Amanda, I want to thank you for this! I had been feeling stuck and worried I had forced myself into a theme that felt too narrow and constricting. I knew I needed to take a look at where I'm going next, but was afraid to ask the question (what if I didn't know the answer?!). Today, my kids are back at school and it felt comforting to know that I had this Mini Audit saved to guide me along. Now, I feel so relieved and energized!
I uncovered that I can be broad and flexible; that I can play with different formats; that I don't always have to dig deep into my soul for every piece; that I can let my own questions (instincts?) guide me (instead of looking where I might have an answer); that it's more about how I write vs what I write about; that my readers are (just like me!) multi-faceted human beings.
The only question I felt was missing for me in the end was "so, what's next?" to make it actionable. Might have to head over to your Writing Plan Tool Workshop next, after all :)
- Personal essays about pushing past creativity blocks
- Posts with Substack tips and Substack networking
All of the pieces were fun to write and didn’t drain me, since I worked on them over the month.
My monthly Substack Diaries recap don’t seem to have as many comments compared to the essay pieces. So maybe I can incorporate some more talk about my creative journey or include a helpful substack tip - making sure the heading reflects the nuggets in the post. 😊
Sometimes the posts with the simplest themes are also the easiest for readers to respond to right away.
Occasionally when I work a long time on a piece during the month, I will pause and consider if that means readers might also benefit from it being broken up into small vignettes or even smaller individual posts published back to back. Especially if I’m focused on reader engagement as part of my goals.
Creative blocks as a subject, specifically, often benefit from bite sized considerations. A hop into context and a hop out into a reader question is how I like to think about it. Just some thoughts. OK cheering you on! ☀️☀️
There are so many wisdom nuggets here on how to do a mini-editorial audit.
I am currently 100% free as I am still figuring out what my Coffee Break is about. I cover a wider range as I imagine my newsletter being something my readers read during break and helps them change perspective, learn something interesting, etc.
But when I hit 1k and turn on paid, I shall book a one-on-one editorial audit.
That’s so good to hear on all accounts! I have a client launching this coming week after passing 1,000 readers — it’s kind of like Christmas. Can’t wait to see how people join in. 🤗
I find that the pivot for me has been condensing the outlets where I have to show up and engage. I was neglecting my proper newsletter, so to speak, that I have written for ages on ConvertKit, but was happy to write on Substack every week. I realized that writing into a vacuum wasn't doing it for me anymore. I've now imported my newsletter list into Substack and am making the old newsletter a new type of monthly post on my substack so everyone gets an extra treat going forward. We'll see how it takes. Thanks for this easy audit method. I'll look forward to doing this again in a couple of months to see what shifts occur.
How often do you audit? I'm thinking seasonally / quarterly makes sense, but could see a case for more or less often, too. Thank you for this!
Amanda, I want to thank you for this! I had been feeling stuck and worried I had forced myself into a theme that felt too narrow and constricting. I knew I needed to take a look at where I'm going next, but was afraid to ask the question (what if I didn't know the answer?!). Today, my kids are back at school and it felt comforting to know that I had this Mini Audit saved to guide me along. Now, I feel so relieved and energized!
I uncovered that I can be broad and flexible; that I can play with different formats; that I don't always have to dig deep into my soul for every piece; that I can let my own questions (instincts?) guide me (instead of looking where I might have an answer); that it's more about how I write vs what I write about; that my readers are (just like me!) multi-faceted human beings.
The only question I felt was missing for me in the end was "so, what's next?" to make it actionable. Might have to head over to your Writing Plan Tool Workshop next, after all :)
My most popular themes are:
- Personal essays about pushing past creativity blocks
- Posts with Substack tips and Substack networking
All of the pieces were fun to write and didn’t drain me, since I worked on them over the month.
My monthly Substack Diaries recap don’t seem to have as many comments compared to the essay pieces. So maybe I can incorporate some more talk about my creative journey or include a helpful substack tip - making sure the heading reflects the nuggets in the post. 😊
Thanks! This was helpful. 💕
Sometimes the posts with the simplest themes are also the easiest for readers to respond to right away.
Occasionally when I work a long time on a piece during the month, I will pause and consider if that means readers might also benefit from it being broken up into small vignettes or even smaller individual posts published back to back. Especially if I’m focused on reader engagement as part of my goals.
Creative blocks as a subject, specifically, often benefit from bite sized considerations. A hop into context and a hop out into a reader question is how I like to think about it. Just some thoughts. OK cheering you on! ☀️☀️
There are so many wisdom nuggets here on how to do a mini-editorial audit.
I am currently 100% free as I am still figuring out what my Coffee Break is about. I cover a wider range as I imagine my newsletter being something my readers read during break and helps them change perspective, learn something interesting, etc.
But when I hit 1k and turn on paid, I shall book a one-on-one editorial audit.
That’s so good to hear on all accounts! I have a client launching this coming week after passing 1,000 readers — it’s kind of like Christmas. Can’t wait to see how people join in. 🤗
This is such a great framework Amanda and such a generous post. I am looking forward to going through it.
Thanks! When you do, feel free to tag me in a post or Note so we can hear what you contemplated or uncovered. ☀️
Good exercise that I will try. Thanks Amanda 🙏
Thanks, Dee! When you give a whirl, tag me in a post so we can know what you uncovered. ☀️
I already know from a little bit of digging that the essays (out of 114) that generate the most response often surprise me. 🤷🏻♂️
Good , easy advice, thank you
If you give it a try, you’ll have to let us all know what you uncover!
Sound advice which I'm tagging for when, and if, I begin writing posts.
I'm still coming to grips with hiw substack works. 😁
I find that the pivot for me has been condensing the outlets where I have to show up and engage. I was neglecting my proper newsletter, so to speak, that I have written for ages on ConvertKit, but was happy to write on Substack every week. I realized that writing into a vacuum wasn't doing it for me anymore. I've now imported my newsletter list into Substack and am making the old newsletter a new type of monthly post on my substack so everyone gets an extra treat going forward. We'll see how it takes. Thanks for this easy audit method. I'll look forward to doing this again in a couple of months to see what shifts occur.
How often do you audit? I'm thinking seasonally / quarterly makes sense, but could see a case for more or less often, too. Thank you for this!
Thanks for all the thought on this question!