Editorial Branding Checklist: 21 Places Your Words Really Matter On Substack
And how to think creatively about them without burning or bumming out
This piece was commissioned by my 🌙 paid members. To get full access, consider upgrading your subscription.
What Readers Had To Say About the Editorial Branding Checklist
This is a wealth of amazing info. - Lauren Cibene
Brilliant. I am going to pour over this with a fine tooth comb. - Donna McArthur
This is inspiring. I tend to jump in and out of the different parts of my newsletter you cover in no particular order, so I like this structure. It seems intentional, and since I'm working on really clarifying my "wtf is this newsletter about anyway" this will be a big help. - Page Huyette
This is so incredibly helpful! As I set up my publication, this will serve as a useful guide. I'm on the "About page" now. Also, your Reader Connection Blueprint was incredible, and I'm so happy I was able to knock it out this morning. - Kourtney Torres
Roll up your sleeves, dear writers. If you’re on Substack and hoping to find readers to gather around your writing, then there’s work to be done!
This post is for writers in a season of tending—that means your craft is honed and you’re ready to actively bring your writing into the world.
Today I’m working as your hands-on editor, equipping you to think creatively about how readers perceive your writing outside the essays you write.
OK, take a deep breath. The list is long.
There are 21 places on Substack that have a direct impact on how readers experience you as a writer and your newsletter. They each take time, intention and discernment. They take some experimentation. And they each need to be tried on like a new coat to make sure they fit right.
By giving each element below the time and creativity it deserves, you’ll be offering the weary, fatigued (not to mention busy) online reader a place to rest and soak in the goodness of your essay writing. There will be a polish, a seamlessness and a joy in the reader experience you create.
At the end of this piece, I’ll share a link to a Google Doc Checklist that you can copy/paste and use to keep track of your editorial work in your own time.
So here we go!
Your writer bio*
Your @ Substack handle*
Publication name
Short (publication) description
About page
Email address for RSS feeds
Welcome email to paid subscribers
Welcome email to free subscribers
Welcome email to founding subscribers
Free subscriber benefits (1 line)
Paid subscriber benefits (3 lines)
Founding member benefits (1 line)
Subscription renewal email
“Subscription expired” email
Email sender name
Email banner, header, and footer settings
Email opt-out page
Publication introduction
Opt out message on the welcome page
Upsell email to engaged subscribers
Referral gift grant email
Let’s dive in, one-by-one, through the list
*Except for the first two asterisked items—writer bio and writer @ Substack handle—everything can be edited by clicking into the writer dashboard and then clicking on Settings. I’ve also listed everything in the order they show up on the Settings page, so it should be easy to navigate to the next thing on the list. You can always use ctrl+F or command+F to find the piece you want to edit on the Settings page.
Quick note: There’s a paywall coming up, and I hope you’ll consider supporting The Editing Spectrum with a paid subscription (which includes creative nourishment and hands-on editing advice every week, including Ask an Editor threads). Upgrade now.
Your writer bio*
One to two sentences long. This should include descriptors of who you are, not just adjectives. I like to make use of the vertical bar in writer bios to differentiate between “who you are” and “what you do” information. The vertical bar looks like this: |
Your @ Substack handle*
I recommend making your Substack handle your name for a few reasons: Visually, it’s what readers will see/connect with your photograph when they find you in Notes or a comment thread. It’s incredibly hard from a branding perspective to become a “household name” and I apply the same logic to remembering writers in a big place like Substack. Would I love it if everyone considered The Editing Spectrum a household name? Sure. But I’m more likely to be remembered as Amanda … something?
Publication name
If you’re just starting out, don’t put too much pressure on the publication name. It will likely change and evolve over time. I started out as What Little I Know, which morphed into The Editor’s Galley, which then landed as The Editing Spectrum. A lot of writers want to fret and get stuck in the mud around finding an irresistible publication name, but the hard truth is no one will probably remember it anyways. Save that energy for writing an essay that gives readers an experience they can’t forget. Name your publication “First Name, Last Name’s Newsletter” and get to writing!
Short description
This description of your publication carries a lot of weight in the Substack ecosystem. I think it is possibly just as, if not more important, than your about page. Because this is your elevator pitch for a new reader. Two to three sentences describing the value that reading your newsletter brings. It should not describe just what you’re interested in. Google “value proposition” for businesses and the same principles apply here.
About page
This is where your personality and vision for your writing should be allowed to shine. I have some preferred structures that I use with clients that I think work particularly well, but I always like to see About pages that speak directly to the reader and describe the reader back to themselves. It’s a bit like diagnostic writing—if you’re here, you likely experience X. About pages should utilize subheadings to break information up (scrolling for easy reading is important here). But make sure it starts with:
Who the reader is.
What the writing will bring them.
How to join in and never miss an update
As your newsletter grows, expect your About page to go through some iterations. This is not a set-it-and-forget-it page.
Email address for RSS feeds
This should be your publication name.
Welcome email to paid subscribers
On the settings menu, Substack lists the paid email first and then the free email. But I think the free email is the one that should come first. And then the paid email is derived from it. So read below for a starting structure. The paid email