When do we create a Section or New Substack when we want to add a new topic to write about? I like bouncing ideas off of many people sometimes. We ARE better together! Here’s the dilemma I’m currently facing with Substack: I have 3 sections on my current Substack: Stories, Recipes, and Human Design.
Good question, I have pondered it myself. As I am debating on expanding my posting portfolio to include photography and poems, maybe art and memes, I am thinking about it from an audience point of view.
Think about recipes vs trauma... if both are in the same SubStack, someone looking for recipes on your site may be finding trauma stories. That may or may not be something you want to happen. However, the recipe folks will likely not mind the butterfly picture.
If you want to separate the audience, you can create 2 SubStacks rather than 2 topics. Maybe stick with "sections" unless you would be changing something in the "settings" part of the SubStack - privacy, paywalled etc. - something like that?
I had a website once called cook to cope. I used to include a little more story after giving a recipe. The inspiration for that came from a book I read a long time ago and still have (I should re-read it) called consuming passions. I remember it having stories from when they were growing up and adding a recipe to each little chapter story. Loved that concept. Now-a-days recipes are just a dime a dozen. Found everywhere. I should add a little story to my recipes at the end. But then they’d be too long and you know how I feel about short posts. lol
Recipes with stories sounds like fun. As long as the recipe is easy to find.
Many years ago, I wrote up some of the stories behind family recipes. I'll have to find them again.
I could see a recipe page that gives you things to do while you wait :-). The recipe could be: Add the ingredients - now you have 30 minutes, may I suggest this French classic to go with the wait... or do a stretch while the machine is stirring. We could call it Cooking with ADHD...
That's a great question and one I don't have a good answer for, other than my perspective.
When I was starting my newsletter(s) I kept trying to spin them out as different newsletters, mostly because I was confused by Sections (I still am.) I am great at convincing myself that it's new and unrelated, but also that it's totally related.
My example, I have my newsletter that is about ME and my journey as a writer or solopreneur or human. I also have "Channeling Chaos" which is me trying to build a community that's more specific about mindfulness and life management skills. I STILL wonder if THAT should be "Mindfullish", or if I need to make a Jody Gates newsletter and be talking about me there. I created a newsletter "Threeish" with the intent of making an Atomic newsletter, then I moved it to be a section under Channeling Chaos.
Ironically, this whole thing feels super chaotic to me. Who subscribes to what, when you cancel one? do you cancel others? What is happening with these sections vs newsletters.
I feel like, if you go with another Newsletter, just make it clear what its about so when someone is on your profile they have a good idea which one to choose (if they don't choose all of them.)
I DO like the way Sections work when posting, I just wish I got metrics on sections the same way I get them for newsletters.
It is really confusing. Especially because we can’t see the sections on the app. And I don’t think it’s easy to just subscribe to one section on someone’s substack.
I think everything is related though. We all have different topics daily, it’s all connected. Like the mind, body, soul. Addressing each of them separately would seem weird. Kind of like when we have to go to a million different specialist after seeing a doctor. It’s all connected.
I think I’m leaning toward the section. I think we all should. I haven’t looked into metrics just yet. I think most people just subscribe or follow to the entire substack anyway and just scroll past or don’t open the emails that they’re not interested in.
I don’t know. I’ll just have to overthink this some more. lol
Good question, I have pondered it myself. As I am debating on expanding my posting portfolio to include photography and poems, maybe art and memes, I am thinking about it from an audience point of view.
Think about recipes vs trauma... if both are in the same SubStack, someone looking for recipes on your site may be finding trauma stories. That may or may not be something you want to happen. However, the recipe folks will likely not mind the butterfly picture.
If you want to separate the audience, you can create 2 SubStacks rather than 2 topics. Maybe stick with "sections" unless you would be changing something in the "settings" part of the SubStack - privacy, paywalled etc. - something like that?
I had a website once called cook to cope. I used to include a little more story after giving a recipe. The inspiration for that came from a book I read a long time ago and still have (I should re-read it) called consuming passions. I remember it having stories from when they were growing up and adding a recipe to each little chapter story. Loved that concept. Now-a-days recipes are just a dime a dozen. Found everywhere. I should add a little story to my recipes at the end. But then they’d be too long and you know how I feel about short posts. lol
Thank you for your input!!
Recipes with stories sounds like fun. As long as the recipe is easy to find.
Many years ago, I wrote up some of the stories behind family recipes. I'll have to find them again.
I could see a recipe page that gives you things to do while you wait :-). The recipe could be: Add the ingredients - now you have 30 minutes, may I suggest this French classic to go with the wait... or do a stretch while the machine is stirring. We could call it Cooking with ADHD...
Love it!!
That's a great question and one I don't have a good answer for, other than my perspective.
When I was starting my newsletter(s) I kept trying to spin them out as different newsletters, mostly because I was confused by Sections (I still am.) I am great at convincing myself that it's new and unrelated, but also that it's totally related.
My example, I have my newsletter that is about ME and my journey as a writer or solopreneur or human. I also have "Channeling Chaos" which is me trying to build a community that's more specific about mindfulness and life management skills. I STILL wonder if THAT should be "Mindfullish", or if I need to make a Jody Gates newsletter and be talking about me there. I created a newsletter "Threeish" with the intent of making an Atomic newsletter, then I moved it to be a section under Channeling Chaos.
Ironically, this whole thing feels super chaotic to me. Who subscribes to what, when you cancel one? do you cancel others? What is happening with these sections vs newsletters.
I feel like, if you go with another Newsletter, just make it clear what its about so when someone is on your profile they have a good idea which one to choose (if they don't choose all of them.)
I DO like the way Sections work when posting, I just wish I got metrics on sections the same way I get them for newsletters.
It is really confusing. Especially because we can’t see the sections on the app. And I don’t think it’s easy to just subscribe to one section on someone’s substack.
I think everything is related though. We all have different topics daily, it’s all connected. Like the mind, body, soul. Addressing each of them separately would seem weird. Kind of like when we have to go to a million different specialist after seeing a doctor. It’s all connected.
I think I’m leaning toward the section. I think we all should. I haven’t looked into metrics just yet. I think most people just subscribe or follow to the entire substack anyway and just scroll past or don’t open the emails that they’re not interested in.
I don’t know. I’ll just have to overthink this some more. lol
Overthinking it is ALWAYS the way.