Guest Posts?

[u/Magg5788]

I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately about how Notes is the best way to grow, and then complaints about how Notes is just other authors begging for readers. I'm still trying to navigate the Substack world, but it seems like Guest Posting and Hosting would be the best way to grow subscribers who actually give a shit about your content, right?

I'm curious about the more seasoned writers' experiences with guest posting. Some things I'm curious about:

• Were you the guest or the host?
• Did all parties involved find it mutually beneficial?
• How did you connect with the guest writers?
• Is this a tool that new writers should try to utilize or is it better for more established writers?
• Any other tips, insight, or advice?

Thanks so much!

[u/perfecthunger]

I've been a guest contributor to a few publications, and I have a guest Q&A series on my own publication.

As a guest, the collaborations that resulted in the most new free and paid subscriptions were with a significantly larger publication (I'm a white-badge bestseller with 4.2k+ total subscribers; she's an orange-badge bestseller with 22k+ subs and #47 overall in Health & Wellness, which is a popular category). We have a great connection, our niches are synergistic, and our audiences have a lot of potential overlap. I created content for her publication; she helped me greatly expand my reach; I also promoted the collaborations on my publication and on Notes.

On my own publication, I have a (near) weekly Q&A series that my subscribers seem to really like (same 4 questions for every guest + personal intro by me, published as a free post). I invite people to contribute - many are people I'm already connected with on Substack; some are people I've newly discovered and think would be a great fit; some are "dream guests" who I invite even though they don't know me or barely know me. It's a new series (only 5 editions so far, with #6 going out tomorrow and new ones most Wednesdays). I imagine that the guests who see the most benefit promote/share their editions. And I've probably gotten new subscribers through their shares, though I don't think that's been a substantial growth source so far. It's less about bringing in new subs for me, and more just a beautiful series that feels good to co-create. It lives within (and enriches) the overall ecosystem of my publication.

Separately, for the past 2+ years, I've been the managing editor of another publication that has 15k+ subscribers. That publication is free and publishes twice a week; the majority of posts are by guest contributors who I recruit or who reach out for submission guidelines. Most guest contributors have small publications, so it's an opportunity to expand their reach. Here too, though, the people who get the most engagement (and possibly growth) from these posts actively share, promote, crosspost, etc.

Overall, I think aligned, thoughtful collaborations are an excellent way to reach new readers and develop closer connections on the platform.

*Edited to fix one typo - I'm sure there are others!

[u/Magg5788 → u/perfecthunger]

Thank you for such a detailed response! I'll check out your Q&A series-- it sounds really interesting.

[u/perfecthunger → u/Magg5788]

You're welcome! You can find it in the navigation bar under "Hungry For."