Hey Reader,

This has been an exciting week for us at Write • Build • Scale because, after months of preparation, we've finally opened the doors for our brand-new Masterclass, where we'll share:

• Why everyone’s talking about Substack right now
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• Why most writers fail to grow their audiences
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• And what you can do differently to build a Bestselling Substack publication in 2025

Now, if you're new to Substack or the online writing world and aren't sure whether you should look into the platform, you're not alone.

It took me months to understand what the Substack hype was all about. (I shared more about it here)

But once I got it, I fell in love with the platform and community because it's such a promising outlet for writers and creators right now.

In next week's Masterclass, I'll give you a deep dive into how you can leverage Substack to grow your own audience and income this year.

But before we meet on Thursday, I want you to understand what the four major pillars of the platform are:

#1. Substack Notes

This is one of my favorite aspects of the platform: Notes are Substack's short-form posts.

Think of those as similar to Tweets (but without a character limit).

However, you can also share longer, deeper stories on Notes.

You can share photos or even videos.

Or share snippets of your longer content.

Notes serve various purposes:

• Getting in front of new readers and growing your audience
• Testing ideas
• Staying on top of mind for your readers
• Connecting with others
• Repurposing your existing work
• Promoting your content

#2. Your Publication

Your Substack publication can be your content hub or your "digital home."

If you're anything like me and don't want to keep up with running your own website, a Substack publication can serve as your portfolio, newsletter, and website all at once.

#3. Collaboration

A key difference between Substack and Medium (and most social networks) is your ability to collaborate with other writers.

You can:

• Be a guest writer for other publications (which, of course, helps you grow your audience)
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• Create different pieces of content with others (these could be articles but also video or audio-only posts)
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• Recommend other publications and writers to your audience (and get recommended by others!)
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• And you can MESSAGE your readers as well as other writers!

#4. Monetization

Alright, let's cut to the chase: As a creator, writer, or entrepreneur, you want to get paid for your work.

Whether it's directly through your audience, through collaborations, sponsorships, or client work.

Frankly, Substack makes all of those easy.

• You can easily build a paid tier for your publication and get paid by your readers.
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• You can attract potential customers through Notes and close them through private messages.
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• You can run sponsorships and collaborations on your publication.
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• And much more!

That's the big-picture overview of Substack, my friend.

If you have any questions about the platform or what it could do for you personally, reply to this email and let me know.

I read every message and will get back to you asap.

Over the next few days, I'll help you better understand each of these four pillars so you can truly thrive on Substack this year.

In the meantime, make sure to secure your spot for next week's live Masterclass. 🔴

Over 300 curious minds have already signed up, and I'd LOVE to see you there as well!
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Big love from my screen to yours,
Sinem Günel