Launch a Substack Bestseller Overnight: Here's How.
When was the last time you heard good news about journalist ventures? Surprise, it is today. Or, "Honey, there’s another Substack. Just how many of these do I sign up for?”
If you follow local news, you might have noticed a big change this week. Wondering how it happened and who was behind it? That would be me—with a little help from my team. Let me share the secrets to launching a Substack bestseller overnight.
Yes, I literally mean overnight. Who has the patience for a slow climb? I want that marshmallow right now. Don’t you?
Why should you believe me? What are my credentials? Well, I didn't call myself a guru, but I appreciate the sentiment. Believe me because I've done it. Twice. In one week. I did it yesterday. Two points form a line—imagine where this could go with more time.
Here’s Bob Dunning’s thewaryone.com:
Here’s Wendy Weitzel’s comingsandgoings.news:
I've simplified our steps into an easy-to-follow process.
First, find an award-winning journalist with decades of experience. Ideally, this person is a hardworking producer, deeply loved by their community, and has a massive audience. They should be expertly trained, have honed their skills over the years, and be deeply committed to their profession. Their dedication to upholding the principles of journalism, developed over decades, is crucial.
This journalist will likely be minimally compensated, perhaps even volunteering their work for an institution that claims it can no longer pay them. They might be emotionally resigned, not focused on growth or building readership, yet they continue to deliver every week, driven by a mission to serve their audience and community. They might have been pushed into early retirement or laid off, but still, they continue to serve.
Do they have over 20, 30, or even 50 years of experience? They’re almost certainly underpaid and undervalued. They've probably given up hope for a better way after years, if not decades, of being told their industry is collapsing and the money's gone.
Second, their last token of compensation is removed. The older generation of institutions still mourns the loss of retail and advertising revenue, leading them to believe they can't fund writers anymore. The same institutional momentum that once kept these organizations healthy now prevents them from adapting to change.
Few people want to start companies; most prefer the security of a paycheck. Even those with business aspirations are often reluctant to take risks. This journalist will likely need to be completely pushed out, either through an unceremonious layoff, like Bob, or by becoming so frustrated with the situation that they choose to leave, like Wendy.
Third, this part is about you. You've been following Substack from the start, connecting with writers, authors, journalists, and "content creators" who feel like friends, even though they've never met you. This is known as a parasocial relationship. These authors have shared their experiences of branching out from legacy media into new formats. They’ve tried various platforms, built audiences, and relied on their followers to fund their work. You’re one of those followers.
Much like previous generations looked forward to the morning paper, you eagerly anticipate your TGIF Substack post from Nellie Bowles of The Free Press, of which you are a founding subscriber. If she launches a book and takes a week off, you feel personally insulted. Her column provides an honest take on national events, complete with links to her sources, videos she's watched, and articles she's read. You can hear her voice as you read.
You think, “This is what journalism used to be about, right? Is this why my dad read the paper every day? Why is that paper now empty or preachy? Why is it still on paper?” No one wants a paper without content or to be told how to feel without being informed. Where did the good journalism go? Your values align with those of an informed electorate, striving to stay informed in the spirit of classic liberal values. A voter relies on a free press to participate effectively in democracy, which is the essence of America, right?
You should be horrified by the collapse of journalists and news outlets and be willing to work hard to reverse this trend.
In addition to being a media consumer, you need to be an entrepreneur with about 20 years of experience building businesses and products, experiencing both successes and failures. You were an early fan of Guy Kawasaki’s "The Art of the Start" and have given it to almost everyone you’ve worked with as part of their onboarding process. You’ve tried to teach them the language of “the start” so they understand your approach.
You've reached a point where you prioritize achieving successful objectives, like creating a Substack bestseller, over extracting commercial success for yourself. You focus on what is needed and how to achieve it, rather than on getting paid upfront or minimizing your risks.
You’ve learned that the power of consumer choice is incredibly influential. When a choice that affects many people is denied, you see it as an opportunity to meet a need.
Is there a centralized solution that might someday deliver? One paper? A single public organization? These have nothing to do with a consumer's choice to buy. We need an ecosystem of choices.
Are people spending their money monthly out of duty, obligation, or civic-mindedness? Are they satisfied with the result? If not, you see an opportunity. If an institution serves advertisers instead of readers, it will eventually collapse. Its mission shifts from providing valuable content to chasing advertisements, failing to deliver what readers want to pay for.
You take this perspective and integrate it with a journalist’s momentum—momentum they may not even realize they have. You channel that into the aspiration of creating a lasting legacy. There is another generation of readers that will follow, and we need institutions to provide an essential ingredient for our democracy. Is anyone else going to do that? No, it’s up to you. You’re going to do that.
We then combine these three ingredients: a journalist with a proven, dedicated audience; a need for change; and your willingness to take initiative, take a risk, and put your personal resources on the line. This combination aims to build an institution that lasts beyond a single individual’s success. You discover that journalists are also hungry for this vision because it aligns with why they stayed with the previous institutions for so long.
You invest in this vision both individually and personally, generously supporting the risks to offset the potential that a lasting institution might not yet exist. But you believe it can. With this moral framing and aspirational vision, you overcome hurdles and get launched.
Consumers, the readers, are finally being offered a product they want to pay for. They couldn’t before because it wasn’t valued financially. Consumers react with joy, appreciation, and, yes, some anger at broken bargains. But they engage, they subscribe, and they send their money where they want it to go. They don’t care about advertisers. They want to buy a product they feel is necessary for their lives. And you are now providing that product.
The last step, though optional, is to broadly explain what you’ve done and hope that others join you on the journey. It’s more than just a platform, though I’m incredibly grateful for Substack. It’s about people who want to create an institution and leave a legacy that will grow into sustained commercial success. An institution that provides a career track, allowing new generations to learn from the seasoned pros about the critical role of journalism.
So, is this you? Are you in your mid-forties? Do you have a family and a bunch of people relying on you, like employees and their families? Are you in a financial position to wait until this venture succeeds before seeing any return? Are you okay with the likelihood of failure? If so, you're probably a lot like me—right down to the red hair! (Okay, maybe not the red hair, but you get the idea.)
It’s more likely that you won’t see any return. If you answered ‘yes’ to all these questions, congratulations! You meet the criteria and are probably already running a company that isn’t in journalism. And we should definitely hang out.
But, the odds are that this entrepreneur I describe isn’t you (though, it is indeed me). A small portion of the population fits this mold, and even fewer do so voluntarily.
Unless you’re one of the journalists I’ve described (and please contact me if you are), you fall into what I affectionately call the ‘Exhausted Majority.’ I prefer this term over ‘Silent Majority,’ which I believe Nixon coined. The ‘Exhausted Majority’ refers to the 90-95% of you who aren’t activists. But you do care. You care intensely. And while you may be silent, you’re not always silent.
You’re busy living the life you’re already committed to. Your business is demanding. Your family is demanding. You’re caring for your grandchildren or children. You’re figuring out your career. Maybe you’re focused on your marriage and your home. Or perhaps you’re just starting out in your work life and already have plenty on your plate. Sometimes, you just need a minute to rest before work starts tomorrow.
You count on journalism to respect your time and honor how valuable your attention is. You rely on a commitment to the pursuit of truth. You absorb a lot of information but rarely act on a topic or issue because you’re doing all the things I mentioned. You’ve never bought or subscribed to a newspaper because you wanted the ads. You act when it aligns with your values or goals. You don’t want to be told to get into conflict or be angry. You don’t care which article gets the most clicks. You hate clickbait because it wastes your time.
You want a fair bargain with the sources of information you choose to fund.
You can have that fair bargain again, if you help us.
Here’s the bargain we’re proposing:
We’re committed to the role of the free press in the classic sense by bringing you quality journalism: honesty, independence, and engagement. No algorithms. Just well-written words by real people.
Job one is to fund the writers (well, after Substack anyway). They are so used to being underpaid. I want that to end. We believe we have enough subscriber funding to make this happen. None of the writers I’ve spoken with have excessive expectations. They just want respect and fair rates, provided the subscribers (not the advertisers) support it.
Next, we plan and fund for longevity. Like Wendy said, we need to consider where the next Bobs and Wendys are going to come from. We will hire and train them to take the baton when senior journalists are ready to hand it over. We will set a high bar for quality writing. They want to mentor, train, and see folks grow in the profession. That doesn’t happen enough now.
What’s Your Part of the Bargain?
First and foremost, be a savvy media consumer. Support quality journalism wherever you find it, even if it’s not us.
The best way to help us directly? Subscribe.
Most of you who’ve already subscribed chose to pay for a year upfront. That’s perfect for a young venture like ours. It provides income security for our writers and helps us grow our subscriber base. It gives us the stability to plan for the future.
If you can afford to go beyond, consider a founder-level subscription. We’re incredibly efficient at putting those funds to good use, creating the future we all hope for. This approach is much better than raising fees for a declining product, which you’re probably seeing at other outlets. Support those outlets too if you are willing, but also demand a good product from them or us.
Are you willing to donate even more? Many of you already have. Bob and Wendy’s hearts swell with gratitude as they see the support and goodwill you’re providing.
Even if our larger collective doesn’t fully succeed, you’ve already given Bob and Wendy a better home for their work. Your funding ensures they can keep writing as long as you keep subscribing. If that’s the least we achieve, it’s worth it. And I’m honored to have helped make it happen.
Are you ready to invest in a vision of quality journalism, honesty, and engagement? Subscribe, support, and become a part of this remarkable journey.
Subscribe to Quality Journalism
Support where you find quality, even if it's not us.
Consider a founder-level subscription for greater impact.
Donate more if you can. Your support makes a difference.
By subscribing, you're not just supporting journalism; you're becoming a part of it. Let’s create something remarkable together.
Brian is distributing this update on Substack through the ‘Hope for the Exhausted Majority’, which may become a feed for updates on the new chapters starting with The Wary One and Comings and Goings. Please subscribe to this free newsletter if you’re interested in occasional behind the scenes updates.
Reach Brian at brian@beehively.com
Support Bob and Wendy directly at:
