No One Reads Your Substack at First (And That’s Exactly How It’s Supposed to Work)
Why slow starts are normal, how newsletters actually grow, and how I got started.
The first time you publish a Substack article, something almost always happens.
You open the dashboard. You refresh the page.
And you see… almost nothing.
Maybe three views. Maybe five.
Immediately your brain starts asking questions.
Did I pick the wrong topic?
Is this idea stupid?
Is Substack even worth doing?
Almost every creator experiences this moment.
And almost every creator misunderstands what it means.
The Reality of Early Substack Growth
Most newsletters start quietly.
Very quietly.
The first readers usually come from:
Friends.
Early supporters.
A few curious creators.
Strangers from the internet.
It can feel discouraging or demoralizing at first.
However, this stage isn’t failure.
It’s the beginning of the compounding phase.
How Substack Actually Grows
Substack growth rarely comes from one viral article.
It usually comes from a combination of small actions repeated consistently.
Publishing regularly.
Participating in Notes.
Collaborating with other creators.
Building trust with readers.
Being human.
Each article becomes another doorway into your work.
Each interaction helps the platform understand your publication.
Over time, the visibility compounds.
The Hidden Advantage of A Small Start & How I Got Started
Starting small actually gives creators an advantage.
When your audience is small:
You can experiment.
You can refine your ideas.
You can improve your writing without pressure.
Many successful newsletters spent months, or years, quietly building before they were widely discovered.
I spent two consecutive years writing online and publishing an article every Sunday since the beginning of 2023. I made a commitment to myself to post one article a week for me to be able to take myself serious as a Professional Writer.
In October 2023, almost one year into publishing every Sunday, I got approached by a stock trader and investor to do some ghost writing for him and officially started in 2024.
While ghost writing in 2024, I still didn't stop writing for my first publication, NP Fellow. I continued to post every Sunday in year 2 of publishing every Sunday. Most times, I didn’t feel like writing for my own newsletter at all from all the writing I was doing.
However, as a Ghost Writer you should never stop writing for yourself. So I continued and finished out my first two years of writing online and publishing every Sunday for free.
There were months and many moments of radio silence and my posts got barely 5 likes or any engagement, but I enjoy writing so that stuff didn’t bother me or stop me.
I was more focused on making a difference in my readers through my writing then counting likes.
The Real Goal
The goal of your first Substack articles isn’t attention.
The goal is momentum.
Momentum builds confidence.
Confidence builds consistency.
Consistency builds growth.
If You’re Stuck Right Now
If your first articles feel quiet, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It usually means you’re doing exactly what every successful newsletter did at the beginning.
Keep publishing.
The readers arrive over time.
Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate you.
— Jessica
Move first. Refine second. Publish with structure.
Hearing your voice gives the article even more depth ✨ Love the encouragement for new writers, the beginning is always hard.
Thanks, Jess, this is really encouraging as I'm a newbie to Substack. I have fallen in love with the process as it's working on me in more ways than one. I've always wanted to impact others with my voice, but I used to think writing wasn't for me until I just gave it a go. I now write weekly, refining how I continuously provide value and will help my future readers. I have a lot to learn, but it's been enlightening so far.