I haven’t had a chance to work on any poll questions yet but the main thing I would like to ask is what would you most like me to write about🤣 it’s difficult to frame that one without sounding lame, so I’ll keep working on the nuance.
I’m the same Donna! I mainly want to know which type of posts readers prefer (I post Mon/Wed/Sat but each is a different section/style) and whether 3 posts is too many! But hard to make that into a fun poll people want to answer.
Hi Hanna — Thanks for sharing these and here are a few points of feedback. :)
On question 1, I would write the answers to try to uncover what kinds of professionals you have on your list. So the options might change to read: "A hike in the woods (after work)" or "A mid-day meetup at a local coffee shop" or "A virtual online space between my daily meetings at the office" ...
I love question 2! I think this will be a great question to ask.
And for question 3, I think it goes in a few different directions and could benefit from learning one single thing about readers. In your case (since I know a bit about your newsletter), I would want to know how much your readers proactively self-educate versus just stumble into neurodivergent information on social media or in conversations.
You could turn this into a comical question like, "OK, be honest: How much is neurodivergence one of your special interests?" And then make the answers: A. "I read all the books, follow all the people, I am a sponge, I must know more because it affects me directly; B. "I am very interested because it affects me/my family directly, but my attention is stretched; C. "I am curious but just kind of let the information find me when it finds me."
This is very very helpful Amanda, thank you! I am making edits now and had another look at your poll newsletter from back in December for inspiration. Your suggestions are spot on. Most importantly, your edits helped me make it truly about them instead of my own questions / insecurities. Thank you!
One more thing to add: I forgot how short the responses need to be for it to work with the Substack poll. It's doable, but takes some of the fun and wordplay away.
Oh I’m so glad to hear this was helpful. And also it’s completely normal to get the lines blurred in how we ask questions in polls or surveys. Because of course we are wanting our deeper questions answered!! And we can definitely get that in other places of the newsletter experience … but to get reliable feedback it’s best to write these as scientifically (but not robotically lol) as possible.
Thank you for this opportunity, Amanda! I’ve noted too that Substack polls only offer short responses, a little annoying! But all of these do fit within the word limit. Also, I don’t think there is a way to add a ‘something else’ text box. I’m assuming we ask people to respond in the comments?
Any feedback greatly appreciated!
When I get a moment to relax, this is my absolute favourite vibe…
Cozied up with a book
Scrolling social media
Hanging with friends or family
Engrossed in a movie or TV series
Something else (I’ll tell you!)
If we met up for coffee, I’d most love to talk about…
Psychology - Who we are
Spirituality - Our higher purpose
Creativity - Inspiration
Writing - Being an author
Something else (I’ll tell you!)
When scanning online, this is the article I’d click on first…
Hi Jodie - Thanks for sharing these. You're right that there's no fill-in-the-blank option, so be sure to tell readers to share their thoughts in the comments / give them a "Something else/I'll tell you in the comments" option.
I definitely have some ideas here, but I'm curious if you have a clear idea of who your ideal newsletter reader is? Or if you're in transition right now between readerships?
Thanks, Amanda! Yes, my audience is transitioning. My email list is mainly from when I was in the parenting space and a psychologist in private practice.
But now my focus is building my profile as a YA fiction author of books that have self-understanding and mental health healing at their heart.
With YA fiction there’s the teen audience but also adults who love teen fiction (50% of YA readers are adults) and adults who buy or recommend to teens - parents, teachers and librarians.
Ideally, my list would start to grow in the direction of fans of and those people interested in my books.
In my newsletter, I focus on sharing my reflections as a psychologist and author/creative, inviting readers into their own self-reflection and inviting them to stay connected to my author/creative journey.
With the poll, I was hoping to get a sense of who remains on my list and why they are sticking around, given this transition. That’s the idea, anyway! I hope this makes sense!
Thanks, Jodie. So, I think it would be helpful to prioritize figuring out who's on your list right now, and I'm not sure the first question gets you much intel. It's kind of fun, but would need to be more specific to your work to give you workable insights. I would try offering options like "grabbing my favorite YA novel" or "getting a break from family life" or "chores my mom tells me to do"...
I definitely think the last two are going to help you the most, so perhaps just nix the first one altogether? Unless you wanted to consider a giveaway that parallels a fun scene in one of your books (and then I'd build the question to reflect some items you could put in the giveaway goody box).
I hope this is somewhat helpful. The transitional spaces are tough for me to give super specific insight without having more context around where your audiences are coming from, the likelihood of young adults actually being on your list versus their guardians, etc. I'm cheering you on!!
Thank you, Amanda! This is super helpful! I feel like it’s more likely I’ll have adults on my list but that might change over time as the books find their fans. I think teens are more likely to follow on social media than sign up to an author email list. Not sure! We’ll see how things develop. Thank you for your support!
I haven’t had a chance to work on any poll questions yet but the main thing I would like to ask is what would you most like me to write about🤣 it’s difficult to frame that one without sounding lame, so I’ll keep working on the nuance.
I look forward to seeing other writers questions.
I’m the same Donna! I mainly want to know which type of posts readers prefer (I post Mon/Wed/Sat but each is a different section/style) and whether 3 posts is too many! But hard to make that into a fun poll people want to answer.
Here are mine! I'm excited to receive feedback / thoughts / ideas.
1. If we were meeting up together, where would we meet (ignore time zone restrictions).
A. A hike in the woods or along the beach (nature!)
B. A local cozy quiet coffee shop.
C. Online from the comfort of my own home / couch / bed.
D. Something else (I'll tell you in the comments)
--------
2. When you self-reflect / have space to think, what's the vibe?
A. I have a routine! Morning pages, journal, every day.
B. On the go - on a walk or while driving, etc.
C. With others - friends, therapist, a coach, etc. Verbal processing is the best!
D. I don't :( I have the best intention but life gets in the way.
--------
3. How much headspace is ADHD / autism / neurodivergence taking up for you at the moment?
A. I think/read/talk/write about it all the time. I'm relatively newly discovered and absorbing everything. It feels nice to know I'm not alone.
B. It ebbs and flows. It's not the main topic (anymore) but part of my life so I can't help but think about it.
C. Meh, none really. That's not what I'm here for anyway (I'll tell you what I'm here for instead).
D. I'm curious about it, but I don't actively seek out information.
Hi Hanna — Thanks for sharing these and here are a few points of feedback. :)
On question 1, I would write the answers to try to uncover what kinds of professionals you have on your list. So the options might change to read: "A hike in the woods (after work)" or "A mid-day meetup at a local coffee shop" or "A virtual online space between my daily meetings at the office" ...
I love question 2! I think this will be a great question to ask.
And for question 3, I think it goes in a few different directions and could benefit from learning one single thing about readers. In your case (since I know a bit about your newsletter), I would want to know how much your readers proactively self-educate versus just stumble into neurodivergent information on social media or in conversations.
You could turn this into a comical question like, "OK, be honest: How much is neurodivergence one of your special interests?" And then make the answers: A. "I read all the books, follow all the people, I am a sponge, I must know more because it affects me directly; B. "I am very interested because it affects me/my family directly, but my attention is stretched; C. "I am curious but just kind of let the information find me when it finds me."
Hope this is helpful!
This is very very helpful Amanda, thank you! I am making edits now and had another look at your poll newsletter from back in December for inspiration. Your suggestions are spot on. Most importantly, your edits helped me make it truly about them instead of my own questions / insecurities. Thank you!
One more thing to add: I forgot how short the responses need to be for it to work with the Substack poll. It's doable, but takes some of the fun and wordplay away.
Oh I’m so glad to hear this was helpful. And also it’s completely normal to get the lines blurred in how we ask questions in polls or surveys. Because of course we are wanting our deeper questions answered!! And we can definitely get that in other places of the newsletter experience … but to get reliable feedback it’s best to write these as scientifically (but not robotically lol) as possible.
Working on my poll questions is on my 'Ever Increasing Big Long List of Super Important Things That Need to get Done Right Now!'
Thank you for this opportunity, Amanda! I’ve noted too that Substack polls only offer short responses, a little annoying! But all of these do fit within the word limit. Also, I don’t think there is a way to add a ‘something else’ text box. I’m assuming we ask people to respond in the comments?
Any feedback greatly appreciated!
When I get a moment to relax, this is my absolute favourite vibe…
Cozied up with a book
Scrolling social media
Hanging with friends or family
Engrossed in a movie or TV series
Something else (I’ll tell you!)
If we met up for coffee, I’d most love to talk about…
Psychology - Who we are
Spirituality - Our higher purpose
Creativity - Inspiration
Writing - Being an author
Something else (I’ll tell you!)
When scanning online, this is the article I’d click on first…
Powerful tips for parenting teens
Energize! Befriend your inner teen
Why adults love teen fiction
5 steps to write a teen bestseller
Something else (I’ll tell you!)
When I first crossed paths with Jodie she was a…
Work/life balance & wellbeing consultant
Parenting expert
Psychologist in private practice
Fiction author
No idea!!!
Hi Jodie - Thanks for sharing these. You're right that there's no fill-in-the-blank option, so be sure to tell readers to share their thoughts in the comments / give them a "Something else/I'll tell you in the comments" option.
I definitely have some ideas here, but I'm curious if you have a clear idea of who your ideal newsletter reader is? Or if you're in transition right now between readerships?
Thanks, Amanda! Yes, my audience is transitioning. My email list is mainly from when I was in the parenting space and a psychologist in private practice.
But now my focus is building my profile as a YA fiction author of books that have self-understanding and mental health healing at their heart.
With YA fiction there’s the teen audience but also adults who love teen fiction (50% of YA readers are adults) and adults who buy or recommend to teens - parents, teachers and librarians.
Ideally, my list would start to grow in the direction of fans of and those people interested in my books.
In my newsletter, I focus on sharing my reflections as a psychologist and author/creative, inviting readers into their own self-reflection and inviting them to stay connected to my author/creative journey.
With the poll, I was hoping to get a sense of who remains on my list and why they are sticking around, given this transition. That’s the idea, anyway! I hope this makes sense!
Thanks, Jodie. So, I think it would be helpful to prioritize figuring out who's on your list right now, and I'm not sure the first question gets you much intel. It's kind of fun, but would need to be more specific to your work to give you workable insights. I would try offering options like "grabbing my favorite YA novel" or "getting a break from family life" or "chores my mom tells me to do"...
I definitely think the last two are going to help you the most, so perhaps just nix the first one altogether? Unless you wanted to consider a giveaway that parallels a fun scene in one of your books (and then I'd build the question to reflect some items you could put in the giveaway goody box).
I hope this is somewhat helpful. The transitional spaces are tough for me to give super specific insight without having more context around where your audiences are coming from, the likelihood of young adults actually being on your list versus their guardians, etc. I'm cheering you on!!
Thank you, Amanda! This is super helpful! I feel like it’s more likely I’ll have adults on my list but that might change over time as the books find their fans. I think teens are more likely to follow on social media than sign up to an author email list. Not sure! We’ll see how things develop. Thank you for your support!