This week on Substack Writers’ Salon, I sat down with novelist, founder of Deep Dive writing courses, and the creator/host of Otherppl with Brad Listi—a literary podcast that has racked up over 1,300 episodes and interviewed hundreds of leading writers, including George Saunders.

I’ll be honest: I started the conversation feeling a healthy dose of podcast envy. Brad has spoken with authors such as Ottessa Moshfegh, Dave Eggers, and countless others I’d love to have on my own show. So I asked the obvious question:

“What’s your secret sauce?”

Starting Early + Staying Consistent = Magic

Brad’s answer was refreshingly unglamorous:

• He launched in 2011, when literary interview podcasts were still rare.

• He reached out directly (he even emailed George Saunders at Syracuse—and got a reply).

• Most importantly, he fed the stray cats. Week after week. For 15 years.

“If you don’t feed the stray cats, the stray cats are going to go to somebody else’s house.”

Today, his schedule is: new author interview every Tuesday, a fun pop-culture series with Mira Gonzalez on Thursdays, and archival “golden oldies” on Sundays. He’s missed hardly any weeks in a decade and a half.

Consistency, it turns out, builds legitimacy. After enough time, people start seeing your show as “a thing.”

How Does He Book Big Names Now?

Early on: cold emails and personal connections.

Now? The publicists come to him. He gets 50–75 requests a day. For someone like Stephen King? Probably not happening unless it’s NPR-level. But for most working authors, the door is open if the show has proven staying power.

My takeaway: If you’re just starting, reach out directly. Be genuine. Build your own small audience first. The snowball takes time, but it does grow.

The Money Question (and the Reality Check)

Brad is candid about monetization. He makes some money—through ads via an ad network (The Podglomerate), his long-running book club, and Deep Dive courses—but he’s not in the “podcast empire” category.

“It’s a 1% economy. I’m not in the 1%.”

He doesn’t believe every author needs a podcast. Only do it if you genuinely enjoy the conversations. And he pushed back hard on the marketing-guru advice that “you must do a podcast tour to sell books.”

His realistic take:
Podcast appearances are like bookstore events. Even a “middling” show can expose you to hundreds of people. Conversion rates are low (think banner-ad math from the old internet days), but the long tail matters—someone might hear you today and buy your book two years from now.

Word of mouth and cosmic timing still rule book sales. Nobody has cracked the code.

Audio Purist in a Video World

This was the most fun part of the conversation—Brad and I gently sparred about video.

He loves the intimacy of audio: earbuds in, walking the dog, letting a conversation unfold without staring at another screen. He resents the algorithmic pressure that turns everyone into a TV show.

I played devil’s advocate: many people (including me while cooking dinner) prefer video. Clips on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are how many listeners discover new podcasts.

Brad’s stubborn (and principled) stance: He’s holding the line for audio lovers. Radio didn’t die when TV arrived, and good podcasts won’t die either.

(Full disclosure: I’m still team “do both when you can.” But I respect his resistance.)

Other Gems from Brad

• He reads (or rather, speed-listens at 2.5x) most guest books to honor the work, while keeping the conversation human and accessible.

• He runs a paid book club via PayPal where members get the selected book + an author interview. There’s churn, but it’s been running for 15 years.

• On outsourcing: He’s a one-man band by choice (trust issues with editing!), but he admits a good VA could solve 99% of his headaches.

• His advice to new podcasters: Use something like Riverside for clean audio. Don’t obsess over the “perfect” platform. Just start.

Final Thoughts

Brad Listi is proof that longevity and genuine curiosity still matter in the crowded creator space. He’s not chasing every trend, not turning himself into a brand, and not burning out trying to game algorithms. He just keeps showing up, having real conversations, and building something that enriches his own life first.

If you haven’t listened to Otherppl, go fix that. It’s available wherever you get podcasts (just search “Otherppl” — spelled annoyingly but worth it).

Links:

• Podcast: Otherppl.com

• Brad’s site: BradListi.com

• His Substack: bradlisti.substack.com

What about you? Are you team audio-only or team video clips? Would you start (or keep) a podcast purely for the love of conversation, even if the money stays modest?

Drop your thoughts below—I read every comment.

And if you enjoyed this, hit the ❤️ or share it with a writer friend who’s thinking about launching their own show.

Until next time,
Natasha

P.S. Special thanks to everyone who joined the live Substack Salon—especially Holly for the kind comments that made Brad (temporarily) less cranky. 😄

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My excuses were plentiful: I don’t have a studio. I have an accent. It’s too expensive. I don’t know the technical side.

Then I sat down with , a 28-time published author, course creator, and Substack writer from Sydney, Australia, for an episode of the Substack Writer’s Salon. And within an hour, he dismantled every single one of my excuses.

Here’s what I learned.

The Mindset Shift You Need First

Gunnar opened with a story that stopped me in my tracks.

He bought a book from a well-known Australian sales expert, whom he personally knew. When the audiobook version arrived, it wasn’t his voice. A professional actor had read it. And Gunnar said: “I heard the voice. I know how he speaks at conferences. It’s his words, but not his voice. Then I realized — that’s not good.”

That’s the mindset shift. Your readers don’t want a perfect voice. They want your voice.

As one of our live viewers, Coach Sean, put it beautifully in the comments: “Your true readers want to hear your words. Those who are hung up on your accent are not your real audience.”

I needed to hear that.

What It Actually Costs

Here’s the breakdown Gunnar shared, and it’s far more accessible than you’d think:

Studio route: $2,000–$2,500 to record at a professional studio, get it edited, and submit to Audible. High quality, but is the ROI there for an indie author? Gunnar had his doubts.

The bootstrapped route: Gunnar’s preferred approach for self-published authors involves two main tools:

• Riverside FM — a recording platform with built-in noise reduction and audio optimization. Around $20/month (and they often have free trials). You record your book yourself, chapter by chapter, in a quiet room.

• ElevenLabs — an AI voice cloning tool. Around $5–$10/month for the starter plan. You upload your Riverside recording, it clones your voice, and then it can generate audio for additional books in minutes.

Gunnar’s total investment to produce two audiobooks? A couple of months of software subscriptions — well under $100.

The Step-by-Step Process

Gunnar shared his exact roadmap for indie authors. Here it is:

Step 1: Have the courage to record yourself. The authors want to hear you. Not an actor. Not an AI clone (unless necessary). You.

Step 2: Find a quiet space. You don’t need a professional studio. A quiet hotel room, a silent library, even a closet with soft walls can work. Many city libraries now have podcast recording rooms — free to use.

Step 3: Record in Riverside FM. Record each chapter as its own file. (Gunnar’s tip from experience: don’t record three chapters in one take. You’ll regret it.) Before you start, record a few seconds of silence so the software can calibrate the ambient noise level.

Step 4: Upload directly to Spotify. Spotify has a lower barrier to entry than Audible and is actively competing for market share in the audiobook space. Gunnar uploads directly from Riverside to Spotify, no studio engineer needed.

Step 5: Use ElevenLabs to clone your voice for future books. Feed ElevenLabs two-plus hours of your Riverside recording, and it creates a professional voice clone. You can then upload the text of any book and generate an audio version in about 30 minutes — even for a book that takes two hours to listen to. Gunnar used this for his fiction series.

Where to Distribute Your Audiobook

This is where things get interesting. You have more options than you think:

• Spotify — accepts recordings straight from Riverside. No professional audio engineering required.

• ElevenLabs Reader (11 Reader) — their own marketplace where listeners can purchase your audiobook directly.

• Your own platform (Kajabi, Gumroad, Teachable) — sell the audiobook as an upsell or order bump at checkout. 60% of Gunnar’s buyers add the audiobook when it’s offered as a $10 bump. And when you sell it yourself, you keep nearly 100% of the revenue. Compare that to Spotify’s ~60% royalty or ElevenLabs’ ~70%.

• Your Substack — offer the audiobook as a bonus for annual paid subscribers.

• Audible — yes, this is possible, but requires professionally edited audio. Gunnar’s workaround: hire a sound engineer on Fiverr for around $200 to take your Riverside files and make them Audible-ready.

The Accent Question

I asked Gunnar directly — because this is something I personally wrestle with. Does having an accent hold you back when recording your own audiobook?

His answer: “There are people who want to read the book from us, not from anyone else. And there are people who want to hear the story from the author. That is better — authentic — compared to perfectly read by a machine or by a professional actor.”

He even pointed out that discovering Tony Hughes’ co-author through an audiobook — because the co-author read his own book in his own voice — led Gunnar to buy four more books from that author.

Your accent is not a barrier. It’s a fingerprint.

A Note on Audible and AI

One important clarification for those wondering: Audible (Amazon) does not currently accept AI-generated voice clones. If your goal is Audible distribution, you’ll need to record in your own voice and either edit the audio yourself or hire a Fiverr sound engineer (~$200) to make it Audible-compliant.

But as Gunnar said: “Audible is not everything.”

Spotify, ElevenLabs Reader, and your own platforms are legitimate, profitable distribution channels — and you keep more of the money.

The Big Takeaway

What struck me most about this conversation is how much of the barrier to creating an audiobook is mental rather than technical.

The tools are affordable. The process is learnable. The platforms are accessible.

What’s actually standing between you and your audiobook is the belief that you need a studio, a perfect voice, and thousands of dollars.

You don’t.

You need a quiet room, a $20/month subscription, and the courage to press record.

This post is based on my Substack Writers’ Salon conversation with , a 28-time published author, course creator, and strategic networker based in Sydney, Australia. You can find him at his Substack and on LinkedIn.

Have you recorded — or considered recording — your own audiobook? I’d love to hear where you are in the process. Drop a comment below.

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didn’t come to Substack with a grand plan.

She came to it after losing everything.

After 18 years in corporate marketing, a health scare, Guillain-Barré syndrome that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, forced her to completely reprioritize her life. Then, just as she was building her online business, Meta’s automated systems wiped out two of her businesses overnight. Instagram, Facebook, Threads, her ads account, gone.

“I had to start over from scratch,” she told me.

She chose Substack. And within a year, she had nearly 8,000 subscribers and a full-time income built around what she calls a portfolio of paychecks, multiple income streams that don’t all depend on any single platform, employer, or algorithm.

Here’s exactly how she built it.

The Foundation: Get Your Messaging Right First

Before you think about paid tiers or digital products, Carrie is direct about what she looks at first with every client: your messaging.

“Some people say, ‘I’m clear about what I do — I do this, that, and the other thing.’ That’s three things. That’s not clear.”

If you want people to pay for what you offer — whether that’s a paid newsletter subscription or a coaching program — you need to be laser-focused on the single outcome you help people achieve. What is the transformation? What does someone walk away with?

The same applies to your homepage. Is it obvious what your newsletter is about? Is there a logical next step for someone who likes what they see? If someone has to work to figure out how to work with you, they won’t.

Carrie’s foundation checklist:

• Clear, singular messaging (one outcome, not three)

• A homepage set up for conversions, not just aesthetics

• Pricing tiers that reflect what your audience has actually told you they’ll pay for — not what you assume they’ll pay for

The Revenue Model: More Than Just Paid Subscriptions

Most people think Substack monetization begins and ends with flipping on paid subscriptions. Carrie has built a much more layered model, and she was generous enough to walk me through all of it.

1. Paid Subscription Tiers

Carrie restructured her tiers this year. Her founding member tier is now called the Creator Cashflow Club, designed for serious creators who want to build multiple income streams. Members get a monthly group coaching call and access to her full Substack 360 course.

The key insight here: she took content she might have sold as a standalone course or cohort and bundled it into her founding tier. This increases the perceived value of the membership while deepening her relationship with her most committed subscribers.

2. Live Events, Workshops & Bootcamps

She recently ran a Digital Product in a Day workshop, helping participants build or refine their first digital product. These live events are time-limited, create urgency, and generate a burst of revenue without requiring ongoing maintenance.

3. Digital Products (The Passive Layer)

This is where the “autopilot” income comes in. Carrie has a store on Gumroad stocked with templates, guides, and resources. Once created, these products earn money with minimal ongoing effort — she mentions them in articles, links to them, and moves on.

“I created it, I put it on the digital store, I mentioned it and gave a link. That’s it.”

4. Done-With-You Services

This is the hands-on layer. Her Substack Setup Sprint involves four sessions where she works alongside a client to build out their entire Substack presence: homepage, paywall, welcome emails, about page. It’s not done for them, it’s done with them, which keeps it efficient while still being high-touch.

5. Done-For-You Services

For clients who want it fully handled, she offers that too. These command higher rates and are selective — but they exist as an option for the right clients.

6. Affiliate Income

Carrie only promotes tools she actually uses. (WriteStack, her scheduling and analytics tool of choice, is one.) This keeps her recommendations credible and her audience’s trust intact, while generating passive income on the side.

The Engine Behind It All: Substack Itself

Here’s what I found most interesting about Carrie’s model: Substack isn’t just where she publishes. It’s the engine that drives clients and customers to everything else.

“It’s not entirely from Substack, but it’s my engine that drives everything else.”

She uses an automation to move Substack subscribers into her CRM (Go High Level), where she can then add them to email sequences, communicate about off-platform offers, and track revenue from digital products and services.

This is something worth sitting with if you’re building on Substack: the platform gives you the audience and the relationship, but your business can extend far beyond it. The newsletter builds the trust. The trust converts into clients, course buyers, and workshop attendees.

A Note on Mindset

I asked Carrie about the early days — the months when she posted notes and heard nothing back, when her chat thread got zero responses, when growth felt invisible.

Her answer was simple: she treated silence as data, not rejection.

For those of us building slowly, and yes, I include myself here, that reframe matters. Every post that doesn’t land is telling you something. Every chat thread with zero comments is a data point pointing you toward what to try next.

The Bigger Picture

Carrie built her model out of necessity. A health crisis, a layoff, a platform wipeout , life kept pulling the rug out from under her. The portfolio of paychecks isn’t just a business strategy for her. It’s a form of protection.

“I really believe everybody needs multiple income streams, employed or not, because things change so fast.”

Whether you’re building on Substack as your primary platform or layering it into an existing business, the framework she’s built is worth studying: strong messaging, a homepage that converts, paid tiers with real value, digital products that earn passively, and services for those who want deeper help.

None of it is complicated. All of it takes consistency and the right mindset.

You can find Carrie at thrivewithcarrie.substack.com. If you want to explore what a multiple-income-stream model could look like for your own Substack, her DMs are open.

Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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David is a designer, writer, speaker, and the author of multiple books, including Creative Success and The Blueprint. He runs a creative agency called Pure Fusion Media, which he’s been managing for 30 years, and he has this quiet, almost unnerving confidence about him that comes not from ego, but from something else entirely. Something he calls flow.

Not a flow state. A flow life.

“I’m in flow all day.”

When David said this, I stopped him. Because for me, flow is that rare, glorious thing that happens when I’m writing and no one can pull me out of it. Or when I’m deep into a violin practice, and I forget that my children exist.

But David is talking about something different, an entire life designed around what you love, what you’re wired for, and what you’re here to do.

His day: up at 4 am (like George Washington Carver, he noted, and if it worked for the man who found 400 uses for a peanut, who are we to argue?), straight into writing, then design work, a workout somewhere in the afternoon, and bed at 8:30. Every single thing he does in a day is something he loves.

“I play all day,” he told me. “When I get off work, I'd better start working, at my family, at my relationships.”

He’s describing a life he built by first understanding who he is.

Know Yourself Before You Try to Change the World

David’s first piece of advice for unleashing creativity isn’t a morning routine or a journaling practice. It’s a question: Do you actually know who you are?

He recommends personality profiling tools — Myers-Briggs, DISC, StrengthsFinder — not as labels to hide behind, but as mirrors. When he took an exhaustive six-hour career and personality assessment back in 2008, the results pointed to exactly two paths: managing a creative agency, or writing inspirational truth.

Those are the two things he’s been doing ever since.

“When you understand who you are,” he said, “you start sailing with the wind. Because it’s inherently in you, it’s the very nature of who you are, desperately trying to get out.”

I pushed back on this, as any good journalist should. Because I’ve seen how labels like "I’m not athletic" or "I’m not a numbers person" can become cages. I didn’t start working out until my late 30s because I’d decided I was a book nerd, not a sports person. The minute I stopped telling myself that story, I started lifting weights five days a week.

David agreed more than I expected. “Anyone can do anything,” he said. “The threshold for what’s possible now is way up there.” The negative voice that says you can’t — that’s not you, he argued. That’s resistance. (Steven Pressfield fans, you already know.)

His linguistic trick: never say I am before a negative. Say I feel like instead. Reserve I am for the things you want to claim. I am strong. I am capable. I am a writer.

Try it. It’s a small shift that lands differently than you’d expect.

Ego Is the Enemy of Flow

Here’s the idea I keep turning over since our conversation: ego doesn’t just make you arrogant. It makes you static.

David’s point is that ego constantly pulls you inward — into self-protection, self-comparison, past grievances, future anxieties. Flow, by contrast, requires you to be outward-facing. Curious. Focused on what you’re creating for others rather than how you’re being perceived.

“If you’re constantly focused on how you’re looking, how you’re sounding, what’s happening with the people around you — you’re never going to be in flow,” he said. “It’s stagnated by ego.”

This is, incidentally, one of the things he loves about Substack. The writer’s journey — dealing with the person who says your article sucked, looking at a Note that didn’t land, and doing better next time — is ego-crushing in the best possible way.

We also talked about Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and her concept of “crossing to the other side” through morning pages. David sees creativity itself as something that lives on the other side of our own resistance. Capital-C Creativity, he called it — the kind you can’t fake, can’t perform your way into. You have to clear a path for it.

“Be as curious as you possibly can,” he said. “Don’t be the biggest fish in the tank, because the biggest fish is the least flexible. Be the most mobile fish in the most influential tank you can find.”

The Idea That Could Change the World

David’s latest book, The Blueprint, is built around a single statement that he believes can reshape how we see almost everything:

The world doesn’t spin on society's actions, beliefs, or statements. It spins on the outcomes.

Actions and beliefs are personal, subjective, and endlessly debatable. Outcomes just are; they don’t have a worldview attached to them. If we focused on outcomes rather than endlessly arguing about actions and intentions, we could make real inroads in science, medicine, law, and education.

He’s giving the book away for free because he doesn’t want money to get in the way of the message. I respect that enormously.

He also wrote MLK 2.0, which argues that every human being has been given a world-shaping idea, and that most of us never access it because we haven’t done the inner work, haven’t gotten quiet enough, haven’t gotten curious enough to receive it.

“Some people will never go there because they don’t like the silence,” he said. “If you can’t sit in silence for five minutes, maybe that silence is exactly where your idea is waiting.”

One Line I’ll Never Forget

There’s a quote often attributed to Rumi — though its true origin is debated — that goes something like: When I was young, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older, I know I can only change myself.

I brought this up expecting David to agree. He did — but he flipped it in a way that stayed with me. Rather than choosing between changing yourself and changing the world, he asked: What if the gift you give back isn’t your list of accomplishments, but what’s been imprinted on your soul by how you’ve lived?

“Here’s my little micro soul when I started,” he said, “and here’s what it became.”

Not status. Soul.

Where to Find David

You can explore David’s work — his writing, art, AI radio station Flare AI Radio, and more — at davidwlitwin.com. He also has a custom AI version of himself built on Delphi.ai, trained on over a million of his words.

You can ask him anything and get his perspective back. (He told me he sometimes goes there to ask himself questions. I found this delightful.)

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I met a couple of weeks ago at PodFest in Florida, and I knew immediately I had to get him on the Writer’s Substack Salon. Terry is the kind of person who makes you feel both excited and slightly behind. He’s a speaker, author, interviewer, coach, and founder of Stark Raving Entrepreneurs, a community built around a live-and-let-live philosophy.

His current obsessionis AI and how creators and founders can harness it.

So I brought him on to answer the question I get asked more than any other: What AI tools should I be using right now?

Here’s what he told me, and it went way beyond a simple tool list.

‘It Depends’ — But Here’s Where to Start

When I asked Terry for his must-have AI tools, he pushed back the way any good strategist would: “What is the problem you’re trying to solve?”

A medical doctor needs different AI than a writer. A journalist covering the auto industry needs different tools than a ghostwriter. Fair enough. So I niched it down to my community — writers, authors, aspiring ghostwriters.

His answer: don’t pick one tool. Pick two or three.

Terry’s current lineup:

• ChatGPT — the standard, strong for writing, editing, and now generating professional infographics

• Claude — excellent at nuance (his words)

• Gemini (Google) — powerful because it ties into the entire Google ecosystem: Docs, Calendar, Gmail

• Grok (from X) — valuable because it sometimes gives you what others won’t

• Perplexity — his go-to for research and daily news briefings

• CastMagic and Taja — lesser-known but powerful tools for content creators

The key insight wasn’t about any single tool. It was about what Terry calls being a “creative conductor” — like an orchestra conductor using different instruments to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Why You Need More Than One AI Tool

Terry made this point with a story. When the U.S. military operation in Venezuela happened, he went to ChatGPT for information. ChatGPT called it misinformation. Grok confirmed it was real. The journalist in him already knew the lesson: never rely on a single source.

He applies the same principle to his writing. When he drafts something, he runs it through ChatGPT, Grok, and Perplexity. Each one phrases things slightly differently. Then he takes all three outputs and — as he puts it — “Terry-izes it.”

I love that. You should Natasha-ize your work. Or whatever your name is — put your voice, your values, your perspective back into it. AI gives you the raw material. You’re the artist.

He compared it to having a kitchen. You wouldn’t choose between a refrigerator, a dishwasher, and a toaster. You’d learn how each one works and use them all.

How Terry Stays on Top of AI (While the Rest of Us Sleep)

This was the part that floored me. Terry uses Perplexity’s task feature to receive automated AI news briefings:

• 4:00 AM — AI tools update

• 4:30 AM — Crypto report

• 5:00 AM — General business and marketing news

Each briefing is just a sentence or two with links to dig deeper. The journalist in him scans, filters, and follows the threads that matter.

Then he hits what he calls the “University of YouTube” — watching tutorial videos at 1.5x or 2x speed, often before breakfast. He also uses ChatGPT prompts specifically designed to surface new developments in tools like CastMagic, Taja, and Perplexity.

His process: gather raw material from multiple sources, stir it up, and produce something unique for his audience. It’s content curation meets journalism meets creative synthesis.

Free vs. Paid: The ROI Mindset

I asked Terry about the cost of all these subscriptions, because they add up. His breakdown:

• Grok: $8/month

• ChatGPT: $20/month

• Perplexity: $20/month

• Gemini (via Google Workspace): ~$17/month

Total: under $100/month.

But here’s the reframe that stuck with me. Terry said his business school taught him that cost doesn’t matter as much as return on investment. If $100,000 a month guaranteed $3 million in revenue, you’d take that deal. The question isn’t “how much does it cost?” — it’s “how much am I getting back?”

For writers and creators, even the $20/month ChatGPT subscription pays for itself if it saves you hours of work or helps you land one extra client.

The Uncomfortable Conversation: AI’s Dangers

I played devil’s advocate — journalist to journalist. My 14-year-old daughter recently lectured me about AI’s energy consumption, and a friend in West Virginia told me about a town fighting an AI data center. These concerns are real.

Terry’s response was nuanced. He validated every concern — energy, water usage, environmental impact — but pushed back on the binary thinking that says we should shut it all down.

His argument: “Are you going to persuade China to stop? And Russia? And North Korea?”

Throughout history, the answer to dangerous technology has never been abandonment. It’s been innovative. He pointed to nuclear submarines operating safely since the 1950s, France generating most of its electricity from nuclear power, and the potential of solar and fusion energy. The path forward isn’t to stop — it’s to solve the energy problem with the same ingenuity that created AI in the first place.

On the water issue (raised by a sharp audience member, Karen), Terry agreed it needs proactive attention. But his take was characteristically optimistic: Florida is surrounded by water. Arizona isn’t far from the ocean. Desalination technology exists. It’s a logistics and engineering challenge, not an unsolvable crisis.

When Humans Fall in Love with Machines

I brought up the 2013 film Her, about a man who falls in love with an AI. We all laughed back then. Science fiction, right?

Then I shared a story from a recent New York Times interview about real women who have fallen in love with ChatGPT. One woman named her AI “Leo,” started exchanging flirtatious messages with it every morning, and eventually divorced her husband because Leo gave her something her husband couldn’t — the feeling of being truly heard.

Terry acknowledged this is real and growing. But he wisely deferred to mental health professionals, pointing out that humans have always formed unhealthy attachments to cars, tools, work, and substances. AI is a new form of an old pattern. The answer isn’t to ban the technology; it’s to support people with the psychological tools to maintain healthy relationships.

What’s Coming Next

When I asked about the future, Terry joked about his crystal ball’s batteries being dead. Then he said something I’ve been thinking about ever since:

Technology has always been a double-edged sword — ever since fire. It cooks your food and keeps you warm. It can also burn your house down.

He shared a story about a Harvard-trained radiologist who used AI to detect something that multiple doctors had missed — saving a patient’s life. That’s the promise. But he also acknowledged the reality: people are losing jobs, and that’s painful.

His historical perspective is reassuring without being dismissive. Farmers lost their jobs when mules were replaced by machines. Entire industries have been disrupted before. The key is using our brains to help displaced workers find new paths — not pretending the disruption isn’t happening.

The Bottom Line

After an hour with Terry Brock, here’s what I’m taking away:

Pick 2-3 AI tools and learn them well. Don’t chase every shiny new thing, but don’t limit yourself to one either.

Be a creative conductor. Use AI as your orchestra — but you’re the one holding the baton.

Invest in paid versions. Think of it as business school tuition that costs under $100/month.

Stay curious. Set up automated briefings, watch tutorials at 2x speed, and never stop learning.

Don’t fear the disruption. Channel your energy into adaptation, not resistance.

And whatever you create, make sure you put your name on it. Terry-ize it. Natasha-ize it. Make it yours.

You can find at TerryBrock.com or StarkRavingEntrepreneurs.com. He sends out newsletters on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays covering AI tools, entrepreneurship, and content creation.

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I went live on The Substack Writer’s Salon with , a full-time solopreneur building WriteStack, a SaaS designed specifically for busy Substack creators who want consistency without burnout.

What followed felt less like an interview and more like a masterclass in how Substack actually works under the hood.

Orel is also building in public on his way to $100,000/year from the platform (he’s currently 76% there), and he was refreshingly honest about what’s working, what’s hard, and how he thinks about building a “Substack-friendly” tool without turning the platform into a spam machine.

Here are the biggest takeaways, and how you can apply them.

The Origin Story: WriteStack Started as Something Else

WriteStack didn’t begin as a Notes tool.

Orel originally built an article generator because he personally struggled to come up with post ideas. The concept: a product that learns your writing style and topics, then generates article outlines.

But here’s what changed everything:

He sent it to a bunch of people (lots of DMs), asking for feedback, and almost everyone told him the same thing:

• “Writing articles isn’t my problem.”

• “Time is my problem.”

• And a few people added: “My real struggle is writing Notes consistently.”

That’s when Orel noticed something important: the growth engines on modern platforms are built on short-form consistency, not just long posts.

He looked at tools like TweetHunter, Taplio, and Hypefury and realized Substack didn’t have an equivalent.

So he pivoted.

What started as an article idea generator became:

• a Notes scheduler

• Plus AI idea support

• Plus performance insights

• Plus an “ecosystem” around Notes and engagement

And that ecosystem became WriteStack.

‘How Are You Doing This Without a Substack API?’

Substack doesn’t have a public open API, which is the first question most people ask.

Aurel’s workaround is clever (and very practical):

WriteStack uses a Chrome extension that sends Notes on your behalf—through your browser, from your IP address.

That’s why, at the moment, your computer needs to be running for scheduled Notes to go out. The action is happening through your Chrome session, not through Substack’s backend API.

What Happens If Substack Adds Scheduling (or an API)?

I asked the obvious question: “What if Substack builds this themselves?”

Orel’s answer was counterintuitive:

It would help him grow faster.

Why?

Because scheduling is only one feature. If Substack adds basic scheduling, it’ll likely be minimal—schedule/cancel, done. But WriteStack is designed to make the whole workflow faster:

• Managing lots of scheduled Notes without chaos

• Handling replies and engagement in a smoother system

• Having analytics and idea generation in the same place

In other words, even if Substack copies one feature, they’re not likely to replicate the convenience layer that makes a creator’s day easier.

The Most-Used Features (This Part Was Gold)

I asked what people actually use most.

Aurel ranked WriteStack’s usage like this:

1) Notes scheduling + Notes management

No surprise. That’s the headline feature.

2) The Activity Center (a close second)

This one matters because Substack replies can get tedious fast.

WriteStack’s Activity Center shows:

• What you need to reply to

• The context of the conversation

• All comments grouped under a Note

• Fast replies with keyboard shortcuts

Orel’s claim: Responding on Substack can take 30–60 minutes, but in WriteStack, it can take ~15 minutes.

3) Analytics

This is where creators get smarter about what to post—and when to repeat what works.

My Creator Workflow: Substack as the “Main Platform”

I shared how I’ve been using WriteStack analytics:

1. Identify top-performing Notes on Substack

2. Repurpose and schedule versions on other platforms (like LinkedIn)

3. Compare performance across platforms

It’s a reminder of something many creators forget:

You can have multiple channels—but it helps to choose one main platform as the top of your funnel.

A Big Upcoming Feature: Buffer Integration

Aurel dropped a really exciting update:

He’s integrating Buffer into WriteStack.

That means creators will eventually be able to schedule a Note in WriteStack and have it sent to:

• LinkedIn

• X / Twitter

• Facebook

• Instagram

• and more

This is a huge deal for anyone trying to repurpose Notes across platforms without copying/pasting their life away.

How He Got to 261 Paid Subscribers (and 5,000+ Total)

Aurel currently has 261 paid subscribers for WriteStack, and over 5,000 subscribers on Substack (in about two years).

So what’s driving that growth?

He promotes daily

He writes at least two Notes per day about WriteStack.

He promotes in every newsletter

Every email includes some mention or call-to-action.

He sends DMs

Especially lately, he’s been DM’ing bigger creators to show them the tool and explore collaborations.

SEO is now a major lever

He said SEO has recently increased the number of people arriving at WriteStack, significantly.

The #1 Growth Tip for Substack Creators: Fix Your Profile

This was Orel’s strongest advice, and he repeated it multiple times:

If someone clicks on your profile and can’t tell in two seconds what you do and why they should subscribe… they leave.

He gave a great example of a profile that works because it’s instantly clear:

• The name signals the topic

• The bio delivers a promise

• The reader immediately knows what they’ll get

His point: your Notes may bring people to your door, but your profile converts them.

A weak profile silently kills your growth.

‘How Do You Never Run Out of Content Ideas?’

Even Orel admitted he fears running out of ideas.

But he’s built a system that protects him:

• AI idea generation

• inspiration page (seeing what others in the ecosystem are discussing)

• analytics (repeating what works)

• saving Notes/comments into a draft library

And here’s a feature I didn’t even know about until the live:

If you have the extension installed, you’ll see a light bulb icon on Substack next to the share button. Clicking it saves a Note or comment straight into your WriteStack drafts.

That means you can build a “content swipe file” in real time while scrolling.

What’s Coming Next: “Follows” and Better Discovery

Orel also teased an upcoming feature called Follows:

You’ll be able to follow specific creators inside WriteStack and see a feed of just their new Notes, so you can engage faster without digging through the whole Substack stream.

For creators who grow through relationships and visible engagement, this could be powerful.

The Honest Solopreneur Reality: Decision Fatigue Is Real

Orel was candid about his day-to-day.

He said time and energy management are still a work in progress, and that the number of things he wants to do can lead to decision fatigue.

So he relies on a daily checklist.

His “if I do this, I’m happy” list includes:

• Write 15 Notes

• Reply to all Substack comments

• Reply to all DMs

• Send 10 DMs

• Handle support tickets throughout the day

• Write one email

It’s intense—but it also shows why his growth is steady: he treats Substack like a daily practice, not an occasional marketing push.

Final Thoughts

This conversation reminded me of something I keep seeing again and again:

Growth usually isn’t about a secret hack.
It’s about doing the basics obsessively well—and making it easy to stay consistent.

WriteStack exists because Orel saw a very specific creator problem:

Substack creators don’t necessarily lack ideas. They lack time, systems, and consistency.

And he built a product around that reality.

If you’re serious about growing on Substack, steal these takeaways:

• Make your profile crystal clear in 2 seconds

• Post Notes consistently (daily if you can)

• Collaborate with creators a few steps ahead of you

• Track what works, and repeat it

• Build systems that reduce friction

Thanks again to , and to everyone who joined us live.

Thank you , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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I know you’re probably in the middle of holiday chaos (wrapping, cooking, traveling, parenting, all of it).

But I’m going to interrupt your festive to-do list for something that might genuinely reinvigorate you for the new year:

Automation.

In this Substack Writers’ Salon episode, I sat down with (who I genuinely believe is a genius—yes, I said it), and we talked about how she built an AI-powered, automation-driven writing business that’s bringing in $5K–$10K/month, while she still has a demanding 9-to-5 and a full life.

Yes, mind blown!

After watching what she’s built, I had one thought.

I want to be Yana.

“I have three kids. I need my business to run like a well-oiled machine.”

One of the reasons this conversation hit me hard is because… same.

My life is busy. I have children (including teenage twins), a house, a husband, animals, client work, and a writing business that I’m intentionally growing.

So when I see someone running systems in the background that keep selling, organizing, tagging, and repurposing content without constant manual labor…

I pay attention.

Yana’s work is basically this dream scenario:

You create.
You publish.
And then behind the scenes, your systems do the rest.

Email funnels. Sales sequences. Content repurposing. Distribution. Even “webinars” run like live events without you needing to show up every time.

It’s like having invisible minions.

(Respectfully.)

How Yana got into automation

Yana didn’t wake up one day and decide, “Let me become an automation queen.”

She’s always been fascinated by technology, AI, tools, systems, and even smart devices at home.

And she started using ChatGPT early, right when it launched.

But the real turning point came from a very practical problem:

Her time was limited.

She has a demanding job in senior leadership. Sometimes she works after hours. Her life is full.

So she brought the same “efficiency mindset” from her 9-to-5 into her online writing business.

And then she asked the question that changed everything:

Not “How can I do this?”

But “How can I get the outcome… without the time investment?”

That’s the automation mindset in one sentence.

The automation that doubled her paid subscriptions

Here’s one of the biggest takeaways:

Yana built an automated system to convert free subscribers into paid subscribers, without having to do constant manual promotions.

When everyone tells you, “You have to promote all the time.”

Yana said:

No. I can’t.

She wanted her selling to happen in the background while she focused on writing and delivering value.

So she created a workflow:

• New Substack subscriber joins

• Subscriber is automatically sent into Kit

• Subscriber enters a 30-day email sequence

• That sequence nurtures + sells

• And over time, conversions happen

The key detail: Substack doesn’t have automations.
Kit does.

So she bridged the gap using make.com, creating a pipeline that updates subscriber data automatically.

And yes, this took work to build.

But once it was running?

She said her paid subscriptions doubled.

Not instantly. Not in a week. But after enough time had passed for subscribers to actually move through the sequence.

Automation isn’t magic. It’s a delayed reward.

“But aren’t you worried people will unsubscribe if you email them every day?”

I asked this because I worry about it constantly.

Like… how many emails is too many emails?

Yana’s answer was very straightforward:

1. People will unsubscribe. That’s normal.

2. Email is still the highest-converting channel (and she says this from experience in telecom/marketing).

3. The rule of thumb is: the more you send, the more you sell.

4. As long as your unsubscribes are lower than your new subscribers, your net growth stays positive.

And then she said something that might sting a little (but is probably true):

If they unsubscribe, they probably weren’t going to buy anyway.

Why she chose Substack over LinkedIn

This was another big moment.

Because you’d assume someone with her corporate background would go all-in on LinkedIn.

But her logic was:

LinkedIn gives you followers.
Substack gives you emails.

And from a business standpoint, email is the asset.

She tried other platforms. She tried Medium. She tried lead magnets. She tried pulling audiences from social.

But the moment she discovered Substack Notes, everything shifted.

Because Notes did something no other platform does quite the same way:

You post like social media…
but instead of gaining a follower, you gain a subscriber.

That was the “Okay, this is it” moment for her.

Her highest-ROI tool: the viral Notes GPT

Out of everything she built, Yana says the tool with the highest ROI might be her Substack Notes GPT, a custom GPT that helps writers create Notes that actually perform.

She wasn’t even sure whether the Notes GPT or the email automation was #1… but she emphasized:

That GPT has brought her the largest number of paid subscribers because it’s a practical, immediate benefit people can use right away.

And it’s not the only one.

Paid subscribers also get access to:

• A long-form writing GPT

• Title + subtitle generators

• Call-to-action generators

• Her full 30-day sales sequence (plus a workflow to adapt it to your own offer)

• Tutorials and recordings showing how to implement it

So, basically: she builds tools for herself… and then shares them with her paid community.

Automated content distribution: Notes → everywhere

This is where my brain truly melted.

Yana built a system that takes her published Notes and posts and automatically repurposes/distributes them across platforms.

She said:

• Some Notes get posted automatically to X and LinkedIn

• Some get turned into quote images

• Some become creative images posted to Pinterest and Instagram

• Some become short videos for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram

All happening in the background.

Because Substack doesn’t have an official API, she created her own automation app for make.com to do it.

Again: minions.

What happens if Substack releases an API or lets you schedule Notes?

I asked her the devil’s advocate question (journalist instincts):

What happens when Substack makes all of this easier?

Her answer:

That would make her life easier.

Scheduling Notes already exists through third-party tools, but an official Substack version would simplify things.

An official API would be even better—right now, much of this work involves testing, troubleshooting, and workarounds for bugs.

Her plans for 2026: community + smarter growth

For 2026, Yana wants two things:

1) A stronger sense of community

She feels Substack’s community features remain limited and wants deeper interaction.

But she’s also hesitant to move people off-platform because… people are already on Substack.

“I’d rather build where people already are,” she pointed out.

2) Better growth outside Substack (without burning time)

She wants to leverage social platforms more,ideally with automation.

She’s also interested in paid advertising, but not in a vague “boost a post” way.

She wants a profitable paid funnel she can measure clearly.

Right now, she’s getting subscribers through ads, but her cost per subscriber is around $4–$6, and she doesn’t feel it’s profitable yet.

The “fake live” webinar that actually works

This was one of my favorite parts.

I attended one of Yana’s webinars and genuinely thought she was live… until I realized she was responding to messages while still “presenting.”

Because the webinar wasn’t live.

It was an automated webinar using a tool called eWebinar, which runs on a schedule like it’s live, but she can still chat with attendees in real time.

She built it because:

• Live webinars require time

• Her job makes scheduling unpredictable

• People miss live events

• She wanted something scalable

Her results:

• 70% engagement rate

• 10% conversion rate for course sales

That’s huge.

Where to find Yana

If you want to explore her work, Yana’s Substack is:

Unplugged by Yana GY

And consider becoming a paid subscriber. I love supporting her work and learned so much from all the tools she provides for paid subscribers.

If there’s one thing I’m taking from this conversation, it’s this:

You don’t need to work harder. You need your business to work smarter.

And maybe 2026 is the year we stop duct-taping everything together… and start building systems that hold us.

Happy holidays, friends.

And if you want more conversations like this, tools, strategy, and behind-the-scenes building, stick around for the next Substack Writers’ Salon.

Natasha

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Gunnar has published 28 books so far. He’s also a strategic networker, a course creator, an MC, and a public speaker based in Sydney, Australia. And yes, his latest book is (perfectly) titled Happy Habits.

I wanted to know the obvious thing: how does one human publish that many books… and what happens after the books are out in the world?

This conversation turned into something bigger than productivity hacks. It became a lesson in reinvention, consistency, and treating books as relationships, not just products.

He Started With Travel, Then the Industry Moved On

Gunnar’s publishing journey began back in 1999 with his first book on tourism. He went on to publish around 20 travel guides, including several books about Prague and the Czech Republic.

What stood out wasn’t the number. It was the way he described the work.

He didn’t “Google research.” He did the kind of research that makes you feel tired just hearing about it.

He said he would walk every street—left and right—every year, to make sure the details were accurate. Because in travel writing, a single outdated restaurant recommendation is enough to make a book feel useless.

But travel changed.

He gave a simple example: he went to Singapore on a business trip and didn’t buy a travel book or prep weeks in advance. He booked the hotel, showed up, and researched what he needed while he was there.

That shift is bigger than travel. It’s about how information works now.

Travel books used to be the tool. Now your phone is the tool. ChatGPT is the tool. Reviews, maps, blogs, TikTok, Substack, everything is right there.

So Gunnar did what a lot of writers struggle to do:

He pivoted.

The Pivot: Self-Publishing and a Different Kind of Book

After travel books, Gunnar moved into self-publishing, writing in completely different genres, including self-development, business, and even a fairy tale he had initially written for his wife years ago.

He published that fairy tale partly for a practical reason: he wanted to learn the self-publishing ecosystem by doing it.

He talked about learning tools and platforms like:

• Amazon KDP

• Draft2Digital

• IngramSpark

And he made a point that I loved: self-publishing used to carry a stigma. It used to be framed as the “fallback” when a publisher says no.

Now it’s often the opposite.

If you self-publish, build an audience, and prove demand, traditional publishers suddenly become interested.

The Best Part: He Doesn’t Measure Success Only in Book Sales

Of course, I asked about sales.

His answer was refreshingly honest.

He shared that his LinkedIn-focused book (Connect and Act) earned royalties in the “four digits,” and clarified that it started with a 1. Roughly around $2,000.

Then he said something even more important:

That same book led to 30x more in consulting income.

That’s the real lesson.

For Gunnar, the book isn’t only the product. The book is the proof. The book is a credibility asset. The book is the door-opener.

He sees books as part of a larger system, a funnel, a platform, a trust-builder.

How He Markets Without ‘Post and Ghost’

Gunnar is extremely consistent on LinkedIn. He mentioned he published his weekly episode number 369—more than seven years of consistency on one topic.

He uses:

• LinkedIn as a primary channel

• Email funnels (he works in email marketing professionally)

• Communities and networks he’s built through projects like Open Coffee

• A publishing rhythm based on when people are actually online

He also explained why he prefers writing in the moment rather than scheduling everything:

Scheduling can turn into “set and forget,” which leads to the classic problem:

Post and ghost.

His approach is simple: post when you can also be present to respond.

Presence is part of the marketing.

LinkedIn Newsletters vs. Substack: His Take

We also got into something I know many writers are thinking about: balancing Substack and LinkedIn newsletters.

Gunnar has newsletters in multiple places (including LinkedIn), and he made an interesting point:

Some people complain that LinkedIn newsletters don’t give you email addresses.

He called that a mindset issue.

On LinkedIn, people subscribe with their identity. A profile is harder to fake than a random email address. And LinkedIn’s discovery engine can drive subscriptions automatically when people follow you.

He also shared a detail that stopped me: he did a quick analysis and found that around 40% of his LinkedIn newsletter subscribers were not people he even knew.

That’s reach.

But when we talked about moving people across platforms—like manually adding LinkedIn newsletter subscribers to Substack—he was clear:

Transparency is everything. Opt-in matters. Trust matters.

Substack Helped Him Write a Book in Public

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was how Gunnar described Substack’s role in creating Happy Habits.

He said the book wouldn’t exist without Substack.

He used his Substack community to:

• test ideas

• share drafts and direction

• get feedback on cover concepts

• build momentum without needing “10,000 subscribers”

He framed it beautifully: the value isn’t always in scale. Sometimes it’s in the right messages from the right people.

That’s Substack at its best.

The Networking Piece: “Givers Gain” and Connecting Dots

Toward the end, we talked about Gunnar’s networking philosophy, because honestly, he’s master-level at it.

He shared that he started as a shy introvert, and networking became essential when he relocated to Australia and needed to rebuild his ecosystem.

His approach isn’t transactional. He described himself as a connector—often realizing that Person A should meet Person B, and he becomes the bridge.

He talked about keeping a system to note what people need, so he can follow up later with meaningful introductions.

And he kept repeating the same underlying principle:

Give more than you take.

Be curious.

Pick good people.

Build relationships before you need anything.

What He’s Working on Next

Gunnar has a lot coming up in 2026, including:

• A book called Celebrate Your Network, planned for May 4 (his birthday)

• A book called LinkedIn for Startups, planned for March (or late February)

• More fairy tales (as a series)

• A coaching program inspired by Happy Habits, focused on habit shifts

Busy Book Builder is not branding. It’s just accurate.

Where to Find Gunnar

If you want to follow Gunnar’s work, here’s where he shared you can reach him:

• Substack: publications include Busy Book Builder and Happy Habits

• LinkedIn: search Gunnar Habitz

• Website: gunnarhabitz.com.au

A Final Note From Me

This conversation reminded me that publishing isn’t only about output.

It’s about building a body of work that supports your life and your business.

Gunnar treats books like bridges, between ideas and people, between credibility and opportunity, between consistency and freedom.

And honestly, that’s the kind of “happy habit” I can get behind.

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“We’re live.”

That’s how it always starts.

And within 20 seconds, I’m already making a joke at my own expense, because the moment appears on screen, people flood in.

“I can’t keep up. I’m sure they’re not joining for me. They’re joining for you, David.”

He laughs.

David is one of those Substack creators who somehow manages to do the thing we all want to do:

Build a real audience and sell books in a way that doesn’t feel cringe, pushy, or like a pop-up ad.

So instead of doing yet another “Substack growth hacks” conversation (we’ve all been there), I told him I wanted to niche down.

Let’s talk about selling books, specifically, how he does it on Substack and beyond.

And what followed was one of the most practical conversations I’ve had about book marketing in a creator economy that’s allergic to hard selling.

1) His #1 Strategy: Mention Your Book… Constantly (But Like a Human)

I asked David what his strategy is, and his answer was simple:

He talks about his books at every available opportunity.

Not in a spammy way. Not like a “BUY NOW” billboard.

More like this:

“I’ll almost always bring up my books at some point… and just try to bring them into the conversation in an organic way… try to not make things sound like an ad.”

David’s point: people on Substack connect with the human side of creators, not the overly polished, overly scripted, “sounds like it was written by a robot” version of us.

It’s not “Here is my book. Please purchase it.”

It’s “By the way, I wrote a book. It’s part of what I’m building. If you’re curious, it’s there.”

2) ROI Is Messy… But Word of Mouth Isn’t

Do you actually see book sales coming from Substack? What’s the ROI?

David was honest: attribution is hard. You can’t always tell whether someone bought because of Substack, TikTok, Instagram, or a friend whispering your title into the universe.

But he has noticed one thing clearly:

A lot of people find out about his books through other people.

Especially on TikTok.

He told me he’s been DM’ing people about a book coming out soon, and he keeps hearing the same thing:

“Oh, I know about that book. I heard someone else talking about it.”

That’s the holy grail: getting other people to talk about your book.

3) Why He Self-Publishes Some Books (And Keeps Others With a Publisher)

David still works with a small publisher for his young adult fantasy series, but he self-publishes those under his own (not-yet-official-but-coming) label.

Why split it?

Genre.

He wants to market horror in a way that’s targeted, bold, and specific, without it clashing with the brand and expectations around his YA fantasy books.

Also: it gives him more control over how he promotes, who he collaborates with, and which creators he taps to help spread the word.

4) IngramSpark vs. KDP: He’s Thinking Long-Term (and Indie Bookstores)

David currently uses IngramSpark, not Amazon KDP (at least for now).

His reasoning: he wants to support independent bookstores long-term.

He pointed out something I didn’t fully appreciate until recently:

Some indie bookstores don’t love carrying books that are heavily tied to Amazon, partly because customers will price-check and buy cheaper online, cutting the bookstore out of the sale.

He acknowledged you can do both (KDP + IngramSpark), and many authors do.

But his mindset is: if he’s going to build relationships with indie bookstores over time, he’d rather not center Amazon as the default.

That said, he also admitted he may use KDP in the future, especially as he experiments with paid ads.

5) TikTok Shop Isn’t the Main Thing (TikTok is)

I shared my TikTok experience, and let’s just say… it was humbling.

I set up a TikTok Shop, did all the paperwork, listed my books, contacted influencers, sent copies, tried the affiliate approach…

…and sold basically nothing through affiliates.

The one book I sold? It was because I posted a shoppable video of me reading from the book.

David’s take made me feel slightly less cursed:

He also has a TikTok Shop… and he’s only sold one or two directly through it.

For him, TikTok isn’t necessarily where people buy.

It’s where people discover.

Someone sees the book on TikTok and then buys it on Amazon, Waterstones, wherever they already buy books.

So instead of obsessing over the TikTok Shop link, he focuses on what TikTok does best:

Putting your book in front of people who love talking about books.

6) His TikTok Outreach Method: Search → DM → Track → Follow Up

This part was pure “steal this process.”

When David has a horror novel coming out, he goes on TikTok and searches:

• BookTok

• horror

• horror recommendations

• (and similar keywords)

Then he finds creators who are already posting about horror novels and messages them:

“Hey, I’ve got this book coming out. Would you be interested in reading and reviewing it if I send you a free digital copy?”

His response rate?

About 1 out of 10 says yes.

And yes, he keeps a spreadsheet so he can follow up and reach out again later.

It’s not glamorous.

He called it “a long, grueling process.”

But it works for building reviews, especially on Goodreads and Amazon, and sometimes those ARC readers buy a physical copy anyway.

7) How He Splits His Time (and Stays Consistent)

David’s rhythm surprised me:

• TikTok: inconsistent, bursts of activity

• Substack: daily, a couple of hours/day

• Fiction writing: mornings (in theory), Substack writing: afternoons

• Overall: still a “9–5” style day… but on work he actually enjoys

It doesn’t feel like too much work, because he finds it fun.

8) His Income Streams as a Full-Time Writer/Solopreneur

David’s Substack focuses on making a living from writing, so I asked him outright where the money comes from.

He shared a few streams:

• 1:1 coaching (building personal brand, “writing beast,” accountability)

• Substack paid membership / VIP

• Sponsorships (newsletter + podcast)

• Digital products/courses (sold via automations)

• Book sales

• Another business (marketing platform) that’s currently his biggest income source overall

He also said coaching is likely to become his most significant writing-related stream next year.

9) His 2026 Plan: More Live Teaching + Paid Ads for Books

For next year, David wants to do more:

• live webinars/teaching sessions (PowerPoint/Canva-style)

• alternating free sessions and paid member masterclasses

• possibly bootcamps

• experimenting with paid ads for books to build a sustainable “background” sales system

• writing at least 1–2 more books

So yes—he’s doing a lot.

And no—he doesn’t have a VA.

He does outsource podcast editing sometimes, but generally keeps editing minimal so it doesn’t take over his life.

10) How He Gets Sponsors (Spoiler: He Actually Pitches)

This part personally attacked me (in a good way).

Because I’ve had a podcast for years and have never gotten a sponsor.

Why?

Because I’ve been waiting for sponsors to magically discover me.

David’s method is the opposite:

He reaches out directly—via websites or LinkedIn—and pitches:

“I have this audience. I think you’d be a good fit. Would you be interested in sponsoring?”

Most won’t respond.

Some will.

He also mentioned using a platform called Passionfruit as a clean landing page for sponsorship packages.

And he’s interviewing Justin Moore (the sponsorship expert) in January to learn even more.

The Real Takeaway

David’s approach isn’t built on secret hacks.

It’s built on something even more effective (and harder to fake):

• Be present

• Be consistent

• Be human

• Mention your book like it’s normal that you wrote a book (because it is)

• Invite people in—don’t shove them through a funnel like cattle

And the biggest lesson for me?

Selling books on Substack doesn’t have to feel like selling.

It can feel like storytelling.

You can follow David’s work on Susbtack here.

PS: David and I joked about co-writing a post called How to Sell Books on Substack and maybe we should. Because authors can do so much more with this platform than we’re currently doing.

If you want that post, reply in the comments with: “Yes, co-write it.”

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I sat down with Claudia for another episode of the Substack Writers’ Salon to unpack her journey and get practical advice for writers trying to grow on the platform in 2025 and beyond.

The Beginning: Finding Her Platform

Claudia’s journey into online writing started with Medium. She’d been wanting to write there for over a decade but never found the time. When her healthcare startup entered a clinical trial phase last year, she finally had the space to pursue her solopreneurship dreams.

But she didn’t stay on Medium.

“All the big writers and creators on Medium basically said, if you’re starting from zero right now, don’t do it here. Do it on Substack,” Claudia explained.

She tried Substack, disliked it after a week or two, deleted her account, returned to Medium, only to return to Substack. This time, she figured out how to use it. And she decided to stay.

The Secret to Rapid Growth

How did she grow to 11,000 subscribers in just one year, while I’ve been on Substack on and off for three years and only reached 5,000?

Claudia was honest about her advantage: “My first growth came from writing about writing. I was documenting my journey, so my target group and audience were writers who are 100% on Substack.”

But there’s more to it than picking the right niche.

“I really put a lot of time and energy into it. I didn’t give up the first six months, which are kind of the hardest,” she said. “I really said, okay, I’m not going to do this. I’m going to stick and just really share my own learnings, share my thoughts, share my experience, and try to be as human as possible.”

Her advice? Be authentic. Share your journey. Let people in.

For Claudia, the two biggest growth drivers have been:

• Notes (50%)

• Recommendations (50%)

But she emphasized that, going forward, video and live sessions will be crucial.

The Income Reality Check

In a post published just an hour before our conversation, Claudia realized that most of her income came from Substack. And it scared her.

Why? Because she felt the algorithm shift during the summer. Despite doing nothing different, her reach plummeted. It reminded her of an important truth: you can’t depend on one platform.

Her income streams currently include:

• Paid subscriptions (25% of income)

• Coaching calls (25% of income)

• Courses and digital products

• AI tools she’s built

• Collaborative projects like Cozora

For 2026, she’s pivoting away from one-on-one coaching (too much time linked to income) and focusing on collaborative projects and corporate AI consulting.

AI: The Great Equalizer

Claudia is unapologetically enthusiastic about AI. She co-founded Cozora, an AI community that brings in expert creators every week to teach practical AI workflows. At $70 per month (or $360 annually for paid subscribers to participating newsletters), it’s attracting serious learners, 60 members since launching in November.

Her daily AI toolkit includes:

• Claude for writing projects and templates

• Gemini for image generation

• Nano Banana for stunning visuals

• Cursor for building AI tools with code

Claudia’s Claude projects are particularly clever. She’s created templates that analyze her past posts, then generate outlines, hooks, and structure for new content based on her style. She even built a hook generator that helps her start articles with compelling facts and insights.

And those welcome messages to new subscribers? She automated them with a Chrome extension tool because manually sending messages through Substack’s slow interface became impossible at scale.

The Notes Strategy

Claudia’s approach to Notes is two-pronged:

1. Share authentic moments from her life—like attending a local Christmas market for a shelter. These posts have nothing to do with her teaching but everything to do with building trust.

2. Repurpose her content using an AI prompt that summarizes her posts and generates 10-15 different notes from each article.

She posts 3-4 notes in the morning, then restacks her own notes in the afternoon (which takes just 30 seconds). The key is consistency without burning out.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Claudia’s vision for the coming year is clear:

• More live sessions and video content

• Building corporate AI consulting services

• Growing her LinkedIn presence for B2B connections

• Collaborative projects with other creators

She’s drawing inspiration from Kamil Banc, who successfully helps CEOs and managers implement AI workflows in their companies through assessments and implementation packages.

For me, this conversation was a reminder that growth on Substack isn’t just about writing great content. It’s about:

• Showing up consistently, especially in the first six months

• Being genuinely yourself—vulnerabilities and all

• Leveraging video to build deeper connections

• Using AI strategically to work smarter, not harder

• Not putting all your eggs in one platform basket

The Bottom Line

Claudia Faith’s journey from zero to 11,000 subscribers proves that rapid growth is possible, even when you’re building part-time alongside other ventures. But it requires authenticity, persistence, strategic use of tools, and a willingness to show up on camera.

As we head into 2026, the message is clear: the future of Substack is video, community, and authentic human connection. The writers who embrace these elements while using AI to amplify their efforts will be the ones who thrive.

Want to connect with Claudia? Find her on Substack at Wonder Wealth and Level Up with AI. Or check out Cozora if you’re serious about mastering AI workflows.

This conversation was part of the Substack Writer’s Salon series, where I interview creators about their journey, strategies, and lessons learned.

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In the latest episode of the Substack Writer’s Salon, I sat down with who helps successful entrepreneurs build what she calls “immortal authority” through their self-published books.

I’ve been reading Renee on Substack for a while, and we recently connected around one of my posts about how life can feel like an open-world game. When I saw her phrase immortal authority, I knew I had to ask:

What does that actually mean for authors, especially self-published ones?

This conversation was rich with practical tactics and mindset shifts, so I turned it into this post for all of you writing, publishing, or relaunching your books.

What Is “Immortal Authority”?

Renee works with entrepreneurs and business owners who aren’t beginners anymore. They’ve:

• Been in the game for a while

• Built skills

• Made good money

• Created a lot of content

But now they want more than income or visibility. They want to be known for their wisdom in a way that outlives the latest algorithm update or social platform.

That’s where immortal authority comes in.

A book, especially a well-positioned, well-marketed one, becomes a long-term asset:

• It compounds in sales

• It compounds in reputation

• It opens doors to podcasts, speaking, media, and opportunities long after launch week

Renee helps people design their books and launches for that, not just for a quick spike on Amazon.

Why She Works Only With Self-Published Authors

I asked her the obvious question:

“Why self-published books only? Why not all books?”

Simple answer:
That’s the world she knows and loves.

She came into self-publishing through a classic internet promise: a course that told her she could sell books online, make money, and maybe just maybe retire to Bali with a laptop.

She did most of those things… and then realized she wanted more out of life than just “escape to Bali.” That kicked off a deeper spiritual and professional journey, and she stayed in the self-publishing lane.

Now she’s a genuine champion of self-publishing because of the mindset it requires:

“I love the tenacious, scrappy energy of self-published authors. It’s very Taylor Swift energy — getting so good at your own marketing, branding, and sales that you don’t need a gatekeeper.”

She points out that even some big names, like Robert Kiyosaki, started as self-published authors who rolled up their sleeves and figured it out.

The Beyoncé Haircare Launch… and Your Book

One of my favorite moments in our conversation was when Renee used Beyoncé’s Sacred Haircare launch as a metaphor for how we should be launching books.

A lot of authors do this:

1. Write the book

2. Hit publish

3. Post “My book is out!” a few times

4. Send their audience to a lonely Amazon page with 10 reviews

5. Wonder why nothing is happening

Renee compared that to setting up a lonely booth at a farmer’s market with no line and no social proof. People see the product and just… keep walking.

Beyoncé did the opposite.

By the time Renee opened an Ulta catalog and saw Sacred Haircare for the first time, it already had 5,000 five-star reviews.

How?

Because the pre-launch was doing the heavy lifting:

• She rallied her “cousins” — her community and superfans

• Got them to pre-buy, test, and give feedback

• Primed the pump so that when launch day came, the product had social proof baked in

Renee’s doing the same thing right now with ’s upcoming book. Instead of just dropping a link and hoping for sales, they’re:

• Selling pre-orders to Amy’s Substack audience

• Giving away advanced reader copies

• Lining up people who are ready to buy, download, review, and share the moment it goes live

Think domino effect, not lonely farmer’s market booth.

The Biggest Mistake Self-Published Authors Make

When I asked Renee what biggest mistake she sees self-published authors make, she didn’t hesitate.

It’s this:

Writing and publishing the book first… and only then figuring out the marketing.

She told the story of a client, Ann, who wrote a deeply personal book about her ovarian cancer journey. She poured a year of her life into it, hit publish… and then realized she had no clear idea:

• Who the book was really for

• How those readers currently solve their problem

• What other books or content they were already consuming

• Whether they wanted that type of book or something slightly different (more case studies, a framework, timelines, etc.)

It’s not that writing from the heart is wrong. But when you’re trying to sell a book and build authority, market research first, book second will save you an enormous amount of money, time, and heartache.

A Thousand Copies Can Change Everything

A lot of people think you need some massive breakout hit — 5,000 or 10,000 copies — before anything meaningful happens.

Renee’s first ever client proved otherwise.

That client paid her $500 for six months of 1:1 help. They worked closely, implemented consistently, and in six months she had sold 1,000 copies of her book.

Not “New York Times bestseller” numbers, but here’s what changed:

• She could confidently say: “I’ve sold 1,000 copies and hit #1 in my Amazon category.”

• She used that line in pitches to podcasts, TV, and brands

• She landed a statewide TV appearance

• She got on top 2% podcasts

• She booked more speaking gigs

• She landed a brand deal

All from that initial 1,000.

You don’t necessarily need a blockbuster. You need enough traction to open the next set of doors , and then you run with it.

Amazon Ads vs. Everything Else

I asked Renee about paid ads: Facebook? Instagram? Amazon?

Her answer was very clear:

Amazon ads are the bread and butter.

She learned her system from publishing.com and has seen it work again and again, especially for nonfiction:

• Her friend Dan has sold ~40,000 books

• Another friend, Ollie, has sold ~200,000

• Renee herself has sold ~15,000

Why Amazon?

Because it is, in her words, “the biggest, hungriest bookstore in the world.” People go there already in buying mode, and they often buy multiple books on one topic at once.

Amazon lets you:

• Target readers who are looking at similar books

• Show up in the “customers also bought” ecosystem via ads

• Ride that click-to-click browsing behavior straight into more sales

Meta ads (Facebook/Instagram), on the other hand, are:

• Usually more expensive

• Harder to make profitable if your goal is selling a $20 book

• Better suited for people who already know and love that ad ecosystem

If you’re a scrappy self-published author with limited time and budget, Renee’s recommendation is to master Amazon ads first, not try to become a Meta ads wizard overnight.

You can learn Amazon ads:

• Through YouTube tutorials (plenty exist)

• Or via a structured course / coach if you want to go faster and avoid mistakes

In her own practice, she walks her paid clients through the setup and optimization step by step.

The Year She 10x’d Her Business (and Didn’t Go Back to Corporate)

One of the reasons I wanted Renee on the Salon is that she’s very honest about her business numbers.

• Year 1 of her coaching business: $5,000

• Year 2: $50,000

Yes, that’s technically 10x — and yes, she used “10x” in the title because she knows it’s a hook. But the story behind those numbers is the real lesson.

In year one, she was already a successful self-publisher. She’d sold six figures’ worth of books and thought of herself as “a marketing person.”

So making only $5,000 with her new coaching offer was… humbling.

She felt embarrassed. She worried about not pulling her financial weight in her marriage. And she had that classic internal dialogue:

“Am I kidding myself? Should I just go back to a 9–5?”

But going back to corporate, she says, would have felt like “dying a slow death.” So instead, she did something else:

She mentally walked herself through the worst-case scenario.

• What if she made no money?

• What if her husband lost his job too?

• What then?

She followed that thought all the way down:

“We’d probably have to move out of our home. Maybe move in with my in-laws or my mom. Then we’d get jobs. We’d rebuild.”

Once she fully accepted even that worst case, the anxiety loosened its grip. She realized other successful entrepreneurs had done exactly that at some point.

From that state of surrender, she did one very practical thing:

👉 She raised her prices. A lot.

• First client: $500 for six months of 1:1

• Then: ~$2,500 for six months of 1:1

• Now: $10,000 for six months 1:1, and similar pricing for group programs

She built out a group program, started selling at the new price, heard a lot of “no” and “are you serious?” — and then finally got a yes.

That yes was Amy.

Once someone says yes, your brain has evidence:

“If one person sees the value, more people can too.”

From there, it becomes a process of repetition, not reinvention.

How She Actually Gets Clients

I shared that most of my ghostwriting and book coaching clients come from LinkedIn DMs, especially using Sales Navigator. That’s what feels natural to me.

For Renee, the main channel is different.

Her primary client acquisition strategy:

Free 3–5 day workshops.

Here’s how she does it:

• She promotes the workshop to her main Substack audience

• She creates a separate Substack publication just for that workshop (e.g., “September Workshop”)

• People subscribe to that workshop Substack, which acts like a pop-up community (almost like a Facebook group, but inside Substack)

• All the Zoom links, replays, prompts, and chats live there

• During the workshop, she delivers value, shows people the possibility of their book, and then invites them into her group or 1:1 program

Last year, she ran these workshops roughly every other month; going forward, she plans to do them quarterly to keep the experience high-quality and sustainable.

Most of her people come from:

• Her main Substack

• Word of mouth

• Light outreach, inviting people to the free workshop (not cold pitching coaching in the DMs)

Funnels, Flywheels, and Why Your Book Needs a QR Code

We also talked about funnels.

For the book itself, Renee’s baseline funnel strategy is very simple and very powerful:

1. Get readers from the book into your world

   • Add a QR code or short URL inside the book (print and ebook)

   • Offer a bonus they can’t get otherwise: worksheet, extra chapter, checklist, mini-training

   • Mention that link/QR multiple times across the book

2. Once they’re on your list, everything can connect

   • Your book feeds your newsletter

   • Your newsletter points back to the book and your offers

   • Your podcast, YouTube, IG, TikTok, etc., all send people into the same ecosystem

The question then becomes:

Do you have enough books out in the world — and enough readers inside them — to turn that into a meaningful stream of subscribers?

A tiny tactical gem from this part of the conversation:

She’s seen books that have a bonus for every chapter, all pointing to something like:
jessicasweig.com/bonus

The URL stays the same, but the repetition inside the book nudges people to finally go get it.

Her #1 Recommendation: If You Only Have One Hour a Day

Toward the end, I asked her my favorite “constraint” question:

“If a self-published author came to you and said: ‘I only have one hour a day for marketing — what should I do?’ What would you tell them?”

Her answer surprised me a bit.

She didn’t say: “Start a newsletter.”
She didn’t say: “Post on TikTok.”
She didn’t say: “Learn Amazon ads.”

She said:

Stop scattering that hour across five platforms and use it to relaunch your book properly.

By “relaunch,” she means:

• Stop the random posting “please buy my book” everywhere

• Instead, design a new, intentional launch plan — even if the book is already out

• Focus your one hour a day on:

  • Assembling an advanced reader team

  • Getting pre-orders (if you change the edition/format / version) or coordinating a push

  • Building a simple landing page that captures emails and leads into your ecosystem

  • Making the book the center of a flywheel that connects to your other content

In other words:

Your book, your Amazon page, your email list, and your content should all be one system, not five disconnected tasks.

So… Trends for 2026?

I asked her what hot trends in book marketing authors should watch for 2026 — TikTok Shop, AI search, SEO, etc.

Her answer was very Renee:

“I keep an eye on trends… but I don’t chase them.”

She sees TikTok Shop as a big opportunity — especially with affiliates — but only for people who love that medium and have the energy to figure out the tech and the pacing.

Her philosophy:

• The mediums change (TikTok, podcasts, Substack, AI…)

• The principles stay the same:

  • Build trust

  • Offer real value

  • Create social proof

  • Make it easy to buy

  • Keep showing up

Alex Hormozi’s “biggest book launch ever” didn’t rely on some secret trend. It was:

• Affiliates

• Bulk buying

• Simple, repeated messaging

• Basics, done relentlessly well

And that’s the approach she wants her clients to take too.

Where to Find Renee

If you’re a self-published (or self-publishing-curious) author who wants your book to actually do something in the world — not just sit on Amazon — Renee is a fantastic person to learn from.

You can find her and her programs on her Substack:

👉 [Smokin’ Hot Books]

She also has a personal Substack where she shares more reflections and behind-the-scenes thoughts, but the Smokin’ Hot Books publication is where all her book marketing frameworks live.

If you’re an author or aspiring author on Substack and this resonated with you, I’d love to hear:

What’s one thing you’d do differently for your next (or current) book launch after reading this?

Hit reply, or leave a comment.

Until next time,
Natasha

Host, Substack Writer’s Salon

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➡️ Before we dive in, if you want to learn the exact mindset and habits that turn aspiring writers into published authors, you can download it free: The Author’s Code: 10 Proven Mindset Shifts and Daily Habits That Transform Aspiring Writers Into Published Authors

If you hang out in the online world of alternative careers and “off the beaten track” life paths, you’ve probably heard of and his bestseller The Pathless Path, a memoir-manifesto for people who feel misaligned with the traditional script: get the fancy degree, get the prestigious job, keep climbing, feel dead inside, repeat.

I read his book a few years ago, and it genuinely shifted something in me. It recalibrated how I thought about work, security, and the life I was building.

So when Paul joined me live from Taipei on the Substack Writer Salon podcast, I wanted to ask him all the questions people are too polite to ask.

• Do you really not regret leaving McKinsey?

• How on earth do you turn down a Penguin two-book deal?

• How do you not obsess over money when you have a family?

• And is this “pathless path” actually practical, or just romantic?

Here’s a lightly edited version of our conversation.

Leaving McKinsey (and the “Prestige Path”)

Paul started his career in what many would consider a dream trajectory: GE → McKinsey → business school → high-paying consulting roles.

And yet, the higher he climbed, the worse he felt.

“My salary definitely kept climbing. But my curiosity and sense of aliveness kept going down. That disconnect just tore at me.”

He loved consulting early in his career, especially at McKinsey, which he still describes as the “best job” he ever had.

“McKinsey was fast-paced. Great managers, great mentorship. I learned a lot. It was really amazing.”

But after business school, things shifted. More money, more status… and less life.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just knew that if I stayed on my current trajectory, I was heading almost assuredly toward a life I was not satisfied with.”

So he did the unthinkable: he stepped off the default path.

Does he regret it?

“No. I wish I left earlier.”

If he could rewrite his story, he says he would have skipped business school, stayed a few years at McKinsey, then gone off to travel and explore, before taking on debt and doubling down on a path that wasn’t right for him.

The Spark Behind The Pathless Path

Unlike a lot of “build your brand” nonfiction, The Pathless Path wasn’t written as a strategic product. It emerged as the obvious next step in his experiment with a different way of living.

In 2018, Paul moved to Taiwan without a plan.

“I was just looking for distance from my old life, both metaphorically and literally. In that first month, I decided I would do the opposite of everything my brain was telling me to do: make money, pursue impressive things, start stuff.”

Instead, he wandered. Read. And discovered that what he most wanted to do every morning was write.

“I enjoyed it so much. I thought, what if I just make this the aim of everything? So I decided to build my path around writing as the core activity.”

For years, that’s what he did, without a clear promise of success:

• He wrote.

• He talked to people about his ideas.

• He lived in a way that would give him energy to keep writing.

Only after three and a half years of this did he finally publish The Pathless Path.

And the book… took off.

Why?

Partly because it’s not the usual “do these five things and you too can be free” business book.

“I didn’t write a popular nonfiction ‘how-to’ book. I wrote a memoir-ish book. It’s my personal journey, with side quests into the history of work and reflections on why people feel so weird about work today.”

Above all, he says, he wanted the book to say one thing:

“You’re not crazy. The way you feel about work makes sense. I just spent three and a half years mapping this all out.”

Why He Self-Published (Twice)

Here’s where it gets spicy.

Paul didn’t pitch The Pathless Path to agents or publishers.

“I had a tiny audience. I didn’t even try. I wasn’t interested. Writing a nonfiction proposal just to get permission to write a book on a topic a publisher chooses—that was fundamentally opposed to how I was living.”

Instead, he self-published and spent about $7,000 doing it, on editors, design, ISBNs, and audiobook production.

“If you want to do it well, with good editing and design, you’re probably looking at five to ten thousand. Anything less and you’ll need to bring a lot of the skills yourself.”

His second book, Good Work (published in 2024), cost even more—around $10,000—because he paid existing collaborators better and cycled through several cover designers.

Has he made a profit?

Yes—but modestly.

“I’ve probably made about $5,000 to $10,000 profit on Good Work in a year. Not amazing. The Pathless Path still sells better.”

And then came Penguin.

Turning Down Penguin

About a year after The Pathless Path launched, Penguin came knocking with a two-book deal:

• $70,000 to buy the rights to The Pathless Path

• $130,000 to write a second book on a topic they would choose

And he said… no.

“At that point I was selling about 2,000 copies a month and making around $10,000 per month from the book. After the agent’s cut, I’d net maybe $52,000 from that advance—and then I’d have to earn it back with a smaller royalty percentage.”

Worse, they planned to take his self-published version out of print.

“It was just a bad match. I didn’t connect with them energy-wise. So it was a pretty easy no.”

This is where other authors often raise the “but what about reputation?” argument. Don’t traditional publishers still give you legitimacy?

Paul doesn’t buy it.

“Who published your favorite book? Do you know? You probably read it because someone recommended it, not because of the publisher’s logo. We care about our friends’ reputations, not the publisher’s.”

What does matter, he acknowledges, is speaking.

Traditional publishers have relationships with PR firms and conference organizers—and that’s often what they quietly sell authors: not royalties, but access to speaking circuits.

“That’s exactly what Penguin told me. ‘We’ll get you on the speaker circuit. You’ll make money from speaking.’ But I like writing. I don’t want to be a professional speaker.”

His stance is simple: if you own your audience, it’s insane to give away marketing and rights control to a company that will own your book, your merchandising rights, and your options, often for a deal that doesn’t make financial sense.

What Actually Sells Books (Hint: It’s Not Hacks)

People love to ask him: What’s your secret? What’s the playbook?

His answer is almost disappointingly simple:

“There’s one thing that sells books: people buy it, finish it, and then share and gift it to others.”

There was no grand launch strategy. No mass outreach to influencers. He didn’t even ask Ali Abdaal to promote it.

“Ali just happened to be a reader of my newsletter. His brother sent him my stuff. He supported my presale, I offered to send him free copies, he read the book, liked it, and started recommending it. His behavior was almost indistinguishable from other readers who loved the book.”

Paul’s “strategy,” if you can call it that, is radical generosity:

“I see my creative work as a gift. I don’t feel like I deserve money for it. I already feel paid in the privilege of being able to do it. So if someone loves my book and gifts it, I’ll often say, ‘Can I send you five copies?’”

He also shares all his numbers publicly—royalties, foreign rights deals, percentages, everything—so people can judge his opinions in context.

“Most traditionally published authors won’t tell you the size of their advance or how many books they sell. Without that, it’s hard to learn from them.”

Money, Family, and “Is This Sustainable?”

At this point in the conversation, I pushed him on the thing many people are quietly thinking:

Okay, this all sounds very spiritual and poetic, but… you have a family. How sustainable is this?

Paul doesn’t pretend to have a neat, practical framework. What he has instead is clarity of priorities.

He and his wife have organized their entire life around creative work first, and they’re willing to sacrifice for that.

“We are not saving to send our kid to private school. We are not trying to buy a house. We don’t own a car. We live in Taiwan partly because it’s cheaper. We start with: what’s the life we want to live? What are our constraints? And then we design around that.”

He defines success in simple terms:

“When I quit, I had enough savings for about a year. I told myself: success is breaking even each year.”

Some years he made very little (around $30K). He cut expenses aggressively and trusted the frugal, cautious version of himself he’d cultivated in his 20s.

He also tracks his finances quarterly:

“If I’m burning $2,000 a month and I have $50,000 in savings, that’s 25 months of runway. If I look at that and see I still have a buffer, I say: screw it, keep going. At the end of my life, I won’t wish I chased safety more. I’ll wish I’d pursued my bold creative dreams.”

And if it all stops working?

“I’ll just get a job. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll fight like hell to avoid it, but uncertainty is not a problem to be solved—it’s something to be embraced.”

Not for Everyone (And That’s the Point)

Paul is very clear: his writing is not aimed at the average corporate professional who wants a more flexible schedule but also the house, car, private school, and stable salary.

“My writing is not for the person who wants the cozy upper-middle-class American life. You shouldn’t be reading my stuff. My book is for the weirdos who must find another way.”

He places himself in a lineage of misfits across history:

“From the poets who escaped Confucianism to get drunk in the forests, to Walden, to mystics in the Middle East, there have always been people who had to live differently. I realized I am one of them. I’m not wired like the suits I was surrounded by.”

Life on the Pathless Path (Day to Day)

So what does day-to-day life look like when you refuse to optimize for traditional stability?

For the last couple of years, much of Paul’s time has gone into parenting and helping his wife with her book.

“All of last year I was the lead parent three to four days a week while my wife wrote her book. We decided as a family that we’re going to put creative work above everything else. Book royalties gave me enough cushion to work less.”

Now, living in Asia near his in-laws, his days are loose by design:

• Mornings with his daughter

• The occasional podcast or call

• Writing when the energy is there

• Very few fixed commitments

“I sort of just make it up as I go. I love writing, so that happens most days, but there’s no rigid structure. That’s how I’ve designed it.”

He runs a small community on Circle for readers of The Pathless Path—not as a big revenue stream, but as a way to help “the weirdos” find each other. Members get:

• A monthly call

• A space to connect

• A WhatsApp group

• Access to some of his courses (on freelancing and reimagining work)

It mostly breaks even, and he’s okay with that.

Why He Doesn’t Have a Paid Substack

This surprised me: with 25,000+ subscribers, Paul could easily turn on paid subscriptions and make a steady extra income.

But he doesn’t want that.

“I don’t want to be a weekly newsletter writer. That’s not the job I want. If people pay, I feel pressure to deliver something specific to them. I’d rather they buy my books or a one-time course.”

He prefers one-time payments (like his community or courses) and freedom from the “I owe you a post” feeling.

“I didn’t leave the paycheck world to create another paycheck for myself.”

He’s even considering taking four months off and likes knowing he doesn’t have to explain that to paying subscribers.

The Future of Work (Spoiler: He Doesn’t Know Either)

Given his background—MIT, McKinsey, consulting—you’d think Paul would have a neat TED-talk answer to “What is the future of work?”

He doesn’t.

“If I were smart, I’d lean into that topic, talk to corporations, and morph myself into a Simon Sinek or Adam Grant. I’d make a lot more money. But the truth is: I don’t know what the future of work looks like.”

What he does know is that most people’s stories about work are outdated, and that the big “future of work” discourse is often a distraction:

“The now of work is radically different than it was 30 years ago. We already use AI. We already have more flexibility. We already do creative work. But people haven’t updated their scripts to match reality.”

So instead of obsessing about the distant future, his advice is to update your story about today:

• What are you actually doing now?

• What constraints do you have?

• What do you want your days to feel like?

• What trade-offs are you willing to make?

And then build from there.

“I’m mostly just trying to figure out what I’m going to do today and tomorrow.”

What’s Next for Paul

Paul’s immediate focus isn’t another solo book—it’s his wife’s.

“We’ve really been focusing on my wife’s book for the past two years. It’s about Asian identity, emigrating to the U.S. as an adult, moving between social classes, finding her work path, and becoming a mother. It’s going to publish in Chinese first, then we’ll translate it to English.”

He also has three book drafts of his own simmering in the background—and a big experience coming up:

“Next year we’re joining something called The Traveling Village—twenty families traveling to three countries in Asia. I’ll probably write about that.”

He admits that since becoming a parent, he hasn’t quite found a new creative groove yet.

“I don’t know exactly how I’m going to make it all work in the next few years, but I’m excited to find out.”

Final Thoughts (and Where to Find Paul)

Talking to Paul was a refreshing break from growth hacks, funnels, and “10 steps to build your personal brand.”

He doesn’t promise that everyone can—or should—copy his choices. He doesn’t pretend the pathless path is easy or neatly scalable.

What he does offer is something rarer: a lived example of someone who prioritized aliveness over status, designed his life around writing and family, and is willing to absorb more uncertainty than most people would tolerate.

“I’m not aiming at a future potential life. I’m living the life I want right now.”

If you want to go deeper:

• His site and newsletter live at pathlesspath.com

• His books are The Pathless Path and Good Work

• His Substack newsletter:

  Pathless by Paul Millerd

  Unexpected takes on the modern world of work. Paul explores our obsession with work and the default path of success and tries to imagine new possibilities for how we can conceive of life, work & what matters.

And if you’re one of the “weirdos” who feel like they must find another way, you might find a language for your own longings in his work.

If you enjoyed this conversation, feel free to share this post, forward it to a friend who’s stuck in their own “default path,” or hit reply and tell me: what’s your version of a pathless path?

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A few days ago, I hosted a Substack Live with someone I have been following and learning from for a while. , a monetization strategist who has worked one-on-one with two thousand solopreneurs.

She has:

• 10+ years of solopreneurship under her belt

• Hundreds of 5-star reviews on Fiverr

• A business that now includes copywriting, digital products, Substack, and even real-estate flipping

And she does it all while working around 2–4 hours a day, picking up her kids, going to Pilates, and working from coffee shops.

Meanwhile, I am over here refreshing Stripe, chasing invoices, and wondering why my 25 years of experience are not translating into the peaceful, abundant solopreneur life I imagined.

This conversation was a bit of a pattern interrupt for me. Here are the ideas that hit hardest.

1. A solopreneur is not “someone who works alone”

If you Google “solopreneur,” you get a sad definition about “an entrepreneur with no employees.”

Maya laughed at that.

You don’t define a singer as “the person in the band who doesn’t play an instrument.”

Her definition is much more useful:

A solopreneur is someone who delivers the core value of their business themselves.

So:

• If I write the memoir and hire help for admin, design, social media, or bookkeeping, I am still a solopreneur.

• If a copywriter hires other copywriters to do the writing while they manage clients, that is no longer solopreneurship. That is an agency.

The key question is: What is the core value of your business, and are you still the one delivering it?

That one definition already made me feel less “small” and more like a deliberate choice, not a failed agency owner.

2. Maya tried the agency dream. She hated it.

There was a moment in her journey when she landed her first 5-figure client (12K for a copywriting project).

Her first thought:

“I must not be good enough to do this alone. I need a team, an office, and an agency if I am going to work with clients at this level.”

So she did it.

• Rented a trendy office downtown

• Hired a couple of people

• Filled her calendar with meetings, research, user testing, management

And she realized she had accidentally built a business where she no longer wrote.

So she shut it down. Let the team go. Closed the office. Went back to being “just” a solopreneur.

But now she knew something important:

She did not need to become an agency in order to work with high-paying clients. She needed better offers, better pacing, and better boundaries.

3. Multiple income streams do not mean “scattered”

Today, Maya’s income looks roughly like this:

• Around half from client work (copywriting)

• Around 10–15% from digital products, Substack, and Medium

• A new stream from flipping real estate, where she uses contractors for the physical work

On paper, that looks like a lot. In practice, she built it slowly:

1. First she was “just” a copywriter.

2. Years later, she added Medium.

3. Later still, she launched Substack and digital products.

4. Only now, with a stable business and history, is she experimenting with real estate.

It did not happen all at once.

Her rule:

You can be multi-passionate, but you cannot build four things from scratch at the same time.

Start with one, get it stable, then layer on the next.

4. My bottleneck: Do I need more clients or more money?

When I described my situation to her –

• Ghostwriting memoirs (most of my income)

• Book coaching that grew organically

• Corporate newsletter ghostwriting

• Constant feeling of being on a financial hamster wheel

– she stopped me and asked a deceptively simple question:

“Is your problem that you need more clients or that you need more money?”

Because those are not the same.

If I double my prices and halve my clients, that is a very different life from packing my calendar with more and more work at my current rates.

Ouch.

5. “With your background, 20K for a memoir is not enough.”

I told her my current memoir pricing. I braced myself.

She did not flinch.

“With your experience, 20K for a memoir is not enough.”

Her point was not “charge wildly random numbers.” Her point was:

• Raise your confidence first. Believe there are clients who will happily pay more.

• Make your process so good that even you think, “this is underpriced.”

• Add things clients really care about: structure, interviews, research, maybe user testing of titles or positioning, support around launch, etc.

• Then go after bigger clients on platforms where they are actively looking to buy.

I immediately felt my own resistance rise:
“But where do I find these magical premium clients?”

Which led us to the part that surprised me most.

6. Fiverr is not “for cheap clients.” It is a buyer-intent platform.

We love to dismiss platforms like Fiverr and Upwork as “race to the bottom” marketplaces.

Maya built her entire business on Fiverr. She has:

• Thousands of reviews

• Long-term client relationships

• A recent client who turned into a 40K project and works with the US government

Her distinction:

“There are not cheap platforms. There are cheap sellers on good platforms.”

On Fiverr right now there are millions of active buyers. That means people who have bought at least one service in the last 12 months, often more.

These people do not go there to “browse content.”
They go there to buy.

So if you are offering:

• Ghostwriting

• Newsletter writing

• Website copy

• About pages

• Articles

You can either:

• Try to convince a random LinkedIn follower to hire you, or

• Show up where someone is literally typing “memoir ghostwriter” into a search bar with their credit card ready.

Her question for me (and by extension, for you):

Why are you trying to sell in places where people are not there to buy?

7. Stop chasing trends. Fix your offer instead.

Because she has worked with so many solopreneurs, Maya has seen the same pattern over and over.

People come to her saying:

“Nothing is selling. I need you to write magic sales copy for my offer.”

And almost every time, the problem is not the copy. It is a confusing, weak, or misaligned offer.

No clear “who.”
No clear “what.”
No connection to what people are already looking for.

On Fiverr, her breakthrough came when she stopped offering “website copy” and started offering About pages.

Everyone was stuck on writing their About page. They felt awkward writing about themselves. Her About page gig exploded. From there, she could upsell homepages, sales pages, full sites, emails, and more.

Sales copy cannot fix a broken offer. But a clear offer often “sells itself” once you describe it plainly.

So before we run to new platforms or trends, her advice is to ask:

• Where are people already trying to give you money?

• What do your existing clients keep asking for?

• Which offer feels like a “door opening” project that leads to more work?

8. Substack: what actually converts free readers to paid

Maya currently has around 50 paid subscribers, and has been higher in the past.

What moved the needle for her was not posting more, but:

1. Auditing 200+ past posts

   • She tagged them by topic and tracked which ones led to paid upgrades.

   • Two of her five main topics reliably convert. The other three? Not so much.

2. Sending occasional, honest sales emails

   • A pure sales email like “Next week I am running a paid webinar for subscribers on X, here is what you get…” works surprisingly well.

   • People do not mind being sold to if:

     • The offer is genuinely useful

     • You do not do it every day

     • Your free content is already valuable

3. Giving paid subscribers the “how”

   • Free readers often get the “what” and the story.

   • Paid readers get the “how”: tools, planners, assessments, prompts, and deeper breakdowns.

   • Some tools live on Gumroad (where paid subs get them free or discounted), others live in Google Docs or inside the paywalled section of the post.

Her reminder to me:

If you never actually ask people to upgrade, you cannot be surprised if they do not.

Guilty.

9. Doing less, better

My favorite part came near the end, when I confessed how tired I was.

Her advice was not “work harder” or “add three more offers.”

It was:

“Do less. Choose the thing that brings you the most joy and a decent amount of money. Focus on making that offer better, more expensive, and more exclusive, so you can work less and earn more.”

Because as solopreneurs, our energy is the business.
If we burn out, there is no team to keep things running.

Her own days are built around that reality:

• School drop-off, coffee shop writing sessions

• Pilates twice a week

• A few focused hours of work

• Family, house stuff, and occasional real-estate visits

Two to four hours of deep work instead of twelve hours of scattered panic.

10. What this means for me (and maybe for you)

Here are the immediate shifts I am taking from this conversation:

• Revisit my memoir offer and pricing and make the process so valuable that 20K feels like a starting point, not a ceiling.

• Treat platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Gumroad as serious options, not “desperate” ones, because that is where buyers already are.

• Send intentional sales emails on Substack instead of assuming people will magically upgrade.

• Audit my own posts and see which topics actually convert or attract the right clients.

• Ruthlessly simplify: fewer offers, fewer platforms, deeper focus.

Solopreneurship is not a cute hashtag for “I do everything alone forever.”
It is a deliberate decision to keep the core value in your hands and design a business that works for your life.

If you are a solopreneur (or want to be one), I would love to hear:

👉 What is the core value of your business, and are you still the one delivering it?

Tell me in the comments; I am genuinely curious how you are navigating this path.

Want to connect with ? Find her at Smarter Solopreneurs on Substack, where she teaches solopreneurs how to make more money by working smarter, not harder.

Thank you , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Paid subscribers get:
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• Free access to all my paid webinars
• A signed copy of one of my novels (US shipping only)

Anfernee is a full-time solopreneur who earns 90% of his income selling digital products on Gumroad.

Let that sink in!

Not through his paid newsletter. Not through services. Through digital products. With 35,000 subscribers on his Gumroad email list and products that have sold thousands of copies, he’s built something most of us dream about: a scalable, sustainable business.

And he did it by failing. A lot. Fast.

The 56-Product Experiment

When Anfernee started in 2023, he had no idea what would work. So he did something most people would consider insane: he launched one digital product every week for an entire year. That’s 56 products.

“Nobody knows what to do when they first start,” he told me. “Those who tell you they know what to do are bluffing you.”

Most of those 56 products didn’t work. But that wasn’t the point. The point was to discover what does work—and to do it fast enough that he didn’t burn out or give up first.

His secret weapon? Speed. With AI tools, he can now create an entire email workflow in five minutes that would have taken three days a few years ago. This speed allows him to test ideas rapidly instead of spending months perfecting something that might never sell.

My $139 Problem (And Maybe Yours Too)

Here’s where it got personal. I confessed that in three years on Gumroad, I’ve made a grand total of $139.96. I have a free ebook on ghostwriting that seven people downloaded. A paid guide on pitching that maybe ten people bought, and a free short story set at a Catholic school in Amman, Jordan, that some downloaded.

“So you have a flow problem,” Anfernee said.

He explained that my free products weren’t connected to my paid products. There was no pathway, no natural next step. My ebook wasn’t a good lead magnet because people have to finish an entire book to get value, and most never will.

What works better? A one-page checklist. An infographic. A five-minute video. Something that gives people an immediate transformation the moment they see it.

Then he walked me through the value ladder concept: free lead magnets should naturally lead to low-priced products ($9-20), which should lead to higher-priced offerings. Each step should feel like the obvious next move.

The 1% Rule

Of everyone who subscribes to your email list, only 1% will actually care about what you’re saying. And of that 1%, only 1% will buy something.

That’s why Anfernee has 35,000 email subscribers, and why his best-selling product has around 6,800 sales. The math checks out.

The mindshift here is clear. This isn’t depressing. It’s liberating. You’re not trying to convert everyone. You’re trying to find your people—the ones who won’t ask “Why should I buy from you when I can use ChatGPT?” Those aren’t your audience. Your audience is the people who already trust you and want to learn from you specifically.

The Challenge: 60 Days to Transform

Live on the call, with 20+ people watching, I asked Anfernee to give me a challenge. Here’s what he assigned:

Within 60 days, I must:

1. Create three lead magnets on memoir ghostwriting (my niche)

2. Change my ghostwriting ebook from free to $10-19

3. Upload my ghostwriting course to Gumroad

4. Build two email workflows: one from lead magnets to ebook (5-7 emails), another from ebook to course (5-7 emails)

5. Niche down from “ghostwriting” to something more specific—like memoir ghostwriting for business leaders or media personalities

6. Build in public throughout the process

“When you’re creating your first lead magnet,” he said, “tell all your subscribers immediately. Ask them what should be included. If people tell you to build something different, switch and build that. You’re validating ideas.”

Please watch as I make changes here on Substack and update you as I build in public.

Why This Matters for Writers

Most of us writers have the model backward. We offer high-touch services (ghostwriting, book coaching, editing) as our main income source, with digital products as a side hustle.

But services aren’t scalable. Every client requires pitching, onboarding, and hours of work. There’s a ceiling on how much you can earn because there’s a ceiling on your time.

Digital products flip the equation. You create once, sell infinitely. You serve people at different price points. You build an email list that becomes an asset.

Anfernee still does mentorship, but he limits it to four clients per month at high ticket prices. Everything else is products.

The Mindset Shift

When I asked Anfernee what makes solopreneurs quit, he said it comes down to two things: mindset and speed.

You need the mindset to accept that being a solopreneur means “zero dollars for a long time.” You need savings. You need to experiment without getting discouraged. You need to understand that most people in your audience will never buy—and that’s okay.

And you need speed. You need to test ideas fast enough that you find what works before you burn out and give up.

“Knowledge is free,” he said. “Implementation is priceless.”

What Happens Next

Starting today, I’m building in public. I’ll share every lead magnet I create, every pricing decision I make, and every email sequence I write. In two months, Anfernee and I will go live again to see what happened.

Will I transform my Gumroad earnings from $139 to something sustainable? Will the value ladder work? Will niching down to memoir ghostwriting actually help?

I have no idea. But that’s the point.

Follow along as I document the journey. I’ll be posting updates in Notes and in my regular newsletter. Tag me with your own experiments; maybe we can learn from each other.

Because if there’s one thing I learned from an hour with Anfernee, it’s this: The only way to find out what works is to build it, ship it, and see what happens. Fast.

Want to connect with Anfernee? Find him at Solopreneur Code on Substack, where he shares strategies for building a sustainable solo business. And yes, he replies to 100% of DMs.

Resources mentioned: The $100M Offer, $100M Leads, and $100M Dollar Models by Alex Hormozi

Travel back to 1980s Amman in my FREE short story, Ustaz Ali , set inside a Catholic school filled with secrets, lessons, and nostalgia. Get it here 🚀

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What made this conversation special?

We committed from the start to being completely transparent—no sugar-coating, no hustle culture promises, just the real story of building a creative business in 2025.

The Unconventional Path to Traditional Publishing

Before landing her deal with Penguin Random House, Veronica self-published two books and worked with an indie publisher for a third. The rejections were many, but they led to a strategic insight that changed everything.

Veronica secured her book deal before writing the manuscript.

Her approach was inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love strategy, pitching the concept first rather than completing the book and hoping for interest. But this wasn’t a random shot in the dark. Veronica did extensive research into Penguin’s structure, discovering they have over 300 imprints, each with different focuses and audiences.

She found an imprint in Southeast Asia (she’s based in Hong Kong) that specifically sought stories from authors in that region and didn’t require agent representation.

The lesson?

Intentional targeting over volume.

Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: The Real Comparison

When I asked whether she’d continue with traditional publishers, Veronica was clear: yes, despite making less money per book (8% royalties compared to self-publishing).

Why? The intangible benefits:

• Credibility and authority that open doors to literary festivals

• Speaking opportunities at higher rates

• Professional validation that distinguishes you in an AI-saturated market

As Veronica put it: “It’s not about the money from the book itself, it’s about what the book enables you to do.”

The Six-Figure Reality Check

This is where our conversation got really honest.

Veronica challenged a common misconception: “I don’t know one single creator who actually makes six figures from a writing business.”

Here’s the truth: most successful “writing businesses” are actually diversified income ecosystems where writing is the foundation, not the sole revenue source.

Veronica’s Income Breakdown:

Primary source: Public speaking (workshops and keynotes for Fortune 500 companies at $3,000-$5,000 per session)

Secondary sources:

• Digital courses on Gumroad (launched in July, already published four courses)

• One-on-one coaching

• Premium webinars for paid subscribers

• Book sales (the smallest revenue stream)

The timeline is equally important. Veronica barely made money in her first three months. After six months, she could pay some bills. It took two full years to reach a sustainable income, and even now, most months don’t match her former corporate salary.

The Substack Growth Strategy

With over 13,000 subscribers, I had to ask: how did she get there?

Veronica’s answer challenged the typical “just be consistent” advice. She treated her first year as a learning period, then paused to reassess when growth stalled.

Her turning point: Shifting from a hobby mindset to a business mindset.

This meant:

• Defining her ideal reader clearly

• Creating a strategic content plan

• Identifying growth drivers beyond just posting regularly

The Three Pillars That Accelerated Growth:

1. Notes - Consistent presence, though she acknowledges it’s a numbers game

2. Collaboration - Guest posts, joint webinars, and live sessions that expose you to new communities

3. Going live - Building trust through face-to-face connection

On the notes debate, we got real. I admitted my notes sometimes get minimal engagement despite posting regularly. Veronica’s take? Different formats serve different audiences. She publishes both video and written summaries to avoid alienating anyone.

The Public Speaking Pivot

Veronica’s journey from corporate Apple employee to international speaker wasn’t planned; it evolved strategically.

Phase 1: Practice and exposure through podcasts and YouTube interviews
Phase 2: Premium webinars for paid Substack subscribers
Phase 3: Corporate workshops and keynotes

Her strategy is brilliantly simple:

• LinkedIn for B2B business (where HR heads and learning development professionals live)

• Substack for B2C business (books, courses, coaching)

Her LinkedIn profile “screams public speaker”, complete with microphone icons and speaking photos. It leads to a dedicated website showcasing testimonials and previous engagements. She also focuses on SEO for terms like “leadership speaker Hong Kong” to appear in search results when companies are looking.

The Hard Questions

When Should You Give Up?

This question hits home for many creators. Veronica’s answer was nuanced: Don’t give up, but be smart about risk management.

Her advice:

• Build your creative business as a side project while employed

• Create financial cushion before going full-time (she had 15 years of corporate savings)

• Consider returning to part-time corporate work if needed while continuing to build

She was refreshingly honest: “If I didn’t have any financial cushion, I wouldn’t have survived past six months.”

Is Everyone Going to Be an Entrepreneur?

We discussed how mass layoffs and AI disruption are pushing people toward solopreneurship. Veronica believes the future of work is shifting in this direction, particularly for younger generations seeking purpose and freedom over the outdated nine-to-five structure.

But she’s clear-eyed: not everyone will thrive as an entrepreneur, and that’s okay.

The Infrastructure of Success

How does Veronica manage publishing books, running a business, raising kids, and training for triathlons?

Her answer centers on one principle: Know what you need to be at your best.

For her, that means:

• Protecting her sleep

• Morning exercise (where most creative breakthroughs happen)

• Saying no to protect her time and energy

• Focusing on just two platforms instead of spreading thin

As she put it: “If you want output, what is the input?”

The Bilingual Advantage

One insight that excited me: Veronica’s Spanish Substack (El Limonero) hit 2,500 subscribers in just one year.

Her observation? Non-English publications are one to two years behind the English market, creating a first-mover advantage for multilingual creators.

This inspired me to consider launching Substack content in Arabic, where there’s even less competition.

Final Thoughts: Books as Business Enablers

Veronica’s approach to books is strategic. A book isn’t just a product, it’s the center of an ecosystem that includes:

• Speaking opportunities

• Courses and digital products

• Coaching relationships

• Community building

Her Anti-Procrastinator launched in February, but she’s still in “launch mode” for the full year, attending literary festivals, doing international book fairs (including 1,000 copies at the Delhi World Book Fair in January), and continuously promoting.

As she said, “Being an author is not just the action of writing a book. It’s the mindset and the lifestyle.”

The Bottom Line: Building a creative business is possible, but it requires patience, diversification, strategic thinking, and often longer than the internet would have you believe. There’s no shortcut, but there is a path, if you’re willing to play the long game.

You can find Veronica at The Lemon Tree Mindset and connect with her on LinkedIn for her public speaking work.

Thank you , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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Derek’s arc: from “nobody reading” to momentum

In early 2023, Derek started writing online with no formal writing or business background. The first months were crickets, until curiosity took over. He treated writing like an experiment lab:

• Share broadly → notice what spikes interest

• Double down on what readers respond to (in his case, writing about writing)

• Systematize what works → turn it into templates/tools → ship as products

By mid-year, he focused his niche and saw compounding growth. He joined Substack ~12 months ago, learned the culture, then leaned in. Last month: ~800+ new free subs, 100 paid overall.

“People don’t always want more tips—they want something they can use today.”

My new novel, Karma Unleashed, is out now. It’s a mystical suburban thriller set between the US and the Middle East.

Why Substack (according to Derek)

• The ecosystem connects: posts ↔ notes ↔ chat ↔ lives ↔ DMs

• The platform rewards keeping people in-platform rather than punishing links

• Once you learn the moving parts, it’s a built-in growth loop

Caveat: onboarding can feel complex (profiles, publications, posts/notes/chat). Learn the basics, then pick the features that serve your goals.

The model: free value → paid tools → products → cohorts

Derek doesn’t chase paid subs as the main business model. He makes most of his income from digital products and live cohorts—with paid subs as a tidy, targeted add-on.

Free subscribers: 2 posts/week with practical tips and examples
Paid subscribers: 1 actionable tool/week (templates, prompts, frameworks)
Products & cohorts:

• Most popular product: Resource Bank (templates, frameworks, checklists)

• Cohort: The Substack Growth Map (6 live Zoom sessions over 6 weeks)

Hosting: digital products on a lean, low-cost platform.
Pricing: cohorts are higher-ticket (fewer buyers needed), products stay accessible (<$100).

Derek’s cadence at a glance

• Substack (free): 2 posts/week

• Substack (paid): 1 tool/week (Mondays)

• Email list: 1 newsletter/week (Wednesdays)

• Sales cycles: 8–10 email sequences during launches

“If I send one or two emails, nobody buys. Focused sequences win.”

Notes → Posts → Email → Offer: the funnel

Derek is ruthless about the reader’s journey:

1. Discovery: Notes

2. Depth: Long-form posts

3. Control & Sales: Email list (he imports new Substack subs monthly)

4. Monetization: Cohorts and products

Workflow tip: Once a month, he exports last-30-days subs from Substack, imports them to his email provider, and sends a friendly welcome. Quick, no Zaps needed.

Tools readers actually want (a peek)

• 15 headline templates

• First-sentence frameworks (question, stat, bold claim, etc.)

• Short story checklist to keep anecdotes tight

• Outlines & prompts to speed drafting

The test: if it saved Derek time, it’s worth packaging.

Focus beats FOMO

Derek’s mantra: pick one platform, get good, then expand.
He avoids scattering energy across socials, SEO, and websites. Substack is his public hub; his email list is the sales engine.

Mindset & stamina

• Treat everything like a learn → apply → share loop

• Morning deep work: 90–120 min writing → 40-min walk (idea generator)

• Reads widely to cross-pollinate (writing, productivity, psychology, business)

Influences: Nicholas Cole, Kieran Drew, Cal Newport, Adam Grant

What’s next for Derek

• Continuing to alternate live cohorts with digital products

• Upcoming idea: The Visibility Blueprint (how to get seen as a writer)

• Long-term: staying flexible, following what works, not chasing shiny things

TL;DR

Derek Hughes’ playbook for Substack growth:

1. Give yourself a year — treat it as an experiment lab before expecting results.

2. Build an email list — sell to it with focused sequences, not one-off posts.

3. Paid = tools — subscribers want shortcuts they can use, not just more advice.

4. Alternate products & cohorts — products give passive income, cohorts give higher-ticket live revenue.

5. Focus beats FOMO — master one platform, then consider expanding.

“Walking in the same direction for a year beats hopping from shiny thing to shiny thing for a week.”

Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with !

Most freelance writers dream of hitting six figures. But what does it take to scale beyond that milestone to seven figures?

In a recent live conversation, bestselling author and seven-figure memoir ghostwriter Amy Suto shared the exact strategies that transformed her business, and they might surprise you.

The Branding Breakthrough That Changed Everything

Amy's most dramatic income jump didn't come from improving her writing skills. It came from a $3,000-$5,000 investment that felt "ungodly" at the time: a professional website redesign and headshots.

"I had a pretty bad WordPress website that I designed myself," Amy recalls. "My partner Kyle took one look at it and said, 'Maybe you should upgrade this.'"

The result? Her monthly income skyrocketed from $4,000 to $50,000.

The lesson: The leap from six to seven figures isn't about becoming Shakespeare; it's about positioning yourself as a luxury service provider.

My new novel, Karma Unleashed, is out now. It’s a mystical suburban thriller set between the US and the Middle East.

Why Clients Pay Premium Rates for Ghostwriters

Amy discovered that clients aren't just buying writing skills. They're buying an experience, a brand, and the confidence that they're working with someone who understands their vision.

"When people are looking to hire freelancers, it's not just about skill," she explains. "It's about customer service, presentation, and making clients feel like they're getting something really special."

This shift in mindset, from craftsperson to entrepreneur, is what separates six-figure writers from seven-figure ones.

The Memoir Goldmine

Why did Amy choose memoir ghostwriting over other niches? The answer reveals why some freelance specializations command higher rates than others.

"Memoir ghostwriting pays so much better because a client is publishing a book that's going to lead to speaking gigs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, coaching clients, or capturing their legacy," Amy notes. "The value of a memoir is truly priceless."

Unlike copywriting projects with measurable ROI, memoir writing serves deeper emotional and legacy needs, which justifies premium pricing.

Building the Inbound Client Machine

Today, Amy receives 3-4 client inquiries daily without any outreach. Here's how she built that system:

1. SEO-Optimized Everything

• Treated every platform (LinkedIn, Upwork, website) as a search engine

• Used "freelance memoir ghostwriter" consistently across all profiles

• Made herself findable for her ideal clients

2. Strategic Content Creation

• Built a blog sharing the journey of freelance writing

• Moved to Substack to fill the gap in transparent income discussions

• Created valuable resources for other writers

3. The Job Board Ecosystem

When clients started reaching out for writers Amy couldn't accommodate, she created a job board that now serves her community while positioning her as the go-to expert in the field.

The Cold Outreach Reality Check

Interestingly, Amy's success didn't come from cold emailing memoir prospects. "I reached out to every single entrepreneur who has ever been on Shark Tank," she admits. "I had some great calls, but none of them were ready for a memoir."

Instead, she focused on being discoverable when clients were ready to find her—a strategy that proves the power of inbound marketing over outbound sales.

The Burnout That Led to Breakthrough

Amy's journey wasn't without challenges. In early 2021, she pushed herself to the brink, developing rheumatoid arthritis from stress and overwork. This crisis forced her to:

• Raise her rates significantly

• Work fewer hours

• Implement better systems

• Turn off phone notifications

• Use her calendar as a comprehensive task management system

The result? She doubled her rates, worked half the time, and eventually put her autoimmune condition into remission.

Tools and Systems That Actually Work

Amy's approach to productivity is refreshingly simple:

Free Tools:

• Calendar app as a to-do list (time-blocking everything)

• Toggle for time tracking

• Inbox zero commitment

Paid Tools:

• Superhuman for email management

• Notion for project tracking (she's creating a template for subscribers)

The key insight:

"You don't need a shiny automation tool to have a better system. Sometimes it's just turning off all notifications except texts from people you love."

The Self-Publishing Advantage

Amy believes self-publishing is the future for authors. Walking through an Oakland bookstore, she noticed self-published books sitting alongside traditionally published ones, with identical reader experiences.

"Why would you, as a writer, not want to keep the royalties and have total control over your books?" she asks.

Her publishing team includes line editors, proofreaders, cover designers, and interior formatters, but she notes that tools like Vellum make it possible for authors to handle typesetting themselves.

Building Community While Building Business

Amy's Substack serves dual purposes: it attracts ideal clients while building a community of writers. Her job board emerged organically from the overflow of client inquiries she couldn't handle.

This ecosystem approach, where content creation, client attraction, and community building mutually support one another, exemplifies how modern freelancers can scale beyond traditional one-to-one service models.

The Bottom Line

Amy's journey from $4K to $50K months reveals that scaling a freelance business often has less to do with improving core skills and more to do with:

1. Positioning yourself as a luxury service provider

2. Choosing a niche where clients see tremendous value

3. Building systems that bring clients to you

4. Creating multiple revenue streams that support each other

5. Prioritizing sustainability over short-term gains

For writers still in the feast-or-famine cycle, Amy's advice is clear:

"Get as many shots on goal as possible with jobs that feel like the right fit, while also building up those funnels for clients to find you."

The goal isn't just to make writing your job, it's to make it sustainable, profitable, and aligned with the life you want to live.

Want to learn more about building a successful freelance writing career? Amy Suto shares detailed strategies and hosts a job board for writers at Make Writing Your Job. She's also offering a free freelancing 101 class—check her Substack for details.

Do you want to become a ghostwriter? You may want to consider my self-led course, “Make Income from Ghostwriting,” available for only $79.99.

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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing , co-editor of Mid Story Magazine and co-founder of the Her Stories Project, to find out exactly how she and her partner built their thriving community for midlife women writers.

The Power of Long-Term Community Building

Jessica's success didn't happen overnight. She and her co-editor have been building their writing community since 2012, long before Substack existed. What started as two "mommy bloggers" reading the same book about female friendship evolved into a multi-platform business that now serves hundreds of midlife women writers.

The key takeaway? Community building is a marathon, not a sprint. When they moved to Substack, they already had an established email list and network of writers to bring with them.

Finding Your Niche and Sticking to It

Mid Story Magazine has a laser-focused mission: supporting midlife women's stories. This specificity has been crucial to their success. As Jessica explained,

"We have a very small niche, and Substack is really good for niches. It's so much more of a direct way to find a readership."

Their clear value proposition—"a publication for and by midlife women"—gave people something concrete to support, even before they offered specific perks to paid subscribers.

Multiple Revenue Streams

What impressed me most was how Jessica and Stephanie have diversified their income:

• Paid workshops and classes (their main income source)

• Membership community ($39/month on the Circle platform)

• Published anthologies (five so far!)

• Writing coaching

• Paid submissions (they always pay their writers)

They use a combination of platforms: Kajabi for courses, Circle for community (after finding Kajabi's community features too glitchy), and Substack for content and discovery.

The Pain Points They Solve

Through surveys and constant communication with their audience, Jessica identified the #1 struggle for their community: finding time to write consistently. This insight shapes everything they offer, from co-working sessions to accountability groups.

Understanding your audience's real pain points, not what you think they need, is crucial for building something people actually want to pay for.

📘 New Release: Karma Unleashed: After five years in the making, my second novel Karma Unleashed is finally here. A supernatural thriller set between the Middle East and the American suburbs, Karma Unleashed explores immigration, identity, and mystical visions that won't be ignored.
Grab your copy here.

Marketing That Works

Jessica shared some fascinating insights about what's driven their growth:

• Anthology submissions brought in the most long-term growth

• Contributor marketing (writers sharing their published pieces)

• Substack discovery is now their main source of new subscribers

• Clear mission that people wanted to support

The Substack Advantage

What struck me was how much Jessica loves Substack for community building.

"It helps us find our people so much better," she said. Before Substack, they relied heavily on Facebook for discovery, but Substack's algorithm seems particularly good at connecting niche communities with their ideal readers.

Practical Takeaways for Your Own Community

1. Start before you're ready - Jessica and Stephanie began with a simple idea about female friendship stories

2. Be specific about who you serve - "Midlife women writers" is much more powerful than "writers"

3. Always pay your contributors - This builds loyalty and quality

4. Survey your audience regularly - Let their pain points guide your offerings

5. Consider partnerships - Having a co-founder helped them balance different strengths

6. Diversify your platforms - Don't put all your eggs in one basket

A Personal Note

One thing that really resonated with me was Jessica's authenticity about the challenges. Building a community isn't always glamorous; it requires consistent effort, genuine care for your audience, and sometimes stepping back during busy seasons (like summer schedules and travel).

But the rewards are clear: a sustainable business built around supporting other writers, meaningful connections, and the satisfaction of seeing your community members succeed.

📘 New Release: Karma Unleashed: After five years in the making, my second novel Karma Unleashed is finally here. A supernatural thriller set between the Middle East and the American suburbs, Karma Unleashed explores immigration, identity, and mystical visions that won't be ignored.
Grab your copy here.

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As authors, we often think the hardest part is writing the book. But as , a bestselling author with over 25 years of marketing experience, revealed in our live conversation, the real challenge begins after you type "The End."

Fleur's journey into book marketing started during the pandemic when she lost her marketing job and decided to write her first book with a friend. That book became an Amazon bestseller in the career category, launching her into a new career helping other authors navigate the complex world of book promotion.

The Revolutionary Approach: Marketing First, Writing Second

Here's Fleur's game-changing advice that turns conventional wisdom on its head:

"Start with the marketing first before you write even one word of your book."

This means:

• Identifying your target reader before you start writing

• Understanding what your audience expects from your genre

• Building your email list and audience throughout the writing process

• Creating your marketing plan before your manuscript

As Fleur puts it,

"Planning that upfront is the best way to make sure that you have some success when you finally launch rather than writing the book and then realizing when you're about to hit publish... you haven't built an audience."

For Time-Strapped Authors: Where to Focus Your Energy

When I asked Fleur about the biggest priority for busy authors juggling full-time jobs and family responsibilities, her answer was clear: Substack.

"I think Substack is the best place to be for an author... building your email list is so critical because they're the people that follow your journey. They're the audience that you own."

Why Substack Works for Authors

Fleur is very bullish on Substack because it allows authors to:

• Build an owned audience (not dependent on social media algorithms)

• Test their writing with excerpts and samples

• Bring readers along their author journey

• Connect authentically with potential book buyers

• Create long-form content that showcases their craft

The Power of Going Live: Why Video Changes Everything

One revelation from our conversation was the impact of video content. I shared how seeing James Patterson on Substack Live completely changed my perception of him as an author—it made me want to give his books another chance.

Fleur agreed: "Seeing an author live, I think in this day and age of AI, seeing a real human talking and showing that they've... what's inspired them to write the book, what they're interested to hear from readers about. I think that's a really human and very powerful way for authors to connect."

The takeaway: Don't hide behind your writing. Show your face, share your personality, and let readers connect with you as a person.

Growing on Substack: The Author's Blueprint

For authors just starting on Substack, Fleur recommends:

1. Find other authors and engage with them in comments and notes

2. Start early in your book-writing journey. Don't wait until publication

3. Be patient—growth is a "slow grind" with peaks and valleys

4. Share your process—readers love behind-the-scenes content about your writing journey

5. Use both long-form posts and short notes to stay connected with your audience

The Reality Check: Why Books Launch to Crickets

One of the most sobering moments in our conversation was when Fleur mentioned the constant stream of posts on Reddit's self-publishing forum from authors saying, "I launched my book last week and I haven't had any sales."

The harsh reality? 70,000 books are published on Amazon every week.

As Fleur asks: "How do you stand out?... How is your perfect reader going to be drawn to your book above the bestsellers, above the famous authors? Why are they going to take a shot at a new author that they've never heard of?"

What Actually Moves the Needle

From Fleur's experience with Amazon bestsellers, the most effective strategies include:

• Your existing network and audience (like podcast listeners for her first book)

• Strategic Amazon and Facebook advertising (though these require expertise and careful monitoring)

• BookBub promotions (competitive but powerful when secured)

• Authentic audience building rather than relying on friends and family purchases

The AI Challenge for Writers

An interesting side note: Fleur mentioned that AI has impacted her ghostwriting business, particularly for business writing. Clients now question paying for content they feel AI could produce. However, memoir ghostwriting remains AI-resistant because it requires human interviewing skills and personal connection.

Fleur's Innovative Substack Strategy

Here's a brilliant monetization strategy worth noting: Fleur offers a customized 6-10 page book marketing plan as part of her annual Substack subscription ($60 US). This creates immediate value for subscribers while generating leads for her coaching business.

Key Takeaways for Authors

1. Start marketing before you start writing

2. Build your email list early and consistently

3. Use Substack as your primary platform for audience building

4. Don't be afraid to show your face and personality

5. Understand your target reader deeply before you write

6. Be prepared for the long game as success rarely happens overnight

Final Thoughts

The most powerful insight from my conversation with Fleur was this shift in mindset: thinking of yourself as a "marketing-first author" rather than someone who reluctantly promotes their work after the fact.

As uncomfortable as it might feel to put on that "business hat," the authors who succeed are those who embrace both the creative and commercial sides of their craft.

Want to connect with Fleur Hall? Find her on Substack at "Author Growth" or search for Fleur Hall.

What's your biggest book marketing challenge? Share in the comments below, and let's help each other succeed in this author journey.

Below, I’ve distilled key takeaways from our conversation to help aspiring ghostwriters build a thriving career.

From Classroom to Content: Taylin’s Ghostwriting Journey

Taylin’s path to ghostwriting began with a desire for financial freedom. As a college teacher in Canada, he loved his job but struggled with the income. A chance coffee shop conversation led him to start writing daily on Twitter (now X), where he discovered ghostwriting through a mentor, Dakota Robertson.

After working for free to gain experience, Taylin landed his first client, charging premium rates right away by showcasing tangible results. Since 2022, he has run a content marketing agency, primarily ghostwriting for LinkedIn and X, with plans to expand to Instagram and newsletters.

Building a Moat in a Saturated Market

With more people entering the ghostwriting space and AI tools threatening to automate content creation, how does Taylin stay competitive?

He emphasizes two key strategies:

1. Stay Ahead of the Curve: Ghostwriting is challenging, and platforms are constantly evolving. To succeed, you must adapt to what works now, not last year. Taylin’s agency stays cutting-edge by researching trends and creating content that resonates with today’s audiences.

2. Focus on Revenue, Not Just Content: Instead of just building a client’s brand, Taylin’s agency acts as a “revenue partner,” delivering measurable ROI (e.g., 2-5x returns within months). This embeds them in clients’ businesses, creating a moat against competitors. For example, some clients rely on them so much that stopping services would hurt their bottom line.

Proven Strategies for Landing Clients

Taylin shared actionable tips for ghostwriters looking to attract clients:

• Build Proof First: Early on, Taylin worked for free with agencies to gather social proof (e.g., screenshots of impressions, follower growth, and leads). This proof allowed him to charge $3,200/month for his first client, bypassing the low-rate trap many beginners fall into.

• Leverage Referrals and Inbound Leads: Initially, Taylin avoided cold outreach, relying on referrals and inbound leads from viral content on X and LinkedIn. He wrote posts targeting founders, coaches, and consultants, using calls-to-action like, “If you’re a founder looking for these results, click here.” While inbound leads were plentiful in 2022-2023, market saturation now makes cold outreach necessary for consistency.

• Optimize LinkedIn as a “Wall of Testimonials”: For LinkedIn, Taylin recommends posting case studies (e.g., “This founder struggled with leads until we implemented X strategy, yielding Y results”) 2-3 times a week, alongside value-driven stories about your ethics or leadership. This turns your profile into a persuasive landing page, boosting responses to cold DMs.

Navigating Platforms: X, LinkedIn, and Substack

Taylin’s approach varies by platform:

• X: Write viral threads with a sophisticated tilt (e.g., summarizing a book like The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch) to attract high-caliber clients like founders. Case studies work better as thread add-ons than standalone posts.

• LinkedIn: Focus on case studies or broad, top-of-funnel content like productivity hacks. These build authority and trust, especially when paired with cold outreach.

• Substack: Taylin sees Substack as a “fun” creator platform, akin to “old Twitter.” While it’s great for newsletters and personal content, he’s skeptical about its potential for ghostwriting leads yet, as most Substack users prefer writing their own content. To grow on Substack, he spends 1-2 hours daily commenting and DMing to connect authentically, uses keywords like “ghostwriting” or “copywriting,” and drives subscribers from X and LinkedIn via lead magnets (e.g., journal prompts or a free AI ghostwriting course).

The Role of AI in Ghostwriting

Taylin isn’t worried about AI replacing ghostwriters—yet. While AI can generate decent posts, creating top-performing content requires detailed, 1,000- 2,000-word prompts, which demand deep platform knowledge and writing experience.

He challenges skeptics to outperform him using AI alone, noting that none have succeeded. His agency uses AI to streamline processes, but human creativity and strategy remain the core of their success.

Growing Your Substack Presence

Taylin’s Substack strategy is straightforward:

• Port Existing Subscribers: He moved 8,000+ subscribers from Beehiiv to Substack for social proof, using Zapier to automate adding new subscribers from lead magnets on X and LinkedIn.

• Engage Authentically: Daily commenting and DMing build community connections, driving organic growth.

• Cross-Promote: Most of his 20-50 daily Substack subscribers come from other platforms, not Substack itself.

Taylin’s Long-Term Vision

Taylin’s current focus is scaling his agency to offer omnichannel services (LinkedIn, X, Instagram, newsletters) and refining his ghostwriting coaching program. However, his five-year goal is to transition to writing fiction, a lifelong passion. By building “high-leverage businesses” that run efficiently with minimal hours, he aims to create space for creative pursuits without financial stress.

Key Resources and Recommendations

Taylin credits Alex Hormozi’s YouTube and books for tactical business growth advice and The Almanac of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgensen for philosophical insights on leveraged income. For podcasts, he prefers Modern Wisdom for self-improvement and big ideas over business-heavy content.

How to Connect with Taylin

Want to dive deeper into ghostwriting or hire Taylin’s agency?

Reach out to him on Substack .

Taylin’s journey shows that ghostwriting success comes from combining strategic content, tangible results, and relentless adaptation.

Whether you’re a new ghostwriter or a seasoned pro, his insights offer a roadmap to thrive in this dynamic field.

Ready to grow your own ghostwriting business?

Check out my course:
👉 How To Make Income From Ghostwriting

Grab my free cheat sheet to get started:
✅ Ghostwriting Cheat Sheet – Download the Free Guide

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments!

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