How to turn what you’ve already written into a paid product (without starting from scratch)
Write For Revenue #4
➡️ Grab my FREE 7-day email course, Substack Launchpad - you’ll get one email a day for 7 days to help build your confidence, consistency, and traction on Substack. Get it here. 🚀
Last year, I created a new paid resource from scratch.
I spent weeks planning a framework, outlining modules, preparing presentation slides, recording videos, designing workbooks, and writing promotion emails.
And when I finally launched the thing?
Crickets. Hardly any interest, even though I was sure people wanted it.
Meanwhile, my older Substack posts were quietly bringing in new subscribers every single day, and building trust, and generating income through paid upgrades.
Eventually, I realised there was a simple, core truth I’d been overlooking: everything I needed to create a great digital product was already there - I just needed to learn how to package it.
Digital product creation is a time suck
Have you ever thought about selling a digital course, an ebook, or a downloadable guide? If so, you’ve probably run into this roadblock:
Creating digital products takes a ton of time, planning, and energy, especially if you’re doing it alongside writing for your Substack publication, or blog, or even your latest book.
(Trust me, that’s what life generally looks like for me)
And for most busy writers and creators, that’s why product ideas never move beyond the “I’ll note this down for later” stage. They often feel far too big to tackle alone.
But here’s the thing: If you’ve been writing on Substack for a while, you likely already have enough finished material in your post stockpile to launch your first digital product. You could even do it this month.
The best thing about this kind of creation system is that you don’t need to start from zero. You just need to organise and repurpose what you already have.
Turn posts into products
Your Substack archive is so much more than just a pile of past posts - it’s a treasure trove of resources for your first digital offer.
Think about it like this:
You’ve already written, edited, and published content your audience values
Some posts probably answered the same questions over and over (I know I get the same questions all the time, and writing a post is usually the fastest way to address them)
New subscribers rarely see your best older pieces unless you curate them
Curation can manifest itself as a table of contents post on your publication homepage, or as a digital product.
Effectively packaging all that wisdom you’ve built up throughout the course of your time as a creator means you can earn automatically, deliver forever, and free up more time to do what you really love (write, or rest, or walk your dog in the park).
Digital products, coupled with systems for selling them, give you back the freedom you need to actually be creative.
How to do it: a simple 4-step plan
Here’s exactly how to transform your existing work into a product that sells. It’s straightforward, fairly quick, and starts generating income right away:
1. Pick a clear topic that solves a real problem
Look at your posts from the last 6–12 months and ask yourself:
What themes show up again and again?
Which posts got the most comments or restacks?
What do your readers always ask you about, to the point replying gets tedious?
Example: If you’ve written 10 posts on how to get freelance clients, that’s the foundation for your next digital product.
2. Organise your content into a logical order
Your goal here is to make it as easy as possible for someone to learn a new skill or reach their desired outcome. The faster you can help someone achieve what they want to achieve, the more value they’ll feel they’ve received from your work.
Here’s what you could try:
Turn your foundational content (eg. that series of Substack posts about how to get freelance clients) into a downloadable PDF guide (5–20 pages).
Bundle your content up as a mini email course (one lesson per email for 7-10 days)
Put together a resource kit (templates, swipe files, checklists, scripts) that your audience members can access online or download
Example: A food writer could package their top 15 budget-friendly recipes into a PDF meal plan with a grocery list.
3. Add some fresh context (optional)
If you’re using written content in your digital product, there’s no need for a huge rewrite. Just add:
An introduction explaining what’s inside
Short section headers for clarity
A conclusion or next steps page
Example: A career coach could bundle posts on resume tips, then add a “Quickstart Checklist” and a simple cover page. That could all be part of an email course or PDF download.
4. Price, publish, and promote
Keep your pricing simple:
For a short guide or template pack: $10–$50
For a deeper workbook or email course: $50-$75
For a video course (using your content as scripts): $75-$200
How to sell it:
Upload it as a paid post or series of posts with an initial table of contents-style post as a starting point on Substack (I’ve used this approach with my Member Resource Hub)
Link to a simple Gumroad/Stripe page within your Substack posts or on a dedicated feature page
Link to an external product page (eg. on Kit) where readers can pay and sign up to your email course
How to promote it:
Send a dedicated launch email (or, better still, a series of emails over the course of 7-10 days)
Mention it in your welcome email for new subscribers (or on your About page)
Add a subtle mention as a CTA in your posts: “Want the full guide? Grab it here.”
Personal example: My 1K Daily Writing Challenge is a 30-day course I created based on my own experience overcoming writing procrastination. At just $60, it’s a low-cost solution for anyone who wants to develop a sustainable, transformative writing rhythm, and it sells on autopilot.
Earn more, work less
Imagine this…
Next month, instead of scrambling to build a course from scratch, you’re earning from the wisdom and advice you’ve already shared.
Your readers get a tidy, helpful digital resource. And you get more time to focus on doing what you love - writing and connecting with fellow writers.
That seems like a pretty sweet deal to me!
✅ Bonus for Paid Subscribers: Your First Product Checklist
Here’s a detailed breakdown you can use to create your first digital product using your existing content (7-day plan):