Substack Success:
Build, Grow, and Monetize Your Column
June 11, 18, & 25, 2025
8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific)
In this three-night class, bestselling author Debra Engle and Julie Gammack, founder of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, will guide you through every step of starting, developing, and growing a successful Substack column.
Whether you're a writer, expert, or storyteller, you'll learn how to identify your column’s theme, set up your Substack, craft compelling posts, and make the most of Substack’s powerful features.
Plus, discover proven strategies to build an engaged readership, expand your reach, and generate ongoing income. By the end of the course, you’ll have a clear roadmap to launch and sustain a thriving Substack publication.
This is how the three workshops will unfold:
Session 1: Substack Foundations – Setting Yourself Up for Success
During this first night, you’ll create or optimize your Substack, understand its core functions, and develop an engaging content strategy. We’ll cover...
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Introduction to Substack:
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Why Substack? (Audience building, monetization, independence)
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Overview of platform features (newsletters, posts, podcasts, chat, threads)
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Creating Your Substack:
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Choosing a niche and defining your voice
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Setting up your account and About page
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Designing a compelling publication name, tagline, and about page
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Content Strategy:
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Types of posts (essays, newsletters, podcasts, interviews)
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How often should you publish?
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Developing a content calendar
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Writing for Engagement:
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Headline and subject line formulas that drive opens
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Structuring posts for readability
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Effective calls to action (getting people to subscribe and share)
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Homework:
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Create or refine your Substack profile
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Write a draft of your first or next post and develop a publishing schedule
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Session 2: Growth & Monetization – Expanding Your Reach
On this second night of the class, you’ll learn how to grow your audience and introduce monetization strategies. We'll cover...
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Building Your Subscriber Base:
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Organic vs. paid growth strategies
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Using social media and cross-promotion
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Leveraging existing networks and collaborations
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Email List Optimization:
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Capturing and nurturing subscribers
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Best practices for welcome emails and engagement sequences
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Avoiding spam filters
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Monetization Basics:
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Free vs. paid newsletters: when to start charging
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Subscription tiers and pricing strategies
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Offering perks (community access, exclusive content, coaching, etc.)
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Networking & Collaboration:
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Guest posting and Substack recommendations
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Partnering with other writers to amplify reach
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Engaging with the Substack community
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Homework:
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Implement at least one growth strategy (guest post, social media promo, etc.)
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Set up a basic monetization plan, even if you’re not charging yet
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Session 3: Advanced Substack Tools & Long-Term Strategy
On this third night, you’ll learn advanced tools, analytics, and strategies for long-term success. We’ll cover...
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Advanced Substack Features:
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Using “Sections” to organize content
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Chat & Threads: engaging with your audience
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Substack Notes & podcast integration
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Analytics & Optimization:
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Understanding Substack’s analytics dashboard
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Open rates, click rates, and what they mean
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A/B testing subject lines and content formats
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Scaling & Sustainable Growth:
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Hiring help (editors, assistants)
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Creating a system for consistent publishing
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When to expand beyond Substack (books, courses, paid memberships)
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Diversifying Revenue Streams:
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Sponsorships and affiliate marketing
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Crowdfunding and donation-based models
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Hosting events and leveraging Substack communities
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Final Q&A & Next Steps:
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Live troubleshooting of participants' Substacks
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Action plan for continued success
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Whether you’re launching your first Substack column or looking to scale an existing one, this class in content strategy, branding, and reader growth will help you build a compelling, successful newsletter.
Join Julie and Debra Engle as they guide you through the essential tools and strategies to turn your ideas into a thriving Substack publication!
Our Faculty
Today's Price Only $197 for 6 hours of instruction
Story Summit + Annual subscribers receive a 20% discount coupon available in their dashboard. Not a subscriber yet? join here.
Please note: Our classes are designed specifically for live participation, so your attendance is important. If you need to miss a class for any reason, you’ll receive a passcode-protected link to watch the recordings after the course is over.
A Peek at Our Past Virtual Classes
