Because whether you’re running free or paid, choosing the right focus for your
newsletter is the first step toward long-term success.

See you then, Yana

P.S. If you need help with crafting your Substack strategy, join my paid community
and get a free 30-minute strategy callwith me, where I'll personally help you figure
this out.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 2] Finding your niche

Before we deep dive into the growth tactics, you need to set the scenes.

First you need some strategy work:

• Decide on your niche and audience

• Craft your irresistible offer

Then you need some tech work:

• Set-up your Substack for a high conversion rate

Only after you can start working on growth.

Because otherwise, you'll hardly convert your gained subscribers. People won't start
paying if they subscribe because of your great inspirational story without having a
clue what you have to offer.

I know a lot of creators who do this the other way around. They start working to
gain subscribers with the idea they'll figure out their offers later.

They even start free newsletters and invest tons of time and effort but the gains
don't come.

This only makes their learning curve steeper and more painful.
It's one of the reasons most writers quit.

In business, no one starts advertising without an offer and a sales process. And
working on your audience growth is a form of advertising, where your time and
efforts are your costs.

You're wasting them without a clear offer.

I didn't make this huge mistake.

I did my homework before I started.

That's how I got to the Bestseller status in just 3 months.

Because I know how business works.

I've been creating and selling subscription-based services for more than 15 years.

I know what I'm doing.

And I'm here to help you.

Now let's get to some strategy work.

Do you even need a niche?

Don’t trust people who say you don’t.

They might produce nicheless content, but initially, they all have become known for
a niche.

I like to think of a niche as just one reader. Not topic. Simply talk to this reader,
make it relatable, see through their eyes, and speak with their words.

Most gurus will tell you the top 3 niches with evergreen high potential are:

1. Health

2. Wealth

3. Relationships

But those are very general. You still need to niche down.

But, Yana, why do I need to niche down?! I just wanna write about
everything I love.
Sure, you can do that. Just know you won't make more money out of it.

I know a lot of writers walk that path. Look at most of Medium profiles and you'll
see it. Trust me this hurts.

Because nobody gives a fuck about what you've done in your life unless you have
some tangible actionable advice that solves some painful problem.

That's what people pay for.

Why niche down?

Because if someone pays you for solving their relationship problems and suddenly
you start talking about gardening, guess what? You'll see them leaving.

Listen, your paid newsletter is a product.

Period.

One product that solves one painful problem.

One product that saves time or money or both.

That's it.

How do you find your niche?

This is another one of the most common questions I hear from Substackers. And
it’s no wonder—your niche is your foundation. Get it right, and everything else
(your subscribers, your growth, even your income) becomes so much easier.

But finding your niche isn’t about guessing what will “work.”

It's all about how to get people to KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST you so that they can
buy from you.

Let me break it down for you in three simple steps.

Step 1: Look at your passions and expertise

Start by asking yourself:

• What topics do I know deeply?

• What topics can I talk about for hours?
• What questions do people always ask me about?
It's either about what you know a lot of, OR what you're passionate to learn, OR
both.

Your niche doesn’t have to be broad—it just has to align with what you’re genuinely
passionate about and where you can offer unique insights.

That's your competitive advantage.

I call this a MOAT.

The bigger the better.

It will give people a reason why to buy from you and not anyone else. This is
your CREDIBILITY. Sharing this will let people KNOW you better.

My MOAT is my business background in sales and marketing of subscription-based

services. I have 15 years of doing this in a multi-billion tech corp and my role is
unique in an organization of 20k employees. That's a pretty big MOAT.

I don't know ANY of the (Substack) gurus out there to have THAT level of business
understanding.

And I have a proven track record - became a bestseller in 3 months without any
external audience or help.

It's easy when you come to Substack with an existing list of 50k emails. It wasn't
my case. I did it from scratch.

Because of my MOAT.

But, Yana, this takes 15 years to build...

Right!

You know what?

When I started I didn't even think about using this as a lever.

I was passionate about AI so I started learning and testing it and writing about it.

This was my passion.

Find yours and start there if you can't find a big enough MOAT.

Step 2: Look at your achievements and strengths

Ask yourself:
 • What are my greatest achievements?
• What are the things people often praise me for?
• In what area in my life do I easily achieve success?

This is your proof of work and your social proof.

You need this to build TRUST.

Example:

My achievements are:

• becoming a Substack bestseller in record time (3 months)

• having above Substack average free -> paid conversion rate (>5%)
• having above Substack average paid subscriber growth and retention rate

And I have all the proof to support these statements, here's one of them:

But, Yana, I don't have achievements, I'm just starting!

Right!

Did I mention strengths?!

When I started I wasn't a bestseller. So I used my strengths:

 • I'm very well organized - so I created templates and gave them to my
audience
• I'm great in analysis and I love Excel - so I analyzed things and wrote about
that too
• I'm good in influencing people (as I'm a leader in my 9-5)- so I created a
community where we help each other grow

See?

If you want something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.

Not having experience, strengths, achievements, and passions IS AN EXCUSE.

Find them now!

Step 3: Look at your experiences

Ask yourself:

• What events have I experienced related to the above?

• What are some personal stories I can tell about these experiences?
• How can I connect these stories to my achievements, passions, and
expertise?

Storytelling is what makes your content highly relatable. It helps

people KNOW you LIKE you.

Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. This is the most powerful way to gain traction,
earn trust and ultimately go viral.

It closes the loop of KNOW-LIKE-TRUST you need ot build with your content in
order to make people buy from you.

Here's one example of how I used storytelling to go viral on Substack Notes. I got
±200 new subscribers in a few days. You can too!

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve become a niche-defining expert, tomorrow we’ll talk about the
next step: defining your target reader.

Because knowing your niche is one thing, but understanding who you’re writing
for is what makes your content truly resonate.

See you tomorrow, Yana

P.S. If you still struggle with your niche and audience, get a 30-minute strategy call
with me, where I'll personally help you figure this out.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 3] Defining your target reader and

writing for them
Yesterday, we talked about finding your niche—the sweet spot where your passion,
expertise, strengths, and experiences overlap.

Today, we’re taking it a step further:

Who are you writing for?

Because here’s the truth: If you try to talk to everyone, you'll end up talking to no
one.

Even within your niche, not everyone is your audience.

And the more specific you get about who you’re writing for, the more engagement
you'll have.

High engagement rate = more sales

So how do you define your ideal reader?

There's no ideal reader.

Don't go defining personas, avatars or empathy maps.

Yes, they will give you some insights, but it's hard to write for someone non-
existent. Your subconscious will reject that and your content will not be relatable.

So what then?

Here's a tip that helped me move forward with this: write for the younger
you and focus on solving painful problems.
The truth is there always gonna be someone who's two steps behind you.

Write for that person.

Don't overthink it.

Just write.

It's not perfect, but it helps you get started.

I started like this, and later on, I learned my audience is in a different age group
and much closer to the beginner level than I thought. I had to adapt my content
strategy a bit, but I was already growing.

Once you have some people in your audience, start interacting with them.

Collect the answers and look for patterns - what's repeating? Write those down if
you have to.

Your job is to solve those problems with your content.

The more painful the problem, the more loyal your audience will be.

If you can solve their problems better (or differently) than others, they’ll keep
coming back for more.

Think your solutions are not unique enough?

Bring a different angle from your MOAT (find more about that in yesterday's
email).

Example: My readers struggle with growing and monetizing their Substack. That’s
a problem a lot of writers are talking about on Substack. But only I can give people
some insights from my decades of experience in building and selling subscription-
based services.

It's that simple!

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to create an irresistible offer—the kind of offer
that makes your readers think, “It's stupid not to buy?”

See you then, Yana

P.S. Get deeper into this and define your reader's problems, struggles, fears, and
challenges to get valuable insights about your content. It's part of my flagship
Write2Sell column, where I talk about growing your Substack.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 4] Create your irresistible offer

Today I’m looking at what sells on Substack.

A good product strategy starts with good research.

I've done my homework analyzing 20 of the bestsellers and I have some interesting
findings to share today.

The five types of offers on Substack:

I’ve identified five major groups, plus one that I won’t put in a dedicated group.

Those are:

1. Writing - analyses, deep dives, strategies, case studies, research,

expert opinions, market insights, etc.
2. Content - workshops, podcasts, webinars, masterclasses, expert
interviews, etc.
3. Product - courses, books, tools, templates, handouts, cheatsheets,
etc.
4. Service - coaching, teaching, audits, done-for-you services, etc.
5. Community - chats, challenges, threads, collaborations, etc.

Here's a breakdown of each group based on:

• effort needed
• growth potential
• revenue potential

This will help you sort out what type of content best fits your daily schedule.
But there's also one that stays out of a group: you’re just….well, writing.

Confused?

What’s the difference between “just writing” and “writing” as an offer?!? Big! Mainly
in the quality of writing. You’ll see in a bit. Let’s start with it first:

0. No specific offer
What is it?

You just write. No, really. You don’t have a strategy, no specific niche, you write
about whatever you want. Maybe you write about yourself.

Or…

You have a niche, you write for an audience, you solve problems (and all that), but
you’re not sure what to put behind the paywall. Because who would pay you for
that?

Or…

You post the same content on Substack and Medium. It’s a good strategy to add
more “meat” to your Substack, but it won’t make you a bestseller if you only stay
with it. Because why would someone pay you on Substack, when they can pay
$5/mo to Medium and read you and tons of other writers?

I’ve seen a lot of such newsletters. None of them are bestsellers. That’s why I won’t
put it in a group.

I’ve said this many times: on Substack, you need a solid content strategy. Don’t
listen to people telling you “Just start”!

Don’t start!

Do your homework. Think it over. Do your own research. Make a strategy. Then
start. Or you risk getting overwhelmed pretty fast.

Imagine this:

• you “just start”…

• you gain a few hundred subscribers, but no one wants to pay…
• so you decide to change the newsletter, and suddenly: oh wow! people are
unsubscribing! Because they signed up for something else.

That’s where most people quit. So don’t do that!

Look, this is not about good or bad writing, or being a good or a bad writer. Anyone
can become a bestseller on Substack with the right approach. It’s all about gaining
clarity.

If you consider yourself at this level right now, it’s absolutely fine. I’ve been there
too. All of us have. That's how we learn.

But...

Substack (and any paid newsletter) is about exclusive content.

Writing as an offer delivers a lot of value. You're not "sharing" anything. You're
solving painful problems with unique solutions. You're providing tangible assets.

What makes your offer irresistible?

An irresistible offer is an offer you can't refuse.

It feels stupid not to buy it.

It has tons of perceived value for low perceived cost.

It's all about how you "package" your content and what price you put on it.

Pro tip: add as much as possible from the above 5 types of offers for an annual
price lower than the emotional threshold for online purchases - $50. Make your
monthly price much higher, so that the annual price looks with more than 50%
discount. This feels stupid not to buy ;)

This is what I used to become a bestseller in just 3 months.

You can do that too.

It's that simple!

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to set-up your Substack for a high conversion
rate — it's about how you present your irresistible offer.

See you then, Yana

P.S. If you still need help crafting your offer, here's a checklist that will help you
out. It's part of my flagship Write2Sell column, where I talk about growing your
Substack.
P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 5] Set up your Substack for high

conversion rates
Hey,

Let’s face it—Substack is a fantastic platform, but if you’re just leaving the defaults
in place, you’re missing out on serious conversion opportunities.

Today, I want to walk you through the three most important places you need to
optimize on your Substack to grow your audience and turn free subscribers into
paying ones:

1. Your Personal Profile

Your profile is often the first thing people see when they discover you on Substack.
Here’s how to make it shine:

• Focus on you, not your newsletter: Use your bio to introduce yourself and
explain why readers should care about your work on Substack. Only share
what's relevant to your Substack.
• Highlight the value you deliver: What do you do, and how does it connect
to your writing? Don’t just describe—show the value you deliver for your paid
subscribers.
• Be memorable: Keep it short, impactful, and related to your Substack
niche.

Here's my example: “Helping writers grow their paid newsletters and monetize
their passion. Actionable advice with zero fluff.”

A clear and compelling bio tells people exactly what they’ll gain by subscribing to
you.

Note: This is what makes people subscribe to you when they discover you on
Notes. Make it work for your growth.
2. Your Publication Description

This is where you explain what your newsletter is about and why readers should
subscribe, and especially why should they become paying subscribers. Here’s how
to nail it:

• Lead with the Outcome: Focus on what subscribers will achieve, not just
what they’ll read.
o Instead of: “Tips on writing and publishing.”
o Try: “Grow your audience and convert readers into loyal subscribers.”
o Don't say: "Learn how to", make it action-oriented.
• Highlight Benefits: Be specific about what they’ll get from your content
(e.g., tools, case studies, exclusive insights).
• Keep It Concise: Space is limited, so use every word wisely.

Pro Tip: Include a credibility booster, like your bestseller badge, a notable
achievement, or a reference from your fans. Example: "paid members say it's the
best choice they ever made"

3. Your Subscribe Page

Your subscribe page is critical. Think of it like a landing page selling your course or
book. It’s the moment when readers decide to become subscribers (or not). Here’s
how to optimize it:

• Craft an Irresistible Headline: Make it benefit-driven. Use promotions to

be able to change the headline.
o Instead of: “Subscribe to My Newsletter.” or "Get access to this and
that"
o Try: “Grow Your Audience and Monetize Your Passion.”
• Detail the Benefits: Clearly outline what paid subscribers will receive as an
outcome after paying you. Focus on benefits not features. Don't say what
they get, say what they achieve after applying it.
• Make It a No-Brainer: Use pricing strategies that feel irresistible, like
emphasizing the value of an annual subscription (see the mail from
yesterday about crafting your irresistible offer)

Bottom Line

Your Substack isn’t just about writing great content. It’s about positioning it in a
way that converts.

You need to promote yourself anywhere you can.

That pays off.

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, I’ll show you how to grow your first 1,000 subscribers in just 15
minutes a day using Substack Notes and other organic strategies.

See you then, Yana

P.S. If you still need help setting up your Substack for a high conversion rate,
here's a one-hour mini-course that will walk you through every setting. It's part of
my flagship Write2Sell column, where I talk about growing your Substack.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 6] Grow your first 1000 subscribers in

just 15 minutes / day

I keep seeing people outside Substack preaching that the officially stated 5%-10%
conversion rates are unreal.

Those people never tried to monetize Substack directly, i.e. running a paid
newsletter.

Most likely never tried to use Substack strategically.

Substack has its own game.

What works elsewhere doesn’t work here.

What works here can’t be replicated anywhere else.

Why?

Because Substack is a unique place.

It is:

• a blog
• a newsletter
• a social media

and a community with a totally different mindset. People are willing to pay you
directly if you have value to deliver.

Substack is not a writing platform. It’s a business place for writers and
creators.

Like any other business, it needs:

• the right culture (mindset)

• solid strategy (for monetization)
• sound execution (to ensure you stay consistent)
• enough investment (of your time and effort to build it)

and time (and patience) especially when you start seeing progress.

Progress. That’s what fuels motivation. That’s your sign to success.

My progress? I became a Bestseller in just 3 months.

On day 9 I'll share the whole case study about how I got there.

If you approach it as a business, you’ll find the best way to grow.

How to gain your first 1000 subscribers FAST?

Use Notes!

My conversion rate of people coming from Notes varies between 8% and

11%!

It's above the Substack average!

How?

Few months ago I decided to look at it from a business point of view.

Not just social media, but a growth channel. I don’t go random with people and
content.

I have a content strategy and engagement strategy.

Here’s exactly what they look like…

1. Content Strategy

Post at least one Note every day. If you can, post more.

Use this to attract the right people:

1. Notes connected to my learning curve: I share my struggles. Those are

highly relatable.
2. Growth Notes: I share my results from applying the methods I paywall.
People ask me how I do it in the comments, and I tell them to read my
newsletter.
3. Notes connected to my paywalled posts: I write Notes before and after I
publish a paywalled post.

I recently got my first Note going viral with over 10,000 likes, over 24,000 clicks
and aver 160 new subscribers! In just a few days!

I made a breakdown of it, so you can see exactly what I used to get it go viral.

Pro tip: Define your audience problems, then ask ChatGPT for 10-20 inspirational
quotes related to these problems. Then edit a bit and post. These notes are highly
relatable and you get to learn more about your audience's struggles.

And here’s what I DO NOT DO by all means:

 • I DON’T PROMOTE ANYTHING on Notes. I think people are irritated by
that.
• I DON’T SHARE ANY LINKS on Notes. Except when I restack a quote from
my posts.
• I DON’T TRY TO SELL on Notes. Just talk about the value of my paywalled
content and the outcomes it delivers.

2. Engagement Strategy
This is to get the attention of more from the right people - those who are most
likely to convert ot paid.

This is especially important if you have less than 2k subscribers coming from
the organic Substack channels(imported don’t count). I came up with this
number from my research of top-performing bestsellers.

Once you get to that number, things should start peaking off. I’m halfway there.

So here’s what I do:

• Engage with 5-10 other people on Notes. Make sure they're in our niche.
• Subscribe to your competitors and stay active in their community chats.
• Start recommending other growing publications. Look for people with
thousands of subscribers. Some will start recommending you back.

Pro tip: Don't just say "Great tip. Thanks for sharing". Ask questions and add to
the conversation. Share your wisdom, even give them some of your most valuable
advice. This way they get an insight into what they'll get if they subscribe to you.

You'll be amazed by your growth, I promise!

How Long Till 1000 Subscribers?

I'm now steadily growing with 10 to 30 subscribers per day. If you get to that level,
you'll have your 1000 subscribers in 1 to 3 months! And if you get a Note go viral,
you can get it in just few days.

I've seen may people on Substack achieve this, myself including.

You can too!

No sugarcoating!

It's just the fact that Substack is a young platform, but it's rapidly growing.

That's why YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW!

Because it's not guaranteed that this will stay in the future.

Don't sleep on your revenues.

Start now!

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to convert free to paid subscribers — it's about
how you get to that high conversion rate and ultimately that Bestseller badge!

See you then, Yana

P.S. I designed my monthly Notes30 challenge to help you stay consistent on Notes
and engagement. People say it's a game-changer. You'll find tons of templates,
writing tips, and my custom GPT trained to write Notes that go viral. Join here and
get a chance to win a Spotlight session with me, where we talk about your
Substack so that more people can subscribe to you. I do this to help you grow
faster. Join here!

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 7] Convert free readers into paid

subscribers without sounding salesy
You can convert subscribers without heavy sales promotions.

Period.

How?

Simple.

With highly valuable content.

That's why crafting your irresistible offer is so important. It's also your content
strategy. If you missed this, go to day 4 of this email course.

It's so simple.

You deliver high value and you make sure you deliver it consistently.

In other words:

You sell without selling.

I call this "write to sell".

There’s a reason why I named my flagship column “Write2Sell” ;)

Because we, writers are mostly introverts. We hate selling. We want to write.

Yeah! So why not write to sell?

Exactly!

If you followed my advice from the previous days, you already have a great offer
and you gained free subscribers that are convertible to paid.

But how to convert them?

Use my simple system made from just 3 core rules:

1. Solve painful problems - this is how you deliver value.

2. Use dynamic paywalling - three ways to do this:
o Leave the WHY and the WHAT above the paywall and put the HOW
below the paywall. This way you have something like a teaser.
Works miracles for me.
o Give everything for free, but paywall the tangible
assets (templates, challenges, formulas, cheat sheets, courses,
books, etc.). That's the most powerful way, brings the highest
conversion rates for me.
o Paywall the convenience features - add voiceovers and videos that
are only for paid members. People will pay to save time and listen or
watch instead of read. This is the weakest one, so I use it as a
complementary strategy.
3. Deliver your content consistently - the more emails you write, the more
money you make. I paywall the majority of the content, but I use dynamic
paywalling.

That's it!
If you do things right, you should be able to start growing with 10-20 paid
subscribers per month. And if you do one promotion per month, you can go to 40.

I'm sure you can do the math: your bestseller badge is just 3 months away ;)

Cheers!

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to set-up your Substack for a high conversion
rate — it's about how you present your irresistible offer.

See you then, Yana

P.S. I designed my monthly Writing Challenge to help you stay consistent on value
delivery and conversion. You'll find tons of writing tips, storytelling techniques, and
my custom GPT trained to generate Titles that drive clicks. Join here and get a
chance to win a Spotlight session with me, where we talk about your Substack so
that more people can subscribe to you. I do this to help you grow faster. Join here!

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 8] Retain your paying subscribers

Let’s talk about one of the most overlooked aspects of a paid

newsletter: retention.

Getting new paid subscribers gets you overexcited, but here’s the reality: not
everyone will stay.

From what I've seen, the average retention rate for paid subscriptions after 12
months is around 60%. Some people will leave, and that’s okay.

It’s part of the game.

But with the right strategies, you can retain more members, build a loyal
community, and even grow your revenue from your most loyal fans.

So far I have an above Substack average paid members growth rate and above
Substack average retention rate at 6 months.

Here’s how:

1. Build Personal Connections

People don’t subscribe to some website or a newsletter, they subscribe to you.

Your paid members joined because they value your voice, your insights, and the
way you make them feel seen and heard. To keep them around, you need to
nurture that relationship.

• Show Interest: Send personal messages to new paid subscribers. Ask why
they joined, what they’re looking for, and how you can help.
• Engage Directly: Reply to their emails, respond to comments, and make
them feel valued.
• Ask Questions: You'll learn more about them which will make them feel
important and also give you valuable insights for your audience.

Pro Tip: A simple “Thank you for subscribing! What are you hoping to get out of
this newsletter?” won't work. Go deeper and personal. Ask about their journey,
their challenges and how can you better help. This can go a long way in building
loyalty, and even friendship.

2. Continuous Value

Here’s a list of some ideas how to keep delivering value month after month:

• Ongoing Challenges: Host exclusive challenges that keep your paid

members engaged.
• Workshops & Live Sessions: Offer regular live events where they can
interact with you directly.
• Exclusive Chats or Groups: Create spaces where paid members can
connect with each other and with you.

When subscribers feel they’re getting more than just content, they’re more likely to
stick around.

3. Accept Churn Happens

No matter how much value you provide, some subscribers will leave. It’s not a
reflection of your work. It's business.

• Don’t Take It Personally: People unsubscribe for all kinds of reasons—

financial changes, shifting priorities, or simply because their inbox is full.
• Focus on Retention, Not Perfection: A 60% retention rate is average. If
you’re above that, you’re doing great.
• Focus on Who Stays: don't try to win back those who leave. It's too late.
Focus on the remaining - those are the people who still care.

4. Build an Engaged Community

People may unsubscribe from you, but they won’t leave a community where they
feel like they belong. It's an unconscious survival instinct, you can't control it.
That's why communities are so powerful.

Here’s how to grow an engaged, supportive community:

• Create Opportunities for Interaction: Encourage members to share their

thoughts, ask questions, and connect with each other.
• Build a Sense of Belonging: Use inclusive language that makes members
feel like they’re part of something bigger.
• Be the Leader: Act on increasing the interactions and keep the conversation
going. If you don't start the conversation, nobody will.
Pro Tip: Your community doesn’t have to be huge to be impactful. A small, tight-
knit group of engaged members is often more valuable than a large, passive
audience. Especially if those are your paid members.

5. Your Paid Members Are Your Biggest Fans

Here’s a secret: your paid subscribers aren’t just readers. They’re your true fans.

These are the people most likely to buy from you again.

Don’t just think about retaining them.

Think about how you can offer even more value.

The more you listen and respond to their needs, the more they’ll trust you.

And the more likely they’ll be to stick around and buy more from you.

Bottom Line

Growth naturally slows down over time.

At some point, retention will be your main job.

Start your newsletter with a retention strategy in mind.

Build your offers thinking about how you retain these people after 12 months. It will
save you tons of time (and frustration) in the future.

Take it from someone who's been dealing with this for more than 15 years.

Thank me later ;)

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, I’ll show you how I became a Substack bestseller in just three
months, so you can see what’s possible when you put these strategies into action.

See you then, Yana

P.S. This post is the raw foundation of the retention strategy I have as part of my
paid subscription, so take it as a gift. It's part of my flagship Write2Sell column,
where I talk about growing your Substack and especially how to retain paid
subscribers.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!

[DAY 9] Case study: becoming a Substack

bestseller in 3 months
This changed everything for me...

Three months after going all-in on Substack, I earned my Bestseller badge.

No external email list, no ads, no massive social media following—just a clear

strategy, a focus on my niche, and consistent action.

Today, I want to share the exact steps I took to make that happen.

Highlights from My Journey

Here are some of the milestones and strategies that made it possible:

• 1,065 Subscribers (100% Organic): I grew my audience entirely through

Substack’s built-in features - Notes and Recommendations.
• 6.9% Conversion Rate: My conversion rate from free to paid subscribers is
above Substack’s average, proving the power of a well-structured content
strategy and offer.

What Worked Best

Here’s a quick peek at what helped me the most:

1. Substack Notes: Posting one Note per day and engaging with 5-10 other
Notes helped me reach new audiences consistently.
 2. Recommendations Network: Subscribing to and recommending fast-
growing newsletters built relationships and brought in more subscribers.
3. Value and Consistency: Every piece of content I wrote had the purpose to
solve my audience’s biggest problems and showcase the value of subscribing.
I was selling through value.

If you followed closely my advice so far, you'll see this is ALL I talked about in the
previous mails.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to see the full breakdown of how I became a Bestseller—and how you
can apply these strategies to your own Substack, check out my in-depth case
study:

Read the Full Case Study Here

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, I'm gonna show you how one of my paid members uses my strategies
to grow with 1-2 paid subscribers per day.

See you then, Yana

P.S. If you become a paid member you'll get access to everything you need to build
a Substack bestseller, plus a chance to work with me 1:1 and take advantage of my
15+ years of experience in business and marketing. People say it's mindblowing.

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!
[DAY 10] Grow with 1-2 new paid subscribers
per day

Recently I got a message from one of my paid members in the group chat:

Read Hakima's message here

Hakima was struggling with her paid members' growth, so she reached out to me.

We discussed her Substack strategy and some tactics she could implement to
improve conversion rates. We also tweaked her offer and how she presented it in
her publication.

And now she’s growing with 1-2 paid members per day!
That's wild!
See, Hakima is not in the making money online niche. She is super specific and
very narrow. Still she managed to achieve this with my help. And it took her just a
few months to get there.

And Hakima is not the only one.

There are many others who have amazing results.

All you need to bring is your knowledge, expertise and passions. I'll help you do the
rest.

When you act on my advice, you WILL grow your paid subscribers on Substack.

It might take longer, but it might also take off right away, like Hakima.

The point is to decide on the strategy and stay consistent long enough.

Where most writers fail?

Consistency.

It seems hard when you start. Impossible even.

Most people quit before they even started gaining traction. A lot of them try to
figure it by themselves.

But Substack is not like social media or platforms like Medium.

It's a business.

You need to know how to run one. Essential skills are:

• Tech savviness
• Be well organized
• Business development
• Know how product development, marketing, and sales work together
• Be good with numbers (timely act on business KPIs, not content likes and
shares)

Most writers don't have all of that. I do.

Tell me something: do you feel uncomfortable selling?

If yes, your chances are slim.

That's why I'm here.

A lot of people out there claim to have the incredible power to help you grow on
Substack, but most of them grew their audiences outside of Substack or succeeded
as writers elsewhere.

And I haven't seen any of them to have the level of business understanding that I
have.

That's why most of them talk about how to write and grow audiences, and less
about how to make real business out of it.

So act now!

Take advantage of the massive organic growth on Substack.

I'd bet it won't stay forever.

Take the shortcut and use my knowledge as your lever.

You'll be in good hands.

And I can't wait to start working with you! Yana

P.S. I made $6,288 in the first three months after launching my strategy. In
November alone I made $2,780. It's already a 5-figure business (annualized) on its
way ot become a 6-figure business. You can have that too!

P.S.S. I still haven't announced this yet, so you're the first to know: I'm deep-
diving into these (and some more topics) about Substack, compiling them into a
flagship course, where you'll have everything in one place. All my strategies, case
studies and tools I use to achieve these results. Once ready, I'll enable it for paid
members and increase the price (currently just $5/month (paid annually)). Upgrade
now and secure your spot at this low price forever!
CONGRATS! YOU MADE IT!

Hey,

Congrats on completing my 10-Day free crash course on how to build & grow
your Substack!

Did you like it? Let me know:

Did you like my 10-Day Substack Course?

Please send me an email at

yana@[Link]
If you need something else, or think I can improve it, simply reply to this
email and please let me know.

I'd highly appreciate your honest feedback.

I personally reply to each email.

Thank you so much!

Yana