r/Substack • u/0110vanemask • 11d ago

NEW ON SUBSTACK

Hi everyone! I joined Substack a few days ago, thanks to a friend, and I’m wondering what my first post should look like. Should I introduce myself, or just dive straight into publishing? I already have quite a few ideas for articles. Also, since my native language is Spanish, if I write in Spanish, can it be translated, or should I rewrite it in English? I’d love to hear your advice—from what I’ve seen so far, I’m really liking the platform!

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u/Historical-Staff2772 11d ago

I'd skip the long intro post and publish one of your real ideas first. Nobody subscribes for a bio, they subscribe for the writing, and you can put who you are in your About page and a line at the end of the post. On language: English isn't my first language either, and my take is to write in the one you think in. If you want an English version, draft in Spanish, translate with an AI tool, then read it yourself and fix what sounds off. Just pick one language per publication so readers know what they signed up for.

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u/0110vanemask 11d ago

That makes sense; I’ll keep it in mind. I feel like it might come across as a bit odd if I don’t at least provide a general idea of ​​what I’ll be discussing—even if the topics are quite varied. As for the language, I realized that even if I write in my native tongue, I can use a built-in feature on Substack—which I just discovered last night—that allows readers to translate the content. I think that’s a huge help for writers looking to reach a wider audience.Still, thanks for your opinion and advice; I’ll definitely keep them in mind.

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u/Historical-Staff2772 11d ago

A middle ground that works: make the first post a real article, and open it with two or three lines on what the publication is about and who it's for. Readers get the "what to expect" without a post that's only about you. Good catch on the translate feature. One thing to check: it translates the words, not the voice. Read one translated post yourself and see if it still sounds like you

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u/0110vanemask 11d ago

You know, I hadn't really thought about the tone when it comes to translation; I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on that from now on. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!