Saturday Morning Coffee ☕ #71

Pure cinema.

➡️ Stop overthinking and finally publish that article — join The 5-Day Article Sprint that gets you from idea to inbox in under a week. Get it here.

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Hey friend!

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⬇️ In case you missed it:

Why your posts aren’t converting (and how to fix them fast)

214: How to close the recognition gap as a writer (featuring Alex Mathers)

Why a paid Substack tier often isn’t enough (and what to add next)

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👀 Something you might like:

If you’ve been thinking about launching a product but don’t know where to start, this free masterclass is for you.

Derek Hughes

shares the exact steps he used to go from stuck in a day job to earning money online with simple products that actually sell. Built from experience—not theory—and designed to get you moving. 👇

Want to work with me to grow your audience and generate more income? Here’s how.

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💡 Your questions, my answers:

I received some questions in this week’s Q&A Chat thread - here’s my stab at answering some of them:

Do you have any advice or suggestions for a writer who wants to remain anonymous under a pseudonym. Have you any experience in that biz model on Substack and beyond?

I’d say if you want to use a pseudonym, by all means, go for it. I’m quite certain a lot of writers on Subtack and other online platforms write under them.

I guess the only question I’d have is: why do you feel like it’s better to remain anonymous? Would you be able to build trust more effectively with your readers if you revealed your true self? We’re in the AI era now and it won’t be long before the internet’s flooded with artificial personas, so maybe being your authentic self is more important than ever?

Just my two cents, there.

Does writing under an imagined name allow a writer that type of freedom? Is the mystery behind the author truly still a draw if the words fit the expectation?

I think that depends on what kind of writing you’re doing.

I toyed with the idea of using a pseudonym for my horror writing because a part of me didn’t want to shock/offend anyone I know personally (my horror writing doesn’t square up with who I am in real life, in that regard). But in the end, I decided authenticity would be more important in the long run. And if I’m uncomfortable with anyone reading my work, I just don’t have to promote it in my personal circles (Facebook, etc).

The idea of nurturing a sense of mystery around the author’s identity is interesting (thinking of Stephen King’s The Dark Half here) and, if you can do it effectively, it could certainly add something intriguing.

I’ve discovered I prefer to write essays and articles. What are some ways to get published in magazines, etc?

It’s often quite difficult to get published in magazines, but if you want to find out who’s open to reading your work, just type “magazines accepting submissions” into Google. Then browse through the suggested websites and follow the submission process for any you think might be interested in your work.

Personally, I think publishing your work on Substack and learning how to market it properly is more useful (and less time-consuming) than approaching magazines, but both are good options.

Any thoughts on these questions/answers? Do you have any of your own?

Drop them in the comments! 👇

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Want a signed copy of my book?

I have a limited number of physical copies of my horror novel The Substitute available to buy directly from me (if you want to bypass Amazon). Each book will come signed with a personalised message, which can be for you or someone you’re gifting it to.

You can grab your copy right here.

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📖 This week’s juicy reading material:

• Newsletter growth is a long game (and what I did to keep going) by

  Astrid Bracke

• How to Actually Succeed on Substack: 5 Essential Skills of a Substack Writer by

  Frey

• Why I Said No to a Two Book Deal by

  Laura Leffler

• 10 (more!) things I wish every writer knew about marketing by

  Dan Blank

• Why I quit YouTube with 38k subscribers by

  Akta

• How To Build a Community on Substack by

  Orel Zilberman

• He Gave Up His Dream. I Nearly Gave Up Mine Too by

  Derek Hughes

• The MRI Principle: Why Teaching Less Creates Better Results by

  Rodney Daut 🔥🪵⛺️

• The window for making money in the 'knowledge economy' is closing by

  Clare Le Roy

• My Brutally Honest Review of Medium Vs Substack by

  Yana Bostongirl

• Stop waiting to be discovered: How to position yourself as the expert you already are by

  Jules Fedele

• My Substack Note went viral this week... by

  Hollie Azzopardi

• Stagnant on Substack? Do These 6 Things by

  Karen Cherry

• What Every Top Substack Is Doing Differently And You’re Probably Not by

  Meena Rohith

• How I Created a Digital Product in 7 Days and Hit a 15.25% Conversion Rate Using Only Article Marketing by

  Evan Kelly

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📺 Something from YouTube:

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🗒️ Something from Notes:

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☑️ Go deeper:

• 4 Proven Strategies to Become a Substack Bestseller

• Thinking About Quitting? You Should Do This First

• How to Grow on Medium (Even If You're Starting From Zero)

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Have an amazing weekend, gang! ⌛

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🤷‍♂️ What’s next?

I’m ready and waiting to support you in the next stages of your creator journey. Here’s how I can help:

1. Start Your Podcast on Substack: A complete course guiding you from concept to launch, based on everything I’ve learned so far during my own podcasting journey. Learn to plan, brand, record, edit, publish, and promote your podcast while building an audience. Perfect for creators eager to share their voice with the world.

2. Sustainable Scalable Social Strategy: This 6-part, online, self-driven course will guide you through the same process I used to develop a strategy for my social media management. When you finish, you’ll have a sustainable social strategy in place that will help you scale your business properly.

3. One-To-One Coaching: A live coaching session over Zoom plus a full video audit of your Substack publication. Ideal for those who want to grow their online presence, identify their key strengths, and develop a long-term business strategy. Upgrade to VIP Membership for full access.

4. Promote to 21,000+ readers: Get yourself in front of a highly-engaged online audience via email, podcast and social media.

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