What I've Learned About Monotony on Substack
Just in case you were unaware.
Since I have vowed to be helpful from this day forth, this post may be useful to you.
Oddly, I’ve been using a certain Substack feature since January in my other newsletters but I only discovered what I’m about to share after reviving this particular newsletter, one week ago.
Here it is:
If you choose the magazine layout for your Substack but haven’t bothered to include feature images in your posts, you get utter monotony. People will see the same header image repeatedly on your home page.
In my case, my header image is myself. Sorry guys! But hey, at least it’s beachy me instead of sweatpant me.
In my defense, the magazine layout did not exist back when I set up this newsletter.
Here’s how to switch the layout in case you didn’t know. It turns your average newsletter feed into a beautiful bloggish-looking home page rather than a never-ending, vertical waterfall of run-on typing.
Just please, use different feature images for each post or you’ll end up with the same thing I had…a home page full of yourself.
I personally think the magazine layout is a grand slam for Substack.
Why? Because the average Joe can now blog and newsletter seamlessly, with ease and simplicity.
You no longer have to ask yourself all the blogging questions that induce cold sweats and haunt you in your sleep:
Should I use WordPress or Squarespace for a blog?
Why is Mailchimp called Mailchimp? The two have nothing to do with each other.
Funneling sounds like a carnival treat. Why do I have to funnel people when I just want to talk to them?
Why TF should I have to pay money to send out newsletters?
And how in God’s name do I tie a blog and a newsletter together without plug-ins and zaps?
I swear, I love this platform.
What are you writing on Substack?
If you have your own publication here, feel free to drop a link in the comments so that I (and others) can check it out!
And, one more uber-helpful tip for the week…
This is mine: https://substack.com/profile/10684878-david-perlmutter?utm_source=user-menu
Right now, I use it for updates and alerts related to my career, but, if I start getting a decent number of subscribers, I might start repurposing my old stuff and new content behind a paywall if I can figure out how that works here.
It’s the best feature they have added, in my opinion. I now sell my newsletter as a magazine for true crime fans because it has given me that flexibility. I also love the tags you can put on the top.
So glad you are back sharing this with everyone