Is There an Ideal Substack Posting Schedule?

And do readers actually care?

One of my first writing jobs was a weekly column in a newspaper. For the first few weeks, I loved it. I had a million ideas.

I lived in a very small town. The kind of farming village they use as a setting for a romance novel. The herd of cows eye you up as you walk past them to the main street, the shops are 150 years old, tiny and musty smelling, and all the shopkeepers know your name. There’s always someone running a Bake Sale fundraiser at a fold out table in the grocery store carpark and you can’t get around the store without a catch-up with at least eight people.

And then a handsome stranger walks in and…

Okay, no. In real life, no handsome stranger walked into my village store, just elderly farmers. But those elderly farmers and their wives started telling me they were reading my newspaper column.

And then I felt the pressure. People were actually reading what I was writing in the privacy of my bedroom.

Photo courtesy of Gratisography

The ideas froze up. Pretty soon I was missing deadlines. Then I quit.

I couldn’t handle it at that stage in my writing career.

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As I found out, writing a regular column or Substack newsletter can be a fun idea, but as your audience numbers grow, it can feel like a lot of pressure.

Most of us have other jobs. Families. Sometimes even a second side-hustle as well as Substack. What felt like a fun little project when your audience was 0, now feels like another commitment on your already full plate.

And not even one that makes much (if any) money.

An email popped into my inbox today from

John Williams

, a psychologist and couples therapist who writes the fantastic “Cheaper than Divorce” Substack.

He polled his subscribers asking if they’d mind if he wrote a little less frequently than the weekly posts he’d promised. I’m guessing he didn’t want to disappoint or upset any of his readers.

Perhaps you’re feeling the same.

You know what the poll results say so far? 67% chose “I’ll read whatever, whenever”.

Whatever, whenever.

I subscribed to John because I read one of his posts and enjoyed it. I didn’t subscribe because I expect him to be like my daily newspaper, delivering on a schedule.

It’s the same for your readers. They signed up because they like you and what you had to say once. Honestly, most of our subscribers probably delete the majority of our emails and just read the occasional one that catches their eye.

Check your open rates and you’ll see that. Typically, open rates are under 50%.

That’s not a bad thing. It’s a helpful reality check to alleviate pressure.

People are busy. They’re not keeping track of your newsletter and how often you post.

Some writers will tell you there’s a “Growth Strategy” to follow on Substack. They’ve cracked the numbers. Write X number of notes per day at regular intervals and X number of full posts per week and you too can have “success” here!

To me, that stinks as much as the cow paddocks in the village.

Who’s making these rules?

You don’t have to post a note every day. You don’t have to post a newsletter every week. No-one’s keeping track. There’s no pressure here. Do what works for you.

If you’ve got a growth strategy and the energy, go for it. I’ll cheer you on.

If you just want to write “whatever, whenever”, know that your readers won’t care. Will they forget you? Perhaps. But they’ll remember and appreciate you again when you send a well-written, thought provoking piece of writing their way.

Far better to post something carefully crafted and valuable once a month, than pump out hurried pieces twice a week.

Would love to hear your thoughts on what’s been working/not working for you.

Let’s have a conversation.

Kelly

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